Showing posts with label Laptops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laptops. Show all posts

Laptop Computers Stolen From DC Auditor’s Office

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WASHINGTON (CBSDC/AP) — Authorities are investigating the theft of two laptop computers that were stolen during a burglary at the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor.

The break-in occurred over the weekend at the auditor’s office on 14th Street in Northwest. D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown’s office said in an email Wednesday night that the laptops and several other items were stolen. The crime has been reported to police.

The auditor examines the accounts and operations of the D.C. government with a focus on economy, efficiency and accountability.

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Source: http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/04/18/laptop-computers-stolen-from-dc-auditors-affice/
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12 Pounds of Gaming Love

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It’s been quite a while since I attended my last LAN party, but I was under the impression that most gamers have moved on to laptops like these folks, if for no other reason than to quit it with all the lugging, loading, and hauling of gear. A laptop makes things easy: Bring your power adapter and a laser mouse and you’re ready to frag.

But every gamer knows that laptops — even so-called “gaming laptops” — have limitations. Namely, they suck at gaming. And they are ridiculously expensive, and if there’s one thing the typical gamer doesn’t have, it’s lots of money.

And so “real gamers” continue to soldier on, lugging their home-built desktops, a keyboard, mouse, monitor, cables, and gumption to every LAN party.

To them, Alienware offers this proposition: Give us $1,000, and we’ll give you a gaming desktop in a pint-sized design that’s easier to lug around. At a bit over 12 pounds (not including the 3-pound power brick) and a bit larger than a gaming console, the Andromeda X51 is easily toted under one arm, leaving the other free to carry the Keystone Light.

Our tester was spec’d a little higher than the $700 base model. Here’s what $1,000 gets you: a 3GHz Core i5, 8GB of RAM, a terabyte of hard disk space (7200 rpm), an Nvidia GTX 555 graphics card (with dual outputs), and slot-loading DVD. Loads of ports are available, including two front-mounted USB 2.0 and audio jacks. In the rear, you get four more USB 2.0, two USB 3.0, HDMI, Ethernet, SPDIF TOSLINK and coaxial ports, and, on the graphics card, dual DVI and one mini-HDMI port. Certainly a workable configuration either as a gaming luggable or as a pint-sized computer for, say, a dorm room.

Of course, it’s the benchmarks that really matter on a gaming machine, and the Andromeda doesn’t disappoint. It didn’t stutter on any game we threw at it, delivering well into the 60fps-plus range on every gaming benchmark we use. Perfectly playable, and with a P3166 rating on 3DMark 11, vastly superior to any laptop you’re going to find at video operations. General performance was exceptional but not record-breaking. Most computers with Core i7 chips will do better with CPU-intensive operations if that’s on the menu.

Gaming on a laptop is no picnic, but hauling gear to an event is no fun either. There’s no denying the X51 will provide a far better gaming experience than any laptop — even a machine three to four times the price. But only you know your tolerance for attempting to strap a desktop into your car’s passenger seat with the seatbelt.

That’s probably why they invented online multiplayer.

WIRED Plenty of ports and power for most gaming needs. Super portable: 15 percent the size of a regular Alienware tower. Modular internal design makes replacing or upgrading parts easy. Sturdy build. Reasonably quiet.

TIRED Necessarily limited expansion options: 330-watt power supply and physical issues mean replacing the video card is tricky. Still more expensive than a DIY system. Power brick is the size of a man’s shoe.

Source: http://www.wired.com/reviews/2012/04/alienware-x51/
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Intel chip tests surface ahead of Apple, Windows laptops

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Quad-core Ivy Bridge Apple and Windows laptops will likely appear first. New benchmarks offer a preview of Intel graphics performance in these systems.

New benchmarks point to decent performance jumps for upcoming Intel Ivy Bridge mobile processors. That should translate pretty directly to faster Apple and Windows laptops.

To date, we've seen plenty of Ivy Bridge desktop benchmarks but few hard numbers for mobile. Ivy Bridge is Intel's next-gen processor packing 3D transistors, improved graphics, and USB 3.0 via the accompanying chipset.
So, let's get right to the nub of the matter. Benchmark tests were conducted with a quad-core Core i7-3820QM Ivy Bridge chip and a current-generation Sandy Bridge Core i7-2960XM.

Testing based on 3DMark Vantage (entry, overall) yielded a score of 19,097 for the Ivy Bridge HD4000 graphics processing unit (GPU). By comparison, the Sandy Bridge HD3000 GPU posted a score of 11,583, according to Computer Base. That's a 65 percent performance boost for Ivy Bridge.

On 3DMark Vantage (overall, performance), the Ivy Bridge HD4000 racked up a score of 4,431 against Sandy Bridge's 2,179. That's a gain of 103 percent.

Both chips had a base clock speed of 2.7GHz and a Turbo Boost speed of 3.7GHz, according to CPU World.

As has been demonstrated in the past, performance gains for Ivy Bridge's central processing unit (CPU) were much more modest.

The first Ivy Bridge mobile processors are due to be announced later this month. Typically, Intel announces quad-core mobile chips first. MacBook Pros and high-end Windows gaming laptops use mobile quad-core processors.

Needless to say, quad-core Ivy Bridge laptops will almost invariably come with "discrete" standalone graphics from Nvidia or Advanced Micro Devices. But today many systems are designed to use both Intel and discrete graphics -- so Intel GPU performance is not irrelevant, even in these brawny laptops. And Intel GPUs will be very relevant with thin laptop designs that use only Intel graphics.

Power-efficient dual-core Ivy Bridge chips that are expected to land in the MacBook Air and ultrabooks should appear later in the spring.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-57412178-64/intel-chip-tests-surface-ahead-of-apple-windows-laptops/
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Cheap laptop fix: How I learned to upgrade my own RAM

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Conquering my own apprehension about RAM upgrades can be your inspiration. Upgrading your RAM can be the cheapest path to improved performance around.

Tip No. 1: Leave yourself more desktop space than I did.
Embarrassing admission of the month: before last Friday, I'd never replaced my own RAM.

Honestly, the explanation's simple: I tend to buy new laptops before I consider upgrading RAM. The last time I considered a RAM boost was probably a decade ago, and back then I paid to have it installed. I also found the idea of RAM slightly less immediately appealing. Upgrading a hard drive? Sure, lots of storage space. New processor? Faster speeds. But RAM...for many people, it might lack a certain sexiness or essential quality that justifies the upgrade.

It took my friend persistently reminding me that his RAM upgrade on the same laptop model (a late 2008 aluminum MacBook) paid huge dividends on performance to finally pull the trigger. I'm glad I did. Even then, I waited about six months. My computer got progressively slower with each OS X update, until Lion gave me endless spinning wheels with only one program open.

A quick search on Amazon gave me a bargain: Crucial's 4GB upgrade kit with two 2GB modules cost just $26, or $29 after tax and shipping. A no-brainer. For older laptops, getting RAM costs practically nothing at all.
You should swap your RAM out with two new modules. You can't beat $26 for 4GB.
How did I know what to get? I found a quick reference guide for my own laptop online, which I also used to order the RAM to the specific description and speed. Make sure you've got those details correct, since RAM comes in many speeds and versions.

Yes, upgrading RAM is easy -- it's like plugging in a game cartridge. But, it's like plugging in a game cartridge on a console whose cartridge slot is often locked up under a ton of screws and tucked next to circuitry. (For those who are tech-savvy, you can laugh away; this is for the uninitiated and the apprehensive.) The RAM slots on my MacBook lay under an aluminum panel and eight screws, which required a screwdriver so small I had to borrow it from fellow co-worker and PC guru Rich Brown. Even then, it wasn't a perfect fit. You'll probably have to pay a visit to a hardware store or look online.

Tip No. 2: Overcome your apprehension about exposed electronics. (And remove Mrs. Dash and golf balls from the work area.)
I also had to pop out and remove the MacBook's battery (the 2008 model's battery isn't integrated). With this much fiddling, I felt a little nervous about exposing the circuit boards underneath. If you feel the same way, then pay someone to do it. Still, it wasn't hard to do.

The biggest concern? Safely storing those tiny screws. I laid aside a plastic dish (wrapping from a random gadget) to hold the screws, and reminded myself where each one had gone -- some were differently sized. Don't lose them; finding a replacement would be a huge challenge.
Tip No. 3: Keep those microscopic screws somewhere you can see them, and where they won't roll away. (Credit: Scott Stein/CNET)

Before diving in, I touched a piece of metal outside the laptop to ground myself. Everyone recommends you do this to avoid damaging your equipment. Why not be safe?
I found the RAM and popped it out by squeezing two plastic side pieces, then pulled each one out and inserted the two new RAM modules, holding them by the sides, and breathing deeply like I was playing a game of Operation. After that, I popped the metal lid back on, screwed the panel together, and turned my MacBook back on.

Doubling the RAM is a notable improvement. No, my laptop's not technically faster, but programs open with less spinning-wheel action, and I can switch between programs easily. It's cleaner-operating. For $29, I've bought myself a little breath of fresh air for my aging laptop.

I'd recommend you do the same, if you can find RAM as cheaply. And be sure to consult all official documentation from your laptop manufacturer before proceeding, or being near an expert who knows what they're doing, just to be safe.

Long live cheap upgrades!

What should I take on next?

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57408079-1/cheap-laptop-fix-how-i-learned-to-upgrade-my-own-ram/
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Ultrabook uncertainty for component makers

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Ultrabooks are what Intel thinks of as the future of laptops, and why not, if they can make these laptops ultra-thin, light, ultra-responsive and optionally include an optical drive, why would you lug around a fat, heavy, beast of a computer?

The answer might be in price, as Ultrabooks typically look pretty posh and have a designer price tag to match. Though prices are coming down the cheapest Ultrabooks are still about twice the price of the cheapest new laptops.

Currently most Ultrabooks offer an 11in - 13in screen but more variations in the specification on offer are coming from various suppliers. And here is the rub with the component makers. Because of the tightness of space available in the Ultrabook form factor many of the components used within have to be custom made and shaped to shoehorn into the uni-body designs.

Manufacturers like to mass produce to benefit from the economies of scale. With more and more variations in the Ultrabook specification being made by various manufacturers to establish some competitive advantage (differentiation) it's hampering the component factories' mass production runs.

Component makers have been reported to be worried by the demand for this new form of laptop not kicking in and sales taking off, and a run of parts made for one particular Ultrabook most probably cannot be used in another. That equals waste and loss for the component manufacturer if they have any inventories built up. Reducing the run size increases cost and makes Ultrabooks more expensive and consequently less popular - a vicious business cycle. This is another illustration in economics how expectations are so important to outcomes.

In the tablet field we have the same problems, customers want thinner, lighter, yet more powerful systems and some parts have to be custom made to fit particular models. Here there is the added dimension of competing chipsets for Windows devices - Wintel or WoA (Windows on ARM).
However news just in from Lite-On regarding the possible revenue from Ultrabooks is very positive. The company suffered a significant income slump in 2011 due to the Thai floods. Yet citing growth of cloud computing, smartphones and Ultrabooks, positive US economic data as well as the upcoming Windows 8 operating system, Lite-On see lots of opportunity for revenues to pick up in 2012.

A question mark still hangs over the Ultrabook form factor, but with Intel pouring billions of dollars into the idea, we wouldn't want to bet against it.

Source: http://hexus.net/tech/news/laptop/37089-ultrabook-uncertainty-component-makers/
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Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7170 laptop

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This Qosmio might be a match for you if you need a budget-friendly laptop that can play games at an acceptable level.

The Qosmio X775-Q7170 is the entry-level model of the Qosmio X770 series of desktop replacement laptops. The Q7170 sports the same snazzy design as other laptops in the series: a 17.3-inch widescreen, a red-backlit keyboard, and a fade-to-red color scheme. However, it comes packed with some less-impressive hardware components and no 3D display. 

Our review model, priced at $1150 (as of March 23, 2012), has an Intel Core i5-2450M processor, 6GB of DDR3 memory, a 640GB hard-disk drive spinning at 7200 rpm, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 560M graphics card. Since the graphics card doesn't support 3D Vision, Toshiba offers a tray-loading DVD-SuperMulti drive in lieu of a Blu-ray disc player. The X775-Q7170 has built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth 3.0, and it runs 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium.

Related story: Toshiba Protege Z830 Ultrabook falls short of expectations

The X775-Q7170 earned a score of 82 on our new WorldBench 7 benchmark tests, which means that it was approximately 18 percent slower than our baseline configuration, which has an i5-2500K processor, 8GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti graphics card. This score isn't stellar for a desktop replacement laptop, but it's not bad for the price.
The Qosmio looks like its brothers in the X770 family, which is a good thing if you favor the chunky, plastic, super-polished gaming rig look. The chassis is almost entirely dressed in striated gray plastic, except for the very bottom of the lid (when the computer is open), and the very top of the keyboard deck, where the gray gives way to shiny metallic red. My colleague Jon L. Jacobi likens the Qosmio's casing to a tricked-out street racing car, and that's exactly what it looks like: shiny, fast, and a little tacky. 

Toshiba also slaps the Qosmio logo on the lid of the machine in red mirrored plastic, which only serves to make the entire thing look cheaper and more garish.

In case you couldn't tell, I'm not a fan of the Qosmio's overall look. But if you like gaming rigs with lots of shine and pretty lights, this may be the machine for you. The X775-Q7170 has a large keyboard with red backlights.

Turning the keyboard light on doesn't just light up the keyboard; it also lights up a strip across the top of the touchpad and six of the seven touch buttons located above the keyboard. I admit that the red lights look pretty cool when the entire machine lights up.

Aside from the full-size keyboard with ten-key number pad, the Qosmio's keyboard deck contains a large touchpad (with two discrete buttons and an on/off switch), and seven touch buttons (Eco Mode toggle, Wi-Fi toggle, Keyboard Light toggle, Play/Pause, Mute, Volume Down, and Volume Up). On either side of the touch buttons are two Harman/Kardon stereo speakers (Toshiba also supplies a bottom-mounted woofer for extra audio kick).

The keyboard's Chiclet-style keys are smallish, but they provide good feedback and are less stiff than smaller keys tend to be. The touchpad has a slightly rough texture, which seemed to trip up the smoothness and precision of my typing. The touchpad's large buttons are composed of shiny plastic and feel a little flimsy, as though they might break within a year. Since this is a desktop replacement, I suggest using an external mouse.

The Qosmio X775-Q7170 offers a generous selection of ports, considering that a large battery, fan, and optical drive occupy most of the back end. You get four USB ports (three USB 2.0, and one USB 3.0 with Sleep and Charge), VGA- and HDMI-out, gigabit ethernet, headphone and microphone jacks, and a lock slot. You'll find a memory card reader on the front of the machine.

This desktop replacement sports a glossy, 17.3-inch LED-backlit display with a native resolution of 1600 by 900. The screen generally looks good, with bright colors, good contrast, and decent off-axis viewing angles, but it falls short of full HD, and that fact is noticeable on such a large display. You can distinguish individual pixels, which makes content--including images, video, and text--look slightly fuzzy. At the desktop replacement level, this is definitely a bummer.

Video played smoothly on the laptop, despite the fuzziness. Basic HD streaming and DVD playback worked without a hitch, but you may want to consider another machine if you're looking for a strong gaming rig. In our Crysis 2 gaming test, the X775-Q7170 earned a mark of 69 out of 100, and managed frame rates of around 46 frames per second (at high quality, and 1366 by 768 resolution). Audio sounded good, however, thanks to the bottom-mounted woofer and the top-mounted speakers. The headphone jack delivered excellent sound, too.

The Qosmio X775-Q7170 disappoints as a gaming machine/desktop replacement, and it's too big to function well for any other purpose. Thanks to the extra-large battery that protrudes from the bottom of the laptop, the machine does get decent battery life for its category (about 4 hours, 30 minutes in our tests), but that means little when you're lugging around an 8-pound machine. Still, if you're looking for a laptop that you can play games on in a pinch, this model might be worth considering.

Source: http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/News.asp?id=66734
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Stolen laptop contained pictures of deceased child

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A family is asking for the safe return of a stolen hard drive containing pictures and video of their child, who passed away in 2008.

Durham Regional Police say that someone stole the external hard drive, along with a 52-inch LCD TV, a Panasonic video camera and two 17-inch Acer laptops from a home on Beckett Crescent in Courtice, which is just east of Oshawa.

The theft occurred in the early morning hours on Monday, police say.

The most important item for the family is the one-terabyte hard drive that was attached to one of the laptops.

It contains the irreplaceable videos and pictures of the deceased child.

Police are asking anyone with information about the crime to call police at 1-888-579-1520 extension 1736, or to call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Source: http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120326/child-pictures-stolen-laptop-120326/20120326/?hub=TorontoNewHome
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Using phones, maps, laptops...and the M5 "Sun investigation: Crash M-way madness"

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DRIVERS are pictured on a death crash motorway using phones, maps and even a LAPTOP at the wheel.

A Sun probe found truckers, van drivers and other motorists on the M5 chatting into mobiles and fiddling with their sat navs.

Some were poring over maps or documents and gulping from steaming cups of coffee.

Many took their eyes off the road to look down while several even took both HANDS off the wheel to stretch and adjust clothes.

The shocking photos were taken on the M5, one of Britain's busiest routes — the same motorway where two men died following a collision between a lorry and a coach near Halesowen, West Midlands, last Saturday.

Seven people were killed and 51 were injured following a massive 30-car pile-up on the M5 near Bridgwater, Somerset, last November. We snapped drivers on the stretch of the motorway in nearby Taunton.



 An RAC spokesman said: "Clearly, taking your hands off the wheel while driving creates unnecessary risk and increases the possibility of accidents. We advise all drivers to pay attention to what is going on around them at all times." Almost 25,000 people were killed or seriously injured in over 38,000 accidents on British roads in the 12 months to last September.


Source: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4220999/Drivers-using-phones-maps-laptops-behind-the-wheel-on-the-M5.html
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Thief stole laptop after apologising to victim

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A thief forced to apologise to his victim for stealing his laptop under a restorative justice programme stole the man's replacement computer during the visit.
Months earlier Ivan Barker, 21, had stolen a laptop and cigarettes from wheelchair-bound Jean Jacque Mathely.

So when he called round to say “sorry” his victim was naturally guarded, but let him in after he said police suggested he should face up to his offending.

But once inside, rather than apologise to the man he had wronged, he made off with Mr Mathley’s new laptop.

Now Barker, who sold the stolen goods to pay for booze, has finally been jailed for 16 weeks after pleading guilty to theft.

Stoke-on-Trent Magistrates' Court heard a few months after the original theft, Barker visited Mr Mathely's home in November last year.

Sue Hayers, prosecuting, said: "He answered a knock at the door and saw the defendant, who had previously been convicted of a similar offence of theft from the injured party, standing outside.

"The defendant said the police had asked him to visit to apologise to him for the previous offence.

"He initially believed the apology was genuine and let him in.

"They had a conversation, and the injured party went to the toilet. He then heard the defendant shout that he was leaving.

"When Mr Mathley went back into the living room he noticed the drawer on his computer desk was open and his laptop was missing. The defendant had also taken two 100 packs of cigarettes."

The court heard Mr Mathely had only just bought the computer for £200 to replace the first one Barker had taken three months before.

When he was arrested, Barker told police he had genuinely gone to the house to apologise, but while he was there "started stressing" and needed a drink.

He said he took the computer and sold it for £30. Barker pleaded guilty to theft.

Gary Corbett, mitigating, said: "The defendant had been drinking to excess and taking cocaine before he went to the address.

"This was an opportunistic offence, he didn't go there with the intention to steal these items."

Mr Corbett said Barker had made an effort to cut down on his drinking since the incident.

"He has gone from drinking every day to only four times a week, and not to excess," he said.

Magistrates sentenced Barker, of no fixed address, to 16 weeks in prison.

He also admitted a charged of failing to answer to bail, after he previously failed to turn up at court, for which he was sentenced to seven days in custody, which will run concurrently to his other sentence.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9160442/Thief-stole-laptop-after-apologising-to-victim.html
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The Nav13X from Netbook Navigator

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Netbook Navigator are one of those firms who seem to be unable to make up their minds what they want to be, initially we know of them as being a tablet manufacturer, but now it seems that they are into ultrabooks too, but like their tablets the Nav13X is small and neat in design.
There are couple of things that may put buyers off with the Nav13X, the first being that there is no operating installed and the second is that in order to access the Ethernet and mini HDMI port the user has to plug in an adapter, it’s not a deal breaker but for some users it may just be annoying.

Apart from those couple of issues the Navigator Nav13X is a nice looking ultrabook and has a neat 13.3 inch, WSVGA Back lit LED Display with a 1366 x 768 of pixel resolutions and it has a built in 1.3 mega pixel web camera. It is going to the powered by the latest Cedar Trail version of the Intel ATOM N2800 1.86 GHz Dual Core processor.
With a choice of memory from 2 GB to 4 GB of DDR3 SDRAM available and the buyer can choose from a 32 GB, 64 GB or the 128 GB 1.8 solid state drive (SSD) for their storage requirements. It has the usual networking and connectivity features such as Wi-Fi 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1, two standard style USB 2.0 ports and an SD Card Slot. However, it uses a special adapter for the Mini-HDMI port and the VGA/LAN RJ-45, which is a little awkward.

When it comes to size the Navigator Nav13X measures just 12.9 inches (W) x 8.6 inches (H) x 0.6 inches (D) and weighs in at just 2.9 pounds (1.3 kg) with the 3 Core 4100 mAh Li-Ion battery pack installed.

The Netbook Navigator is priced at around $500 with no operating system installed. The buyer can choose the Microsoft Windows 7 Home operating system at the following rates, Home Premium at $100, Professional at $150 or the Ultimate version for an extra $200!
Source: http://www.geekwithlaptop.com/the-nav13x-from-netbook-navigator
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Upwardly mobile: More Indian homes have phones, laptops and other gadgets...BUT some of them don't even have a toilet

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The stark gap between the 'haves' and the 'have nots' in India got an official confirmation on Tuesday when the Census 2011 data, released by the Union home secretary, revealed that a large number of Indian homes have a phone but not a toilet. But there's reason to cheer for Delhiites.

The national Capital, along with Chandigarh, ranks on top as far as access to facilities such as laptops, computers, mobile phones and cars is concerned.

Census 2011 was the first time that citizens were asked during the house-to-house surveys if they possessed a laptop, computer or a mobile phone.


The results show that the cellphone revolution in the last decade has resulted in a massive increase in teledensity.

The 2G scam may have hit the telecom sector, but the number of households having a telephone connection (both mobile and landline) has jumped to 63.2 per cent in 2011 compared to mere 9.1 per cent in 2001.
This means roughly two out of three households in India now have a phone. But the irony is that nearly half of the country's population - 49.8 per cent households - still defecates in the open. So there are families which may have a phone and a television, but not a toilet. In urban India, as many as 81 per cent households have a telephone connection.

The Census data shows that in Delhi, as many as 91 per cent households have a telephone connection, which includes 68 per cent mobile phones, while for Chandigarh the figure is 90 per cent.

So, more Delhi houses now have a phone rather than a television. In the Capital, 88 per cent households have a TV.

Every fifth house in Delhi and every fourth in Chandigarh owns a car, which is far higher than the national average of 4.7 per cent. The access to laptops, computers and Internet in India still has a long way to go, but Delhi and Chandigarh have already made rapid strides. Only 9.4 per cent households in the country reported having either a laptop or a computer while just 3 per cent of these homes had an Internet connection.

But in Delhi, 29 per cent of the 33.4 lakh households have a laptop or computer while 17 per cent have an Internet connection. Chandigarh fared even better than the national Capital and was on the top in the entire country.

Every third family in the city, or 33.2 per cent households, has a computer and 18.8 per cent has an Internet connection. Surprisingly, IT hubs such as Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh reported poor Internet distribution, with only 12.8 per cent and 8.4 per cent homes respectively having computer at home. Mere 2.6 per cent households in Andhra Pradesh reported to be having an Internet connection.

The new Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav, better deliver on his poll promise to give free laptops. His state has only 8 per cent households with computers and a shockingly low 0.9% having Internet connection.

'We have to do a lot more for the penetration of computers and Internet,' Dr C. Chandramouli, Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner, said while releasing the figures. The Census data also shows that as many as 86 per cent of Indian households live in their own homes while the rest live in rented accommodations. In Delhi, however, nearly 28 per cent families live in rented houses while the percentage is even higher, 47, in Chandigarh. As many as 93.7 per cent households in Chandigarh and 75 per cent in Delhi drink treated water - which was also a new question posed during the Census exercise this time.

The data shows that nearly 32 per cent families in Delhi live in one-bedroom houses. In 70 per cent of households in the Capital, only one married couple lives, pointing to the increasing trend of nuclear families.

A huge 98 per cent households in Delhi and 99 per cent in Chandigarh have electricity connection. 'The encouraging trends from the figures are that more households now have access to drinking water and electricity and more families live in pucca houses.

The mobile penetration is not only in urban areas but also in the rural areas. However, a disturbing factor remains that nearly 49 per cent of families in India still defecate in the open, which may also be due to some cultural factors,' Chandramouli said.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2114553/Upwardly-mobile-More-Indian-homes-phones-laptops-gadgets--BUT-dont-toilet.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
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Laptops stolen from school

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Launceston police are investigating the theft of 27 computers from a primary school.

They say St Finn Barr's Primary School at Invermay was broken into sometime between Saturday and Monday.

Detective constable Jason Bolton says the thieves took laptops.

"If any members of the public saw people acting suspiciously near the primary school between the 10th and the 12th of March could they please contact CrimeStoppers or Launceston CIB," he said.

The school's principal Anthony Healy says it will cost $30,000 to replace the computers.

"Its disappointing and very disruptive for the children in particular, the two classes that were using those computers means that the work that was on their computers is now gone so that means they have to either catch up or that work is not available for them to complete or to be assessed against," he said.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-13/20120313-laptops-stolen-from-school/3886794?section=tas
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48 NASA Laptops Stolen in Two Years: A Case for Better Encryption Practices

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It's not only businesses that need to worry about laptop security.

Even NASA laptops are vulnerable to theft and poor security practices: 48 NASA laptops or mobile devices were stolen from America’s space agency between April 2009 and April 2011, including one--unencrypted--laptop containing control codes for the International Space Station (ISS).

Although ISS does not appear to be in jeopardy, according to a NASA public affairs officer who spoke to the Security News Daily, the NASA security breaches underscore how serious and difficult a problem laptop and mobile device theft is--whether you’re a government agency or a small business or an individual.

In his testimony last month before the Science, Space and Technology House subcommittee, NASA Inspector General Paul Martin admitted that only 1 percent of NASA’s portable devices are encrypted. That leaves 99 percent of the agency’s laptops and mobile devices left unprotected, storing possibly not just employees’ personal data such as Social Security numbers, but also third-party intellectual property and perhaps space or government secrets (yes, I watched many episodes of Chuck).

Biggest Nightmare for a Business?

Lost laptops and lost mobile phones have long topped the list as the biggest nightmare for security chiefs and PR teams (see this Laptop Losers Hall of Shame for some older cringe-worthy stories). Why does encryption continue to pose such a big business challenge?

NASA offers a good example. It doesn’t have an agency-wide data encryption system or solution. Individuals can encrypt a laptop at the file, folder, or drive level, but that could leave too much room for error or leave too much up to user discretion. A centralized, managed encryption solution for your whole fleet of mobile devices is a better idea, but obviously may involve more costly enterprise resources. Implementing such a system across a chain of command, with lots of people and systems involved, no doubt requires a lot of planning and commitment.

Considering that the average value of an individual lost laptop has been computed as more than $49,000, however, making sure each laptop is encrypted before it leaves the room with sensitive data on it is probably well worth the investment.

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/251318/48_nasa_laptops_stolen_in_two_years_a_case_for_better_encryption_practices.html
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Asus peddles three-in-one smartphone, tablet, netbook

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Asus has officially launched its anticipated Padfone at MWC 2012, the all-in-one smartphone, tablet and netbook it announced almost a year ago.
 
The phone itself features a 4.3in display with the choice of either 16GB or 32GB of storage. There's also an 8Mp camera and 1GB of memory, with the dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor powering Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and not Nvidia's Tegra 3, as rumoured last year.

It's accessories that make the Padfone stand out, with the option to take the device into the tablet and netbook domains.

Dock the phone into the 10.1in Padfone Station and users not only have a tablet that extends battery power, but reconfigures the ICS platform for a larger screen at a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. It also shares data and 3G internet access over a single Sim, not unlike the Motorola Atrix and its Laptop Dock.

Add the optional keyboard dock and voila - you get a netbook as well.

The Asus Padfone will hit shelves this April. Prices have yet to be revealed. ®

Source: http://www.reghardware.com/2012/02/27/asus_unveils_three_in_one_padfone/
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The tablet or the laptop?

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Mobile devices have had a good run lately. First there was news that more wireless devices are being used in the United States than there are people to use them. Then we learned that accessing the Internet by mobile device doubled in 2011. Now we have the prediction that tablet sales will approach 500 million per year by 2015.

This, of course, is bad news for traditional PCs — desktop and laptop computers alike — that also officially will fall behind tablets in sales by 2015, according to projections from Business Insider Intelligence, an Internet industry research firm.

Alex Cocotas, a BI Intelligence research analyst, went so far as to declare that "the post-PC era has arrived." That's clear at home, where reading a book, checking your email and finding recipes has become a far more fluid activity on a tablet than a PC. But how that impacts business travelers — for whom laptops are only slightly less essential than oxygen — is to be seen.

Apple said last year that more than 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies are testing or using iPads and iPhones. But don't expect laptops to disappear any time soon, especially among business travelers, Cocotas said. The following discussion was edited from a longer conversation.

Q: Does the "post-PC era" mean the end of the laptop for business travelers?

A: The main knock on the tablet has been that it is a leisure device, and for business travelers, how useful it is depends on your needs. If you're trying to run programs running a lot of data, a laptop is still the perfect device. Tablets are great but not suited to that kind of work.

Q: Is the issue simply hard-drive size and the fact that tablets are rarely (if ever) larger than 64 gigabytes? Can they catch up?

A: Tablets don't have as much memory as laptops, but also the number of shortcuts and functional features make using and searching large data sets quicker on laptops. It's tough to say if that will ever come to tablets, but I imagine storage and battery life are two things they're working on.

Q: So where will tablets make inroads over laptops among business travelers?

A: We'll see a lot more customized tablets with customized apps, like product or inventory information unique to particular companies. You can really use tablets in any number of ways. That's one of the exciting things about them.

Q: How big is the role of smartphones for business travelers in the "post-PC era?"

A: Huge. People are increasingly using smartphones over computers. Every business traveler has a smartphone, which most people really use as a mobile email device more than anything. It has become a cliche to see a business traveler walking through the airport, looking at their phones. You certainly see that much more than them looking at laptops in the airport lounge.

Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/travel/sc-trav-0221-business-class-20120221,0,7742450.story
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Install an Old Laptop Hard Drive in Your Desktop

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You might need an adapter or two, but it is possible to recycle those old platters.

PC World - Reader Fred wants to know if a laptop hard drive can be plugged into a desktop PC. "The pin out appears to be the same," he notes, "but there is no separate power-supply connector."

Short answer: yes. Long answer: it depends on a few things. For starters, Fred, you neglected to tell me what kind of drive it is--IDE or SATA--or what kinds of drive(s) you have in your desktop.

However, you did give me a clue. Because there's "no separate power-supply connector," that means it's most likely a 2.5-inch IDE drive. (Newer SATA drives for laptops have the same interface and power connectors as their larger desktop counterparts.)

If I'm right, you can use your laptop drive inside your desktop--but you'll need an adapter. Fortunately, they're cheap; Newegg, for example, has the Rosewill RCW-616 Laptop 2.5" to Desktop 3.5" IDE Hard Drive Adapter Converter for just $4.99 shipped. It includes the necessary Molex adapter for connecting to your desktop power supply.

However, your desktop might not have a drive bay that can accommodate a 2.5-inch drive. If that's the case, there are adapters available.

On the other hand, consider an easier and more versatile solution: an enclosure that turns your old internal laptop drive into an external USB drive. That not only saves you from having to tinker around inside your desktop, but also gives you a drive you can easily use with multiple PCs.

Source: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9224425/Install_an_Old_Laptop_Hard_Drive_in_Your_Desktop
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Rugged laptop computer makers take aim at unique demands of battlefield computing

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PRODUCT INTELLIGENCE, 16 Feb. 2012. Demands are high on rugged laptop computer technology for military applications. On the network-centric battlefields of today, users rely on rugged laptops to deliver and process mission-critical information quickly. New applications are being designed as soldiers, sailors, and airmen carry these rugged computers on the front lines to provide intelligence and ever-increasing functionality for warfighters.

Of course, the first thing military customers want from their rugged laptops is right in the name: ruggedness. “The most important aspect is that rugged laptops do exactly what they say they do; the term rugged gets thrown around a lot, says Tim Collins, director of federal defense & intelligence at Panasonic Solutions Co. in Secaucus, N.J.

When the information being sent and received from a laptop can save lives, system failure is not an option, despite the many threats to laptop computer reliability in the field. Dust and water particles can enter a system and prevent pieces from working properly. Laptops can be dropped, or suffer through heavy vibrations while on an airplane or helicopter. The companies that design these products have been working to keep up with these threats.

“A lot of improvements are around materials management, improving the durability and survivability of the system; how can we look at the way the plastics are designed to absorb more impact?” explains Joe Trickey, rugged mobility and digital forensics marketing manager at Dell Inc. in Round Rock, Texas. Manufacturers are creating new materials and improved casings constantly to shield laptops from complete submersion in water, physically jarring drops, and hostile-environment conditions.

Ruggedness isn’t the only hardware advancement expected for rugged laptops. "I think the next thing you're going to see is going to be twofold, probably in the glass -- active touch screen and resistant touch through gloves, multi-touch technology," says Dell’s Trickey. Innovations in the glass also will facilitate affordable laptop displays that are outdoor- and sunlight-readable, or even readable through night-vision goggles.

In addition to hardware improvements, new applications are being designed to provide more utility to warfighters. A recent example is the Biometric Automated Toolset (BATS) that scans fingerprints and documents at military checkpoints to keep IDs on suspects and keep track of movement. Panasonic’s Collins describes the BATS as “One of the greatest non-invasive tools available to warfighters.”

With the constant advances in rugged laptop technology, there are many possibilities buzzing about. "Once you have the platform as a base, there is a solutions capability that you can now evolve upon,” Dell’s Trickey says. "Mobile digital forensics product that allows the warfighter to go into an enemy combat situation and retrieve enemy hard drives off notebooks, memory sticks, cell phones or cameras. Using that rugged notebook and giving it to military collections teams in the field provides a great benefit that now gives them things that they need to do to extract information and support the overall mission."

The rugged laptop seems to have found its niche in high-performance tasks that also require high mobility. "I think you're probably going to see the rugged laptop will always have its place in a vehicle or tactical environment," Dell’s Trickey says. "The individual warfighters aren't going to need as much, so they may use a slate." Laptops will have a use by performing the heavy lifting, such as the applications mentioned earlier, that needs to be done less frequently.

Rugged laptops look like they’re here to stay, and will continue evolving to fit the warfighter’s needs. Panasonic’s Collins explains the industry’s outlook on the future, "You just don't know where the next theater will take place, but we will be designing for that environment.”

Source: http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/2012/02/rugged-laptop-computer-makers-take-aim-at-unique-demands-military-users-on-the-battlefield.html
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Laptop-shooting dad is no role model

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Is pistol-packin’ pop a poor parent or a hero? (Feb. 13)

This article is disturbing to me for a couple of reasons. The first is that we are heading to North Carolina this week to attend our daughter’s graduate studies interview at Duke University in North Carolina, the same state where this cowboy is located. The second is that you have an angry man with a pistol proud of the fact he can pull out his .45 pistol and shoot at a helpless laptop. Imagine being his neighbour and getting him upset if you have a loud pool party. Would he jump the fence and start shooting holes in your pool?

I don’t feel this is the proper behaviour to get respect from a teenager. Sure he has proven a point, but if he didn’t have her respect before this adventure, he surely won’t have it now. I understand parenting is a tough role, but so is being a teenager. I feel he needs to show a little more understanding with his child’s behaviour and figure out why she feels she is so overworked. Possibly she has a tremendous amount of pressure with her school work.

Also, I have some concern with the trust factor with him snooping around in her computer. Apparently he’s an IT whiz. I’m sure any of his present or future customers will think twice before handing over their laptops to him with confidential information.

Andy Price, Ancaster

Source: http://www.thespec.com/opinion/letters/article/671275--laptop-shooting-dad-is-no-role-model
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The netbook lives!

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Sales may be down, but don't write off the netbook yet. It's still a viable form factor for Windows PCs. Netbooks have a few key advantages going for them, and computer manufacturers should just stop and take a moment to consider them.

The three mobile PC form factors are netbook, notebook and tablet. I own all three now, and I like each one for different reasons. As a software developer, I saw the need to move away from the desktop and to finally get mobile. Since mobile PCs are the future, I felt this was the year for me to get some portable Windows computers so I could better test my software on these form factors. It's not rocket science: There's a big difference between laptop and desktop user experiences (there will be even more so with Windows 8). I needed to see how my software feels on these devices.

I tend to be a bit on the thrifty side, so I spent months researching my purchases. I didn't want anything that was "bleeding edge" technology, but instead wanted low-cost, mass-market computers (which reaches broader audience of people using my software). I wanted a netbook first, but instead I opted for a slightly bigger netbookish laptop with an 11.6 inch screen, 1366 x 768 resolution and dual-core CPU, which I picked up on sale for only $299. I really like this computer, especially the screen size. Because I wanted to have some experience testing software on a real netbook with an Atom CPU, I shopped around. Walmart offered a tempting Acer model, but it wasn't until the newer ones came out with dual-core Atom CPU's that I finally decided it may be worth it. Finally I found a great deal on the ExoPC Windows tablet.

Being able to actually own and compare these three different form factors for some time now, I've reached some startling conclusions about netbooks.

Tablets Are Great, But Will Never Replace Laptops!

I like the Tablet PC and touch is quite interesting when you get used to it, but a Tablet PC will never replace a well-designed laptop computer. Why? First the keyboard is integrated into a laptop, while a tablet it is external (or soft touch). Let's face it, typing on a tablet will never be the same as on a laptop. On a tablet your keyboard has to take up screen space and the feel will never be the same as real keys. Also your finger gets in the way (view) on a tablet, unlike a touchpad on a laptop. So while tablets have their use, if I want a more complete Windows experience, a laptop wins hands down.

Netbooks Can Sub for Notebooks

So which form factor is better for the notebook category? Each has its uses and benefits. If you need the larger screen and a powerhouse CPU, of course a laptop is going to be better. That's why my first choice for a moble computer was larger and better than a netbook. Yet, there is just something about that little netbook which draws a person. What is it? Price and small form factor.

I have elderly friends on budgets and the low price at Walmart was just irresistible -- they love their netbooks! The netbook I bought is primarily for my wife to use, and she loves it. Now that Netbooks come with dual-core CPU's. They're powerful enough. Manufacturers like Acer and Asus would be better off keeping the specs as they are and instead make lower pricing the priority. Acer's D257 Netbook sells for $249 at Walmart -- at $199, netbook sales could possibly improve. Go for the price point, not features, I say. Stores like Walmart also need to display more models of netbooks. One netbook for every ten laptops on display isn't enough.

Low price, with small size and weight, is appealing. Even if a tablet weighs less than a netbook it will likely cost more -- certainly on a screen-size comparison basis. So netbooks win the prize for lightweight mobility.

I love my little Acer Netbook! It is so small and lightweight and it has a great keyboard. I don't need a special stand for it, like I do with the tablet to hold the screen at the right angle to work with it. The netbook is so inexpensive and so small, it is the first choice when one may want to grab a computer and take it on the road. Sure if you plan on some serious work, the larger laptop may be preferable, but if you only need the computer for simpler stuff, watching a movie, web browsing, reading using the Nook freeware application, the netbook is the better choice. The size and weight are just right, and it has the physical keyboard a tablet doesn't.

Now I know everyone is looking to ultrabooks as the future of mobile computing, but consider this: For the price of one ultrabook one could buy a Netbook for every person in a family of four. The price of a netbook is so low, that parents who want to buy mobile computers for their kids are more likely to be able to afford them.

Manufacturers Should Look At Netbooks Differently

What would I do if I was a Netbook manufacturer?

Lower selling prices as much as possible on netbooks, without totally killing margins
Turn the netbook into a consumer device just like our television sets are
Drop hard drive sizes down to 100GB
Drop the external VGA connector
Drop the Ethernet connector
Have one USB port
Keep the HDMI port and SD slot
Design them to use rechargeable AA batteries
Offer some models without WiFi
Offer Windows 8 Starter Edition
Manufacturers' goals should be to create the ultimate, tiny Windows PC that would be just as common as televisions and priced in the $150 to $199 range. Windows tablet computers currently cannot reach a goal like this, but a redesigned netbook computer could.

Source: http://betanews.com/2012/01/30/the-netbook-lives/
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Read E-Books on Your Netbook, Laptop, or PC With Kindle for PC

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When you hear the word Kindle, what's the first thing that comes to mind? For most people, this would be Amazon's smash hit e-book device, with its svelte looks and crisp e-ink display. But even if you don't want to shell out for a separate device, you can still enjoy many of the Kindle's benefits for no charge, thanks to Kindle for PC.

When you hear the word Kindle, what's the first thing that comes to mind? For most people, this would be Amazon's smash hit e-book device, with its svelte looks and crisp e-ink display. But even if you don't want to shell out for a separate device, you can still enjoy many of the Kindle's benefits for no charge, thanks to Kindle for PC.

With its range of powerful, dedicated hardware device, Amazon could almost be expected to neglect its Windows application. Instead, it has continued developing it, added compelling features, and made it into one of the best e-book reader applications available for Windows today.

When you first launch Kindle for PC, it prompts you to log on to your Amazon account. Once you do, your books are displayed with beautiful cover images. Double-click a book, and it instantly downloads to your computer.

Once on your computer, double-click the book again to start reading. If it is a book you bought on Amazon and started reading on another device, Kindle for PC will ask if you want to go to the last page you've read. It will also show any notes and highlights you've made in the book, even when reading it on another device, making for a seamless cross-device reading experience. Much like with Kindle devices, you can opt to ready our book in one of several fonts and font sizes. You can also control the color scheme (black, white, or sepia background), and its brightness. This is a very helpful feature when reading in the dark--and combined with the application's full screen mode, it goes a long way towards reducing eyestrain from monitor glare.

Modern computer monitors tend to be wide, and lines can stretch on and on. While you can increase the margin size (much like with a physical Kindle), Kindle for PC also lets you reflow the text into two columns. This makes for a beautiful layout, almost reminiscent of a physical book spread out for reading.

There is another feature Kindle for PC provides, which is something I can't do with my "real" Kindle 3 device. This is something called Shelfari Extras, and it provides instant context for the book you are currently reading. Shelfari is a community website owned by Amazon since August 2008. It is essentially a large catalog of books, where users are invited to tell the world about what they've read and fill in particular bits of information about every book, such as key characters, places, and even define special words used in the book.

With Kindle for PC, you can simply click the name of a character in the book, select More, and click Shelfari Extras. If it's a well-known book, a definition for that particular character will pop up ("John's brother, separated at birth"). This worked for the book I was testing Kindle for PC with, and frankly, it blew me away. It is a brilliant use of crowd-sourced information: The more people read the book and talk about it, the better the database gets.

When all is said and done, Kindle for PC still runs on a PC. It can be a small notebook computer, but it's no physical Kindle. That is not necessarily bad, but it certainly makes for a different reading experience.

Note: The Download button takes you to the developer's site, where you can download the latest version of the software.

Source: http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=1FC86892-04F2-2CF6-37A9A1C6EBCE6A0D
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