By David Johnston Van Smith, the programmer of OSMark (Open-Source Mark) and the person behind vanshardware.com has open-sourced his benchmarking program that used to be known as COSBI. This benchmark tests your computer's prowess in many areas including office, internet, multimedia, and scientific/mathematical applications.
Van first started work on COSBI a few years ago when he discovered that BapCo's SysMark benchmarking program was weighted heavily to favor the Pentium 4 architecture by weighting the importance of some tasks more heavily and repeating tests where the Pentium 4 excelled multiple times. Van hopes that this new benchmark will gain popularity and because it is open-source, will be developed in a non-biased manner. In its early days, COSBI was small enough to fit on a floppy so one could take it to a store like Best Buy or CompUSA to try out the performance of various computers before buying one (provided the store let you run it). I have personally been a fan of COSBI for quite some time and I highly reccomend checking it out.
Not to brag or anything, but my system has the current high score (though probably not for long once the extreme overclockers get a crack at it). You can see Van's site here. You can also find my benchmarking results as well as others (once they add them) on Van's forums here.
Our URL change caused some original feeds to go dead. Please make sure you are up to date. Thanks to Bob in St. Louis for pointing it out. See you on the other side.
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New Hope for the Tablet PC?
Here's a shocker....tablet PCs may not be dead after all. They've bombed as a category for a number of reasons: price, form factor, no real need outside a vertical industry like healthcare or warehouse management. But I digress....
Here's a new tablet from Fujitsu that is attempting to push the envelope with a new design. Instead of trying to make a tablet look like a laptop, the tablet is a real tablet. Not sure if that will sway buyers, but I applaud them for trying again. Here are some more details:
"Highlights of the Stylistic ST5022 include a dual microphone system which, according to Fujitsu Siemens, filters out background noise when recording, as well as a fingerprint sensor for biometric-based security. Furthermore, Fujitsu Siemens claims an impressive 9 hours of battery life for the tablet. Available immediately in several European markets, recommended prices for the Fujitsu Siemens Stylistic ST5022 start at 2899 EUR, or $3,800 USD." Source: Infosync World
By Alice Hill Intel is known for developing a lot of prototype PCs that never see the light of day. For one reason, I believe that Intel is not permitted to sell PCs without triggering a massive monopoly/anti-trust backlash.
Does that even make sense? That if you make the chips and then sell the container, that locks out the rest of the market?
Anyway, at a recent developers conference Intel showed off a Mini clone that uses the next-generation Centrino ("Napa") running on Windows Media Center. No pricing new yet, but it does mark an odd shift - Intel cloning Apple?
Lately, most iPod cases and skins are decorative and fun instead of truly functional. With that in mind, here's a relatively inexpensive way ($49.00) to make your iPod truly water and even sand-proof in time for summer. The Otterbox.
Highlights:
--iPod mini touch wheel is protected by a thin membrane, but remains fully functional through the case
--The screen is visible through the protective hard plastic window
--OtterBox for iPod mini is waterproof, dustproof, dirtproof, sandproof, and drop-proof
--The interactive waterproof membrane keeps your iPod mini safe at the beach, pool, river, lake, gym or just walking in the rain
--When combined with waterproof headphones, it becomes possible to take your mini lap swimming, jet skiing, kayaking or any other water related activity
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Microsoft Beware: Open Office 2.0 Goes Beta
By David Johnston
Openoffice.org has released the beta of OpenOffice 2.0. The new version includes many enhancements to the user interface and speed as well as additional features and tweaks. I've been using OpenOffice for over a year now to write all of my papers and haven't had any problems with it. It's compatible with MS Office and many other formats and can even export your reports to a PDF file.
Microsoft had better watch out! Expect a review in the reviews section once the complete version is released. More info here.
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EvolutionTV: PVR for the Mac
By Alice Hill Ok, I'll admit that I am still secretly interested in the Mac Mini. Here's an interesting external box called EvolutionTV that turns a Mac into a PVR via a USB connection. (again - note the use of USB and not FireWire.)
It includes MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and DivX hardware compression, and is priced at $280, which seems incredibly steep to me. EyeTV is the only other known product for the Mac that does it, and it costs closer to $400. An external device frees up your processor, but then again, so does a TiVo. Source: PVR Blog
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New High-End Microphone for Podcasting or Other Audio Recording With a PC
Now that Podcasting is taking off, here's a new $150 semi-professional microphone that plugs directly to your laptop or desktop and includes a built-in condenser that avoids the need for external power or a pre-amp.
Some highlights:
The kit comprises of a professional cardioid battery powered condenser microphone, sturdy desktop microphone stand, microphone clip, XLR cable, XLR to Mini-Plug adapter cable, 3.5mm Mini-Plug to 0.25in. adapter and even a battery. Unlike budget electret-type or dynamic microphones commonly marketed for computer audio, the cardioid condenser is the studio standard the world over. The DRK microphone has a wide frequency range (30Hz-20kHz), making it well suited for a broad spectrum of audio and music applications, and its cardioid pickup pattern, which is more sensitive to sound waves arriving at the front of the microphone as opposed to those arriving from the sides or rear, make this microphone an exceptional recording tool, with true studio quality. Source: Bios
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Canon's Powershot S500 Scores a Perfect 10
Product Review By David Johnston
This is Canon's top-end compact point-and-shoot camera. It is very comparable to the SD-20, but comes with a 3x optical zoom and uses compact flash instead of secure digital. The image quality is amazing and the package is very, very small. There is no need for a lense cap, and the lense completely retracts when not in use. If you want an example of a picture that I, an untrained novice photographer, took with this camera after just reading the manual see here:
Look up in the Sky Dept: By David Johnston At this year's Intel Developer Forum, planes were spotted overhead. Flying together in a straight line, they released well-timed puffs of smoke that spelled out "AMD Turion 64". This is the name of AMD's upcoming 64-bit mobile processor that it hopes will be a Pentium M killer.
Sometimes you have to love the antics of these companies. It's almost like they're 5 year-olds with a couple million dollars to throw around. More Here.
The day that /.pointed to us was like someone lighting a rocket engine under this website. Tragically, PayPal had its legendary outage that day so we missed out on donations (ouch!), but it did broaden our audience and for that we cannot thank them enough. Business Week Online however feels that the Slashdot Effect is dwindling thanks to more online blogs and an ever growing increase in Web traffic. Here are some interesting highlights from the piece:
"This "Slashdot effect" has rippled through the tech news industry, where higher traffic numbers tend to translate into greater ad revenues. In the past several years, many editors encouraged reporters to pick story ideas that were likely to make it onto Slashdot. Some writers even submit their own stories to Slashdot in hopes of generating more traffic to their home page and earning kudos from their bosses.
"How can this be? The number of news sites Slashdot is linking to has skyrocketed. And that has reduced the impact Slashdot can make on each individual site's traffic. The number of tech news sites, run by traditional media companies, reaches 360 today, up 20% from 300 just one year ago, according to Hitwise. These sites have proliferated following a revival in U.S. online ad spending, which is projected to grow by more than 20% in 2005, to more than $11 billion, according to e-commerce consultancy eMarketer.
"The end result is a watering down of the Slashdot effect. Readers are still jumping from Slashdot to other sites. Indeed, Slashdot probably has more readers than ever, but they're going out into a far larger Internet news world. While their impact on the Web as a whole is still significant, the effect on individual sites or even particular stories is a lot less than it used to be."
Read the full story here. And if anyone wants to get us on Slashdot, we have no complaints about any effect whatsoever!
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New Gel Shields for the iPod Shuffle
Here We Go Again Dept: Whatever it is about Apple products that causes a flurry of accessories, the new ipod Shuffle is not immune. Sure enough, new Gel Shields are popping up all over the place, but what gets me is that a three-pack costs close to $25 or almost a quarter of the price of the device itself.
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Sennheiser PC150 Stereo Headset Rocks and Cancels Noise for $40
Product Review By David Johnston (Also goes by the user name GotAMD)
The Sennheiser PC150 headset which includes a slightly-adjustable boom-style microphone (noise-cancelling, of course) is geared mainly toward VoIP (Voice over IP such as Skype), gaming, and speech recognition programs. The headphones themselves are very nice and get quite a bit louder than I care to listen to without breaking a sweat. They are fairly comfortable with a padded top and earmuffs. There is also a very useful inline volume control and microphone mute switch. The sound quality produced by these headphones is very good, although for serious music a good set of speakers (like my Logitech Z-680's) will far outdo the bass on these headphones not to mention a generally fuller sound. However, for headphones, the sound quality is excellent. The microphone is where this unit really shines. The noise-canelling truly does work for things such as background computer noise and typing and your voice comes out crystal clear. I tried several recordings of myself in Window's audio recording program and the results were quite impressive. This is definitely the best PC microphone I've ever come across and having it built into the headphones just sweetens the deal.
Now on to some more nit-picky things. If you like to sit far, far away from your computer, these are the headphones for you. With a 3 meter long cable, you're unlikely to find yourself out of cable. Speaking of cables, there is only an input cable going into the left side of the headphones (it doesn't split below your head like cheaper models do). This is very nice because the cable doesn't drag around on you and get caught in your clothing as much. Read the Complete Review Here
Interesting New Cell Phone Technology: Push-To-View
By Alice Hill Walkie talkies are soooooo last century, don't you think? Even though they enjoyed a brief comeback in push-to-talk cell phones from Nextel and others, and even though pushing to talk even made it on the primetime TV show The Apprentice, cell phone carriers are always looking for the next big thing to keep you racking up even more talk time. Enter the newest push on the block: an interesting concept called Push-to-View or PTV as it is already abbreviated.
The catch of course is that you need to have a costly 3G handset and a decent signal, and a person on the other end with a similar setup, but I have to say that pushing to view someone live is a pretty cool feature, and it passes my age-old porn test of a technology's viability: If you can make money selling a porn service via the technology (phone sex, internet porn, adult DVDs, etc, etc.) then you have a hit on your hands. At any rate, this is the innovative direction cell phones should be moving in, instead of trying to show grainy TV shows on a one-inch screen.
I have to say I have always been down on 3G because it had no killer app, but maybe PTV is the breakthrough application this platform has been waiting for. More on Push-To-View (PTV)
Sir Bill? Bill Gates Receives Honorary Knighthood From Queen at Palace
(Bloomberg) Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates today received an British honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace for his charity's program to help improve health and reduce poverty in the developing world.
The honor, announced last year by the U.K. Foreign Office, is also in recognition of his work in enterprise, employment and education, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said today in an e- mailed release. Gates, who was accompanied by wife Melinda, was conferred the knighthood at a private ceremony at the palace.
"I am humbled and delighted," Gates, 49, said in the statement. "I'm particularly pleased that this honor helps recognize the real heroes our foundation supports to improve health in poor countries." =========================
Unfortuneately for Bill, a US citizen is not permitted to be addressed as "sir," but you weren't about to do that anyway, were you?
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Product Review: Princeton Senergy17 Super-Inexpensive 17-inch LCD Monitor
Here's an interesting review submitted by a RealtechNews reader who goes by the screen name: "Kingrat." Goofy name aside, his quest was simple: To find a good quality LCD display with DVI input. Would you believe he got one for $234 after rebate?
Here's a bit from his review:
As I approach 50, my eyes were beginning to dislike reading text on a CRT type monitor, even a pretty decent one, so I began looking for an inexpensive LCD that had a DVI input.
This is a nice, inexpensive dual input DVI/Analog 17" monitor. It has a response time of 16MS, so movies and games look great. It seems to change resolutions better than many LCDs I have used, including the one at work. Native resolution is the usual 1280X1024.
Both height and angle are adjustable. The controls are very hard to read in normal light, but I haven't had to touch mine in weeks, so who cares? The border is a little thicker than the top of the line LCDs, not a big deal IMO.
I had never really heard of Princeton since the old phone book sized Computer Shopper magazine ads. A kid I work with had bought one and I talked him into bringing it to work, so I could check it out. A few minutes after he turned it on, I was in New Egg, ordering one. It came a few days later, well packed, and in perfect condition. Mine has no dead pixels and looks as good as a friend's $500 NEC he bought last year.
Three of us have them now, only one has any dead pixels, and it's almost at the very top right hand corner, and it's black, so it's hardly noticeable. Colors look great, text is razor sharp. Read the Rest of the Review Here
I must be out of it, because when I saw pictures of this book-shpaed media player, I thought it was cute in a geeky sort of retro old-fashioned way. Like for those wealthy older people who buy realistic looking $200 1940s radios that hold $15 CD players inside.
Turns out, one guy's vision over at dapreview.net is probably more accurate. He thinks the device will be handy for hiding porn from the wife. Regardless your particular needs, here are some specs:
"The MP-02-OTG is built around a 3.5-inch hard drive and does all kinds of nifty stuff.
• USB 2.0 • Supports AVI/MPG/MPEG/DAT/VOB/WAV/WMA/MP3/JPG • Outputs: Component/VGA/S-video, Stereo/Photolink • On-screen menu system • Slideshows with music, 14 types of picture transitions • Picture zoom, rotate, pan • Dimensions: 200 x 145 x 49mm • Runs on AC power • Karaoke! Source: dapreview.net
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Product Review: Western Digital 120GB FireWire/USB 2.0 Combo Hard Drive
Storage is cheap, but it’s also not something you take lightly. We’ve gotten many RealTechNews user reports on Maxtor hard drive failures, and as more and more people move their photos, music and video into digital formats, I know that I was looking for something fast, as well as incredibly reliable.
What I wasn’t expecting, was getting something cool, in a nerdy wannabe-modder way that is. The WD 120GB FireWire/USB Combo drive comes in a clear plastic case with two glowing rope lights or neon tubes on either side. The case is not very attractive, but it certainly is not a dull looking drive to have around.
The best news was the 480 Mbps transfer speed. I backed up my photo library in less time than it took for me to fire up TiVo and see what was playing. My entire 500 CD music collection was resting happily in it’s new back up home in around 20 minutes. Read the Complete Review Here
Bizarre New Ergonomic Chair Offers "Reclined Standing"
The Aeron chair is so dot-com, last-century, don't you think? That's why all the cool kids have moved to the Stance Chair.
OK, not really. For starters, the site that sells it won't even tell you the price, - always a bad sign in my book, and second, do you really want to be seen like this? I would use one if it flew around the office, but as a chair, why not just chain them in wearing Hannibal Lecter face masks and be done with it? And what happens if you tilt back and fall over?
Some highlights: "Neutral Seating" Halfway between sitting and standing. In this position you're in the classic relaxed posture that is assumed in zero gravity. This is the most natural posture you can assume that distributes your weight evenly."
And of course, my favorite, "Reclined Standing: This is one of the most unique of the four postures. It provides optimal blood flow, improves respiratory function and alleviates any pressure on your buttocks."
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Turn an Old PC into a Server with NASLite+
By Alice Hill My Next Project Dept: I love old hardware, but mostly it's like the way a scavenger loves old cars. I see a useable case, a perfectly fine keyboard, working mouse and can easily patch together parts to make a quickie spare rig or something to pass down through the less cutting-edge members of family. But here's a software product called NASLite+ that for about $25 will turn your old system into a kicking server for up to 50 users.
The details: "NASLite+ is well suited for re-using older PCs that are still operational but are too limited or slow for use as desktop computers. In addition, NASLite+ enables older computers with BIOS limitations to use contemporary, large-capacity IDE fixed disk drives without the need for additional hardware.
"As a network file server, NASLite+ may very well offer the highest possible storage capacity for the money. NASLite+ servers of 1 Terabyte or more of storage space can be built for about 500 dollars US. For example, with NASLite+ you can take a retired Pentium 200MHz computer, install a couple of 250GB fixed disk drives and have a fast, reliable 500GB NASLite+ file server for a few dollars above the cost of the fixed disk drives."
As I said, this my next project when I get home from my current business trip. I have a Dell I just outgrew that will make a perfect file server. Stay tuned for how it all goes. In the meantime, if you want to give it a try, click here to check out more on this interesting product.
And callingall server guys....spare me needless pain by telling me why this is a lame idea.
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Product Review: Logitech diNovo Cordless Desktop
By Alice Hill
My office keyboard was getting long in the tooth (or was that long in the cord?) so I decided it was time to go cordless. I chose Logitech’s sleek diNovo keyboard and mouse set as a departure from the Starfleet-style command centers most keyboards were becoming. To be honest, I was sick of giving up valuable desk space to rows and rows of function keys, sliders, and knobs I never used. The diNovo is sheer minimalism at its best. The keyboard is actually in two pieces, with a separate numeric keypad and a smaller than average mouse. The standalone keypad was quickly moved to a far corner of my desk and doubles now as an occasional calculator when I am not doing spreadsheets.
And suddenly I had desk space galore.
The mouse I noticed got dinged in other reviews I read online for being too small, but for a frequent traveler who uses a tiny travel mouse on the road, I actually liked the way it felt in my hand. The smaller size is an adjustment if you prefer those huge puffy super-ergonomic mice, but like I found with my tiny Microsoft travel mouse, the small size lets you move the pointer around in a much more nimble way once you get your bearings. I would say a few days will get you acclimated. Read Complete Review Here
True, it looks like someone cracked off and framed the swing-out digital viewfinder from the back of a digital camera, but for those of us who balk at those digital picture frames that cost closer to $500 plus a monthly fee, the Magpix Pocket Photo Album may be a refreshing alternative.
$99 gets you the framed 1.5 inch LCD with a scant 16MBs of memory, but you can bump it up thanks to the SD/MultiMediaCard slot. Plus, when you consider how small the display is, you can probably load thousands of smaller sized thumbnails and still have a world of decent-looking photos in your palm.
Bottom Line: Definitely not for a power user, but would make a cute gift pre-loaded with pics for someone not as tech savvy, or just as a fun novely item.
By Alice Hill As they say, don't try this at home kids, not unless you really don't mind taking a risk. But if you have experienced an ink cartridge cut short by a false expiration date, there is hope. Here's a workaround from Allofthings.com:
========From Allofthings.com================= It doesn't seem possible to fix an expired cartridge without physically replacing the chip but you can avoid having the expiration date burned into a new factory virgin cartridge thus making it immune to expiration. There are places that sell the chips but they seem to all (both, Brazil and the Netherlands) be out of the US and the total cost with shipping is more than the price of a new cartridge.
I figured the following method out from things I read and experimentation.
I make no guarantee and until all my old cartridges expire, I will not know for sure if I am totally correct but that won't be until the end of 2005 (I don't think you want to wait until then. It is working for me so far. Use at your own risk. You must start with a virgin cartridge (chip), factory fresh without having ever been used to print.
Normally, the first time you print is when the date is burned in.
Do not install the cartridge until you do the following.
There is an *.ini file (hpSomethingOrOther.ini) stored in the system directory (WINNT in NT and 2000) that has a name probably associated with the driver version.
Search for hp*.ini and edit the ones with the latest dates. If you configure the printer driver first, see below, the file date should read today.
There are two files, one will list the one you need to change, change the other one, I think it is the smaller one.
In it there is a parameter something like pencheck. It is set to 0100. I think this is a boolean because I tried other values without effect. Set it to 0000 in the file and save the file and REBOOT.
You can check the value in the driver configuration dialog box (found through the Help for the HP tool box, open the last entry, I think, and click on configure).
If the grayed out box for ink check or cartridge check or something like that is unchecked, you are in business. Cancel this dialog. Do NOT click on default or the expiration check will be reinstated and when you print with your new cartridge you will get an expiration date burned into it.
I wouldn't trust making any changes to this dialog box without rechecking that the parameter stays unchecked. After making sure this value is unchecked, install your new virgin cartridge(s) and the expiration date(s) will read "UNKNOWN".
Over time, once you have replaced all your cartridges that have expiration dates burned into them (as they expire and they will) with ones that now read UNKNOWN, and as long as you do not reinstall a driver or configure the printer driver (if you do, fix the INI file again before printing), you should not have any cartridge expire, ever again. NOTE, if you load a new driver, make sure to reset the value in the INI file before you print anything or you will burn expiration dates into the chips and you will have to buy new factory virgin cartridges all over again.
Microsoft drivers for XP don't seem to check the expiration dates or send a date to the printer so you can use expired cartridges with XP (XP Home, anyway) If you install an HP driver in XP, I hope the above method still applies. I have not tried this in 95, 98, or ME but it should probably work. =========END===============
There's also a simpler fix that has you removing and reiserting the cartridge battery. Click Here for those instructions. (Source: Boing Boing)
Now my question: is this illegal or does it just void your warranty, like when you overclock a CPU? And would it void the warranty for the cartridge, or the cartridge and the printer too? It also sounds like if you have XP Home Edition and Windows detects and install your printer driver, there is not problem with the date issue, unless you use an HP installation driver - which of course may show that there is defintely something going on there that isn't legit.
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Logitech's Quickcam Orbit Disappoints
Product Review By David Johnston (Also goes by the user name GotAMD)
This is Logitech's top-of-the-line webcam. It has the capability of taking still images at over 1 megapixel and video at 640x480 and a microphone positioned in the base which is alright if there's not a lot of background noise (it picks my typing up quite well though) It also rotates left and right and up and down. It has a "face tracking" feature, but it's pretty worthless. It does require good lighting behind it for the best quality images. I've also noticed that with the latest Windows Updates, you have to do a registry hack to get Yahoo Messenger not to crash when using your webcam. You can find that fix on Yahoo's help pages. My camera also had a problem with getting stuck in the down position, so I read that someone else fixed it by taking out one of the layers of plastic that hides the internal electronics. Read the Complete Review Here
My recent experience with the spectacular and downright HUGE 24-inch flat panel LCD monitor from Samsung had me worried about the non-technical just when the tech world was finally offering up some products that were approaching plug-and-play. After all, what could be more plug and play than a monitor?
Not so with the SyncMaster 243T and my IBM ThinkPad. When the monitor arrived in a massive box that literally drew a small crowd, I set it up and attached it to my laptop’s docking station with more anticipation than I’ve had for a tech product in along time. But when I fired up the laptop and I also had deep and instant buyer's remorse. Wailing remorse. After all for nearly 2,000, shouldn’t the text be as sharp and appealing as my previous Sony 17-inch display or the amazing Samsung 213T I use happily at home? How can three more inches of screen real estate result in such a blurry and washed out output?
For the next hour I tinkered. I changed resolutions, I used the various color matching utilities that came with the unit. I even went in desperation to IBM’s website and looked for a new ThinkPad driver wading through obscure OS/2 drivers and others with little luck. And then I started worrying. Could this really be what a big screen looked like up close? Did I order something not meant to be used as a monitor? Should I position it across the room? Would I even want to work that way? The questions were relentless and unpleasant.
Finally as an afterthought I used Windows itself to search for a new graphics driver, did a quick install after it downloaded, and restarted my machine – all I can say is, what an incredible moment. The text was razor sharp , the screen bright and colorful, and I was literally in awe. Silent awe. Read Complete Review Here
Here's a shocker....tablet PCs may not be 
By Alice Hill
Lately, most iPod cases and skins are decorative and fun instead of 
By David Johnston
By Alice Hill
Now that 
Product Review
The day that 
Here We Go Again Dept: Whatever it is about Apple products that causes a 
Sure enough, new Gel Shields are popping up all over the place, but what gets me is that a three-pack costs close to $25 or almost a quarter of the price of the device itself. 
Product Review
(
Here's an interesting review submitted by a RealtechNews reader who goes by the screen name: "Kingrat." Goofy name aside, his quest was simple: To find a good quality LCD display with DVI input. Would you believe he got one for 
I must be out of it, because when I saw pictures of this book-shpaed media player, I thought it was cute in a geeky sort of retro old-fashioned way. Like for those wealthy older people who buy realistic looking $200 1940s radios that hold $15 CD players inside.
Storage is cheap, but it’s also not something you take lightly. We’ve gotten many RealTechNews user reports on Maxtor hard drive failures, and as more and more people move their photos, music and video into digital formats, I know that I was looking for something fast, as well as incredibly reliable.
The Aeron chair is so dot-com, last-century, don't you think? That's why all the cool kids have moved to the 
Some highlights: "
And of course, my favorite, "Reclined Standing: This is one of the most unique of the four postures. It provides optimal blood flow, improves respiratory function and alleviates any pressure on your buttocks."
By Alice Hill
By Alice Hill
True, it looks like someone cracked off and framed the swing-out digital viewfinder from the back of a digital camera, but for those of us who balk at those digital picture frames that cost closer to 
By Alice Hill
Product Review
By Alice Hill