Recently I found a video, and honestly I do not remember where in the web,  where Google explains What’s Google Chrome OS. To summarize, an all time connected to the cloud OS. A version of Android and I even hesitate to say this because it seems to me that Android does much more thanks to all the applications currently available for this OS. In the way the video explains it, sounds like we all expend 100% of our time in Internet. And probably that’s the case when you are at home, but if I take my day and analyze it, I expend 10 hours at work, around 2 hours at home no connected, around 4 hours at home connected and 8 hours sleeping. That means that I have 10 hours using a PC where I spend just a few minutes in Internet and only 4 hours per day where potentially I could be using Google Chrome for everything. I don’t know if you are getting me point. Google Chrome is not for everybody. I see it in my case like a really good option for a dual boot configuration. But no as my only one OS, unless it’s in a device which only use will be Internet.

Now the question is, will Google Chrome OS be prepared to cover or be fully compatible with all the hardware currently in the market? Because that has been the  biggest problem that Windows always has faced and the cause of most of the problems and instability of this OS, drivers. are we going to have a full plug and play OS or another version of MacOS?

And here is the video:

Dynamism is a company that clearly understands that women also love computers. And a proof of it is that they have just released the UMID mbook in pink. An UMPC with the perfect size for the purse of our other half.

Because it runs Windows XP on an Intel® Atom™ processor, you can enjoy unbridled web browsing, movies, music, & games -- or ultramobile video Skype calling with someone special.

Pocketables has posted a very interesting review about the Kohjinsha PA. After ready it I arrived to this conclusion: Beauty is a very complicate criteria. I find the Series PA exterior design attractive.

From a usability standpoint, the Kohjinsha PA series packs a lot of function into a portable package weighing just 14.1 ounces. The convertible form factor is versatile and encourages a wide range of usage scenarios, while Windows XP makes it a fairly robust system to carry around in a pocket. Unfortunately, because of its high price, unique aesthetics, and limited RAM, I don't think the PA will be able to find success in the already niche market of UMPCs and MIDs.

Dell has just released what's in my opinion on of the best Media Center machines in the market: Inspiron Zino HD. Why I'm saying this?

• Very small I easy to hide in your living room.
• Starting price of $229
• Full customizable with options for a Dual Core AMD processor and an ATI Radeon HD 4330 512 MB  Specifications - Video Card video chip.
• HDMI and VGA output.
• 1080p full capable.
• Integrated DVD player and Burner and an optional Blue-ray player.

Here is the First review I have found about this just released machine.

…this is quite a capable little device that was whisper quiet with low power requirements. It was able to handle just about everything I could throw at it without issue. Even at the base configuration, to have such an elegantly designed, HD capable machine available at for $229 from Dell is astounding. It would be hard to build a similar machine yourself at that price.

Computer World has updated a very good article with 20 tips and tweaks for Windows 7, if you have a browser “Popup proven” this is an article that I would recommend to read.

An earlier version of this story was written when Windows 7 was still in beta. Now that the final version has been released, we've overhauled the story, updating some tips, eliminating others that are no longer relevant, and adding seven new tips.

Kindle for PC has been released by Amazon. I should had post about it but I did not and the reason is because I own a Kindle and I would never go back to read a book in a PC, PPC or any other LCD or similar display. Beside the fact that the visual experience is not the same, an UMPC is too heavy for the task and a PPC, iPhone, etc, are too small. Christmas  is coming guys, save some money and get the real thing. Anyway… Here is a video showing Kindle running in an UMPC.

The enTourage eDGe is one of those cases where I sit for moment to think, is this what the market wants? I mean, it’s nice but I would prefer to wait for a color e-ink screen instead of sacrifice my battery life in a LCD touch screen.

Since long time ago I have not seen a notebook design that I could had called innovative. All looks the same but this one, the Rolltop from Orkin Design.

It’s hard to believe that what you are seen in the above picture is a notebook. If you don’t believe it check the video in their page.

It seems that the MID concept finally is picking some steam because lately there are a bunch of new devices being released. This time we have two new MID coming from a company called Eston, the MID 05 and the N97 both using Android thou the first one could be loaded with Windows CE too.

The company has sliced off the hardware keyboard from their MID-02 and produced the touchscreen-only MID-05, a 5-inch handheld running either Android or Windows CE.  If your fingers are too chubby for that, Eston also have the N97 MID, with a larger 7-inch touchscreen and integrated 3G.

Via - SlashGear

Windows Media Center 7 is my latest toy. I have been playing with it the last few weeks and one of the tasks that has consumed most of my time is the one that has given me most of my frustrations, encoding video. And what is the problem? Probably that the question you may have after reading my words. Well, I have been trying all this time to encode video using the mkv format and the h264 encoder. I have tested many tools and I have obtained the best results using Avidemux. But… for some reason 4 of every five DVDs that I’m trying to convert with this tool end with a crash. This issue has made me start using Nero Recode 2, a wonderful tool that never crash. The few things that I don’t like on it is that it save in mp4 format and even when it includes the subtitles in the file, there is not any way in 7MC to use them. English is not my first language so subtitles help me a lot when I do not understand a word. Using Avidemux I’m embedding the subtitle in the movie and on that way I can see them in 7MC. Anyway… I can’t say that I have not enjoyed all this quest to find the perfect encoder and VideoHelp.com has been one of the best source of information in this adventure. I have almost tested all the freeware mentioned in that page and most of them have crashed in W7 or the results have not been the best. What encoder are you using to play HQ movies in your Media Center? May be you want to share your experience with me.

The Tire maker Bridgestone is thinking seriously about entering the market of the eBook Readers considering the prototypes shown in this article.  

Bridgestone says the prototype has a 10.7-inch-screen, is just 5.8mm thick (Kindle 2: 9.1mm) and can display color pages. The device can be bent to some extent since the circuit board and the electronic paper are flexible.

Color and flexible eReaders, awesome.

Tire maker Bridgestone shows world’s first flexible e-book reader

Fujitsu has released  Windows 7 Compatible Drivers for some of devices: P1630, U820, etc… Still has not released yet anything for the P1620 and P1610 series. I hope that this does not mean that this machines are not supported by this company any more.

FUJITSU: Fujitsu America - Support

Windows 7 has been released and Microsoft had ready for this release two modules of Media Center: Internet TV and Neflix. I really impressed with Netflix, the player made in silverlight works perfectly adjusting the streaming to whatever download speed you have from your Internet provider, and it does it during the playback. So you notice when you start a movie how the quality goes up after a few seconds of playing (I’m using a 12 mbps service). The HD still no there but the quality that I’m getting in movies and some series available in HD is fantastic. The Netflix software for 7MC was very well designed. Basically, you don’t need to visit Netflix website to manage anymore your queue. You can search for movies and the navigation options during the playback are compatible with MC Remotes.

Lets start with one of the TV commercials released by Apple yesterday talking about the release of Windows 7.

Pathetic. That’s the word that came to my mind after I saw the 3 commercials. The first one was talking about Microsoft promising a new OS without bugs and I have to say that that was the stupidest of all 3 because Snow Leopard has been the buggiest of all the releases of Mac OS X. How can Apple talk about bugs when they have not removed yet all the “fleas” from their own spotted animal.

But anyway, lets go back to this video. The migration path from Windows XP to Windows 7. How many times we have said and all my fellow IT friends have said that a clean install is better than an upgrade? Millions. Now this is where the whole thing fails. Everybody does not know about Windows Easy Transfer. This program makes a backup of all your documents, emails, programs configurations, etc, from your old XP and restore it back in your Windows 7 installation. Simple like that. After that all you have to do is reinstall your programs. Windows Easy Transfer is a freeware that comes pre installed in Vista and Windows 7 and can be downloaded for XP at Microsoft.

Now, I won’t lie to you, this is where the thing becomes a really mess if you are not a very organized person and you do not keep track of your serial numbers. But come on! You can’t blame on Microsoft for your own problems. You have paid for most of those programs, that’s like an investment so you should keep or your serial organized in a document kept in a CD or somewhere safe.

I understand that many people buy pre configured computers because they are afraid of installing anything. For those people the message is simple. Do not be afraid. All those big programs have a Setup Wizard that guides you during the whole installation process. Every thing is easier than what you think. A lot easier than switching to Apple, a new completely world for you. And a closed world I should say. A word where everything comes from Apple and should be approved by Apple, in a single word, a Dictatorship . What are you going to do with your freedom of choosing from millions of programs every time that you want to buy a program? Or… what you are going to do when you want to find a freeware for something that you want to do and you find that there are not that many options in the Apple World. And let’s not talk about games!

I’ll tell you how you are going to end. You will end like the 85% of the Mac users out there that still have a PC or have installed Windows in their Macs in a sort of virtual machine.

This commercial like all the other commercials of this series is just a lie. And if you think that I’m too rude when I said that let me rectify. The commercial is not reflecting the reality. The switch from XP to Apple is not a lot easier than switching to Apple. Oh, by the way, where is the part in the commercial that says that Apple does not allow you to install Mac OS X in your PC and that means that all your hardware investment is useless and you will have to buy Macs that is a lot more expensive than your current PCs.

The next time that you see on of these commercials from Apple in your TV remember me. They are the last thing that you can use as a reference or research if you are seriously thinking about to switch from Windows to Mac. I have not seen one in the last few years reflecting the reality in any grade.

Those who beta tested W7 should have already received an email like this:

We’ve reached the final milestone in our Windows 7 release schedule—general availability! Thank you all for the feedback you have provided during the Beta and Release Candidate processes. You have helped us make this the strongest Windows client operating system to date.
For continued support for your deployment and migration processes—including resources to help you with application compatibility, security, networking, manageability, and much more—bookmark these resources:

- Guidance, tools, and demonstrations - Springboard Series for Windows 7 on TechNet

- Community advice, tips, and best practices – TechNet Windows 7 Forums

- Virtual labs, webcasts, and podcasts – Windows 7 IT Pro Events and Webcasts Portal

Also, to stay up to date on new resources, the latest guidance, and upcoming events, sign up to be a Springboard Series Insider!

Thank you for all your support!
The Springboard Series Team

Today many stores are making available many good deals including W7 for free in many of their new boxes. Do not miss this opportunity.

According to a note just posted at SuperSiteBlog:

the version of Windows Media Center in Windows 7 has gotten a significant update today, with the addition of Netflix and a new version of the Internet TV functionality, the latter of which has all kinds of new content, including great TV shows, Zune video podcasts, and more. It's an excellent update, from what I can tell so far, and I will have a short, more formal write-up about this later in the week. Check it out if you're using Windows 7!

Wow! That’s really good news! I have a Roku box at home for Netflix but lately I have been playing most of the time with 7MC (Windows 7 Media Center) using a Ruvo mini PC and I have been waiting for this update. I really want to see how Netflix works within 7MC. A friend of mine just tried Windows Update and did not find anything so let’s hope that tonight this new update is finally released to everybody.

One of the features a like from 7MC (Media Center 7) is the interface for playing DVDs. I like the fact that when you have the DVD in the drive MC pulls the information about the DVD and it’s available during the playback without having to stop the movie. Here is a short video that I prepared using a Ruvo mini Cap 7 and an external DVD drive connected to it.

Here is an example of how some  makers call their accessories using the names of the best sellers trying to increase their own sales. Logitech Notebook Kit MK605. Check the picture of it.

It’s a Mouse/Keyboard/Stand kit. Now, is not a Netbook a device with a keyboard and mouse integrated? Is not a Netbook a device that when it’s opened the display stays standing up like the stand in the picture? So… This kit is not for netbooks guys! This is a perfect kit for Tablet PC owners, for UMPC owners and for MID Owners. All of them devices that most of the time come without a keyboard! So name it properly!

Logitech has an entire family of laptop accessories designed to enhance your experience, comfort, and productivity no matter what you’re doing or where you’re doing it and today, we’re adding the Logitech Notebook Kit MK605. Combining a pivoting riser with a wireless mouse and keyboard, the Notebook Kit MK605 is our first all-in-one solution to feature our recently announced Unifying technology, providing a convenient and flexible way to make your laptop experience more enjoyable.

Logitech Introduces Notebook Kit MK605 | BLogitech

Like I said in my previous post, sometime the clones have more features than the original devices. 

Known as the DaPeng T2000 Wi-Fi TV Cellphone, the actual phone itself retails for around 150USD through Western retail channels, less on the streets of Shenxhen, and is in fact very similar to a host of iPhone clones floating around the markets of China with specs that measure up fairly well against any of them. Dual SIM, GPRS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth etc on a device that is slightly thicker and shorter than the Apple original, featuring a slightly smaller touch screen. The OS is the standard Apple OS clone that you've seen on most of them. What makes it stand out is of course the keyboard/wallet.

iPhone clone sports a full keyboard

One of the webpage I follow in my RSS Reader is Shanzai.com, one of the reason is very simple, you can’t fight the reality, almost 90% of all electronics that we own are made or the components are made in China. In another hand, China is the mother of all the clones available in the world and lately the quality of these clones is at the same level and sometime even higher than the original devices. Shanzai.com is the best source of information about all these topics. And it’s this page totally dedicated to show the world all the new clones being released to the market the one also showing that Chinese Market has a dark side and that side is revealed in this video.