Unboxing the hp mini 2140

Even though the HP Mini 1000 is only a few months old, Hewlett-Packard was actually an early player in the Netbook field. The company’s business system side came up with the Mini-Note 2133 in spring 2008, with a solid, brushed-metal chassis and a nearly full-size keyboard. Unfortunately, this predated Intel’s Atom CPU, and rather than using the Celeron processor that came with the very first Netbooks, HP went with an underpowered Via C7-M, which pretty much killed any chance it had of becoming a mainstream product.

Now that the plastic-clad, Atom-powered consumer version has become a hit, HP’s business side is taking another crack at the Netbook market with a radically updated version, the $499 HP Mini 2140.

It keeps the aluminum construction and big keyboard, but updates the components to an Intel Atom CPU, and adds an accelerometer for the hard drive, and a full ExpressCard/54 slot–a Netbook first (Lenovo’s S10 has a smaller Express Card/34 slot).

Price as reviewed / Starting price $499
Processor 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270
Memory 1GB, 800MHz DDR2
Hard drive 160GB 5,400rpm
Chipset Mobile Intel 945GSE
Graphics Intel GMA 950 (integrated)
Operating system Windows XP Home Edition SP2
Dimensions 10.3 inches wide by 6.5 inches deep
Height 1.1 inches
Screen size (diagonal) 10.1 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter 3.0/3.8 pounds
Category Netbook

The HP Mini 2140 shares the same basic silhouette as the earlier Mini 1000 and Mini-Note 2133 systems from HP. Because it has an aluminum case, like the 2133, it’s a half-pound heavier than the plastic Mini 1000; it’s a trade-off that may be worth it, however, as the metallic Mini 2140 feels as if it’ll stand up to the rigors of the road better than a plastic Netbook.

The biggest selling point for HP’s Netbooks has always been the fantastic keyboard, which HP claims is 92-percent of the size of a full-size laptop keyboard. Other Netbooks have been plagued by tiny Chiclet-like keys, which make typing a pain and typos plentiful. By expanding the keyboard right to the edges of the system, HP is able to fit bigger keys into the tray than other Netbooks (and even ultraportable laptops). The result is a comfortable typing experience that takes a tiny bit of adjustment (as the keys are very close together), but one that is, thus far, our favorite on a sub-12-inch notebook.

The touch pad has an unusual shape, stretched into a letterbox-like wide rectangle and the mouse buttons have been moved to the left and right sides of the touch pad. This permits the system to have a minimal amount of wasted wrist-rest space, but it’s a somewhat awkward compromise, especially if you do a lot of vertical scrolling or right-clicking.

The 10.1-inch wide-screen LED display has an unusual 1,024×576 native resolution, which is a few pixels shy of the 1,024×600 we typically see in Netbooks. The end result is largely unnoticeable, but a Windows XP pop-up window expressed concern that we weren’t running at a standard resolution.

Besides its big keyboard, the Mini 2140 has one major selling point that no other Netbook currently offers: a full ExpressCard/54 slot. Lenovo’s S10 has a half-size ExpressCard/34 slot, but there are fewer options for add-on peripherals in that size. We rarely find that we actually need an ExpressCard slot for anything, but some rely on them for mobile broadband modems, memory-card readers, or even TV tuners.

HP offers a handful of fixed-configuration versions of the 2140, but we’re perfectly happy with the basic $499 model, which has an Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive. For $50 more, a smart upgrade might be an identical version with 2GB of RAM, but that comes with Windows Vista Basic. Adding an XP “downgrade” to that model adds another $80 onto that (but also includes a faster 7,200rpm hard drive).

Intel’s single-core 1.6GHz Atom CPU offers enough computing power for the basic tasks for which Netbooks are designed–namely Web surfing, working on documents, and some basic multimedia playback. A dual-core ultraportable, such as Lenovo’s U110 was clearly faster, especially when multitasking, but the Mini 2140 offered better performance than Sony’s new Atom-powered Vaio P-series Lifestyle PC, thanks to the latter’s Windows Vista operating system.

The Mini 2140 ran for 3 hours and 11 minutes on our video-playback battery-drain test, using a six-cell battery. That battery sticks out from the back of the system somewhat, and the basic three-cell battery was only about 35 minutes shy, so you’ll have to decide between longer life and easier portability.

HP includes an industry-standard, one-year, parts-and-labor warranty with the system. Support is accessible through a 24-7 toll-free phone line, an online knowledge base, and driver downloads.

via (Cnet) http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/hp-mini-2140/4505-3121_7-33485023.html)

Carnivorous Clock Eats Bugs on Tuesday June 30, @12:37PM

Designers James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau have created a clock that is powered by “eating” bugs. The clock traps insects on flypaper stretched across a roller system and then drops them into a vat of bacteria. The insects are then “digested” and the ensuing chemical reaction is transformed into power that keeps the rollers moving and the LCD clock working. The two offer another version that is powered by mice and an even cooler machine that picks insect fuel from spiderwebs with the help of a robotic arm and a video camera.

Via Slashdot (http://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/06/30/1628224/Carnivorous-Clock-Eats-Bugs?art_pos=2)

E-Blue Speaker: Bluetooth Speaker for iPhone 3GS

For who love to hear something from your iPhone, without earbud and in a cordless situation, you will probably love this E-Blue Speaker from Brando. As usual they keep producing quality product for users.

It’s a cube-like Bluetooth speaker, e-Blue Speaker will require no cords connected to your iPhone and you could use it to play music for up to 8 hours on a single charge. Though the sound quality might not as good as the one with subwoofer or similar external speakers, it should be a good substitution for the built-in speaker in your iPhone.

(Price: $68 at Brando | via GeekAlerts and UberReview)

It’s not a formal wall socket replacement, but this Elecom U2H-TC410B 4-port USB hub will look sharp (and a bit misleading) when mounted to a desk or table.

In all actuality, it’s just a typical 4-port USB hub with a tad more style and a lot of extra space for larger USB devices to plug in. Yes, the hub is a bit expensive at $40, but when a friend electrocutes himself trying to stick a USB dongle into a wall socket because he saw you do it, the price will seem minuscule next his the medical bills and the subsequent lifetime of misery as his bowels no longer have the patience for toilets. [AudioCubes via OhGizmo!]

iPhone 3G vs 3GS Network Speed Test Shows No Real Difference

Thanks to all our Chicago readers who sent in their speed test data from their iPhone 3G and 3GS. Here’s our conclusion: the 7.2Mbps AT&T’s testing in Chicago doesn’t really make any difference right now in speeds.

The 3GS turned out to be slightly faster in downloads (1202kbps vs. 1161kbps), but just about the same in uploads. Its latency was much better 175ms vs. 210ms, which reflects the same thing we found in our iPhone 3GS review and is probably attributable to its faster processor.

Either AT&T’s 7.2Mbps isn’t really widely deployed yet even in Chicago, a city they’ve been running deployment tests on for a few months now, or it makes no real difference in everyday usage. We’ll test this again once 7.2Mbps gets rolled out to more cities to find out which.

And if you’re still not sure about what 3G speeds mean, or the differences between different phone techs, see our Giz explainer on all the mobile terms. And the next generation technology? 4G? See what’s coming up in that explainer. [Thanks to all our readers who participated!]

Via Gizmodo (http://gizmodo.com/5303999/iphone-3g-vs-3gs-network-speed-test-shows-no-real-difference)

China Delays Rule on Software Censor

BEIJING — Facing strong resistance at home and abroad, China on Tuesday indefinitely delayed enforcement of a new rule requiring manufacturers to pre-install Internet filtering software on all new computers.

The software, called the Green Dam-Youth Escort, had caused a torrent of protests from both Chinese computer users and global computer makers, including many in the United States, since the government order became public in early June.

The delay by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, announced via Xinhua, the official news agency, came just one day before the July 1 deadline for the software to be installed on all computers sold in China.

The government has said the software is designed to filter out pornography and violence to protect minors, but many experts say it can also block any other content that the authorities deem subversive.

The ministry said the mandatory installation would be delayed for an indefinite period to give computer producers more time to put the order into effect. The government will, however, equip school and Internet cafe computers with the software after July 1, as well as provide a free download of the software for those who want it, the Xinhua report said.

The move appeared to bend to the reality on the ground in China, where few computer makers seemed ready to put the order into effect. Earlier Tuesday, most computer makers were eerily silent about how they planned to comply with it. And in Beijing, many computer merchants appeared either confused about the impending deadline or oblivious to it.

“What is Green Dam? I never heard about it,” said a salesman for Asus computers, a Taiwan brand popular here, in north Beijing’s Zhongguancun technology district. “The selling agents from whom we purchase computers never told us about such a thing.”

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which licensed the technology from two Chinese developers, says that the software automatically blocks Web surfers from seeing “unhealthy Internet content” such as pornography and violence. Updated lists of banned content are automatically downloaded onto users’ computers from the developers’ servers.

But Chinese Internet users say the government’s real purpose is to filter out so-called subversive speech and criticism of the government. The software’s current list of banned words, posted online by Chinese hackers, is laced with political topics.

Businesses have complained that the software is so poorly designed that it opens computers not just to government snooping, but also to hacker attacks by vandals and criminals. And global computer makers argue that they are being forced to install untested software on their products for purposes that they may regard as inimical to their own cultures.

Green Dam works only on computers that use the Windows operating system. So far, no version has been released for Macintosh and Linux systems. Nor will the software be required in Hong Kong or Macao, said one expert who is familiar with the government’s order.

The government’s plans have drawn an unusually unanimous negative response from outsiders. On Friday, the heads of 22 international business organizations delivered a letter to Prime Minister Wen Jiabao arguing that the Green Dam project flouted China’s professed goal of building an information-based society, and that it posed a threat to security, privacy and free speech. A day earlier, the European Union also protested, saying the software was clearly designed to limit free speech.

The United States had earlier warned that the software requirement could violate China’s obligations under the World Trade Organization.

The Chinese government has said little about the issue. Zhang Chenmin, the founder of one Green Dam developer, Jinhui, has frequently described the software order as voluntary and innocuous, but he did not respond on Tuesday to telephone calls and text messages seeking comment.

Nor have most computer makers. Only Acer, a Taiwan manufacturer that assembles many of its products in China, has said that it would install Green Dam on its machines. A spokesman for Lenovo, China’s best-selling computer brand, did not respond to a question about its Green Dam policies, although some Beijing vendors said the software has been installed on some Lenovo models.

Hewlett-Packard — China’s No. 2 computer brand, according to the market-intelligence firm IDC — has been silent on its plans, as has Dell, the third-best-selling brand. According to the Web site Rconversation, which has published many leaked documents regarding Green Dam, Sony is already packaging a software CD with some of its computers, along with a statement warning that it is not responsible for any problems the program may cause.

But in general, it appeared on Tuesday that computer makers had yet to comply with the directive, in part because the order gave them scant time to test Green Dam with their machines and in part because they hoped the storm of complaints would lead the government to scale back its plans.

Major Beijing computer retailers said most computers being sold lacked the software. One of China’s biggest electronics chains, Suning, insisted on Tuesday that the government order applied only to computers manufactured after July 1, and not to those manufactured before that date but sold later at retail.

“Suning is an outlet, so we’re also playing the role of monitor” to ensure that the computers have the software as required, a company spokesperson, Min Juanqing, said. “If the computer doesn’t meet the requirement, we won’t purchase it.”

Several other vendors contacted on Tuesday said that their existing stocks of computers were manufactured in April or May, and that computers equipped with Green Dam were unlikely to reach their shelves for several weeks.

One who identified himself only as Mr. Wu, acknowledged that some buyers see little but trouble in the government’s order. “Some of our clients are concerned about the security of the software,” he said. “I myself haven’t tried it yet, but we’ve been paying attention to it. I personally don’t want to install this software, but the government has asked us to install it for our kids’ good.

“But we can help you uninstall it if you want,” he said. “It could be easy to erase it completely from your computer.”

Huang Yuanxi and Zhang Jing contributed research. Sharon Otterman contributed reporting from New York.

MyDeskFriend Combines Facebook With a Little Robotic Penguin

Arimaz’s MyDeskFriend is a little penguin that rolls around your desk, has 5 moods, responds to physical input and connects to Facebook. I kinda want one.

It launches in September for just $99, and is meant to be a social media companion. Your friends can interact with it via your Facebook page, and it can read messages off of Facebook to you. Its eyes reflect its mood, and will memorize 10-15 short vocal commands.

It doesn’t actually seem to do much, but it is kind of a neat toy for office workers and people who are in front of their computers all day. [MyDeskFriend via GetRobo via Technabob]

Sony Patents Software Based ps2 cpu emulation..wha?

At first glance, we thought this all sounded a little too familiar: as you know, some PS3s had software-based PS2 emulation way back in 2007. So it was a little bit of a surprise when Siliconera unearthed patent docs dated last December (and only published by the patent office late last week) for the technology to decode and recompile software written for the PS2’s Emotion Engine on the current device’s Cell Processor. There’s been some speculation that this functionality might be included in the rumored slim PS3 at some point — either in the form of support for your old school PS2 discs or for digital downloads. Who knows? You might be playing your old copy of Shrek: Super Party! on your PS3 sooner than you think.
via Joystick (http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/29/sony-patents-software-based-ps2-cpu-emulation/)

Firefox 3.5 is here!

After some rather impressive RC builds, Firefox 3.5 is all packaged up and ready for public consumption. Mozilla is saying its new browser is more than two times faster than Firefox 3, but what has us more excited is the support for plugin-free “open codec” video and audio playback using Ogg Vorbis and Ogg Theora– it’s still in its infancy, but the subtle glimpse we’ve seen so far of a world without Flash video reducing our CPU to jelly is rather compelling.

Via (http://technewsline.net/firefox-3-5-arrives/)

Thiniest LCD !

The “bigger is better” TV trend has been around since the beginning of television, resulting in some refrigerator-sized monstrosities back in the ’80s and early ’90s. Today, big TVs are still hot, but thin big TVs are even hotter, with flat-panel displays getting spread out like high-tech crepes. The latest sets to enter the super-thin area are Sharp’s new AQUOS X-series LCDs, which are just 1.35 inches thick.

Some are calling the sets the “world’s thinnest TV,” but we think Sony’s 3mm thin OLED set still holds that honor. However, these very well may be the thinnest LCDs out there, and while Sony’s OLED comes in at a paltry 11-inches, Sharp’s offerings will come in at 37-, 42-, and 46-inch sizes. Contrast ratio (measurement of brightness and darkness of the set) is 15,000:1, which is better than most LCDs. All the new sets will, of course, offer 1080p HD resolutions.

No word on price or U.S. availability, but Japanese consumers will be able to pick them up starting March 1.

From CrunchGear