Gmail Drive

Gmail Drive is a great (FREE) program I just so happen to have come across and I think it's great! It makes a sort of artificial drive on your computer and then if you copy files to the drive, it emails them to your Gmail address. Very cool, and very handy.
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GMail Drive is a free namespace extension ("add-on") for Microsoft Windows. It allows a user to access a virtual drive stored in a Gmail e-mail account by causing the contents of the Gmail account to appear as a new network share on the user's workstation. In order to use this add-on, the user needs a Gmail e-mail account. The add-on enables the user to use the standard Windows desktop file copy and paste commands to transfer files to and from the Gmail account as if it was a drive on the user's computer. - Wikipedia
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GMail Drive is a Shell Namespace Extension that creates a virtual filesystem around your Google GMail account, allowing you to use GMail as a storage medium.

GMail Drive creates a virtual filesystem on top of your Google GMail account and enables you to save and retrieve files stored on your GMail account directly from inside Windows Explorer.

GMail Drive literally adds a new drive to your computer under the My Computer folder, where you can create new folders, copy and drag'n'drop files to.GMail Drive shell extension is a tool that creates a virtual filesystem.

Ever since Google started to offer users a GMail e-mail account, which includes storage space of a 1000 megabytes, you have had plenty of storage space but not a lot to fill it up with.

With GMail Drive you can easily copy files to your GMail account and retrieve them again. When you create a new file using GMail Drive, it generates an e-mail and posts it to your account.

The e-mail appears in your normal Inbox folder, and the file is attached as an e-mail attachment. GMail Drive periodically checks your mail account (using the GMail search function) to see if new files have arrived and to rebuild the directory structures.

But basically GMail Drive acts as any other hard-drive installed on your computer.
You can copy files to and from the GMail Drive folder simply by using drag'n'drop like you're used to with the normal Explorer folders.

Because the GMail files will clutter up your Inbox folder, you may wish to create a filter in GMail to automatically move the files (prefixed with the GMAILFS letters) to your archived mail folder.

Please note that GMail Drive is still an experimental tool. There's still a number of limitations of the file-system (such as total filename size must be less than 40 characters), and it doesn't make full use of the secure internet protocols available.

You can try Xmail alternative for portability. - Softpedia

Gigantic iPhone Ad in Apple's 5th Ave NYC Store

Macrumors and eagle-eyed Matthew Yohe, who has a DSLR for a right eye, took these photos of Apple's 5th Ave store plastered with this ginormous iPhone ad. Mysteriously, the ad came back down a little while later. Oops? Sizefitting? Tease? My advice to Steve and Co is to lay low, unless you're rolling new features out, or have a seriously cool banner. This ad was maybe a bit too plain for its own good. Rotate out the screenshot, at least. –Brian Lam

Found on Gizmodo

Intel Shipping Less Power-Hungry Quad Core Xeons

VERY INTERESTING ARTICLE FOUND ON GIZMODO!!!

When Intel released its Xeon 5100 processors last summer, they were already faster, cooler and more efficient than their predecessors, and now Intel's doing it again with even more-efficient quad core processors that rolled out yesterday. The company's 5300 series server chips were already 50% more efficient than those 5100 dual-core Xeons from last summer, and now Intel says its Xeon L5320 and L5310 use between 35 and 60% less electricity than its existing 5300 series quad core processors, which suck up 80 and 120 watts.

The L5320 and L5310 Xeons, running at 1.86GHz and 1.6GHz respectively, probably won't be the ones showing up on those Apple machines that are said to be debuting on April 15 in Las Vegas at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention. Hey, Macs use Xeons, don't they? Will these Xeons be part and parcel of the fabled "OctoMac?"

Nah. The processors in the OctoMac will eventually be the higher-end 3.0GHz version of the quad core Xeon that Intel revealed last week, saying they'll be shipping later this year. Those are the chips the speed freaks will use, users who don't care so much about energy efficiency and care everything about the fastest processors available.

In the meantime, maybe Apple will make do with a pair of the existing Core 2 Extreme quad-core processors, which we're using right here on a PC and can attest to their already-blazing speed and serious video rendering capabilities.

Either way, we just got our invite to the big Apple unveiling in Sleazetown, and will be positioned right up front to let you know what happens. – Charlie White

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This makes a girl wonder if there's any link between this and two of my previous posts, the one about the 8 core mac pro and the one about the open day on March 15th in The Netherlands, France, England, and Ireland. Things are getting exciting!!!

8-Core Mac Slips at Apple UK Site

The following was found on Gizmodo, this morning and came as a happy surprise!

Thanks to a jumpy web guy at Apple's UK site, the whole world knows that an 8-core Mac Pro is headed our way some time soon. This jives with our 8-core Mac Pros expectation last month, and isn't really any kind of well-kept secret anyway.

It's too bad the UK Store is down now—fixing that error, no doubt—or else you'd be able to see it for yourself. Now all you get is a screenshot. – Jason Chen

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Before you go dishing out 2500 or more, keep in mind that apple regularly upgrades more than one product at once, so we can just speculate what kind of changes the macbooks, blackbooks, macbook pros, and imac might undergo... I think I'm having a...wait, what does it mean if you're having shooting pains up and down your left arm lol...because I think I'm having a heart attack from all the excitement!

Apple TV Good To Go?

I haven't verified this yet, but according to Uneasysilence: AppleInsider is reporting that all the last minute graphic goofups with the (Apple)TV have been figured out and Apple has begun to ramp up manufacturing as early as today.

They quoted that NVIDIA was the source of the last month’s delay with what were explained were “quirky embedded video issues.”

Apple TV will drawn its graphics capabilities from NVIDIA’s G72M graphics chipset with 64MB DDR2 video memory — essentially the firm’s GeForce Go 7400 chip.

At the heart of Apple TV device is a 1.0GHz Pentium M-based Intel chip with 2MB of L2 cache (code-named “Crofton”), which will be under-clocked to run on a 350MHz bus. The device will also pack 256MB of non-upgradable 400MHz DDR2 main system memory, a 40GB 2.5-inch PATA hard disk drive, and a 802.11n capable wireless card.

Could this mean the wait is over?

WINDOWS XP HIDDEN APPLICATIONS

To view a complete list of handy, but hidden applications already on your Windows XP running computer just visit this site and you'll see an amazing list of simple apps that are actually kind of neat. Here are some of my favorites.

To run any of these apps go to Start > Run and type the executable name

Clipboard Viewer = clipbrd.exe (views contents of Windows clipboard)

Character Map = charmap.exe (very useful for finding unusual characters)

DirectX diagnosis = dxdiag.exe (Diagnose & test DirectX, video & sound cards)

System configuration = msconfig.exe (can use to control starup programs)

System Monitor = perfmon.exe (very useful, highly configurable tool, tells you everything you ever wanted to know about any aspect of PC performance, for uber-geeks only )

Windows for Workgroups Chat = winchat.exe (appears to be an old NT utility to allow chat sessions over a LAN, help files available).

Note: I can't get the last one to work properly.

Beryl

Beryl Feature Spotlight

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What is the Beryl Project?

Beryl is an OpenGL accelerated desktop that seeks to provide a free, open source desktop experience to the community that reflects the wishes of the users. Above all else, the project seeks to listen to and respond to the requests of the user base.

Beryl is a combined window manager and composite manager written in C using OpenGL to provide acceleration. It is designed to be highly flexible, extensible, and portable, all the while keeping in mind that the users know how they want their desktops to act better than we do. With Beryl the rather esoteric concept of the computer desktop is brought down to a more human level, allowing for a more native and intuitive understanding of your workspace. To learn more about Beryl and its features visit our Feature Spotlight.

Beryl is a fork of the Compiz project, started by David Reveman of Novell. We continue to port new changes from compiz, and consider them essentially our upstream. Beryl could not have existed were it not for the heavy lifting done both server side by David and in creating compiz, which is the base on which all of our code is built, and which still comprises a large portion of our code, though this is likely to change as the 0.3.0/0.4.0 release cycle gets started.

Introduction

This is a feature spotlight to let you know about the many things Beryl will currently provide you with. Please note that this will include features both available and not available in Compiz, which Beryl was forked from. This is not a complete feature list, just a general overview of the features available in Beryl. A more complete feature list can be found on the weekly blog updates. There is also a new users guide here that contained a more complete howto for using beryl.

Scale Effect

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Scale out all your windows to get a thumbnail birds eye view of your desktop...

> OS X Expose Like Effect
Beryl allows users to activate the scale effect to find and switch between windows easily. Switching between windows using the scale effect is as easy as clicking on the thumbnail you want and Beryl will automatically pull up the selected window.
> Live Window Previews
As is the staple of all Beryl Effects, the windows show in the Scale effect are live previews. Movies continue to play, websites update. By right clicking on any given window, it will be zoomed back to full size for closer inspection.
> Drag and Drop Support
Dragging and dropping documents from folder to folder has never been easier. Overlapping windows are no longer an issue, just grab the document you wish to drag and drop, initiate scale with your mouse, and hover over the window you wish to drop it on. Easy...

Enhanced Switcher

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Alt+Tab switcher displays live preview thumbnails to make it easier to visually identify your applications...

> Improved Visual Identification
The new switcher replaces the old boring icon based switcher. Now providing the user with live previews of their windows. Switching between many windows of the same app with Alt+Tab no longer requires reading the sometimes ambiguous window name.
> Better Selectiong Control
By pressing Alt+Tab you can easily browse through windows on your current viewport. Or if you wish to browse through all windows on all desktops, pressing Ctrl+Alt+Tab will allow you to do so.
> See Only What You Want
If you wish, the new switcher can be configured to dim all windows but the active one making your entire desktop your switcher. If you switch to a window not on your current viewport, the cube will rotate to show you.

Desktop Cube

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Rotate around your desktop, really get a feel for where you are...

> Visualize Your Workspace
The human mind thinks very well in 3 dimensions, so why limit yourself to only two? Beryl can display your viewports as a cube, making it easier to organize your desktop. For the diehards though, the cube is unobtrusive as possible for these users.
> See Through The Clutter
Optionally the cube may be turned transparent to allow a user to see whats on the other side of the cube at all times. This feature is working but is planned to be in a future release.
> See Even More
For some the cube doesn't present enough information, only really showing the user one workspace at a time. In these situations it can be unfolded to show several viewports at once in a film strip style view by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Page Down.

Window Animations

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Window animations now clearly show you where your windows are going...

> See Whats Going On
Just like metacity before it, Beryl will show you exactly where your windows are going when you minimize them. Animations are also available for close, create, show, and window shading.
> Do It How You Want It
Beryl comes loaded with 10 different animations to choose from. You can have your windows simply fade in and out, or have them destroyed in a fiery inferno when they are closed. It is all up to you, you can even have it randomly select an animation each time.
> Shade Windows
Like many window managers before it, Beryl can shade windows to save on desktop space. Beryl comes with several animations for window shading, from a simple role up, to a accordian style folding. Once again, it is all up to you.

Window Effects

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Real time window effects are fun and useful...

> Transparency, Brightness, and Saturation
The transparency, brightness, and saturation of a window can easily be changed simply by right clicking on its title bar and setting it in the menu. It can also be set via mouse bindings.
> Gnome Terminal True Transparency
With Beryl providing a proper composited environment, Gnome Terminal can now use true transparency. That means you can see the windows below it instead of a copy of the wallpaper below it.
> Negative Windows
Like the negative of a film camera, the color values of windows can be inverted. This simple inversion makes it much easier to read text in many situations and is often quite easier on the eyes. Neg is as simple as Super+n.

Zoom In

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Zoom In, this screenshot is a full screen image! The screen itself is zoomed...

> Forget Your Reading Glasses
Websites keep using smaller and smaller text as screen resolutions keep getting bigger and bigger. Reading on the computer without binoculars is getting harder and harder, but Beryl can give you a virtual telescope!
> Zoomed Interaction
Beryl offers a proportional zoom that allows users to interact with their desktop while zoomed, working with tiny text, and tiny widgets was never easier. Super + Mouse Scroll is all it takes to help your eyes out.
> Future Hopes
Sometime in the future Beryl hopes to implement the GNOME Mag API, giving proper zoom support to the visually impaired. This combined with the current Neg plugin *inverts the color values on your screen* is a very potent combination.

Blur Effects

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Blur behind your terminal and get rid of those hard lines... (view full image to see blur)

> Eliminate the Clutter
One of the longstanding issues of transparent terminals been that reading the text over whatever was behind it became very difficult. Beryl allows users to blur what is behind their windows effectively removing hard lines that making reading difficult.
> Read Your Titlebar
Blur can also be used to blur what is behind your titlebar if your decorations are transparent. In fact, it can blur behind just about any transparent window, even those using a non-standard shape such as Cairo-Clock.
> Take It Easy GPU
Blur strives to be easier on the GPU by taking advantage of caching techniques and having many different shaders of variable strength to allow lower end cards to work more smoothly. Blur can even be used on cards without pixel shaders.

Window Decorations

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Beryl by design needs special window decorators, three are available...

> Emerald: True Beryl Themes
Emerald is a window decorator with minimal GTK requirements that enables fully transparent window decorations. It is one of the few window decorators that can be completely themed without ever touching an XML file.
> Heliodor: Metacity Themes
Heliodor provides exactly what the header suggests, metacity theme support. Heliodor is not yet feature complete but works on a basic level, and in the future will support basic transparency settings.
> Aquamarine: KWin Themes
Aquamarine provides support for KDE users who dont want to give up their KWin theme. Featuring full KWin theme support as well as direct integration with KControl, users don't have to know the difference.

Found on the Beryl website: http://www.beryl-project.org/

Gucci Designers Prepping Mobile Phone of Their Own?

Given the LG Prada's rise to fame, it wouldn't surprise me if Gucci felt a little bit of envy and decided to jump in on the designer cell phone bandwagon. Still, the picture looks a little suspicious to me and you can't really tell whether the "Gucci phone" is a clamshell, slider, or touch-screen like the Prada. Either way, it'll be interesting to see what features this phone will have and whether anyone (aside from celebs of course) will care to buy one. – Louis Ramirez

found on Gizmodo

Apple MacBook Battery Goes Up in Flames

It's still unclear how this MacBook caught fire, but Matty from Australia claims that his MacBook's battery started "hissing like a steam valve" just seconds before bursting into flames. The MacBook was charging overnight while in sleep mode before it started smoking and as you can tell from the pics, it's the battery compartment that got charred the most. Good thing it was still under warranty. – Louis Ramirez

found on Gizmodo

New Apple Release???

Could it be? Could it really be true??? Is Apple releasing a new product? I think this may just be the case. I need to do a bit more research, but I was so excited I had to post what I know so far. Apple is having an open day, or demo day, all across The Netherlands, France, Ireland, and England. Something smells kind of fishy doesn't it? What would there be an event this widespread at apple resellers at the same time. The event dates I've seen so far are mostly between the 15th and 17th of March, most seem to be on the 17th. This is very exciting.

We all know that the macs are all due for upgrades and with the launch of Windows Vista, Apple too needs to throw another punch into the fight. Could this be the release of a new product? If so, what? Will it be software, a new kind of ipod, an early release of the iphone, or ....dare I say it.....OSX LEOPARD!!!! Or maybe, this is just a grand scale ploy to sell off as much stock as possible in order to make room for something new and exciting. Whatever the case, I want to kick myself that I won't be able to attend the event myself, but fortunately I have a man on the inside who is fortunate enough to be attending and I've asked him to make a couple of videos of the iLife demonstrations. So, with that all out of the way, here are the event details.

The Netherlands
For information on the event in The Netherlands click here: http://www.demoagenda.nl/index.php?node=shop&action=display&menu_selected=82


France
For information on the event in France look below:

Like iPod ? Love Mac - Dunkerque SignMeUp Mar 17, 2007 10.00-18.00 CD SYSTEMES, 29 rue de l'Amiral Ronar'ch Dunkerque 59140 France

Like iPod ? Love Mac - Lille SignMeUp Mar 17, 2007 10.00-18.00 CD SYSTEMES, 16 rue Anatole France Lille 59000 France

England & Ireland
For information on the event in England and Ireland click here: http://www.apple.com/uk/buy/apr/events/

The last time I was this excited was when I got my iPod video for Christmas and I went to connect it to my computer for the very first time......tear. Stay tuned for more information!

blueChute: E Ink Concept

The E Ink blueChute concept is just what e-ink (confused?) needs to get us excited again. Sure, it has all those energy efficient and ease of reading benefits just like its predecessors, but never before have we seen e-ink displays with this combination of sexiness and general utility—plus we could always use another eye chart.

The inventor points out that at just 5mm thick, the blueChute is thinner than a Nano, while still making room for a MicroSD slot and Bluetooth. So not only is the design very portable, but its functions can include email/weather/news streaming (say from your phone) on top of the traditional Daniel Steel eBook stereotypes.

More pictures after the jump.

By Mark Wilson on Gizmodo

Gym powered by treadmill running humans

A gym in Hong Kong has hooked up their treadmills to the electricity generator of the building to save on their power bills.

Which makes a whole lot of sense really.

You're running a business which allow clients to generate large amounts of sweat and energy on dynamos.
It just seems like the obvious thing to harness that energy and save running costs.

'Powered by YOU' is a great way to brand a gym. If Richard Branson follows through on his 'green drive' - you'll probably be introduced to something similar at your local Virgin Active soon.

All the treehuggers and Al Gore will be tripping over their Nike's to sign up.

This is one of the many great articles I found on a little known website called http://www.cherryflava.com

I subscribed to it, and I'm really impressed

Window Vienna....What comes after Vista?

Okay so, I was just stumbling (SU-Stumble Upon) along minding my own business, when I came across http://www.windowsvienna.com/

I hadn't heard anything about this Vista successor until now. Actually, I didn't believe it. I was very skeptical (I still am) so I looked it up on several other sites and compiled the best bits below.

Wikipedia

Windows "Vienna" (formerly known as Blackcomb) is a codename for a future version of Microsoft Windows, originally announced in February 2000, but has since been subject to major delays and rescheduling. Microsoft now announced it will be released in 2009, and according to a magazine called "Smart Computing In Plain English", work on it was begun right after Windows Vista came out. As of February 2007, the name of the operating system used internally is undisclosed and is not used publicly by Microsoft,^[1] though "Windows 7" has been noted in job postings as a working name for the project.^[2]

Microsoft has refrained from discussing the details about "Vienna" publicly as they focus on the release and marketing of Windows Vista,^[3] though some early details of various core operating system features have emerged at developer conferences such as Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in 2006.

At first, internal sources pitched Blackcomb as being not just a major revision of Windows, but a complete departure from the way users today typically think about interacting with a computer. For instance, the "Start" philosophy, introduced in Windows 95, may be replaced by the "new interface" which was said in 1999 to be scheduled for "Vienna" (before being moved to Vista ("Longhorn") and then back again to "Vienna"). While Windows Vista was intended to be an evolutionary release, Vienna was targeted directly at revolutionizing the way users of the product interact with their PCs. However, the situation has now changed. Windows Vista, which was expected to be a minor release became a major release, when it was released five years after the release of Windows XP. Windows "Vienna" will become a minor release, and is currently planned to be released two years after Windows Vista.

On February 9, 2007, Microsoft's Ben Fathi claimed that the focus on the operating system was still being worked out, and could merely hint at some possibilities:^[1]

"We're going to look at a fundamental piece of enabling technology. Maybe it's hypervisors, I don't know what it is" [...] "Maybe it's a new user interface paradigm for consumers."

—Ben Fathi, Windows Core Operating System Division Vice President

Bill Gates, in an interview with Newsweek, also suggested that the next version of Windows would "be more user-centric."^[5] When asked to clarify what he meant, Gates said:

"That means that right now when you move from one PC to another, you've got to install apps on each one, do upgrades on each one. Moving information between them is very painful. We can use Live Services to know what you're interested in. So even if you drop by a [public] kiosk or somebody else's PC, we can bring down your home page, your files, your fonts, your favorites and those things. So that's kind of the user-centric thing that Live Services can enable. [Also,] in Vista things got a lot better with [digital] ink and speech but by the next release there will be a much bigger bet. Students won't need textbooks, they can just use these tablet devices. Parallel computing is pretty important for the next release. We'll make it so that a lot of the high-level graphics will be just built into the operating system. So we've got a pretty good outline."

CNET

The code name for Windows XP was Whistler, a Canadian ski resort. Blackcomb was also a ski resort, while Longhorn (Vista's code name) came from the Longhorn Saloon, which was about halfway between Whistler and Blackcomb.

Microsoft evangelist Robert Scoble first confirmed the new code name in a posting to the company's Channel 9 developer site.

Directions on Microsoft analyst Michael Cherry said that Microsoft is looking to speed up the frequency of its Windows releases, but cautioned not to read too much into the name change.

"It's just a morale thing," Cherry said. "The other names have been kicking around so long. It's much more about trying to keep focused and keep some excitement around where they are going."

And finally, what windowsvienna.com had to say...

Windows Vienna - two and a half years from now

February 14, 2007

Now that Vista is on the shelves, Microsoft is focusing on its next major operating system release, Windows Vienna. Even though Windows Vienna is going to be a major release with a totally revised GUI, Microsoft made a bold statement: by the end of 2009 Vienna will hit the shelves.
However, Microsoft needs to keep the buzz on Windows Vista for now and so they are not releasing any Windows Vienna official information to the public yet, expect for the fact that they are working on it.

Windows Vienna - opening a new generation of operating systems

September 7, 2006

In the past 20 years, the Microsoft Windows operating system has accumulated old code libraries that brought it to the size it has today, 2.5 GB and about 50 million lines of code (Windows Vista). These old code libraries consume resources and are often the targets of security exploits. The best way to avoid such problems, is to start from scratch, which is close to what Microsoft plans to do with Windows Vienna. Windows Vienna will represent the start of a different generation of operating systems, bringing in new concepts and support for new types of hardware, along with a better security and a modular approach, which will allow future versions of Windows to be built more easily on Windows Vienna's engine.
It is also likely that the future success of Microsoft's products will be strongly decided by the success of the new generation operating system.

Windows Fiji, then Windows Vienna

May 1st, 2006

Windows codename Fiji, or Vista R2 is now scheduled to deliver before Windows Vienna. Windows Fiji is planned to be released in 2008, while Windows Vienna had its estimated release date in 2010. Due to the recent Windows Vista delay the domino effect could cause these other two versions of Windows to also be delayed, however the schedule disruption will not be significant.

Why the name change?

January 22, 2006

Many were wondering why Microsoft decided to change the codename of the future version of Windows from Blackcomb to Vienna. Bruce Morgan from Microsoft, expresses his personal opinion:
"Blackcomb was the code name for some other project driven by other people, started many years ago. The people who chose that name and started that have moved around quite a bit since then, and different people have the leadership roles now. The vision for the product is quite a bit different, I'd imagine, than in the late 90s. So many things are different now that it's been many years since Blackcomb was the "next version of Windows after Whistler."

Codename change is official

January 19, 2006

"The codename for Blackcomb has changed to 'Vienna'. This does not reflect a big change for us; we have used city code names in the past," a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement. "These code names are derived from cities/locations in the world known for great 'vistas'. The kinds of places we all want to see, experience and that capture the imagination. Vienna fits with this concept."

Windows Vienna is the successor of Windows Vista

January 18, 2006

NeoWin.com writes about how Windows Blackcomb changed its name to Windows Vienna. Windows Vienna (formerly Blackcomb) is the successor of the Windows Vista operating system. The new codename was not officially confirmed by Microsoft, however Robert Scoble confirmed the rumour in a Channel9 topic.

Major Update for Picasa Web Albums

Today Picasa Web Albums has the most important update since it was launched. Basically, it adds the most requested features and even some obscure features that will make you very happy.

First, the free version of Picasa Web gets 1 GB of storage (up from 250 MB), enough to host 4000 high-quality photos.

Like in Flickr, you can also search the public photos posted by other people. Until today, you could search only your photos and the public photos uploaded by your contacts. There's an option enabled by default that lets you exclude your albums from the community search. This feature doesn't seem to be live yet.

I told you last year that the new Blogger uses Picasa Web Albums to store photos. Now you automatically get new albums that store all the photos uploaded to each Blogger blog. So this is a nice way to view and search all the photos uploaded to your blogs. For more context about a photo, click on the link to the post that includes it.



It's also easier to link to a photo and you have more options when you embed a photo into your site. If you want even more options regarding the size of the embedded photo, check this post that lists all the available photo sizes.

{ Thank you, C. I. R. E. }

found on googlesystem.blogspot.com

Google Desktop Gets More Serious

There's a new version of Google Desktop in town: Google Desktop 5.0. This time, the software gets more serious, adds security features, makes it easier to access the search results and adopts dark colors.

"The sidebar has a completely new look and feel. It samples the color of your wallpaper and fades in the sampled color so that it fits seamlessly onto your desktop. Some of our gadgets have been redesigned so that they are easy to tell apart, easy to read, and easy on the eyes. More differentiated gadgets allow for faster scanning of information through the sidebar. And we've created a new dialog for adding gadgets so it's easier and faster than ever to find the right gadgets for you."

Search results get a small preview box below the snippet, so you can make an idea if they're useful. Of course, the preview box is small enough to be hardly usable, and there's no highlighting for your query. The box reminds me Ask.com's binoculars.

Google Desktop has a new feature that shows warnings if you're trying to visit sites that "might be trying to steal your personal information or install malicious software on your computer". They're the same malware warnings from the search results combined with the anti-phishing technology previously included in Google Safe Browsing and as an advanced option in Firefox 2. Google Desktop automatically updates a list of suspicious or malicious sites by downloading information from Google's servers.


While there's no dramatic change in functionality, it's strange to see how a different theme makes you look at a software from a different angle. Google Desktop became more distant, more serious and looks more and more like Vista's sidebar.

found on googlesystem.blogspot.com

Google Might Work on an OS for Mobile Phones

Google bought in 2005 a company called Android. Business Week reported at that time that "Android has operated under a cloak of secrecy, so little is known about its work. Rubin & Co. have sparingly described the outfit as making software for mobile phones, providing little more detail than that. One source familiar with the company says Android had at one point been working on a software operating system for cell phones."

Simeon Simeonov speculates that Andy Rubin, Android's founder, "has a team of about 100 people at Google working on the Google Phone". Recently, we found out that Google bought a small company named Skia in 2005. "Skia's first product, SGL, is a portable graphics engine capable of rendering state-of-the-art 2D graphics on low-end devices such as mobile phones, TVs, and handhelds." Simeon found from a source that Google's phone could be:

* Blackberry-like, slick device
* C++ core w/ OS bootstrap
* Optimized Java running on the C++ core
* Vector-based presentation courtesy of Skia's technology
* Many services, including VoIP

It's unclear whether or not Google actually develops a phone, but they're aware that mobile phones grow faster than computers in terms of users and a presence in this market is important.

Related:
Google and Orange could launch a mobile phone
Samsung phones include Google applications

Found on googlesystem.blogspot.com

100th Post! And Microsoft Becomes a Philanthropist

Yes, I've finally made it to my 100th post and I wanted to make it special. So in honor of my last 6 months of blogging I've decided to pass on some good new news about Microsoft.

Every time you start a conversation using i’m, Microsoft shares a portion of the program's advertising revenue with some of the world's most effective organizations dedicated to social causes. Choose the one that best addresses the issues you feel most passionate about. As you can see, these are groups you know and groups you know can get things done. Because this isn't only about good intentions, it's also about great results.

Every Conversation Counts

i’m is easy to use, so join now and let the giving begin.

Get Involved

It's easy to get everyone talking by adding a Windows Live™ Messenger i’m button to your Web site or blog, or by displaying it in your e-mail signature.

This next bit it from uneasy silence.

Nope this isn’t the classic “Bill Gates will give you money for forwarding this email” scam, this is a legitimate effort by Microsoft to donate money to several selected charities for even IM you send.

Choose from stopglobarwarming.org, the National AIDS Fund, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, UNICEF, ninemillion.org, the American Red Cross, or Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Add a text code and each conversation will trigger a contribution to your selected charity.

Even though this is a marketing ploy to get more people to use “Windows Live Messenger” I support any effort of a company that donates a significant sum of money to worthy causes.

How i’m works

i’m starts with you. When you start an i’m conversation you start giving.

1

Download the Windows Live Messenger instant messenger service. There's no charge and it's easy to download and use.

2

Place the text code corresponding to the cause of your choice into your Display Name.

3

Keep having i’m conversations so you can keep funding the cause doing the work most important to you.


I swear, I'm gonna finally restore Live Messenger back to my quickstart menu. Hope everyone who reads the blog will come back for another 100 posts and I hope many more discover the blog.

CrunchGear’s Best of 2006

Here are my favorites from CrunchGear's Best of 2006 list, just thought I'd share them. I hope the pictures show up, if not you should anyways check out the whole list and remember the prices of some of these babies have gone down a bit these last 2 months. Click here to check out the whole list.

CrunchGear’s editors searched far and wide for the best gadgets of 2006. We’ve included devices from our own pages and some things we picked up over the year that made us smile. Read on for everything we loved this year.

T-Mobile Sidekick 3
$249

This has become THE communication device to have in 2006. I remember getting a review unit in before the launch date and having mobs of people come up to me while using it around Philly. It’s packed with a great e-mail and IM client, a web browser, an interchangeable battery, MP3 player, Bluetooth, and an overall better UI than its predecessor. All these features and a more refined design are what make the Sidekick 3 such a great gadget to have with you at all times.-VV

Apple iPod 5G
starting at $249

I originally picked up an iPod Nano this summer and before I even got home, decided it wasn’t big enough for me. Now with my expanding 60GB+ music collection, this 30GB 5G iPod does just the trick. I love how I can now watch my favorite video podcasts like Diggnation and Rocketboom on the subway, shuffle through my music easily with Apple’s click wheel, and get games off the iTunes Music Store.

I’m really addicted to Cubis 2 and Tetris. The screen is awesome compared to previous models. Video and photos look absolutely fantastic. Between the release of the 5G iPod, iTunes 7, and additions to the iTunes Music Store, this is the best possible times to be an iPod owner.-VV

BlackBerry Pearl
$199

This is the first smartphone that I was really, really happy with. I’m rather vain and typically shun anything that ruins my profile, so thick-faced Treos and older ‘berrys were no-nos. And while the Q and its Windows Mobile kin may be super-thin, that damn OS makes me want to stab people (they should just build a proper game pad into them and admit the only thing they’re good for is playing NES emulators.) The Pearl really did it all—super-intuitive interface, RAZR-thin profile, incredibly easy email support, none of the random freezing and frying that makes WM5 so headache-inducing. And, T-Mobile (and now Cingular, I suppose) offers data plans at a gazillionth the price of Verizon’s bank account-frying contract needed for the Q. -SP

Apple MacBook
from $1099

I’m no Apple fanboy, I’m actually quite the opposite. Seeing as how I’m a daily gamer, I have built and owned PCs my whole life. Sadly for me, the industry standard sound engineering software is first developed for a Mac and then ported over to PC. Programs like Pro Tools, Apple Pro Logic 7, Digital Performer and Reason are just easier to work with on a Mac. Especially when using OS X’s dashboard and expose options.

I bought all the software and a brand new Apple MacBook. The 13-inch white MacBook not only runs my programs well, but I really love OS X. I’ve had my share of problems with it (optical disc failure, iSight failure) but I still love it. My MacBook is with me wherever I go. The one gripe I have with the MacBook is the fact that the keyboard isn’t backlit, a feature only MacBook Pro owners get to enjoy. Oh well, I don’t mind it, the MacBooks are way cooler looking. -RP

iPod Shuffle 2G
$79

When we first received news of the new Shuffle from Apple during the Showtime event, we were a little “meh” about it. It still had no screen or Clickwheel. Sure, it clipped onto a pocket or piercing, but really, we though, what’s the big deal?

Then we got to see one up close and personal-like. Sometimes a gadget has an unquantifiable and intangible attractiveness to it, something that shouldn’t be sexy but somehow is. If you haven’t seen one for yourself, do us all a favor and check it out. It’s not for everyone, sure, but it’s damn sweet for those it is. -MH

iPhone

Modbook

Now introducing the Axiotron Modbook, the first Mac table computer ever! This pen-sensitive Mac comes without a keyboard or mouse; instead, special hardware and software allow you to control the tablet via a stylus.

Simply put, the ModBook is a stock Apple MacBook that’s been given a radical makeover by Axiotron (and sold exclusively by OWC). As such, the guts of the system are basically the same as the MacBook. Each ModBook is built to order, so you’re buying a complete system. In other words, you won’t be able to buy a kit to make over your own MacBook into a tablet, and OWC won’t modify your current laptop into ModBook form.

For $2,279, you get a 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo processor, GMA 950 graphics, 512MB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM, a 60GB 5400-rpm hard drive, a Combo Drive, Apple Remote, and AirPort and Bluetooth. A ModBook with a 2GHZ processor, 1GB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, a DVD-burning SuperDrive, and built-in WAAS-enabled GPS receiver bumps the price to $2,579. And $2,849 gets you the same 2GHz system, but with 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. (There’s also an introductory special for those who pre-reserve by February 1, 2007.) All systems include a one-year OWC warranty; you can purchase two additional years for $349 for the base model, and for the same $249 price as AppleCare for the other configurations. And you’ll be able to customize your ModBook just as you would when ordering a MacBook from Apple.

Considering that MacBooks equipped with 1.83GHz and 2GHz processors sell or $1,099 and $1,299 respectively, what does that extra grand or so get you? A completely remodeled computer that goes from this…

…to this:

Axiotron removes the top of the MacBook—including the display—and replaces it with a bezel made of an aircraft-grade magnesium alloy (it has a silver, MacBook Pro look to it). In place of the MacBook’s LCD screen goes a new display with the same 13.3-inch size and 1,280-by-800 pixel resolution as the original. But there are several key differences between the displays. The Axiotron ForceGlass covering the ModBook’s display is chemically strengthened and etched to improve longevity, scratch resistance, writing sensation, and reflection problems. The new screen has a 500-to-1 contrast ratio versus 400-to-1 on the MacBook, and it features a wider viewing angle than the MacBook.

Even with this rejiggering, the ModBook weighs in at 5.2 pounds—the same as the MacBook. The tablet is about .08 inches thicker than its laptop counterpart. Since the bottom half of the ModBook is a MacBook, the ports are the same. The ModBook has a MagSafe power port, Gigabit Ethernet port, Mini-DVI output connector, one FireWire 400 port, two USB 2.0 ports, combined optical digital audio input/audio line in, combined optical digital audio output/headphone out, built-in speakers, and a security slot.

Even though there’s no cover for the screen, it seems sturdy and strong, but you’ll probably want to get a sleeve for it.

Full specifications

for Axiotron ModBook w/ Built-in WAAS Enabled GPS (2GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD)

Manufacturer: Axiotron, Inc.
Part number: CNETMODBOOK2.0GHZB

General

• Width
• 12.8 in

• Depth
• 8.9 in

• Height
• 1.1 in

• Weight
• 5.2 lbs

• Color
• Black

Processor

• Processor
• Intel Core 2 Duo 2 GHz

Cache Memory

• Type
• L2 cache

• Cache size
• 4 MB

RAM

• Installed Size
• 1 GB / 2 GB(max)

• Technology
• DDR II SDRAM

Storage Controller

• Storage controller type
• Serial ATA

Storage

• Floppy Drive
• None

• Hard Drive
• 120 GB

• Storage Removable
• None

Optical Storage

• CD / DVD read speed
• 6x (DVD)

Display

• Display Type
• 13 in TFT active matrix

• Max Resolution
• 1280 x 800

• Features
• Glossy display

Video

• Graphics Processor / Vendor
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950

• Video Memory
• 64 MB

• Max Resolution (external)
• 1280 x 800

Audio

• Audio output type
• Sound card

• Audio Input
• Microphone

Input Device(s)

• Input device type
• Keyboard, Touchpad

Networking

• Data link protocol
• Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet

Expansion / Connectivity

• Expansion Slots Total (Free)
• 2 Memory

• Interfaces
• 2 x USB 2.0 - USB2.0, 1 x Ethernet - RJ-45, 1 x Mini-DVI, 1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire), 1 x Line-in, 1 x Headphones, 1 x Microphone, 1 x Speaker

Miscellaneous

• Cables Included
• Power cable ( 1pcs.)

• Features
• AirPort Extreme card, Bluetooth, Camera

Power

• Power provided
• 60 Watt

Battery

• Technology
• Lithium ion

• Installed Qty
• 1

• Mfr estimated battery life
• 6 hour(s)

Operating System / Software

• Software type
• Drivers & Utilities, iLife 06 suite, Front Row, Photo Booth, iWork 06, Microsoft Office 2004

Manufacturer Warranty

• Service & support type
• 1 year warranty

{Sections of the above post has been borrowed from Macworld}