Tag Archives: Ubuntu

Computers, Hardware

Raspberry Pi 2 Receives a Huge Hardware Boost, Windows 10, Still Costs $35

For those who have never heard the name before, the Raspberry Pi is a small sized computer that runs Linux and sells for only $35. Over the last couple of years the device has been a great success and exceeded all expectations, with a whopping 4.5 million Pi boards units sold to date. And despite a relatively short existence the Raspberry Pi has already come a long way. One of the most obvious uses of the Raspberry Pi is as a super tiny portable computer, but the practical and effective uses of the Raspberry Pi know no bounds.

Earlier today Raspberry pi announced their new model the “Raspberry Pi 2”. They have improved the hardware / specs substantially (from the Model B+ ) and optimized the platform to work better with a wide variety of open-source apps, including WebKit, LibreOffice, Scratch, Pixman, XBMC/Kodi, libav and PyPy.

Looking at the board and the inside of the new P2, the CPU is now a Broadcom 900MHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7, while the RAM has been doubled to a full 1GB LPDDR2 courtesy of the guys over at Micron. And while the overall look is more or less the same, the Foundation says the new model is roughly six times more powerful than previous Rasp Pi hardware.

In some other great news, we hear that the Raspberry P2 will run Windows 10 out of the box – FREE of charge. According to the Raspberry Pi Foundation, the group has been working closely with Microsoft for the last six months to bring Windows 10 to the new Pi2 model.

The Raspberry Pi 2 is now available at the same competitive, low price $35 dollars from Element 14 and RS Components.

[Raspberry Pi]

Mobile, Operating Systems, Phones

Installing Android On Your iPhone is Now Possible

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So here’s the thing guys, you still have a 2G iPhone and finally want to make a change, something new, refreshing that would literally turn your good old stuff into a current, up-to-date smartphone. Up until now it’s been really difficult to carry out, but today, it’s actually possible. To do so, you’ll need to follow very cautiously a 68 step guide that would walk you through the long and tiresome process which includes the use of an iPhone Explorer to initially copy the Android files, then a stage where you have to turn your desktop into an Ubuntu virtual machine to install the OpeniBoot software, that would eventually create a dual-booting iPhone with iPhone OS and Android 1.6 systems hanging around. Definitely exhausting but hey, users are seldom willing to sacrifice well- established standard technology for a new and “more open” one, even if the latter don’t necessarily promise increased functionality, right? If you’re still in for it, you can checkout the video after the break or the entire guideline frame after frame (at your risk!).

Update1: Looks like David Wang, the guy who wrote the code that enables Android installation on first-gen iPhones, has now managed to go even further and make Google’s magical platform work on Apple 3G devices. Checkout his video demo after the break.

Update2: Apparently, the iPhone 3G port of Android is now available to download for your iPhone 3G devices. At your own risk, you can get in here, grab it and install.  Here’s another good guide how to install it, courtesy of PC World.

[via Android A Lot]

Continue reading Installing Android On Your iPhone is Now Possible →

Computers, News

Sharp’s 5-Inch NetWalker PC-T1 MID Announced

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The world splits to two: from one hand, companies that produce slates and from the other, those who prefer calling them tablets – and then, there’s the MID which is kind of a hybrid creation of both species. I mean, just think about it for a second, why do we need a MID when “tablet” or “slate” will probably do good, eh? This way or another, Sharp’s new MID, NetWalker PC-T1, is coming our way this May, packing a 5-inch display that boasts netbooks’ 1024 x 600 screen resolution (Crazy!). Besides that, for a whopping ¥47,000 (about $510) price tag, you’ll get a Freescale i.MX515 processor, paired with one single USB port, MicroSD card slot, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g WiFi, and up to 6-hour of battery support. Software wise, it would run Ubuntu 9.04 as the OS, tucked with Anglo-Japanese dictionary and an e-book reader that would apparently have access to Sharp’s e-bookstore which includes over 25,000 titles to download. See you next month!

[Sharp]

Applications, Computers, News, Operating Systems

Google's Chrome OS Officially Introduced (Update: Now Available On VMWare)

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So, Google has finally rolled out its highly expected Chrome OS, which was demoed live across the net by Mountain View’s engineers few hours ago, and practically suppose to go out somewhere towards next year’s holiday season. Regretfully, the system won’t be free and it seems you’ll have to buy it pre-installed on portable devices approved by Google, either it’s a netbook, tablet PCs, smartphones, MIDs, etc. The Chrome OS is said to include third-party applications, but won’t support, at this point, any Android materials. The system itself is based on Linux and the Chrome browser, both packed together to run on a web-based platform that will operate any outside content, coming from USB drives or other different sources. Basically, it’s a cloud system but that should not set you apart from it, unless you guys really afraid of taking new tech “adventures” and start new liabilities. Nevertheless, the operating system will run everything that was originally placed in the application panel – and we’re talking about features like Gmail, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Hulu, Google Talk and many more. Google Docs was also included in Google’s OS compatibility list, while drivers from other companies, such as Flash and Silverlight suppose to work as well (although Google wasn’t very clear about it and has chosen to say this: “We are working hard to integrate plugins closely”).

Hardware wise, details are scarce at the moment, and Google will not share those nitty gritty things until next year, but looking at the overall picture, Chrome OS will probably run in compatibility with both x86 and ARM processors, while regular hard-drives support seems to be excluded  – which means you’ll have to use SSDs instead. In general, booting time is set to load up in 7 seconds only, and login process will take 3 seconds more. That, in our opinion, should do best with any standard netbook available in the market, now and in the future (with SSD drives), and just in case you were wondering, Google itself was using an Eee PC machine to run the demo for the first time.

Update1: We’ve tossed some videos after the break, that will walk you through Google’s new system.

Update2: Looks like Google’s Chrome OS is now available free, in case you’re using a VMWare software on your desktop machine. The good part is that you don’t need to actually make it your primary bootable system at all, and by running any VirtualBox software, you can set any of your system folders to be used as a Chrome OS unit. If you think you’re qualified for using this pre Beta platform, you can download the image either from this torrent (we have no clue about this source background) or the build the guys at GDGT recently uploaded. TechCrunch team was all over it in passing hours as well, so you can read their step-by-step instructions in here, if you don’t feel safe to do it on your own.

Update3: Dell Mini 10V owners can now install the Chrome OS as their primary operating system, thanks to a Dell employee who’s managed to hack the USB-bootable edition via WiFi and make it available on Dell’s popular mini laptop, despite fussy restrictions from Mountain View’s direction. Truth is it’s not the perfect OS and in fact, many things are yet to be solved, but for early adopters who are willing to give it a try – it should probably be a great experience that’s worth a shot. Source code and explanations are now available on Direct2Dell‘s page. Enjoy the Chrome.

Update4: Mac and Linux users can finally use the Google Chrome Beta-version browser with their computing machines – as Mountain View’s searching giant officially announces in its blog. And although we face a lot of crashes while trying, you don’t really want to skip this experience, especially when Google has recently launched the extensions, do you? Checkout the video we’ve added after the break (3rd one).

google-chrome-os

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Audio, Internet, Media Players, Video

SmartQ To Release The V5 MID, A Touchscreen Device Supporting 1080P

Care for a less expensive media player, the kind that looks good and serves your high-def videos exactly the way you want? Checkout SmartQ’s latest V5 MID, with no price tag or availability dates attached, but a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen that pumps your HD files to 1080p, through an HDMI hub, built inside. Other than that, you get a strong 600MHz ARM11 processor along with 256MB of DDR2 RAM, 2GB of internal storage, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, SD expansion for bigger capacities use, and a nice slick rectangle design. Well, on second thought, it wouldn’t be that cheap if getting one involves acquiring a flight ticket to Asia – but that’s for you to decide.

Update: Looks like SmartQ’s V5 MID is finally up and available across the pond. For merely $180 you will get yourself that 4.3-inch display, hiding a 600MHz ARM11 processor underneath, paired with 256MB of RAM, HDMI output, Android, Ubuntu, and Windows CE 6.0 all preloaded inside – which makes it even more attractive.

smartq-v5-mid

[via imp3]

Computers, Computex, News, Operating Systems

Acer To Implement Moblin Linux OS In Its Netbooks Lineup

Great news from Moblin Linux direction, as Intel’s free open-sourced platform will apparently receive a significant corroboration from Taiwanese corp Acer, who recently pledged on a computex conference to widely implement this phenomenal OS inside its desktop computers, laptop devices and Aspire One netbook machines, starting this year. And while anxiously waiting for self interaction, various editions of Moblin 2.0, including Suse, Xandros, Linpus, Red Flag, and Ubuntu were flauntingly demoed in that same press gathering, running on different portable netbook brands from HP, Asustek, MSI, and Hasee Computer, impressively raising our impatiemt feelings. But needless to say we’re constantly following, so just stay in touch for future updatings.

moblin_v2_netbook_beta

[via pcworld]

Computers, News

HP To Introduce The Mini 1101, 110 XP and 110 Mi Netbooks Lineup

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HP reinforces its Mini netbooks lineup with brand new models, including the Mini 1101, 110XP and 110 Mi, armed from top to bottom with basic specs like 10.1-inch LED-backlit display, GMA 950 graphics set, VGA output, 802.11b/g WiFi connection, 3-cell battery (6 optional) and either 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 or 1.66GHz N280 processors at your choice. But If that’s not enough, each one of the three hides even more goodies, as the 110XP boasts 1GB of RAM, 160GB HDD or 32GB SSD, along with a WWAN 3G hardware and a Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video Accelerator for 1080P video handling, while the 110 Mi carries HP’s Linux-based OS, together with 2GB of RAM and up to 250GB HDD. The third, out of the three, is the Mini 1101, which looks like a basic 110XP version, dropping the Broadcom graphics chipset and adding a Vista OS inside. In terms of price and availability, the 1101 is scheduled to arrive on June 1st, priced at $329, while the 110 alternatives will be joining a week and a half later in black swirl, white swirl or pink chic flavors, priced at $279 for the Linux version and $329 for the XP style. Checkout the complete press release and video demo after the break.

Update1: The guys at Tech65.org were lucky enough to get their hands on the Mini 110 netbook version and generously shared their first experience in a short video preview you can all watch after the break. New add-ons  aside, it seems like HP has made some delicate changes within the external design, ditching the “toggle-off” button around the trackpad and removing the speakers position right under the screen, while adding a matte flavor to the bezel frame in order to prevent mirror reflections. Hardware wise, you now get a 2.5-inch hard-drive (instead of 1.8″), which vigorously  supports 5400 RPMs, making your portable device even faster. Hit the jump to read more.

Update2: Looks like the HP’s Mini 1101 netbook version is finally up for sale at the basic form, priced at $329. Just click in here to get your first impression or wait for its sibling to make their appearance.

Update3: Both Mini 110 Mi and Mini 110 XP are up and available for ordering on HP’s website, priced at at $279.99 or $329.99 respectively, with an optional Intel Atom N280 processor for extra $25 or 6-cell battery for additional $40 to the base price.

Update4: Looks like the Mini 110 netbooks are getting additional colors to the lineup, as HP just added white swirl and pink chic versions to the product page, that will cost you an extra $20over the base price. Furthermore, the company is now offering an HD video boost  option, by adding Broadcom’s Crystal HD Enhanced Video accelerator to your machine for only $30 more.

hp-mini-110-mi-netbook

Continue reading HP To Introduce The Mini 1101, 110 XP and 110 Mi Netbooks Lineup →

Computers, News

Dell’s Atom Mini 10v Netbook Pops Up In The Wild (Update: Now With New SSD Flavors)

Looks like Dell is sneaking out to the market another netbook version, which seems to be one of those Mini 10 sequels, only with Intel’s Atom N270 processor instead of the Z lineup. Having its first appearance on Dell’s May catalog [PDF link], the new Mini 10v edition, which also carries the titles “Bear” or model 1011, will pack the usual 120GB hard drive, along with a 1.3 megapixel webcam, 1GB of RAM, and Windows XP onboard – all attractively priced at $299 (that’s $100 less than Dell’s Mini 10 basic package) and about to be released this month.

Update1: Dell just added two new SSD drives, allowing Mini 10 users to upgrade their storage specs,� either with 32GB or 64GB capacities for an extra $75 or $125, respectively.

Update2: Looks like Dell’s Mini 10v netbook is now officially up for order In the company’s online store with a ship,ent delivery, scheduled for June.

Update3: Hit the jump to watch Doug Anson, Dell’s Technology Strategist , displaying Dell’s Mini 10v netbooks running three different operating systems, including Ubuntu, “netbook remix” and even the Android platform, which clearly proves the company has some pretty neat aspirations for future lineups.

Update4: It seems like Dell’s Mini 10v netbook now gets a Nickelodeon edition, which packs pretty much the same lineup the usual version has, only with lime green flavors splashing all over the place. Price, on the other hand, is $30 more than the usual, standing at $329.

[via crunchgear]

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Computers, Media Players, News

Archos 10 Netbook Pops Out In The Wild (Update: Now Official)

For many of us, the name Archos relates to advanced multimedia players with quality video display and robust frame. But the French brand has already realized that the trends shift to some other directions, binding them to move forward and to be straightened with global tendencies. As a result, the company has joined the overcrowded market, introducing the Archos 10, a 10.2-inch netbook with ordinary specs like 1.6 Ghz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 3 cells (6 optional) battery, 160 GB hard drive and Windows XP onboard. Nothing special in terms of design, but you also get a 1.3MP webcam, a card reader (4 in 1), 3 USB 2.0 ports, and the usual internet connectivity stuff. Still no word on price or availability, but we sure hope to hear more from this direction.

Update1: Archos 10 is now official and ready to go. The specs remain similar to those we’ve already noted up . In addition, you get 10/100 M Ethernet controller, 802.11b/g WiFi, PCI-E interface, 2 stereo speakers, VGA output, and a mic. Archos also loaded up various software, including Lotus Symphony Working Suite, XnView photo editor, Vtuner Web Radio & TV Player, BitDefender Antivirus 2009 and Parental Filter. As for the numbers, the Archos 10 is priced at $399 for the 3-cell battery version, or $449 in case you’re a 6-cell avid.

Update2: The Archos 10 is now available to order, starting at $399 for the basic package.

Update3: In case you’re keen of Barbie style, the French company has just released a Pink Archos 10 edition, to be available across Europe with the same specs and prices we’ve already mentioned earlier.

Update4: Now you can get even more, as Archos 10 Ubuntu Edition is up and available for 375 Euros (around $525), including the same specs, only with Ubuntu Linux OS inside, paired with 2GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive.

[via archoslounge]

Continue reading Archos 10 Netbook Pops Out In The Wild (Update: Now Official) →