Tech Review: Hardware: Friday, August 3, 2012

Western Digital My Passport WDBY8L0020BBK-NESN 2TB Portable Hard Drive - USB 3.0/2.0, Backup Software & Encryption ($200)

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=1455023&sku=W10-8408&SRCCODE=WEM3197TT&cm_mmc=email-_-Main-_-WEM3197-_-tigeremail3197&utm_source=EML&utm_medium=main&utm_campaign=WEM3197&cm_lm=hughesstan@gmail.com

• not bad at $50 per 500 MB

Hacker delves into secret world of warranties

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57481671-83/hacker-delves-into-secret-world-of-warranties/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

• can hack warranty log on

Tech Review: Computer Hardware: Tuesday, July 24, 2012

MIT chip could power wireless sensors

http://gcn.com/articles/2012/07/23/mit-ambient-power-chip-for-sensors.aspx?s=gcndaily_240712

• Devices that use several sources for energy

Acer Balloon Carnival 10.1" Aspire One AOD270-1606 Netbook PC with Intel Atom N2600 Processor and Windows 7 Starter ($228)

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Acer-Balloon-Carnival-10.1-Aspire-One-AOD270-1606-Netbook-PC-with-Intel-Atom-N2600-Processor-and-Windows-7-Starter/20607288

Tech Review: Big Data: Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Hardware Size Review (Computer Storage Devices)

Expansion 3TB SuperSpeed USB 3.0 External Desktop Hard Drive ($145)

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0392921

• $0.48 per GB ($48 per TB)

Agility 3 AGT3-25SAT3-120G 120GB SATA 6Gb/s 2.5" Solid State Drive (SSD) with SandForce 2281 Controller ($85)

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0364780

• $0.71 per GB

DVD-R 16x 4.7GB/120 Minute 100 Pack

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0327199

• $0.03 per GB

Crucial 1GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Desktop Memory Model CT12864BA1067 ($9)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148147

• $4.88 per GB

Tech Review: Computer Hardware: Monday, July 16, 2012

Realspace® PRO Quantum Mesh Mid-Back Task Chair, 43 3/4"H x 29 1/2"W x 28"D, Black

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/510830/Realspace-PRO-Quantum-Mesh-Mid-Back/?cm_cat=2000000353

• I know it's not hardware, but this is one nice chair.  Maybe better than the one I have at work.

Tech Review: Hardware: Monday, July 16, 2012

 

SYBA SD-CM-UAUD USB Stereo Audio Adapter ($9)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812186035

• Suppose to work with Linux

Pano's PC Killer

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/panos-pc-killer/?smid=li-share

Thinking this is a PC Killer show how little people really understand about the changing nature of personal computing.  This will never work because it offers none of the benefits of the real PC Killer, the table/smart phone.  The smart phone in my pocket has, or will have in near future, comparable computing power.  This thing is dead from the start and I doubt it "can stand for another 20 years."

Tech Review Computer Tech: Monday, June 11, 2012

Next step in the Chrome OS journey

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/next-step-in-chrome-os-journey.html

Looks nice.  Quick boot and low maintenance.  However, I believe that it will be fully overshadowed by tablets.

Tech Review Linux: Monday, June 11, 2012

First Computer that Comes with Mint Loaded ($476/$549)

http://www.fit-pc.com/web/purchase/order-direct-mintbox/

• dual monitors

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/first-linux-mint-pcs-go-on-sale/11193?alertspromo=&tag=nl.rSINGLE

Tech Review Computer: Wednesday, June 6, 2012

hybrid hard drive (HHD)

http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/definition/hybrid-hard-drive

Tech Review Computer: Friday, May 4, 2012

 

http://gcn.com/Articles/2012/04/30/IEEE-802-11ac-WiFi-standard-beware-drafts.aspx?s=gcndaily_010512&Page=2 

Tech Review Computers: Monday, May 1, 2012

 

Nvidia unleashes $999 GeForce GTX 690 dual-GPU graphics card

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/computers/nvidia-unleashes-999-geforce-gtx-690-dual-gpu-graphics-card/7989?tag=nl.e505

• Dual GK104 GPUs
• 3,072 Nvidia Cuda cores at 915 MHz
• 2 GB of 6 GHz GDDR5 RAM for each GPU
• 300W TDP

Tech Review Hardware: Monday, April 9, 2012

http://www.walmart.com/ip/HP-Refurbished-Steel-Gray-15.6-Pavilion-DV6-6153CL-Laptop-PC-with-Intel-Core-i7-2630QM-Processor-and-Windows-7-Home-Premium/19793191

• 15.6 "
• refurbished
• $698
• 8 GB memory 
• expandable to 16 GB
• 750 GB drive
• DVD Burner
• 1000 Ethernet
• HD webcam
• Win 7 Home Premium (sic.) 64-Bit Edition
• 90-day parts/labor

Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM Processor 
(6M Cache, up to 2.90 GHz)

http://ark.intel.com/products/52219/Intel-Core-i7-2630QM-Processor-(6M-Cache-2_00-GHz)

• # of cores
• 4
• # of threads
• 8
• clock speed
• 2.0 GHz
• Max 2.0 GHz
• memory
• Max 16 GB
• Type DDR3-1066/1333

Tech Review: Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Western Digital 4TB My Book Studio Edition II - Quadruple Interface (USB 2.0, eSATA & FireWire 400/800) External Hard Drive - WDH2Q40000N

http://www.buy.com/prod/western-digital-4tb-my-book-studio-edition-ii-quadruple-interface-usb/211190835.html?listingid=45553526

• $331
• Guessing that it has 2 TB drives in it

Western Digital My Passport Essential 500 GB USB 3.0/2.0 Portable External Hard Drive (Midnight Black)

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Passport-Essential-Portable/dp/B0041OSAZS

• bought for $65
• hope to install linux on it

DISA OKs secure Android mobile system for DOD

http://gcn.com/articles/2012/01/05/disa-okays-secure-andriod-mobile-system-for-dod.aspx?s=gcndaily_060112

ZAGGkeys Flex Bluetooth keyboard for iOS and Android (review)

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-gadgeteer/zaggkeys-flex-bluetooth-keyboard-for-ios-and-android-review/5384?alertspromo=&tag=nl.rSINGLE

• $80
• Nice blue tooth key board for both android and iOS

Kingston 16GB microSDHC Card w/Full Size SD Adapter - SDC4/16GB

http://www.buy.com/prod/kingston-16gb-microsdhc-card-w-full-size-sd-adapter/216757949.html

• $15
• Need the extra space for my Android
• Looks like the good deals are about $1 per GB

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820313195&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL010512&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL010512-_-EMC-010512-Index-_-FlashMemory-_-20313195-L09B

Boss Electric 2802 8" Android Tablet

http://www.jr.com/boss-electric/pe/BOE_2802/

• $110
• I have been very disappointed with the bargain Androids.  I wonder if it is even worth buying them at all.
• runs Android 2.2
• gives access to a large segment of apps
• 1.1 GHz CPU
• should run most apps
• really 
• 800 mhz CPU
• 300 mhz DSP
• this could be a problem
• Which way is the camera facing?
• Can it run Skype?
• Another China Android

Why Ice Cream Sandwich won't be able to save Android tablets

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/why-ice-cream-sandwich-wont-be-able-to-save-android-tablets/19584?tag=nl.e539

• kind of a dumb article
• I didn't know that Android tablets needed saving
• His complain about interface in comparison to Apple might be correct, but I don't think his conclusions are

Should Amazon, Google & Wikipedia "nuke" the Web to stop SOPA?

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/networking/should-amazon-google-wikipedia-8220nuke-8221-the-web-to-stop-sopa/1848?tag=nl.e539

• How big of a threat is the SOPA?
• does it hurt us competing internationally?
• is there danger of it law being used inappropriately 
• strong arm for political reasons
• ?
• blocking Web sites that share media
• what are the ramifications?
• would be use to kill personal use
• like iPad
• Article simply says it it bad and everyone hates it without saying why is bad and why everyone hates it

Get a 1.5TB external hard drive for $99.99 shipped

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-57355056-58/get-a-1.5tb-external-hard-drive-for-$99.99-shipped/?tag=nl.e796

• I missed the good old days when I could find a 2TB drive for $80.
• USB2
• eSATA

Dell Precision M4600 Mobile Workstation

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=bwmd33a&m_2=IX72960&m_3=4G2D3&m_6=M5950&m_8=750G72&m_10=HD&m_11=W7PN61E&m_16=8XDVRTN&c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&model_id=precision-m4600

• $3009
• Extreme Quad Core 2.70GHz
• Win7 Pro 64 bit
• 16 GB memory
• 32 GB 
• $5,000 more
• slower memory
• DDR3-1333MHz SDRAM
• AMD FrePro M5950 Pro Graphics
• 750 GB 7200 rmp Drive
• Blue tooth
• Camera/mic
• Can add Mobile Broadband for $125