This step-by-step guide from DIY web site Instructables is far from difficult—all it requires is a few household tools, along with some thin pieces of wood and, of course, a stylish bistro tray. Plus, not only can you use the extra space to store flash drives, power cords, or other miscellaneous computer items below the laptop, but you can also still use the tray to carry drinks and such when it's not holding your laptop—and where once the tray was stylish but prone to spillage, it is now a spill-free multitasker.

We had a tough time finding the exact tray used in the post, but it looks to be this one from CB2. IKEA has similar trays that could work, though, if you're looking for something a bit different. If you find one that you like, feel free to share in the comments.

Then they asked me to wait. Since they had asked for friends and families phone numbers I assumed they might be calling to verify my answers to questions or confirm I really had extended family in Tel Aviv. An announcement played over the sound system, interrupting my break in the sunshine. First in Hebrew, then Arabic, then in English. It was something along the lines of, "do not to be alarmed by gunshots because the Israeli security needs to blow up suspicious passanger luggage."

I went inside to check on my bag. I had left it unattended, where they instructed. It was still there so I went back outside.

Moments later a man came outside and introduced himself as the manager on duty. And then, "I'm sorry but we had to blow up your laptop."

Fortunately for all of her data, they missed the hard drive. Now she's trying to figure out how to get the Israeli government to reimburse her for her swiss cheese laptop. Be sure to read the full story over at her blog. [Lilly Sussman via Cynical-C]

Running on an Intel Core 2 Duo SU 9400 processor, there's 3GB DDR2 SDRAM and a 320GB HDD. Loaded with Windows 7 Home Premium, the LED-backlit TFT LCD screen is a portable 13.3-inches.

On sale tomorrow in Japan, it's set to retail for 100,000 Yen—around $1,132. [Akihabara News]

You can get a day pass of 75MB for $15, a week pass of 250MB for $30, and a month pass of 500MB for $50. The prices aren't absurd if you only use the thing occasionally, but those data caps are something awful. For example, just loading a website will get you to burn a couple megabytes, and a heavy email session with attachments will kill half the day's quota. Better to save this for emergencies at the rates AT&T is offering. [AT&T

Besides that, it's got a lot of juice available in options—up to 8GB of memory, 500GB hard drive, Nvidia GeForce GT 240M (1GB) graphics, an integrated subwoofer, and some kind of crazy "touch-sensitive slide bar for easy desktop navigation." It'll retail at around $1400 to start.

It comes with Lenovo Enhanced Experience for Windows 7, basically optimization that results in faster bootup and shutdown times as well as easier backup. [Lenovo]

Lenovo New IdeaPad Laptops and IdeaCentre Desktops Deliver Style, Ease of Use and Multimedia Features for Consumers
New PCs Bundle Lenovo Enhanced Experience Certification for Windows 7 and complementary Intel Processor Technology
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – October 26, 2009: Lenovo (HKSE: 0992) (ADR: LNVGY) today unveiled a lineup of new IdeaPad laptops – U150, U550 and Y550P – and IdeaCentre desktops – B500, K300 and H230 – designed to meet the performance, style and usability standards of today's multi-tasking consumers.
The new Idea PCs combine stylish designs and innovative features enabled by the ultra low power Intel® CoreTM processor family of products and improved performance with an Intel® CoreTM i7 processor. These new products ship with Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system and also include the unique Lenovo Enhanced Experience for Windows 7 – the result of joint engineering by Lenovo in collaboration with Microsoft to provide users with faster system boot and shutdown, richer multimedia features and easy system maintenance tools.
"Our Idea products are designed with the user experience in mind - every aspect of product design and technology is engineered to improve how consumers seamlessly use these products to enrich their daily lives," said Liu Jun, senior vice president, Idea Product Group, Lenovo. "Today's additions to the Idea product portfolio are among Lenovo's most feature-rich and powerful PCs to-date, providing our customers more choices to find the PC that best meets their unique digital lifestyle."
"Lenovo and Intel share a vision to create products that are faster, lighter, thinner and with longer battery life and delivering them to consumers in the quickest and most cost effective way," Gregory Bryant, vice president, Sales and Marketing Group, Intel Corporation. "Whether you are looking for ultrathin, stylish laptops with exceptional performance or beautiful and powerful desktops, Lenovo and Intel are working together to deliver Idea products with the right Intel® processor technology inside to meet your needs."
"As a result of our joint engineering investments, Lenovo is demonstrating their commitment to Windows 7 by making significant improvements in important areas like start-up, shutdown and resume times. We congratulate Lenovo on its work, as we think it will help business customers and consumers benefit from a better computing experience on Lenovo's leading products," said John Kalkman, vice president of OEM Engineering and Services at Microsoft Corp. "With Lenovo's Enhanced Experience, customers can be confident that their new PC delivers more of the exciting benefits that Windows 7 has to offer."
Idea Product Facts
Lenovo's latest IdeaPad laptops and IdeaCentre desktops meet consumer demands for mobility, added power to effectively multitask, flexibility to support professional and personal computing needs, data security, stylish designs and the latest multimedia features.
IdeaPad Y550P – Cutting-edge power for multimedia on the go
The Y550P is ideal for today's multi-tasker and the most powerful laptop in Lenovo's consumer portfolio. The Y550P is Lenovo's first notebook to use the new Intel Core i7 processor with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology1 that automatically speeds up the processor when the PC needs extra performance. This high-performance laptop also features powerful NVIDIA discrete graphics, a 15.6inch HD widescreen display, Dolby® Home TheaterTM surround sound, and unique Lenovo tools like SlideNav – a touch-sensitive bar above the
keyboard that makes it faster and easier to navigate programs, documents and shortcuts, or even quickly change the desktop wallpaper on users' systems.
IdeaPad U150 – Slim and chic portability
The U150 is just 13.5mm thick and weighs only 1.35kg2, yet under the textured red or black cover lies a range of features designed to strike the right balance between mobility and functionality. The ultraportable U150 with an energy-efficient Intel Core 2 Duo processor offers up to 8GB DDR3 memory, 11.6in HD widescreen display and long battery life. The Active Protection System on the U150 helps protect the hard drive if the laptop is dropped or gets bumped. A new version of OneKey Rescue System, Version 7.0, performs data backups up to twice as fast and includes more powerful antivirus scanning that can be run even before loading the operating system.
IdeaPad U550 – Ultraportable laptop with added flexibility for the office and home
At just 24mm thick and with a 15.6in wide HD wide screen display, the new IdeaPad U550 laptop with Intel Core 2 Duo processor includes a range of features that make it easy for users to transition between work and home use. For example, switchable graphics let users turn their discrete graphics card on and off at the press of a button to better manage PC battery life. Dolby® Sound Room surround-sound via the laptop's large, integrated speakers brings presentations to life and makes games and movies more enjoyable. The Ambient Light Sensor automatically adjusts screen brightness based on light conditions, reducing strain on the eyes. An integrated DVD drive delivers added flexibility to access and share content. The integrated fingerprint reader and VeriFaceTM facial recognition software on the U550 provide additional ease of use when logging onto the PC.
IdeaCentre B500 – High performance all-in-one, immersive entertainment experience
Featuring an Intel® CoreTM2 Quad processor, powerful discrete graphics, up to 8GB DDR3 memory and 1TB HDD storage space, the IdeaCentre B500 all-in-one desktop is the ultimate PC for serious gamers and multimedia users. The 23in Full HD screen and high-quality JBL- brand integrated speakers provide a quality viewing experience. Coupled with a 4-in-1 remote control that acts as a motion-drive games controller, VOIP handset, air mouse and media remote, the B500 supports a dynamic multimedia entertainment experience. Additional unique Lenovo features on the B500 include CamSuite, a tool that helps to keep users in the center of the Web camera's focus and adds special effects to live video feeds.
IdeaCentre K300 – Desktop PC with optimized power and control
The IdeaCentre K300 with the Intel Core 2 Quad processor is a performance desktop loaded with powerful technologies including high-performance RAID configured hard drives for added storage and peace of mind. It also includes the Lenovo Power Control Switch, which makes it simple for users adjust the level of power they need - from all-out performance to more energy-efficient modes.
Lenovo H230 – Functionality at a value price
Available starting at US $299 and equipped with a range of HDD and DDR3 memory configurations, the H230 is designed to offer consumers the perfect mix of performance and value. Integrated tools such as Lenovo Rescue System provide users a worry-free experience by enabling quick and easy data recovery and advanced antivirus technology.
Lenovo U350 and S10-2 – Eye-catching new textures and patterns marry fashion with functionality The IdeaPad U350 ultraportable laptop and S10-2 netbook are now available in a range of new textures and colorful patterns. The U350 can be purchased with a cool, eye-catching cover texture such as brown lizard print, white lamb skin print and red light weave. Using the latest PC cover-painting technology, the popular S10-2 comes in new colorful designs such as pop art, violet floral, red floral, green floral, phoenix, garden, sailing and origami.

Warning: Clip is US-only. U-S-A! U-S-A!

At first glance I thought it was a black MacBook with a Windows logo pasted over the Apple, but that's not it—the case is too shiny and angular, looking more like a slick Lenovo or something. 30 Rock has been very obvious in its love of Apple products in the past, with Liz and Jack always using iPhones and the writers using MacBooks, so it's pretty surprising to see a Windows computer, even if it's an imaginary one. But 30 Rock has always been a little edgy about product placement anyway, once breaking the fourth wall to ask advertisers "Can we have our money now?" But hell, at least it's not at the point of the "Dr. Pepper Amuse Bouche Challenge" nonsense of Top Chef. [Hulu]

All three computers in the package will be preloaded with Windows 7, the full contents of which include:

* Space-saving HP Slimline desktop (s5212y)
* Thin-profile 18.5" LCD monitor (w1858)
* Media-savvy HP laptop (G60-535DX)
* Compact HP Mini netbook (110-1125NR)
* Speedy NETGEAR Wireless-G router (WGR614)
* Seamless in-home setup of the PCs and router by Geek Squad (4000954811)

The desktop features a dual-core 2.5GHz Pentium, 3GB memory, 320GB hard drive and double-layer DVD burner, while the laptop is your standard-fare 15.6-inch HP (320GB HDD, 3GB memory, HDMI-out). The netbook is the HP Mini 110, one of our favorite netbooks. Individually, none of these are really thrilling items, but selling them together for $1200 is a ridiculously great deal. That package would run you over $2000 normally, so if your entire household is in need of an upgrade, this looks like a real winner—certainly one of the best ways to save money with Windows 7 promotions. [Best Buy]

According to PC Pro, the Aspire 5738PG's display is bright, sharp, vivid, and with only "some very slight horizontal lines." That sound decent for a 3D laptop, but we'll see once it hits shelves on October 22, as we expected. No word on pricing yet, nor whether more fashionable 3d glasses will be available. [PC Pro]

Besides being made of "environmentally friendly fabrics", the sleeves are pretty well padded (hemp has a lot of cushioning, it seems) and have an "earthy" feel. If you're the type of person who likes to advertise your love of things that come from the ground, while at the same time protecting your electronics investment, you could do worse. And at $30ish each, it's not like they're overcharging you for being green either. [ColcaSac]

Unfortunately, that extra inch it's packed on to be 13 inches with a full keyboard means it's also priced like a real notebook now, starting at $699 with a Celeron chip, or $899 with the Core 2 Duo. But man, it's a damn fine piece of hardware (on the outside anyway). Below is the full spec sheet.

On the slightly lower end of things, HP's dm3 swings both ways—AMD and Intel—with each chip titan's take on low voltage processors. What's common is that both versions start at $550 (Update: AMD is $550, Intel $650), they're just over an inch thick and come with 4GB RAM and Windows 7 64-bit.

HP ProBook 5310m Notebook PC Windows®. Life without WallsTM. HP recommends Windows 7.
offered upon general availability from Microsoft)
Operating system
Preinstalled:
Supported:
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 321
Genuine Windows 7 Enterprise 321
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 321
Genuine Windows Vista® Enterprise 3219
(Windows® 7 will be
Genuine Windows 7 Home Basic 321
Genuine Windows Vista® Business 3219
Certified:
Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic 3219
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10
Genuine Windows® XP Professional available through
downgrade rights from Windows 7 Professional1,20
Genuine Windows XP Professional available through
downgrade rights from Windows Vista Business2,19
FreeDOS
Red Flag Linux (PRC only)
Processor
Memory
Removable Storage14
Graphics18
Wireless support5, 6, 7,14
Expansion slots
Input device
Security
Weight
Expansion Solutions14
Intel® CoreTM2 Duo3 SP9300 (2.26 GHz, 6 MB L2 cache) Intel® Celeron3 SU2300 (1.20 GHz, 1 MB L2 cache)
DDR3 SDRAM, 1333 MHz (running at 1066 MHz), one slot supporting 1024/2048/4096 MB SODIMM11
Optional HP External USB 2.0 CD/DVD R/RW Drive
Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD
Optional HP un2420 EV-DO/HSPA Mobile Broadband Module (requires mobile network operator service); Intel 802.11 a/b/g/n draft 2.0; Broadcom 802.11 a/b/g/n draft 2.0, b/g; BluetoothTM 2.1, HP Wireless Assistant
Secure Digital slot: supports SD (Secure Digital), MMC (MultiMedia Card)
Full-sized keyboard, touchpad with scroll zone, gesture support capable
HP ProtectTools, Device Access Manager, Enhanced Pre-Boot Security, HP Spare Key, HP Disk Sanitizer,8 Drive Encryption for HP ProtectTools, Credential Manager for HP ProtectTools, File Sanitizer for HP ProtectTools,8 Kensington Lock slot, McAfee Security Solution15
Starting at: 3.79 lb / 1.72 kg (weight will vary by configuration)
HP USB 2.0 Docking Station, HP Essential USB Port Replicator, HP Basic Adjustable Stand
Chipset
Mobile Intel GS45 Express Chipset ICH9M-Enhanced
Internal Storage12
160/250/320 GB 7200 rpm SATA with HP 3D DriveGuard (supported on Windows models only);
or 80/128 GB Solid State Drive
Display
13.3-inch diagonal LED-backlit HD4 (1366 x 768) (BrightView or antiglare)
Audio/Visual
High Definition Audio, stereo speakers, combo stereo headphone/mic jack, integrated dual-microphone array;
integrated 2 MP webcam
Communications13
Marvell Ethernet (10/100/1000 NIC)
Ports and
(3) USB 2.0 ports (1 powered), DisplayPort, power connector, RJ-45/Ethernet, combo stereo headphone/mic
jack
connectors
Software
HP QuickLook 3,9 HP QuickWeb,16 HP Softpaq Download Manager, HP Recovery Manager (Windows Vista
only), Roxio Creator 10 (requires separately purchased external optical drive),14 Microsoft® Office Ready10
Dimensions
.93 x12.9x8.7in/23.5x328x221mm
Power
4-cell (41WHr) Lithium-Ion battery, 6-cell (62WHr) Lithium-Ion battery, 65W HP Smart AC Adapter

SPECIFICATIONS
OPERATING SYSTEM
PROCESSOR
PROCESSOR SPEED PROCESSOR CACHE BUS SPEED
MEMORY
ACCESSIBLE MEMORY SLOTS
VIDEO GRAPHICS
HARD DRIVE
FINISH AND FEATURES
DISPLAY NETWORK CARD
WIRELESS OPTION DIGITAL MEDIA
AUDIO KEYBOARD POINTING DEVICE
EXTERNAL NOTEBOOK PORTS
DIMENSIONS
WEIGHT SECURITY
• Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit(1)
• AMD AthlonTM Neo X2 Dual-Core Processor for Ultrathin Notebooks L335(2a)(3a)(4b)
• 1.60 GHz(4)
• 512MB L2 Cache
• Up to1600 MT/s system bus running at AC/DC mode 18 watt
• 4096MB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) • 2
• ATI RadeonTM HD 3200 Graphics with 128MB Display Cache Memory AMD M780G with 64MB GDDR2 (sideport memory) with up to 1982MB total graphics memory(6)
• 320GB (7200RPM) Hard Drive (SATA)(7)
• Brushed Aluminum finish in Modern Argento & HP Webcam with integrated digital microphone(15)
• 13.3" Diagonal High-Definition(8) HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1366 x 768)
• Integrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)(9)
• Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN & Bluetooth(10)(10a)
• 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards(17a)
• Altec Lansing with SRS Premium Sound
• Full size chicklet keyboard
• Touch Pad supporting Multi-Touch gestures. With On/Off button and dedicated vertical Scroll Up/Down pad
• 4 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0: 1 Headphone out • 1 microphone-in • HDMI • 1 VGA (15-pin)
• 1 RJ -45 (LAN)
• Unpackaged: 12.83"(L)x 9.06"(D)x 0.96"(min H)/ 1.23"(max H)
• Packaged: 17.9"(W) x 4.3"(D) x13.6"(H) • Unpackaged: 4.21 lbs(12)
• Packaged: 9.2 lbs
• Kensington® MicroSaver lock slot • Power-on password • Accepts 3rd party security lock devices

SPECIFICATIONS
SOFTWARE
OPERATING SYSTEM
PROCESSOR PROCESSOR SPEED PROCESSOR CACHE BUS SPEED MEMORY
ACCESSIBLE MEMORY SLOTS
VIDEO GRAPHICS
HARD DRIVE
FINISH AND FEATURES
DISPLAY
NETWORK CARD WIRELESS OPTION DIGITAL MEDIA
AUDIO KEYBOARD POINTING DEVICE
EXTERNAL NOTEBOOK PORTS
DIMENSIONS WEIGHT SECURITY
POWER
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
WARRANTY AND SUPPORT
• Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit(1)
• Intel® Pentium® Processor SU4100(2c)(3)(4b) • 1.30 GHz(4) • 2MB L2 Cache • 800MHz FSB(4a)
• 4096MB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) • Max supported =8192MB
• 2
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD (shared) with up to 1695MB total available graphics memory(6)
• 500GB (7200RPM) Hard Drive (SATA)(7)
• Brushed Aluminum finish in Modern Argento & HP Webcam with integrated digital microphone(15)
• 13.3" Diagonal High-Definition(8) HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1366 x 768)
• Integrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)(9)
• Intel® WiFi Link 5100AGN(10b)
• 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards(17a)
• Altec Lansing with SRS Premium Sound
• Full size chicklet keyboard
• Touch Pad supporting Multi-Touch gestures. With On/Off button and dedicated vertical Scroll Up/Down pad
• 4 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0: 1 Headphone out • 1 microphone-in • HDMI • 1 VGA (15-pin)
• 1 RJ -45 (LAN) • Unpackaged: 12.83"(L)x 9.06"(D)x 0.96"(min H)/ 1.23"(max H)
• Packaged: 17.9"(W) x 4.3"(D) x13.6"(H) • Unpackaged: 4.21 lbs(12)
• Packaged: 9.2 lbs
• Kensington® MicroSaver lock slot • Power-on password • Accepts 3rd party security lock devices
• 65W AC Adapter • 6-Cell Lithium-Ion battery
• HP 90W AC Adapter - KG298AA#ABA • HP FD06 Notebook Battery - VG586AA#UUF • HP USB Essentials Port Replicator - NK398AA#ABA
• 1-Year Limited Hardware Warranty with Toll Free Support (NA) • 1-Year Free Hardware Technical Support • 30-Days Free Limited Software Support with 1-Year (from date of
purchase) Free Limited Software Support with Product Registration.

[HP]

I say that because so-called smartbooks with ARM-based processors (like Qualcomm's Snapdragon chip) don't support Windows. And there's Nokia with its own Linux-based OS. We've also heard plenty of rumors (since denied) about Nokia looking at Android. We'll have to wait and see. [DigiTimes]

Unfortunately, it does seem to require some basic sewing knowledge—that's a problem for me, since my greatest sewing accomplishment is basically strapping a button to my coat with about half a spool of the wrong colored thread (and it still falls off every couple weeks). But if you're a real human being with basic skills (which I clearly am not), it should be a pretty simple project, and a nice way to customize and protect your laptop at the same time. [Ars Technica]

Though laptops without optical drives have become more and more common, a 14-inch laptop is quite large to go that route. But we're impressed with the 14z's benchmarks, mostly due to Nvidia's 9400M graphics chip—it outperformed other machines in its class at almost every turn, only failing at "greenness," as it's not particularly energy-efficient. But battery life was excellent at 5.5 hours, it's nicely thin and light (only .8 inches and 4.4 pounds) and the price is certainly appealing: Best Buy is selling a model for $750 with 3GB RAM, a 320GB HDD, 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo, and HDMI-out, which is great for such a lithe machine. Seems like it's worth your time if you're looking for a cheap optical drive-less Windows machine for travelling. [Laptop Mag]

The device attempts to solve a problem that doesn't exist—cooling netbooks that generally run pretty cool—while simultaneously destroying a netbook's main purpose on this earth, portability. Because the USB Mini Netbook Cooling Pad + 3-Port Hub + 2.5" HDD Dock is almost as big as the netbook itself. Almost. In this case, the USB Mini Netbook Cooling Pad + 3-Port Hub + 2.5" HDD Dock is just small enough to make the resting state of your computer into a dangerous challenge of physics.

And then it's painted pink to top it all off, a color that matches everything.

The sub-3lb system toured in this clip is loaded with an Intel Celeron M 725, which should be faster than an Atom. The 15.6-inch version comes with a Core 2 Solo. More about 'em both here.

Those of you who speak German will probably mind the incessant slurs intended to offend American audiences, but luckily, I don't speak a word of it so I was able to enjoy the mechanics of battery removal with no guilt for enjoying my sausages on a bun. [via CrunchGear]

I want them all. On second thought, I will go with a yellow neoprene skin. It matches my favorite latex chicken outfit. [The Post Family via Unplggd]

Shen expects the Fold/Unfold (is that really the official name?) to come out in around September or October 2009. The design, since it's kind of hard to tell from photos, maximizes airflow and space for the keyboard and trackpad by sliding the keyboard forward over the trackpad when the laptop's closed, and sliding back to reveal the trackpad when open. If that all sounds a little confusing, you can check out this equally confusing video which is sure to explain very little. It's a little gimmicky, but I think we're about due for a little weirdness in our laptop design, don't you? [Netbook Choice]

It's those guys from that webcomic The Joy of Tech! But don't let that dissuade you, because the PowerBook looks like it did indeed belong to Woz and you can just pretend his maid stole it and posted it on eBay or whatever. Unfortunately, you guys just missed Woz's G4 Powermac. [eBay, thanks, Chris!]

Seriously, don't use your laptop when driving! Cut that shit out! And texting isn't any better either. I don't want you hitting me because you can't control your ADD enough to not fiddle with stuff while behind the wheel. [Ellesmere Port Pioneer via Jalopnik]

This 18.5-inch Samsung concept display is supposed to fix that. Just connect it to your Samsung laptop and Bob's your uncle: Almost-perfectly aligned cursor and image panning. [Samsung]

Vital specs:

- 1.2 or 1.4 GHz Core 2 Duo CPU
- 12.1" multitouch display (yes!)
- up to 5 GB memory
- WiFi and mobile broadband
- 80/120 GB HDD or 64 GB SSD

If it can improve on the already promising XT, we'll be looking forward to this one for sure. [Engadget]

The smaller computer and display can run on 12 hours and can handle emailing and contact needs, but isn't removable yet, so you still need to haul around the main machine. Makes sense, since it shares the same battery as the big boy. Mark did mention that from what he saw last night when this was demoed, none of the trackpads worked very well, since it's just a proto.

It's definitely an interesting concept, since a trackpad that's also a display saves room on the main screen for more important things like getting work done, and not dicking around. [Engadget]

Mac OS X, mythically immune to common computer plagues, has actually always welcomed antivirus software. Or, uh, maybe not. Confused? No worries—here's how OS X and Windows differ on resisting viruses and other nasties.

It's not a matter of opinion: OS X is less susceptible to catching a cold than Windows. So is Linux, for that matter. There are two major reasons (and Steve Jobs' pee actually isn't one of them). First, Windows is on 89.6 percent of the world's personal computers, while OS X is on just 8.9 percent of them. Second, the Unix architecture that OS X and Linux are based on is inherently more secure than Windows, particularly pre-Vista versions. (If these reasons are familiar to you, you may not know the subtler side-effects of each reason that strengthen the case even more, so read on.)

There are a few different ways that Microsoft's mammoth market share actually hurts Windows and helps OS X. For one, writing nastiness that the vast majority of the world's personal computers are susceptible to is a more efficient use of resources than writing the same evil for a sliver of the population. In biology, a more homogeneous population is more susceptible to a genocidal plague. Same principle applies to the vast, Windows-powered ecosystem. I don't mean someone could write a virus that wipes everybody out. Just that if everybody's running Windows, the population is a much easier target.

The flipside of this—which you might not have considered—is that most malware writers obviously use Windows. They're going to whip up code for the OS they're familiar with and know best. And more to that point, most of the tools and scripts used to wreak havoc on computers are written for Windows. The same ecosystem that provides the biggest, most susceptible audience also provides the most fertile breeding ground for the nasty executables.

But suppose this was some bizarro world where OS X was king. Would Microsoft run ads about how virus-plagued OS X was? Well, it would still be more prudent to run anti-virus software, since there'd be a lot more crap thrown at the Mac OS, but if malware acted mostly like it does today, it likely wouldn't have the same impact as it did on Windows pre-Vista.

A lot of that is because of the way permissions work in OS X vs. Windows. Basically, Unix-based systems are architected so that they require administrator privileges to modify the OS and are traditionally more strict in enforcing them. Critical areas are walled off from normal users—you see this when OS X asks for a password to install updates or change a system setting. A standard non-admin user account is restricted; bad software can't wreak much havoc at all without that password.

This is precisely what Vista's somewhat-maligned User Account Control attempts to replicate, limiting points of intrusion and requiring explicit user permission to get anywhere deep. On Windows, historically, the enforcement of these restrictions has been lax in the name of convenience.

This is not to say that OS X is invulnerable, by any means. The main applications folder is relatively unprotected, and any running app can write to it and most of what's inside. Coupled with OS X's app-bundling architecture, this makes it easier to replace program executables or sneak in a piggybacking one. Even then, however, the malware would need to elicit elevated permissions to do any hardcore damage to the core OS; it could, unfortunately, nuke your relatively unprotected Home folder though. Another point of vulnerability, or at least a pain point, according to Mac Forensics Lab, is OS X's centralized address book, which also has weak defenses. If the Home folder book did require the same level of permissions, it would be kinda unusable, because you'd have to elevate permissions to make any and every change.

This brings us to OS X's biggest security hole, the one that it actually shares with every operating system: you. It doesn't matter how good baked-in security is if a user throws out the welcome mat for whatever crap comes their way. On the flip side, you're also the first, and best, line of protection. Don't do anything stupid, and you'll be fine, anti-virus software or not—whatever OS you're running.

Something you still wanna know? Send any questions about viruses, VD or the 1995 Dustin Hoffman film Outbreak to tips@gizmodo.com, with "Giz Explains" in the subject line.

Initially filed in May of 2007 (it's government, people!), the patent app describes a two-part cooling system for small form factors. In the first part a liquid coolant is used to transfer heat away from components (such as a quad-core mobile processor, perhaps?). In the second phase, the heat is transferred from the liquids onto a large aluminum plate which would then pass it off into the environment just as most laptop temperature management systems work today.

Whether this is just another defensive or out-there research patent, or an actually useful new way to cram more power into a smaller space via liquid cooling remains to be seen. Let's hope Apple's next patent is for a brand new battery juicy enough to power the whole system for more than 20 minutes. [US Patents Office via CrunchGear]

At its core, the system is a dual-fan USB-powered laptop cooler with extra USB ports. Enter Brando, and this simple device gets injected with a rear-loaded 2.5" SATA hard drive dock to add extra storage. It's hard to believe that the average laptop USB port can power two fans, a SATA drive and three additional USB devices, but it looks like there's AC power to back up the system (the product description was a bit light on this point).

The USB Notebook Cooling Pad + 3-Port Hub + 2.5" HDD is available now for $33. Live it up. [Brando]

While benchmarking some memory, Gearlog found that processor performance is a whopping 37% lower on a MacBook Pro running on AC alone. Cinebench R10's multiprocessor test got a battery-less Pro a score of only 3,504, while with the battery it scored 5,549. They contacted Apple to find out what's going on, and Apple admitted that the performance difference is intentional, explaining that it "prevents the computer from shutting down if it demands more power than the A/C adapter alone can provide." Sounds a little fishy to me, but it doesn't really matter: Apple took a lot of care with that battery, and if you know what's good for you, you'll leave it be. [Gearlog]

For the money, you get a 2.26ghz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 processor, 3GB RAM, a 320GB 5,400-rpm hard drive (no SSD option, unfortunately), a 13.1-inch LED-backlit display with a 1280 X 800 pixel resolution, a 256MB Nvidia GeForce 9200M graphics card, a dual-layer DVD burner, a 1.3MP webcam and an estimated 6 hours of battery life (though that's still subject to real world testing).

Laptop Mag especially liked the feel of the big, comfy keyboard, the graphics processing power, fast boot times (even with Vista), and a clearly-marked upgrade system for those who want a little more memory or hard drive space. At 1.25-inches at its thickest point, it sounds like a good option for those of us who want something useful and pretty, without switching to Macs. [Laptop Mag]

At that point, it appears that Huang got herself a lawyer and demanded that Asus pay the equivalent of $5 million US dollars in compensation. If they did not comply, she threatened to break the news of their shady support practices to the media. In March of 2006, Asus had both Huang and her lawyer arrested for extortion. Nearly a year later, she was released after the powers-that-be determined that the evidence against her was inadequate.

Now, Huang is suing Asus again—this time for defamation, selling defected products and false accusation. She has even set up a website detailing Asus' offenses against their customers. It certainly appears that both parties are not free from blame here, so I highly doubt that she will be successful with the lawsuit. Either way, the whole situation is pretty frightning. [Danwei via Boing Boing Gadgets and Asus315]

Axiotron Launches Modservice, New MacBook-to-Modbook Conversion Service

Innovative service enables customers to transform their existing Apple MacBook into an Axiotron Modbook.

El Segundo, CA (PRWEB) October 28, 2008 — Axiotron® today launched Axiotron Modservice™, a one-of-a-kind service exclusively performed by Axiotron Authorized Service Providers that enables Apple® MacBook® owners to transform their existing computer into an Axiotron Modbook® complete tablet Mac® solution. Order requests for Axiotron Modservice can be placed beginning today at 10 a.m. PDT at http://www.axiotron.com/modservice.

Customers taking advantage of Axiotron Modservice can get a new, full-featured Modbook for as low as $1,299.

The award-winning Modbook's state-of-the-art pen-based digitizer technology gives users drawing and writing functionality along with the ability to manipulate the Mac OS® X operating system environment without a keyboard or mouse. Through Axiotron Modservice, almost any Intel® Core™ 2 Duo-based Apple MacBook computer can be transformed into an Axiotron Modbook.

"Customers have been requesting a program like our Modservice," said Andreas E. Haas, Axiotron's CEO. "There is something intrinsically appealing about the idea of taking your computer and turning it into a new and exciting product like the Modbook."

How to Place an Order Request:

Customers can enter an order request for Axiotron Modservice at http://www.axiotron.com/modservice beginning today at 10 a.m. PDT. No payment is necessary to place an order request. Customers must provide contact information and their Apple MacBook serial number. The website has information to help customers determine if their MacBook is eligible for conversion. Most non-aluminum Intel® Core™ 2 Duo-based MacBooks are eligible.

Order requests are taken on a first come, first served basis. The first Axiotron Modservice conversions will be performed in late November.

How Modservice Works:

In the coming weeks Axiotron will announce an expansion of its U.S. service and support network with the addition of Axiotron Authorized Service Providers who have been trained to be the exclusive providers of Modservice.

Axiotron will forward Modservice order requests to the Axiotron Authorized Service Provider closest to the customer that has openings available to perform the service. This designated service provider will contact customers to verify eligibility of their MacBook, arrange payment and set a service performance date. Customers can also request upgrades to their MacBook base system such as more memory and larger hard drives. Customers with MacBooks running Mac OS X version 10.4 ("Tiger") or earlier will be required to purchase an operating system license for Mac OS X version 10.5 ("Leopard").

Customers are responsible for transporting or shipping their Apple MacBook to their designated service provider, who will provide any necessary shipping instructions. A charge applies for outbound shipping of the completed Modbook if required. Since Axiotron Authorized Service Providers have retail locations, in-store drop-off and pick-up are available.

Every Axiotron Modbook comes with a one-year limited hardware warranty that applies to the Modbook's Axiotron components. Additional warranty options for Modservice will be announced soon.

For more information about Axiotron Modservice and to initiate an order request for the service, customers can visit http://www.axiotron.com/modservice.

About Axiotron:

A high-tech solution hardware manufacturing company and an Apple Premier Developer, Axiotron produces the Modbook, the one and only tablet Mac solution. Following its unique vision of Customizing Your World™, Axiotron is dedicated to becoming a leading high-tech innovator through the conception and development of intriguing digital lifestyle products. In addition, Axiotron offers its product development expertise to companies in need of custom hardware solutions. Founded in January 2005, Axiotron is a publicly traded company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V: AXO) in Toronto, Canada, with headquarters in El Segundo, California.

Axiotron, Modbook, Modservice and Customizing Your World are trademarks or registered trademarks of Axiotron, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Apple, Mac, Mac OS and MacBook are trademarks or registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Intel and Intel Core are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

This news release is based on current expectations and contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and the respective actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties about Axiotron's business are more fully discussed in Axiotron's disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and available at SEDAR. Axiotron assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such statements.

###

Axiotron Corp.

Mark Perlstein

(310) 426-2674

UPDATED: That would seem to confirm findings that a search engine company shared with me on condition that I not reveal its name: The company spotted Web visits from an unannounced Apple product with a display somewhere between an iPhone and a MacBook. Is it the iPhone 3.0 or the NetMac 1.0?

Like with the original iPhone—which was spotted online in web traffic blogs—I won't be surprised if this was real. Other Apple computers were detected online first as well, although some of them—like multiprocessor Macs running SETI or other distributed computing tasks—were never released. Unlike Markoff, however, I believe that Steve was completely honest when he said "we don’t know how to build a sub-$500 computer that is not a piece of junk", arguing that the company mission was to give more at the same price points, not less features for less money.

So out of pure instinct, I think we can rule out a MacBook nano netbook. Instead, if this is indeed a new unannounced Apple product, here in Gizmodo we are thinking about an iPhone HD with an updated 800 x 480 pixel display, probably coming in 2009. That resolution is something between the iPhone's 480 x 320 pixels and MacBook's 1280 x 800 pixels, which is completely reasonable: Other phones—like the HTC Touch HD—already have these ultra-sharp screens.

In addition to that, as Jobs pointed out in their financial conference call yesterday, they already have a strong entry in the small computing market with the iPhone. It is only logical for Apple—and probably less risky and cheaper—to keep the progress of the iPhone, upgrading the screen for one with a higher dot per inch count in the next model (but of course, I will always keep dreaming about the MacBook touch). [NYT]

Update: Some people argue that it may be a hackintoshed netbook, a computer running a modified version of Mac OS X. This may be the case, but I'm sure the "unnamed search company"—which won't say the name of the Apple device—has plenty of hackintosh netbooks in their logs. On top of that, all hackintosh computers identify themselves as a Mac Pro, independently of their hardware.

According to the guides, the netbook will come with either an Intel Atom Z520 or Z530 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 1.3MP camera, three USB 2.0 ports, and either a 3- or 6-cell battery. You'll also be able to choose between Ubuntu or Windows Vista, probably getting a neat price reduction if you go for Linux. No information on pricing or a specific release date yet. [Engadget]

The keyboard seems to be identical to the MacBook Air, but with a larger trackpad. The left side houses all the ports (much like the earlier photo), while the right side has a slot for the optical drive. Apple.Pro is responsible for previous case images as well, but only time will tell how accurate their tips are. [Apple Pro via Mac Rumors]

It was kind of frustrating because he was mostly using it to watch porn. I couldn't get any information on him.

Finally, the suspect wrote his name and address to register to a website. José Cáceres, the victim, called the police, who arrested the man within a few hours. [AP — Thanks jagslive]