I’m really, really meticulous with my laptop, but sometimes, the fact that I have to lug around a huge padded backpack containing my laptop, the power brick, and a few accessories like the mouse can be a hassle. What if I just wanted to bring my laptop with me to the nearest coffee shop? I don’t want to have a huge bag cluttering the already-cramped cafe when I’m going to be staying there for a few hours. However, I don’t want to walk around carrying my laptop only. Heh, I don’t want to be an easy target for muggers.

So imagine my surprise when I saw Conceptual Devices offering a few things you can do with a hoodie, among them was to use it to make an improvised laptop bag. You can find more tips, including using your hoodie as a baby sling, and another tip on how to make a backpack, actually.

A hoodie is not just a hoodie. In a world full of stuff, smart items should be transformable, editable. They should engage the possibility to be transformed into something else. We do not need a new object. We rather need to get rid of some of them, to reduce the complex network of things around us.

You can check out the steps how to do just that here (click to embiggen):

I’m kind of iffy using a hoodie as a laptop bag, to be honest. I don’t have much faith in my DIY skills to make an improvised laptop bag that won’t unravel at the worst possible time, leading to a mess of computer components on the sidewalk. I’ll have to try it out with a netbook first. What about you? Do you see yourself using this in the future?

[via]

Until now I haven’t tweaked Windows because I actually love how the Superbar and all the other changes work. I can say that this is the first version of Windows I was practically very satisfied with. However, earlier today I was rushing a really important project and that required me to open and maintain around 15 windows between various programs, and even the Superbar wasn’t able to actually help me out here. I remember sighing in frustration because switching windows somehow took too many clicks.

Taking a breather from my deadline-intensive task, I did a little googling and found Switcher, a nifty little app that emulates the actions of Mac OS X’s fabled Exposé. Okay, yeah I know this is one of those little apps that try to make Windows look and act like Mac OS X, and I’m usually against that kind of thing. I mean, if you’re going to make your PC look like Mac OS X, just get a freaking Mac, right? Or if you’re willing to go down the illegal route, just Hackintosh your beloved computer. But I digress.

The thing is, Switcher isn’t just one of those “me too” programs you install. It’s actually fast enough, and kinda light on system resources. I say “kinda” because it’s not exactly lightweight, but it’s good enough to be functional when I have around 20 windows open. I didn’t even have to install it. There’s a stand-alone version that runs pretty well. I don’t see myself using it all of the time, but when I’m overwhelmed by too many windows and clicks and alt-tab just isn’t cutting it, Switcher works pretty well.

Download Switcher here.

I’m not a fan of the way they design their computers, but the sheer power Alienware computers pack in such small packages more than make up for the borderline-tacky designs. After all, we might be able to see the launch of the most powerful sub-12″ notebook ever.

The Alienware M11x boasts an 11.6-inch, white LED backlit screen that displays high-definition (HD) graphics at 720p resolution and 30 frames per second – thanks to a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce graphics card. this gaming notebook packs a lot of juice – it can last up to 8.5 hours on its battery. For $1,699, you get a 1.3GHz processor, 4GB of memory, a 320GB hard drive and Windows 7 Home Premium.

If you have any doubts that this notebook is destined for greatness, check out the hands-on from Gizmodo:

Let me make this clear: The M11X is unabashedly Alienware. I mean, its LEDs behind the keyboard and thermal grates sort of give that away. I’m not crazy about the plastic case, and I wish the 1366×768 screen were covered in glass instead of plastic. As someone who appreciates minimal design, it’s pretty much the antithesis of my taste.

Yet, I still liked the M11X.

While it manages to still weigh in at a hefty 4 or so pounds (your brain doesn’t anticipate the weight), it’s just an incredible amount of power for an 11.6-inch laptop.

Inside, you’ll find an energy-sipping Core2Duo alongside a 1GB Nvidia 335M graphics card—which is fairly insane for the size. But playing Star Trek Online and Call of Duty, I didn’t doubt the power. You can’t run CoD with anti-aliasing on, but otherwise, the experience is sharp, smooth and surprisingly palatable on the tiny display—keep in mind, I was testing it running off a battery.

If you want to get one of these babies, you can pre-order here.

Sure, Asus conceptualized the idea first, but MSI beat practically every netbook manufacturer for doing this. MSI is showing off a netbook prototype with twin 10 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel touchscreen displays and no physical keyboard. However, you can bring up an on-screen keyboard which, when pressed, actually vibrates the netbook. The haptic feedback is a nice touch, if you ask me.

Though MSI is calling this dual 10-inch screen device an e-reader, it’s really a netbook with two screens since it’s got an Atom Z Series processor and Windows 7 Home Premium. Again: Windows 7 Home Premium! I wonder what hardware is running under the hood. So far details regarding the hardware have been scant, except for the processor: an Intel Atom Z-series.

Brian of Liliputing was able to get his hands n a prototype and this is what he has to say about it:

The demo unit I tested out this afternoon is an early prototype, and the touchscreen wasn’t quite as responsive as I (or the friendly MSI rep) would have liked. I found it a little difficult, for instance, to drag items from one screen to the other, or to make the keyboard larger or smaller. But it’s likely that these kinks could be worked out before MSI would bring the device to market.

Here’s a video demo if Brian using the MSI netbook prototype:

Personally though, I wouldn’t bother with dual-screen devices yet. Call me old fashioned, but I really can’t live or work without a physical keyboard. Well, that is until virtual keyboards get their act together.

I’ve only recently began to appreciate the awesomeness of using multiple monitors. I’ve always thought multiple monitors are overindulgent and for a mere blogger like me who doesn’t dabble in graphics design or video editing, a single monitor seemed enough. That is, of course until I tried setting up a nice multi-monitor setup on my laptop and I swear, I feel more productive. Dual monitors are also attributed to a 30-50% rise in productivity, so I really wanted to try that setup. Now that I use dual monitors, I don’t know how I can live and work without it.

Now remember, I’m using a laptop. Which, obviously is a portable system. And monitors aren’t exactly the most portable stuff to carry around. In fact, I’d like to meet somebody carrying around an extra monitor on a daily basis. Anyway, if a secondary mnitor that you can carry around everywhere is what you’re looking for, then the CINQ might be the gadget for you.

The CINQ is a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel LCD screen (16:9 aspect ratio!) that you can connect to your computer via USB. The CINQ also comes with a stand and an attachment so you can mount your mini-LCD screen to your laptop. If you’re going to use a netbook, it’ll obviously topple over if you attach it, so you’re better off using the stand. Aside from it being an extra monitor, it also has an SD card reader built in.

The CINQ uses up to 2.8W of power and displays 262k colors. The display will sell for $249, although CINQ is offering $50 off that price for customers who pre-order now.

[CINQ]

As I posted on my personal blog, I bought a new Acer Aspire 4736ZG. Aside from getting myself acquainted with Windows 7 (I love it to bits), I’ve spent the better half of the holiday weekend tweaking it. I’ve installed my favorite programs I use on my old netbook, while at the same time I’ve uninstalled a LOT of OEM bloatware that came with the computer. Why OEMs like Acer like to ship in unnecessary programs that can sometimes even slow down performance is beyond me.

Anyway, I just finished removing a crapload of stickers off my laptop. Obviously, I removed only the ones advertising that my laptop has an Intel Pentium processor or a NVIDIA processor, and that huge Acer sticker advertising the specs of my laptop. Of course I left the stickers on the bottom containing my Windows product key and other information.

Rico of Technograph says it best:

The point is, those who buy computers are most likely aware of what their new gadget is capable of. Even before I bought the MSI Wind U210, I already knew it featured a 1.6GHz dual-core AMD Athlon X2 Neo CPU, a 250GB hard drive, and Radeon graphics from ATI. Why do I need a sticker reminding me of what my own netbook is capable of?

And I know wht laptop manufacturers do this: they want people to see what the laptop’s specs are when I bring it out. But here’s the rub. I paid for it. I don’t want my laptop becoming a walking advertisement. After googling for the best way to remove the stickers, I found out that I just need to use my fingernails, and I should make sure that I don’t angle the sticker for more than 45 degrees or else I might end up with lots of adhesive on my notebook. 30 minutes later, my notebook’s palm rest is clean:

Now I ask you guys, do you remove the stickers off your laptops?

Honestly, I don’t know what to make of it. It seems that Acer has come up with a laptop that has a 3-D display effect. The 3-D effect is achieved by a transparent polarizing filter overlaid on the screen, which splits images into separate streams for each eye. You would need a pair of special polarizing glasses to get the effect, and if you look at the screen straight-on, you’d get the 3-D effect. Looking at the screen at an angle may actually not show the 3-D.

According to The Times Online, the 3-D “results range from stunning to not so good.” So far, the videos that look best apparently are the ones already saved on the hard drive to begin with. You know, trailers and animations. You can download new videos, but I’m suspecting the ones especially made for 3-D will work best. That means that episode of Glee you downloaded off a torrent site won’t definitely produce the best results. Gaming on the other hand, would work better, although The Times Online reports that they can be blurry at times.

Now I won’t go all skeptical on this one and say that 3-D is just going to be a passing fad, because I really can see that this is going to be the future. We probably won’t see it in a while, but this technology is going to be adopted and 3-D will be a standard. But until then, I’d advise you guys to stay away from it until we get TV shows, movies, and games that won’t give you a headache after viewing it in 3-D.

The specs of the Acer 5738DZG are:

• 2.1GHz Intel Dual Core processor
• 4GB RAM
• 15.6 inch screen
• 1366 x 768 screen resolution
• ATI Radeon HD 4570 512 MB Graphics Card
• 500GB Hard Disk

Laptop Magazine was able to get their hands on an HP Mini 311, and wowza, it won points for performance. Usually I belittle HP’s netbooks because the stuff running under the hood is no match against other, relatively uglier netbooks, but somehow HP Mini 311 seems to change the game.

11-inch screen goodness aside, the HP Mini 311 has a standard Intel Atom processor which every netbook worth its salt has been rocking since time immemorial. And we all know how limited the Atom is. But thanks to the powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics, the Mini 311 trounces your typical netbook when it comes to video playback, video gaming, or the 3DMark06 benchmark. It also outperforms every netbook and some CULV powered machines in the more general PCMark05 test. And would you believe you can squeeze at least 5 hours out of this baby?

And seriously, for $399, you can’t do any better for that price range.

I have seen HP’s 11.6 inch netbook, the Mini 311, and I am liking it. How hard is it to like a diminutive netbook rocking a 11366 x 768 pixel display along with NVIDIA ION graphics, and HDMI output? Also, if you’re not convinced, how does the $399 starting price sound? And if you get yours on October 22 onwards, you get Windows 7.

The full specs of this baby:

• CPU: 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270
• Graphics: NVIDIA ION LE with up to 319MB graphics memory
• Display: 11.6″ HD LED BirghtView Widescreen display (1366 x 768)
• OS: Windows XP Home Edition SP3
• RAM: 1GB DDR3
• Storage: 160GB 5400RPM SATA hard drive
• WiFi: 802.11b/g
• I/O: VGA, HDMI, 5-in-1 card reader, Ethernet, combo mic/headhone jack
• Battery: 6 cell Li-Ion
• Webcam: HP webam with integrated digital microphone
• Support: 1 year free hardware technical support
• Dimensions: 11.4″ x 8.03″ x 0.78″ ~ 1.20″
• Weight: 3.22 pounds
• Software: Integrated HP QuickSync app for synchronizing media with another PC

Nokia is well-known for its mobile devices, having been in the market for over 25 years, but now the Finnish company has decided to compete in the notebook market with the introduction of its Booklet 3G.

Let’s cut to its list of features. First off, it uses the popular Intel Atom mobile processor, ensuring a decent amount of both power and battery life — up to 12 hours is the claim though you can bet that’s with most things switched off.

Connectivity is good, as you’d expect, with Wi-Fi, 3G/HSPA and A-GPS unit built-in, and there’s also an HDMI output for connecting up to high definition displays.

There’s a 10-inch glass HD ready display and the whole unit weighs around 1.25kg and is about 2cm thin.

Is it a notebook? Is it a netbook? I’ll let you decide — Nokia makes no mention of either, though it has “the computing power of a PC with the full benefits of mobility” according to Nokia’s executive vice president for devices, Kai Oistamo.

The detailed specifications, pricing and availability are to be announced on September 2 at Nokia World.