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      Dell Studio XPS 13 – Now with Ubuntu!

      May 26, 2009 /

      XPS 13Dell has started to offer their XPS 13 with the more and more popular Ubuntu. Ubuntu, for those who don’t know, is a linux-based operating system that has a reputation for being fast, stable, and virus free. Ubuntu also runs many of the same software applications that Windows does like Firefox and Open Office.

      Anyway, here are the details from Electonista:

      PC, notebook, monitor and related hardware manufacturer Dell has recently began offering its Studio XPS 13 notebook PC preloaded with the Linux-based Ubuntu operating system. The 13.3-inch notebook otherwise has the same key specs as its Windows Vista-powered counterpart, including the same 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, though some of the available options between them differ. For example, users can upgrade to a 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo on the Ubuntu XPS 13, while those who opt for the Vista system have a choice of a different 2.53GHz and a 2.66GHz CPU.

      And it’s quite affordable at $1099.

      Computers

      The Pre is a Great Phone but the Wrong Phone

      May 26, 2009 /

      the wrong customersThe recently leaked Pre launch guide has set Palm fans atwitter, ready to get their paws on one the minute the phone launches. That is, if Sprint will let them.

      In what I find to be the most interesting page (11 if you’re keeping track) of the launch missive, Sprint lays down a heavy warning: “We can’t afford to sell the Pre to the wrong customers.” My knee jerk reaction sounds a lot like “no shit,” especially considering the rumors of a tiny launch stock. But Palm means more than senior citizens and paraplegics. So who is the wrong customer, and why don’t they deserve a Pre?

      According to Palm, the wrong customers are the IT business users. The folks who need to run applications. The people with strict mobile device security protocols. A lot of the same people who really want the device. But when those people set foot in a Sprint Store on June 6th, Sprint reps are advised to try to sell them the Treo Pro. This makes sense. Salespeople are there to identify your needs, and then sell you a product to meet or exceed those needs (preferably at atmospheric price points). So why sell you the Pre when it falls short? You should get the phone you need, right?

      Right. The Pre isn’t the phone you need. It’s right there in company literature, just mangled and twisted to make it sound like the customer’s wrong, instead of the phone. Make no mistake, though, it’s the phone, and the Pre is going to miss the mark on launch day and probably fade out of existence before long. I’m not talking to you, the individual user who might love Palm’s new features and developer-friendly OS. I’m talking about market share, which is what Palm needs to stay solvent. The Pre was the device to release before Apple sold 20 million iPhones. Before the app store sold a billion apps. Then the Pre could have been Palm’s savior, instead its dying breath.

      It’s not that the Pre isn’t a great device. From the hardware to the software, the smooth OS to an overall excellent user experience the Pre is a great device, it’s just the wrong device, and it could be Palm’s last. If the Pre fails to gain significant ground and fast, there’s little hope for a financially stable Palm in the near future.

      Apple, iPhone, Mobile, News

      Update: Eucalytpus is Go

      May 26, 2009 /

      EucalyptusLast week we reported on a pretty little ereader for the iPhone that didn’t make Apple’s crazy approval process because it allowed access to the Kama Sutra. It sounds like Apple’s smarter thinking prevailed, and Eucalyptus has been reinstated at the original $10 price tag.

      Though it’s tough to say what really made the difference, I’d like to think rampant posts about the ridiculous rejection brought it to Apple’s attention, at which point they actually thought, instead of just mashing the ‘declined’ stamp on seeing the words ‘Kama Sutra.’

      As for the app, I’m not sure I’d spend $10 to read public domain books (read, old) on the go. It’s a nice model, though, and hopefully something others can look at to make future apps with some added functionality.

      Apple, Apps, iPhone

      Fantastic Wii Hack for a Lazy Memorial Day

      May 24, 2009 /

      Wii with an hdd.My own Memorial Days are typically full of family revelry: picnics, drinking, outdoor games, too much sun (followed by a week’s incubation and then a week’s worth of peeling). This year, I’m not doing much of anything, and for those of you in similar positions, you may find this Wii hack a productive way to fill your time.

      The hack, which comes to us via mikeandheth.com, teaches you how to load your Wii discs from an attached USB hard drive. Without explaining too much (and unnecessarily leeching credit), the hard drive hack saves you all sorts of time and space that you might spend hunting for discs, changing discs, waiting for discs to load, and just about anything else that is limiting about physical media.

      The one caveat I’ll offer: M&H do suggest keeping your Wii on older firmware versions than the most current (though they offer plenty of great reasons to do so). If this makes you uncomfortable for any reason, you probably won’t like their guide very much. I will say, though, it’s worth reading, and worth examining some of the hackable possibilities of your Wii. It is yours after all, and despite what Nintendo will tell you, there’s no reason it shouldn’t do what you want.

      Gaming, Websites

      Santok’s End-all Be-all Car Charger

      May 24, 2009 /

      The Santok STK car charger.As someone who likes a good road trip (I think anyone who lives in the midwest likes a good road trip), I’m always looking for anything to make my trip smoother, more comfortable, more enjoyable. For me, car chargers are a must, and the newest release from Santok looks to replace every adapter I’ve owned.

      As you can see, Santok’s little beauty features a splitter for two cigarette lighters and two usb ports, giving you the power to charge four devices at once. Gone are the days of neglecting your GPS because you need your cell phone, or letting your iPod die because you need your GPS. The company website has yet to list any pricing, but for me, this one’s worth a little wait.

      Source: Coolest Gadgets

      Mobile

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