Archive for December, 2009
Engadget’s top posts, 2009
Published on December 31st, 2009.
Top 20 most trafficked posts of 2009 (in order)
- Phil Schiller keynote live from WWDC 2009
- Live from Apple's 'It's only rock and roll' event
- Live from Apple's iPhone OS 3.0 preview event
- Live from the Macworld 2009 keynote
- iPhone 3GS review
- Motorola Droid review
- Palm Pre: everything you ever wanted to know
- Exclusive: first Google Phone / Nexus One photos, Android 2.1 on-board
- HTC Hero review
- Windows 7 review
- Palm Pre review
- Microsoft sucks at Photoshop
- Microsoft announces availability of Windows 7 Beta and Windows Live
- Steve Jobs is taking a leave of absence from Apple due to health reasons
- Video: Sony's PSP Go leaks out before E3, is obviously a go
- Motorola Droid first hands-on
- Windows 7 Beta goes public
- Modern Warfare 2's Prestige Edition includes fully functioning night vision goggles
- Snow Leopard review
- Live from Palm's CES press conference
And a few other statistics for 2009 (all related to Engadget Classic):
$38,204.57 - Retail value of stuff we gave away to readers
12,681 - total number of posts for 2009
1,821 - Number of galleries on Engadget for 2009
454 - Number of hands-on posts
99 - Number of Engadget reviews
66 - number of podcasts
4 - number of Engadget shows
Engadget's top posts, 2009 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Ask Engadget: Best Skype phone for Europe?
Published on December 31st, 2009.
There's nothing worse than not being able to communicate with someone when you desperately need to, so we're hoping that our readers across the pond will be able to chime in here with a little advice. If you've got something productive to add, drop it down in comments below!"My sister recently moved to Belgium. She has access to WiFi at home, so I'd like to send her a mobile phone that can run a Skype client. Requirements are WiFi, can work on Belgian / European carriers, runs Skype, and has excellent battery life. Anyone have any suggestions?"
Ask Engadget: Best Skype phone for Europe? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Why Consider a Business T1 Line?
Published on December 31st, 2009.
You should consider a business T1 line if your business could benefit from a highly reliable phone and Internet service that very well may decrease your overall telecom costs. If your business has at least seven individual phone lines and your employees use the Internet, your business is a good candidate to reduce expenses with a business T1 line.
What Precisely is a T1 Line?
A T1 line is a dedicated line carrying digital data between your business and your phone company’s customer office. It has a throughput of 1.544 Mbps that you can imagine as being divided into 24 channels.
When a business T1 line is dedicated to phone service, it can carry 24 concurrent external phone calls. Each call is carried on a separate “channel” or slice of the data stream. Your T1 line and your internal phone lines connect to a PBX device that is your private branch exchange–similar to your own phone company. The PBX can allow internal calling with a 3 or 4 digit extension, provides services like voice mail, call waiting, hunt groups, music on hold, and other features. Your PBX also allows 24 external calls concurrently. For numerous businesses this will handle the external calling requirements of 100 or more staff.
Another version of T1 is T1 PRI which is used in customer service centers where customer agents review customer records with your customers. With T1 PRI, there are 23 voice channels and one data channel that would be connected to a server. When a customer calls, the caller ID data is passed to the server and the server can pull up and display the customer record on the computer screen of the customer rep as they are answering the incoming call.
Your business T1 line may be devoted to Internet access. You can plug the T1 line into a card in your LAN server to provide a throughput of 1.544 Mbps to the Internet. This speed is equivalent to 30 to 60 dial-up connections (depending on the dial-up line quality). Since the T1 line is digital, there will be no degradation caused by crosstalk or line noise.
Alternately, your T1 line may integrate both phone and Internet services. You will dedicate a certain number of “channels” to phone service and the remainder to the Internet. An additional card in the PBX streams the Internet data to an interface card in your LAN server. This is a popular option for numerous small and medium sized businesses.
How Will You Cut Costs With a Business T1 Line?
Think about a business that wishes to swap out their existing individual phone lines and their Internet service provider with a T1 line. The major reduction in expenses is due to the elimination of the monthly expenses for the individual phone lines as well as your Internet access charges.
Your ongoing costs will include a monthly lease cost for the T1 line and phone charges which come bundled with the T1 line. The cost to you for a T1 line primarily depends on the distance between your business and the phone company’s customer office. Additionally, there will be one time charges for the PBX device and other interface devices and cabling that your physical plant requires. There will also be continuing maintenance fees associated with the PBX and other devices.
Numerous small and medium businesses have found a T1 line to be an effective means to reduce expenses as well as provide higher quality and reliability to their customers and employees. You ought to get a business T1 line quote to see if this is a profitable choice for your business.
You may receive a fast online T1 quote at T1 Line Providers. There you will also get all the help you need about t1 line prices and other topics.
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View unanswered posts
Published on December 31st, 2009.
in Tech Lounge. manan. 0. 363. Tue Jul 03, 2007 8:28 pm. manan ... in Tech Lounge. birbal. 0. 304. Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:17 pm. birbal ...Filled under latest news. No Comments.
The Best of Everything in Tech (2009 Edition)
Published on December 31st, 2009.
This year was no picnic, but despite incredibly tough economic conditions, the tech industry delivered a surprising number of winners.Filled under latest news. No Comments.
Logic Bolt Projector Phone Returns As Smartphone
Published on December 31st, 2009.
Tiny manufacturer Logic Wireless has a new version 1.5 of their Bolt projector phone - and they're selling it through Skymall, of all places.Filled under latest news. No Comments.
Invetech 3D bio-printer is ready for production, promises ’tissue on demand’
Published on December 31st, 2009.
Invetech 3D bio-printer is ready for production, promises 'tissue on demand' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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What Would Have Entered the Public Domain Tomorrow?
Published on December 31st, 2009.
An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from Duke's Center for the Study of the Public Domain about items that would enter the public domain starting on January 1, 2010, if not for copyright extenions: "'Casino Royale, Marilyn Monroe's Playboy cover, The Adventures of Augie March, the Golden Age of Science Fiction, Crick & Watson's Nature article decoding the double helix, Disney's Peter Pan, The Crucible'... 'How ironic that Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, with its book burning firemen, was published in 1953 and would once have been entering the public domain on January 1, 2010. To quote James Boyle, "Bradbury's firemen at least set fire to their own culture out of deep ideological commitment, vile though it may have been. We have set fire to our cultural record for no reason; even if we had wanted retrospectively to enrich the tiny number of beneficiaries whose work keeps commercial value beyond 56 years, we could have done so without these effects. The ironies are almost too painful to contemplate.""Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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Study: middle-aged people unimpressed with modern technology
Published on December 31st, 2009.
Study: middle-aged people unimpressed with modern technology originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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New Open Source Intrusion Detector Suricata Released
Published on December 31st, 2009.
richrumble writes "The OISF has released the beta version of the Suricata IDS/IPS engine: The Suricata Engine is an Open Source Next Generation Intrusion Detection and Prevention Engine. This engine is not intended to just replace or emulate the existing tools in the industry, but will bring new ideas and technologies to the field. This new Engine supports Mult-Threading, Automatic Protocol Detection (IP, TCP, UDP, ICMP, HTTP, TLS, FTP and SMB! ), Gzip Decompression, Fast IP Matching and coming soon hardware acceleration on CUDA and OpenCL GPU cards."Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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Entelligence: Gartenberg’s best of 2009 in personal tech
Published on December 31st, 2009.
Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.
Best Phones: This was a tricky category, and I'm not breaking it down into different segments. This is just the best on the market in my opinion -- no matter how smart it was considered to be, or how well it did in school.
- iPhone 3GS. It was a simple choice. Take the coolest phones on the market, bump up the memory and make it twice as fast. Add in some new features like a digital compass and toss in an ecosystem of 100,000+ apps. Sure, it's still locked to AT&T but the iPhone is still the phone that many others aspire to be.
- Palm Pre. At this point last year many had written Palm off entirely. Instead of fading away, Palm came back on strong with webOS, a new way of integrating diverse content called Synergy and two devices launched across the globe. Along the way, the Pre garnered much mindshare from consumers, and Palm showed that you don't need to clone the iPhone to drive the state of the art forward.
- HTC HD2. When Microsoft released Windows Mobile 6.5, there was a chorus of groans about more of the same. HTC took up the challenge and proved that there was more to Windows Mobile than slow devices and resistive screens. The HD2 takes Windows Mobile to places never seen before with a capacitive touch screen, a Snapdragon processor and HTC-created extensions that make multi-touch work the HD2's gorgeous 4.3-inch display. Wrap it all up in HTC's Sense UI and you've got the best Windows Mobile device on the market today.
Continue reading Entelligence: Gartenberg's best of 2009 in personal tech
Entelligence: Gartenberg's best of 2009 in personal tech originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Galleon case principal waives indictment
Published on December 31st, 2009.
A principal in the Galleon Group insider trading case in New York agreed to waive indictment, perhaps indicating a deal has been reached, court papers say.Filled under EETimes Latest News, latest news. No Comments.
The Twelve Most Tarnished Brands In Tech
Published on December 31st, 2009.
harrymcc writes "Polaroid, Netscape, CompuServe, Westinghouse, Heathkit — these were once among the most respected names in the technology business. They're still around, but what's happened to them is just plain sad. I took a look at the tragic fates of a dozen mighty brands that have, in one way or another, fallen on hard times."Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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BPhone looks like a netbook, acts like a netbook, has ‘phone’ in its name (video)
Published on December 31st, 2009.
Continue reading BPhone looks like a netbook, acts like a netbook, has 'phone' in its name (video)
BPhone looks like a netbook, acts like a netbook, has 'phone' in its name (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Telecom firm fined for foreign bribery
Published on December 31st, 2009.
Telecommunications company UTStarcom Inc. has agreed to pay a $1.5 million penalty for acts of foreign bribery, the Justice Department said Thursday.Filled under EETimes Latest News, latest news. No Comments.
Dahle 580 32 Inch Premium Large Format Guillotine Paper Cutter Review
Published on December 31st, 2009.
Intended for use on copy and print shops, school and professional art departments, and custom frame shops, the Dahle 580 is a large format paper trimmer meant for heavy duty use and high capacity projects. In the review that follows, we take a peek under the hood of the Dahle 580, and give you a list of what we see as its strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths:
1. If you’ve been in the business long enough, you’ve found that there are always going to be certain projects that just can’t be completed using a standard size paper trimmer. That is where this machine comes in. The 580 has many strengths but chief among them is its sheer size and capacity. This is a commercial grade, 30 sheet capacity trimmer that is designed for working in large format applications.
2. The 580 has some really nice safety features. First off, there is the acrylic fan guard that keeps fingers and hands well away from the cutting blade at all times. Then, there is a locking system on the lever arm so you can make sure that the machine will not be used by anyone who is not authorized to do so.
3. When cutting larger stacks of paper, it can often be difficult to avoid the dreaded fanning effect. The 580 has a nice, foot operated manual clamp that exerts even pressure across the entire surface of the stack so you can be sure that your top sheet has exactly the same dimensions as your bottom sheet.
4. The blade of the 580 lives up to the Dahle name, and is made of solid German Solingen steel. Rather than getting dull over time, the blade on the 580 is designed to sharpen itself with every cut. It’s hard to see why this blade wouldn’t give you years and years of faithful and accurate trimming if used and cared for properly.
5. A nice, big, comfortable workspace is key when you are dealing with larger format projects. To that end, the 580 comes with an extendable table to contain “cut off,” and that also features a spindle controlled backstop (another boon to your accuracy). The table that the 580 permanently sits on is made of heavy duty, components and is extremely sturdy.
6. As if that backstop, the paper clamp, and razor sharp blades weren’t enough to ensure you an accurate cut, Dahle makes available an optional laser guiding system that places a clear red line across the cutting surface. This will help you ensure a straight cut every time.
Weaknesses:
1. When cutting large stacks of paper, you may want to place a piece of mat board or something similar between the paper clamp and the actual pages of your document, as sometimes the pressure that is exerted can leave marks on the top sheet.
2. This is a sizable machine and can take up a lot of room. You will want to make sure that you have plenty of space for it, and that you won’t need to move it around a great deal.
3. This machine is a great choice for lower volume cutting applications. However, high volume print production facilities may want to consider a large format stack cutter or an electric paper cutter with a wider format blade.
If you are interested in more information about the Dahle 580 Premium Guillotine Cutter, you might want to visit MyBinding.com. They carry a wide array of Guillotine Cutters, and accessories. Check it out today!
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The Dahle Chubby Pencil Sharpener - A Review
Published on December 31st, 2009.
Although the back-to-school shopping craze has come and gone, it’s never too late to get a great pencil sharpener. Whether you’re an artist or student, an office worker or a parent who needs to get school supplies for your kid, a Dahle pencil sharpener can be a great choice. One of their most popular products is the Chubby pencil sharpener. This is a cute little pencil sharpener that’s great for kids while still providing the same great quality you expect from Dahle products. Here’s what is great about the Chubby pencil sharper, as well as a couple of minor drawbacks.
The Pros:
* Looks do matter. Kids of all ages will love the Chubby pencil sharpener. This is a very unique-looking pencil sharpener that almost looks like it could have been designed by the folks at IKEA. Chubby’s body is made out of plastic and the lid comes in the three primary colors (red, yellow, and blue). This sharpener was designed to be ergonomically friendly and it’s able to fit right in the palm of your hand, which makes sharpening a pretty comfortable experience.
* A good thing in a small package. One of the things that makes Chubby so appealing is its size. This is a very small pencil sharpener that can easily be stored in a desk drawer, pencil box, or backpack. This sharpener is lightweight, so toting it around will be easy, even for kids. Plus, you can sharpen both colored and graphite pencils with this sharpener, making it very versatile.
* Easy clean-up. Chubby’s shavings cup is rather large for a pencil sharpener of this size. The cup is rounded and is narrower at the top allowing for quick and easy emptying of the shavings. The cup can also be cleaned easily.
* Dahle quality. Dahle always uses top-quality materials when making their products, including the Chubby pencil sharpener. Everything used to make this sharpener is high-quality, especially the blades, which are made from high-grade German steel.
* Budget-friendly. A pencil sharpener doesn’t need to be expensive to be a good product. Chubby is priced at $3.95, so you can get a great sharpener for not a lot of cash.
The Cons:
* No replacement blades. Although Dahle says that Chubby’s blades can be replaced, you should know that currently there are no blades on the market that can be used with it. Thus, if the blades get dull, you’ll have to buy a whole new pencil sharpener.
* Not for heavy-duty use. It’s true that Chubby is easy to clean, but you may find yourself cleaning it often because the clear plastic will probably start to show its wear and tear after a while. Also, this sharpener isn’t meant for heavy duty use. (If you need a machine for that purpose, the Dahle Premium sharpener would be a good choice.)
Overall, the Dahle Chubby pencil sharpener is a fun little gadget that kids and artists will love. While it’s not ideal for heavy-duty use, it’s a good pencil sharpener for everyday use.
If you’re interested in buying the Dahle Chubby Pencil Sharpener, you should really visit MyBinding.com. They have this product and other great Paper Handling Equipment available at low prices. They even offer free shipping on all orders over $75.00.
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Seven Reasons Why the Chubby Pencil Sharpener is a Great Pick
Published on December 31st, 2009.
Pencil sharpeners are a very common item and can be found in classrooms, art studios, and even offices all over the county. If you use a pencil, you’re going to need a pencil sharpener, and German-based office machine titan Dahle has a great sharpener on the market. It is called the “Chubby” pencil sharpener and while the name might make it sound like this gadget is just for kids, anyone who needs a pencil sharpener will enjoy using Chubby. Here are the top seven reasons why the Chubby pencil sharpener is good for people of all ages.
1. It is cute. Yes, it is possible for a pencil sharpener to be cute. Chubby was designed so that it can fit comfortably in the palm of your hand, so your hand won’t get worn out when you sharpen your pencils. Plus, the lid is available in three different colors (blue, red, and yellow) so it’s perfect for kids.
2. It is also small. Chubby is a small pencil sharpener and it is lightweight, too. That makes it perfect for use at school and at home. It’s easy to transport so either you or your kids can take Chubby with you wherever you go. You can put it in your pocket, pencil box, backpack or briefcase.
3. What do you need to sharpen? Chubby can sharpen your typical, everyday, No. 2 graphite pencil. If you need to sharpen colored pencils, Chubby can help you out with that, as well.
4. Great design. The Chubby’s shavings cup has a round bottom, which not only makes this sharpener ergonomically friendly, it means it is easy to empty the cup when it is full. The cup is clear plastic, so you can easily see when it’s time to make a trip to the garbage can.
5. Replaceable blades. If you use a pencil sharpener enough, at some point the sharpener’s blades are going to get dull. With Chubby, you can replace the blades, if needed, so you can continue to use to Chubby for a long time.
6. The quality - and price - can’t be beat. Dahle puts a lot of effort into the design and manufacturing of all their products, from their most expensive paper shredder all the way down to a humble product like Chubby. Even though Chubby only costs $3.95, it’s still a great product that was made with the same care and attention as other, more expensive Dahle products.
7. It is great for all ages. It is obvious that the Chubby pencil sharpener will appeal to kids thanks to its whimsical design and cute name. But this item is great for anyone of any age that needs a high-quality pencil sharpener, especially since it’s so affordable.
Whether you’re an artist who needs a sharpener for your latest creative project or the parent of a child who needs a new pencil sharpener for school use, you should check out the Chubby pencil sharpener. It’s affordable, cute, and useful, and it’s made by a great company that really cares about its products. So get the Chubby pencil sharpener today and start sharpening those pencils!
If you’re interested in buying the Dahle Chubby Pencil Sharpener, you should really visit MyBinding.com. They have this product and other great pencil sharpeners available at low prices, and they offer free shipping on all orders over $75.00. Check it out for yourself today!
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Motorola’s Rumored Android Phone Focuses on Screen Size
Published on December 31st, 2009.
nottheusualsuspect excerpts from this speculation-laden report at Brighthand that "Motorola is reportedly working on a device that will have one of the largest displays of any smartphone. Code-named the Shadow, it will sport a 4.3-inch WVGA+ touchscreen, Google's Android OS, and a range of other high-end features. When it comes to screen size, the Shadow will be equaled only by the Windows Mobile-based HTC HD2. The closest Android-powered model will be the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, which will sport a 4.0-inch display. Most other models, like the Motorola Droid and Google Nexus One, have 3.7-inch screens. The display on this upcoming Motorola smartphone will allegedly have a resolution of 850 by 484 pixels."Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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Five Fantastic Features of the Dahle 20304 Small-Office Shredder
Published on December 31st, 2009.
Are you searching for the right paper shredder for use by your employees? If so, the Dahle 20304 small-office shredder is one machine you should consider. This unit is a high-quality machine that can be used to shred just about any document that needs to be destroyed such as canceled checks and credit reports. The 20304 offers adequate identity protection and shredding capacity, and it’s backed by one of the best warranties available. So here, in more detail, are the five fantastic features of the Dahle 20304 small-office shredder.
1. Security Level. The 20304 is a strip-cut machine that offers a decent level of security with its rating being at Level Two. This makes this shredder good for destroying marketing materials, some financial data, and more. The blades of this machine are made of high-quality solid steel, which means it will have no trouble destroying items such as paper clips.
2. Shredding capacity. This machine has a shredding capacity of up to 18 sheets of paper. That means it’s capable of shredding up to 400 pages per day, so it’s perfect for use by one or two people. The feed opening measures 9.5 inches across, so it can accept paper that measures either 8.5″ x 11″ or 8.5″ x 14″.
3. Size. The 20304 is just under two feet tall, so it can comfortably fit either beside or underneath a desk, allowing users quick, convenient access to it. This shredder has a waste volume of 8 gallons and the machine will alert you as to when you need to dispose of your shreds. You can use Dahle shred bags, boxes, or both with the 20304. It all depends on what you prefer.
4. Helpful features. This paper shredder has an electronic sensor that can detect when paper is in the feed opening. When this occurs, the unit will turn itself on, shred the paper, and then power off. You can also use a continuous mode if you need to shred a lot of paper at once. Plus, the machine will shut off automatically when the waste compartment door is open, which makes this shredder very safe to use. Finally, this is a very quiet machine that operates at a decibel rating of 54. Not having a machine make noise in your office help your employees be more productive because they won’t be distracted by the grinding and whirring of a noisy machine.
5. Price and warranty. The 20304 is priced at $995.00, which is actually quite a good price considering the machine’s construction and shredding capacity, and the fact that this product carries the prestigious Dahle name. Dahle has given this product a two-year warranty on parts and labor, plus an additional lifetime warranty on the blades. It would be difficult to find another shredder with such a great warranty.
From reading this article, you are now aware of the five great features the Dahle 20304 small-office shredder has to offer you. Now that you know about them, it should be clear that this machine is one of the best you can buy and that, because of the warranty, it will be one of the most reliable ones, as well.
If you’re interested in buying the Dahle 20304 Office Shredder, you should really visit MyBinding.com. They have this product available at a low price, and they carry paper shredders from such manufacturers as Fellowes GBC Shredmaster, Intimus, Destroyit and Martin Yale.
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