What, Ten Dollar Laptops in India?

February 4, 2009 5:53 PM | 1 Comment
When asking the average gadget savvy, consumer electronic wench if he or she romps around with a laptop in their messenger bag, chances are they do--and they are on their way to (free Wi-Fi) Starbucks.
 
It's even customary for U.S. university students to not only have a cell phone but also a laptop in hand on their way to their noon classes, in their pajamas. Laptops are replacing PCs not only for their portability and lightweight bonuses but because they are getting cheaper and cheaper. Moreover schools and universities sometimes strike deals with major vendors.
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Nike Slam Dunks in Online Sales

February 2, 2009 6:37 PM
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Nike, the athletic footwear conglomerate has announced that they are doing rather well, online. Nike's US chief executive Mark Parker has stated that the company is seeing "a fairly dramatic increase in online sales."
 
Parker announced the news to a panel at the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
 
Conclusions could be made that Nike is experiencing a sharp increase in online sales, driven in part by cost-conscious shoppers conserving gasoline. With consumers looking for ways to save money and gas prices now on the rise again, a leisurely drive is now out of the question.
 
The company last month reported a nine percent rise in quarterly net profit showcasing that they are solid and secure from the current global economic crisis.
 
Industry analysts say the online sector continues to grow as more shoppers opt to shop on the Internet for convenience and the ability to compare bargains.
 
Most recently, Nike sported a deal with the University of Richmond in Virginia.
 
According to Martin Newton, Nike's college basketball sports marketing manager, Richmond became attractive to Nike as the company changed its business model.
 
"In the past, we didn't have necessarily the resources to go to that high-mid-major level and do an all-sports deal," Newton said. "The all-sports deals were kind of reserved for the BCS-type schools.
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The Fall of Kennedy

January 22, 2009 7:00 PM
For some reason I just can't help but think technology drove Caroline Kennedy to drop out of the race for the senate seat. Political figures have always been in the spotlight and their business' known. Take Timothy F. Geithner for example, who, even though, was endorsed by the Senate Finance Committee as secretary of the Treasury, was grilled prior to being sworn in about his failure to pay thousands of dollars in back taxes.
 
According to the New York Times, "that lapse caused considerable embarrassment for Mr. Geithner, even as some members of the panel said they were willing to accept his word that the failure was an honest mistake."
 
Undoubtedly, nevertheless Mr. Geithner stuck it out and is now the Secretary of the Treasury.
 
Of course, his issues are neither here nor there in regards to Ms. Kennedy, as her main problems and the reason I believe she decided to withdrawal her name, is because one she cannot, under any circumstances, speak well in public and two she didn't like being in the public eye.
 
"I have, you know, quite a lot to learn, but I feel like I bring a lot with me, as well," Kennedy said.
 
You know, umm, like I understand what you're saying but you know you should realize that you were running for a very public position, maybe a diction class would have benefited
 
"I feel this commitment, and this is a time when nobody can afford to sit out. And I hope that I have something to offer," Kennedy said.
 
Again, perhaps not the best choice of words, HOPE is the key word here signifying to every New Yorker that yes, she does want to help however she's unsure if she has the capability or capacity to do so.
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Apple is Good!

January 22, 2009 3:19 PM
Thank the Gods, who control the technology sector, Apple has reported a fiscal first-quarter profit of $1.61 billion, or $1.78 a share, on revenue of $10.17 billion. In other words this is excellent news showing people, especially stockholders that, even without Jobs, Apple can still do well.
 
"It was a great quarter and I think better than most people expected,'' said Yair Reiner, analyst at Oppenheimer."I would say iPod sales were well ahead of the consensus. Mac sales were strong, iPhone was a little bit softer than I hoped, but people were braced for that.''
 
According to CNBC, the December quarter is traditionally Apple's strongest, fueled by holiday sales. The company sold 2.52 million Mac computers in the quarter, up nine percent from last year, while iPod sales rose three percent to 22.7 million units.
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When I saw that Facebook and CNN were going to be working together on streaming the President inauguration a few days prior, I clicked the "Yes I'll attend" button and waited with anticipation to watch while sharing comments with friends.
 
According to InsideFacebook.com, more than 1 million people had updated their Facebook status through the CNN.com Live Facebook feed as of 2 p.m. Eastern time today. The Web site also reported that there were 8,500 statuses updates the minute Obama began his speech and 4,000 status updates every minute during the broadcast.
 
Logging on about a half-hour before the actual swearing in of the then President-elect, I waiting for the LIVE video to start playing and I too updated my status, "Jessica is waiting on the world to change." (I know, I'm clever.) However, that was the only thing I was able to do. As the time neared for Obama to take the oath of office the video was still waiting to connect!
 
Scott Bouchard, a Web designer here at TMC and who also blogs for his Design vs.
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Privileged

January 15, 2009 1:50 PM
So last night, Greg Galitzine, Group Editorial Director said to me, "Here's an iPod touch, go at it." Ok, he might not have said it using those words but that's what I heard, considering I was having a mini-party in my head because I've been wanting to get my hands on one for some time now but due to economic reasons and the fact that I'd rather be warm when I go to sleep, the iPod touch was just out of reach for me.
 
My only negative remark so far: I'm not a fan of the onscreen keyboard. In order to test it out, I logged onto my Gmail account and ended up sending only one email out because I became a little frustrated.
 
I only download a few apps to test, one being Urbanspoon, which I saw in an Apple TV commercial. Being pretty indecisive myself, I thought this app would help me out. Boy did it.
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Oh, the Super Bowl. This is the time when men enter a world that, I or maybe even the female population, just cannot understand. There is this need for them to gather around television sets in living rooms or perhaps even a bar, like a moth to a flame, with great anticipation, usually knowing that what they are about to see will either complete or shatter their spirits until the following year.
 
They hush as they watch other, bigger, men hurl their bodies in hopes of catching a leather-bound, oblong object some affectionately refer to as, a football, then as the silence is broken by the audience as the ball is carried to a usually brightly colored design, they like to call the end-zone.
 
I do not understand however, ladies but if you can get an HDTV out of it, who cares. CableOrganizer.com, providers of cable, wire and equipment management-related products for use in business and at home, today announced it has issued a HDTV Buyer's Guideline to help consumers make smarter high definition television purchases.
 
This HDTV Buyer's Guide is now accessible online and will be available to consumers completely free of charge.
 
The guide explains how to choose between LCD or Plasma. CableOrganizer.com says that, "when it comes to choosing between Plasma and LCD, it's important to shop in the mindset that one high-def TV is not necessarily better than another -- rather, it's a question of which one is right for you...are Plasmas and LCDs really that different?
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Mobile & Wireless 2009 Wish List

January 13, 2009 5:24 AM
Dr. J. Gerry Purdy, Ph.D. VP & Chief Analyst, Mobile & Wireless, Frost & Sullivan (Contact him: [email protected] or 404-406-5309) says every year analysts give their trend predictions for the coming year that don't always come true. To me that sounds like Ms. Cleo, the psychic lady on the infomercial who if you called her at two in the morning she would tell you your future but, that turned out to be a sham!
 
To be a leader in the industry, Dr. Purdy decided to give his "Mobile & Wireless 2009 Wish List" hoping that with this list, it could "drive many of the vendors to seriously consider these recommendations for their product plans and drive customers to demand them from vendors."
 
Granted, he may have a Ph.D.
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Car Tech at CES

January 12, 2009 12:49 PM
Goodness there's a lot to cover from the Consumer Electronics Show, here's a list of what was shown from the automotive sector:
 
AT&T Cruisecast, a rear-seat TV delivery system which is due this spring, is a satellite TV system that at launch is expected to deliver 22 channels of TV and 20 of satellite radio to vehicles equipped with a receiver roughly a foot. Setup cost is estimated at $1299, while monthly service fees will run at $28.
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MediaFlo, the less expensive version of AT&T Cruisecast is a service that broadcasts on UHF channels and is available on some AT&T and Verizon Wireless cell phones. The channel selection isn't as huge, but setup is expected to run about $500. Monthly fees haven't been announced but the phone services run about $15.
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Squeal for SYNC Introduced at CES

January 12, 2009 11:51 AM
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The Consumer Electronic Show (CES), which finished yesterday in Las Vegas, demonstrated many gadgets from thousands of companies, also showcased was the latest in car technology. Ford, Microsoft and eight partner companies together introduced the latest new features for SYNC -- the hands-free information and entertainment system for drivers -- during ShowStoppers, the press-only special event.
 
Microsoft's upgrading it's Sync technology (which currently appears in some Ford vehicles) by adding new features on top of its existing music player and hands-free phone capabilities. The next version, available starting this spring, will provide integrated GPS technology and a customer's Bluetooth mobile phone, SYNC with Traffic, Directions and Information provides simple hands-free access to personalized traffic reports, precise turn-by-turn driving directions, and up-to-date information such as business listings, news, sports and weather--all in response to a driver's voice requests (relayed to Microsoft TellMe servers via a Bluetooth-connected cell phone).
 
The new version of Sync will be available in nearly all 2010 Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury models, and Ford says the services will be provided free of charge for three years with the purchase of a new Sync-enabled vehicle. However, existing Sync customers are simply out of luck since older versions will not be upgradeable.
 
Also previewed was the Ford 2010 Fusion Hybrid, which goes on sale this spring, as "America's most fuel efficient mid-size car" with a government mileage rating of 41 miles per gallon in the city and 36 on the highway, according to the company.
 
The invitation-only event featured company launches, product introductions, sneak previews and hands-on product demos by 90 companies to more than 1,000 top journalists, columnists, selected bloggers, and industry and financial analysts, who cover business, consumer, lifestyle and digital products for work, home and play, according to PCWorld.
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Fresh from the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, the Sony VAIO P Series Lifestyle PC by far one of the smallest portable PCs ever seen as far as the mini-notebook goes. The company claims the device is small enough to easily slip into a jacket pocket or purse. Weighing 1.4 lbs, mini-notebook is roughly the size of a business envelope and as thin as a typical cell phone.
 
The ultrawide screen on Sony's new device measures eight inches diagonally with a screen resolution of 1600x768 pixels and images displayed with Sony's Xbrite-Eco LCD technology. The company claims the screen is big enough to view two Web pages side by side.
 
Equipped with a QWERTY keyboard that's about 92 percent of standard laptop size Sony has tailored the spacing between keys to help reduce typing mistakes.
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RIP Desktop PC

January 8, 2009 8:55 PM
For most of us, the only time an actual desktop PC is used is at work. Recently, not a single desktop model figured on online shopping portal Amazon.com's top ten selling PC and hardware list the weekend before Christmas, while seven laptop models made the list.
 
"On both price and performance, laptops are so competitive now it's surprising they weren't able to catch up with desktops even earlier," said iSuppli analyst Peter Lin.
 
Who wants a PC anyway? They have multiple parts with various wires connecting the user to the wall, the wall! No one wants that commitment of having to stay put for hours on end tied by ugly black cords--to the wall.
 
"The ability to surf the Internet wirelessly at public places, the need to be able to take your office out with you when you travel, and an increasing range of notebook computers have all led to lower desktop sales."
 
In college not one person had a PC in their dorm room and the only place a PC was found was in the library along with the rest of those obsolete items--books, encyclopedias and video tapes.
 
"It's just evolutionary I suppose," said Gartner analyst Tracy Tsai. "Things have reached a point where the price difference is no longer as pronounced as before for many consumers, and the average person is more likely to choose the option that offers him portability over the one that doesn't."
 
According to Reuters, to keep their growth coming, Acer, Asustek and others vying for laptop dominance are increasingly looking to segmentation, taking aim at the wide range of computer buyers.
 
"There is incredible choice in the notebook space now," said IDC analyst Richard Shim. "You can get notebooks at every inch size from 5-inch to 20-inch."
 
Alex Gruzen, Dell's manager for consumer products, agreed that the days when his company could offer laptops "in the same shades of grey" are coming to an end.
 
As portability becomes the norm, some are asking if there's any room left for desktops in the brave new era of laptops.
 
Salesmen at Taipei's Kuanghwa computer market, one of the city's top PC hang-outs, said hardcore computer game addicts may be one of the few groups to keep buying desktops that offer greater processing power for memory-intensive applications.
 
"Hardly anyone buys desktops anymore," said Elton Tsai, gesturing toward the solitary HP desktop sitting in his shop amid rows of laptops.
 
"Anyone who is enough of a geek to want real processing power can probably assemble his own computer, saving himself at least a few thousand Taiwan dollars in the process," Tsai said.
 
But not everyone believes the desktop, which was first introduced in the 1970s, will soon be relegated to the junkyard of history.
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Rumors are passing through the virtual hallways of cyberspace and tech junkies (it also could just be me) are awaiting the arrival of their Super Bowl, the Consumer Electronic Show. OMGoodness! According to PCWorld, "HDTV and mobile gear may steal CES's 2009 spotlight."
 
Demonstrations from multidisplay laptops and HDTVs wired for broadband to Blu-ray players that can deliver Web content, the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show may have more than some consumers can handle.
 
Bring it.
 
By the end of this week, one can expect a parade of shiny, tiny, and wireless bundles of joy from CES exhibitors--including a 3G watch-phone from LG Electronics, a wafer-thin Samsung TV that's 6.5 millimeters thick, and an emphasis on emerging fields such as environmentally friendly green technologies and Wi-Tricity, a technology that allows wire-free power charging of small devices.
 
Wait...a 3G watch-phone! Does it have a touchscreen...IT DOES! :D
 
The LG-GD910 phone is going to be first in Europe. In the center of the watch face is a 1.4-inch touchscreen display that is used as the keypad when making a call.
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Consumer Electronics Technology Show

January 5, 2009 12:43 PM
Did you know that this show existed?! I'm new to all this so bear with me, I almost fell out of my chair and had a consumer electronic conniption. Dudes, why wasn't an invitation sent my way? sad +:tear:
 
According to the AFP, smart gadgets, lifelike video and pocket versions of laptop computers are expected to be Consumer Electronics Show (CES) stars as the annual extravaganza follows its gizmos onto the Web.
 
It looks like consumer electronic companies didn't get the memo that the economy is failing and leading analysts have been saying we're in the beginnings of a recession for almost three months now. (When does it start, really, I want to be semi-prepared.)
 
Some 2,700 makers of televisions, computers, mobile telephones, chips and other technological wares will tout their latest innovations in Las Vegas from January 8-11.
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Red Rover's Red Wagon Just Got Better

December 24, 2008 5:24 PM
Remember the little red wagon of days past? Well it just got an upgrade. Check out TMC reporter Michelle Robart's article on Radio Flyer's red wagon the Cloud 9, a wagon equipped with more high-tech features than kids may know what to do with!

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