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Manufactured locally
Friday, December 14, 2007
VIA's pc-1 series of mainboards are targeted at markets where there is a relatively low level of computer ownership. To keep costs lower again, VIA is cutting out the shipping time for Brazilian customers. "Through a third party, Via is producing their new pc2500 boards in Brazil with the intention of distributing them locally." Interestingly, it's not just the low cost of the boards themselves that interest the Brazilian market: "They cite a high cost of electricity in Brazil as a key selling point for low-power hardware." More at Tech Spot.

More details emerge on the Cloudbook
Thursday, December 13, 2007
It is often the case that after the Christmas sale period you can pick up a bargain for even less. This may be the case for ultra mobile laptops, with Everex releasing their 7" Cloudbook in mid-January. Even though Everex haven't made any official announcements yet, more details are starting to emerge:

"Other criticals include a 7-inch screen, 1.3 megapixel camera, wired and wireless Ethernet, 4-in-1 card reader, USB 2.0, DVI-out, and 512MB RAM."

Plus: "A developers version with touchscreen UI, Skype, and alarm clock module ... " Source: Mobile Mag.

ARTiGO kit a green choice as well
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Info World comments: "Beyond the sheer "wow" factor of such a powerful system in a diminutive body, the Artigo is a fine example of how PCs can become greener. For one thing, it's got a remarkably lower power draw: According to Via, a complete system would consume around 15 watts in idle, while the mainboard itself consumes a maximum of only 20 watts under full load."

The H2r0bot
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Jim Patek is an aquatic biologist turned engineer. His undergraduate work was in aquatic biology and chemistry, but then in graduate school, when he was working on a PhD in Aquatic and Mathematical Ecology, he decided to transfer schools and become an environmental engineer. This background, combined with a love of robotics, led him to design and build the H2r0bot, an autonomous self-navigating surface vessel that undertakes bathymetric mapping, an otherwise deadly tedious task for scientists.

When I was first told about this project, I was more than a little addled by the information about the H2r0bot. Just what does it do? And how does it work? Read on to find out.

Everex Cloudbook extremely price competitive
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
UMPC Portal has reported on the Everex UMPC dubbed Cloudbook, which is based on the VIA NanoBook reference design. They say that "one thing seems certain, the Cloudbook will launch on 15th Jan at a $400 price point. That's extremely competitive and obviously aimed right into Eee PC territory." I hadn't heard the price before and I am not too sure what their source is. Considering that the Eee PC is $350 but that the Cloudbook will have a full 30GB hard drive, unlike the Eee PC that only has a 4GB flash drive, I'd say it's fabulous value. In their report, UMPC Portal advise readers that if they want to see how well the Cloudbook would run XP, all they need do is read over their review of the Packard Bell XS20 which has practically identical specs. The point is that with a 30GB hard drive, you could wipe over the gOS Linux operating system that will be preinstalled on the Cloudbook, and using a USB DVD drive, install Windows XP instead.

Digital pen advantages
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
IT Pro features a blog that discusses touch screen practicalities, with some specific references to the OQO model e2:

"Vista improves on the handwriting recognition of XP significantly, and it learns when you correct the recognition - you don’t sit around training the PC. It also introduces pen flicks - gestures that let you copy, paste, delete, scroll or do any eight things you fancy by flicking the pen up, down, sideways and to the four quarters. That only works with an active pen."

We have an active pen with our OQO but frankly we just don't tend to use it. Part of the reason is that there is no docking port for it, either on the OQO itself nor on the hard cover carry case. Also, you do get used to the built in key-pad.

ARTiGO building kit preview
Tuesday, December 11, 2007

How would you like to build your own file server that's small enough to fit in a 5.25" drive bay of your desktop PC? Are you looking for a new computing challenge? A holiday project? The newly released ARTiGO project provides you with a custom chassis for a VIA EPIA PX Pico-ITX mainboard, plus the mainboard itself and all the cables you'll need. We have all the details here.

Everex "Cloudbook" UMPC
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The Everex clamshell design UMPC based on VIA's NanoBook reference design is set to hit the shelves in the US in early 2008.

"According to our anonymous source, the initial Cloudbook model will be powered by a Via C7 ULV processor clocked at 1.2GHz, and come with a 30GB hard drive. It will ship in mid-January in two models, one of which will have a 1.2MP webcam. Preceding that, Everex plans to ship a "Developer" version equipped with a touchscreen, our source revealed. That version will come with gOS source code and toolchains, similar to the gOS development board. gOS is an Everex-sponsored Linux distribution optimized for use with Google Apps." Read on at Linux Devices.

Phitronics Starts Production of VIA pc2500 Mainboards in Brazil
Tuesday, December 11, 2007

"Phitronics [VIA's new Brazilian partner], has started to manufacture VIA pc2500 mainboards in Brazil and make them available country-wide through local distribution partners.

Phitronics is an established mainboard-maker based in Manaus, Brazil, and will deliver the first shipments of the power-saving mainboards to the market this month. It also plans to aggressively ramp up production over the next few months to meet the growing demand for energy-efficient computing platforms.

The VIA pc2500 mainboard is based on a 1.5GHz VIA C7-D processor that uses up to 76% less power than competing desktop processors, making it ideal for Brazil, where electricity prices are among the highest in the world. Specially designed to use electrical power more efficiently than traditional desktop platforms, the VIA pc2500 mainboard can help decrease carbon emissions and electricity bills.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Windows XP and a wide range of operating systems, the VIA pc2500 Mainboard boasts market-leading power, security and performance characteristics for all popular productivity, education and entertainment applications. The combination of full-featured computing with unrivaled power efficiency is expected to appeal to schools, businesses and government offices throughout Brazil, as well as individual users.

“VIA is delighted to work closely with Phitronics to bring these power-saving VIA pc2500 mainboards to Brazil,” commented Richard Brown, Vice President of Corporate Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. “The relatively high cost of electrical power in Brazil means that this mainboard is ideal for people and organizations who want to save money, and it also helps to reduce carbon emissions caused by the process of generating electrical power.”

“By manufacturing these power-saving mainboards of VIA, we are achieving our objective of supporting the Brazilian Government’s PC Connectado program, which aims to bring a PC to every household in Brazil,” said Jean Charles Dreyfus, Director of Phitronics.

VIA pc2500 mainboards are available now in Brazil through distributors SND (www.snd.com.br) and Myatech (www.myatec.com.br), resellers Compulink Informatica (ATX) (www.compulink.com.br), and system integrators Sunsix (www.sunsix.com.br) and Bitway (http://www.bitway.com.br/). Read the rest of the Press Release here.

Introducing M3-ATX, world's tiniest Intelligent ATX power supply unit
Monday, December 10, 2007
Mini-Box are at it again, shrinking down the size of power supplies in order to conserve even more space for small form factor PCs.

"The M3-ATX is compatible with an entire range of mini-itx motherboards or other small form factor boards. The M3-ATX provides a cool, silent 125 Watts of power for small PC designs using an input voltage ranging from 6 to 24V, making it ideal for battery or car-PC applications. By using Patent Pending HyperWatt[TM] technologies, M3-ATX packs an impressive amount of power relative with its tiny footprint."

The new M3-ATX picoPSU is 100% silent and measures just 38x45x25mm, about the size of two AA batteries.