Netflix’s streaming video application for the iPhone allows users to access their streaming instant queue from anywhere and works surprisingly well whether the user is connected via Wi-Fi or AT&T’s 3G network. The same application was recently announced for Windows 7 Phones, and according to a post on the Netflix blog, it will also launch on Android devices early next year.

The hold up according to Netflix? DRM. The delay was due to “the lack of a generic and complete platform security and content protection mechanism available for Android.” “The same security issues that have led to piracy concerns on the Android platform have made it difficult for us to secure a common Digital Rights Management (DRM) system on these devices,” says the company.

Link to the original article…

Microsoft unveiled their new Internet Explorer today, in beta form and it’s a definite leap above their prior 3 iterations of their browser easily. With HTML5 support, built-in integration with Windows 7 and 32-bit and 64-bit versions for Microsoft Vista and Windows 7 as well as support for hardware acceleration and a real clean interface, Internet Explorer 9 is nothing like the versions before it – it actually works well and lacks that sluggishness in the UI.

The improvements to Internet Explorer are as much about what you don’t see as what you do see. Internet Explorer 9 has a streamlined design, fewer dialog boxes to click through, more intuitive navigation, and many new features that speed up your web browsing experience. Features like Pinned Sites let you pin your favorite website directly to the taskbar for one-click access. Other features, like hardware acceleration, deliver an all-around faster browsing experience. With Internet Explorer 9, websites perform and feel more like the programs you use every day on your PC.

The bad part? If you’re still running Microsoft Windows XP, don’t even attempt it. And to be honest, the integration in Windows 7 is a tad bit more in-depth and seamless than with Windows Vista – but the experience is close enough between the two operating systems that I think it’s merely reflective on my like of Windows 7 and my intense dislike for Vista.

Seriously though? I’m impressed. It’s fast – I mean like Opera 10.6 fast – and the UI is not in the way at all. Combined with Adobe’s release today of their 64-bit Native Flash 10.1 Player nicknamed “Square” (download here), it seems like Internet Explorer might become an option once again for developers and people who have long abandoned Internet Explorer since the very early Mozilla/Opera days… like me.

Bravo Microsoft. You’ve all but shut up my typical hatred for all things Internet Explorer. Besides speed and support for new technologies though, let’s hope you’ve worked on the security of this browser just as well. That’s the other reason I disliked Internet Explorer.

[ Links: Beauty of the Web, Download IE9 Beta ]

I’ve covered OQO news in the past, anticipated the OQO Model 02+ which was to come with their first Intel processor but somewhere along their timeline to come out with that model, OQO went out of business. Or did they?

From out of nowhere, OQO.CC has come forth with news about how they are/were the Chinese arm of the American OQO firm that went out of business officially in April of 2009, before the release of the OQO Model 02+. There are even official sounding specs on the device:

Operating system: Windows 7
Processor: 2.0 GHz Intel Z550
Memory: SSD 128GB
Memory: 2GB
LCD: 4.8-inch bright LCD screen (supports 1024X600)
Touch mode: Multi-touch
Graphics: Intel GMA500
Sound Performance: Built-in speaker and microphone
Communication: Wireless LAN, Bluetooth 2.0 chip, 3G, Ethernet (optional), etc.
Computer Interface: High-speed USB2.0 port headphone jack DC power input port HDMI port
Interface expansion slots: Power input port VGA port Ethernet interface (optional)
Input Devices: Built-in keyboard pointer keys
Battery Type: Polymer lithium battery
Power adapter: V AC 12 V DC/100-240
Supplied Accessories: Standard Battery Double the battery power adapter
Price: 31,888 yuan

While it looks very official and even has an official release date of Q3, 2010… that price is a killer. 31,888 Yuan translates to about $4700 USD. Ouch!

Guess my old OQO 01+ will have to wait to get replaced after all.

[ Links: OQO Chinese ]

MSI will unveil its next-generation tablet PC Wind Pad aimed at the Apple iPad at Computex Taipei 2010 to be held from June 1 to 5 in Taiwan.

Available in either Windows 7 OS or Android OS, the Wind Pad features a 10-inch LED touch screen, Intel Atom processor and Intel GMA 3150 graphics card.

Weighing 800 grams, it supports Wi-Fi/3G, GPS module, a webcam, a USB port and eight hours of battery life.

Link to the original article…

AVerMedia has shown off its Video Capture USB at CeBIT 2010, which allows users to watch and record digital TV on PC.

It can convert piles of video tapes and turn recordings in diverse analog devices into a comprehensive DVD format without a loss of quality. Plus, real-time Apple iPod and Sony PSP format recording allows you to take your favorite shows on-the-go. This USB device is Windows 7 certified. It can run on both AVerTV 6 and Window Media Center with superb reception ability even while commuting.

Link to the original article…

Lenovo announced the industry’s first hybrid PC for consumers, the IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook, a groundbreaking concept and new genre in PC form factors. The IdeaPad U1′s unique design is engineered to provide consumers with two PCs in one device – each with its own processor and operating system – that work together and independently as either a clamshell laptop or a multitouch slate tablet.

The IdeaPad U1′s fashionable scarlet red exterior has a footprint just smaller than a piece of paper and is paired with an equally impressive 3.8 pound thin and light design. With its unique detach-and-converge form factor, users can easily remove the screen to instantly switch from clamshell mode into a multitouch slate tablet. When the IdeaPad U1 is in its traditional clamshell form, the system boasts an 11.6-inch HD LED screen and runs Windows 7. When the 1.6 pound, multitouch screen is removed, it becomes an independent slate tablet with a powerful ARM processor, running Lenovo’s customized Skylight operating system.

Leveraging the benefits of both CPU, the two devices can synchronize to work as one with the ability to share battery power, 3G wireless, data and documents. In this way, the base laptop system can serve as a hub and docking station and the slate tablet as a mobile device. The two PCs have been engineered to work together and independently through Lenovo’s Hybrid Switch technology that enables seamless toggling between the two processors. For instance, users can surf the Web in laptop mode and then continue from the same point without interruption if they detach to tablet mode.

The IdeaPad U1′s laptop and tablet modes each support more than five hours of 3G Web browsing and 60 hours of 3G standby. In addition, the U1 comes with integrated video camera and two stereo speakers with integrated microphone with echo cancellation make this the ideal PC for users who need flexibility but do not want to compromise features or functionality.

The Lenovo IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook will be available June 1, 2010 with an estimated retail price of for under $1000.

Link to the original article…

C-motech [ site here ] introduced its dual-mode USB modem ‘CBU-450D’ supporting both HSUPA and WiBro in the Korean market.

Measuring 92.7×33.4×12.2mm at 43g, the CBU-450D accommodates a maximum download speed of 7.2Mbps and a maximum upload speed of 5.76Mbps from HSUPA mode, and 33Mbps download speed and 5.2Mbps upload speed from WiBro. It supports Microsoft Windows 7, Vista and XP.

Link to the original article…

I am not in a position to say whether the claims that the CompuLab fit-PC2i is the smallest desktop on the market are accurate, but it is tiny and they might be. The tiny desktop is 4 inches wide, a bit over an inch tall, is built out of aluminum and weighs in at just 13 ounces. It’s tiny.

While the Atom processor might not be good for any processor intensive functions, it is enough to run Windows 7 professional, and it runs off just 8 watts and runs cool enough to not need a fan.

Specs are what one would expect: Intel Atom Z530 1.6GHz, or Atom Z510 1.1GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM with a 2GB upgrade option, 4GB of on-board flash memory and a 2.5-inch drive bay.

So, what can it do? If you look at the back there are 4 USB ports, a pair of Ethernet ports and a mislabeled HDMI port. If you get the WLAN option it would be a great way to stream 1080p video to your TV and if you shell out the dollars for an SSD you can have a totally silent system. I liked the DVICE idea of mounting it on the back of the screen, but the form factor is such that you can hide it away just about anywhere.

Prices vary according to the options, you can choose from diskless, pre-loaded Ubuntu, XP or Windows 7, but for my money the Diskless (on) system looks like a pretty good buy. Drop in an extra GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD and you get a versatile little system. [Compulab via DVICE]

Link to the original article…

The origins of hacking grow from healthy enthusiasm to add functionality to hardware by tweaking program code. So this is not the case. However, getting Windows drivers for Apple Magic Mouse in a way that turns out pretty easy makes us thing you’ll find it interesting and striking a bit.

The big news here is only that Windows 7 and XP machines have had their drivers extracted from regular software update for Macs with MS operating system running on Boot Camp to take its cover in hostile environment. As for Vista drivers, they should probably be backwards compatible from Win7.

Link to the original article…

Acer Korea [ site here ] has launched its new netbook ‘Ferrari One’ based on AMD’s second generation ultra-thin platform, Congo.

Adopting a 11.6-inch CrystalBrite LED-backlit LCD monitor at 16:9 aspect ratio, the Ferrari One is powered by AMD Athlon 64×2 L310 Dual Core processor, 2GB DDR2 800MHz memory, M780G chipset, ATi Radeon HD 3200 graphics, 320GB HDD and Windows 7 OS.

It comes with a Ferrari inspired design now available in the Korea. Sorta a oxymoron though… netbook and Ferrari. One is fast, the other… you get it.

Link to the original article…

ASUS held a press conference to announce its Windows 7 based ultra-slim notebook PC UL Series and fifth-generation netbook Eee PC Touch for the Korean market.

Boasting up to 12 hours of battery life thanks to the company’s exclusive EPU (Energy Processing Unit) system and 5600mAh 8-cell battery pack, the UL Series is powered by Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 CULV processor.

Adopting an 8-inch swiveling multi-touch screen and Windows 7 Home Premium OS, the Eee PC Touch features Intel’s Atom Z series CPU, 32GB SSD and remains lightweight at 0.9kg.

Link to the original article…

SEOUL, Korea (AVING) — Toshiba Korea launched its premium ultra-thin notebook pc ‘PORTEGE T130′ in Korea market, which is designed to meet the demands of everyday mobility.

Measuring less than one inch thin at its slimmest point and weighing 1.7kg with 6-cell battery pack, it adopts a 13.3-inch Clear SuperView 16:9 widescreen. Powered by Windows 7 OS and power-efficient Intel ultra-low voltage processors, the PORTEGE T130 is equipped with ultra-fast DDR3 memory and lots of expansion ports, including HDMI-out.

Toshiba Korea launched its premium ultra-thin notebook pc ‘PORTEGE T130′ in Korea market, which is designed to meet the demands of everyday mobility.

Link to the original article…