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News & Opinion
Products & Services
Software
News & Opinion
15" Laptops Still King, Despite Wealth of Smaller
Alternatives
Engadget's Darren Murph reports that DisplaySearch has found that
the vast majority of laptop systems sold in America and Europe fall
into the 15" category (35.3% and 46.4% respectively), despite the fact
that many offer no gain in resolution over 12" and 13" ultraportables
with 1366 x 768 panels. (In Asia, 14" laptops dominate, with 15" models
in second place.)
One reason Murph cites is that of supply and demand. There are vast
numbers of different 15" machines on the market from various
manufacturers, and that suppresses prices thanks to competition.
Editor's note: We can be grateful that Apple does provide more pixel
resolution on its 15" 'Books than on 13" models. Today's 13" MacBooks
have 1280 x 800 panels, while the 15-inchers have an impressive 1440 x
900. dk
Link: Lessons in Bell
Curves: 15-Inch Laptops Still King, Despite Wealth of Portable
Alternatives
iPads Expected to Squash Netbooks by 2012
PC Advisor's Lexton Snol reports that with the iPad capturing 6% of
the portable PC segment in the second quarter of 2010, Apple will
continue to lead the tablet market through at least 2011 - largely
because of the lack of innovation in the netbook market.
Snol cites the Canalys quarterly worldwide PC market data,
highlighting Apple's jump into the top five PC vendors, with the iPad
capturing approximately 6% of the portable PC segment in Q2 2010, and
more than 3 million units shipped during the device's first few months
on the market,. Snol quotes Canalys Vice President and Principal
Analyst Chris Jones contending that the iPad owes at least some of its
success to a lack of advancement in other portable computing segments,
such as netbooks, and noting that Canalys expects the tablet PC market
to reach 12.5 million units in 2010, growing to 66 million by the end
of 2014 with Apple staying in the vanguard of sales through at least
2011.
Link:
iPads Expected to Squash Netbooks by 2012
Who's Still Buying Netbooks?
Cnet's Erica Ogg thinks that netbooks have lost much of their shine
since the introduction of the iPad, with netbook sales dropping from
10.5 million in Q4 2009 to 9.7 million in Q1 2010 and 8.4 million in
the second quarter, according to Gartner Group data, with the trend
lines pointing to further decline.
Ogg cites Larry Ellison's onetime contention that the tech
industry's penchant for fads - not unlike that of the fashion world -
with netbooks touted not so long ago as the future of mobile computing,
with a form factor larger than a smartphone but at a much more
reasonable price than a full-size notebook. However, she says that
market researchers are finding that netbooks are now falling out of
favor behind traditional laptops, as well as being impacted by the
touchscreen tablet craze, noting that in its US Consumer PC Market 2015
report released this summer, Forrester Research projects that the US PC
market will be led by notebooks, with a 42% market share; followed by
tablets, with 23% of the market; desktops, with 18%; and netbooks
occupying just a 17% share. Even with "premium netbooks" with larger
screens, more power, and higher prices slipping over into standard
notebook territory, Ogg predicts that a slew of iPad tablet
challengers, to be released in coming months, will make it hard to
recall the appeal of netbooks in the first place.
Link: So, Who's Still
Buying Netbooks?
Products & Services
Everki Ships First Laptop Bag Designed with an iPad
Pocket
PR: Everki, makers of mobile lifestyle products designed
to carry and protect digital equipment, have introduced the Track
Laptop Messenger with an extra pocket specifically made to carry an
iPad, Kindle or tablet.
"People who have bought the iPad, Kindle or other tablets want
to be mobile. Messenger style bags are the perfect choice for people on
the go, looking for simplicity and portability. According to data
recently released from Yahoo!, a majority of iPad users are in the
35-44 years old range," says Vyrio Ngo, Everki USA, Inc.'s director of
sales. "We wanted to create a true messenger bag for customers that
could carry their laptop and iPad, Kindle, or tablet together. The
Track is casual and stylish enough to use everyday, but with enough
sophistication to take into meetings."
The Track Messenger comes with ample storage space, designed to fit
a laptop, an iPad, cords and accessories, with plenty of room to spare
for other essentials.
The front features a safety reflective strip for extra
protection at night, especially convenient for bicyclists looking for a
versatile laptop bag. The front also features a two-system closure,
Velcro on the inside front flap for quick access, and Everki buckles
for extra security. The Track can also be easily converted into a
carry-on bag for travelers.
The Everki Track Messenger Laptop Bag (Model: EKS618) is priced at
$59.99 (SRP) and is available immediately at major online resellers
like compusa.com,
tigerdirect.com, circuitcity.com, and newegg.com.
Track is backed by Everki's Limited Lifetime Warranty and
world-class customer service.
Link:
Everki Track Laptop Messenger Bag
Speck's Form Fit, Fabric-Wrapped Fitted Hard Shell
Cases for MacBook Pro Available in 4 Stylish Patterns
PR: Speck announces their ever-popular Fitted case line is
expanding and bringing its unique brand of tailored hard shell
protection and styling for the first time to the 13" and 15" MacBook
Pro notebooks (latest unibody models).
"Speck popularized high quality, form-fit hard shell protection
on the MacBook with our SeeThru and SeeThru Satin cases. Now we're
offering our extremely popular Fitted fabric-wrapped hard shell cases
to style-minded MacBook Pro users," says Speck CEO Irene Baran. "With
its unique fashionable fabric backing, our new Fitted cases help create
the stylish looks you want while delivering the protection your MacBook
Pro needs."
While crafting Fitted for the MacBook Pro, Speck's designers
referenced the mastery they accomplished in the sleek SeeThru and
SeeThru Satin hard shell cases for MacBook. The new Fitted cases
feature authentic original fabrics over a protective hard shell top
cover with comfortable soft-touch finished bottom shell cover. The new
cases also feature complete access to all ports and battery check
button, are fully vented for optimum heat disbursement, and allow the
screen to open all the way.
Available in delightfully
deceptive styles and patterns including Brown Cookie Camo,
geometry-inspired but presentable Purple SpexyHexy, pleasingly
professional Darkest Tartan Plaid and the classic Black and White
Tartan Plaid, new Fitted cases for 13" and 15" MacBook Pro will ease
bumpy journeys while helping notebook owners reach their destinations
in style for a MSRP of $69.95 in October. Pair the new Fitted MacBook
case with your matching Fitted for iPhone 4 and iPad and create a
stylishly matched look.
Link: Fitted for MacBook
Pro 13"
Link: Fitted for MacBook Pro 15"
Laptop Lockdown with Momentus Self-Encrypting
Drives
PR: Momentus SEDs (Self-Encrypting Drives) give organizations
of all sizes a simple, cost-effective way to protect against
unauthorized access to data on notebook PCs and a powerful tool for
complying with the growing number of data privacy laws calling for the
protection of consumer information using government-grade encryption.
The AES encryption chip in the Momentus SEDs automatically and
transparently encrypts all drive data, not just selected files or
partitions. The 2.5" drive also eliminates disk initialization and
configuration required by encryption software, allows IT administrators
to instantly erase all data cryptographically so the drive can be
quickly and easily redeployed, and delivers full inline-speed
encryption with no impact to system performance.
Momentus SEDs keep all security keys and cryptographic operations
within the drive, separating them from the operating system to provide
greater protection against hacking and tampering than traditional
software alternatives, which can give thieves backdoor access to
encryption keys and are otherwise more vulnerable to key theft. With
third-party management software, organizations can easily and
affordably manage and protect encryption keys and passwords. Momentus
SEDs are offered in capacities up to 500 GB.
Seagate Ships Opal-Compliant Self-Encrypting Drives to OEM
Customers for Evaluation; Submits Drives for FIPS 140-2
Certification
In another significant step forward for Momentus SEDs, Seagate began
shipping evaluation drives that are compliant with the Trusted
Computing Group's Opal specification to major original equipment
manufacturer (OEM) customers. The Trusted Computing Group, an
international body that promotes open standards for computer security,
issued the Opal specification in 2009. The specification is focused on
enabling the ecosystem for self-encrypting drives and increasing their
adoption. Seagate has submitted its Opal-compliant Momentus SED for
FIPS 140-2 certification.
Seagate's Self-Encrypting Laptop Hard Drive First
to Win Key US Government Certification
PR: Seagate has announced that its groundbreaking Momentus
Self-Encrypting Drive, the world's first laptop hard drive with
built-in encryption to protect against unauthorized access to
information on lost or stolen mobile computers, has secured FIPS 140-2
certification from the US National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST).
The key government certification clears the way for deployments of
Momentus Self-Encrypting Drives (SEDs) by all US and Canadian federal
agencies, many state and local governments, and regulated industries
such as healthcare, finance, and defense required to use FIPS-certified
gear to help protect sensitive data on PCs and computer networks. Many
utility, education, and transportation entities also have adopted the
FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) 140-2 standard to lock
down confidential information. Foreign governments in addition to
Canada also recognize FIPS-validated products. The Momentus SED is the
first hard drive with native encryption to earn the FIPS
certification.
"The FIPS 140-2 certification exemplifies Seagate's commitment to
security standards that enable the widespread adoption of encrypting
hard drives for laptops and other computers as the explosive growth of
laptop PCs puts more sensitive personal and business information at
risk," says Dave Mosley, executive vice president of Sales, Marketing
and Product Line Management at Seagate. Today's NIST approval gives our
system builder and end-user customers the peace of mind that Momentus
Self-Encrypting Drives deliver the full power of government-grade
security."
The FIPS 140-2 seal of approval comes three years after NIST, the
federal agency focused on promoting product innovation by establishing
technical standards for government and business, certified the Advanced
Encryption Standard (AES) chip built into the Momentus drive. Seagate
has shipped more than a million of its self-encrypting laptop drives
since their introduction in 2006.
Software
Temperature Monitor 4.92 Compatible with 2010 iMacs, Mac Pro
PR: Temperature Monitor (which is one of the very few system
utilities your editor always has running) is the small, free version of
the Hardware Monitor application to read out all accessible temperature
sensors in Macintosh computers. The program can visualize the history
graphs of the readings, display measured values in a large variety of
fashions, or announce readings by speech output. It can also store and
export values.
The program can display in a default window, in a floating window,
tabular display in an overview window, display in the menu-bar, display
of a maximum of two readings in the Dock, graphical display of
short-term and long-term history curves, speech output of readings,
export to text files.
Full-featured Hardware Monitor can additionally display
"non-temperature" sensors and artificial operating system probes, or
control external LCD panels. Temperature Monitor is part of a software
suite of 9 different monitoring applications that can be used for
numerous purposes.
New in version 4.92 (Build 100908)
- Added support for new (Mid-2010) iMac computers.
- Added support for computers with Intel "Westmere class" processors,
including the new (Mid-2010) Mac Pro systems.
- Added support for many additional sensors found in Intel-based
Macintosh computers.
- Added the display of known sensor limits for locations in certain
older Intel-based Macintosh computers.
- The new version shows a production location for computers
refurbished at the European Apple Online Store.
- The window to display extreme values no longer uses a misleading
value of 0 when selecting a time period where no readings have been
collected yet.
- When displaying long-term history graphs of remote computers,
network traffic has been greatly reduced.
- By user request, a menu item has been added to the Lite version to
let the application automatically launch at login time. It is no longer
necessary to use System Preferences for defining the login item.
- Resolved a problem where sensor entries referring to remote
computers might have been lost in customized history windows when
restarting the application.
Temperature Monitor is electronically distributed software. You can
download the product free of charge.
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.4 or later
Link: Temperature
Monitor
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