Tech News

Google’s new Chrome OS is like a hybrid between Windows and OS X

Apr 102012

The master plan for Chrome OS was to move everybody into the cloud — away from file systems and desktops — and towards the Web browser as the operating system. Having failed to build much momentum, Google’s giving the OS a more traditional desktop experience — one that takes cues from Windows and OS X.

Google Operating System reports that the latest developer channel release of Chrome OS brings a “desktop, taskbar, apps on the desktop, wallpapers and overlapping windows” to the We browser-based Chrome OS.

Dubbed “Aura,” the new interface is a “hardware-accelerated user interface framework that offers rich visuals, large-scale animated transitions and effects.” It’s available for Samsung and Acer Chromebooks, but not Google’s own Cr-48 genericbook.

Find Out if Your Mac Has the Flashback Trojan — the Fast and Easy Way

interface, Tech News 231 Responses »

Apr 062012

According to a report Thursday, more than 600,000 Macs could be infected with the nasty Flashback trojan.

We’ve already detailed how to check your Mac to see if you’re infected — but that requires some command line code, and we know that not all users are comfortable doing that.

Now we’ve gone one step further and wrapped those commands into two AppleScripts.

Ars browser shootout: which Web browser is best for business?

interface, Tech News 249 Responses »

Apr 052012

Most Web browser reviews focus on one thing: speed. Speed is all well and good, but browser benchmark scores fail to answer a fundamental question: which browser is best for business?

In an enterprise environment, speed is simply one concern among many. There are bigger questions: How secure are these browsers, and how well do they keep users from getting viruses or visiting fraudulent websites? How often are they updated, and how easy is it to apply these updates to multiple managed systems? How important do the companies behind these browsers think that the enterprise is? We set out to compare Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and Opera to answer these questions and more.

For our purposes, we’ll assume that all else is equal in your environment—that your shop doesn’t live and die by a particular Firefox add-on or an Intranet site that won’t render in anything that’s not Internet Explorer 6. If you’ve got extenuating circumstances that dictate which browser you use, as many businesses do, consider these facts if you’re trying to decide on a secondary or alternate browser for your systems.

Budget-Priced Intel 330 SSD Details Leaked Online, Expected This Month

Tech News 1 Response »

Apr 042012

Sure, the prices of mechanical hard disk drives are going to stay above preflood levels. That sucks, but not all the news on the storage front is as bleak, or as expensive: a number of e-tailers have accidentally leaked details about a new, low cost line of Intel SSDs that are due to hit the streets very, very soon.

The incriminating bits have since been washed from the Web, but Engadget and The Register managed to snag details about the Intel 330 SSD line before they disappeared. Apparently, they’ll rock 6Gbps SATA 3.0 transfer speeds and sequential read/write at 500MBps/450MBps, respectively, while being built around the 25nm NAND found in Intel 320 SSDs.

Get a DataJack MiFi Hotspot for $49.99

interface, Internet News, Tech News 237 Responses »

Apr 042012

For frequent and infrequent travelers alike, nothing beats the convenience of a mobile hotspot.

Folks who travel a lot will probably want something with unlimited data and 4G service, but occasional users may want to consider a more affordable solution.

Here’s one: DataJack has the MiFi 2200 mobile hotspot for $49.99, plus around $10 for shipping, when you use coupon code DEALNEWS1.

That purchase also entitles you to a free month of service, albeit with DataJack’s low-end, 200MB data plan. Thankfully, there’s no contract here, so you can let your service expire if you want, then reactivate it as needed.

Apple building fuel cells to help power N. Carolina data center

Tech News 374 Responses »

Apr 022012

Apple plans to build a massive fuel cell facility in North Carolina to accompany the data center that powers iCloud. The company revealed its plans as part of a filing with the North Carolina Utilities Commission and was first reported by the Greensboro News & Observer, which noted over the weekend that the project will be the “national’s largest such project not built by an electric utility company.”

The fuel cell project will be built in Maiden, NC, near the company’s existing data center and in the same complex as Apple’s 171-acre solar farm. “[Apple’s] facility will consist of 24 fuel cell modules. It will extract hydrogen from natural gas supplied by Piedmont Natural Gas,” wrote the News & Observer.

LG’s Flexible E-Paper Display Is Coming to Europe in April

interface, Tech News 471 Responses »

Mar 292012

LG has announced it has started mass production of its electronic paper display (EPD) product, with a planned launch in Europe next month.

LG’s EPD is a 6-inch, 1024×768 e-ink plastic screen. It’s 0.7mm thick, it weighs 14g, and LG claims it’s resistant to scratches and drops from a 1.5 meter height.

Of course, its biggest claim to fame is its flexibility: LG claims the screen allows bending at a range of 40 degrees from its center.

via LG’s Flexible E-Paper Display Is Coming to Europe in April.

First batch of $35 Linux computers arrives in UK, awaiting CE compliance testing

interface, Tech News 470 Responses »

Mar 292012

The Raspberry Pi foundation issued a statement today with a status update on their much-anticipated $35 Linux computer. The first 2,000 completed units have arrived in the UK, but the devices aren’t ready to be shipped out yet because the foundation’s retail partners won’t distribute them to purchasers until they have been stamped with the CE marking.

The CE marking, which you can find on many consumer electronics products, certifies that a product conforms with the regulatory standards of the European Economic Area. In order to apply the CE marking to a product, it has to undergo a conformity assessment and the manufacturer has to produce certain documents.

The Raspberry Pi foundation wasn’t previously aware that it needed the CE marking in order to distribute its computer. Because the Raspberry Pi computer is a bare board and not a finished end product, the foundation assumed that it was exempt from the requirements. Similar products, such as the BeagleBoard, are legally distributed without the marking. Although the foundation still believes that the CE mark isn’t strictly necessary, they are pursuing the necessary compliance assessment in order to address the concerns of their retail partners.

Refrigerator Magnet Lets You Order a Pizza in One Tap

interface, Tech News, Your Brand 371 Responses »

Mar 262012

Ever wish pizza could magically appear at the press of a button? A pizzeria in Dubai has unveiled a new refrigerator magnet that actually orders pizza in a single tap. Impulse eaters beware.

Called the VIP Fridge Magnet, the pizza box-shaped magnet is connected to Red Tomato Pizza in Dubai. The magnet is preset to order a pizza online and is connected to the Internet via the Bluetooth connection on a smartphone. Red Tomato Pizza then sends a confirmation text and delivers the pizza soon after. You can also update your pizza selection online at any time.

Red Tomato Pizza also released a promotional video to announce the launch the VIP Fridge Magnet see below.

via Refrigerator Magnet Lets You Order a Pizza in One Tap.

Microsoft’s Wicked See-Through 3D Display

Design, interface, Tech News 361 Responses »

Mar 222012

Right now we all use computers the same way: Moving from the back of your desk to the front, you’ve got the screen first, then your hands on the keyboard or mouse, and then your head taking it all in. Now imagine swapping the order so that back-to-front we have your hands first, then the screen, then your head.

Researchers Jinha Lee and Cati Boulanger of the Microsoft Applied Sciences Group have developed a prototype called the See-Through 3D Desktop where the user reaches behind the screen to interact with objects in virtual 3D space. Check it out:

via Microsoft’s Wicked See-Through 3D Display – Core77.

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