HP 2133-KR922UT 8.9-Inch Mini-Note PC (C7-M 1.0 GHz Processor, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB Flash Drive, Linux)



This computer has both pros and cons. The design is attractive with a comfortable key board for typing and the design gives the computer an excellent slant for typing. It is much more comforable than computers that sit flat. The portabilty is excellent. The screen is clear, easy to read (after fonts are changed to a bigger size for people who need a litle help seeing up close)The hard drive is a good size. No complaints there.

The mouse pad took some gettig use to. I found it hard to adjust it so it could be controlled without frustration. The right and left keys being split on both sides of the mouse is inconvient but liveable.

I found it to be a bit slow, which supprised me with the memory it has, and desided to remove Windows Vista Business(which I don't like anyway)I put XP Professional on the computer. It made all the difference in the world. It sped up the computer greatly. The processor may just not be equipped to run Windows Vista well. At any rate the trade off was alright as Vista in my opinion is nothing but problems anyway.

Videos run fine on it. The sound is good. I did not have the issue with videos that another person has complained about in his or her review.

The machine gets a bit warm so be aware that operating it in your lap means being mindful of not blocking the vents on the bottom. It also has a vent on the left side but I would not recommend ignoring those bottom vents with the way the computer becomes warm.

It has Office 2007 on the computer but it is only a trial version which runs out. I simply put my 2003 version on the computer and uninstalled the 2007 version. I don't find this to be a con as hardly any computers come with Office to begin with.

For the manner in which I will be using it for my business travel I find it to be an overall nice computer. It is a travel computer only as I have a 17 inch HP for home use. I am happy with this computer after the change I made in operating systems and will look forward to using it on the road.

IF YOU ARE INTRESTED IN THIS NICE HP MINI PC, PLEASE CLICK HERE

The Solar Tower, an Ambitious (but 100% green) Project



A huge 1-kilometer-high thermal power station is planned to be built in Australia called the Solar Tower. Planned for several years now, the 3,280-foot Solar Tower is one of the most ambitious alternative energy projects on the planet: a renewable energy plant that pumps out the same power as a small reactor but is totally safe. If built, it will be nearly double the height of the world’s tallest structure, the CN Tower in Canada.

The Solar Tower is hollow in the middle like a chimney. At its base is a solar collector — a 25,000-acre, transparent circular skirt. The air under the collector is heated by the sun and funneled up the chimney by convection — hot air rises. As it rises, the air accelerates to 35 mph, driving 32 wind turbines inside the tower, which generate electricity much like conventional wind farms.

But the Solar Tower has a major advantage over wind farms and solar generators: It can operate with no wind, and 24 hours a day. Thanks to banks of solar cells, the tower stores heat during the day, allowing it to produce electricity continuously.

How To Turn Unwanted Sunlight Into Energy



If architect Sheila Kennedy gets her way, textiles will soon be able to take the sun’s energy and turn it into electricity. Kennedy is an expert in the integration of solar cell technology in architecture. And, her team from KVA Matx has designed the Soft House, a structure that can create close to 16,000 watt-hours of electricity by transforming household curtains into flexible, semi-transparent, solar collectors.

Textiles have been a fixture of architecture and design for their ability to define and modify a space. For Sheila Kennedy, textiles are just another material from which energy can be generated. The thin-film photovoltaic textiles are essentially solar panels created from organic photovoltaics. While not as efficient as the silicon based type, they are able to be molded and modified without any manufacturing process.

The Soft House has gone through a number of prototypes, but don’t expect to see it anytime soon. The cost of the solar textiles would, at current, make it cost prohibitive. However, Kennedy’s work on this project shows that renewable energy technologies can be easily integrated into designs in ways that had never been thought of before. Kennedy’s own words best describe our thoughts on the Soft House: “Never underestimate the power of the architectural imagination.”

Dell's Mini Inspiron Laptop Got a Name



That upcoming mini laptop from Dell just got a name. Engadget's Dell source coughed up the info that the mini notebook will be called the Dell E which is an 8.9-inch competitor to the similarly named Asus Eee. Then there's the E Slim, which is a 12.1-inch screen, 0.8-inch thick competitor to the MacBook Air and Lenovo X300. Dell's further segmenting the notebook with E Classic, E Video and E Video+, which has more RAM, flash storage, webcam and Bluetooth. E Slim will get WiMax shortly after its original release date as well. The smaller Dell E looks to start at $299 in August, whereas the E Slim still has no price, but is supposed to hit August-September.

Had Gina gershon an Affaire With Bill Clinton?



It's Todd Purdum's turn to deal Bill Clinton a low blow, quoting Hollywood sources according to whom Clinton had an affair with Gina Gershon not so long ago.

"Recent high-end Hollywood dinner-party gossip that Clinton has been seen visiting with the actress Gina Gershon in California." Todd Purdum says in his article on Bill Clinton appearing in the July issue of Vanity Fair.

It certainly isn't a secret Mr. Clinton always had a problem keeping his Johnson away from ... err ... distractions, however the vast majority thought that Monica Lewinsky had dealt him a lesson tough enough to keep him out of trouble.

The writer of the article containing new allegations about Clinton's extramarital affairs with high-profile women is Todd S. Purdum, husband to former Clinton press secretary DeeDee Myers.

Bill Clinton's office promptly reacted at those charges, calling it "a tawdry, anonymous quote-filled attack piece" and "journalism of personal destruction at its worst." Kind of sounds like the "we had no sex" claims made years ago, uh?

46-year-old Gina Gerson has had quite a busy love life; she is known to have dated hotel owner Sean McPherson, Jay Penske, John Cusack and Owen Wilson.

Gina Gherson is regarded as a gay icon due to her roles in movies such as Bound, in which she played a butch lesbian.

What to say about this... true or false it is going to turn ugly (again) for Hillary, who will now face questions on her husband's alleged extramarital affairs... as if she hadn't already endured enough with the Lewinsky case.


Difficult Love Triangle: Tilda Swinton, John Byrne and Sandro Kopp



Swinton, who won the best supporting actress Oscar for her role in the movie Michael Clayton, has two partners: John Byrne, 67, and Sandro Kopp, 29.

But website Live News reported Byrne - a director, artist and playwright - had been romantically linked to lighting director Jeanine Davis, 42, for two years.

Swinton, 47, has an open relationship with Bryne, and the actress also has a relationship with Kopp - a painter from Wellington.

Byrne told Live News the situation was "relaxed and amicable".

"We have not hidden away and Jeanine is very much part of my life. Tilda knows all about it and is more than happy with the situation.

"Tilda has Sandro and the arrangement works very well."

The unmarried couple live together in Scotland with their 10-year-old twin boys.

John also revealed to Britain's Daily Express that Davis had met his family and Tilda's other lover.

"I wouldn’t say we all socialised together but she has met Sandro and we have all been under one roof together ... I know some people will struggle to understand it, but it works for us.”

Swinton's relationships became public at the Oscars when a journalist asked her about her personal life.

"I don't have a husband, I've never been married," Swinton said at the time.

"I have children with someone else, with whom I'm bringing up my children, and I've lived with someone else, my sweetheart for the last three years, and maybe it's extraordinary that we're really all friends."

In 2001, Kopp's paintings of female genitalia were removed from the Wellington Autumn Home and Garden Show after complaints.

He had non-speaking parts in The Lord of the Rings and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Swinton was the White Witch.

Bo Diddley Dies at 79



ROCK'N'ROLL has lost a founding father. Bo Diddley, known as "the originator", died of heart failure on Monday. He was 79.

Diddley, who continued to play shows despite his ailing health, died at his home in Archer, Florida.

"One of the founding fathers of rock'n'roll has left the building he helped construct," his management agency, Talent Consultants International, said in a statement.

Diddley's syncopated, percussive, propulsive rhythm guitar playing, backed by shuffling maracas, was inspired by an African drum beat. That rhythm helped lay rock'n'roll's foundation.

"Boom da boom da boom, boom boom. That was basically an Indian chant," is how Diddley described it in a March 2007 interview with National Public Radio.

Resplendent in black Stetson hat and thick-rimmed glasses, employing distortion and reverb on his array of self-designed guitars — rectangular or with Cadillac-like "fins" — Diddley boasted on self-mythologising songs such as Bo Diddley and Bo Diddley's a Gunslinger, presaging many cocksure rockers and rappers.

The driving beat of songs such as Who Do You Love, Roadrunner and Pretty Thing inspired artists from Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley to the Rolling Stones and the Pretty Things, the Clash, Iggy Pop, ZZ Top, U2 and the White Stripes.

Along with Chuck Berry and Little Richard, Diddley constructed a sound that crossed America's racial divide, appealing to both black and white audiences and musicians. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recognised his influence in 1987, and he received a Grammy lifetime achievement award the following year. Exploitation by record companies meant he never received financial rewards commensurate with his influence.

"He was a wonderful, original musician who was an enormous force in music and was a big influence on the Rolling Stones," Mick Jagger said in a statement.

Melbourne DJ Mohair Slim, who will be presenting a tribute to Diddley on his show Blue Juice on 3PBS FM this Sunday morning, said Diddley was a true original.

"Bo Diddley didn't really have a predecessor, he was not part of any continuum or musical tradition," Slim said. "Every '60s R&B band had a Bo Diddley song in their repertoire but nobody adopted his whole approach or sound. The guy was such a maverick that he was destined never to get his due."

Born Ellas Bates in 1928 in McComb, Mississippi, he was given the nickname Bo Diddley as a teenager after moving to Chicago in the 1940s.

Inspired by John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters, he started performing on street corners.

While he had just one top 40 hit with Say Man and collected no gold records, his influence is profound.

In 1956 a Harlem newspaper, the Amsterdam News, on first seeing Elvis perform, claimed he had "copied Bo Diddley's style to the letter". Rolling Stone magazine described his beat as "the most plagiarised rhythm of the 20th century".

Diddley toured Australia many times, including on the Legends of Rock'n'Roll Tour in the late 1980s, when he terrified promoter Kevin Jacobsen by staging a mock argument with Jerry Lee Lewis.

On his 1978 tour, he was so impressed by Brisbane guitar maker Chris Kinman that he asked him to build him a new square guitar, which he dubbed "the Mean Machine".

Playing at St Kilda's Prince of Wales Hotel in 2005, he surprised the crowd by straying from his signature sound in a genre-defying set of funk, soul, doo-wop, psychedelic rock, country and even rap, a genre he often derided.

Diddley also competed as a boxer and served as a sheriff in Los Lunas, New Mexico. In recent years, he worked with his local police department to warn teenagers about the dangers of drugs and gang violence.

A Man Runs Around With His Car and No Gas



BOISE -- After a week in which oil prices soared to another record high, millions of Americans will be hitting the road for the Memorial Day weekend and paying more than ever before to get to their destination.

According to AAA, the average price of gas hit $3.79 Sunday.

One Boise man is so fed up with depending on gas, he created a new way to get around.

John Weber is not feeling pain at the pump, because he hasn't bought gas for his vehicle in over a year.

“For me the higher it goes, that's fine, it doesn't affect me very much," said Weber.

It doesn't affect him because he doesn't use gas to power his Geo Metro.

"People stop me all the time. They're like, do you really buy no gas? And I'm like ‘no, don't buy any gas,’" said Weber.

Instead, he built his car to be powered by sunlight.

The car is one of only a handful of solar-powered cars in the Treasure Valley and can be charged using its solar panels, or by plugging it into a power source.

"I'm just kind of doing my own thing," said Weber.

The soft-spoken and quiet Weber says he isn't avoiding the pump to make a statement, he was simply sick of depending on something he couldn't control.

"I don't like to be dependent on big global corporations to get my needs met, I like to get my needs met locally," said Weber.

And as for the solar car, Weber says it's not something he will depend on for long.

"I'm going to sell the car and just be car free, just have a bicycle," said Weber.

It is just another step in his quest to be fuel free.

Weber says he doesn't have a family, so it's easier to go without a car. He says it is possible to do, even when you are transporting more than just yourself.

When he does have a family, he plans on still only using a bike to get around.

Weber's car was one of the alternative vehicles featured at a show focused on going green - the Idaho Green Expo.

Over the course of the weekend, more than 15,000 people gathered at the Boise Centre on the Grove for the expo debut.

Around 160 exhibitors showed their earth-friendly goods, gave presentations and answered questions to encourage the people of the Treasure Valley to be more earth conscious.

"The ultimate purpose for it is to teach people how to live their lives in a sustainable way so that they don't use all the resources that are now available, so that we don't use up the resources that are available for our children and our grandchildren in the future," said Bruce Poe, Idaho Green Expo president.

Organizers say they are already planning the expo for next year.

Solar Powered Car



A man’s solar power car captures people’s attention. Let’s face it: paying high gas prices is no longer a sign of being “cool” in modern America. The less we have to pay at the pump, the better. John Weber of Boise, Idaho is dealing with the gas crunch by not buying any more.

The car is one of only a handful of solar-powered cars in the Treasure Valley and can be charged using its solar panels, or by plugging it into a power source.

“I’m just kind of doing my own thing,” said Weber.

The soft-spoken and quiet Weber says he isn’t avoiding the pump to make a statement, he was simply sick of depending on something he couldn’t control.

“I don’t like to be dependent on big global corporations to get my needs met, I like to get my needs met locally,” said Weber.

Weber isn’t content to rely on his solar powered car alone. He’s planning on dumping it and using a bike only. Turns out high gas prices are making people innovate, after all.


Life-sized wooden Harley-Davidson

You must have seen many bikes made of metals like aluminum, titanium and the kinds. But here is a bike made of a green resource that is wood. And this isn’t any scaled down version but a real life-sized replica of none other then the renowned Harley-Davidson WLA. Harley-Davidson began producing the WLA motorcycle, according to US Army specifications, in 1940 as World War II loomed. Based on an existing civilian model, the maker has crafted and exceptional wooden reproduction of the same. Shaped out of teakwood, it is supposed to be absolutely sturdy and durable. And its only to enhance its look, some other kinda wood is used….to give color nuance.

Dreamcade Vision 29 - Big daddy of gaming arcades



Arcade gamers have never had it this good. Dream Arcades have just come out with their latest offering called the Dreamcade Vision 29 Arcade. This limited edition gaming arcade aims to give arcade gamers an exhilarating gaming experience by bumping up the screen size to all of 29 inches. That makes the Vision 29 the big daddy of gaming arcade and it has an equally big game range of no less than 200 games. If you think this number is a little too small for you, no problem, you can add many more games to your Vision 29. This gaming arcade also has plenty of analog game control options sitting on its keyboard, which can be fully customized with your very own color options. Other bells and whistles include an MP3 jukebox to keep you company while fragging away.

Porsche Design Fragrance for Men Debuts This Fall

The first scent from Porsche Design Group will debut this fall. The men's scent -- "The Essence by Porsche Design" -- was developed jointly by the Porsche SE subsidiary producing high-end accessories and Groupe Clarins' Parfums Azzaro. As reported in Women's Wear Daily, "It is a name everyone knows; next to 'Porsche' is the word 'design,' which is something modern and in the l'air du temps," said GĂ©rard Delcour, president of Parfums Azzaro and Porsche Design Fragrances.

OK ... but what does it smell like? One molecule -- Artical, from International Flavors & Fragrances -- was the starting point for the scent's "fresh aromatic woody juice." Azzaro executives envisioned an urban, cultured, intelligent, sporty, sensual man in the 25-50 age range as the user (that means you, Luxist reader). In addition to Artical, other top notes are juniper and blueberry. Among heart notes are Russian coriander, black pepper and Siberian pine, and in the base are notes of fir balsam, patchouli and incense. (I'm sure that clears things up for you.)

Around early October, the scent will be introduced in selective distribution, plus Porsche Design sales points and travel-retail locations in Europe, the Middle East and North America. In the United States, the scent will be launched in Bloomingdale's during the first week of October, then in Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom during the first week of November. The second phase, starting in early 2009, will include Latin America, Asia and Africa.

The Porsche Design U.S. collection will include a 1.7-oz. eau de toilette spray for $54, a 2.7-oz. eau de toilette spray for $70, a 6.7-oz. hair and body shampoo for $28, and a 2.5-oz. stick deodorant for $20. A 2.7-oz. "luxury" eau de toilette spray (in black glass, as compared to the blue glass in the rest of the collection) for $80 is scheduled to come out in the U.S. in November. Just in time for the winter holiday gift-giving season, of course!

Lamborghini working on certified pre-owned program


Lamborghini is in the process of developing its own certified pre-owned program that should launch by the end of the year. According to Stephan Winkelmann, CEO of Lamborghini, the program will be rolled out worldwide, beginning with dealers in the U.S. and Europe. Details about how a used Lambo will be inspected or certified haven't been released yet, but sales will only be allowed through authorized Lamborghini dealers. Ferrari has been dealing in certified pre-owned vehicles since 2003, and just announced a program that would include a 190-point certification process of seven models going all the way back to 1998.

All-new Porsche 911 Racing and Swarovski Collection



After blinging up consumer electronics, Swarovski wants to give motorheads some crystal treatment and for doing exactly that, it has teamed up with Porsche Design to create the 911 Swarovski ladies’ collection. Piggybacking on the legendary Porsche 911’s brand name, these collections reek of pizzas and razzmatazz that is so much a part of everything that Swarovski does. First up, you have the neat looking 911 watch that Porsche girls will adore. This watch is done up with Swarovski crystals and sits on a stainless steel bracelet that has a 911 pendant tagging along. Swarovski has also created a hot crystal inlaid necklace that screams Porsche with a 911 pendant. To complete your very hot Porsche pitbabe image, you might also want to take a look at the jumper and sweater, both of whose fronts feature the 911 logo embroidered with Swarovski crystals. To top it all off, you have nice leather keyring and a keystrap with the Porsche mark all over. That is one comprehensive piece of fashion kit that will have all the Porsche girls out there going bonkers.

The new 911 Racing Collection is aimed at Porsche drivers and Porsche fans who want to enjoy the 911 fascination also when not actually driving the car. The all-black 911 Racing sweat jacket features a large 911 logo across the chest, while the white 911 Racing polo shirt is imprinted with the unique silhouette of the Porsche 911.

Philippe Starck's RobinWood Collection

Philippe Starck has gone a little silly with his new collection, although (no worries) he hasn't completely abandoned his usual sense of style in the process. Launched in collaboration with David Sutherland the collection is called RobinWood and is inspired by (you guessed it) the legend of Robin Hood.

With names like "The Lil' John" chair, "The Loxley" canopy bed, and "The King Richard" dining table, Starck is making good on his statement "humor is a sign of intelligence. It should be everywhere." The pieces represent Starck's first outdoor line of furniture and range in price from $1650 to $2350.

Coffee goes interactive with the Digitable

Using coffee tables in a purpose-oriented manner is a habit which we may soon have to change, for coffee tables might just offer a plethora of services like never before. It isn’t happening instantaneously, for the plan is to get such a table rolling by 2020, but even then, it is something that deserves immediate appreciation. Brought about together by the Digitable home entertainment & communication centre and the NEC Idea Home Exhibition, the Digitable gives the word furniture a different meaning altogether. A meaning that is derived from the growth of function for furniture just as this Digitable would see an entire family interacting, getting entertained and communicating over a cup of coffee.

One-of-a-kind designer foosball table for $9,500



Simply beautiful and inviting! This is what that struck my mind when I spotted this luxury foosball table. There is no high-end technology involved and the only and everything we can talk about is the stunning design and the fine lines. This one off luxury piece is full scale, fully functional and is currently not in production. This single unit left is currently up for sale for a cool $9,500 and this amount can go bit higher or lower upon negotiation. Hand crafted by Jared Arp in 2007, this table has won awards in the design community for its contemporary aesthetic appeal backed by pure function. The body is constructed from Hard Maple and Silver Lace Wood, reinforced by Italian Bending Board and HDF. The playing surface and walls are constructed form P-95 Black Polycarbonate for superior visibility and control.

Google
Powered by Blogger