Crenk » Products

Amazon Affiliates Prepare for Black Friday

Dean Sherwin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:45:11 +0000

Last week I did a post about how the Internet was getting all decked out in preparation for Black Friday. Well this morning when I checked my e-mail I had a newsletter from Amazon Affiliates who I occasionally use on my blog. They were pretty much telling me that if I wanted to make money now was the time to do it.

They have prepare special banners such as the one to the left and set up a special Black Friday section. What’s more (I’m sure this will please many bloggers reading this) affiliates earn 15% for every sale they refer on Black Friday – not bad.

Their entire new range of banners and widgets is available to view here.

Online sales for the week of Black Friday are set to rise into the millions as big sites such as EBay and Amazon prepare.

Is it really worth standing in line and charging around malls when you could do it all at home?

NEC Flat Screen Perfects Dual Monitors

Luis Sandoval — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:50:42 +0000

NEC is a company that’s been around for a while, and chances are if you’ve worked in anything related to tech from design to IT, then perhaps you’ve come across an NEC product. Known for innovation, they’ve really outdone themselves with the creation of the NEC CRV43.

Rather than struggle with a dual monitor setup, NEC went ahead and just combined the screens into a massive 43in. curved display that not only gives you the same dual monitor feel, only with out the need for two screens, but it also fully immerses you with the curved design making it easy to follow your work on the screen. Now while I love the concept, and the idea of reducing two monitors into one is ideal, it’s the price tag that worries me.

I can probably pick up two monitors for under $500. Both of them would be LCD screens, at least 20in+, so the price tag of approximately $5,000 seems just a little steep. Now not sure about you all, but I don’t come around 5k all that easily, so again, what is it that really makes this monitor stand out? Aside from being curved, HD, and having a seamless display? You be the judge.

Apple Tablet Has Been Delayed Till Late 2010

Steven Finch — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:07:25 +0000

It has been reported that Apple plans to postpone the launch of their much anticipated tablet PC from an original March 2010 launch to late 2010.

Sources also indicated that in addition to Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry), Quanta Computer and Pegatron Technology are expected to be manufacturing partners for Apple’s two tablet PC models – one of which will have a 10.6-inch TFT LCD panel while the other will have a 9.7-inch OLED panel.

LG Display currently is making OLED panels using its 4.5G production line and LG Display’s five-year US$500 million panel purchasing contract with Apple includes supply of OLED panels, the sources pointed out.

Since 9.7-inch OLED panels are currently priced at about US$500 and panel costs normally account for about 30% of the device’s total cost, Apple’s 9.7-inch OLED tablet PC is expected to have a cost of about US$1,500-1,700 (based on today’s prices), the sources estimated. However, OLED panel prices are dropping rapidly and are expected to reach an acceptable level for notebook products by 2011, so the sources believe Apple’s delayed schedule may include such considerations.

The sources estimate that Apple’s tablet PC cost will drop to around US$1,200-1,500 by the second half of 2010 with the retail price reaching about US$2,000. The price could be more flexible if bundled with telecom providers’ 3G services. Meanwhile, the 10.6-inch LCD panel-based Apple tablet PC is expected to priced in the US$800-1,000 range.

Acer Liquid A1 Released To UK Customers Before End Of November

Steven Finch — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:51:48 +0000

The new Google Android phone on the market is the Acer Liquid A1. Instead of waiting a few months for Google Android 2.0 it has decided to move forward with 1.6 and get this great phone into market.

The Acer Liquid A1 is scheduled to be released in the next few weeks in the UK and is priced at £286 before tax. With the Acer Liquid A1 no contract is required based on that pricing.

Features include:

3.5 inch WVGA touchscreen
3G data access
Wifi and built in GPS
Bluetooth 2.0
5MP camera
SnapDragon processor

There’s still no word on whether a Google Android 2.0 upgrade option will be made easily available to Liquid A1 users.

Random Posts

Google Phone in Early 2010

Dean Sherwin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:09:02 +0000

For the last year or so we’ve all be yammering one about the Google phone. It appears as though every Android device that has been released – the media flock to it looking for evidence of the Google.

Google have now announced that they will be launching a proper, pure, Google branded phone. It won’t carry the manufacturer brand or have the OS tinkered with. No. This is going to be Google’s version of the iPhone – 100% Google just the the iPhone is 100% Apple.

What can we expect?

I’ve given this some though and asides from the obvious high-speed internet access etc… I think the Google phone will be putting more of an emphasis on communication than the iPhone has – which is largely an organisational and app tool. Adequate video calling, perhaps? Most definitely it will be fully integrated with Google Voice for users in the US. Dare I say it; maybe even a mobile version of Google Wave? (at least then Wave would have a purpose).

What would you like on the upcoming Google phone?

Hitachi Releases Cheap Portable 2TB SimpleDrive Hard Drive

Steven Finch — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:03:56 +0000

I remember when 80MB hard drives were are really big thing and now Hitachi is coming out with a very sleek 2TB hard drive which is part of their SimpleDrive family.

I also thought the price of this hard drive was going to be quite expensive, but then it turns out its only $250.

So what do you think if the design and the actual size of this drive for the money?

Stupid Tool Of The Week: Wand to Kill Swine Flu

Dean Sherwin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:42:56 +0000

If you’ve rode the bus, gone shopping or just been in a public area then the chances are you’ve touched the dreaded H1N1 virus. It was probably just some guy sneezing and then hundreds of people touched the same handrail as him. I guess that’s how it spreads. Then, you went home and turned on the family PC and typed out a blog post or just surfed. Now it’s all over the keyboard and mouse. Oh God! We’re doomed!

Not really, because at the end of the day it’s just like the normal flu and 99% of those infected can’t tell the difference and can simply ride it out in bed for a week or so.

However, a new UV germ killing wand has been released and claims it can massacre any H1N1 germs living on a surface. Well, 98% of them anyway. When it’s held a few inches over countertops and other surfaces it kills pretty much any germ living on there or renders them incapable of multiplying. It costs $70 from Hammacher and Schlemmer. Here’s what they said on the product page:

“Also capable of killing MRSA, mold, and dust mites, the UV-C light penetrates viral and bacterial membranes and destroys their DNA, rendering the microorganisms incapable of reproduction and survival. Unlike liquid disinfectants, UV-C light can sanitize keyboards, upholstered furniture, cell phones, or any delicate surface that harbors germs.”

Some may say this is exploiting the fears of millions – but then they’ll probably buy the thing.

New Samsung Slate Netbook: Best Netbook On The Market

Dean Sherwin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:35:40 +0000

The Samsung Slate Netbook is definitely one of the best netbooks I’ve seen on the market so far for three main reasons.

The Price

It’s only $299 and that isn’t bad at all for a netbook from Samsung. Especially when you take into account what this netbook has to offer. This price is well within reach for students and home owners alike so I can see this being a popular Christmas present.

Looks

I think you already know what I’m going to say. It’s the slate blue casing isn’t it? It just looks fantastic with the white keyboard and base. It’s not shiny, rather it has a matt finish and rounded corners. Stunning.

The Specs

It has 1Gb of ram and a 1.66Ghz processor. The screen has a matt finish to avoid glare and it has a 160 Gb hard drive. Windows XP SP3 is also installed when the netbook ships. The six hour battery life may also be something that attracts you to this model.

Definitely a netbook that you should consider wrapping up and putting under the tree this year.

Classic Nintendo Gaming In Your Hands

Luis Sandoval — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:33:01 +0000

There’s a lot to be said of the games from our past. I’m just as big a fan of the modern day gaming systems as anyone else, but sometimes we just want to play the classics and by now some of our older systems have collected too much dust, or they just don’t work like they should. So teaming up for a game of Contra, or picking up a game of Spy Hunter just isn’t feasible.

What if it was possible to dust those cartridges off, pop them into an updated gaming system and pick up where your elementary inner child left off. Check out the Retro Mini X Handheld gaming system that does just that. The site claims it’s the “Gameboy that never was,” for all of us that hold the classics near and dear to our heart. Not into the 2.4 inch LED screen? No worries, the handheld system comes with A/V connectors so that you can play on your TV.

For the small price of $50, you get the handheld system, two controllers, and a zapper for those classics like Hogan’s Alley and the infamous Duck Hunt. While the system does not come with any games, that’s why it’s important to dig out those boxes and get those games ready for the wee hours of the night that you’re sure to spend playing these classics again.

Worst iPhone Charger Ever

Dean Sherwin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:10:30 +0000

One of the main reasons Apple’s products have become so popular is because they’re sleek, slim and small. The iPhone, iPods and Mac Books should, in their own right, be twice their sizes considering what they can do. It seems Apple is always ahead of the competition when it comes to the size of things. So it goes without saying that Apple customers like their gadgets small. So how about a three-foot tall iPhone charger?

Then Reverb iPhone solar charger stands at a whopping 3 feet and is over a foot wide as well. Your iPhone/iPod is perched in the upper right-hand corner of the monster where it can take 40 hours to charge indoors, and twenty hours outdoors. Seriously? So it’s three-feet tall and take almost two days to charge your device and it’s never going to look good perched on your windowsill. But do you want to know the main reason they’re not going to sell? Here’s why: $2,229 !!!

They’re due to launch in April next year.

80’s Cartoon Geeks Elated With G.I. Joe Complete Collector’s Set

Luis Sandoval — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:54:01 +0000

Nothing takes me back to my childhood more than thinking of the old cartoons that I used to watch on Saturday morning or after school. The cartoons of old seem a far off thought considering what is coming out for kids now, but that’s another story. On a more important topic, the cartoons of old are making a comeback for the better and being dressed to a Geek’s pleasure.

G.I. Joe is coming back at us under a massive collector’s edition that is sure to get all the “Joe” fans out there running to make an order. Coming in at a whopping $145 includes the 95 original episodes on 17 highly decorated disks with all PSA’s included, a 1GB dog tag flash drive, comics, a 60 page booklet, some new featurettes, the original 1963 Toy Fair presentation, all the Hasbro commercials…whew…and more.

So what the heck? This is like the warchest of G.I. Joe-ness, talk about mega-Geek’s dream come true. I’m in are you?

Oh and by the way, it comes stored in a real Army footlocker. Yep, placing my order!

Animoto: Video Production Done Simply

Internet Fame Being A Movie Celebrity

Luis Sandoval — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:30:09 +0000

Hollywood, for some, is a place of fantasies and dreams considered unattainable by many. There’s a great many of us who at one point dreamed of making it big and entertaining millions. For some of us we watch movies and laugh, saying that we could easily have played that part better. Well now you can put yourself in a movie with Yoostar.

Yoostar provides you with a green screen, studio-grade webcam, remote control and PC software. The price for being famous comes in at the low cast of $170. The package comes with 12 movie scenes to select from, placing you in the middle of the action, but more scenes are available via download. So now reach that Hollywood status may not be something we all achieve from real life, but in all, this sounds like a fun way to approach a Friday or Saturday night, but how long does the fun really last?

Your recordings and placement into the movie scenes are spit out in a web-ready clip that can be posted online for all your friends to see. Personally this sounds like something I’d probably pass over, but for some of us, it’s as attractive as Karaoke. I know better that if I was not cast in a movie or allowed to sing a song I stay away…far away. The worst part of the whole experience?

“Playing at a home near Yoo!”

Is that what the marketing team came up with? This does not bold well my friends.

Not A Netbook, the Litl Is A Webbook

Luis Sandoval — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:50:08 +0000

When I first say the Litl, I was somewhat underwhelmed, and the name alone does not lend itself to thinking of anything grand. It was not until the Litl is unboxed and set up that you start to see just how powerful this little device really is. Coming in at approximately $700 is “a mix between a netbook and a [digital] photoframe on steroids,” says the site.

While under the hood it packs the same hardware that a standard netbook would offer, it’s what you can do with it that makes this device so unique. Take for example the OS. The OS that comes packaged with this device is proprietary and completely customizable. Make it fit your mood, your style, or your event, no matter how you slice it, it’s the OS that can represent your needs. Now pair that with the fact that the screen goes beyond the 180-degree tilt and completely swivels back on itself to prop itself up.

The screen remains completely functional can can display data such as weather reports, Facebook feeds, photos from Flickr or Shutterfly, or just about anything that can run independenty while you and/or your audience can watch. If you’re looking to take your netbook to the next level and get something a bit more out of it, then I highly suggest the Litl and let us know what you think.

The Internet is Getting Ready for Black Friday

Dean Sherwin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:10:44 +0000

Ah Black Friday – it makes headlines every year. Shopping malls all over the US are packed with people grabbing what they can, doing a 100m dash to the cash register while hurdling over three piles of fighting shoppers all while the kids follow behind, trying desperately to keep up. Was is two or three years ago that a security guard was killed when the shop’s doors burst in on top of him? Crazy…

And the Internet is already getting ready for its own Black Friday. Advertisements, sales and offers are creeping in all over the place. Dell for one have knocked off a whopping $334 dollars from this laptop:

And eBay is swelling with week long auctions for Christmas gifts such as iPhones, watches, iPods, laptops and the likes. So what other bargains have we found?

Well how about a Sonia Bravia 40” TV for just shy of $1,000. Or a 120Gb Zune for only $200. You can also get a FujiFilm FinePix A170 with 10.2 megapixels for less than $60.

Black Friday is already staring to climb up the Twitter Trends chart and I’m sure that by Wednesday it’ll be sitting there high and mighty as we all tweet about what we’re going to buy, what our plan is to outsmart the other shoppers (which will undoubtedly fail) and how much money we’ll save. All I can say is that I’ll be doing the bulk of my shopping online. It beats standing around in the freezing cold all night waiting for a shop to open.

If you’re looking for more money off when you go shopping next Friday (or indeed do it online), we suggest you check out Offers.com and Ask Deals for coupons and information on where items are the cheapest.

Dell Inspiron Zino: Sexy Dell Home Theatre and PC Option

Steven Finch — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:06:26 +0000

Last summer Dell mentioned they were going to launch their tiny Inspiron Zine PC and now its here. It looks like an excellent addition to any home theater or desktop, especially if you configure it with a terabyte of hard disk space, 8GB of RAM, 64-bit Windows 7, a 512MB ATI Radeon HD 4330 graphics card capable of blasting out 1080p, and its upcoming optional TV tuner. Sounds like hot competition for Apple’s newly updated Mac Mini.

There’s no Intel Atom processor or the NVIDIA Ion platform on board as we had hoped, but we’re still satisfied with the highest-end processor available on it, the 1.8GHz dual-core AMD Athlon Neo X2 6850e. Decked out with all this goodness, the Zino’s not the cheapest home theater PC in the world, but its price of around $700 fully configured ain’t bad. Or if you go with its basic trim, you’ll have a fully functioning PC for a rock-bottom $229.

Touch Technology On A Rubik’s Cube

Luis Sandoval — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:33:22 +0000

Remember that puzzle box from the 80’s that kept all of us guessing and some of us frustrated. No…not the one the one from Hellraiser, the other puzzle cube, the Rubik’s cube.

This color puzzle cube kept some of entertained for hours while for others it was a great projectile to throw at your siblings or at the wall, but in either case many of us have come in contact with one at some point in our lives.

Well the puzzle cube has updated itself for the 21st Century, and a whole new generation can become frustrated all over again. The new cube uses touch and sliding technology that most of us will be familiar with already or at least recognize in how we interact with Apple’s products or any other touch interface. the cube still has it’s colorful display but this time the cube is much more fragile.

Coming in at a whopping $150, I’m not quite sure if it’s something everyone will have, but for those of us into nostalgia and who want to pick one up, even if just for novelty purposes you can do so from Amazon.

The downside? Well you can’t take off the stickers and rearrange them to impress your friends. The upside? Well if you know programming, you just might be able to rearrange the colors to impress your friends.

In either case it’s a steep price to pay for frustration but for those of you that mastered the old, here’s a whole new way to master the new. If you’ve got one, seen one, or know someone who has one, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it and whether you find it as fun as the original.

Microsoft Project Natal (Controller Free for Xbox 360) Coming November 2010 and Cheap

Steven Finch — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:02:28 +0000

Microsoft’s upcoming Project Natal add-on for the Xbox 360 is one of the most exciting and interesting new gaming peripherals to be announced in some time. Now it has been reported over at Wireninja that the new Project Natal will be coming in November 2010 and will ship 5 million units in its initial batch, which includes 14 games and a super-low price of £50.

One publishing source says Microsoft is “trying to get as close as possible to ‘impulse buy’”. Another even says the camera could even retail for just £30.

Activision, Bethesda, Capcom, Disney, EA, Konami, MTV, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ and Ubisoft all committed to make games for the device in an announcement made at last month’s Tokyo Game Show.

Blackberry Makes A Dick Tracy Watch?

Luis Sandoval — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:50:02 +0000

Pssst…

: Cover of Dick Tracy [Region 2]

Remember that movie from the late 80’s, early 90’s, Dick Tracy. Yeah the one with Madonna in it playing Breathless Mahoney. Okay so you remember right? Well now forget everything you remember about that movie, Dick Tracy is one of those movies you never admit you watch.

All forgotten?

Okay, now imagine how cool it would be to have a watch that served as your communication to the world, kinda like Dick Tracy, just not that movie that you are supposed to forget. Now imagine how much cooler it would be if it synced with your mobile device and gave you access to all the things you needed without ever having to take out your phone. I’m talking emails, files, and apps. Yeah Dick Tracy eat your heart out.

All of this is a reality with the Inpulse Blackberry Smartwatch ($150) by Allerta makes your mobile experience even more interesting. The device straps to your wrist and has all the functionality of a watch with the sleekness and functionality of your Blackberry. The watch connects wirelessly via bluetooth to sync with your phone with a vibrating motor to let you know you’ve got updates. It sports 1.3 inch full-color OLED screen. Good enough for messages, apps, and other quick thing, just don’t expect to watch any movies.

Amazingly as if that was not enough you can also receive SMS messages on there, view calendars, schedules, to-do lists, and so much more after customizing it, why not go out and solve mysteries, it worked for Dick Tray right?

Nevertheless it’s all an effort to make sure that you don’t miss any of your messages/phone calls. In my opinion it’s as cool as wearing one of those Casio calculator watches. Yep, if you think that’s still cool, you’re probably not a hit with the ladies…or guys.

Apple & Beatles Finally Come Together…

Luis Sandoval — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:43:51 +0000

Just not in the way you think.

For at least two years now there’s been huge speculation and anticipation for the Beatles library to be released on iTunes, and in all this time, with as many teases, it just has not happened. Much to our disappointment we seek out their music elsewhere, having to find a library that has all of the music with the sound quality that can best define the music that defined a generation.

Well in a way, Apple and The Beatles have come together, but it’s not something you can download direct onto your iPod. Instead it’s the Beatles inside an apple. Get the picture?

This this USB stick is filled with the entire Beatles library including all the remastered goodness of the fab four’s Stereo Box Set, including 14 albums in lossless FLAC and 320 Kbps MP3 formats, 13 mini-documentary films, replicated UK album art, rare photos, and expanded liner notes. All of this put onto a 16GB stick for your listening and portable enjoyment.

The green apple is an interesting way to bring the two biggest names in media together, but there’s a limited run folks. Only 30,000 of these babies were made, so if you want it, you better act fast. The cost is $280 and comes out on December 8th, 2009. Sure it’s more expensive then the box set itself, but for collectors this is a dream, and honestly, how cool is the apple idea?

Okay, okay, not that cool, but the content is priceless.

Another Reason To Envy iPhone Users

Luis Sandoval — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:33:21 +0000

There is a day not long ago when we said, the future will be here. And in that day long ago we saw amazing things in the future, self lacing shoes, hoverboards, flying cars even, but while none of that may have happened what we do have is iPhones. Sure you may know of the iPhone, held an iPhone, and maybe you’re one of the millions of people worldwide that own an iPhone, but now the future has indeed arrived; your iPhone is now capable of starting your car.

Thanks to a little iPhone app called Viper SmartStart, you simply get the SmartStart system installed into your car ($300-$500), and the iPhone app will do the rest. Using a GSM signal you’re able to not only start your car, but also lock and unlock your doors, open your trunk and a few other additions without ever needing your keys again.

The website says you can literally start your car from just about anywhere. Not sure what the actual “anywhere” means, but it’s good to know in those times when I can’t remember where I parked my car, or when you want to distract someone as you run for your life. In any case, below you’ll find some demos for the actual product.

It’s not a hoverboard and it’s not a flying car, but if you can add self driving from your iPhone ala James Bond, then we can forgive the lack of said advancements. One thing is for sure, it makes your iPhone that much more valuable to thieves. Now they take your iPhone and your car. Saddle up my friend, it’s going to be a long walk.

Classy External Hard Drives

Augusto Alvarez — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:42:00 +0000

Having external hard drives has become one of the most common requirements for most of us, and if you were thinking that your portable hard drive didn’t combine with your desk nor your wallet, Brinell is giving you a new touch of class for you HD.

They have designed some really cool and elegant covers that will definitely class-up your portable devices. The Purestorage line is made of leather, wood, carbon fiber and even stainless steel. Having all those components you can easily confuse it with your wallet, cigar box or some other items.

The actual hard drives that include this series contain capacities of 160GB and 500GB, with 1.8 and 2.5 inches. And the cost goes from €189 and €229. It shouldn’t surprise you, having excellent built quality comes with a little bit of cost.

I can even see these models in women purses.

New Open Office Mega Mouse

Dean Sherwin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:58:28 +0000

Gaming, especially with MMOs of fast paced shooters is difficult with the PC because of the limitations of the keyboard. Obviously one could go for a better mouse with more buttons – openoffice.org though so too.

They have just released a new mouse with 18 buttons including a thumb controlled joystick. It’s fully compatible with games such as WoW and browsers such as Firefox. And yes, obviously it works with the original Open Office software.

From looking at the picture you can probably tell it’s not the most attractive piece of software. I don’t quite get why they chose those colours and the material looks cheap and very 90s-ish. But hey, I’m sure gamers and power users the world over will love this thing.

Top 3 Netbooks for Home, School and Work

Dean Sherwin — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:53:34 +0000

Netbooks are becoming more popular because they’re more portable than the very portable laptop and have all the working power into the bargain. Plus they pack more punch than even the best of smart phones. Here we have what I think are the best three netbooks for their tasks.

Home

Dell Inspiron Mini 10v Netbook

This is a great little curvy computer running the most popular of OS among netbooks – Windows XP. It has 1GB of RAM which is into laptop territory and is great for surfing the internet and taking care of all those tasks. The reason why this is the best netbook for the home is because of the price. At just $299 it’s a fine purchase to make to fill the gap when someone else is using the family PC or you just want to relax in bed and check you e-mail or RSS. It also doesn’t look and feel cheap like other netbooks for the same price. It can run for over five hours playing video and using software so it’s ideal for entertainment and heavy usage.

School

Asus Eee PC

This one is slightly more bulky than the one mentioned above but it packs more of a punch and it has an extended battery life for those long cramming sessions. The keyboard is also much better for typing on than the DELL.

It has 1GB of RAM but a 1.66GHz processor while running XP.

It weighs 3.4 pounds which isn’t too bad when you compare it to the laptop you could have been lugging around between classes. It looks good and ticks all the right boxes for students. The price tag of $400 isn’t to bad either.

Work

HP Mini 5101

This small netbook is definitely the way to go for work and business. It stylish and discreet with a minimalistic design and has sharper angles than the other too. Again, it has 1GB of RAM and a 1.66GHx processor doing all the work for you. It’s really sturdy and solidly built however I don’t like how it lost its Express Card slot which was on the previous model.

Nonetheless, the 160Gb hard drive is more than enough to hold any projects (no matter how big) until you make it back to the office and the 10” display is the perfect screen for working on them along with the comfortable keyboard and track pad.

For ultimate gaming laptops, click here.

Dual Monitors: Why You Should Set Them Up

Dean Sherwin — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:10:32 +0000

The vast majority of people have a single monitor. Even suggesting adding a second would baffle them.

‘Eh, why?’ they might ask while staring at you as though you just landed in a spinning saucer.

Here’s my answer.

‘Because productivity is increased, desktop size doubled and it looks AWSOME’.

For those of you who follow me on Twitter you’ll have noticed that I spent an hour last night hooking up a second 19” monitor in my office. As I write this post I currently have Microsoft Outlook and Trillian Astra running on the spare screen with my whole laptop screen available for work. If I want to check my e-mails I just move my cursor to the second screen and use it as though it was a different computer. Then just move it back to the left until it reappears on my laptop – then back to work!

Seriously, for anyone who is even a semi-hardcore computer user I would definitely suggest this quick tip. It’s as easy as plugging in the new monitor, going to display settings and setting the resolution of monitor number 2. Easy.

Twitter Peek Offers Lackluster Appeal

Luis Sandoval — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:43:29 +0000

Back in the early 90’s there was this song, “Things That Make You Go Hmmm…”. It’s this song that I sadly have to reference when mentioning the Twitter Peek. Unlike the song that had some redeeming qualities this doorstopper is the clunkiest piece of technology I’ve seen yet (a disclaimer, I do not own one).

This product is made by Peek. The same company brought you the horrors that were the Pronto Peek and the Meet Peek. I’m not sure why I would want any of these devices since my smartphone does it all, and when I’m not at my mobile, I’m at my desk.

Perhaps therein lies the truth. It’s not geared towards me, the tech savvy geek, but rather the Twitter uninitiated.Despite the millions of users, there are still many demographics who have not embraced it. What a simple bridge to get them to join.

Clever plan or failure upward? Too early to tell, but one thing is for sure, based on their past successes, the Twitter Peek might make a small splash.

The Twitter Peek can be purchased on their website or via Amazon.