by John on November 8, 2011
I am finding it tough to nail down. But it looks like a new Dell table will be available at the end of November, the official name will be the Dell Latitude ST.
It looks like the base model will set you back $1,049.99
Dell is gearing this to the enterprise market and IT professionals. From the Dell site:
The Latitude ST features Windows®-enabled power in the body of a touch-screen slate, combining the mobility of a tablet with the manageability, security and compatibility you expect from Dell Latitude.
- Familiar features: Hit the ground running with an OS interface you already know. Produce and edit business documents on the go with the Latitude ST, powered by Intel® Atom™ processors and running Windows® 7.
- Enterprise ready: Enterprise-class security features and network compatibility let you manage the Latitude ST just as you would any other PC.
- Convenient size: Starting at less than 2 pounds (816g)1, this multi-touch tablet can follow you anywhere, and with a screen size of 10.1″ (270mm), it’s big enough for work applications.
Dell explains: “Built for professionals who spend more time standing than sitting at a desk, the lightweight Latitude ST offers an ideal balance between tablet convenience and PC productivity so you can get more done anytime, anywhere.”
I am not sure Dell can pull this off. Call me slightly jaded, but a Windows 7 tablet seems like a nightmare to me. Maybe it will find some footing in the mobile workforce sector, for those people who are out in the field all the time.
by John on November 3, 2011
Several weeks back Amazon.com introduced the world to Amazon Silk. Silk is Amazons new web browser, exclusively available on the Kindle Fire. Silk takes advantage of the immense power behind Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Immediately there were several privacy concerns over running web requests through AWS. The biggest ones I heard were that Amazon would now have details of your browsing habits and concern over SSL connections. The EFF has a great article up on the security of Amazon Silk.
AWS is huge, many companies use it. I would imaging that this is going to make a lot of websites load much quicker. Amazon will also be doing some caching on their end to speed things up as well. Silk will even look at Flash files and see if it is better to serve them up from the AWS infrastructure or let your device do the rendering.
A lot of this is just guess though, no one has had their hands on the new Kindle Fire. What do you think about Amazon Silk? Are you comfortable with them being the middle man for some of your web surfing?
by John on November 1, 2011
MG Siegler posted that he believes Gmail (Google) is close to releasing an iOS application.
Getting push Gmail on an iOS device is a task that is cobbled together at best. It involves setting the account up as an Exchange server. This leaves a lot of features of Gmail out. The one that I dislike the most, is swiping to delete does not delete the message but archives it instead. You also miss priority inbox, flags, stars, and more.
I am seeing others hoping for better threading, photos for contacts, deep Google+ integration, and multiple profiles.
I am very interested to see how Google pulls this off as an app and how deep the integration is with iOS.
On a related note, Google announced today that they are rolling out a new look to Gmail over the next few days.
by John on October 25, 2011
Now that the new iPod Touch devices are going for $199 they’re going to be a hot Christmas item this year.
If your kids are anything like mine, stick an expensive gadget in their hands, and they will drop it. With that said, I think I finally found a use for the OtterBox. I may offend a few people, but these are the ugliest cases. Yes, I know they do protect your phone. But with that said, they really hide the phone too. I’ve always enjoyed carrying my phone without a case.
There is one place I do love using the Otterbox and that is on the kids iPod Touches. Now when they drop them, my heart doesn’t stop for that split second.
by John on October 24, 2011
I wanted to do a comparison on AVG2011 free and Norton AntiVirus 2011 or as I like to call it. How I got my ass handed to me by a virus.
For the longest time I have ran AVG in one form or the other. I did have a paid version for several years, but recently went with the free version. Basically with the free version, you are getting the antivirus portion of the product. Some time ago, I got a nasty virus. First one I had gotten on a home computer in ten years. It slipped past AVG2011 Free. Not sure how it did it, or even where it came from. Shortly after that the computer was reformatted and everything put back on. I didn’t put AVG back on to the computer. I decided to give Norton Antivirus 2011 a try. I went with the standard Norton Internet Security 2011
. Before I went that route, I did a lot of research. I remember in days not too long ago, that Norton was a hog of system resources and had earned itself a bad reputation. But from the reviews it seemed that the software had really improved.
I can verify that it has, or at least I can speak for Norton Internet Security 2011, it’s very snappy and doesn’t slow down my system at all.
by John on October 20, 2011
One of my favorite CDs lately to listen too has been 21 by Adele. It’s a great CD and her voice is amazing.
Do you have a favorite artist or CD you’ve been listening to lately? I am always on the lookout for new music.
by John on October 19, 2011
If you’re anything like me, there is all kind of home theater video gear you’d love to have.
Theoretically speaking, I give you $1000.00 what would you buy? A good place to start is Amazons Home Theater Page
.
So, what would you end up putting in your cart? Let me know in the comments.
A new TV, DVD player, home theater in a box, new speakers, or something else?
by John on October 17, 2011
Are you a Gmail user? Then you need to download Gmail Notifer.
From Google:
The Gmail Notifier is an application that alerts you when you have new Gmail messages. It displays an icon in your system tray to let you know if you have unread Gmail messages, and shows you their subjects, senders and snippets, all without your having to open a web browser.
The Gmail notifier will save you from having to open your browser to check your email.
by John on October 12, 2011
I have done a few posts on this blog about my salt water aquarium that I try to keep. I say try because it always seems to be an effort in futility. I also have a fresh water aquarium, if I ignore water changes for a month on it, it’s no big deal. If I ignore maintenance on it, again no big deal. Salt water, it’s an entirely different breed it seems like. If I ignore maintenance on it, things go downhill quickly. I’ve let water changes go longer than I should before, and I’ve paid the price.
Recently in the salt water tank I had an outbreak of red-slime algae. Disgusting stuff. If you have not battled it before, then consider yourself lucky. Frequent water changes and manually removing it, and it’s under control. Marine AlgaeFix also lended a hand in the battle of the slime.
More recently I had my first outbreak of aiptasia. First one, then two, then a whole handful. I read a few articles, lurked on some forums, and came to the conclusion that a peppermint shrimp would be the answer. In my case two – peppermint shrimp. I introduced them to the tank over the weekend and they immediately went and hid. Great. But . . . I woke up the next morning and the biggest orginial aiptasia was gone. The next morning no more aiptasia at all. These shrimp are aiptasia eating machines.
For now, I am back on top of maintenance and water changes. And my tank shows it. The rock looks great, the sandbed looks good, and the inhabitants all seem happy.
by John on October 10, 2011
I am anxious for this thing to be released. I’ve not yet ordered one though, if that makes any sense. But . . . the Kindle Fire
has really caught my eye lately. Heck . . . not even lately. The day it was released, and even before that when it was a rumor. I’ve always felt if anyone could pull off a competitor to the iPad it was Amazon. And while the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet is really not a direct competitor, it is.
Price wise – Amazon wins. Hands down. No argument. Screen size? The iPad wins in screen size. The Fire has a 7″ screen while the iPad has a 9.7″ screen. But . . . the Fire is lighter almost half as light at the iPad. Amazon claims it can easily be held in one hand. The Fire doesn’t have a camera and also lacks a microphone. The Fire doesn’t have as much storage, but is boasting about it’s cloud capabilities.
I’ve not gotten my hands on one. But for light web surfing, reading, and movies. The Amazon Kindle Fire seems like a no brainer.
Part of me is tempted to go ahead and get my pre-order in. The other frugal side of me says I don’t need a second tablet and to wait and see how the reviews go.
