Archive - 2011

Nokia N900 is a powerful mobile device based on the Maemo platform. It is not only a cell phone, but a mini computer. I share what I learn about this N900 here.

my other posts you may like:
Lightweight Notebook Solutions for Traveling

Learn more about Nokia N900 on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_N900

Hardware of Nokia N900

N900 Hardware specs with comments:
http://natisbad.org/N900/n900-commented-hardware-specs.html
N900 Hardware info on Maemo Wiki:
http://wiki.maemo.org/N900Read more >>

Should you upgrade your Apple iPad 1? Does iPad 2 really worth the money for the up-gradation? I hope I can help you answer the questions by list the differences between the first generation iPad and the second generation iPad (iPad 2).

Design Differences: iPad 2 is lighter and thinner than iPad 1

iPad wifi model weights 680 g (1.5 pounds), 3G model weights 730 g (1.6 pounds)
iPad 2 wifi model weights 601 g (1.33 pounds), 3G model weights 613 g (1.35 pounds), Verizon 3G model weights 607 g (1.34 pounds)
iPad 2 is about 100 g lighter than original iPad 1, and iPad 2 is much thinner than iPad 1. (iPad 1: 13.4 mm, iPad 2 : 8.8 mm)Read more >>

IS01 and SH-10B are smartphones (or MID, netbook, smartbook) made by Sharp, the manufacturer designed Zaurus, NetWalker and Willcom D4. In this article, I will tell you why I think they are special Android phones and how to make them better (eg. root it).

Note: IS01 are SH-10B are the same device made for different telecom carrier partnerships.

What make IS01/SH-10B different?

5-inch 960 x 480 resolution multi-touch big New Mobile ASV screen
a full QWERTY keyboard with a 11.2mm key pitch
super lightweight, only 227g (Netwalker PC-Z1 is 409g, Willcom D4 is 460g, iPad2 is 601g)
1 week standby (IS01, 3days for SH-10B), and 7 hours wifi web browsing time with one battery.

For more details, see the specifications section.Read more >>

Below are Apple movie trailer download script. The script is simple cURL commands with movie trailer urls from Apple trailer. cURL is a cross-platform command-line download tool.

How to use the scripts

For Apple OS (like Mac OS X, Snow Leopard), that come with cURL, just open the Terminal, copy and paste the script into the Terminal, then the computer will start downloading the trailers.

For Windows or linux system that do not come with a pre-installed cURL tool, you need to install it first. you can get cURL from http://curl.haxx.se/download.html.

SD, 480P, 720P and 1080P movie trailers

There are SD, 480P, 720P and 1080P movie trailers. SD trailers are smallest in file size, while 1080P (so called full HD, High-Definition ) trailers are largest, with better video quality. 480P or 720P trailers are in the middle both in size and quality. Note: Not all movie trailers come with all these four formats.Read more >>

Updated: 2011/July/08 :using new ubuntu file package from markus, wifi, sound, suspend and much more functions work out of box!!! markus, Thanks!

Toshiba AC100 (or Toshiba Dynabook AZ) is a lightweight smartbook. It only weights 860 grams with a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 screen and built-in keyboard. It runs Android 2.1 /2.2, which does not fit well with the book. The good news is some hackers are working on an Ubuntu linux system on it. Here I will show you how to install Ubuntu for Toshiba AC100.

There are some instructions on installing Ubuntu on AC100 already, but I found most of them are outdated or uncompleted, so I write this one. Here I will show you how to install Ubuntu with 2.6.32 kernel to the internal storage of AC100 or external SD card.

To Install Ubuntu on Toshiba AC100, you need to do two things. First, you need to copy Ubuntu system files to a SD card or to the internal storage. Second, update the bootloader, so that AC100 will look for linux system on the internal storage of the AC100. Below will show you the details.Read more >>

iPad 2 is 601g, and iPad is 680g. I like lightweight devices, but I also believe that the keyboard is very important if you want to type seriously. So, I decide to check some nice lightweight notebooks or solutions that good for type for traveling out. Here is what I found. If have any other ideas, please leave a comment.

Lightweight Notebooks

There lightweight notebooks on the market.

Sony VAIO X

745g, 981.5g with power adapter
11.1-inch 1366 x 768 16:9
RJ45, VGA, 2USB, card reader, 0.3PM camera
And old model called X505 is around 800g with a 10-inch screen.

Sony VAIO P

626g
8-inch 1600 x 768 Windows Vista
Super lightweight, but the keys may be a little small.Read more >>

Apple sues Samsung. Is it because the iPhone alternative Samsung Galaxy S? (Samsung Galaxy S is also known as Samsung Captivate, Samsung Vibrant. )

How does Samsung Galaxy S compare with Apple iPhone4? I hope this post may give you an answer.

BTW, if you want to learn more about Galaxy S II, See:
Samsung Galaxy S II vs Samsung Galaxy S
Specs of Dual-core War: Samsung Galaxy S II vs Motorola Atrix vs LG Optimus 2X vs HTC SensationRead more >>

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has sued Samsung Electronics for copying "the look and feel" of its iPad tablet and iPhone smartphone. Apple claimed Samsung copy Apple's technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products(Samsung Galaxy S 4G, Epic 4G, Nexus S, and Galaxy Tab).

read more: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/18/apple-sues-samsung-over-for-copying-the-iphone-and-ipad/

Yesterday, I wrote Specs of Dual-core War comparing four dual-core smartphones (Samsung Galaxy S II, Motorola Atrix, LG Optimus 2X, HTC Sensation) from four big companies. Today, It is said, the fifth dual-core smartphones would come. It is K-Touch W700, from China.

The K-Touch W700, a dual-core android smartphone with 3.8-inch WVGA screen from ChinaRead more >>

Dual-core processors should be better for gaming and productivity than single-core ones. Samsung Galaxy S II, Motorola Atrix 4G, LG Optimus 2X and HTC Sensation are dual-core smartphones that run Android system. If you are going to buy one of these, which one will you go for? Need more comparison? I hope my specification table can give you a hand.

specification table of the four dual-core android phonesRead more >>