Hands-On with the Dell Inspiron Mini 10

Dell is no stranger to the netbook market, what with the Inspiron Mini 9 and the Mini 12 garnering lots of attention lately. With the vast majority of netbook makers transitioning to 10-inch platforms, news has been spreading like wildfire about Dell launching its own.

The Dell Inspiron Mini 10 is the third piece of its netbook puzzle—a more complex piece, in a way, with tons of potential. I spent some time with the Mini 10 earlier this year at CES 2009, and there is plenty to like. Dell explains it best: "The Mini 10 starts out simple and becomes more complex from there." In the next couple of months, those holding out for a netbook will see some serious bar-raising.

If Dell labeled its netbooks small, medium, and large, the Mini 10 would fit the "medium" moniker like a glove. In size, it falls smack in the middle between the Mini 9 and the Mini 12, in large part because of the 10-inch widescreen. Like the 2.9-pound frames of the Acer Aspire One (10-inch) and the Samsung NC10-14GB, the Mini 10's weight, too, is a shade under 3 pounds.

Color customizations are plenty, as with all of Dell's consumer notebooks. Black and white, as usual, are the standard colors. For an additional fee, the Mini 10 can be dressed in Promise Pink ($5 from each purchase in that color is donated to Susan G. Komen for the [breast cancer] Cure), Cherry Red, and Jade Green. Propping up costs for a nicer design isn't new in the netbook industry; both the HP Mini 2140 and the ASUS EeePC 1002HA charge a premium for their aluminum designs, and the Sony Lifestyle PC's elongated footprint commands the highest price tag of all the netbooks.

The typing experience can make or break a netbook, which is one of the reasons why the Dell Mini 9's 89 perecent keyboard didn't bode well for touch typists. The Mini 10's 92 percent keyboard sits among the elite, matching those of the Asus EeePC 1000HE, the MSI Wind, and the HP 2140. The Samsung NC10-14GB holds the biggest netbook keyboard at 93 percent.

The touchpad and mouse buttons are a key netbook differentiator, taking a page out of the current Apple MacBook 13-inch (Aluminum) and the MacBook Pro 15-inch (Dual Graphics). It's essentially a larger touchpad devoid of traditional mouse buttons. There are left- and right-click functions, but you're basically clicking the bottom half of the touchpad.

The touchpad and the mouse buttons were responsive during my 15 minutes of quality time with them. In keeping up with the Apple theme, the touchpad supports multi-touch: With two fingers, for instance, you pan, pinch and enlarge most file types. Placing four fingers on the touchpad takes you to the desktop environment.

Like the Acer Aspire One (10-inch), adding a 10-inch widescreen option is long overdue for Dell. The Mini 10 will start out with the resolution every other netbook maker is using on 10-inch screens: 1,024-by-768. The complex part comes several months later when Dell will add a 1,366-by-768 option, similar to what the HP is offering with the Mini 2140.

It doesn't end there, though. Dell is also offering options for mobile broadband (no word on the carriers yet) and an integrated ATSC TV tuner that can receive over-the-air HD channels - a first for a netbook.

If you're wondering about HD playback, Dell showed off pre-recorded HD content playing seamlessly on the high-resolution screen, which it claims is helped by the video playback enhancements of Intel's Menlow platform (I'll get into that later).

Even without the add-ons, the features that will ship when the Mini 10 is launched on February 26 are easily tops among its netbook peers. It's one of two netbooks (the other is the Asus N10Jc-1B) that ships with a built-in HDMI-Out port, ideal for streaming video content to a larger display. The Mini 10 features a built-in GPS module, presumably with Microsoft's Streets and Maps. Aside from these two big highlights, you get the usual array of netbook ports, including three USB ports, a multi-card memory reader, an Ethernet port, and headphone and microphone jacks. The Mini 10 will come standard with a 160GB spinning hard drive, and it will offer SSD options. It won't have an ExpressCard slot like the HP 2140 and the 231733, but I think the HDMI-port makes up for this feature in spades.

The direction Dell takes with the Intel Atom processor is different from the rest of the crowd. Rather than go with the commonly used 1.6GHz N270 processor, or even the newer N280 platform (found on the Asus 1000HE), the Mini 10 will run on an Intel Atom Z520 (1.33GHz) or the Z530 (1.6GHz) processors—commonly referred to as the "Menlow" platform.

Based on past experiences, I can tell you the Menlow platform isn't as speedy as the N270 and N280, but it's more energy efficient. Video playback, according to Dell, is better optimized on the Menlow platform, which works in line with the high-resolution screen and the ATSC tuner. Like most netbooks, Dell will ship with multiple battery choices. (At launch, Dell will offer a standard 3-cell battery or an optional 6-cell unit.) Other netbook tidbits include support for both Windows XP and Linux; Windows Vista will be offered at a later date.

At launch, the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 isn't the cheapest netbook on the block, as it will be priced at $549 — and this is the standard configuration. With future add-ons, tricking out this netbook might make the Asus eeePC 1000HE and the Acer Aspire One (10-inch) look like charity handouts. But this is Dell, company known for its infamous coupons and aggressive deals. The amount of technology that they could potentially pack into this netbook will make others take notice—and respond. Look for companies like ASUS and HP to intensify the netbook wars upon news of Dell's latest netbook darling.

Source : http://www.pcmag.com/

Researchers hack facial biometrics

Researchers in Vietnam will be demonstrating how to hack facial recognition biometrics at the Black Hat security convention currently underway in Washington DC.

Nguyen Minh Duc, head of the application security department at the Bach Khoa Internetwork Security Center at Hanoi University of Technology, will be demonstrating how to beat the facial recognition systems built into some Lenovo, Toshiba and Asus laptops.

The systems use the laptop’s built-in webcam to take a picture of the user’s face, so that it can be used instead of a fingerprint or password to access the device. But according to Duc this system can be beaten in a variety of ways.

“The mechanisms used by those three vendors haven’t met the security requirements needed by an authentication system, and they cannot wholly protect their users from being tampered,” he said.

“There is no way to fix this vulnerability. ASUS, Lenovo, and Toshiba have to remove this function from all the models of their laptops … [they] must give an advisory to users all over the world: Stop using this [biometric] function.”

The researchers used the obvious method of showing the camera a picture of the registered user and this was reasonably successful. However the system could also be bypassed by showing the camera pictures of other people’s faces after playing around with light and shade settings.

Duc will be showing how to beat Lenovo's Veriface III, Asus' SmartLogon V1.0.0005, and Toshiba's Face Recognition 2.0.2.32 using these techniques.

Source : http://www.vnunet.com/

Desktop PCs and computers: A new range of Asus computers are now available through CCL

The CCL stock shelves are about to be filled with a new range of computers from Asus.

New models are the P2-P5N9300, P4-P5N930, T3-P5G43 and the T3-P5P43 PCs which are in the 'booksize' or 'mini-tower' Barebone categories.

However, while being small and compact to take up less space in the home or office, they still feature the latest Intel processing power to meet the demands of computer enthusiasts.

Prices range from £131.32 to £157.34 inclusive of VAT, offering different budgetary options to ensure the best value for money depending on requirements.

Asus is particularly proud of the P2-P5N9300 which it describes as a "small companion with the most powerful graphics performance is evolved to offer a new experience of HD video" while the T3-P5P43 as offers "speed performance with solid quality".

The new range is expected to arrive in two-three days and will go on sale with next day delivery available.

Source : http://www.cclonline.com

Asus To Launch Low-Cost PC With Bundled Microsoft Office In Japan

Taiwanese firm AsusTek Computer Inc. (TAIEX: 2357) said Wednesday that it will release Saturday a low-priced Eee PC personal computer with Microsoft Corp.'s Office productivity software included.

The 1000H-X with Office will come pre-loaded with Microsoft Office Personal 2007. Priced at 57,800 yen (US$616.78), it will have a 10-inch wide-screen display and a 160-gigabyte hard-disk drive.

This will be the first time Asus has offered Office on one of its PCs. Taiwanese rival Acer Inc. is set to release Friday a new model loaded with Microsoft Office and priced around 60,000 yen.

Until now, most inexpensive PCs have not come with Office. And this has been one factor keeping customers away from these machines, since such applications as word processing and spreadsheets are considered basic uses of computers.

The introduction by the two Taiwanese firms of low-priced offerings that come with Office, which sells for 40,000 yen or more in stores, will likely accelerate competition with conventional notebook computers.

For full details on Microsoft Corp (MSFT) click here. Microsoft Corp (MSFT) has Short Term PowerRatings of 5. Details on Microsoft Corp (MSFT) Short Term PowerRatings is available at This Link.

Source : http://www.tradingmarkets.com/

Asus Unveils Eee PC 1002HA Netbook

Asus has launched the Eee PC 1002HA, targeted at working professionals.

Stanley Wu, Country Head for Netbooks, Asus India, said, “Keeping our promise of offering more value additions to Eee PC users, we have bundled Eee PC 1002HA with free 10 GB online storage facilities along with the usual 160 GB HDD storage device. Also, PC users who are conscious about power consumption will surely benefit with the Super Hybrid Engine (SHE) that saves up to 15 percent power of the CPU.”

The Eee PC 1002HA is compact and lightweight and is equipped with 802.11n technology that provides connectivity on-the-go. It weighs 1.2kg with the battery attached and measures only 1-inch thick. It comes with a 10-inch LED-backlit display (1024 x 600 pixels), digital array microphone, coupled with a 1.3 megapixel built-in webcam which allows for mobile video conferencing while Bluetooth connectivity enables users to wirelessly connect Bluetooth-enabled devices. It also comes built-in with 4-in-1 card reader capable of reading MMC, SD, Memory Stick and MS-PRO media formats. 

Priced at Rs 24,990, the Asus Eee PC 1002HA is available with Rashi Peripherals.

Source : http://www.crn.in/

Freescale promises $200 netbook

Chicago (IL) - Within the next few months, Freescale Semiconductor is planning to bring to market a $200 netbook, placing its product at roughly half the price of the majority of netbooks on the shelves. Freescale wants to deliver the product by summer.


The new netbook would prove to the world that an Intel Atom platform is not the only way to go. The company's netbook would feature non-x86-based chips delivering up to eight hours of battery life, and would also be much thinner than the netbooks currently on sale.

Earlier this year, Freescale announced they would be designing a netbook which brough users 3G connectivity, all day battery life, and the use of their own i.MX515 processor -- which is based on ARM's Cortex-A8 technology. While this CPU is not x86-based, it does promote energy efficiency using a RISC-like design.

Additionally, Freescale has added support for other operating systems which include Phoenix's Hyperspace pre-boot shell and Xandros Linux. This runs in contrast to the company's earlier claims that it would only be compatible with Ubuntu, showing the flexibility of the platform.

The PC market is currently being flooded with netbooks, with Acer recently reporting netbook sales account for 30% of their notebook sales, and next year could account for 20% of their total PC sales. As the economy gets worse, individuals are seeking cheaper alternatives to the rugged home PC. In 2008 alone, 15 million netbook devices were sold, and researchers believe that figure will easily double (or more) this year alone. This is also due to the high performance now possible in smaller footprints. What was possible a few years ago only in a high-end PC can now be carried around in a pocket.

Freescale is aiming to redirect the netbook market away from x86 and Intel with their new chip and netbook offering. The company hopes to show that non-x86 alternatives, provided they have software support, can be viable alternatives. They want to have their netbooks in production by the middle of this year, even though a manufacturing partner has yet to be announced. Consumers should be able to put one under the tree this holiday season.

Source : http://www.tgdaily.com/

Google Mobile App Released for Windows Mobile

The Google Mobile App team announced that Windows Mobile users would be able to enjoy the application on their devices as well. As many of you might already know, the Google Mobile App has been designed to provide users with much easier access to their favorite Google applications from the device's Today screen, while also being able to perform faster searching on their Windows Mobile-powered phone.

According to the team, users will not have to wait any longer for the browser to open so that they are able to perform a search, while the search history will facilitate the typing, so that they are enabled to get their search faster than before and with fewer clicks, all thanks to the newly launched Google Mobile App for the Windows Mobile operating system.

In addition, Pocket PC users are also able to experience an even faster search, through the addition of the Google Mobile App to the start menu (Settings: Menus). At the same time, they also have the option of configuring a hardware key (Settings: Buttons), which would grant them fast access to it from any application running on the phone.

When it comes to speed, the team says that they managed to obtain about 50 percent faster times with the Google Mobile App when compared to navigating to the search engine from the browser's page, while the queries were identical.

The Google Mobile App has become available for any device running under Windows Mobile in the US, UK, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, and Germany. In addition, the team says, it is also available for iPhone, iPod touch and BlackBerry devices, although it seems that it won't work on all of RIM's handsets, as some users already reported.

Those interested in downloading it will be able to find it on Softpedia via this link, as well as on Google, here. Take a look at the Google Mobile App on Windows Mobile in this video before making up your mind as to whether to download it or not.

 

Source : http://news.softpedia.com/

AMD secures manufacturing spinout approval

It's official. AMD's shareholders have voted to spin out the chipmaker's manufacturing operations into "The Foundry Co," leaving AMD to focus on its designs.

As part of the "asset smart" carve out deal,AMD will issue 58 million shares and warrants to purchase 35 million shares to Mubadala Development Co. Mubadala-affiliated Advanced Technology Investment Company is expected to get around 66% of stake in The Foundry Co and Mubadala will own around 20% of AMD's outstanding shares after the transaction, which is expected to be completed by March 2.

When welast checked in on the AMD manufacturing spinout after the company in October 2008 announced initial plans and just as the downturn began to rear its ugly head, the lean of opinions had changed from a negative one -- one that said AMD could not compete without its manufacturing -- to a more positive one where readers commented that the spinout is a "lifesaving move" for AMD, that the company has "been spread thin" since buying ATI, and that this is "finally a positive move as it will buy them some time to work on new designs."

I continue to agree with the more positive lean, but I continue to be disappointed by AMD's lack of promotion that it can now, finally, refocus itself on designing. Today could prove monumental for AMD's recovery, yet the company issued only a short statement on the approval. And, yes, AMD has stated before (although, again, too briefly from my perspective) that the move will allow a refocus, but news like this merits repeating. And it especially merits repeating in this economic climate when with the spinout, AMD significantly lowers its debt and costs, without cutting jobs or R&D dollars further than it already has.

Do you agree? Should AMD make some noise about its Foundry Co approval? Given the changes to the overall environment since AMD first announced plans for the spinout in October, is this a step in the right direction? Make you own voice heard by posting a comment below.

Source : http://www.edn.com/

AMD spin-off gets OK

MALTA — After a week of some doubts, shareholders of Advanced Micro Devices Inc. approved the spin-off of the company's manufacturing operations Wednesday, paving the way for construction of a $4.6 billion computer chip factory here.

AMD needed the OK to create a joint venture with an investment fund owned by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi known as the Advanced Technology Investment Co. The move also includes an infusion of cash from the oil-rich city state that will stabilize AMD's finances.

The joint venture, currently being called The Foundry Co., will make computer chips for AMD and other companies using AMD's two existing chip fabs in Dresden, Germany. It is also planning to expand its manufacturing capabilities by building a third fab at the Luther Forest Technology Campus in Malta that would employ 1,465 people. Initial ground-clearing on a 222-acre site is slated to begin next month.

The approval has been in doubt since last week after fewer than 50 percent of the company's shares were voted during the regularly scheduled shareholder vote on the spin-off. Such a quorum is required to make the vote official.

The vote had been adjourned until Wednesday, when AMD was able to obtain a razor-thin margin of 50.26 percent of the shares to be cast. Of those, an overwhelming 94 percent voted in favor of the plan.

Now AMD says it expects to close the deal by March 2, just two weeks before it wants to start initial tree and soil clearing at Luther Forest.

"AMD did not have a plan B," Malta Town Supervisor Paul Sausville said. "They voted, and shareholders obviously understood the importance of this to their business."

Now starts the meticulous process of site plan approval by the Malta Planning Board, which will meet next Wednesday to continue reviewing plans for the chip fab, which were submitted to the town earlier in the month.

Sausville said the Town Board will discuss hiring a project management firm to help the town oversee the project during its Monday meeting. AMD is funding that hiring, although AMD spokesman Travis Bullard said the project manager will have total autonomy and will get its direction from the town, not AMD.

"They'll just send us the bill," Bullard said.

Sausville said the project manager will keep the town on top of needed approvals and project requirements. He noted that the lost opportunity costs on a $4.6 billion project come out to $300,000 for each day the project is delayed.

Sausville said there are other small yet important details that must get taken care of before the chip fab can get its certificate of occupancy from the town, scheduled for 2011.

The zoning law that covers the fab requires 7.5 miles of pathways and trails be constructed at Luther Forest and that those trails be connected with existing public trails in the towns of Malta and Stillwater, including the Zim Smith Trail, a major trail that runs through Saratoga County.

A $100,000 state grant given to the nonprofit Saratoga PLAN to design an extension from the Zim Smith to Luther Forest has been held up due to government red tape.

"This is just one of several issues that could be problematic for the project," Sausville said.

Bullard, the AMD spokesman, said some of that trail work at Luther Forest will be done this spring.

"It shouldn't be an issue," he said. "A lot of that stuff is under way."

Source : http://timesunion.com/

AMD plans proceed following shareholder OK

With Wednesday’s shareholder approval for investments in a microchip fabrication plant to be built in Malta, all eyes now turn to planning the new facility.

“The site plan has been generally known for years now. This is really just looking at the nuts and bolts. There are no surprises; we’re just getting through the due diligence,” said Tony Tozzi, Malta director of Building and Planning, shortly after a vote in Austin, Texas, that rubber-stamped the deal between microchip manufacturer AMD and its two investors, the Advanced Technology Investment Company and the Mubadala Development Company.

ATIC and Mubadala are wholly-owned by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Once the deal is formalized, a new company — thus far known as The Foundry, but expected to be renamed — will take over operation of AMD’s manufacturing facilities in Dresden, Germany, as well as the planned facility in Malta.

The decision to move forward with the deal by shareholders comes a week after the company failed to reach a quorum and take a vote, delaying the deal’s approval.

“This morning’s vote finalizes efforts in creating ‘The Foundry Company,’ it is a positive step forward during these very difficult times,” state Senator Roy McDonald said. “Upstate New York is in desperate need of quality jobs and careers. While there is much more work to be done, this is a major start toward ensuring the creation of those jobs and rebuilding our upstate economy.”

Michael Relyea, president of Luther Forest Technology Campus, the site of the new chip plant, said through a publicist he was not available for comment Wednesday.

Officials at the Saratoga County Economic Development Corporation did not return calls for comment.

Travis Bullard, spokesman for AMD, said the new company’s name and brand would be revealed on or around March 2, when AMD and its investors are expected to formalize the agreement approved Wednesday.

Once signed, ATIC will invest $1.2 billion in the venture and will spend an additional $6 billion to build the Malta fabrication facility. Mubadala will invest $314 million in AMD. In addition, the agreement will allow ATIC/AMD to receive $1.2 billion in incentives from New York state.

Once completed, the plant is expected to employ about 1,400 people.

Following the transition, ATIC will operate the fabrication facilities, while AMD will continue to develop computer chips and will contract manufacturing through ATIC.

In the beginning of March, the company will purchase a 220-acre parcel in the Luther Forest Technology Park, in advance of beginning construction. Bullard said the exact price is still being negotiated, but would likely be between $7 million and $8 million.

Harry Wolin, senior vice president and senior counsel for AMD, said at the meeting Wednesday morning that under the agreement, AMD will retain 34.5 percent ownership in the new company.

After closing voting, Bob Marsh, another AMD official, announced the tally: of 608.7 million shares, 289 million voted in favor of the venture with investors ATIC and Mubadala. Bullard said this represented 94.47 percent of the votes cast, adding that 7 million shares voted against it. About 50 percent of shares were represented in the vote.

Bullard said he did not know if individual shareholders or larger, institutional shareholders had voted against the deal.

In Malta, planners are sifting through a 1,100-page site plan in anticipation of granting site plan approval.

Under the PUD legislation crafted to guide the facility’s development, the plant will proceed under a three-phase approval process. Approval for soil disturbance is the first step, which will allow the company to begin clearing the site for construction. Subsequent phases are a temporary site plan, followed by permanent site plan approval.

“The board may be in place to take action on March 10 on the first of those steps,” said Tozzi.

Bullard said a tentative construction schedule on file with Malta slated ground breaking to occur around June 16, however the facility will first need a building permit, and Tozzi said that such documentation for such a large project will require some review.

While he said the site plan is a relatively standard document for a project of this size, the construction documents were expected to be much more complex.

“Two-hundred-twenty acres is about the same size as a subdivision anywhere in Saratoga County,” he said. “However, as a building, it’s the highest classification on the state’s building code. The difference between looking at a single family home and looking at a mall is like the difference between looking at a mall and looking at AMD. That’s the kind of scale.”

“They have to submit the full building plan before they can get a permit. Because of the size of the projects, we’ll be bringing in a consultant to help with review,” Tozzi said.

Looking al Luther Forest

Total acreage:

22.45 acres (163.4 in Malta, 54.41 in Stillwater)

Fabrication facility:

883,000 square feet

Office:

220,000 square feet

Central utility building and “spine”:

224,220 square feet

Unoccupied ancillary buildings:

33,699 square feet

Source : http://www.troyrecord.com/

Eye campaign focuses on AMD perils

A CAMPAIGN of education has been launched after a survey revealed thousands of people in Cardiff are at risk of losing their sight because of ignorance over the symptoms of the leading cause of blindness.

Checks among over-50s revealed there is confusion around the symptoms and risk factors of age-related macular degeneration – AMD – with one in three knowing nothing about the condition.

Chris Blyth, consultant eye surgeon at Cardiff’s University Hospital of Wales, said: “Thousands are at risk of late diagnosis. In some cases this will lead to avoidable sight loss.

“I strongly urge people who experience symptoms of AMD to visit their optician without delay. I also recommend regular eye health checks. Finally, the best way to reduce your risk of getting AMD is not to smoke.”

The charity say that AMD is more likely to affect people aged 55 and over and is on the increase. Currently 5% of the population in Cardiff have AMD but eight out of 10 people could not identify the symptoms such as blurred vision and distortion.

Source : http://www.walesonline.co.uk/