A netbook from Toshiba
Toshiba Computer Systems Division has thrown its hat into the netbook arena with the NB100 — a light weight mobile device running on Intel’s Atom. The Toshiba NB100 comes in three colors — black, silver and gold. Toshiba will also make a variety of skins available for further customization.
The NB100 offers an 8.9'' WSVGA 1024 x 600 LCD panel with an LED backlight. It is available in two variants, Ubuntu Netbook Remix 1.0 or Windows XP Home. The netbook provides entry-level 3D graphics with an internal graphics controller, stereo speakers and full video-playback capability. With Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, Wifi (802.11 b/g) and 10/100 Ethernet interfaces, the NB100 easily connects with peripherals or Internet access points. Three USB ports with Sleep-and-Charge function complete the functionality of the NB100, with the entire package priced at $575.
Where are your kids online?
Recent studies have shown that twenty-seven percent of online teens reported talking about sex online with someone they have never met in person. Forty-two percent of online teens have posted information about themselves on the Internet so others can see it and contact them. Twenty-four percent of teens claim that their parents are never around when they’re online. Seventy-one percent of parents believe their children use the Net for research, but just twenty-three percent of teens say they do research online.
Are you terrified yet? If you’ve got a teenager using the Internet you should definitely be concerned about online safety and given the risks, simply asking a teen to abide by your family’s rules regarding Internet usage is unacceptable. The Family Cyber Alert (www.itcompany.com) lets parent know clearly what their children are doing online. The app has a keystroke log, and a full array of monitoring functions. There are separate logs for sent e-mails, chat participation and websites visited. It also forwards copies of any e-mails sent, and incorporates blocking software to block programs as well as specific websites. The product comes with a two-week trial.
Attack of the Mac
A 2008 Needham report shows that after a decade of stagnation, Macintosh unit sales have almost tripled in the past three years. Needham forecasts that in the next 10 years, Mac unit sales will grow dramatically to almost 40 million units by 2017. So if you feel a Mac attack coming on, the Belkin Switch-to-Mac Cable ($49.99) provides a simple way to transfer files, settings, preferences, and more from your PC to a new Mac computer.
The Switch-to-Mac Cable with its easy-to-use Migration Assistant automatically moves your music, movies, photos, files and Internet preferences. The product is already released in the US and becomes available elsewhere in February. Transfers are made at USB 2.0 speeds. The Migration Assistant moves files and settings from default PC folders and applications to default Mac folders and applications, then gives a summary of transferred content. It’s compatible with Windows XP or Windows Vista and Mac OS X v10.4 and v10.5.
And to make the most of that new computer, take a look at www.macworld.com/howto.html. The site is filled with tricks and tips for Mac users. Need specific help? Then use the category headings to look for information about video, audio, graphics, web publishing and programming. The site also features tips for iPods and their accessories, digital cameras, scanners and printers.
