Logitech Alto Cordless Notebook Stand

If you are using or planning on using a notebook as your main computer at home, then having a good laptop stand is essential. I am just about to get my first laptop and even though it will not be my main computer at home, if it was to be, then the Logitech Alto Cordless Notebook Stand, would be one that I would seriously consider.

The stand presents the laptop screen at eye level and the included full size cordless keyboard comes with an integrated, soft palm rest provides extra wrist. Add to that Three Hi-Speed USB ports that allow you to connect your choice of peripherals.

The Logitech Alto Cordless Notebook Stand retails for around $90 at Amazon (affiliate link)

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LaCie Little Disk is Small and Functional

Looking for storage in a small form factor, then take a look at the Little Disk from LaCie. Packed into this shiny box is 30GB of storage, integrated USB 2.0 connector and it requires no power supply. The Little Dick comes with LaCieSync software and ‘1-Click’ Backup Software.

The LaCie Little Disk will retail for around $130

Source: LaCie

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MacBook Air Can Thin Be Too Thin

As you can see from the image, this is the new and very thin MacBook Air. With vital stats that would make any up and coming catwalk laptop feint in disbelief; the MacBook Air is the thinnest laptop in the world (unless you know different).

Here are the specs:
Weight a mere 3lbs
16 inches at its thinnest
76 inches deep
13.3 inch screen (LED backlit)
2GB RAM
80GB Hard Drive or optional 64GB SSD)
1.6 or 18GHz Core 2 Duo
802.11n wifi
Bluetooth 2.1
iSight Camera
5 hour battery life
Optional Superdrive as there is no optical drive.

Priced at around $1800

The only downside – you will not be able to replace the battery yourself (at the moment)

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Dell Release Inspiron 1525 into the Wild

Dell has finally updated their Inspiron 15.4” laptop with the Inspiron 1525. Available at the very low starting price of $499 and customizable as usual, this new laptop refreshes their Inspiron line-up.

The Inspiron 1525 can be configured to have any of the following specs:

Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7250 (2.00GHz,2M L2 Cache,800MHz FSB)
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5450 (1.66GHz,2M L2 Cache,667MHz FSB)
Intel Core Duo Processor T2330 (1.6GHz,1M L2 Cache,500MHz FSB)
Intel Celeron 540 (1.86GHz,1M L2 Cache,533MHz FSB)

Up to 4GB shared Dual Channel 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM

Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100

Up to 250GB 5400 RPM SATA hard drive.

USB 2.0
Integrated 10/100 LAN (RJ45) and 56K Modem (RJ11)
IEEE1394a
8-in-1 Memory Card Reader
VGA video output & S-Video
HDMI high definition video output
1 ExpressCard 54mm Slot
Integrated dual digital mics
Dual headphone jacks
Microphone jack

As you can see from the above specs the 1525 is currently only available with the Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100; which is a bit disappointing. Hopefully, Dell will offer more options in the near future.

Personally, I would prefer the XPS 1530 laptop

Source: Dell

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Best Buy to Stock Dell Computers

Not satisfied with Staples and Walmart, Dell is adding Best Buy to their list of retail outlets. Within the next couple of weeks you should start seeing Dell laptops and desktop at your local Best Buy.

Best Buy will be stocking several XPS and Inspiron systems as well as the ‘all new’ XPS One.

Some of the models that you should be able to find are:
Laptops - XPS M1330 in white, the Inspiron 1521 in blue and black, and the Inspiron 1420 in black

Desktops - Dell Inspiron 530, 531, and 531s

XPS One

For me, this is a good move by Dell as it gives us ‘the customer’ to see the product ‘in person’ (providing the costs are the same as ‘online’). Then again, if there is a difference; check it out in the store and buy online.

Source: Dell Press Release

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Christmas Countdown Day 5 Western Digital Passport 320GB

If you are planning on taking 100’s of photos or videos this Christmas and your current laptop or desktop is running out of space, then Western Digitals latest Passport portable drive could be for you. The Passport series has just been increased to a whooping 320GB.

This small and compact drive gives you:

Plug and play installation
Powered direct by the USB
Small and light weight for portability
Synchronized and secure with WD Sync™ synchronization and encryption software
Windows version gets additional Google software to make searching the drive a breeze
Use with Windows® and Macintosh® computers

If 320GB is too much, Western Digital Passport drives are also available in 60, 80, 120, 160 and 250GB

Holiday Gift Rating: 3 Stars



Related Posts:
Christmas Countdown Day 1
Christmas Countdown Day 2
Christmas Countdown Day 3

Source: Western Digital

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Dells Sleek New XPS M1530 Laptop

Dell today unveiled their latest 15.4 inch laptop; the XPS M1530. This sleek laptop is the big brother to the M1330 and comes with slot loading DVD drive (Blu-ray drive is an option), 2 megapixel camera, fingerprint reader, travel remote, touch sensitive media keys and wireless draft n support (note: this option is not available at all Dell country sites, at the time of this post).

As usual will Dell laptops, you can customize to your hearts and wallets content. Starting price; around $900 and upwards.

If it gets similar reviews to the M1330 and it probably will, the M1520 should be on your laptop Holiday short list.

Holiday Gift Rating: 5 Stars

Source: Dell

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Extreme Range WiFi Router

Having problems with getting a WiFi signal in your large house?
Then check out the Extreme Range WiFi Router that is supposed to be able to give you coverage up to 0.25miles (now that’s quite a range). It works with both 802.11b and 802.11g and packs 30dBm of power. Security is also tight with support for WPA-Enterprise, WPA2, and WEP.

So if WiFi range is what you need, the Extreme Range WiFi Router might be worth checking out.

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Lenovo 3000 Y410 Laptop Retailing Now

Lenovo have just introduced a new model to their 3000 series of laptops aimed at the home/home office market. The Lenovo 3000 Y410 is a 14.1 inch laptop that features home entertainment features such as:

Dolby Home Theater audio with a sub-woofer
Play CDs without booting the system
Shuttle Center media player
1.3-megapixel Webcam
VeriFace software (face recognition security feature)

The Y410 also includes:
14.1-inch display (1,280x800 resolution)
Integrated Intel X3100 graphics
160GB hard drive (5400rpm)
DVD Burner

The Y410 will only be available at select retail stores (Office Depot, Micro Center, and Staples) and will retail in the range of $700 - $1000

The Y410 appears to be well priced and should compete well with the likes of Dell , HP, Toshiba etc..

Source: Lenovo

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Apple Leopard Hits the Streets October 26

The long awaited news from Apple regarding its new operating system has been released. The Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard will begin shipping on October 26.

The minimum specs to run Leopard are:
Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor
512MB of physical RAM
DVD drive for installation

You can pre-order your copy of either the single or ‘Family Pack’ license now.

$129 for single user license or $109 via Amazon
$199 for the 5 license “Family Pack” or $189 via Amazon

Source: Apple and Amazon

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The 180x180 USB Hub from Brando

If you have several USB devices to connect to your computer but are lacking enough USB ports, or maybe just have some awkwardly designed cables; then this USB Hub from Brando might work for you.

It is a 4 port hub that has the addition of a revolving upstream port and a center port that can rotate upwards to 180 degrees. It retails for around $15 and comes in either black or white.

Source: Brando

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Dell XPS M1530 Possibly

The word on the street is that Dell is about to unveil its latest XPS laptop; the XPS M1530. The XPS 1530 should be available early November with the following potential specs:

15.40-inch display (CCFL up to 1680 x 1050, LED up to 1440 x 900)
Core 2 Duo options from 1.5GHz (T5250) up to 2.6GHz (T7800)
Crestline GM/PM 965 chipset with up to 2GB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
GeForce 8400M or 8600M GS options (up to 256MB)
Slot-loading Blu-ray / 8x DVD±RW
Options for 802.11a/b/g/n, WWAN, Bluetooth
HDMI, VGA, 1394, ExpressCard, (3) USB 2.0, Ethernet, fingerprint reader, media reader
2.0MP (with CCFL) or 300k (with LED) cameras
Weights about 4 pounds

Source: Techfresh

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New Low Cost Vaio NR Notebooks from Sony

Sony’s new VAIO NR series notebooks will be available in October with a starting price of $750, which is not bad. The new VAIO NR will be available in three colors; Wenge (rich brown with copper accents), silk (bright white with a matte finish), and granite (silver hue with natural tones).

All models in the NR range will have a 15.4 inch XBRITE-ECO™ LCD and will feature Intel Core 2 Duo processor on select models (NR160). Windows Vista Home Premium will also be included as well as 802.11 a/b/g wireless LAN

Some Specs:

VAIO NR110
Type: Intel® Pentium® Dual Core processor T2310, Speed: 1.46GHz
Memory Type: DDR2, 1GB (512MBx2)
Hard Drive Capacity: 120GB, Speed: 5400rpm

VAIO NR120
Type: Intel® Pentium® Dual Core processor T2310, Speed: 1.46GHz
Memory Type: DDR2, 1GB (512MBx2)
Hard Drive Capacity: 160GB, Speed: 5400rpm

VAIO NR140
Type: Intel® Pentium® Dual Core processor T2330, Speed: 1.6GHz
Memory Type: DDR2, 1GB (512MBx2)
Hard Drive Capacity: 160GB, Speed: 5400rpm

VAIO NR160
Type: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T5250, Speed: 1.5GHz
Memory Type: DDR2, 1GB (512MBx2) PC2-5300
Hard Drive Capacity: 160GB, Speed: 5400rpm

Source: Sony Press Release

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Linksys Debuts Range Plus Home Network Products

Linksys have just unveiled there new RangePlus family of home networking products. The RangePlus family includes; the RangePlus Wireless Router (WRT100), RangePlus Wireless Notebook Adapter (WPC100), RangePlus Wireless PCI Adapter (WMP100), and the RangePlus Wireless USB Notebook Adapter (WUSB100.

The RangePlus family uses Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MIMO) technology to provide greater wireless network coverage (reduces dead spots).

The WRT100 RangePlus Wireless Router comes with Linksys Easy Link Advisor (LELA). LELA helps the user set up a secure wireless network by following simple instructions on their PC. Simply start the application and easily add PC’s, enable security and automatically map the network.

Pricing and Availability
Both the WRT100 and WPC100 should retail for $99.99 each and are available now. The other RangePlus products will be available later this year.


Source: Linksys Press Release

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Three New My Book External Drives From Western Digital

Western Digital’s My Book external drive now come in three new editions; My Book Home Edition, My Book Office Edition, and My Book Essential Edition 2.0. All three come with USB 2.0 and the Home Edition gets FireWire 400 and eSATA. Storage capacity range from 320GB to 1TB. They come with backup features and SmartPower (that automatically powers the drive on and off).

These three new My Books should retail for $129.99 to $379.99 depending on model and capacity.

Source: Engadget

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Vaio FZ Make a Splash with Artist Maya Hayuk

Sony have just unveiled a new edition to their VAIO FZ series; the VAIO Graphic Splash Maya Hayuk™ Edition.

The limited edition VAIO Graphic Splash Maya Hayuk™ Edition notebooks feature designs from emerging New York artists Maya Hayuk. There are two designs —“Grow” and “Never Stop”. As well as the limited edition designs, the laptops come crammed with goodies:

15.4" widescreen, built-in camera and mic
Blu-ray Disc™ optical drive,
XBRITE-HiColor™,
NVIDIA® GeForce® 8400GT graphics
Intel Core Duo processor T7300 (2GHz, 4MB L2 cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium

These artistic laptops do not come cheap at $2499.99.

If the price is too much, you could always ask your children to do some finger painting; you might end up with a similar effect.

Source: Sony Press Release

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Yamaha NX-U02 USB Powered Speaker

Yamaha have just released a new USB powered speaker; the NX-U02. This single speaker contains two speakers that give you stereo sound from the single box. Yamaha uses a PowerStorage circuit that allows for 20W (2 x 10W) of power from a USB speaker.

The NX-U02 includes Yamaha’s exclusive SR-Bass technology, to give a rich bass sound and the unit is available in black, white or red. Should be available next month.

Source: Everythingusb

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Microsoft Mobile Memory Mouse 8000 Gives You 1Gb Extra Memory

The Microsoft Mobile Memory Mouse 8000, is the first rechargeable notebook mouse with 1 GB of flash memory built right into the transceiver. With the Memory Mouse 8000 you can simultaneously work wirelessly, save files with 1 GB of storage and recharge the mouse; all through one USB port.

The Mobile Memory Mouse 8000 features:
Transceiver with 1 GB Flash Memory
2.4 GHz Wireless Technology
USB Rechargeable with Magnetic Connectors
High Definition Laser Technology
Battery Life Indicator
Magnifier
4-Way Scrolling
5-Button Mouse
Flip 3D
Instant Viewer
Right Handed Design
Scroll Wheel
On/Off Button
Bluetooth Mode Switch
Carrying Case

You can pre-order the Microsoft Mobile Memory Mouse 8000 from Amazon for $99.99

Source: Microsoft Press Release

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Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 Comes with Everything Almost

Microsofts Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 is an all in one mouse for your laptop, and is the first (according to Microsoft) to feature an integrated slide presenter, a laser pointer, and a media remote control.

With the Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 you can:
Smoothly navigate through Microsoft Office PowerPoint® and other presentations from up to 30 feet away from your PC.
Use for multimedia presentations and control digital entertainment from the comfort of your living room sofa.

Features:
Battery Life Indicator
2.4 GHz Bluetooth® with First Connect Technology2.4 GHz Bluetooth® with First Connect Technology
High Definition Laser Technology
Laser Pointer
Innovative Industrial Design
Digital Ink
On/Off Switch
Magnifier
4-Way Scrolling
Carrying Case
Instant Viewer
Customizable Buttons
Wireless Freedom
Five Customizable Buttons
5-Button Mouse

Microsoft Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 is available at Amazon for around $70

Source: Microsoft

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SoundBlade BlueTooth Speaker from Altec Lansing

Here is another offering from Altec Lansing; the SoundBlade Bluetooth Speaker System. The SoundBlade features two 2.5” full-range high output speakers and full stereo Bluetooth v.2 for wireless connectivity with most A2DP stereo Bluetooth mobile phones and laptops.

The SoundBlade comes with AVRCP for two-way remote volume, mute and track forward/back controls from a mobile phone and can also double as a wireless speakerphone.

The SoundBlade measures in at measures 6.125” H x 11.125” W x 1.0” D and can be powered by AC or AA batteries. Should retail for around $129.99

Source: Altec Lansing

You should also check out:

SoundBar from Altec Lansing
AudioHub from Logitech
MD-6 Mini Speakers from Nokia
Pure-Fi Dream from Logitech

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