Gadget Talks

Archive for the ‘Notebooks’ Category

How would you change HTC's Sense? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I did my taxes recently, and this is the first year that I actually bothered to deduct for all those things that I buy over the year for my job. It was confusing frankly, and I wish I’d read this article before I did it. Hopefully you’ll read this in time to do your deductions correctly, and not make the same mistakes I did (which caused me to miss out on several things I could have claimed).

I’m not going to go into all the grisly details, I’ll leave that to the person who actually wrote the article at PCWorld, but the gist of it is this: be careful what you deduct, and how you deduct it. And yes, you can deduct your internet connection (at least part of it) if you are a blogger. Be careful not to write off 100% value on items like computers or phones, as the IRS won’t believe you that you use those things strictly for business purposes.

Continue reading Spike Jonze's free web film features robot love, vodka, long wait times

Spike Jonze's free web film features robot love, vodka, long wait times originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

ioSafe is running a great deal with Costco right now, you can buy their ioSafe Solo (which John reviewed) for a great price, and also get an additional year of data recovery for free. The drive is currently on sale for $229.99 (ordered online), and is regularly priced at $259.99 and doesn’t normally include the additional year of data recovery. Having personally seen one of these set on fire, I’m seriously considering picking one up, and you should too.

Continue reading ASUS' Express Gate 2.0 instant-on OS demoed on video

ASUS' Express Gate 2.0 instant-on OS demoed on video originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It’s fairly easy to find exactly when most Americans started to get fat. All you have to do is go back to the 1950’s. Some would say this is due to our fast food lifestyle, people spending too much time in front of the TV instead of running from animals, or even possibly a plot by Colonel Sanders. I think it’s directly related to the invention of the remote control. Now, there’s even less reason to get up off the couch thanks to the latest invention: The Clicker.

The Clicker is a 9-function learning remote with one important difference. It has a built in bottle opener. Now, after you train your dog to go and get you a beer out of the fridge, you no longer have to fumble in your pocket, or on the side table for an opener. You’ll know exactly where it is. Unfortunately you can’t be lazy if you want to order one though, as the website doesn’t have an electronic store. There isn’t even a price listed, just a phone number. You can download the instructions on how to program your new remote/bottle opener though.

The GigaPan Epic Pro was the Gigapan we were waiting for it. It’s, well, professionally epic and capable of using nearly any DSLR camera/lens available thanks to its large magnesium chassis. It was originally going to start shipping sometime in April, but apparently something changed because we just got word from the company itself that its available now.

Too bad the somewhat high, but understandable, $895 price didn’t change. Probably more than a few photographers would have rather seen a bit shaved off that rather than the shipping date.

Continue reading Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 14 and 15 shipping to small businesses, cupcake lovers

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 14 and 15 shipping to small businesses, cupcake lovers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple doesn’t like HTC, not one bit. In fact, Apple recently filed a lawsuit against the Taiwan-based company, alleging that it has infringed 20 iPhone-related patents. This has already been discussed to death, but it gives us an opportunity to look at some of Apple’s other forays into the world of lawsuits. It’s terribly exciting.

So yeah, CNET did the hard work, and I’m merely highling the items that caught my eye.

• Psystar. This is probably the most famous lawsuit in the past few years. Pretty much a flawless victory for Apple.

• Nokia. Oh, Apple on the other end of a lawsuit? Hmm. Nokia says Apple infringed a number of its patents with the iPhone. Nokia sues Apple which then sues HTC. Mind = blown.

• Microsoft and HP. Oh dear, it’s a battle royale over user graphical user interfaces. Apple basically got its teeth kicked in on this one.

Flickr

See that image above? It’s notable for two reasons:

1. I’m fairly confident it takes the much coveted title for “Hardest to read leaked document ever”.
2. It, in all of its tiny text, confirms that the Sprint HTC Hero and Samsung Moment will be upgraded to Android 2.1 soon.

Update: We’ve now got a more legible picture and a full transcription after the jump.

The wonderful guys over at AndroidCentral whipped out their electron microscopes and did the hard transcription work for us. While the majority of it is just the general “Tell our customers that our service is superior to EVERYONE!” internal propaganda, there lies a pair of gems right around the middle section: “Let your customers know we are actively working on having the Android 2.1 platform available to our Hero and Moment customers over the coming weeks.” and “Look for more information coming in April about Android 2.1 platform for Hero and Moment.”

So there you have it, folks – more information is coming in April. I can’t even imagine how many people are happy about this news (Hi Carol!), given that people have been asking for an update to the Hero since roughly 1996 and that the Samsung Moment would be an absolutely killer handset when paired with Android 2.1.

Update: Want something a little more legible? Our buddy Joecrack305 of Cognizantphotos just sent a much better screen cap our way. Check it out:

Android 2.1 platform for Hero and Moment

Specialists: All
Customers: All

What you need to know:

• With all the anticipation of Nexus One joining the Sprint Android family of great devices, customers with the HTC Hero™ and the Samsung Moment™ with Google™ may wonder about the Android 2.1 platform that supports Nexus One.

What you need to do:

• We know that technology has enabled greater productivity and spontaneity in our lives, and because of this we have become very dependent on staying connected. Customers don‘t only expect more from their wireless phones — they demand it.
• Let your customers know we are actively working on having the Android 2.1 platform available to our Hero and Moment customers over the coming weeks.
  Look for more information coming in April about Android 2.1 platform for Hero and Moment.

And don’t forget:

• The HTC Hero™ and the Samsung Moment™ with Google™ are superior devices.
• Sprint is the only national U.S. carrier to offer HTC Hero, and it picked up top honors as Best Mobile Handset at the 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
  About.com readers have also nominated HTC Hero as their favorite smartphone for the 2010 Reader’s Choice Awards.

Thanks Joecrack305!