Windows XP Coming to OLPC XO

Filed under: Hardware, Laptops, Software

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Rumor has it that everyone’s favorite OS is making its way to the OLPC XO this year. According to reports, testing is to begin in June to determine if Windows XP is a viable solution for XO laptops. If all goes well, you could be picking up an XO laptop by September.

The existing OS, Sugar Linux, will not be wiped out of the picture anytime soon, much to Microsoft’s dismay. A dual-boot solution will be created and buyers will be able to choose which operating system they’d prefer. I feel that putting XP on these laptops is a great idea. Plus, if you don’t want to use Vista yet, this is about the only computer you’ll get with XP still installed on it.

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Green Lantern Beware: I’ve Got A Yellow Laptop Case

Filed under: Laptops

yellow case

Nothing screams, “I’m holding a laptop, rob me!” more than this bright yellow vinyl laptop case by 25togo of Taiwan. The case is a classic take on a computer icon except, it’s really yellow. The kind of yellow looking folders you’d get if you had a 13-year old CRT monitor on the verge of its demise.

The International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in NYC is from May 17th to the 20th and is being held at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. There you’ll be able to buy directly from the designers, like this blindingly yellow shock-resistant laptop case; it doesn’t get much brighter.

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Smallest Recorder Ever! Not Just For Espionage

Narae Recorder Mini

If you have a job where interviewing is as common as an Obama “Hope” ad campaign and you just so happen to always have your laptop on you, you might find the Narae Recorder Mini right up your alley. Finally, a reason to get rid of that old digital recorder you’ve never used (unless it also does video.)

The Narae Recorder Mini is insanely small. It plugs into any standard mic jack and doesn’t stick out more than 3″ max. Don’t let its small size fool you, as the Bluetooth wannabe recorder can record sounds up to 32 feet away. This makes it a great gadget for recording people who don’t know they’re being record. Lawsuit? Blackmail? Espionage? This thing’s got more uses than meets the eye!

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BUILT Laptop Backpack Could Very Well Be Body Armor

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I’m loving the look of this laptop bag from BUILT, an small NYC-based company. Part carrying case, part kevlar vest, the Laptop Backpack is made from lightweight Neoprene that keeps your precious Macbook Air secure and safe. No word if it has room for a huge Apple AC adaptor but if you’re in a pinch, you can easily downsize.

BUILT included three pockets for your doo-dads and Nintendo DS, so you should have a decent amount of space for such a thin-looking bag. Score one for $80 or keep using that bag you got at Whole Foods.

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Reynold Rodriguez DJ Workstation A Work of Art

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Unless your name is Paul Van Dyk or Matthew Edwards, chances are you won’t be able to spend $3120 on a DJ workstation. After all, if your card-table-in-the-living-room setup isn’t working out, you’re probably destined for your local bar instead of a nightclub. Those of you who have mastered the 1200s, however, can can gaze upon designer Reynold Rodriguez’s DJ workstation.

Made from composite wood with four areas that can hold sets of Technics, CDJs, laptops or whatever it is you use, it’ll really do a nice job of hiding the ugly sets of cables and dust that come associated with DJing. Should you need it custom-built for your setup, it can be done for a heightened price.

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DIY Mac Laptop AC Adaptor Extension

Filed under: DIYs, Gaming, Hacks, Laptops

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I love my Macs and I’m sure you feel the same if you own one. In fact, I’m writing this post on my Macbook right now! However, Apple has really fucked up the AC adaptor that comes with the laptops it manufactures. I’m not talking about Magsafe, ’cause that shit is great. I’m referring to the fact that if you want a cord longer than Scott Baio’s dick, you have to add on a bulky attachment. The cord is so thick, that it usually doesn’t fit in standard laptop bags.

Enter Kevin Kelly’s Cool Tools. The boys over there discovered that a Sony Playstation power cable fits perfectly into the slot and keeps the load light. It wraps up easier than a jimmy hat and lets you leave your official Apple cord plugged in at home, meaning the convenience factor also makes this a bitchin’ find. Give it a shot if your laptop bag is low on space.

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Get Your Mits On A Laptop Bag From Space

Filed under: Design, Laptops, Wearables

space bag yo

It’s no Starship Enterprise souvenir, but the ISS Soyuz Laptop Bag is a pretty decent alternative. The bag is constructed with pieces of the landing parachute from the 2004 Soyuz TMA-3 mission to the International Space Station, meaning this is the Real McCoy. The hot shit. A bag your fancy portable computer can fit in.

There’s also a small case for your iPod-sized device for a significantly cheaper price, though it’s certainly lacking in the frills department. Lucky for you, the bag comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, meaning your credibility won’t be shot for spending $175 on a space-themed laptop bag.

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Crazy Uncle Ballmer Caught On Stage With MacBook

Filed under: Hacks, Laptops

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First Steve Ballmer publicly called his beloved Windows Vista platform an “incomplete product“. Now he’s been CAUGHT within yards of a MacBook Pro on the same stage in which he happens to be giving a presentation!

Okay, so the story goes something like this: Mr. B was scheduled to give a keynote presentation for Microsoft in Louvain and one of the earlier presenters left their Macbook Pro on stage during his rush to get out of the limelight. The story seems fishy or at least that’s that I’m trying to convince myself. This image is just too priceless to cover-up with the truth.

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Scientists Using Macbooks To Detect Earthquakes In The OC

Filed under: Laptops

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Scientists are predicting that in 30 years, California is going to get seriously twisted. Now I’m not talking about having one too many shots of Patron here; I’m talking about horrific natural disasters known as earthquakes. Lucky for Apple fanboys living out west, your Macbook may end up saving the lives of thousands of people.A team of researchers from the Quake Catcher Network at Stanford have developed software that allows the internal accelerometer in Apple laptops to measure and analyze shakes. Before start crying about how your girlfriend bumps into your nightstand on a daily basis, you should know that minor bumps and shuffles will be ignored by the software. In time, the collection of readings should help the group better predict earthquakes and their patterns, thus improving warning times for area residents.

Sorry for calling Orange County “The OC” but I’m sure you Californians will smoke enough grass to get over it.

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Laptop Literature: The Future Of Books

Filed under: Design, Laptops, Misc. Gadgets

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Once upon a time, there were volumes of bound pages which were called books. People use to read these “books” to gain the knowledge of the world, or even just as a quite night in bed. Ever since the dawning of the Internet age, book reading has taken a sudden nose dive, thanks to the instant gratification of RSS and Wikipedia.

Designer Kyle Bean put together a fabrication of what he likes to call “The Future Of Books”, featuring a full laptop within the bound pages of the knowledge of years past. Is this the future of the novel? We wouldn’t go that far just yet, but they sure are pretty damn nifty. (more…)