InsanityTech - Software & Hardware » Desktop PC & Laptop

Presenting the mew Amilo Model with external laptop graphics card

admin — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 12:03:41 +0000

It seems that Alienware has a serious competitor when it comes to laptops made for graphic applications. The new kid in town is the AMILO Notebook Sa 3650 packed with the first ever external graphics solution that goes by the name of GraphicBooster that gives the laptop a 470% boost. This new contraption is the brain child of Fujitsu Siemens Computers.

The new AMILO is small but powerful, packing a 13.3 inch screen and weighting about 2.4 kg. The GraphicBooster is not 90/60/90, actually it’s 180 x 130 x 33.5 mm and 0.5Kg. Inside the device we have the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3870 graphics card with 512MB GDDR3 memory, with HD support.

To do anything with that cool graphics card, this AMILO has the AMD X2 dual-core mobile processor, the ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics card with shared memory, 4GB memory, wireless N support, Bluetooth 2.1, eSATA port, a 15-in-1 card reader, and 4.5 hours of continuous operating time. Well now, I am a little impressed I must say, not because of the specs, but of how they manage to cram all that inside such a small thingy. But wait, that’s not all. It also includes the BrilliantView technology for the screen, a 7.1 high-definition audio via S/PDIF, 320 GB storage capacity, DVD burner, Logitech QuickCam web camera for online conferences, silent mode function, and spill-resistant keyboard. You will just have to wait a little more to get your hands on this baby as it will be available this month.

Computer Data Protection with Self Destruct Capability

admin — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:31:01 +0000

This thing right here is so far the only real data protection system for computers. Absolute Software, its maker, is the top of the pile when it comes to computer theft recovery, data protection and secure asset tracking solutions. Their service is not free, but not expensive either. It’s only £60 per laptop and you get a whole list of services: a security policy adhered by every staff member, authorization for the right staff members, the possibility to know exactly how many devices are used by the organization, accountability needed to retrieve devices from those employees leaving the organization, and tracking, which enables tracking and recovering lost or stolen computers, with the option to self-destruct sensitive data stored on them.

The service goes by the name of ComputraceOne and even if it may sound like a little James Bond-ish, I am sure that some people will actually find it very useful. The ComputraceOne is loaded on the hard drive and in the BIOS. If on the stolen laptop the hard drive is replaced of formatted, the C1 Agent from the BIOS will start rebuilding the files needed for controlling the hardware from the Monitoring Centre server, making it impossible to remove the service without a special password. I don’t have any use for it, as I don’t work in the military or something like that, but I am sure there are lost of people that will find this a life and job saver.

3D Display Mini Notebooks

admin — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:54:04 +0000

It seems i have to join the mini notebook frenzy parade because i am risking of becoming irrelevant, or uncool. So i will give you people some news from the world of small laptops. I give you, the NetBook3D. This litle thing that was created by iArt3D from Taiwan, enables 3d imaging on your netbook so you won’t have to wear those 3D glasses.
This technology works by combining the stereoscopic capability of the netbook with a special-built software and a film applied on the computer screen. If you have been dreaming all your life for something like this, you can get the $79 7-inch NetBook3D kit for the Eee Pc. Inside the box there is also a 3D lens, Auto3D Maker SE CD, the the Auto3D Player SE & DEMO CD, a 6 x 4 inches i-Magic Frame for 3D pictures, a 4 x 3 inches i-Magic Viewer, and the Hardware Security Dongle.
That is all folks from the Useless Gadgets Isle.

HP’s new Pavilion X16 1040us

admin — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:35:39 +0000

If you want a portable entertainment system and also a powerful computing system? Look no further, because HP has just the thing for you, the new Pavilion X16-1040us laptop.
For a starting price of $1,274.99, HP has in store for us the MediaSmart technology, which is mainly quick access to pictures, music and video and also to online services. Also if you want to play a DVD you will benefit from the upscalling capability of watching standard definition videos in high definition.
This baby works with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit operating system with Service Pack 1 and has a 2.26GHz with an Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 engine. For all you butter fingers out there, HP has a pretty neat system that locks the hard drive in case of an accidental hit or drop. If you want to see a movie on a large screen, there is a HDMI port so you can connect the laptop to an external TV with High Definition support.
Under the hood there are also 4GB of system memory, a fingerprint reader, 320GB hard drive space, 10/100/1000GB Ethernet LAN, built-in triple bass subwoofer, an Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT card with 2302MB total graphics memory, an ExpressCard/54 slot, a 5-in-1 card reader, and built-in web camera with microphone, Blutooth and Wi-Fi. And above all, it looks very stylish.

Belkin Switch-to-Mac Cable, what would they think of next?

admin — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:55:04 +0000

For years we have seen how Microsoft and Apple have been battling over who has the best platform. Us users for years have just been using either or both platforms without giving a damn about their battles. Others have been making tech to bring the two operating systems close together. This is the case of the Switch-to-Mac cable from Belkin.

With this little thingy you can transfer files from a Mac to a Windows computer in a blink of an eye. These files include music, movies, photos, documents and even Internet settings. For a price of $49.99 and supporting Windows XP and vista and also Mac OS X 10.4/10.5, I can say it’s not a bargain, but it’s definitely a step forward.

Dell Vostro A860, cheap but powerful

admin — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:36:47 +0000

We all heard a lot about Dell’s new Vostro A860 that when it came out we felt like we have been using it for a lifetime. For $379 u get a 15.6 inch laptop with a Celeron or a Pentium Dual Core processor, an integrated GMA X3100+ graphics card that can give us a 1366 x 768 immage, a max of 2GB of memory, a max of 160GB of hard disk space, WiFi and Bluetooth if you desire. Also this baby comes with either Vista Home Basic or Vista Business.

Buy it now from Dell’s website.

Alienware M17 Gaming Laptop Computer hits the stores

admin — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:39:22 +0000

Alienware, the creators of the best gaming laptop launched their new laptop computer powered by the world’s first mobile quad-core processor, the 3.06Ghz Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9300. This baby is called M17. Apart from having the quad-core processor, it also packs the ATI CrossFireX multi-GPU performance gaming platform, which supports 2 or more discrete graphics processor units simultaneously. 3GB of DDR3 memory keep the engines running smoothly, dual ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3870 graphic cards with DirectX 10.1 support color the 1920 x 1200 Extreme High-Definition LCD. All this at less than $2000. Not bad if you ask me.

But if you money is not an issue and you need more power you can have a max of 4GB of DDR3 memory and dual 500GB HDD’s, a Blu-Ray drive. The exterior is protected by the Stealth Black, a soft external later in matte black. And we can’t end the article without mentioning the Skullscalp signature which is ment to show you that you are in the presence of an Alienware. Hats off!

The Asus B80A

admin — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:17:59 +0000

I sensed it was about time for me to write about something that is serious and that is classy, because you can’t just clown around every day. And deciding this, I came across the very stylish Asus B80A Laptop.

The B80A has a 14.1-inch widescreen display and runs with the Intel Centurion 2 Processor Technology with smart power consumption and high-speed wireless connectivity support. We will also get with this baby a built-in fingerprint reader and the Trusted Platform Module hardware-based encryption. That is protection right there.

For all you slippery fingers out there, this laptop has a spill-resistant keyboard that can take up to 50cc’s of liquid. Under the hood there is also HDMI connectivity allowing us to hook up with a large display or to a sound system to get the party started.

Up to 4GB of system memory will keep the engine going while the hard drive can go to 320GB. The nowadays mandatory DVD burner, 1.3 MP web camera and 2.1 Bluetooth all here, so you don’t have to worry about anything, except having the money to buy this baby.

Microsoft Puts Booths In Front Of Apple Store

admin — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:40:52 +0000

I don’t give a damn about many of the stupid battles between giants in any industry or between public personalities, but this little story I am going to tell you is so stupid that is worth telling.

It seems that Microsoft has set up a boot in front of the Apple Store in Bullring, Birmingham. Isn’t that the stupidest thing you have ever heard? All this as a response to Apple’s “I’m a Mac” ads, Microsoft inviting with the message on the booth to upload videos and photos to show “how they, too, are PCs”.

I sure hope that Apple’s response will be something elegant and classy, and not stupid and desperate as Microsoft’s.

ASUS and Intel give us the chance to make our dream PC

admin — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:26:29 +0000

Intel and Asus recently launched a site that allows normal users to lend a hand in designing a PC. The result will be a “community designed PC” that will actually be bought by the same people that shared their ideas for making it. The motto of this whole thing is “You Dream it. ASUS Builds it. Intel inside it.”

The site is divided into communities which in turn are divided into three different conversation groups: notebooks, netbooks or gaming notebooks. Users are encouraged into giving simple idea for design, or general ideas, going as far as making sketches of their dream PC. There will also be a section where other users can vote ideas from other users.

Neat idea I say, it gives me the impression that what I thing and what I want means something. Power to the people!