2010 › May

Daily gear deals – $8 netbook sleeve, $35 iPad stand and more

by Scott Carmichael on

Here are the hottest gear deals for today, Wednesday, May 19th 2010. Remember, these deals are often valid for just one day, so act fast before they are gone.

Today’s first deal is for a reversible netbook case. The case will hold machines up to 10″, and offers scratch and bump protection for your small computer. On sale for $8.54. Click here for this deal.

Next up is a 200 Watt AC inverter – with this device, you can turn the DC power in your car into 200 watts of regular AC power, able to power many low wattage devices like laptop chargers, phone chargers and more. On sale for $17.99 with free shipping, over at “nothing but software”.

Today’s third deal is for the new Griffin A-Frame iPad stand. This well designed aluminum stand is great for watching movies on your next flight. Normal price is $49.99, but MacMall has them on sale for $34.99.

And finally in today’s lineup is a deal on the Altec Lansing Backbeat PRO headphones. When we reviewed these headphones last year, they were just under $100 – but they have now dropped considerably, and you can snag a pair for just $26. Click here for this deal.

Leona’s opens at the New York Helmsley

by Annie Scott on


The iconic Leona Helmsley is no longer with us, and who knows what her dog is spending all that dough on, but her brand identity continues to grow with the launch of Leona’s, a new restaurant at the New York Helmsley Hotel.

What you may once have known as Mindy’s has been redesigned to celebrate the art deco neighborhood and renamed Leona’s. The lighting is soft, the ceiling is vaulted, and the color palette includes lush browns, white onyx and blue tile.

The menu by Executive Chef Brian Wieler features modern classics like Crab Cakes, Caprese Salad, Sesame-Crusted Tuna and Veal Tenderloin Napolean with entrees priced at a reasonable $21 – $29. No need to tip; a 19 percent gratuity is added to all checks. We think Leona would have liked that.

The well-known Harry’s Bar, also at the New York Helmsley, has also undergone a renovation. Basically, even if you’ve been before, it’s time to go back.

HP Mini 5102 netbook review

by Scott Carmichael on

Last year, we reviewed the HP Mini 5101 – what I then considered to be one of the best netbook options on the market. Earlier this year, HP refreshed their lineup, and the 5101 became the 5102. Not that much has changed on the new version, but it is enough of an upgrade to warrant a fresh look.

First the basics – thankfully, the outside is the same, as is the the keyboard – which is just as well, because the “near full size” keyboard of the 5101 was quite simply the best on any netbook. As you can see in the photo above, the keys reach the entire width of the machine, making them a real pleasure to type on.
More power

The majority of changes are on the inside – the first major change is a new processor lineup. You can now order the Mini 5102 with a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 or a beefier 1.83GHz Atom N470. New operating system options have also been added, and you can order the 5102 with Windows 7 starter (in addition to the previous options of Windows XP, SUSE Linux and FreeDOS).

I have to say that Windows 7 really does feel at home on the 5102 – the faster processor obviously makes a slight difference, but the entire experience just feels faster.

More options

The list of available options on the 5102 has increased considerably – the most notable being a touch panel display. This multi touch display supports a variety of gestures, including pinch and rotate. The touch option is an additional $51.

Other options include a GOBI enabled broadband adapter with GPS (additional $125), the Broadcom Crystal HD decoder ($45) and a really cool carrying handle ($30). I played with this carrying handle at the HP booth at CES earlier this year, and found it to be one of the coolest innovations I’ve seen on a computer in ages. The handle is primarily designed for the educational market, but travelers will really love it.

Sadly, the broadband adapter and HD decoder can’t both be added together – there is only one slot for add-on cards.

And finally – the Mini 5102 is now also available in red and blue, in addition to black (additional $28).

Same high end protection

When it comes to “never changing a winning team”, HP did well here. On the new Mini 5102, you still get the HP DriveGuard 3D hard drive protection system, spill resistant keyboard with DuraKey coating, which prevents the letters from rubbing off the keys after prolonged use.

Included software suite

The Mini 5102 comes with an impressive array of free software – including Corel Home Office, PDF Complete, Skype, HP QuickSync (for netbook to desktop data syncing), HP QuickLook 3 and QuickWeb (for instant data access without booting) as well as several trial versions of popular software packages (McAfeeTotal Protection and Microsoft Office Professional 2007).

On Windows 7, you also get the newest version of the HP Support Assistant, which helps with driver and OS updates as well as basic computer health checks. HP also added an array of security features, making the Mini 5102 a great choice for business users.

Battery life

With the basic 4 cell battery, the Mini 5102 will stay powered for up to 4 hours and 30 minutes – an upgrade to the 6 cell pack brings that up to ten hours, though it will add a little bulk. With the 4 cell pack, HP’s Fast Charge system can recharge the battery to 90% in just 90 minutes – perfect for those short layovers at the airport.

Prices

A good computer does not come cheap, but with a starting price of $415, you do get a lot of computer for your money. The price does go up quickly once you start adding options, and a fully spec’d HP Mini 5102 can easily climb to $770 – but for that money, you essentially get a broadband enabled touch-screen computer – and the final price is still lower than the top of the line iPad…

The HP Mini 5102 for travelers

For travel, the advantages of the Mini 5102 over other netbooks are easy to spot:

  • A near full size keyboard
  • Spill protection on the keyboard
  • Optional worldwide compatible mobile broadband
  • Optional carrying handle (making it very easy to lift the machine out of a bag at the checkpoint)
  • Good battery life
  • Excellent array of pre-loaded software
  • Drop protection on the hard drive
  • The Mini 5102 uses the same charger found on almost every HP – making it easy to shop for a replacement or spare charger


The bottom line…

With its all metal frame, drive and keyboard protection and extensive options, this is not a budget computer. But if you travel, and need a computer that won’t let you down, the extra investment won’t disappoint you.

Personally, I find the extra options to add a little too much to the price, especially once you start adding Bluetooth, the touch screen and HD video decoder – I would have preferred to see some of those features included in the base price.

But you can’t argue with the quality – I have several netbooks here, and the HP is by far the best built, and most sturdy. There are no squeaks or creaks, and the keyboard doesn’t have the “flex” you’ll often find on cheaper machines.

Justifying the investment is as simple as answering a question – how inconvenient will it be if your computer breaks in the middle of a trip?

You’ll find the lineup of ready-to-ship HP Mini 5102 models here, where you can also start customizing your own machine.

Universal Studios Hollywood to open new King Kong attraction July 1

by Leigh Caldwell on

He’s big, he’s back, and he’s angry. Universal Studios Hollywood will open King Kong 360 3-D on July 1.

The new attraction will take you to Peter Jackson’s version of Skull Island, right into the middle of a battle between massive dinosaurs and one very misunderstood giant ape.

Following the 2008 fire at Universal Studios Hollywood that destroyed the King Kong attraction, it was rumored that Kong would not return.

However, Universal officials tell me Steven Spielberg was at the studios before the fire was even out, discussing how to improve the King Kong attraction, and Peter Jackson signed on almost immediately for the update to match his 2005 film.

“As a filmmaker, you’re hoping to have the audience step inside your movie and become part of the experience. It’s only within a theme park attraction like this that you have the opportunity to do that,” Jackson said.

King Kong 360 3-D will use technology never before seen in a theme park setting. A pair of seamless, compound curved screens – each 187 feet wide and 40 feet high – will form a complete circle around guests.

The attraction’s film will run at 60 frames per second, delivering significantly more detail than the typical 24 frames per second rendered in a feature-length film. Universal Studios Hollywood promises “visceral special effects” to enhance the experience.

This summer, Universal Studios Hollywood is also opening 13 city blocks of production facilities in area of the Universal backlot that burned in the 2008 fire, including four acres of newly built New York street locations.

National Geographic announces 2010 class of Emerging Explorers

by Kraig Becker on

National Geographic has announced the latest class of their Emerging Explorers, an annual award handed out to young men and women who have been especially exemplary in their field of study while still early in their careers. Recipients are generally from the Society’s traditional arenas, such as anthropology, archaeology, photography, space exploration, earth sciences, and mountaineering, amongst others. The award includes $10,000 to help fund their continued research in their area of expertise.

The list of winners includes environmental scientist Saleem Ali who works as a professional mediator for companies, governments, and other organizations involve dealing with environmental conflicts. He is joined on the list of Emerging Explorers by agroecologist Jerry Glover, who is helping to create genetically engineered plants, such as wheat, rice, and maize, and turn them into perennial crops that can meet the food needs of emerging nations. Marine biologist Jose Urteaga is recognized for his work in protecting the habitats and hatcheries for several species of sea turtles, while wildlife researcher Emma Stokes gets the nod for helping create a nature preserve for lowland gorillas in the Congo.

In all, 14 scientists, explorers, and adventurers earned the distinction of being called a National Geographic Emerging Explorer for 2010. These brilliant and talented individuals come from diverse fields of study and work in all corners of the globe. They exemplify NG’s mission to inspire others to care about the planet, while working very hard to change the world in their own way.

The Emerging Explorers will be officially introduced in the June issue of National Geographic magazine, on newsstands soon, but you can read more about them now by clicking here.

Congratulations to all the winners.