Looks like AT&T is adding a few new handsets to its lineup for the holiday buying season as today, Ma’ Bell announced it will be carrying the BlackBerry 8520 and the new LG Shine II, all now added to its “best in the world smartphone lineup.” The Shine II is a 3G slider phone with a 2.2″ screen, stereo Bluetooth, Java 2.0, and a November 22nd release date. The Shine Part Deux will also set you back $119 with a 2-year commitment. Switching gears, the more familiar BlackBerry 8520 will boast the now-standard specs of: WiFi, a 320×240 display, 512 MHz processor, 256 MB of memory, and a 2 megapixel camera capable of video recording. The exact release date of the updated Curve was not specified but rather listed as within “the next few weeks.” Any takers?

Read 8520

Read Shine II

It’s not every day you find a watch that can feasibly kill a man. The Rogue Warrior Red Cell is just such a watch.

The watch, designed by Richard “Dick” Marcinko AKA the Rogue Warrior, chairman of Red Cell International Corp., a security consulting firm. Mr. Marcinko (you call this guy “Mister” and “Sir”) has a Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat, and founded SEAL Team SIX, the Navy’s counter terrorist command and Red Cell, a group that could… heck. I’ll just paste this from his website:

Marcinko later was named commanding officer and founder of a second counter-terrorism unit, Red Cell. Commanding Red Cell, Marcinko was directed to use his team to test the Navy’s anti-terrorist capabilities. As a result he was able to infiltrate seemingly impenetrable, highly-secured bases, nuclear submarines, ships and other purported “secure areas”, including the U.S. Presidential plane Air Force One. In doing so he reportedly embarrassed several superior officers, whom he accuses of involvement in his subsequent conviction for misappropriation of funds and resources under his command.

Homeboy could sneak on board Air Force One. That is badass.

So what does a man who can throttle enemies in their sleep wear on his wrist? The Rogue Warrior Red Cell. This is one of the best quartz GMTs I’ve seen in years. It’s made of brushed steel and contains Krypton gas to ensure luminance and reduces internal condensation. It uses a Japanese GMT movement with separate date, second time zone, and time setting functions and also includes something called d3o. D3o is a non-Newtonian liquid that goes from soft to rigid in seconds on impact. The entire movement is contained in d3o ensures that your movement won’t break when you, say, are attacked by a team of zombie terrorists.

The style is purely functional. The two bars protect the crystal and the bezel is bolted down. The crown screws down for water-fastness and the watch comes with a leather or steel band along with a nylon strap and, get this, a night ops cover for the watch to ensure you aren’t seen while infiltrating the corner bodega for a late-night box of Crunch ‘n’ Munch and sixes of Miller Lite.

The back of the watch has a freaking gun on it.

The watch comes in two styles, matte black and brushed silver (they also have a chrono model called the Avenger) and, best of all, they cost $400 on a leather or rubber band and $550 for a steel band. That’s right: this thing is much less than a nicer Swatch and it can seriously do some damage.

As I said before I’m not a quartz guy but I’ve worn this for a few days straight and I’m in love with it. The company wanted to create a watch anyone could feasibly service so they went quartz. $400 for a monster like this, even in quartz, isn’t that much.

I would say this piece is on par with the Chase-Durer Special Forces 1000XL piece that was popular a few years ago in terms of styling and is definitely more noticeable than a Fossil. Plus it was made by a guy who can feasibly sneak up behind you, Solid Snake style, and rip out your throat. Always a plus.

Product Page

Jackie Judd, of the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Mary Agnes Carey and Eric Pianin of KHN, discuss this week’s activities on the Hill. Watch the video or listen to the audio version (.mp3). A transcript of the interview is below.

Transcript:

JACKIE JUDD: Good day. I am Jackie Judd with Health on the Hill, a conversation about efforts to overhaul the healthcare system. Joining me, as always, Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News, and also Eric Pianin with Kaiser Health News. Welcome to you both. In the past few weeks, there has been a lull in Senate activity, what is the status in that Chamber?

MARY AGNES CAREY: Harry Reid, who is the majority leader, is hoping that this week the Senate can begin discussion on a motion to proceed to a Health Bill. This requires 60 votes. It would allow the Chamber to start discussion. Many moderate Democrats may have some qualms about voting for the Bill, up or down, even though we haven’t seen the Bill, have said that they will be with Senator Reid to get the 60 votes and to proceed to have that debate but it may take longer than this week and we may head into Thanksgiving week, so members may have to spend a little time in Washington Thanksgiving week.

JACKIE JUDD: He is holding out that threat again, into the holiday.

MARY AGNES CAREY: Absolutely.

JACKIE JUDD: Eric, the majority leader, Harry Reid, has spent a lot of time sending portions of Bills over to the Congressional Budget Office to score it, to figure out what it will cost. What is behind this?

ERIC PIANIN: Well part of it is just the jigsaw puzzle demands of putting together legislation that could attract 60 votes in the Senate. This is a very difficult task. The Bill that Harry Reid is trying to put together is very different from what the House passed just a week ago, but also in doing this he is sort of moving from policy making to politics. And this is not a pure exercise in trying to craft the best health care reform policy the Democrats can come up with, but it’s trying to figure out what you can do to hold together factions and attract others.

For example, there has been a lot of resistance from labor unions and liberal Democrats to the notion of slapping a tax on high end insurance policies to help pay for the health care reforms. Now, Reid is looking at some other alternatives including possibly raising the payroll tax for Medicare to offset some of the lost revenues of abandoning the other approach.

So what I think is going on is there is sort of a constant dialogue between the Senate Majority Leader’s office and CBO in which Reid is saying well, okay if that doesn’t work, how about this? And see what your number crunchers come up with, with this latest scenario.

JACKIE JUDD: So, while there is no full puzzle yet, are there certain threshold issues that we will see when there is a Senate Bill?

MARY AGNES CAREY: The public option, for example. Senator Reid has said he wants an option that would allow states to opt out. We will have to see if that’s where he comes out. Eric mentioned the tax on some of the highest cost health insurance plans. Will those thresholds be raised? How will he deal with the individual mandate? There is a lot of concern that the Senate Finance Committee deliberations weaken the individual mandate and it wouldn’t be strong enough.

Will he toughen that? How will he deal with the level of subsidies, the financial assistance for people who need help to get health insurance? So those will be some of the points of concern and I think people will be focused on.

JACKIE JUDD: Okay, let’s move over the House side now. There has been some troubling news of late for House Democrats. A Republican member of the House asked CMS, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to analyze the Bill that was passed there. Not all the news was good as far as the Democrats are concerned. Fill us in.

ERIC PIANIN: Well I think that is right and Dave Camp, a Republican leader in the House, requested this analysis of the Bill that the House passed a week ago and what they came up with in this fairly densely stated report are a number of troubling things for the Democrats.

One, it suggests that the $500 billion in proposed cuts in Medicare and Medicare Advantage will drive up costs for some seniors and result in reduced services. There is also a big concern that with this huge expansion in the number of Americans insured under this plan that the network of doctors and hospitals may just not be able to absorb and handle all of this, especially the millions and millions who would be brought in under Medicaid and there are a number of other kind of troubling concerns about efforts at cost savings.

If in fact the plan was to work and to slow the growth of spending for Medicare, Medicare spending per beneficiary would have to be cut to a rate maybe half of what the historic rate has been over the last 10 or 15 years. So there are a lot of questions raised about what the House did and the report is proving a lot of ammunition to Republican leaders to say you know what, the President and the Democrats are moving far too quickly on this very complicated, highly expensive plan. Let’s slow down and take a closer look at it and maybe rethink it.

JACKIE JUDD: And the Democrats are trying to discount what the report says by saying that the Bill wasn’t looked at in a full way, it didn’t consider revenue raising for example, that it wasn’t an apples to apples comparison.

ERIC PIANIN: I think that is true and you hear these debates back and forth over reports when the insurance industry came out with its study claiming that health care reform was going to drive up premiums and all that. The Democrats said well, wait a minute. You left out all sorts of important elements and mitigating circumstances, and I think the Democrats are doing the same with this CMS report, but the point is that the longer this process takes, the more time the opponents of health care reform have to husband their resources, you know, marshall their studies and reports. Apparently the Chamber of Commerce now is shopping around for an economist to do a study of the health care reform to reach the conclusion that it would kill jobs and hurt the economy.

JACKIE JUDD: And this is exactly the scenario that the administration has always been worried about and why the Obama White House wanted health care reform wrapped up this summer.

MARY AGNES CAREY: Right and they are still saying they want it done by the end of the year, but it looks like an incredibly heavy lift. The Senate, here we are almost at Thanksgiving, the Senate has not yet begun its debate on health reform.

JACKIE JUDD: And there is the abortion issue.

MARY AGNES CAREY: There is the abortion issue. The House adopted language that many abortion rights proponents want to get out of the Bill, it would say that if you receive a subsidy you couldn’t have a plan, a health insurance plan, in the exchange that would cover abortion services.

They feel this is incredibly restrictive, that it goes beyond current law, and in the Senate you have abortion rights proponents who say that they can stop this particular provision that it won’t get 60 votes, but this is going to be a battle point as Congress continues to look at health reform.

JACKIE JUDD: Okay, thank you both as always, Eric Pianin, Mary Agnes Carey. Thank you for joining us. I’m Jackie Judd.

UPDATE: It’s dead! The BlackBerry Bold actually exceeded the marketing materials and died just short of the 39 hour benchmark.

UPDATE: It’s 1:12. There is 8% battery left and I used some extra juice to take a screenshot. Regardless, the BlackBerry Bold 9700 has been on for 36 hours and it seems like it will hit the 38 hour mark, as advertised, dead on. BlackBerry Cool reader Durbin007 deserves a hat tip.

UPDATE: 21:52. About 1/5th of the battery power left. The BlackBerry Bold 9700 has been playing music for 33 hours.

UPDATE: We are now almost 27 hours into the test and we still have 2/5 battery power.

UPDATE: We’re coming up to the 24hr mark and I have to say, this test is driving me slightly mental. If I were to design a new torture method, it would involve leaving loud music playing from headphones in the same room as someone for hours on end.

UPDATE: At 09:06 we’re about 21 hours into the test and the Bold 9700 is showing just a little over half battery. At this rate, it could be upwards of 45 hours to drain the battery completely.

UPDATE: It’s 20:32 EST, about 8 hours since we started and not even a single bar down. At this rate I won’t need to update until tomorrow.

UPDATE: It is 16:57 EST, a little more than 4 hours into it and we still haven’t gone through a full bar. Going to give it a while longer before another update.

UPDATE (14:26 EST): It has been 2 hours and we’re still running on full battery. This could take a long, long time.

So here’s the deal: The BlackBerry Bold 9700 has some battery optimizations that make it last so long it makes the Energizer Bunny look impotent. That, combined with some OS optimizations specifically tailored to the music player, means the Bold 9700 can play music for a long time.

But just how long can it play music on a single charge? Well I’m going to put this thing to the test. The test will involve 2 parts. The first part, will be playing music with the radio off and playing it directly from the SD Card. This will give us an idea of how long the battery will last, solely playing music without being interrupted by calls, emails and network searching. The second part of the experiment, will be playing the music from Slacker, to test the 9700’s ability to stream music while on the network. This will be an incredible strain on the battery but I have a feeling the Bold 9700 will surprise us.

So lets get started with Part 1 of How Long Will the Bold 9700 play music for?

Comment your predictions! Remember, the following conditions:

• Radio is off.
• Full battery charge.
• Full volume with headphones.
• No audio boost.
• No headset equalizer.
• Songs on continuous play so it won’t have any interruption.

© Kyle for BlackBerry Cool, 2009

Click here to see the video.

It was around midnight in Washington, D.C., and early afternoon in Shanghai when the President began an historic town hall in China.  Taking tough and straightforward questions from Chinese students, and solicted from across China via the internet, the President discussed everything from Taiwan to the role of women in society to open government.   Read through all of the exchanges in the full transcript.

In his extensive and probing opening remarks, the President related America’s history, triumphing over tragedy and difficulty, to China’s own story:

Of course, the story of our nation is not without its difficult chapters.  In many ways — over many years — we have struggled to advance the promise of these principles to all of our people, and to forge a more perfect union.  We fought a very painful civil war, and freed a portion of our population from slavery.  It took time for women to be extended the right to vote, workers to win the right to organize, and for immigrants from different corners of the globe to be fully embraced.  Even after they were freed, African Americans persevered through conditions that were separate and not equal, before winning full and equal rights.

None of this was easy.  But we made progress because of our belief in those core principles, which have served as our compass through the darkest of storms.  That is why Lincoln could stand up in the midst of civil war and declare it a struggle to see whether any nation, conceived in liberty, and "dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal" could long endure. That is why Dr. Martin Luther King could stand on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and ask that our nation live out the true meaning of its creed.  That’s why immigrants from China to Kenya could find a home on our shores; why opportunity is available to all who would work for it; and why someone like me, who less than 50 years ago would have had trouble voting in some parts of America, is now able to serve as its President.

And that is why America will always speak out for these core principles around the world.   We do not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation, but we also don’t believe that the principles that we stand for are unique to our nation.  These freedoms of expression and worship — of access to information and political participation — we believe are universal rights.  They should be available to all people, including ethnic and religious minorities — whether they are in the United States, China, or any nation.  Indeed, it is that respect for universal rights that guides America’s openness to other countries; our respect for different cultures; our commitment to international law; and our faith in the future.

These are all things that you should know about America.  I also know that we have much to learn about China.  Looking around at this magnificent city — and looking around this room — I do believe that our nations hold something important in common, and that is a belief in the future.  Neither the United States nor China is content to rest on our achievements.  For while China is an ancient nation, you are also clearly looking ahead with confidence, ambition, and a commitment to see that tomorrow’s generation can do better than today’s.

In addition to your growing economy, we admire China’s extraordinary commitment to science and research — a commitment borne out in everything from the infrastructure you build to the technology you use.  China is now the world’s largest Internet user — which is why we were so pleased to include the Internet as a part of today’s event.  This country now has the world’s largest mobile phone network, and it is investing in the new forms of energy that can both sustain growth and combat climate change — and I’m looking forward to deepening the partnership between the United States and China in this critical area tomorrow.  But above all, I see China’s future in you — young people whose talent and dedication and dreams will do so much to help shape the 21st century.

I’ve said many times that I believe that our world is now fundamentally interconnected.  The jobs we do, the prosperity we build, the environment we protect, the security that we seek — all of these things are shared.  And given that interconnection, power in the 21st century is no longer a zero-sum game; one country’s success need not come at the expense of another.  And that is why the United States insists we do not seek to contain China’s rise.  On the contrary, we welcome China as a strong and prosperous and successful member of the community of nations — a China that draws on the rights, strengths, and creativity of individual Chinese like you.

To return to the proverb — consider the past.  We know that more is to be gained when great powers cooperate than when they collide.  That is a lesson that human beings have learned time and again, and that is the example of the history between our nations.  And I believe strongly that cooperation must go beyond our government.  It must be rooted in our people — in the studies we share, the business that we do, the knowledge that we gain, and even in the sports that we play.  And these bridges must be built by young men and women just like you and your counterparts in America.

President Barack Obama listens to a question at the town hall meeting with future Chinese leaders at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum in Shanghai, China, Nov. 16, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Posters commemorating President Barack Obama’s appearance at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum are handed out following his town hall meeting there in Shanghai, China, Nov. 16, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

A couple people sent in this rather interesting story from the Times Online about how Mariah Carey is reinventing the music business model. Well, that’s basically what the article suggests. What’s more accurate is that she’s more or less scaled up the “connecting with fans” and “reasons to buy” to mega-superstar levels. She’s working closely with various brands to help fund the business model. She’s selling other product lines such as makeup. But, she’s also come up with some unique “reasons to buy.” For example, she got the magazine Elle to produce an entire issue dedicated to her — but the only way to get it is to buy her new CD. In other words, she’s giving people a reason to buy the CD. And… even better, she (or, her people) sold the ads that are in the magazine and gets to keep all of that money. It’s the superstar blend of recognizing that content and advertising have really become the same thing.

She’s also connecting with fans more and more using the internet — even with such a huge following. So, for example, her people are carefully “leaking” her schedule and appearances to very targeted groups of fans online, so when she shows up places, there’s a good number of fans, who feel special, rather than tremendous mobs.

And, no, of course this isn’t the model for everyone. None of these models are — but they all follow the same framework. She’s working hard to come up with reasons for people to buy stuff, all of which is made more valuable by her music and her celebrity. And she points out that the record label execs should have embraced the internet ages ago:

“A lot of big powerful music-industry executives made a giant mistake,” she says. “They gave the music business away on the internet. If they had just sat back and said, ‘Maybe let’s figure this internet thing out, it could be something cool,’ we could have found a way to distribute music online on our own terms, not somebody else’s. Prince had already shown them the way. He was so far ahead of the curve, putting out his own records on the web. Everyone else was stupid.”

Indeed. While Prince eventually stumbled, his early efforts were incredibly instructive for the industry, but every time folks like us mentioned them, we were told it could only work for Prince and that it was a terrible model. Except it worked — and, to be honest, every model we see these days is really a more modern reflection of what Prince started doing years ago.

But, once again, despite the naysayers, we’re seeing that this basic economic concept of using the infinite goods of music and celebrity to sell scarce goods can work no matter how big or small the artist may be.

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Using the Desktop as the default saving location of your files, projects or downloads proves to be, in most cases, very time efficient. This way, you don’t have to think twice about where are your recent files are and you can continue your work after a short break almost instantly. Things get complicated when you realize you have a pile of files and folders that you haven’t had the chance to organize yet, so you get lost every time you are looking for something.

Still, if you are the kind of person that has a visual memory and you know exactly where each and every file is, there are some situations when you might want your desktop to look impeccable.

For example, if you are making a presentation or a video tutorial or you are simply taking some screenshots of your work in order to share them with your colleagues, the overall impact might be diminished by the appearance of your cluttered desktop. And since you don’t want to find yourself in the situation of explaining why you have in your screenshots small files called “my dog,” “my dream wedding” and so on, Camouflage is the trick you were looking for.

Developed by Briksoftware and offered as a freeware product, Camouflage gives you the possibility to have professional materials and presentations without renouncing your “messy&… (read more)

Tokyo-based Thanko has brought us many USB-powered crap gadgets in the past. But in the last few days, the company has rolled out not one but four of those gadgets in rapid succession: A USB shoe dryer, USB eyelash curler, USB toothbrush sanitizer case, and a USB blanket (all links in Japanese). And you can get all of this stuff even if you live outside Japan.

The USB shoe dryer is shaped like a sleeping dog for some reason and looks like this (it’s pictured on top of this post again). It costs approximately $23 in Thanko’s online store.

Thanko is now also selling an eyelash curler you can connect to your computers USB port. Don’t ask me why. Price: About $23.

Thanko’s USB-powered toothbrush sanitizer case (based on infrared) is available for $40.10 over at Geek Stuff 4 U.

This USB blanket is kind of Japan’s answer to the Snuggie, even though you won’t look as cool wearing it. Price: About $23.

If you’re interested in any of these devices for some reason and don’t live in Japan, please don’t hesitate to contact Geek Stuff 4 U who now seem to closely collaborate with Thanko for international distribution.

By Tim Conneally, Betanews

Former Senior Vice President of AOL and political activist Mark Walsh makes a convincing argument that the Internet is broken. He believes that as soon as people started making money on the Internet, things changed for the worse.

“We really thought that the Internet, or the ‘interactive services business’ as we called it back then, was going to change the world,” Walsh said in a recent TED talk. “And we thought it was important that that sense of community, that sense of transparency, that sense of empowerment was really a set of core principles that all of us believed in…it really was a perfect time. But then the money showed up, and things changed…The internet is broken because of that money.”

Fortunately, not all of the powers from the dawn of the Internet think it’s a lost cause.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee, widely regarded as the man who “invented the Internet,” founded an international nonprofit group called the World Wide Web Foundation that officially launched global operations today. The Foundation’s first projects focus on the very ideals Walsh believes were neglected when big money came into the Internet. Harnessing the Internet’s power to create community, improve communication and empower individuals, the World Wide Web Foundation believes it can still be used as a force for positive change.

This week, the World Wide Web Foundation begins operations on two programs: The Web Alliance for Re-greening Africa (W4RA), and Empowering Youth in Inner Cities.

W4RA is a three-year project which will do work in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali. The objective there is connect farmers with one another, so that they may quickly and continuously share innovative cultivation techniques to rehabilitate degraded land. Local farmers figured out how to turn barren, drought-ravaged land into fertile fields using available resources and simple techniques. But for farmers to share their techniques with others, they previously had to be bussed long distances and engage in face-to-face discussions. The Foundation looks to employ a “digital bus” to let these farmers teach their methods to one another and hopefully speed up the “re-greening” of northwest Africa.

The second project will go to economically-challenged inner cities in different continents and teach the youth how to develop mobile and Web applications on both mobile and desktop platforms. While there may not be opportunities in the community in which they reside, this sort of program could give kids the ability to turn to the Web for education and employment.

“We don’t think the problems of the world can be solved by simply throwing tech at them,” World Wide Web Foundation CEO Steven Bratt told Betanews. “We are looking to bring forth a better Web, which will help people develop business, medicine, agriculture, and health care.”

Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2009

In advance of Wednesday’s forum on lending to small business and economic recovery, the White House is happy to welcome SBA Administration Karen Mills today for a live video chat. Tune in at 3:15 EST today.

Watch here through WhiteHouse.gov/live
Watch, discuss and engage through Facebook

Administrator Mills explained a little more in-depth in a note last week:

A Message from the SBA Administrator on Helping Small Businesses:

A few weeks ago, President Obama asked the U.S. Small Business Administration and Department of Treasury to convene a forum to discuss how we can best get credit flowing to small businesses to help them make it through this recessions, and put them in a position to grow and create jobs.

We’re hosting the forum next week, and I want to make sure that everyone with a stake in our recovery has their voice heard. 

Which is why I’ll be taking your questions live in advance of the event this Monday, November 16th, at 3:15pm EST in a live video discussion through WhiteHouse.gov/live or through the White House’s live-chat application on Facebook.

And whether you can make the chat or not, I’d like to invite you to submit a question ahead of time by emailing us in advance.  We’ll post the full video of the chat afterwards.

I’ll be able to share the concerns of small business owners I hear in the chat with the President and Secretary Geithner, at the Small Business Financing Forum and in our conversations and meetings afterwards. 

The President called for this forum because he knows that small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and that they’re driving our recovery.

We want to open the doors and bring everyone who’s involved in this historic effort to the table — from Administration officials and Congressional leaders to lenders and small business owners like yourself – so we’ll also be streaming the conference at live WhiteHouse.gov/blog, Wednesday, November 18th, starting at 9am EST.

Warm Regards,

Karen Mills

The press releases have gone out and the AT&T BlackBerry Curve 8520 has just been announced. The device will be available “in the coming weeks” and it will cost $99.99 on a 2 year agreement.

The press release doesn’t mention whether or not App World will come preloaded on the device, but it does say to expect Facebook and MySpace preloaded.

More of the usual details from the press release.

© Kyle for BlackBerry Cool, 2009

Hey friends, as you may or may not have read in my other writings, I own a Playstation 3. However, my friends list is not as big as it should be! It would be really great if I could add a few of you guys and girls to my list so we can play games together. I own several multiplayer games, including LittleBigPlanet, Star Wars: The Complete Saga, Hot Shots Golf, and more. I’ve been playing alot of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 though! Please add me:

kurisumaku

p.s. This post originated nearly after I started the site back in 2008, but wanted to repost it again to add more friends.

• Intro
• Sony
• Gateway
• ASUS
• Nokia
• Dell
• Samsung
• HP
• MSI
• Lenovo

Sony

Sony VAIO W Series: Starting at $499.99 (SonyStyle.com)

Although priced a bit higher than its competitors, Sony’s VAIO W line manages to stuff a full-resolution screen into a 10.1-inch form factor while most of the other netbooks on this list are of the 11.6-inch variety.

Features:

• Processor: Intel Atom N280 at 1.66GHz
• Screen: 10.1 inches at 1366×768 resolution
• RAM: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM
• Storage: 250GB hard drive (5400RPM SATA)
• Networking: Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Ethernet, Bluetooth
• Operating System: Windows 7 Starter
• Ports: 2 USB, VGA out
• Battery Life: Up to 7 hours
• Dimensions: 10.54” x 7.07” x 2.01” and 2.96 pounds

Product Page

<< IntroGateway >>

Gateway

Gateway LT3118u: $379.99 (Gateway.com)

Looking to buck the trend of Intel-based netbooks, Gateway’s gone with an AMD Athlon processor and ATI Radeon X1270 graphics for a bit more pick-me-up than you’d find in competing offerings. You’ll miss out on the 6+ hour battery life that you’d enjoy with an Atom-equipped machine, but you’ll get more power for light gaming and HD videos.

Features:

• Processor: AMD Athlon 64 L110 at 1.2GHz
• Screen: 11.6 inches at 1366×768 resolution
• RAM: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM
• Storage: 160GB hard drive (5400RPM SATA)
• Networking: Wi-Fi (b/g), Ethernet
• Operating System: Windows XP Home
• Ports: 3 USB, VGA out
• Battery Life: Up to 5 hours
• Dimensions: 11.3” x 8” x 1” and 3.2 pounds

Product Page

<< SonyASUS >>

ASUS

ASUS Eee PC 1101HA (Seashell): $429.99 (ASUS.com)

Promising over 9 hours of battery life, a multitouch trackpad, and a spacious keyboard, the ASUS 1101HA – informally called the Seashell Series – attempts to meld day-long productivity with an inspired design. ASUS’ “Super Hybrid Engine” technology can even squeeze 11 hours out of a slightly higher-capacity battery if you’re so inclined.

Features:

• Processor: Intel Atom Z520 at 1.2GHz
• Screen: 11.6 inches at 1366×768 resolution
• RAM: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM
• Storage: 160GB hard drive (5400RPM SATA)
• Networking: Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Ethernet, optional Bluetooth
• Operating System: Windows XP Home
• Ports: 3 USB, VGA out
• Battery Life: Up to 9.5 hours (11 hours with extended battery)
• Dimensions: 11.25” x 7.7” x 1.43” and 3.04 pounds

Product Page

<< GatewayNokia >>

Nokia

Nokia Booklet 3G: $599.99 or $299.99 with 2-year data contract (Nokia.com)

Available exclusively at Best Buy, the Nokia Booklet 3G is one of the newer netbooks to hit the market, differentiating itself with standard built-in 3G wireless, GPS, and unbelievable 12-hour battery life packed into a 2.75-pound frame. At $600, it’s not cheap, but you can get it for $300 if you sign up for a two-year wireless data plan.

Features:

• Processor: Intel Atom Z530 at 1.6GHz
• Screen: 10.1 inches at 1280×720 resolution
• RAM: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM
• Storage: 120GB hard drive (4200RPM SATA)
• Networking: Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Ethernet, Bluetooth, 3G modem
• Operating System: Windows 7 Starter
• Ports: 3 USB, HDMI out
• Battery Life: Up to 12 hours
• Dimensions: 10.39” x 7.28” x 0.78” and 2.75 pounds

Product Page | CrunchGear Review

<< ASUSDell >>

Dell

Dell Mini 10: Starting at $499 (Dell.com)

Dell’s build-to-order business model means that you can customize its 10.1-inch Mini 10 series of netbooks with extras like an integrated GPS chip or even a TV tuner. The Mini 10 now packs a 1366×768-resolution screen standard — not to be confused with the Mini 10v, which comes with a 1024×600 screen.

Features:

• Processor: Intel Atom Z530 at 1.6GHz
• Screen: 10.1 inches at 1366×768 resolution
• RAM: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM
• Storage: 160GB hard drive (5400RPM SATA)
• Networking: Wi-Fi (b/g), Ethernet, optional Bluetooth
• Operating System: Windows XP Home
• Ports: 2 USB, HDMI out
• Battery Life: Up to 8 hours
• Dimensions: 10.28” x 7.19” x 1.1” and 2.9 pounds

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Samsung

Samsung NC20: $549.99 (Samsung.com)

Like the Gateway LT3100 series, Samsung’s 12.1-inch NC20 also bucks the Intel Atom trend by going with a low-voltage 1.3GHz VIA Nano processor. You also get a big 97% (of full size) keyboard, standard six-cell battery, and standard Bluetooth connection.

Features:

• Processor: VIA Nano U2250 at 1.3GHz
• Screen: 12.1 inches at 1280×800 resolution
• RAM: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM
• Storage: 160GB hard drive (5400RPM SATA)
• Networking: Wi-Fi (b/g), Ethernet, Bluetooth
• Operating System: Windows XP Home
• Ports: 3 USB, VGA out
• Battery Life: Up to 6 hours
• Dimensions: 11.5” x 8.5” x 1.2” and 3.3 pounds

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HP

HP Mini 311: Starting at $399.99 (HP.com)

With an almost irresistible list of features for the price, HP’s newest netbook line has a lot going for it: both VGA and HDMI outputs, standard six-cell battery, and HD-friendly NVIDIA ION LE graphics make the 11.6-inch Mini 311 enticing, to say the least.

Features:

• Processor: Intel Atom N270 at 1.6GHz + NVIDIA ION Grapics
• Screen: 11.6 inches at 1366×768 resolution
• RAM: 1GB DDR3 SDRAM
• Storage: 160GB hard drive (5400RPM SATA)
• Networking: Wi-Fi (b/g), Ethernet, Bluetooth optional
• Operating System: Windows XP Home
• Ports: 3 USB, VGA out, HDMI out
• Battery Life: Up to 6.25 hours
• Dimensions: 11.4” x 8.03” x 1.2” and 3.22 pounds

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MSI

MSI Wind U210: $479.99 (MSIMobile.com)

Another entrant in the no-Atom-CPU field, MSI’s Wind U210 sports a nimble 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo processor, ATI Radeon X1250 graphics, and 2GB of RAM. What you’ll gain in power, you’ll lose in longevity, though, as the U210’s six-cell battery tops out at around four hours. And, sure, MSI apparently didn’t get the memo that we’re in a Windows 7 world now, but the Vista-based U210 includes a Windows 7 upgrade voucher in the box.

Features:

• Processor: AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 at 1.6GHz
• Screen: 12.1 inches at 1366×768 resolution
• RAM: 2GB DDR2 SDRAM
• Storage: 250GB hard drive (5400RPM SATA)
• Networking: Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Ethernet
• Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium
• Ports: 3 USB, VGA out
• Battery Life: Up to 4 hours
• Dimensions: 11.71” x 7.49” x 1.22” and 3.2 pounds

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Lenovo

Lenovo IdeaPad S12: Starting at $429 (Lenovo.com)

For the ultimate in configuration options, look no further than the 12.1-inch Lenovo S12. It’s available with a VIA Nano processor and XP Home at $429 or opt for an Intel Atom/NVIDIA ION/Windows 7 Home Premium combo starting at $599.

Features:

• Processor: VIA Nano ULV 2250 at 1.3GHz
• Screen: 12.1 inches at 1280×800 resolution
• RAM: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM
• Storage: 160GB hard drive (5400RPM SATA)
• Networking: Wi-Fi (b/g), Ethernet, Bluetooth optional
• Operating System: Windows XP Home
• Ports: 3 USB, VGA out
• Battery Life: Up to 4 hours
• Dimensions: 11.5” x 8.5” x 1.4” and 3.24 pounds

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Active Wii sports video games and some Wii fit activities may increase adults’ energy expenditure as much as moderately intense exercise, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions.

The study funded by Nintendo, found that about one-third of the virtual physical activities require an energy expenditure of 3.0 METs or above, considered moderate-intensity exercise. METs are metabolic equivalent values, a standard method of estimating energy expenditure, researchers said.

"Energy expenditure is the most important information to measure the effect of video games," said Motohiko Miyachi, Ph.D., lead author of the study and head of a physical activity program at the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Tokyo.

Researchers found:

•  Nine activities had less than 2 METs.
•  Twenty-three activities had 2-3 METs.
•  Nine activities had 3-4 METs.
•  Five activities had more than 4 METs.

"The range of energy expenditure in these active games is sufficient to prevent or to improve obesity and lifestyle-related disease, from heart disease and diabetes to metabolic diseases," Miyachi said.

Boxing was found to be the most effective Wii sports game with an energy expenditure of about 4.5 METs. Golf, bowling, tennis and baseball are 2.0, 2.6, 3.0 and 3.0 METs, respectively.

The most effective exercise on the Wii fit is the single arm stand, with 5.6 METs. Yoga and balance exercises were significantly lower than those of resistance and aerobic exercise, but these exercises work well in improving flexibility and fall prevention.

Americans and Japanese are increasingly overweight. About one-third of adults in the United States are overweight and almost one-third are obese, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

"Obesity and overweight is increasing in Japanese men," Miyachi said. "Twenty years ago, only 20 percent Japanese middle-aged men were obese and overweight, now it is more than 30 percent."

Miyachi, who also plays active video games, recommends these active games rather than sedentary video games.
 

Today’s updates were dispatched from Shanghai by two women named Katie, which seems like quite a coincidence until you learn that Katie is the most common name at the Obama White House, hands down.

The first, Katie Lillie, is an Obama veteran. She was an intrepid “press wrangler” during the campaign, a staffer who is embedded with the traveling press corps, helping make sure all their movements go smoothly. So it was a natural move for her to become the Director of Press Advance in the administration, coordinating press logistics on a grander scale. Since taking that position she has traveled 10’s of thousands miles and is working on her second passport, having filled the first to the brim with stamps and visas. What was so amazing to her about today’s town hall in Shanghai, was the similarities it had to hundreds of events held all over the United States during the campaign.

The BlackBerry 9700 isn’t the only announced handset that is being released today, and for those of you who prefer a phone with a bit more of that international appeal, may we present to you, the Nokia E72. Let’s recap some of the specs for those of you who may have forgotten: 10.2Mbps HSDPA, integrated compass, A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, S60 3rd Edition, improved email functionality, and a 5 megapixel auto-focus camera. The Nokia USA store and Amazon are still listing the E72 as “pre-order” but we are hoping to pick up a unit or 12 before the day is out. Anyone out there longing for this new Nokia handset, or have other recent devices stolen all your lust?

[Via Engadget Mobile]

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