Have Laptop Will Travel

Google Chrome OS has Cover Flow

Originally posted on May 18, 2010 @ 1:03 am

I once said that I wasn’t impressed at all with Google Chrome OS’s user interface because, well, it’s just Google Chrome the browser taking up the whole screen and if you’ve worked with nothing but a browser open, you’d know how boring that is. I don’t think I can work with just Google Chrome on my screen, that’ll be a hassle, don’t you think?

Well, now these are design ideas so far, but if this gets implemented, Google Chrome OS will get a window management scheme that’s similar to Apple’s Cover Flow seen on iTunes and Safari. [Read more…]

Use a video as your desktop wallpaper with VLC

Originally posted on May 28, 2010 @ 12:45 pm

I better file this under “just because I can.” If you’re wondering where the unused (for a good reason) Dream Scene features found in Windows Vista went when Windows 7 came to the scene, well, it’s dead, Jim.

If you’re looking for a way to integrate video in your desktop, you can try this one hack, with a little help from everyone’s favorite open-source media player, VLC. This isn’t going to help you with productivity, but why the hell not? [Read more…]

Microsoft Courier set to be released in “Q3 / Q4”

Originally posted on March 7, 2010 @ 9:28 pm

So, while everyone else is eagerly waiting for the release of Apple’s iPad, us who aren’t really convinced of the iPad’s abilities to walk on water or its promises to cure cancer are looking someplace else. Enter: Microsoft’s Courier. The Courier is being marketed as a “digital journal.” Instead of Windows 7, we’re seeing the Courier has the same software that runs Zune HD, Pink, and Windows Mobile 7 Series. It makes sense, really. The iPad uses iPhone OS because full Mac OS X will not work well for touch screen interfaces. And of course Windows 7, with all its touch-screen friendly glory, won’t even give the best user experience. [Read more…]

Quench your thirst for knowledge

Originally posted on July 20, 2010 @ 1:12 am

Google GulpAt Google our mission is to organize the world’s information and make it useful and accessible to our users. But any piece of information’s usefulness derives, to a depressing degree, from the cognitive ability of the user who’s using it. That’s why we’re pleased to announce Google Gulp (BETA)™ with Auto-Drink™ (LIMITED RELEASE), a line of “smart drinks” designed to maximize your surfing efficiency by making you more intelligent, and less thirsty.

Google Gulp

Think fruity. Think refreshing.
Think a DNA scanner embedded in the lip of your bottle reading all 3 gigabytes of your base pair genetic data in a fraction of a second, fine-tuning your individual hormonal cocktail in real time using our patented Auto-Drink™ technology, and slamming a truckload of electrolytic neurotransmitter smart-drug stimulants past the blood-brain barrier to achieve maximum optimization of your soon-to-be-grateful cerebral cortex. Plus, it’s low in carbs! And with flavors ranging from Beta Carroty to Glutamate Grape, you’ll never run out of ways to quench your thirst for knowledge.

Find out more…

Finally, a universal standard for mobile phone chargers

Originally posted on October 29, 2010 @ 3:45 am

Mobile phone users, rejoice! The top mobile phone manufacturers have finally agreed to develop a universal standard for phone chargers.

The agreement, which was signed by Nokia, Sony Ericsson and other manufacturers, paves the way for the development of mobile phones that will accept the same standard charging device as early as next year.

This is really a welcome development. Any mobile phone user knows how much of a hassle it is that whenever we upgrade to a new phone, it generally means we’ll have to use a different charger, basically junking the previous charger. These unused chargers eventually find its way to the garbage dump, which helps create more waste. It’s really not an environment friendly strategy and quite wasteful of resources as well.

Under the agreement, an European Union norm or standard will be implemented and new mobile phones will now use a standard micro-USB socket as a way of ensuring utmost compatibility.

Aside from Nokia and SE, other companies that supported the move included Motorola, Apple, LG, NEC, Qualcomm, Research in Motion, Samsung and Texas Instruments.