Mini-Review MSI Wind NB

Yesterday CNET UK let the cat out of the bag and released an early hands-on with the MSI Wind NB. We concur with CNET UK: the MSI Wind is one kickass system. I have been playing/testing the Wind for the last week and putting it through its paces.

We are restricted from talking about the system’s chipset and its resulting performance until the NDA breaks on June 3 at 4:00 a.m. (EST), but we are allowed to detail our first impressions of the hardware and the system itself.

Stay tuned for our full review of the system, but in the meantime check out our hands-on video of the system and the large gallery of images.

Larger Footprint and Screen
At first sight, the pearl white MSI Wind looks like an Apple MacBook. Its minimalist design and rounded edges scream Apple. However, the system also looks strikingly similar to the white ASUS Eee PC, though it’s a bit bulkier, thanks to the Wind’s 10-inch screen. Measuring 10.23 x 7.08 x .74-inches and weighing just under 3 pounds, the Wind’s footprint is a tad bulkier than the other mini-notebooks we have seen. It is still very small notebook and easily fit in my shoulder bag.

The 10-inch screen is a sheer pleasure. If you thought 8.9 inches gave the Eee PC some much-needed space, the Wind’s 10-inch screen is like spending the night in a king-size bed. (Ahh, so spacious!) I have been able to work on this blog post on one half of the screen and open GIMP to edit pictures on the other half. I haven’t had to scroll horizontally through any Web pages; windows and Web sites all fit to size.

A Full-Size Keyboard
Below the spacious screen is an adult-size keyboard. If the Eee PC’s keyboard is a one-bedroom apartment, the Wind’s is a mansion. The keyboard is very spacious and doesn’t require me to type in a hand-puppet shape. The matte keys aren’t as soft as the HP Mini-Note’s, but they provide solid feedback.

My one complaint about the Wind’s hardware is its small trackpad. Measuring 2.0 x 1.7 inches, the trackpad on the Wind is disappointingly small and similar to that on the Eee PC 4G; it requires a bit of backtracking. It also lacks a scroll bar. The mouse button, a single bar that serves as a left and right click control, is also less than ideal. It lacks a divot to separate the buttons, feels mushy, and requires a firm press. Since the system sports Bluetooth 2.0, I’ve been navigating with a Bluetooth mouse.

Smooth XP Navigation
Our review unit is preloaded with Windows XP Home and is priced somewhere in the $500 range —a pretty sweet deal, if you ask us (MSI has told us we’ll be getting a more official price next week). I am enjoying running XP on the system, and all the standard XP software is preloaded. A $399 SUSE Linux version will also be available.

The system has 3 USB ports, mic and headphone jacks, an Ethernet port, a 4-in-1 card reader, and a VGA port. It was a snap to hook up to my 19-inch Dell monitor to the system.

As far as the Wind’s hardware goes, we are seriously impressed. As for performance, here is a hint, it is equally, if not more, impressive...

via blog.laptopmag 

Easter Bunny Position Art

Fascinated by the beauty of position art by the mighty Stavros, Hirvi, Mr.Stahl and I decided to use this special Easter Sunday evening to create our own magnificent masterpiece. And since it's Easter, the motif was going to be an Easter rabbit.

By coincidence, Mark Guim posted a tutorial on how to make your own position art using Nokia Sports Tracker this morning. Unfortunately, I don't yet have a lovely Black N82 like Stavros has, so we used a trusty old Magellan GPS unit and a standard digital camera instead.

Because the recorded GPS path was quite inaccurate, I post the hand drawn version of my rabbit as well. I wonder how Stavros handles GPS variation - his artwork looks so flawless...
via blog.p4n

Computer trained to "read" mind images of words

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A computer has been trained to "read" people's minds by looking at scans of their brains as they thought about specific words, researchers said on Thursday.

They hope their study, published in the journal Science, might lead to better understanding of how and where the brain stores information.

This might lead to better treatments for language disorders and learning disabilities, said Tom Mitchell of the Machine Learning Department at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, who helped lead the study.

"The question we are trying to get at is one people have been thinking about for centuries, which is: How does the brain organize knowledge?" Mitchell said in a telephone interview.

"It is only in the last 10 or 15 years that we have this way that we can study this question."

Mitchell's team used functional magnetic resonance imaging, a type of brain scan that can see real-time brain activity.

They calibrated the computer by having nine student volunteers think of 58 different words, while imaging their brain activity.

"We gave instructions to people where we would tell them, 'We are going to show you words and we would like you, when you see this word, to think about its properties,'" Mitchell said.

They imaged each of the nine people thinking about the 58 different words, to create a kind of "average" image of a word.

"If I show you the brain images for two words, the main thing you notice is that they look pretty much alike. If you look at them for a while you might see subtle differences," Mitchell said.

"We have the program calculate the mean brain activity over all of the words that somebody has looked at. That gives us the average when somebody thinks about a word, and then we subtract that average out from all those images," Mitchell added.

Then the test came.

"After we train on the other 58 words, we can say 'Here are two new words you have not seen, celery and airplane.'" The computer was asked to choose which brain image corresponded with which word.

The computer passed the test, predicting when a brain image was taken when a person thought about the word "celery" and when the assigned word was "airplane."

The next step is to study brain activity for phrases.

"If I say 'rabbit' or 'fast rabbit' or 'cuddly rabbit', those are very different ideas," Mitchell said.

"I want to basically use that as a kind of scaffolding for studying language processing in the brain."

Mitchell was surprised at how similar brain activity was among the nine volunteers, although the work was painstaking. For an MRI to work well, the patient must sit or lie very still for several minutes.

"It can be hard to focus," Mitchell said. "Somewhere in the middle of that their stomach growls. And all of sudden they think, 'I'm hungry -- oops.' It's not a controllable experiment."

(Editing by Eric Walsh)...

via reuters 

Can It Be? New Ford Escape Nav System Schools BMW, Lexus, Acura And ALL Others

Last week, 001 and 00k were caught up in the insanity of American Idol finals during the 2009 Ford Escape Press Event.

Ford has been a sponsor of the show since the beginning so they were able to wrangle us and other members of the press some tickets to the finals.

It was definitely exciting even though my guy didn't win (David A.) but the real excitement was seeing the first hand demo of the new navigation system that fully integrates the Microsoft SYNC technology.

Being a tech guy I normally don't get blown away by demoes, unless of course Steve is giving one, but this one was VERY impressive.

To say that this new system schools BMW, Lexus, Acura, Mercedes, Audi, etc., etc., etc., would be a HUGE understatement.

NOTHING on the market today even comes close to what capabilities are offered on this new Escape.

At ANY price.

And this system will be making its way into every new Ford/Lincoln/Mercury from this point forward.

Don't take my word for it.

Just watch our EXCLUSIVE video demo yourself and you WILL be blown away and envious!

Because it's not in YOUR car.

And you WILL want it!

I especially loved how it can instantly survey where you're at and find the cheapest gas prices and routes you to that station.

And the messaging functionality is a Godsend.

If you have trouble viewing the video above, click here to download it 

via autospies 

PSP hacked for use with DualShock controller

It's not the first time we've seen a controller hacked for use with the PSP, but this mod by Acidmods member Blizzrad takes things a bit further than most, with it relying entirely on hardware modifications in order to work, meaning it can be done on any PSP regardless of the firmware. It's also one of the cleanest-looking mods we've seen to date, with the only evidence of tampering on the PSP itself being a discreetly placed controller connector right above the power switch. Of course, that also means it's considerably more difficult for most of us to do ourselves, but we can at least get a glimpse of what's possible courtesy of the video after the break...

via engadget 

HTC Touch Diamond handsets are shipping

High Tech Computer (HTC) has already shipped its first batch of over 10,000 HTC Touch Diamond handsets to Hong Kong CSL, according to market sources, contradicting market rumors stating that HTC would delay shipments until June.

HTC will eventually start deliveries to telecom service operators in Europe as well as those in other Asia Pacific markets in June, said the sources who are familiar with HTC's roadmap.

HTC, having just launched the first model in the HTC Touch Diamond lineup, also recently unveiled a second-version (codenamed Raphael) in Germany. The new model adds a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

HTC will cooperate with T-Mobile to market the two models in Germany, with the first Touch Diamond to be available under T-Mobile's MDA Compact IV trade name and the second under the name MDA Vario IV, the sources noted...

via digitimes 

iRiver Spinn Juicy new details and launch info

SANYO Presentation Technologies Introduces First Portable Projectors Featuring Active Maintenance Filter System

SANYO, one of the world's largest manufacturers of LCD and DLP projectors announces the addition of two new LCD portable projectors, the PLC-XC55 (3,100 lumens) and the PLC-XC50 (2,600 lumens), to their line of high brightness projectors for the education and business markets. Both are equipped with SANYO's Active Maintenance Filter (AMF) system, allowing easy filter changes, and several security features to prevent theft.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080530/LAF021)

This is the first time SANYO's exclusive AMF system has been integrated into a portable projector. This unique filtration system consists of a filter cartridge with ten lengths of filter material and an airflow sensor that detects when the airflow is obstructed by dust and advances a clean section of filter as needed. When the last section of filter material becomes obstructed an on-screen graphic appears telling the user to change the cartridge. Each filter lasts approximately 3000 hours.

"Thanks to SANYO's AMF these new high brightness projectors significantly lower a school system's cost of ownership by reducing filter maintenance costs by a factor of ten," says Mark Holt, Vice President and General Manager for SANYO's Presentation Technologies Division.

General maintenance is kept at a minimum with other features such as the transparent lens cap that prevents the accumulation of dust on the lens and the ability to replace the lamp from the top cabinet, which doesn't require removal from permanent installations.

To prevent theft of the small projector, SANYO has integrated several higher security features. A security bar in the corner of the device accepts security wires up to 11mm in diameter. Additionally, the on-board pin number locks the projector when not in use, plus only the designated administrator is allowed to operate on-board buttons and logo-controlled settings. These theft- deterrent features allow the small projector to be left in a classroom with peace of mind.

Portable projectors are commonly used for media-rich presentations, including audio. To be a truly multi-media device that is loud enough for the average classroom, the PLC-XC55 and PLC-XC50 were outfitted with an internal 7-watt speaker, eliminating the need for an external audio system.

Ease of installation is facilitated with Auto Keystone Correction (vertical up to +/- 20 degrees), in addition to an Auto Setup function that automatically seeks signal sources for PC and video use. There is an abundance of video input terminals including a DVI-I (digital and analog video), component video and D-Sub15. The input signal compatibility includes UXGA, SXGA+, SXGA, WXGA, XGA, SVGA, VGA, and MAC. It is also compatible with HD resolutions including 1080i 50/60, 1035i, 720p as well as standard definition (480p, 480i, 575p, 575i).

The ultra-small footprint of the PLC-XC55 and PLC-XC50 is a major asset to educational facilities along with features such as closed captions and Black Board Mode, which allows projection on any surface, when a screen is not available.

The PLC-XC55 and PLC-XC50 will be available in July 2008 and sell for $1,995.00 and $1,495.00 respectively.

    Other Specifications
Lamp: 220W UHP
Noise Rating: 27.5dBA (Eco mode), 34.0dBA (Normal mode)
Audio: Built-in mono speaker with 7-watts of power

Video Terminals: DVI-I, D-sub15, Component (w/ Optional Cable), Composite, S-Video (Mini Din 4), D-sub15 monitor out

Audio: Stereo mini-jack input x2 (for computer input) and output (Variable), Analog stereo input for video input (RCAx2)

    Additional Inputs: RS232C control (D-sub9)
Warranty: 3 years parts/labor, 90 days original lamp; Quick Repair Program
Dimensions (WxHxD): 16.1" x 3.3"x 10.3" (excluding protrusions)

Net Weight: 8.82 lbs.

About SANYO

SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. is a multi-billion-dollar global leader in providing solutions for the environment, energy and for lifestyle applications based on its brand vision 'Think GAIA'. SANYO Fisher Company (a division of SANYO North America Corporation, a subsidiary of SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.), based in Chatsworth, California, markets digital projectors, digital still cameras, digital media camcorders, home appliances, security video equipment, audio systems, portable and mobile electronics and HD televisions. For more information on SANYO's complete line of projectors please call 888-495-3452 or visit http://www.sanyoPROJECTORS.com.

SOURCE SANYO Fisher Company...

via bizjournals 

Toshiba 'gets high resolution' from current DVDs

The Yomiuri Shimbun

By the end of the year, Toshiba Corp. plans to release a DVD player capable of producing high-resolution images from regular DVDs, company sources said Thursday.

The planned release of a model compatible with the current DVD format signifies an effort by the major electronic manufacturer to recover from a humiliating setback suffered in March after announcing its decision to withdraw from its HD DVD business, the sources said.

Toshiba's withdrawal meant its defeat by a group of electronics makers, including Sony Corp., striving to promote the Blu-ray DVD format.

Standard DVD format is capable of playing a 350,000-pixel resolution. Blu-ray and other next-generation DVD formats have a resolution of about 2 million pixels, about six times greater than the current format.

Toshiba's new technology has been made possible by developing a large integrated circuit that can instantly convert images produced in the current format into high-resolution images.

This technology makes it possible to reproduce high-quality images comparable to Blu-ray video from current standard DVDs.

Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida said his company will not market DVD players that are compatible with Blu-ray.

Instead, Toshiba intends to compete with the Blu-ray camp by selling DVD players fitted with LSIs at lower prices than those of Blu-ray models.

To achieve this goal, Toshiba will advertise its new player as a device with which consumers can enjoy a broader array of content than is available in the Blu-ray format, the sources said.

Toshiba's withdrawal decision in March marked the end of a six-year competition between the HD DVD and Blu-ray camps.

Each was seeking to make its format the global standard...

via yomiuri 

Time Warner Cable Planning on Releasing a Network Enabled TV Set-Top Box for Internet TV Access

According to Time Warner Cable’s Chief Executive, Glen Britt, speaking at the Sanford C. Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference in New York, the company is planning on releasing a network enabled TV set-top box, along with a specialized wireless cable modem, that will give people access to “Internet TV.” No specific details on how the set-top/modem combo will accomplish this, or who the partner providers may be, but subscribers can look forward to getting previously untapped content directly to their TV without the need of a PC and be able to easily network their other Internet enabled devices. Britt suggests that it will probably take two years to popularize the tech to his mainstream consumer base...

via ehomeupgrade