We’re not exactly sure why “WIDEBOOK” has to be in all caps, but LG just took the wraps off its latest line of niche notebooks. Comprised of five models in total, LG’s WIDEBOOKS all feature LED-backlit displays with a 16:9 aspect ratio that LG has dubbed “cinematic”. Mmm hmm. Starting at the bottom we have the R380, a 13-incher that can boot in five seconds with “Smart On”. In the middle of the pack, the R460 and R560 tout 14 and 15.6-inch displays respectively, and then up at the top we have the like-sized R480 and the R580. The entire range sports Windows Vista or 7, Core 2 Duo processors, between 2GB and 4GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce graphics chips with up to 1GB of graphics memory, and display resolutions of either 1600 x 900 or 1368 x 768 pixels. The R580 also packs a Blu-ray drive to make that “cinematic experience” complete. Pricing isn’t yet available but the wait won’t be long — LG’s WIDEBOOKS will roll out this month in Turkey, Dubai and Saudi Arabia, followed by other countries in Asia, Europe, Latin America and last but not least, North America.

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Now before we get into these screen caps our disclaimer must be made explicitly clear: This is superduperultramegaturbo rumor/skeptical status. Right then. A German blogger claims to have dug up a hand full of iTunes 9 screenshots while sifting through a Chinese Apple forum. Yeah, we know — did you not read our disclaimer? For those of you who are late to the party, we exclusively scooped a handful of features said to be coming to the next version of iTunes and then followed up this morning with some tasty new info. Should these screenshots be authentic, they definitely firm up several of the items we listed including Last.fm integration and some kind of integration with Facebook and Twitter as shown in the first screenshot below (social playlists?). Hit the jump for the rest of the shots and a bigger version of the image above.

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Google recently issued a new beta of its infant web browser and while it touts some huge improvements over older builds, we still find ourselves hesitant to give it any real face time on our machines. Let’s start by covering the improvements: First and foremost, Google claims the new version 3.0.195.4 runs over 30 percent faster than previous builds according to benchmark tests. Wow. To jump over 30 percent from one build to the next is nothing short of incredible and in our time spent playing with it, the improvement is quite obvious. Beyond speed, Google has also added some customization options to the new tab page, tweaked the display in the Omnibox, added some basic HTML5 capabilities and added 29 themes just in case the old Google blue bored you. Long story short, the new version offers a pretty respectable bump over previous builds — but we’re still not using it. Why? The answer is simple: one product cannot be all things to all people.

Firefox’s greatest advantage over Chrome is still its open nature and its vast development community. We have about 15 Firefox add-ons we simply could not browse without, literally, and another 10 or so that we could probably live without but really don’t want to. Thanks to the endless stream of available add-ons, Firefox’s behavior and functionality can be tweaked to suit individual users’ needs as opposed to just being a solution that meets the basic needs of a wide range of users. Mozilla has amassed a tremendous community of developers who support its open source projects, many of whom are simply brilliant and more than generous in donating their time and skill to making Firefox a more versatile browser. We’re sure you can see where this is going. We’ve grown accustomed to the versatility Firefox affords and until Chrome or any other browser can manage to attract developers like Mozilla has, they just don’t stand a chance on our machines.

[Via Google Chrome Blog]

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UPDATE: Just a word of warning — we’re getting reports from several Mac users that 3.5 has issues with restoring sessions/tabs after exiting and reopening the browser. By issues, we mean it doesn’t work. Windows users are seemingly not affected.

UPDATE 2: If you’re having the problem mentioned above, go to Firefox > Preferences > Privacy [tab]. If “Clear history when Firefox closes” is checked, click on Settings and uncheck “Browsing History”.

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Opera tantalized everyone last week with its proclamation that the Norwegian company was about to reinvent the Web. We were skeptical at best. Here we are on launch day and, well, the Web kind of feels the same, but Opera has announced its latest and greatest innovation, dubbed Opera Unite. According to the post at Opera Labs, Opera Unite is an application that will turn any computer running the software into a web server. Users running Opera Unite will be able to share content with multiple computers over the Internet through the web browser, or even web applications called Unite services. Opera is pushing the service as a social media tool that requires no third party service, no complicated setup and no additional fees. Your data shared from your computer, on your terms and under your control. The service will launch with a few demo applications including Opera Unite Jukebox, an in-browser media player, and an instant messaging application. Opera Unite will work on Mac, Windows and Linux PCs with expansion to mobile browsers and other devices expected in the future. An alpha version of the Opera Unite software is now available for download.

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It’s no mystery that when it comes to computers and the Internet, you need protection. Maybe not the kind of protection ‘ole Harry here is packing, but the stronger the better in this day and age. Most agree that there are several good free anti-virus solutions available on the market and while they may offer decent protection against the various malware floating around, there’s no substitution for subscription services such as those offered by Symantec and McAfee. Apparently, Microsoft hopes to change that stance. Codenamed Morro, Microsoft is preparing to bring a new free anti-virus solution to market that could spell trouble for competing products in the AV industry. The company’s earlier attempt at an anti-virus solution, OneCare, was anything but a success following its launch in 2006 and subsequent benching. Since then however, Microsoft has stepped up its game where marcom is concerned and to say the company is on a roll is an understatement. Morro, poised to compete with free anti-virus and entry-level paid solutions, is expected to be released soon as a public beta with a full launch slated to follow before the year is out.

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Yesterday, news that the Palm Pre was capable of synchronizing content with iTunes hit just about every tech and gadget blog on the planet. In fact, it even reached mainstream media blogs that typically shy away from little tidbits. Really? Fair enough — it’s pretty cool for Pre proponents to know that their future handsets will sync with iTunes out of the box. The level of excitement over this story got us thinking though… If people are this excited that the Pre can sync with iTunes, does that mean they think many current handsets cannot sync with iTunes?

If the answer is yes, that is most definitely not the case. While it is indeed true that many handsets lack the ability to sync with iTunes out of the box, it’s 2009, people — there’s an app for that. There are many, many solutions for syncing your phone with iTunes in fact; from OEM and Apple-sourced solutions to third party plug-ins and utilities. Here at BGR we have two apps in particular that we are fond of, both developed by third-parties: iTunes Agent for Windows PCs and iTuneMyWalkman for Mac.

Without getting too into the particulars, both of these awesome free applications allow you to sync iTunes with any device capable of connecting as a drive. Smartphones, dumb phones, flash drives or even digital cameras if you’re so inclined — if it has a mass storage mode, you can sync it. Several OEM options are a bit cleaner in terms of appearance and dedicated functionality but none are as universal the aforementioned apps. Since we go through phones like they’re candy, we can’t be bothered with 10 different OEM sync solutions. Even if you only get a new phone every year though, why bother with learning new sync software if you change brands? So, if you’ve been looking for a way to sync your phone with iTunes quickly, easily and even automatically, definitely give our recomendations a shot and let us know what you think.

[Via The Next Web]

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While WES might have turned out to be a wash as far as new handsets are concerned, there’s still plenty of awesome new stuff down here in sunny Orlando, FL. New to the scene is LogMeIn Ignition, an app for the Storm which allows Windows and Mac users to access and control their computers on the go. Just like its iPhone app cousin, LogMeIn Ignition has the ability to pan and zoom, a full-QWERTY keyboard and the ability to store login details for multiple computers along with necessary passwords with 256-bit SSL encryption. LogMeIn’s Ignition looks to be a definite winner for those who are looking to access their computers while on the move. Look for it to make its retail debut sometime in the near future, but for now you can sign up to learn more and be notified as soon as you can join the beta program by hitting the read link.

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More bad news for OQO fans we’re afraid, as a recent conversation with Senior Vice President Bob Rosin basically confirms worries that had been circulating regarding the longevity of the UMPC maker. Long story short, the company is in dire need of a knight in shining dollars. Regarding a recent rumor that suggests OQO is canceling pre-orders from vendors, Rosin had this to say:

While we haven’t canceled the orders, it is unlikely that we will be able to produce additional model 2+ units, so it did not seem worth trying to police that story, as it is accurate in a long-term sense.

Ouch. You can’t bring home the bacon if you can’t keep building a product, but OQO’s woes are hardly all off in the distance. In fact, the company seemingly can’t even afford to support its products right now. Rosin confessed that support services were currently unavailable, leaving current OQO owners to fend for themselves, but stated “there will be a solution to that available soon.” The shame of it all is that OQO’s evolutionary model 2+ was shaping up to be quite an exciting UMPC, albeit pricey. If the company can’t find a way to turn things around soon, it looks like very few people will ever get the opportunity to find out just how exciting it really is. We’ve also independently confirmed the above with OQO, but what we’re still not clear about is if any or how many OQO 02+ models have been already manufactured.

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News from OQO has been a bit scarce since the company unveiled its model 2+ at CES earlier this year. In the UMPC market, however niche it may be at this point, the model 2+ was essentially positioned to be a game changer — the specs speak for themselves: 5-inch WVGA OLED touchscreen display, Intel Atom processor (up to 1.86 GHz), 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, global HSDA and EV-DO along with up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM and a 60GB, 120GB hard drive or a 60GB SSD. So what’s the problem? We’re in the midst of a recession and the model 2+ — a luxury device that certainly wouldn’t be a necessity for anyone really — starts off at $999 and tops out around $3,100. Apparently, even those who indulge in the UMPC market are hesitant and interest is dwindling quickly. This, from an OQOTALK forum moderator:

I have been told by a few people in the know and also just from watching whats going on with OQO from reports on this forum. OQO is attempting to sell the company. It lacks the funds to keep going, cash is tight and work hours have been reduced. One has to wonder if it can still meet warranty claims as it starts to buy stock to build the 2+. I’m sorry to say this, but the 2+ might be the last OQO we see made. I don’t even think we will see it.

To compound matters, major retailer Expansys has apparently made the decision to remove OQO products from its site and is currently canceling pre-orders. Not good. We’re big OQO fans here at BGR so we hope the company finds a way to pull through but we’re also realists… The market for luxury items like this wasn’t that big to begin with and now that people wake up each morning wondering if they still have a job, the market is basically non-existent.

[Via jkOnTheRun]

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You know when you’re talking about a subject you’re really passionate about and you start to head down a dangerous path? In the back of your mind, you know it’s going to come back and bite you in the ass but you don’t care at that particular moment because you’re so intoxicated with said passion… So you throw caution to the wind and keep going. Ahem. Microsoft COO Kevin Turner had this little gem to say at the MidMarket CIO Summit last week:

Vista today, post-Service Pack 2, which is now in the marketplace, is the safest, most reliable OS we’ve ever built. It’s also the most secure OS on the planet, including Linux and open source and Apple Leopard. It’s the safest and most secure OS on the planet today. Everything that we’ve learned in Vista will be leveraged in Windows 7, but certainly when we broke a lot of the compatibility issues to lock down user account controls, to lock down the ability to manipulate states and all the things, that was a very painful process for us to grow through, but we had to do it. And the reason that Windows 7 will be successful is because of the pain we took on Vista. Because from a compatibility standpoint, if it works on Vista, it will work on Windows 7. If it doesn’t work on Vista, it won’t work on Windows 7.

We’re not even going to touch this one, but please, feel free to discuss it amongst yourselves in the comments section.

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Cloud-based productivity suites are popping up left and right these days and each new product poses a new level of competition to Microsoft’s Office Suite, which at one time had reached monopoly-like status. It’s still certainly at the top of the pile of course and Microsoft is planning to embrace the cloud at some point, but the company has a more immediate need to invigorate current Office offerings. The solution? Get ‘em while they’re young. Regularly priced at $679.95, Microsoft just dropped its student pricing on Office Ultimate 2007 an unheard of 91 percent to $59.95. That’s right, Ultimate 2007 is now less than half the price of Home and Student 2007 which only includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote compared to Ultimate 2007’s 10 software titles. Got a valid .edu email address? Head on over to the Microsoft shop and get your discount on.

[Via SAI]

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Microsoft announced the availability of Internet Explorer 8 today and the preliminary reactions around the net have been pretty good. While betas and RC versions have been floating around for quite a while, the final version of IE8 will be available for your download at Noon EST. With its promised security enhancements, color-coded tabbed browsing and the incorporation of add-on accelerators, IE8 may be worth a try for those who have not already sampled the beta or RC1 versions. Let’s hope Microsoft’s servers can stand up to the demand this time.

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No, we’re not exactly out of the water just yet but growth in any market these days is definitely a diamond in the rough. The NPD Group released its February numbers yesterday and with both Apple and Microsoft still spending major ad dollars, PC and Mac computers saw remarkably different results. PC units sales jumped 22 percent year over year in February and revenue crept up 1.4 percent. In stark contrast, Mac unit sales were down a steep 16.7 percent and revenue dropped off a cliff, down 23.3 percent — this the month after Apple refreshed its laptop lineup, by the way. Ouch. Did Microsoft’s retaliatory “I’m a PC” ad campaign provide OEMs the adrenaline shot Microsoft was hoping for? Maybe. The simplest explanation is most often the correct explanation however, and February’s numbers likely boil down to dollars and cents. The average selling price of a PC in February was $555 while the average price of admission for a shiny new Mac was a whopping $1,500. In other words you can almost score three new PCs for the price of a Mac. Amidst a recession, the numbers speak for themselves.

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By now you’ve no doubt heard of the recent Hulu on Boxee situation. Three sentence recap for those who haven’t: Boxee is a media management/viewing/streaming application for Mac and PC that became a popular way for users to enjoy Hulu content on computers or on an Apple TV. Hulu told Boxee to stop serving its content. Boxee complied.

With that out of the way, Boxee released a new early build today and a quick look at the screen shot above reveals that, umm, Hulu content is back. Huh? No, Boxee and Hulu haven’t struck a new deal — Boxee decided to get a little sneaky and add Hulu feeds. Previously, the Boxee team had used some grade A hackery to present Hulu content but now it apparently hopes to circumvent issues of the past by serving up content through publicly available feeds. Why did Boxee do it despite agreeing to remove Hulu content? We imagine the majority of Boxee users had been drawn in by Hulu content and once it disappeared, many of them likely vanished along with it. We understand the need for Boxee to bring Hulu back to its app of course, but we also imagine this little stunt will do more harm than good as the company continues its attempts to hold more meetings with Hulu. What’s done is done though, and it will be interesting to see how Boxee vs. Hulu plays out.

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Just in case the current economic climate didn’t tip you off, Gartner has issued new predictions for PC sales in 2009 and things don’t look good. You don’t say? According to the firm, the PC market is in for its sharpest decline ever in 2009 with sales expected to drop a massive 11.9 percent. Should Gartner’s prediction be accurate, the PC business is in for a decline nearly three times its current record slide of 3.2 percent in 2001. Insights from George Shiffler, research director at Gartner:

The PC industry is facing extraordinary conditions as the global economy continues to weaken, users stretch PC lifetimes and PC suppliers grow increasingly cautious.

The firm sees laptop sales rising around 9 percent year-over-year in 2009 while progress in the portable department is offset, and then some, by a steep 32 percent drop off in desktop sales. Gartner also predicts a 10.4 percent sales decline in emerging markets which saw an 11.1 percent growth in its prior worst year, 2002. Long story short, 2008 was bleak and 2009 is shaping up to be even worse.

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With the advent of intelligent one-to-one file sharing solutions such as Streamfile and the increasing popularity of great cloud storage and sharing solutions such as Dropbox and Syncplicity, FTP’s days are numbered. Why bother with unsightly FTP software and annoying server settings when a solution like Syncplicity will allow you to securely share any directory in about five seconds? The answer: You don’t have to. Massachusetts-based ExpanDrive offers two solutions, one for Mac and one for PC, that will make you look at FTP in a whole new light and think twice before shelling out big bucks for a trendy cloud storage solution.

ExpanDrive offers two products that essentially accomplish the same thing: sexify the way you interact with FTP. For the purposes of this post we’ll focus on the Mac solution though the Windows solution accomplishes the same thing on a PC. In a nutshell, ExpanDrive allows you move files to and from FTP servers as if each server was an individual remote drive. By making use of the standard Finder UI on a Mac, there’s nothing new to learn – transfer files simply by dragging and dropping just as you would anywhere else in Finder. You’ll have access to FTP drives on your desktop (as seen in the image at the top of the post) and from within the Finder sidebar just like you would with a network drive or iDisk:

There is also no limit to the number of simultaneous connections you can have. In other words, unlike a standard FTP client you can maintain an active connection to your FTP site along with clients’ FTPs, software company FTPs and any other servers you want.

Beyond the Finder interface, the only other piece of UI is the Drive Manager where you can connect to drives as well as add and remove drives. You can also choose to auto-connect to a drive within the settings which is awesome when using FTP as a remote storage solution. Green lights indicate connected drives, yellow disk icons represent standard FTP drives and red disk icons represent secure SFTP drives (FTPS is supported as well in the Mac client, coming soon to Windows):

ExpanDrive places an icon in your taskbar as well, so you can easily connect, disconnect and see the status of each of your drives:

Apart from standard FTP functionality wrapped in the Finder UI, ExpanDrive gives you a terrific front end for as many iDrive-like remote storage drives you can stomach. The obvious benefit over other remote storage options such as iDrive however, is the cost. iDrive gives users 150 GB of storage for $49.50 per year and a slightly sexier solution, ZumoDrive, will run you an outlandish $450+ per year for 200 GB or a still-ridiculous $240 per year for 100 GB. For real?

These days just about everyone has a website and even the cheapest hosting plans typically come with free secure FTP access and a massive amount of storage. For example, the base plan from HostGator offers unlimited disk space for just $4.95 per month. Unlimited. So if you already have a decent hosting plan like HostGator’s, ExpanDrive gives you a ridiculous amount of remote storage for absolutely no additional monthly or yearly cost — just a one-time software purchase. If you don’t already have a hosting plan or an FTP account somewhere, plenty of services provide them for pennies compared to Amazon S3 front-end solutions like ZumoDrive.

We still say there’s no better sharing / auto-sync / remote back up service than Syncplicity – but where files you don’t need hogging up local space are concerned, ExpanDrive literally trounces the more expensive options mentioned above. Plus, it removes the need to use cumbersome and tricky FTP clients; ExpanDrive is actually a front end solution and can use any FTP client such as CyberDuck or even Firefox to move data (don’t worry, it will chose from available FTP apps on its own when you install it). As far as cost you’re looking at a one-time purchase price of $39.95, or $34.95 if you first join the ExpanDrive group on Facebook. Not bad at all. Don’t take our word for it though — ExpanDrive offers a free full-featured 30-day trial on both applications.

ExpanDrive for Mac
ExpanDrive for Windows

Despite the contrary wisdom of the current economic crisis, Microsoft appears to be moving ahead with plans to open a series of retail stores. The company has hired a former Wal-Mart corporate hound as their corporate VP of retail stores, which probably doesn’t bode well for anyone expecting an intimate, customer-focused retail experience ala your local neighborhood Apple store. Little has been set in stone, but the company is currently scouting out retail locations and attempting to codify its retail strategy, hoping to “improve the PC buying experience”. There’s no word on whether the stores themselves will be solely focused on PC retail, or if they’ll also allow shoppers to purchase various other Microsoft-themed products, including Zunes and XBoxs, though we can’t imagine Microsoft would pass up an opportunity to peddle their full range of wares. The time frame for opening the babies up is still unknown, but in typical Microsoft fashion, we wouldn’t expect much to happen for quite a while, giving us enough time to mentally and physically prepare for the Wal-Mart of computer buying experiences.

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• Windows 7 Starter: $199
• Windows 7 Home Premium: $259
• Windows 7 Professional: $299
• Windows 7 Ultimate: $319

Now before flames rain down, let’s start at the beginning. This is not upgrade pricing, this is fresh box pricing. We do have a bit of good news today in the form of confirmation from Microsoft that it will be offering a Windows 7 upgrade package for those of us still running XP, though the news is somewhat sullied by the fact that an upgrade will require a complete wipe. So with that out of the way, this rumored pricing isn’t terrible. It places entry-level pricing at the same level as Vista and knocks $80 off the Ultimate edition, though we know Ultimate will only be available during promotional periods. Home Premium pricing jumps up by $20 which seems a tad odd, while Professional maintains its $300 price tag. Given that the price model was hardly among notable barriers for Vista we wouldn’t be surprised if these prices indeed end up hitting shelves. As far as upgrade pricing is concerned, we would expect it to stick close to Vista as well. While the base upgrade price for Vista is $99 however, Microsoft should get a little saucy with 7 and show us a $77 limited-time launch price on the Starter edition. Make it happen, Redmond.

[Via OSNews]

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Yes, yes, y’all! Another BGR giveaway weekend extravaganza. Ok, that was a bit much, but we’ve just got a hold of Sony’s latest and greatest (and only, really) ultra-portable on Friday and we’re done reviewing it. What does that mean? Well, a full review is coming soon, but more importantly for you, we’re giving this bad boy away! Want to win this VAIO P loaded with a 64GB SSD? Sure you do! Here’s how you can win it:

• Send us a picture of your current laptop that needs replacing. (Maybe you’re constantly on the move but have to lug around a 17″ notebook with you, send a picture of that in!)
• You can send in as many photos as you like, but it won’t increase the chance of you winning
• Email the pictures to laptop at boygeniusreport dot com to enter
• Leave a comment that you entered so we can keep track of it. Make sure to comment from the same email address you sent in the photo/s from!
• We’ll run the giveaway until one Sunday from now, February 8th at 11:59PM ET
• The contest is only open to residents of the USA. Sorry!

Good luck everyone!

Reduce the amount of RAM Firefox uses for its cache feature

1. Type “about:config” (no quotes) in the adress bar in the browser.
2. Find “browser.sessionhistory.max_total_viewer”
3. Set it’s value to “0“;(Zero)

Increase the Speed at Which Firefox loads pages

1. Type “about:config” into the address bar and hit Enter.
(Normally the browser will make one request to a web page at a time. When you enable pipelining it will make several at once, which really speeds up page loading.)

2. Alter the entries as follows:
Set “network.http.pipelining” to “true”
Set “network.http.proxy.pipelining” to “true”
Set “network.http.pipelining.maxrequests” to some number like 10.

This means it will make 10 requests at once.

3. Lastly, right-click anywhere and select New-> Integer. Name it “nglayout.initialpaint.delay” and set its value to “0“;.(Zero)

This value is the amount of time the browser waits before it acts on information it receives. If you’re using a broadband connection you’ll load pages faster now.
Optionally (for even faster web browsing) here are some more options for your about:config (you might have to create some of these entries by Right Click –> New– > Interger or String

network.dns.disableIPv6: set “false”
“content.notify.backoffcount”: set “5“; (Five)
“plugin.expose_full_path”: set “true”.
“ui.submenuDelay”: set “0; (zero)

Reduce RAM usage to 10MB when Firefox is minimized:

This little hack will drop Firefox’s RAM usage down to 10 Mb when minimized:

1. Open Firefox and go to the Address Bar. Type in about:config and then press Enter.
2. Right Click in the page and select New -> Boolean.
3. In the box that pops up enter “config.trim_on_minimize”. Press Enter.
4. Now select True and then press Enter.
5. Restart Firefox.

Thanks, Mel!

[Via Unplggd]

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Who knew that dropping a “0″ and adding a “+” could have such an impact on a portable PC. Ok, ok – maybe there was a tiny bit more work that went into updating OQO’s latest handheld, but oh wow was it worth it. It wasn’t exactly a complete surprise thanks to prototype demos and a Digital Experience email, but OQO officially unwrapped its model 2+ this morning at CES and it really is a thing of beauty. Talk is cheap – let’s move right to the specs:

[Via Silicon Alley Insider]

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As part of the CES onslaught from Lenovo this week, the company took the wraps off of its brand new all-in-one desktop PC dubbed IdeaCentre A600. First, let us state the obvious: gorgeous. As far as the design is concerned, Lenovo did a remarkable job putting this all-in-one together. Lenovo claims that the A600 will be the thinnest all-in-one on the market once it is released and while that may be true it’s of little consequence considering it sits on a desk. The wireless remote is also a huge highlight, boasting functionality such as an air mouse, VoIP handset capabilities and accelerometer-driven gaming control a la Wiimote. The A600’s form and execution are what draw us in and thankfully the guts don’t disappoint, provided you’re willing to shell out some cash however. The base price of $999 is more than attractive but if you’re looking to get all you can out of this sexy box, additions like 4GB of RAM, 1 TB of storage and a Blu-ray drive are going to push the price point up considerably. Lowlights include a comparably tiny 21.5-inch display, lack of an HDMI port and the fact that just about everything is an option. An all-in-one focused on media should at least include a TV tuner in the base price but no such luck here. Regardless, we’ll be looking forward to seeing this puppy on display at CES, and to finding out what a fully loaded box will go for.

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This one has been in the pipeline for quite some time, but it’s good to see HP finally placing their official stamp on their flagship home media server. The MediaSmart EX485/487 is a powerhouse of a entertainment box, sporting either 750GB or 1.5TB of storage space depending on the spec level. In a nod to the increasing prominence of Apple hardware, both the 485 and 487 are compatible with both OSX and Apple’s new Time Capsule storage device, though you’ll need a Windows box to access all of the Admin-level stuff. Both devices also sport a 2.0 Ghz Celeron processor, 2GB of RAM, 4 drive bays, an eSATA port, 4 USB ports, Amazon S3 support, and much more, all running atop the latest vesion of Windows Home Server. The boxes also come complete with a customized version of Twonky’s streaming media server, allowing you to access your songs and photos from any computer with a broadband connection. All of this goodness comes at a price, however, with the 485 setting you back $599 and the 487 running you a cool $750. Given the feature set, however, we’re pretty confident that more than a few of you will be eager to scoop one of these things up when they become available on the 5th of January.

[Via Gizmodo]

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LogMeIn users rejoice! The creator of one of the most popular remote computer access solutions available has just announced the availability of its iPhone / iPod Touch application. Now, Apple handset owners can use the new LogMeIn Ignition app to access any and all of their registered computers while on the go – or from the couch if they’re just too lazy to get up and move to a computer. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the solution, LogMeIn allows users to remotely access and control any PC or Mac anywhere in the world. A small program is installed on the computer(s) you wish to access and as long as the software is running and connected, you can take control of it from any computer using a standard web browser – without having to download or install any software. Simply log into your account, choose the computer you’d like to access from your list and viola – you’re looking at your remote computer screen in a matter of seconds. Now, the same can be said for the iPhone and iPod Touch, short of the ‘no software to install’ part of course. Upon opening the LogMeIn ignition app, you’re presented with a list of your available computers. Choose the one you’d like to connect to and boom, you’re done. The remote computer’s screen is displayed on your handset and you have access to a whole host of standard functions and controls. iPhone / iPod Touch owners with a need for mobile remote computer access should most definitely check LogMeIn Ignition out, which rings up at a reasonable $29.99.

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This is definitely not what Microsoft had in mind when it launched its recent $300mm ad campaign. In what can only be described as a coup for distributors, Microsoft has given in to the pressure and extended XP’s stay of execution. Redmond has indeed confirmed that January 31, 2009 is no longer the end of the road for XP PC sales. Instead, January 31 is now the final date on which distributors can place orders for Windows XP OEM licenses and orders can be filled through May 30 of next year. For you, the end user, this means that Vista will not be your only Windows OS option for new PC purchases in the coming year as XP-powered PCs will be available for many months to come. This is no doubt viewed as a major check in the loss column within Microsoft – the company has been pushing Vista in full force lately in the hopes that it might reverse the negative connotations carried forth by Apple’s marketing and the bad tastes left behind from a bumpy launch. On the bright side of things, Microsoft can likely look forward to some massive XP license orders in early Q1 2009 that will help get its calendar year off to a flying start. Sure this likely isn’t Microsoft’s optimal situation but hey, in this day and age beggars can’t be choosers.

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A report in the Dallas Morning news suggests that Blockbuster may be planning to develop a mobile video service. The new streaming media service would be built upon Microsoft’s Live Mesh software platform that allows users to share and synchronize data between multiple devices via an Internet connection. Live Mesh-based services, like Calendar sharing, are already available on Windows PCs with expansion to Mac and Windows Mobile devices expected in the near future. The Blockbuster plan is quite a lofty one and Keith Morrow, Blockbuster’s chief information officer, had this to say about their proposed new service,

“Eventually, we’ll give customers instant access to any movie on any device with an Internet connection and a screen.” “More immediately, we could use this technology to reach into airports. Travelers could quickly download movies from Blockbuster kiosks to their portable media players.”

Morrow also describes a scenario where a user can watch a movie on a mobile phone, pause the media stream, and return to the movie from a home PC picking up right where they left off.  Sounds great, doesn’t it? Blockbuster is reportedly the first big company to develop such a service using the Live Mesh platform so this is uncharted territory. No word on when this service will launch but we are hoping it is sooner rather than later.

[via GottaBeMobile]

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