Posts Tagged ‘netbook’

Mobile Broadband

Despite the drool-inducing new tech from such phone-makers as LG, Motorola, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson, mobile broadband was the star of the show at the GSMA Mobile World Congress, which was held in Barcelona from February 15^th to the 18^th. At a press conference, Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg boldly declared that the era of mobile broadband is upon us.

“Mobile broadband has had its breakthrough,” said Vestberg, “and we believe that we will see three billion new mobile broadband subscriptions in the next five years.”

Vestberg’s estimates may seem a bit optimistic, but there is no doubt that the growth in mobile data is a significant reality. In the last ten years, the number of mobile subscriptions has grown six-fold, and now sits at roughly 4.6 billion. In 2008, marketing research firm comScore released a study that showed a 154% increase in mobile broadband use between 2006 and 2007. Vestberg asserts that, as the mobile phone industry continues to gain subscribers and develop content-rich applications, mobile traffic will increase by as much as 50 times in the next few years.

While the proliferation of smartphones in recent years continues to push mobile broadband use to new heights, there has also been a considerable increase in mobile-connected notebook computers, particularly among business users. There are currently 5 ways of achieving wireless mobile 3G and 4G broadband on a laptop. The simplest and most elegant solution is to buy a laptop (or netbook) with a built-in 3G or 4G modem. These are becoming increasingly common as wireless broadband makes the transition from a niche service to the mainstream. Of course, if your computer is any older than your current toothbrush, chances are you won’t have a built-in modem for mobile broadband. No worries, though, as there are four different technologies out there, ready to bring your aging laptop into the era of mobile broadband.

Just as PC Card Wi-Fi adapters jutted awkwardly out of laptops everywhere just a decade ago, 3G and 4G wireless modems are now available as PC Card and ExpressCard devices, as well as USB dongles. Portable 3G/Wi-Fi hotspots let you and your co-workers share a single mobile connection, and some cell phones even allow wireless “tethering,” so your computer can get in on the 3G action just by piggybacking on your cell phone’s signal.

While any of these options can get the job done, finding and accessing the best available network can be tricky on some devices. Look for devices that come bundled with mobile connection management software such as QuickLink Mobile from Smith Micro. A good mobile connection manager will easily manage and quickly connect to the fastest, most cost-effective network available. QuickLink-branded software often comes pre-installed on laptops with built-in 3G modems, such as those by HP and Dell. Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile also pre-load certain phones with QuickLink mobile connection manager and mobile multimedia manager to automate connectivity and enhance the multimedia user experience.

We’ll see over the next few years if Hans Vestberg’s utopian vision of mobile broadband comes to fruition. Maybe he’s right. Or maybe he’s been drinking the same love potion that made Steve Jobs think the iPad would be the next big thing. Whatever happens, it’s safe to say that mobile connectivity is happening, and it’s pretty cool.

Did you want a Netbook with a Touch screen? The Asus EeePC Touch Netbook will be for you. Last year we stopped at the ASUS booth and became impressed with their touch screen technologies in smaller computers. Well, this netbook will definitely continue the trend.

The Touch Netbook has an ATOM z520 – 1.33 GHz processor, 512MB L2 Cache, 533 MHz Front Side Bus, DDR2 memory, 32MB  SSD and 500 GB Web Storage. It also comes with USB ports, audio jacks and a RJ-45 connector.  Price point will be around $470 – compared to the 32 GB iPad, which has a slower processor for $599.  And it will do Linux or Windows 7.

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A Netbook to run Streaming video? A Netbook to push that video to a larger screen? That’s impossible – Or maybe not. Nvidia Ion might have the solution for you.

We saw the ION at CES 2009 and were impressed with it’s small form factor. Now we’re seeing a new generation as the ION is entering into a Netbook. Speed and convenience with a low priced machine.

Todd Cochrane talks with Ken (last year Andy talked with Ken) over how the ION has changed and how it works not only in Netbooks, but can improve the usage so you can watch streaming content in higher resolutions.

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• Skype Sold
  • Sold to ebay in 2005 for 2.6 billion – Meg Whitman – sore issue
  • 1.9 Billion was sold – 2.75 Billion overall – eBay keeps 35%
  • Silver Lake Partners with venture-capital firms Index Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz, as well as the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
  • Joltid Ltd.  Skype co-founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, retained the rights to the peer to peer software when they sold the company.
• Snow Leopard Freezes
  • Spinning circle
  • Press the C key

• iPhone to get MMS
  • September 25^th.
  • Software update
• G-Screen
  • Dual screen laptop
  • Windows 7 – Intel Core 2 Duo – 4 GB of RAM – Nvidia GF900M GT discrete graphics – SATA, DVD, 6 or 9 cell batteries -weigh 8.7 pounds
  • Could change the Netbook?
• Twitter 101?
  • Depaul University
  • Digital Editing: From Breaking News to Tweets
  • Utilizing Twitter

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I – S.U.N. (Straight Up News)
Tr.im gets Trimmed
Banking by iPhone
Going to ECCC? – Sept 26
Google Voice iPhone – Still trying
Apple Antiglare – on Macbooks
Monitor Prices – Earthquake Affecting?
Microsoft Gets Netflix
Fewer Game Blockbusters
XP RC Mode Available
9 XP Patches
Yahoo Buys a Domain

II
Facebook / Friendfeed – The Google of Social Networking?
- Will Digg Rumors Happen again?
- Are you a Twitter Quitter?
–Nielson Results
- Would you Twitter the Birth?
- Don’t Emergency Tweet
- Archive your Tweets

QOTW – Do you think the Facebook / Friendfeed is a good marriage?

III
Why is everyone upset over a clean install of Win 7?
A Faster Google
Touchable Holography

Extras:
Shoot it! iPhone Postcards
Who owned this car?
Promethia at 18
Top 10 iPhone Business Apps
How to NOT Sell your Netbook

YouTubin
Guitar Hero – – Rubix Cube Solvin Kid

HP Technology Forum Videos – Geekazine
CMSExpo Videos – SDRNews

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Challenge to Notebook / Netbook Makers. The Podcast Machine back up and running… – Final Days – Summer of Podcasts & announcement on Podcast Carnivale – Three more to Show 100 (August 19th). Thoughts out to Andy McCaskey. Looking for some supplemental income.

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I – S.U.N. (Straight Up News)
FreeyourID is Free
Sex Offender iPhone
Booyah!
Changes in Blip.tv
China Bans Mafia Wars
Intel Halts SSD – The fastest data corruption possible.
WD on Laptop 1TB
Million Dollar Netflix Challenge – Revamp and win
Samsung Chips Hit 1Ghz – Speed baby!
Monkey Brain
The 3-D Revolution – James Cameron’s Titanic will go on.

Special Report:
The AP and it’s Practices
Apple Tablet Rumor

II
Apple Blocks Google Voice
-17+ Apps
AT&T Blocks 4chan -
Verizon Palm Pre
-Sprint Acquires Virgin

QOTW – Do you use Hotel TV or your Notebook?

III
What is ‘Augmented Reality’?
Hotel Entertainment Changing?

Extras:
Desktop Background
Great .gov Websites
Bike of the Future
Gizmodo Apple Hype Probability Meter
7 Ways Technology Owns You
I lost the Cheese

YouTubin
How to guess the number of M&M’s

HP Technology Forum Videos – Backchannel
CES Videos – Geekazine
CMSExpo Videos – SDRNews

The Geekazine Weekly Podcast is produced every week for distrobution on Wednesdays. Feel free to contact Geekazine for more information. You can also Twitter – Plurk – Myspace – Facebook Group – FriendFeed or Digg the Podcast. The Geekazine Podcast is under a Creative Commons no-deriv license

Music for Podcast by the John Masino Band

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I might be shooting myself in the foot, but you know, I am not a big fan of the Rumor mill. Especially when it comes to Apple products. In the last 6 months, we have seen and heard about products that don’t materialize. The Apple Mini iPhone and Netbooks come to mind.

While I DO believe that Apple is making a Tablet, I don’t want to get caught up in the hype. That way we won’t have to turn around and say it didn’t happen. We’ll leave the rumor mill to TechCrunch who will tell you about the $800 Netbook and Touchscreen trackpad.

Even Patents cannot tell a whole story. Remember the rumor about an iPhone Flip? The iPod was suppose to get a facelift with buttons all around the device.

Personally, I feel stunts like this are no different than “Pump and Dump” scams.

From now on, we at Geekazine will give a “Rumor” the attention it really deserves. When it becomes fact, we will properly report on it.

Jeffrey Powers
Geekazine.

P.S. This is not at any means a dig on TechCrunch or it’s subsidiaries. It is otherwise a very informative website.

P.P.S. I understand this comes AFTER the post by Frank called Tabble. That post will stay active.

July 4th was a Blast – Summer of Podcasts Week 2 – Summer of Geekazine Winner – Michael – The Paypal issue – Studio almost done – The Green Screen Video – CES 2010

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I – S.U.N. (Straight Up News)
800 Jobs in Toronto – If Ubisoft says Yes.
Bing Travel on Fire – Literally
Social Security Numbers – Predictable
Christian Bible Goes Digital
Goodbye Compuserve
The $1 Netbook – With a Plan
Sony Netbook
-CES Video on Ultra Portable Notebooks
New Director at DARPA
No – kia on Android
4 Billion Downloads on Sourceforge.net
Drive By Hacking – Remember to tilt your keyboards sideways for the cool factor.
SF Giants Save Money – Million Dollars to be exact
Top Female IT MAN – ager – Yeah, Baby!
-Kate Bio
Mile High Chat Club

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II
Twitter Getting Nobel – 140 Character Peace
Apple Video Camera – Will it replace the Flip camera?
AT&T and Verizon Under Fire – Telecoms and their practices
Mercedes Limo

QOTW – Are Universal Chargers a Good Idea?

III
Beta Gone from Gmail
Online Stations get Royalty Deal
President of the Internet – Really?

Extras:
iPod Recorder
Twitter Your Heartbeat
VHoldR Head Cam – in 1080p
iPhone Hearing Aid – WHAT!?!

YouTubin

HP Technology Forum Videos – Backchannel
CES Videos – Geekazine
CMSExpo Videos – SDRNews

The Geekazine Weekly Podcast is produced every week for distrobution on Wednesdays. Feel free to contact Geekazine for more information. You can also Twitter – Plurk – Myspace – Facebook Group – FriendFeed or Digg the Podcast. The Geekazine Podcast is under a Creative Commons no-deriv license

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Last week in this place. I ate a lot of Brats this last weekend. Goodbye to friend ‘Supergirl’. Show Prep on Google Docs. Still need an iPhone App developer.

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I – S.U.N. (Straight Up News)
Lenovo S12 on ION
Kumo or Bing – Microsoft in a transition
The 10 TB Disc – All your music and movies on a DVD
Win 7 Netbook Strategy Rethought
iPhone Painting on cover of New Yorker
Hulu LIVE – Dave Matthews Concert is the first
Aneesh Chopra CTO – Senate approves
Apple Accepts Eucalyptus – a win for an iPhone App
Followup on Craigslist Lawsuit
Google U Libraries
Diamond Encrusted Nokia
- Palm Pre – $549

JOTW – I don’t know what I’ve been told… Vista is the Army’s Gold….

II
Twitter TV? – TV in 140 characters or less.
The Vista Army – What are they thinking?

QOTC – Will you or do you have a Netbook?

III
Will Netbooks Fail? – Will we find a Happy Medium?
Circuit City Return Policy – Be ready to give up Junior.

Extras:
Red Bull Diet – Good for you?
The New Soundwave – Transformers USB 4 port hub

Steampunk PC

Bud Adjustable Workstation

YouTubin:
Dell Mini 10v on Ubuntu, Android and XP

CES Videos – Geekazine
CMSExpo Videos – SDRNews

The Geekazine Weekly Podcast is produced every week for distribution on Wednesdays. Feel free to contact Geekazine for more information. You can also Twitter – Plurk – Myspace – Facebook Group – FriendFeed or Digg the Podcast. The Geekazine Podcast is under a Creative Commons no-deriv license

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:10 — 21.1MB)

The HP netbooks will come with the netbook version of Windows XP and will start at $199.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate.

Read the full story here.

I just looked at the Verizon Wireless website. There’s no mention of it yet.

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Put Your Financials into order – Edward Jones

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