Sony VAIO VGN-FE770G 15.4" Notebook PC (Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5600, 1 GB RAM, 120 GB Hard Drive, DVD+-R Dbl Layer/DVD+/-RW Drive)

Elegantly styled, the Sony Vaio VGN-FE770G notebook PC is more than just a pretty face. It offers cutting-edge processing power from Intel's new Core 2 Duo line for outstanding multi-tasking performance as well as a tri-mode wireless LAN, enabling you to connect to a full assortment of 802.11a/b/g networks. A 5400 rpm Serial ATA hard drive and advanced DDR2 memory enable high-speed computing, resulting in sizzling performance for work and multimedia activities. It also features a bright widescreen 15.4-inch XBRITE-ECO LCD screen that offers excellent color purity even in the brightest daylight. And communicate with pals all around with world via VoIP calling and video conferencing using the built-in microphone and camera (with zoom function).

It's powered by the Intel Core 2 Duo processor, which offers a 20 percent performance boost over its predcessor while using 28 percent less power--so you get the benefit of a powerful dual-core PC plus all the benefits of mobility. The dual-execution core T5600 Core 2 Duo processor provides an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved gaming and multitasking performance, and it features a 1.83 GHz speed, lightning quick 667 MHz system bus, and large 2 MB L2 cache.

With Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, you can view your movies and photos with stunning clarity and brilliant, true-to-life color. It also features a 120 GB hard drive, 1 GB of installed RAM (2 GB maximum), multi-format, dual-layer DVD burner, Intel Graphic Media Accelerator 950 card with 128 MB of shared video RAM, memory card reader, ExpressCard/34 slot, and a wide selection of preloaded Sony multimedia software titles. This is Windows Vista capable PC, and it's also Windows Vista Premium ready.

The Basics

* Hard Drive: Large and in charge, the 120 GB hard drive (5400 RPM) offers enough to room to hold a digital audio library of over 20,000 songs and still have room left over for movies, games, and a large collection of software. This Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to FireWire and USB 2.0.
* Processor: The Intel Core 2 Duo T5600 processor has a 1.83 GHz processor speed, super-fast 667 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and large 2 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)

The Intel Core 2 Duo processor has two computational execution cores in a single processor, providing greater system response when running multi-threaded applications simultaneously with no significant increase in power consumption. It's optimized for multitasking and is ready to support the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system. It can simultaneously run multiple demanding applications--such as graphics-intensive games or serious number-crunching business productivity applications--while downloading music or running virus-scanning security programs in the background. Some of the advanced Intel innovations of the Core 2 Duo processor include:
o Smart Memory Access: Improves system performance by hiding memory latency, thus optimizing the use of available computer data bandwidth to provide data to the processor when and where it is needed.
o Advanced Digital Media Boost: Effectively doubles the execution speed for instructions used widely in multimedia and graphics applications.
o Dynamic Power Coordination: Coordinates Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology and idle power-management state (C-states) transitions independently per core to help save power.
o Deeper Sleep with Dynamic Cache Sizing: Saves power by flushing cache data to system memory during periods of inactivity to lower CPU voltage.

* Memory: The 1 GB of built-in memory (PC4200, 533 MHz, DDR2 SDRAM, 2 x 512 MB) is a good start out of the box, but you'll want to maximize the 2 GB capacity of this machine to make your multimedia hum along.
* CD/DVD Drive: The double-layer DVD drive is compatible with a wide range of formats, including both DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs, CD-RW discs, and dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can hold up to 8.5 GB of data--great for backing up your MP3 collection or your most important documents. It features the following speeds: 4x for DVD+R DL, 4x for DVD-R DL, 8x for both single layer DVD+R/-R, 8x for single layer DVD+RW, 6x for single layer DVD-RW, and 24x/16x for CD-R/RW. It reads DVD-ROM discs at 8x and CD-ROMs at 24x.
* Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 86-key keyboard (2.5mm stroke and 19.05mm pitch) and electro-static two-button touchpad.

Screen, Graphics and Sound
The 15.4-inch WXGA LCD offers Sony's XBRITE-ECO display technology and has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. The widescreen display gives increases the width of the notebook's display while giving the computer the form factor of a smaller computer, so it takes up less space on your desk or in your briefcase. Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, which uses Intel Dynamic Video Memory Technology (DVMT) and provides up to 128 MB of shared video memory. It also has an integrated audio card with Microsoft Windows sound system compatibility.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The FE770G features an integrated PRO/Wireless 3915ABG wireless LAN that's compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found in home routers and wi-fi hotspots) as well as 802.11a networks (which has a higher throughput, but more limited range--great for closed office environments). It also includes a next-generation ExpressCard/34 card slot (in addition to a traditional PCMCIA card slot), which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. Here's the full list of connection options:

* 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
* 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
* 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (one Type II/Type I card)
* 1 ExpressCard/34 slot
* 1 VGA monitor out
* 1 S-Video out
* Stereo headphones/speakers/line-out
* Microphone/line-in
* 5-in-1 memory card adapter (Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Secure Digital, MultiMedia, XD)

Preloaded System and Software
The pre-installed Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 (Update Rollup 2) is essentially Windows XP Professional Edition with a variety of tools to help you to create, organize, and enjoy digital media ranging from music to home movies to photo slide shows. It also comes loaded with a bevy of Sony multimedia software: Click to DVD (DVD creation), SonicStage Mastering Studio (digital music), Vaio Media (network file sharing), DVgate Plus (digital video), and Image Converter (for PSP transfer). Other pre-loaded software includes Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, Microsoft Digital Imaging (Starter Edition), Quicken 2005 New User Edition, Microsoft Works 8.5 (with word processing, spreadsheet, and calendar), Norton Internet Security (with 60-day subscription), Intervideo WinDVD, and Roxio DigitalMedia SE.

Dimensions and Weight
This notebook measures 14.4 x 10.8 x 1.4 inches (WxDxH) and weighs 6.2 pounds.

Power
It's powered by the VGP-BPS2B rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of between 2.5 and 4 hours (depending on usage).

Dell Latitude C610 1.2 GHz Pentium III Notebook PC with 256 MB RAM, 20 GB Hard Drive, and DVD/CD-ROM Drive

Built with the mobile business traveler in mind, the Dell Latitude C610 notebook PC is a great choice for budget-minded road warriors who need quick access to important spreadsheets and word processing documents. Weighing just 5.73 pounds, the C610 still packs a 14.1-inch LCD screen and a 1.2 GHz Pentium III processor into its compact chassis, ensuring that most applications run efficiently. The computer's 256 MB of standard memory and 20 GB hard drive are fairly minimal in today's computing climate, but are more than enough to handle most business tasks. Plus, users can expand the memory up to 1 GB to handle more sophisticated graphics software or video games, or to keep the computer humming smoothly when running several applications at once.

Adding to the notebook's value is an integrated DVD/CD-ROM drive, which functions either as a portable DVD player (8x read speed) or CD player (16x read speed) player, depending on your needs. Should users need to transfer or back up data, they can swap the drive for the included floppy drive (only one drive can be used at a time).

Business professionals will appreciate the 15-pin VGA monitor connection and S-video port, which make it easy to connect either to a larger external monitor or a TV for video presentations. Even without the larger screens, however, both DVDs and graphics applications still look sharp thanks to the notebook's 14.1-inch LCD display--which offers 1,024 x 768 resolution--and the ATI Mobility Radeon M6P graphics card (with 16 MB video memory). Audio-wise, the notebook boasts an integrated Cirrus Logic CS4205 sound card and built-in speakers, along with a microphone input and a headphone/speaker jack for connecting to external units.

Though the unit supports 802.11b Wi-Fi wireless networking (with a Type IIIA Mini PCI card slot), it doesn't come with a wireless card, so you'll need to purchase one separately to enjoy this feature. The remainder of the time, you can connect to the Internet via the built-in 56k modem, or join an integrated 10/100 Ethernet network to share info directly with other computers.

Peripheral connections stem from the USB 1.1 port (ideal for connecting to PDAs, MP3 players, printers, and more), the 9-pin serial port, the parallel port, and the PS/2 port (for an external keyboard or mouse). The unit also offers two PC card slots compatible with two Type I and Type II cards, in addition to a Type III card. Finally, the computer comes with a preinstalled Windows 2000 operating system.

The Latitude C610, which measures 12.6 by 1.46 by 10 inches (W x H x D), has been tested thoroughly and is in excellent working condition. It's also backed by a 90-day warranty on parts and labor.


Product Features

* Compact notebook computer with 1.2 GHz Pentium III processor and built-in 20 GB hard drive
* 256 MB internal RAM (expandable to 1 GB); DVD/CD-ROM combo drive with 8x DVD and 24x CD-ROM read speeds
* 14.1-inch LCD display with 1,024 x 768 resolution; ATI Mobility Radeon M6P graphics card
* Built-in 56k modem and 10/100 Ethernet port; supports Wi-Fi 802.11b wireless networking (card not included)
* Thoroughly tested and in top working condition; measures 12.6 x 1.46 x 10 inches (W x H x D); 90-day warranty

Processor, Memory, and Motherboard

* Hardware Platform: PC
* Processor: 1.2 GHz

Dell C610 P3 1.2ghz Laptop

The stylish Latitude C610 weighs only 2.57kgs (with floppy disk module) and is only 1.4" thick offering enhanced mobility and great performance with the latest Intel Pentium III processor - M combined with the Intel 830MP chipset. Powerful graphics with TFT screen, integrated modem and network cards with the option for Integrated Wireless LAN complete the picture.


Product Features

* 256mb ram
* 20gb hard drive
* cd-rom
* floppy drive
* windows 2000 pro

Processor, Memory, and Motherboard

* Hardware Platform: PC
* Processor: 1 GHz Intel Pentium 4
* System Bus Speed: 133
* Number of Processors: 1
* RAM: 256 MB
* RAM Type: Unknown

Hard Drive

* Size: 10 GB
* Manufacturer: Portable
* Type: IDE

Graphics and Display

* Graphics RAM: 16 MB

Ports and Connectivity

* Modem: Fax / modem

Wireless

* Wireless Type: Infrared

Geek Technique: Hacker puts Flash Memory in 4G IPod

If you love hacks like we do here at the Lab, this last week has been a treat for you. Apple TV has been properly spread open and put on the slab with upgradeable hard drives and the like. Now it's its older brother's turn.

Not for the faint of heart or the sausage-fingered, Mark Hoekstra's flash memory mod for all generations of iPod takes out the spinning, battery draining hard drive and replaces it with Compact Flash. Sure, 16GB of solid state goodness isn't cheap, but what's money in the pursuit of glory?

Based on his previous iPod Mini flash-mod, this four day long marathon of a project involved hand soldering 88 connections, all of them in a tiny space. In true entrepreneur spirit, he's using this as a prototype to actually get the things to manufacture. No prices yet, but you can drop him an email if you're interested. Or just to say "Well done".
Gadgets kitchen gadgets cool gadgets spy gadgets technology information technology new technology computer technology technology education ps3 wii x360 ati nvidia ipod

Hubble delivers spectacular galaxy

The galaxy, NGC 1672, is visible from the southern hemisphere and the NASA image taken in August 2005 shows the galaxy almost face on.

The remarkable image unveils details in the galaxy's star-forming clouds and dark bands of interstellar dust.

One of the most striking features is the dust lanes that extend away from the nucleus and follow the inner edges of the galaxy's spiral arms.

Clusters of hot young blue stars form along the spiral arms and ionize surrounding clouds of hydrogen gas that glow red.

Delicate curtains of dust partially obscure and redden the light of the stars behind them by scattering blue light.

NGC 1672 differs from normal spiral galaxies in that the spiral arms do not twist all the way into the centre. Instead, they are attached to the two ends of a straight bar of stars enclosing the nucleus.

Astronomers believe that barred spirals have a unique mechanism that channels gas from the disk inwards towards the nucleus. This allows the bar portion of the galaxy to serve as an area of new star generation.

The new Hubble observations, performed with the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard the observatory, have shed light on the process of starburst activity and on why some galaxies are ablaze with extremely active star formation.
Gadgets kitchen gadgets cool gadgets spy gadgets technology information technology new technology computer technology technology education ps3 wii x360 ati nvidia ipod

Flextronics unveils G700 Quad-Core Intel processor-based platform

Flextronics has unveiled its new G700 quad-core platform for OEM and ODM designs. The scalable G700 utilizes the quad-core Intel Xeon processor E5335 and the Intel 5000P chipset and maximizes available PCI Express I/O through modularity.

"We developed a flexible rackmount platform containing two quad-core Intel processors for customers seeking a high-performance, scalable solution for various networking, security and storage appliance applications," said Sean Burke, president of Flextronics' Computing Segment. "With its modular I/O approach, OEM and ODM customers can increase value to end users and offer various G700 models with options for Gigabit Ethernet (copper and fiber), 10GbE, Infiniband, storage, security acceleration for IPSec and SSL and many more modular options."

Burke added, "Flextronics' ability to design and manufacture Intel Architecture based motherboards and solutions supports our strategy to deliver enhanced services to our customers, and reinforces our position as a leader in advanced ODM and EMS products and services for customer branded systems and solutions."

The G700 includes eight cores per platform providing performance and energy-efficiency for network appliance and security appliance applications such as firewalls, unified threat management, intrusion detection systems, network attached storage and other filtering applications. A G700 based on the Quad-Core Intel Xeon processor and associated Intel 5000P chipset also provides an excellent solution for I/O-intensive workloads within communications and enterprise systems. This includes rack-mount servers, as well as NAS and SAN systems and other graphics intensive workstation environments in modeling, imaging and design.

The G700 is available in base system or OEM/ODM customized forms. The G700 features Intel I/O acceleration technology, Intel 64 Architecture, and Intel virtualization technology in a 2U chassis with hot swappable fans, powers supplies, and removable hard drives.
Gadgets kitchen gadgets cool gadgets spy gadgets technology information technology new technology computer technology technology education ps3 wii x360 ati nvidia ipod

Particle Collider Magnet Failure Blamed on Faulty Engineering

Researchers have identified the cause of a hiccup in the construction of the world's next top particle smasher, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). During stress tests last week at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), a support structure tore loose from the housing of a key ultracold magnet because it simply was not strong enough for the job, according to a statement released today. CERN will decide later this month whether upgrades will set back the start date of the LHC, which is set to switch on in November at the CERN facility near Geneva, Switzerland.

The magnet is part of a system for aiming the LHC's two counter-rotating beams of high-speed protons so that they collide into each other, liberating rare particles in a burst of energy. Researchers expect that these collisions will, at a minimum, allow them to cap off the vaunted Standard Model of particle physics, which neatly describes the forces at work inside atoms.

As protons emerge from the machine's 27-kilometer circular track, a sequence of three "inner triplet" magnets will focus them to collide with protons moving in the opposite direction. The superconducting helium that encircles and cools the magnets will occasionally release tremendous energy, which will exert pressure along the length of the magnets. But on March 27, when CERN engineers applied 20 atmospheres of pressure to one of the inner triplets in the LHC's underground tunnel, a support snapped in the last of the three magnets, the new statement confirms.

The supports were constructed from a fiberglass-epoxy laminate, which is not strong enough to withstand those pressures, according to independent reviews by CERN and Fermilab in Batavia, Ill., which designed and built the magnets.

"What the analysis shows so far is that something extraordinarily simple was missed in the design," namely, that the force on the magnets could be stronger in one direction than another, Fermilab's director Pier Oddone said in an accompanying statement. "[E]ven though every magnet was thoroughly tested individually, they were never tested with the exact configuration that they would have when installed at CERN—thus missing the opportunity to discover the problem sooner."

Fermilab engineers believe that workers can replace the faulty supports in all eight of the installed triplets—two per collision experiment—without delaying start-up of the LHC, says Judy Jackson, a Fermilab spokesperson. But she notes that CERN will revisit the issue later this month to make sure there will not be any holdups.
Gadgets kitchen gadgets cool gadgets spy gadgets technology information technology new technology computer technology technology education ps3 wii x360 ati nvidia ipod