Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Trying, but not buying -- Nielsen: Twitter�s audience is exploding; but 60% don't return the next month - http://tinyurl.com/dcvlxe

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Seagate Replica does automatic, incremental backup for the everyman

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/27/seagate-replica-does-automatic-incremental-backup-for-the-every/

Seagate's new Replica drive aims to be for PC users what Time Machine is for Macs (in fact, there's no Mac software included), and seems to do a pretty good job of it. You merely plug the drive into your computer, accept a license agreement, and you're off to the races with hassle-free incremental backups of your system. The drive is available in Single PC and Multi-PC models, with the former sporting 250GB of capacity, and the latter doing 500GB and adding in a vertical dock -- but to actually backup multiple PCs you'll have to move the drive around sneakernet style. ComputerShopper found the drive pretty slow, and while you can drag and drop files off of the drive, it doesn't actually allow you to toss specific files on and use the drive as way to move your projects around town. Still, it's simple, and the $200 starting price isn't criminal.

Read - ComputerShopper review
Read - Official Replica site

Filed under: Storage

Seagate Replica does automatic, incremental backup for the everyman originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Averatec debuts 12-inch $699 N2700 ultraportable

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/27/averatec-debuts-12-inch-699-n2700-ultraportable/

If it's fancy you're scouting, you needn't look here. If you're fine with a classic design, a relatively low price and plenty of oomph to handle everyday tasks, you've got your eyes right where they need to be. Averatec's latest rig is a 12-inch ultraportable that gets powered by a 2GHz Core 2 Duo T6400 processor, a WXGA panel, 4GB of DDR2-800 RAM, a 250GB SATA hard drive, 8x SuperMulti dual-layer DVD writer, WiFi, gigabit Ethernet, a trio of USB 2.0 ports, FireWire and audio in / out. Furthermore, you'll find a VGA output, 4-in-1 card reader, GMA X4500HD graphics set, 1.3 megapixel camera and Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit. This four pound lappie will set you back $699, and if you're already sold, we're happy to inform you that it's shipping right now.

Gallery: Averatec debuts 12-inch $699 N2700 ultraportable

Filed under: Laptops

Averatec debuts 12-inch $699 N2700 ultraportable originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unitek's 3.5-inch SATA HDD bay / MicroSD card reader is more fun than it looks

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/27/uniteks-3-5-inch-sata-hdd-bay-microsd-card-reader-is-more-fun/

Aside from his stunning portrayal as Col. Kurtz ("I swallowed a bug"), Brando is our go-to guy for drive bays and memory card readers. If you're not holding out for a dock that plays DivX movies (or tells the temperature in your cube) this device should be right up your proverbial alley. The Unitek 3.5-inch USB Multi-Functional Bay sports a 2.5-inch SATA HDD enclosure, SD(HC) and MicroSD(HC) card readers, and a four pin power port -- 'cos you can't have too many four pin power ports. Since this is Brando, we were hoping to see something with a little more kitsch appeal, but we suppose that we'll just have to hold out for something from the Happy-Kid line. If a sane and sober-looking approach to portable storage is what you're after, be sure to size this guy up in the gallery below.

Gallery: UNITEK 3.5-inch Multi-Functional Bay

Filed under: Peripherals, Storage

Unitek's 3.5-inch SATA HDD bay / MicroSD card reader is more fun than it looks originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Genius G-Shot HD520 camcorder does 720p for $149

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/27/genius-g-shot-hd520-camcorder-does-720p-for-149/

It's been about a day after forever ago since we've seen a new camcorder from Genius, but if you're scouting a low-end, low-cost option that'll still capture clips at a halfway respectable resolution, you're in luck. Similar to many of the DXG offerings, the G-Shot HD520 provides 720p footage for under $150, and it can also capture 11 megapixel still shots when things slow down a bit. The six-ounce device records in MPEG-4 / H.264 format and features a 2.5-inch LCD and room for up to 8GB of storage -- you know, in case you fill up the 32MB that are included, which will probably never happen. It's available now from a smorgasbord of legitimate online retailers. Full release is after the break.

Gallery: Genius G-Shot HD520 camcorder does 720p for $149