Over the past couple of years there has been a lot of talk about UMPC or Ultra Mobile PC’s. There were lots of prototypes from companies like Intel, but everything was in the future. Then a company called ASUS, or ASUSTek, released their Eee PC in 2007. This was a very small notebook that make the bold step of having Linux as the operating system. At first no one was quite sure what to thinks about it, but over the last year, the Eee PC has taken off. Probably the biggest reason is the retail price is in the $400 range.

The other bold steps made by ASUS was that the Eee PC had no hard disk. You can get one in 4GB, 8GB and now 16GB flash memory. This means no moving parts in the notebook, which leads to more reliability. Lastly, the screen is 7 inches.

In terms of functionality you have all the basics. Wifi, internet browsing, web cam and audio. Accoding to their web site there are over 40 applications pre-installed.

Now why do I ask if ASUS is the next Apple? Over the years I have attended my share of tech. events and became aware of the number of Apple Mac Books vs. other laptops being used by the audience. Recently when I attended the Northern Voice event in Vancouver, another group of notebooks was popping up. This was the Eee PC. It was funny to watch as people pulled out their Eee PC, slowly small crowds began to form. The owners were checking their email, writing blog postings and recording video of speakers. The biggest draw, was the small footprint.

The popularity of these notebooks was further confirmed by third party accessory companies who are now coming out with products for the Eee PC. A-Data has released Eee PC branded flash memory and USB memory stick.

Due to the success of the Eee PC, there are competitors who have their notebooks being released over the next couple of months. Acer, HP and MSI as well as many other lesser known manufacturers are all fighting for their piece of the pie. ASUS is not laying down and letting these others take market share. They are releasing a 9 inch screen version, will now go up to 32 GB of RAM and…will come installed with Microsoft Windows XP.

The market for ultra portables will heat up further in June when Intel releases their Atom processor. This small footprint, high performance processor will be perfect for the ultra portables. ASUS has decided to push out their 9 inch screen in May rather than wait for the Atom processor. Others are a mixed bag. Whether or not this will be a mis-step for ASUS, only time will tell. Right now it is their market share to grow or not.

Every year in Feb. there is an event in California called Demo. This event is where startups get to pitch their products to venture capitalists. the catch is they have exactly 6 minutes to do the presentation. There are always lots of great products but the pen from LiveScribe blew me away. Watch this video to see what I mean.

Livescribe Video

How often have you been in a restaurant or a movie, and someone’s cell phone blares out the latest rendition of the owners favorite hip hop track, or the blaring sound of a ring from a phone of the 60’s? I have heard that some places are considering jamming cell phones because of this.

It is annoying and many consider this to be rude.

I have found a solution. I found an MP3 file where someone recorded a sneeze. I then found the site www.coolservice.dk. It allows you to upload any MP3 file, then download it onto your Blackberry, or any phone that has internet access. You simply upload the file, and it gives you a code number. You go to the download site on your Blackberry browser, enter the code and it will be downloaded. You then save the file and it will be listed in your ring tones. Select Profiles on your Blackberry and then change the tone.

Now when your phone rings, it will actually sneeze. I have found this much less obtrusive while in public places.

You can listen and download the mp3 file below.

 

 Sneeze [0:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Recently there has been a few companies that have come out with UMPC’s. Ultra Mobile PC’s. Everyone has complained about how expensive they are and how impractical the small format is. What is important to realize is that these are the "betas" of the UMPC. Like everything else, the first version is expensive. Look at HD-DVD players. They first came out over $1,000. Now pricing is down to $799. This past weekend I received a flyer for an external HD-DVD player for the Xbox 360 for $149 Canadian. (which apparently you can install in a PC.)

To really understand where the UMPC is going, simply watch the Intel video below. The only thing I could say after watching this is "I want one of each!"

I recently had the opportunity to test out the Keyspan Tuneview remote control. The biggest feature with this remote control, that makes it different from all others, is the LCD display on the remote mimics the screen on your iPod. All of your Albums, Artists, Genres and Playlists are displayed on the remote, just as if you were using your iPod. If you have a newer iPod with video, you can also connect the dock to your TV to watch the videos.

The installation took 3 minutes. You plug the supplied cable into the back of the dock. You attach the 2 RCA type jacks to your stereo system. You insert the iPod into the dock, turn on the remote and within 5 seconds you have your menu on the remote.

The other benefit of this remote is that it is RF (radio frequency) as opposed to IR (infra-red). This means you do not have to have line of sight to the dock. You can be anywhere in your house and access your iPod. More importantly, you can see what you are playing and what you are accessing.

Watch the video below to see this unit in action.

In this Podcast I talk to

• Marc Cisneros, CE Channel Sales Manager, Seagate Technologies
• David Burks, CE Product Marketing Manager, Seagate Technologies

Seagate is pushing hard into the Consumer Electronics space. No longer are they considered a hard drive company, they now want to be known as a Storage Company. The Scoble Show interviewed Seagate’s CEO Bill Watkins, where he said “it’s about content distribution.”

Seagate has come out with a several market specific hard drives with benefits tuned the each area of specialty.

• LD for mobile and low profile devices [2.5″]
• DB for DVRs and Media PCs [very quiet]
• SV for security DVRs [24×7 duty cycle]
• EE for extreme environments [can handle temperature and vibration extremes]

 

 Seagate CE Products [14:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I recently had the opportunity to test new wireless keyboard from Adesso. This could be the closest to a perfect wireless keyboard for Windows Media Center. There are lots of wireless keyboards out there that use their own methods to connect. Most are good to about 6-8 feet before the signal gets to the point where the keyboard is no longer usable. Adesso uses 2.4 Ghz radio frequency. This is the same signal that wireless phones and wireless networks use. You should be good up to 50 ft. or more with this. (the keyboard supports up to 100 ft. but you may requre binoculars to see the screen at that distance

The keyboard also has an integrated trackball. The mouse buttons are located on the top, as well as another set under your trigger fingers .Scroll wheel on the left and left click on the right. The group of buttons on the top left are all related to media controls. Stop, Play, FF, REW etc.

Setup was the easiest process I have ever seen. There is a USB ‘dongle’ that you plug into any available USB slot. You push the button on the dongle, and an LED starts flashing. You push the ID button on the upper left of the keyboard and you are ready to go.

These days you can’t buy any kind of cleaner that doesn’t include some kind of anti-bacterial added. Some would say that the reason that more people are getting sick is because bacteria and germs are building up resistance due to all anti-bacterial everything out there. Then we have the studies that look at the places with the most germs. Would you believe that your office keyboard and mouse have more germs than some bathrooms? Now a company named Unotron has the solution.They make a keyboard and mouse that is waterproof.

 Meaning you can take it over to the sink and give it a good washing. When was the last time you washed down your keyboard? How many lunches have you eaten at your desk over the past year?