As for the controls—all functionality is handled by the sphere-shaped section at the top. A central joystick is flanked by fairly standard right and left click buttons, but the layout of the controls means that the mouse never needs to be physically moved. As mentioned, the Alien Mouse is only in the concept stage at this point, so I doubt that we will be seeing it on store shelves anytime soon. Hell, we may not even be using a computer mouse in 5 years time (if "experts" are to be believed). [Project Page via The Design Blog]

The only concrete example in the article to warrant this concern is the aforementioned lack of profit margins, and there are still plenty of people who need more from their computers other than web browsing and micro-sized keyboards. But hey, if analysts are worried, should the rest of the world be? [NYT]

To offset the costs of the cloud server, short ads are inserted whenever you open a program, but appear at no other time, to remain relatively unobtrusive. Though the device only has a 400 MHz Freescale MPC5121e mobileGT processor and 256 MB RAM, its user experience factor doesn't drop off because most of the work is done in the cloud. In fact, you are hardly exposed to the Linux-based OS because nearly everything is run from a modified version of Firefox.

CherryPal PC also has a 4 GB NAND Flash storage, 802.11g Wi-Fi, two USB 2.0 ports, 10/100 Ethernet, VGA out, and headphone out. It has a footprint of roughly 6 inches by 4 inches and is about an inch tall. It also comes out of the box with programs like iTunes, Open Office, custom media player and IM client, with more programs to appear. Each computer has a cloud storage limit of 50GB, which is likely to be expanded.

Max Seybold, the CherryPal Founder and CEO, said the hardware is nearly indestructable, and claims you could play tennis with the box and it would still work fine. He sees the CherryPal as a computer for developing nations, schools and/or teenagers who only need a computer to write a paper, listen to music, or browse the internet.

The CherryPal is available now and will start shipping at the end of the July for $249.

CherryPal Announces World’s First Two-watt, $249 Personal Computer
Ultra-green PC has no moving parts; 80 percent few components

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (July 21, 2008) – CherryPal, Inc., maker of green, affordable, easy-to-use personal computers, today formally launched its CherryPal™ cloud computer, the most energy efficient and affordable desktop computer available. CherryPal is a completely new type of PC that has no moving parts, contains 80 percent fewer components, uses only two watts of power, and is highly secure. The CherryPal, which is currently available for pre-orders, retails for $249 and requires no monthly subscription fee and no other hidden costs.

“Today’s typical PC is based on a computing model created 25 years ago, before the Internet, web browsers and global warming,” said CherryPal CEO, Max Seybold. “We have developed a new computing model that makes CherryPal the easiest to use, greenest, most affordable computer available today.”
CherryPal is the Greenest and Most Affordable

The CherryPal desktop consumes just two watts of power, compared to the 65 watts of power used by the average desktop machine, delivering a 97 percent decrease in energy consumption. In addition, it also uses 80 percent fewer components, dramatically reducing the amount of resources it takes to manufacture a PC. And because there are no moving parts, the CherryPal desktop can last a decade or longer, eliminating the need to replace a computer every 2-to 3 years.
CherryPal is the Easiest PC to Use

The CherryPal desktop is dead simple to set up and boots in 20 seconds. Users simply enter a username and password to access the CherryPalCloud, which offers an incredibly simple, intuitive interface. CherryPal has no exposed operating system, so all application and functions are managed solely by a Firefox-based browser. CherryPal does all operation system and application upgrading and installation, meaning there is no maintenance required. Because there are no moving parts, there is little possibility of hardware failure. CherryPal also offers a free 24/7 helpline.

The CherryPalCloud™ Innovation

CherryPal has removed the hassle from personal computing by moving most of the software and data that traditionally sits on the desktop to the Internet. Instead of accessing programs and data from your desktop computer, the majority of information is processed and stored on the web in a highly secure environment called the CherryPalCloud™, which is automatically accessed at boot-up.

The CherryPalCloud removes many of the headaches typically associated with traditional personal computers, including: application downloads, software upgrades and crashing operating systems, because everything is maintained in the CherryPalCloud by CherryPal administrators;
viruses and hackers, because the user’s hardware is no longer exposed to local bugs and viruses;
lag time, because the majority of cumbersome software applications are stored in the CherryPalCloud, the computer operates just as fast – if not faster – than a traditional PC.

CherryPal HyperCloud™ Technology

CherryPal is the only company that provides a patent-pending combination of both hardware and software encryption, making it highly secure. The CherryPal also offers a patent-pending single software layer technology. This collapses the operating system and browser into one layer, where there had traditionally been three separate layers. It makes the computer exponentially faster and virtually eliminates any risk of bugs or viruses for the user.

CherryPal is also the first company since Apple Computers to use a Power Architecture-based processor in a personal computer by employing the Freescale MPC5121e mobileGT processor. This chip allows for built-in graphics and audio processing, all while consuming only 400 MHz of power.

The CherryPal Hardware Specs:
Freescale’s MPC5121e mobileGT processor, 800 MIPS (400 MHz) of processing
256MB of DDR2 DRAM
4GB NAND Flash-based solid state drive
WiFi 802.11b/g Wi-Fi
Two USB 2.0 ports
One 10/100 Ethernet with RJ-45 jack
One VGA DB-15 display out jack
Headphone stereo audio out 3.5mm jack
9vDC 2.5mm10 watt AC-DC adapter power supply
10.5 ounces
1.3” high, 5.8” x 4.2” wide

CherryPal Software

CherryPal’s operating system is based on a version of open source Debian/GNU Linux that has been highly customized; the browser is based on a version of open source Firefox.
The user applications currently available are:
OpenOffice.org office productivity suite;
iTunes;
A CherryPal-brand media player that supports all common files formats;
A CherryPal-branded instant messenger that supports all common IM programs.
More programs will be added on an on-going basis. The current storage limit is initially set at 50 gigabytes (GB), although the limit will likely be increased in the future.

CherryPal’s Business Model

CherryPal is rolling out a robust “Brand Angels” program that uses advocates and users as its sales force. Brand Angels will communicate their honest experiences with the CherryPal product in exchange for a free CherryPal desktop. Brand Angels receive a small commission for each system sold; buyers also receive a small discount when they purchase their CherryPal from a Brand Angel.
CherryPal’s revenue model is based on advertising, which will be rolled out later this year. However CherryPal’s technology does not allow anyone to view any information about its customers.

Pricing and Availability

The CherryPal is now available for pre-orders in the United States for just $249, with no monthly subscription or hidden fees at www.cherrypal.com. Orders will begin shipping at the end of this month.
For more information on CherryPal and its desktop product, please go to www.cherrypal.com, where its new web also launched today.

This is expensive even by MacBook standards, whose $200 cost to upgrade to black at least includes a bigger HDD. To top off the already complicated configuration/pricing scheme, once you get your specs picked out, you have to request a quote from an Voodoo customer service rep. I get the feeling owning a Voodoo Envy is supposed to be a privilege in their eyes. [Voodoo]

According to a study by the Ponemon Institute and Dell, only 30 percent or so lost laptops are ever recovered. Los Angeles' LAX airport reported having the most lost laptops out of any other airport, with 1,200 going missing every week. The most likely place for you to lose your computer is at security checkpoints and departure gates—so no matter how many beers you downed this weekend, try to be a little more alert while going through those areas, yeah? [Newlaunches]

picture credit: Mike Reger

Texas has a new law that makes it mandatory for computer repair technicians in the state to have private investigator licenses. This is being contested by at least one advocacy group that's suing, as many techs don't know they're being criminals by doing their jobs. The strange new law comes about because sometimes in the course of repairing a computer some investigation is needed, and in the great state of Texas that's a felony without a license. It can take up to three years to get one, so this whole thing is messed up. Hopefully no poor minimum wage Windows jockey will wind up in jail over this, but stranger things have happened in Texas. Looks like those Geek Squad guys will get real badges, though. [Gear Log]

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Price: $1500 (The IQ504, sans TV-tuner, sells for $1300)

The Verdict: The TouchSmart comes with the standard array of features you'd expect in an all-in-one PC—22-inch widescreen, 2.16 Core 2 Duo Processor, ATSC tuner, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB HDD, 5 USB ports and an SDHC reader. These are all solid features, though not mindblowing. The real hook here is whether or not the touchscreen features are as good as advertised. The short answer is that they're satisfactory within the custom interface, and not so great in the normal Vista environment.

The touch interface has a homescreen with a row of giant, oversized tiles up top, and smaller ones underneath that display various widget-like apps. Examples of these apps include a music player, photo browser, movie player, RSS feed, calendar, weather, chess, solitaire, notes, etc... Both rows can scroll fromside to side, similar to that of the iPhone, and tiles can also be exchanged between the top and bottom rows freely.

Once inside individual apps, they take advantage of using pan and scroll features for lists and thumbnails. The movie player even has a record feature that lets you create a short movie with the webcam that you can email out when finished. The photo browser lets you perform basic adjustments, or even use the touchscreen to crop your photo.

Some apps are better than others. Apps like the photo browser, and weather widget are perfectly suited to the touch interface, because the menus are simple and typing is hardly ever required. The RSS reader and Web Browser are not so great because they both use Internet Explorer as its backbone (you have to enter your RSS feeds as bookmarks in IE). The calendar app is decent if you just want to check your schedule, but you ultimately need the keyboard and mouse to do anything more.

And while the touchscreen works well within the interface, trying to control the rest of Vista (Media Center notwithstanding) can be maddening. Buttons and icons in Vista are too small for fingertaps on the screen, resulting in hitting the wrong button, or not hitting anything at all. I basically gave up on navigating Vista with the touchscreen after the first 30 minutes.

But even within the interface, though it functions competently, you can't help but feel like it needs a bit more polish. Sure, it looks great, but sometimes its choppy or laggy in reacting to your touch, making it feel less than intuitive.

Part of this is due to the fact that the touchscreen isn't a real touchscreen, but rather an IR ring around the front of the monitor that tracks the position of your finger on a 2D plane. When the plane is broken, it interprets that as a mouse click. It isn't microscopically precise, but the big buttons of the custom interface help compensate for that to a degree. While I'm sure this helps keep cost low, It doesn't have the same smooth feel.

The Touchsmart IQ506 is a good computer, both in design and features, but is a little rough around the edges when it comes to it's touch features. If you want a kitchen computer that looks nice, functions well with a keyboard and mouse, and has a few neat touch functions to boot, this $1500 machine, or the IQ504, isn't a bad deal. But if you're expecting to be blown away by the touchscreen experience, you may want to hold off. [HP Touchsmart]

• The "first world" accounts for 58% of the billion.
• In 2014, the first world would only account for 30% of the two billions.
• 180 million computers will be replaced this year.
• 35 million computers will be dumped into landfills "with no or little regard for their toxic content."

[Reuters]

The Price: $3300 as tested.

The Verdict: The Vaio LT is a solid computer with a lot of good features. It's easy enough on the eyes that it could be placed in a kitchen or bedroom (it can also be VESA mounted), but it is hardly underpowered. Blu-ray playback provided a nice picture, and watching HD via CableCard was crisp and clear. Rarely, if ever, did I experience slowdown while using many of the media features, showing the hardware is up to the task.

The integrated 1.3 MP webcam is up to par with similar offerings, and the speakers provide good audio in most settings. Despite its TV-esque appearance, there are no inputs for VGA or component video, meaning hooking up a game console or laptop is out of the question.

But looks and power come with a price. The low-end model does start as low as $2000, but it only has a 1.6 GHz processor and 3GB RAM. The high-end model, with the Penryn processor, Cable card tuner and 4GB RAM, will run you $3300. But as hardware alone, the VAIO LT is a solid choice for a media PC.

The insides of the TouchSmart also include 4 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 9300 M GS HD graphics card, ATSC Tuner, Webcam, Bluetooth 2.0, Firewire and an 8x DVD burner. It also comes packaged with a wireless keyboard and mouse, as well as a VIsta Media Center remote. There's also an ambient light at the bottom of the computer which glows so you can see your keyboard in the dark.

The screen of the Touchsmart isn't touch sensitive; it's actually a beam of light in front of the screen that recognizes where your finger is when you break the plane of the light beam. The interface, which is all developed within Vista, can be customized in many ways, allowing you to pick from a variety of content to be displayed on the home screen. There's also a finger painting app, photo browsing and editing app, music player, movie player, RSS aggregator and calendar.

The design of the computer is another noticeable upgrade, which takes the Touchsmart from utilitarian device to something you actually want in the house. The folded design is supposed to resemble a messenger bag, and it doesn't look half bad. The HP Touchsmart IQ506 is expected to hit stores July 13 for $1500. A TV Tuner-less IQ504 will also be available for $1300

HP Redefines Home Computing, Putting the Digital Lifestyle at People's Fingertips with New TouchSmart PCs

BERLIN, June 10, 2008 - HP today unveiled a new generation of all-in-one PCs that change the way people interact with their computers by making digital entertainment a truly compelling, hands-on experience.
The new HP TouchSmart family of PCs features HP software designed specifically for touch. A finger tapped or swept across the high-resolution screen delivers quick access to information, entertainment and social networks. Without using a keyboard or mouse, consumers can play music and create playlists, zoom in or out of photos, and quickly check the weather or watch TV.

HP TouchSmart PCs are designed to resemble the lines of a messenger bag and to fit wherever life happens, whether in the living room to entertain friends, in the den as a social hub, or in the home office. The simple yet sleek design and natural user interface adds style and elegance anywhere it is placed.
"Our engineers have created a fun, engaging and simple touch experience for the home that nobody else offers today," said John Cook, vice president of marketing, Worldwide Consumer PC Business, HP. "We're changing personal computing from just feeds and speeds to an experience influenced by consumer trends and design that anticipates customer's needs. The HP TouchSmart PC is all about reinventing the personal computer experience."

Digital entertainment at the touch of a finger
HP TouchSmart IQ500 series PC software brings a new level of enjoyment to photos, videos and music by making it easier for people to access and interact with their media. For example, consumers can browse a music collection by album art in a tiled fashion or fan view. People can crop, edit and share photos as well as upload them directly to HYPERLINK "http://www.snapfish.com" Snapfish from HP without the need to use a keyboard or mouse.

Consumers also can watch and record their favorite TV shows,(1) burn personal videos with the built-in DVD burner,(2) upload videos they create directly to YouTube,(3) and enjoy high-quality sound with the integrated premium stereo speakers. The built-in webcam and microphone help users keep in touch with friends and family anywhere they have Internet access through video chat and conference.(3)
"The introduction of a touch computer with such a strong focus on digital entertainment opens the door to an entirely new way for consumers to engage with their content," said Stephen Baker, vice president, industry analysis, The NPD Group. "HP TouchSmart PCs will allow people to interact with their photos, videos, music and games in unique ways, plus they do everything that you'd expect from a traditional PC."

The stylish next-generation PC
Requiring only one cord to set up and power the system, HP TouchSmart PCs combine a 22-inch diagonal, high-definition,(4) widescreen display with a powerful, energy-efficient Intel Core 2 Duo processor(5) in a single, integrated design. The sleek, piano-black finish with elegant espresso side-panel highlights makes a TouchSmart PC an attractive addition to any room in the home.
The low-profile wireless keyboard and integrated WLAN(6) offer a truly wireless experience, and the adjustable screen tilts up and down for maximum viewing comfort. The HP Ambient Light lets consumers set a mood and see the keyboard in the dark.

In addition, the HP TouchSmart PCs are ENERGY STAR qualified and come in new packaging that greatly reduces plastic foam cushioning materials. Other features include 4 gigabytes of memory,(7) a media card reader and a large-capacity, high-speed hard drive.
HP's touch heritage

The HP TouchSmart PC is a culmination of 25 years of HP touch technology design and development, which was first brought to market in 1983 with the introduction of the HYPERLINK "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-THdG5gVTw" HP 150 PC, a HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_150" touchscreen computer that was well ahead of its time.
Today, HP uses touch technology in a variety of products, including the HYPERLINK "http://www.hp.com/go/ipaq"HP iPAQ rx5900 Travel Companion, HYPERLINK "http://laptop.hp.com/" HP Pavilion tx2500 Tablet Notebook PC, select HYPERLINK "http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/printer/everyday/1/storefronts/CC975A%2523B1H" HP Photosmart printers and HYPERLINK "http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF05a/382087-382087-64283-3181050-3181048-3182543.html" HP business monitors.

The first-generation HP TouchSmart PC was delivered more than 17 months ago as the industry's first touch-based, all-in-one consumer PC. Today's announcement of the HP TouchSmart IQ504 and IQ506 PCs delivers fun and exciting ways for consumers to use touch as never before seen in an all-in-one consumer PC.

Pricing and availability
Prices for the base model HP TouchSmart IQ504 PC and the TV-tuner equipped IQ506 PC are expected to start at $1,299 and $1499, respectively.(8) Customers can shop for the new TouchSmart PCs by calling +1 800 230 5752, via chat, online or at retail outlets nationwide. Models are expected to be available in retail outlets on July 13. More information is available at HYPERLINK "http://www.hp.com/touchsmart" www.hp.com/touchsmart.

The HP TouchSmart PCs were introduced today at the HP HYPERLINK "http://www.hp.com/personal" Connecting Your World event in Berlin. More information about the products announced at the event is available in an online press kit at HYPERLINK "http://www.hp.com/go/connectingyourworld2008" www.hp.com/go/connectingyourworld2008.

Designed from video game components, and costing $133 million, Roadrunner contains 12,960 chips redesigned from an I.B.M. Cell microprocessor that was originally created for Sony’s PlayStation 3 video-game machine. Add to that a bunch of Opteron processors from Advance Micro Devices, which are commonly found in corporate servers, and there's your supercomputer.

It runs on around three megawatts of power—around the amount that a shopping mall needs if it is to function properly—and needs three separate programming tools to run the trio of different processors. The complicated bit for programmers is to keep all 116,640 processor cores occupied simultaneously, or else the supercomputer does not run effectively. [New York Times]

If you are old enough to remember, NeXTCubes were high-end workstation computers built in the late '80s and early '90s that featured a die-cast magnesium case. Magnesium was an attractive metal because it was strong and light—but as any high school chemistry student with a penchant for pyromania can tell you, magnesium burns with a brilliant white light. Naturally, this lead some to wonder what would happen if you set one ablaze.

Back in '93', Simson L. Garfinkel, then Senior Editor at NeXTWORLD Magazine, indulged his curiosities and discovered that, with some effort, it will generate a magnesium fire. The pictures are the main attraction here, but Garfinkel's quest to burn the cube is a definite must read for retro geeks and people who get a twisted pleasure out of watching things burn. Hit the link for the full story. [Simson via Macenstein]

Professor Vertegaal forsees drink cans with RSS feeds or movie trailers, and touch-sensitive computers that change shape when you need them for different purposes. It's a combination of three-dimensional multi-touch, flexible display technology and smart materials like e-ink. Vertegaal even compares our use of current "flat" computer technology to life in the novel Flatland, and argues that the future is going to be about 3D computing and displays.

To this end, his Human Media Laboratory at Queens University is working on projects and prototypes of these things for real. There's a Coke can with RSS feed; a completely foldable paper computer, which lets you navigate an ebook much more "naturally" by turning the pages; and a workbench that simulates a display on any object, using front-projection for now, but with the aim of having stand-alone devices when the technology catches up.

This last sort of multi-shaped, smart material computer "would be a final frontier in the design of computer interfaces that turn the natural world into software, and software into the natural world" he says, in an upcoming publication in the Communications of Association of Computing Machinery. And yes, it all seems very neat, but do we really want animated movie clips on our morning box of Cheerios? What do you think, guys? [Physorg via ]

[Aram Bartholl via Make via Technabob]

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The Revolution Desk comes in three sizes—48, 60 and 72-inches as well as a variety of colors. As far as monitor size is concerned it appears that the rotating panel is restricted to 19-inches max, which is a disappointment—but I can still see it becoming popular in both office and domestic settings. Prices range from $500 to $700. [Versa Tables via The Design Blog]

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We have a very clear focus that all the development teams at Apple share, a focus around trying to make really great products. That can sound ridiculously simplistic, almost naive, but it's very unique for the product to be what consumes you completely.

I'm not driven by making a cultural impact. That's just a consequence of taking a remarkably powerful technology and making it relevant. My goal is simply to try to make products that really are meaningful to people.

The keyboard includes raised, mechanical snap-dome keys under a hardcoated polyester film that's more rugged than conventional silicone rubber keypads. It also has an integrated Synaptics touchpad, like the ones found on laptops, which can substitute for a mouse. The device is especially built to withstand the humidity and dust of industrial settings, such as a work shop or food processing company (or certain blogging locations).

iKey's keyboard comes in either a conventional desktop design or a panel mount model that can be put in a stainless steel case. The company sells it quote-by-quote, so no pricing info was available. A backlit version will be out later this year. [Softpedia

Studies indicate that electronic scraps are the fastest growing component of our waste system, so it is imperative that we find ways to recycle these products and put them to good use. As you probably know, the recycling of scrap circuit boards is of particular interest because of the valuable metals they contain. However, I don't plan on holding my breath that old, crappy Dell desktops will be an alternative fuel gold mine. [Live Science]

If you were wondering what the board was capable of, you will be happy to know VIA is holding a contest where competitors must guess how long the PX5000EG can survive running Ubuntu 8.04 Linux and playing an MPEG-4 video without any cooling whatsoever. Entries are being accepted today through the 21st—the winner will receive an ARGO builder kit.
[VIA and Naked Pico Contest via TechnoVoyance via BoingBoing Gadgets]

Bringing the good ol' Cold War days to the future, the system would be linked to the Air Force's high-speed instruction detection systems, letting them immediately strike back at the source. I'm internally debating whether this is a good idea or not, all Skynet jokes aside. Your thoughts? [Threat Level]

This plan first launched into action when a co-worker of the nameless woman at the Apple Store noticed her computer online and notified the woman. She was then able to log into her computer and the rest is history. So the moral of the story is this: If you steal a MacBook, please be sure to cover the iSight with some tape. Otherwise, you could also be charged with a second degree felony. [Iohud via TUAW]

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If you are looking to see how the experts ranked tech support, Consumer Reports has just released their list of the top performers based on reader's experience with 10,000 computer fixes. [Consumer Reports]

The Decor
The top is a sharp red with tendril textures—actually quite classy in person. Flip it upside-down and you'll see that even the air vents feature a touch of style.

The Weight
Lenovo's U110 weighs just 2.42 pounds (and 2.92 with the larger battery). That's only .4 pounds more than the Eee and, trust me, it's freakin' light. So you know though, 2.92 pounds feels way, way heavier than 2.42. The "ohhh" factor is lost with the bigger battery.

The Screen
In the past, I've found that the Eee screen was too small for enjoyable use. The HP Mini Note was borderline. Now I've found the perfect size. 11.1" WXGA (1366x768) is just right for comfortable multitasking. And it's LED. Ooooh!

The Keyboard
I'm digging the keyboard. The Backspace button has been chopped a bit beyond my penchant for typos, but the keyboard is generally spacious enough for sure. And the subtly concave "piano painting" buttons feel excellent to the touch.

Glowy Button Things
Touch the panel above the keyboard for a tattoo-like glow of buttons. They offer some hot key support and extra sound control. Looks kinda neat, works kinda crappy.

The Footprint
The 10.8" by 7.7" by .72"-.88" dimensions can be tough to picture. That's quite small. Just know that it's officially beyond impulse purse stuffing size.

The Hookups
Tons of good stuff here: 3 USB ports, FireWire, multi-card reader, Mini-PCIe, Express Card, mic, headphones, Ethernet, and VGA out.

Little Extras
Lenovo packed in the little details. You get two batteries (4-cell and 7-cell) depending on your desired weight load. You get an external USB DVD drive since it lacks one of its own. Oh, and you get a cloth for the unbelievable smudgetastic glossy finish.

The Speed
The Lenovo U110 is not a speed machine. You can look at Vista's performance rating of 3.5 to draw your own conclusions (3.0 is Aero graphics minimum), or you can know that, more often than not, it can become a bit irritating waiting for programs to launch. It's not a "OMG THIS IS SOOOO SLOOOW" slow, but it is "Boy, I wish Office would load a bit faster" slow.

The Battery
The 4-cell 1750mAH battery is rated at two hours. In the default "balanced" processing mode, I received less than an hour of runtime from normal use. Since the 7-cell battery is rated at six hours of use, expect only three.

VeriFace 2.5
VeriFace scans your face and loads your computer without the need for typing. And it works great...when it works. Booting Vista, a Veriface animation pops up for about three seconds and loads with no problem. But for some reason—and correlation is by no means causation—I found that when waking the computer, VeriFace had recognition problems quite often. You are left sitting there like an idiot, double checking your lighting, positioning and hairdo...realizing that maybe you aren't pretty enough to touch this beautiful computer.

The Price
It's $1899. That's $100 more than the MacBook Air. For that, many Windows lovers may consider Lenovo's X300. And they'd be right to. EVDO and a solid state drive would be great additions to the U110. And for not much more money, size or weight, you can get that with the X300.

Should You Buy It?
Let's put it this way—it's buyable. It's not the fastest Vista laptop, and if you want any decent battery life you'll lose a chunk of the ultra-sexy form factor. But if you want a fully-capable laptop that's extremely mobile—one that I'd say can conceivably function as your main computer—then sure. Because while the smaller battery's life may be less than optimal, the real purchase-preventer here seems to be the price. And if you don't care, neither do we.

On Friday, a Havana shopping mall began selling QTECH PCs, a tower-style desktop running Windows XP with 80GB of memory, 512 MB RAM and Intel Celeron processors (how US-made Intel processors can get into the island is still not clear.) At roughly $800 for an entire package including a CRT monitor and keyboard/mouse, the QTECH is out of reach for most of Cuba's residents, who earn an average of $20 a month.

Internet access will remain restricted to certain workplaces, schools and universities on the Island. The government has argued that the net would be more widely available if Cuba wasn't blocked from connecting to undersea cables because of the embargo. But considering their Internet policies include allowing email addresses only for "trusted" journalists, their media is state-controlled, and the little fact that there's no such thing as "freedom of expression" over there, the embargo excuse sounds more like another cheap attempt to keep tight control of the people on the island. [BBC]

Difference Engine No. 2, designed in 1847, was designed to calculate and tabulate values run through polynomial functions up to the seventh order. It, along with the other Babbage Engines, is considered to be the first automatic computing machine.

For those who slept through all their math classes, think of an equation like y=x^3+4x+4, where you're given a list of integers and asked to solve for y in each instance. Babbage was tired of repeatedly doing this by hand and wanted an automated way to solve polynomial functions. He thought there was too much room for human error, so he put together the Difference Engine, which acts like a super-powered calculator.

The machine is powered by a hand crank, which gets the various gears, levers and springs moving, and uses giant mechanical rods representing number values around to push around a bunch of numbers until—presto, change-o—you have your answers printed on a piece of paper (technical, I know).

The Difference Engine No. 1 design, created in 1821, is one of the earliest concepts for a computer. It was able to handle 16-digit numbers run through polynomials up to the 6th order and print them out in tabulated form. It required 25,000 parts, would have stood eight feet tall and weighed 15 tons.

Difference Engine No.2, finished in 1849, was a sleeker, more powerful beast (similar to the difference between Iron Man's Mark 1 and Mark 2 suits). It was designed to handle numbers 31 digits long, only required 8000 parts, and in addition to printing paper results, could imprint tables into a plaster mold for future reproduction. The specs called for it to stand 11 feet long and weigh 5 tons.

The machine design even features built-in error detection, where the machine jams if it comes across a non-whole number at any point in the process. I'll avoid getting into the nitty-gritty of the forumlas and equations, because frankly, its neither as interesting or impressive as the mere fact that Babbage concocted this in the 1800s. But you can read up on the full computational breakdown here. [Computer History Museum]

1) You can't update. System update is disabled, so you're stuck with the version of Leopard that came with the system for all eternity. What with Apple issuing bug fixes, security fixes, and new versions of their software, this is a bad, bad situation. Hell, even Hackintosh systems you build yourself let you update, even if you have to be picky about it.

2) You can't reinstall Leopard by yourself. If your hard drive borks out or you somehow screw up your installation, you're out of luck. And by luck, we mean $50 plus shipping. You have to mail your drive back to Psystar in order for them to reinstall the OS for you.

3) Their support is untested. When people buy a pre-made machine, they're paying a premium for tech support and warranty support. It's still unclear how good Psystar's warranty support is, but if the $50 fee for reinstalling your OS is any indication, they're going to nickel and dime you whenever you have more than minor problems.

4) Psystar might be going out of business soon thanks to Apple. Apple's been silent about the issue, but there's no way they're going to sit still while someone sells a hacked version of Leopard on vanilla hardware. It could very well be possible that Psystar will win the fight and continue to sell machines, but would you buy a Dell right now if Microsoft was possibly threatening their entire business model because they were selling unauthorized versions of Vista?

5) The hardware build quality isn't great, and the fan is incredibly loud. These machines are made from off-the-shelf parts, which is fine, but it's not going to be top quality construction for the price they're charging. If that's not enough to dissuade you, the fan is incredibly loud because it's always running at full blast and there's no control interface to turn it down.

6) You're not only buying software that breaks Apple's licensing agreements, but the license of the software used to patch Leopard. I don't personally have a huge problem with this, but some people might have an ethical objection.

7) You can build a better one yourself fairly easily. By following Lifehacker's guide to building your own Hackintosh, you can grab your own OS X machine with a trip to Fry's and a couple hours of downloading/installing. Yours will even update correctly.

Point 1 can be fixed by just a quick software patch. Point 2 can be fixed if Psystar ships out a recovery disc, but it's unlikely because that would be distributing an unauthorized version of Leopard. Point 5 is also something they can remedy by rigging up an interface to the fan, and investing in slightly better parts. The other issues are more deep-seated, and might not be able to be overcome. We'll have to wait and see. Our recommendation right now is to stay away. [Gizmodo's Psystar coverage]

Most consumer drives aren't rated for 24/7 use, and even if your drives are set to sleep, you're going to wear out fan bearings and suck dust into the case. Then again, those torrents aren't going to download themselves.

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Other reported specs include a choice of processors ranging from 1.0GHZ to 1.6GHz, 1GB RAM and a Windows XP operating system. The laptop will get a European release in June. Prices are expected to be between $471 - $1100, depending on the options chosen. No word on a US release yet. [Electronista]

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Heck even managed to incorporate the grating/vents of the original IIGS into the design. Not too shabby, however I would have liked to have seen the old beige/gray case coloring and something resembling the IIgs keyboard worked into the design for nostalgia's sake. You can check out more pics and details over at [Ben Heck].