Computer

Spanish consumer electronics manufacturer Energy Sistem has set a pre-Christmas release date for its new Android-based, 5-inch touchscreen tablet computer. The Energy Tablet i504 is powered by a Rockchip processor, can render video in 720p high definition, is Wi-Fi-enabled and has both internal storage and expansion opportunities. To the side of the display is a built-in webcam and an optical trackball.  Read More

The Jack PC from Chip PC Technologies offers a neat and novel thin-client desktop computing solution where the computer doesn't just plug into the wall, it is the plug in the wall. Running on power provided by the ethernet cable that also connects it to the data center server, the computer-in-a-wall-socket supports wireless connectivity, has dual display capabilities and runs on the RISC processor architecture – which gives the solution the equivalent of 1.2GHz of x86 processing power.  Read More

Hamburg-based ROCCAT Studios has released a high-precision laser sensor gaming mouse that gives users access to 22 programmable function buttons without going button crazy. The Kone[+] mouse also sports precise aiming assistance, eye-catching multi-color light strips along its back, a sound feedback system and the option to alter its feel by adding weights.  Read More

As a longtime fan of the ThinkPad line, I have to admit to being more than a little curious about Lenovo's new ThinkCenter M70z just released in Japan. More than a little clunky-looking, this all-in-one desktop PC is marketed to Enterprise customers and runs Windows 7. With a multi-touch display, the M70z invites you to lay your hands all over it. Think of it as iMac's heftier, more promiscuous cousin.  Read More

Charles Babbage was the quintessential "man ahead of his time". In the mid 19th century the English mathematician and inventor developed the concept of a programmable computer and designed complex, steam-powered calculating engines that were never completed during his lifetime. One of these machines – the Difference Engine – was successfully constructed using Babbage's original plans in 1991 and now programmer John Graham-Cumming is on a mission to build a working replica of a second, more complex computing machine known as the Analytical Engine.  Read More

According to a 2008 study conducted for England’s Which? magazine, computer keyboards can contain up to five times the amount of bacteria as toilet seats. This is particularly yucky news for users of public or shared keyboards, who are being exposed to other peoples’ bacteria. In settings such as hospitals, where doctors and nurses share keyboards, it’s a situation that definitely should be addressed. Fortunately, a study recently conducted at the University of Hertfordshire determined that an ultraviolet light device very effectively sanitizes keyboards.  Read More

The Eagle has landed. As portable devices sporting ARM's Cortex A9 1GHz powerhouse start to appear, the company has unveiled the next step in the evolution of its system-on-a-chip Cortex A architecture, the A15 MPCore processor. ARM-based chips currently provide the processing power for a host of mobile devices, from smartphones to tablets, and this latest development is claimed to deliver five times the performance of current solutions such as the Cortex A8, yet has a similar low energy footprint.  Read More

IBM has announced details of its most powerful commercial system ever. The core server of the new zEnterprise System mainframe – called zEnterprise 196 – contains 96 z196 processors, which IBM touts as the world’s fastest, most powerful computer chip. IBM is aiming the system at businesses such as banks and retailers dealing with the skyrocketing amounts of data resulting from the ever increasing amount of business transactions carried out in an increasingly inter-connected business world.  Read More

Back in the halcyon days of the 80’s, my siblings and I were lucky enough to receive a VIC-20 computer for Christmas. As much fun as I had whiling away the hours on such classics as Missile Command and Lode Runner, I was always insanely jealous of friends who had the power of the Commodore 64 at their fingertips. Now, some 20 plus years later, I may finally be able to satiate my jealousy with the news that the good ol’ C64 could soon be back on the market – and with some much more impressive specs.  Read More