Showing posts with label Hardware. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hardware. Show all posts

If you’re having problems installing CoPilot application on Mini 1010 and 1011 systems, please follow the steps below to resolve it.

1. Insert the Micro SD card in the 1st blank filler (the one with the white sticker).
2. Insert the 1st blank filler in the 2nd blank filler (the one with the red sticker). Please refer to the picture below:



3. Insert the 2nd blank filler in the card reader slot. ]
4. The card will be detected and you will be able to install the software.

You will most likely get confused with the proper installation of the card since the package contains 1 Micro SD card and 2 dummy fillers. The CoPilot application is integrated in the Micro SD card. The Activation License Code is in the business card that is sent along with the SD card.

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DELL recently integrated their Alienware line of laptops to use hybrid graphics technology that enables switching between expansion graphics card (which is basically what is ordered by the customer) when connected to AC Adapter and integrated graphics card when the laptop is on battery power.

This new technology will automatically switch the laptop to integrated graphics when it’s on battery.

If you think that you’re missing the correct graphics card or you have the wrong graphics card installed on your Alienware M17x, try doing the following to turn on your preferred graphics:

1. Connect your laptop to AC power.

2. Hit on '
Fn-F7' key to toggle between integrated and expansion graphics. You may be required to restart the system.

3. Make sure that your BIOS settings are configured to enable hybrid graphics and integrated graphics.

The Alienware M17x uses hybrid graphics technology as a way to conserve power when you’re on battery mode.

When you in the integrated mode (laptop is powered by battery only), the nVidia 9400 graphics will be seen in the Device Manager, system performance will also be less on integrated and some applications and/or games which require intensive graphics solutions will not work.

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DELL released another update regarding reports of their Alienware M17x systems experiencing slow graphic performance when running graphics intensive programs. This is noticed when booting the system on battery power.

DELL explained that on booting the system thru battery power, the integrated graphics card is automatically enabled, disabling the discrete graphics card(s).

The integrated graphics card remains enabled even after AC power is plugged to the system. The system may only show the “Nvidia Geforce 9400M G” graphics card in Device Manager.

System warning message:

System is operating on battery power. To maximize battery life, the system will operate on Integrated graphics.
If you would like to use discrete graphics, connect the AC adapter. Press
to resume, to setup


The solution to this issue is to enable the discrete graphics by doing the following:

1. Connect the system to AC adapter. Press '
Fn-F7' key to toggle between integrated and discrete graphics.

2. Choose '
Yes' to enable discrete graphics card on the screen prompting 'BinaryGFX' access detected.

3. Reboot system on AC adapter power. Discrete video card(s) will be listed in device manager.

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Coming Soon: More Intel Dual-Core CULV CPUs

Posted by The Rotten Apple | 12:27 AM | , , | 0 comments »

As progress is inevitable, particularly in the world of silicon; Intel’s Ultra-thin and light will be getting some more cores.

According to
Digitimes, Intel will be replacing nearly all of its processor line that's intended for ultra-thin and light laptops.

Around this quarter, Intel will be transitioning most of the CULV chips to dual-core offerings. The top-end Core 2 Duo SU9000 will be kept, however chips below it, the Core 2 Solo SU3000 and the Pentium SU2000, will turn into Core 2 Duo offerings.



The entry-level Celeron 700 will still remain to become the lowest-cost option in the segment.

Intel will also be refreshing the Intel Atom platform for netbooks, however despite the chipmaker's firmness that it'll be released this year; OEMs predict that actual product will be offered in the first quarter of 2010.

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If you think you’re better than your old clunky laptop docking station. You’re even better without a power cord sticking into your computer. And you’re definitely better than waiting for Windows to load-up just to check your e-mail. Well, of course, you’re an executive and you definitely need distinction. Here’s Dell’s answer to you.


Dell released their Latitude Z laptop on Tuesday to the upper elite. Dell claims their new Latitude Z laptop is the world’s thinnest (at 14mm) 16-inch laptop. Price starts at $1,999.

The new Latitude Z laptop comes with a slick, black cherry finish that makes it look black in certain light and burgundy in other light. It’s refined with a high-definition (1600×900) WLED display, a back-lighted keyboard, a 2 mega-pixel camera, solid state drives and carrying cases designed by Timbuck2 and Cole Haan.

However, the real magic of the Latitude Z is buried elsewhere. For instance, current laptops would require brute force and crunching noises before finally making their way into docking stations. Never with the Latitude Z.

The Latitude Z just glides onto a shiny and thin platform that charges the laptop thru an inductive charging system. The platform subsequently uses wireless communications to connect with a small, rectangular docking station that handles a connection to the office network as well as the monitor.

An executive trying to impress can just buy a wireless mouse as well as a wireless keyboard and then place the Latitude Z onto the platform, revealing only a one-cord wonder. Another impressive feature on the Latitude Z is also the ability to check e-mail, contact information as well as calendar and even browse the Web thru an instant-on software package.

The software fires up the moment you open the laptop and immediately connects right to a wireless network without having Windows to load.

Most of the users Dell surveyed spent 70 percent of their time working most in the instant-on mode. That should make Microsoft take note of that figure. It turns Windows into a clunky cup holder.

The new Latitude Z also has more features. You can just slide an identity badge (RFID) across the keyboard and the computer will automatically read it. The laptop utilizes the camera to check if a person is at the keyboard and will automatically lock down when the person leaves. The right side of the monitor acts as a touch-wheel allowing you to scroll through application icons and start applications just by rubbing your finger along the edge of the laptop.

Though the wireless bits and pieces really impress at first look however they seem more about form than function. Nevertheless, you still have to use a plug into the docking station even if the laptop already uses inductive recharging.

Todd Forsythe, the vice president of life-cycle management at Dell explained, “
This is designed for impression makers and executives on the go.

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DELL released a workaround for an ongoing No Video problem with their
G2410 or G2210 LED widescreen flat panel monitors. The issue happens when the computers attached to the LED panels resumes from sleep mode. Also, the said symptom is noticed when the monitor is attached to a nVidia graphics card via the DVI port.

DELL confirmed that their
G2410 or G2210 LED monitors manufactured on April 15, 2009 or earlier affected of the said issue.

DELL's workaround:
*Connect computer to a VGA connection.
*Download and update the latest version of nVidia graphics driver from
Dell Support.

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Alienware M17x Updates

Posted by The Rotten Apple | 7:19 PM | , , , , , | 0 comments »



Below are some of Alienware M17x Updates released by DELL recently. You may encounter any one of the issues however you may not find the solutions in any of DELL's community website. This is because these issues were gathered by DELL engineers right after the release of the said notebook.

Webcam Not Detected Problem
Explanation: The webcam is not detected in Device Manager. Therefore, applications that rely on it (like
AlienSense and YouCam) do not work. The webcam is off by default. Press the [FN] + [F9] key combination to turn it on.

No Lights on Keyboard Problem
Workaround:
1. Create
New-Advanced theme.
2. Discharge the system.
3. Reinstall
OSD and Command Center.

External Display Ports not working with Onboard Video
Fix:
[Fn] + [F7] to switch to discrete mode.

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DELL recently released a work-around for various reports on their Alienware M17x notebooks having issues with the battery not being detected.


DELL instructs to do the following in order to fix the issue:

1. Turn the computer off
2. Remove the AC Adapter and Battery
3. Press the power button to drain the leftover power (the computer is not expected to turn on)
4. Connect back the AC Adapter and Battery
5. Turn the computer on
6. Also remember to try the
[Fn] + [F2] key combination to make sure that the battery connection is fully enabled (you will see the battery status in the OSD application).

For more troubleshooting tips on the said issue or to report a similar case, DELL encourages you users to visit their online community.

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Sony Ericsson releases the world’s first ever motion-activated headphones that sense the user. The intelligent MH907 headphones mean users just need to plug-in two earphones to start listening to music and remove one earbud to pause it. To start listening again one simply needs to plug the other earphone back in. You ca do exactly the same to answer and end calls – it’s as easy as 1,2,3!

Sony Ericsson’s SensMe™ Control technology responds without the need to press a button and with a Clear Audio experience users encounter better sound on the move and enjoy their favorite music as it’s meant to be heard.

Sony Ericsson also created a humorous extraordinary film to demonstrate the product’s unique technology. Partnering with internationally celebrated animator Kristofer Ström, the short film debuting today shows a cartoon character riding the bus and then switching effortlessly between phone calls as well as listening to his favorite music. To watch the film visit: www.sonyericsson.com/putyourearsincontrol.

With the MH907 consumers can pocket their phone but still stay connected all day, every day by simply plugging in or removing their earbuds – there is no need for a remote control or any buttons,” announced Jacob Sten, Senior Vice President, SEMC Accessories. “At Sony Ericsson we think it is very important to listen to what our customer needs and introducing the world’s first ever motion activated headphones highlights our commitment to offer our customers a complete Communications Entertainment experience. The MH907 supports our realigned brand strategy, which aims to build a fun, playful and inclusive interaction with consumers.
For more information on the new product, visit: http://www.sonyericsson.com/putyourearsincontrol

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Hewlett Packard announces its DreamScreen products that would represent a new class of wireless connected screens knocking out Apple in coming up with a beautiful tablet-like computer.


The screens are hybrids of digital photo displays and slate computers. Though they’re not multi-touch screen-enabled, however these could be made possible as soon as manufacturing costs come down. You can control the panels through the touch-enabled controls located on the border of the screen.

DreamScreens are not full-fledged computers that run regular Microsoft Windows operating systems, however you can utilize them to keep up with Facebook friends, share Snapfish personal photos, listen to Pandora Internet radio, view photos as they’re updated in real-time, and enjoy music and photo collections that are stored on other networked computers. It’s a type of computer that is appropriate for casual use by broader, mainstream audiences who might use it while browsing TV.

Consequently,
Apple is now rumored to be working on a very similar project however it’s expected to be announced next year. Considering the technology of the iPhone, Apple is expected to also do a multi-touch screen as well as the full Mac OS X operating system integrated. Nevertheless, the price of this technology would definitely be higher than HP’s product.

DreamScreen screens really look attractive and beautiful plus the user interface is far easier and convenient than a typical computer. You’ll almost feel like you’re using an iPhone, except on a much larger display but only with side controls instead of the multi-touch screen. The 10.2-inch DreamScreen 100 costs around $249 and is most suited for a bedroom nightstand or dresser. The 13.3-inch DreamScreen 130 costs around $299 and is most suitable for use on coffee tables or a kitchen counter.


It’s no longer necessary to boot your computer just to take care of mundane tasks such as viewing a calendar or to see what your friends are up to. The DreamScreen screens come with 2 gigabytes of built-in memory for storing music, photos, and home movies directly on the machine. DreamScreens also have a USB and flash memory card connectors so that you can easily load digital content from a USB drive or digital camera. Wireless capability is also available (via 802.11 b/g wireless networking) or you can just drag and drop content from a networked computer to the screen using your finger.

You can conveniently use the touchscreen to look for (non-iTunes) songs, searching via album, artist or genre. The screens also will fetch album cover art plus they have good speakers as well as connections for headphones or external speakers. You can listen to Pandora songs as well as assign them the thumbs up so that DreamScreen can recognize your favorites.

HP also included their newly dubbed service called the HP SmartRadio that collates streams of live Internet broadcasts from over 10,000 radio stations around the globe. Users can have the ability to listen to their favorite radio stations on the Internet by location or genre in any place. Moreover, DreamScreen can also let you check the time, date, and weather.


Setting up DreamScreen is easy. You can use the remote control that ‘s placed nearly invisible atop the screen. Touch controls become visible only when you touch the border of the screen. The DreamScreen 100 is now available online at
Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, and HPDirect.com. The DreamScreen 130 will be available by this fall.

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Dell Studio XPS 1340/13 systems may report overheat or short battery life. There are 2 options to address this:

Option 1:
Studio XPS 1340/13 system has been preset to the
Dell Recommended power plan. To increase the system battery life, select the system power plan as Power Saver.

This mode is perfect for watching movies, web surfing and non-graphics intense applications. Another benefit of this mode is the system will feel up to 15°C cooler as it will only be using the power required to run the applications.

Option 2:
Download and install the latest
BIOS and Nvidia video driver A05(178.98) or above from Dell Support.

This driver will enhance the balance between system performace and power consumption in Dell Recommended power plan mode.

Note:
Should the system require a boost in graphical performance to improve the gaming experience, recommend to select
High Performance power plan mode.

The system will generate more heat and will reduce the battery life in
High Performance mode, comparing to Power Saver mode and Dell Recommended.

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MSI will release the world’s first enormously large touchscreen net-top come 2010. Talking about gigantic display and powerful graphics, the MSI AE2400 will be the world's largest touchscreen net-top at 24”.

The AE2400 can display 1080p video. It will be configured with an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU plus an Nvidia GeForce 9400 graphics processor. This extremely large self-contained computer will also be capable of multi-touch as well as pre-installed with Microsoft’s Windows 7. Visit Engadget for a brief video of MSI’s upcoming innovation.

Pricewise, the AE2400 will be sold at roughly $1000. However, there’re no confirmed details on the other hardware configured for the machine as well as its release date. I’ll keep you updated as soon as further information will be released by MSI. Just stay tuned.

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DELL recently released a fix on their Inspiron Mini 1010 systems having problems finding their DW700 GPS Mini-Card in device manager.



As per DELL engineering, the card registers as "
CP2102 USB to UART Bridge Controller" in device manager. Installing the driver changes the device entry.

To fix this, download and install the latest
A01 GPS Card drivers (R217979.exe) from Dell Support.

Device Manager Illustration:
Before Installation


After Installation


Device Manager will update the respective card name after the installation.

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ThinkGeek is offering a cool new accessory to pimp your PC. Make your co-workers look like noob computer users by adding a 7-inch touchscreen next to your big screen LCDs or monitors. 
You can either have the Mimo 710 USB LCD monitor or the Mimo 740 USB touchscreen LCD monitor.

A single USB connection from your computer automatically gives you an instant high-resolution secondary display. This remarkable display is perfect for your IM client, PC gaming tools, widgets, email, PhotoShop tools, a spreadsheet, or even video! Not only do these displays improve productivity, they also look great! The single USB connection, combined with a weight of only 1.3 pounds, only means that the Mimo monitor is ultra-portable and cost-effective, since no expensive extra video cards are necessary. 
Features of the Mimo USB monitors include 400:1 contrast ratio, 350cd/m2 brightness, 800 x 480px resolution, portrait or landscape positioning, and a USB 2.0. 



If you choose to use the Mimo 740 Touchscreen version on your Mac, you would need to buy drivers for an extra $30. 
The Mimo 710 7-inch secondary USB monitor is $129.99 and the Mimo 740 touchscreen version is $219.99 on ThinkGeek.

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Toshiba Unveils Blu-ray Player

Posted by The Rotten Apple | 6:26 AM | , , | 0 comments »

Toshiba, which once led the charge against Sony's Blu-ray with a competing high-definition format, introduced its first Blu-ray disc player on Thursday.



The BDX2000 provides 1080p digital
output and supports Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0, which Sony calls BD-Live, to take advantage of interactive features through an Ethernet connection. BD-Live enables movie studios to offer a variety of downloadable content with Blu-ray DVDs, including bonus scenes, shorts, trailers, subtitles, and interactive movie-based games. Ring tones for mobile phones could also be made available.

The Toshiba player features a polished front panel that drops down to reveal the player's primary functions. The player can connect to digital TVs using a
HDMI connector. Connecting to Toshiba's REGZA LCD TV enables the user to control both devices from a single remote control.

The BDX2000 also has a SD card slot for plugging in photos or
video taken on a digital camera and then showing them through the player onto a TV.

Scheduled for availability in November, the player has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $250.
Toshiba announced last month that it planned to launch a Blu-ray disc player this year, and said it had joined the industry group in charge of the Sony-backed format. The Blu-ray Disc Association is responsible for the development and promotion of the format.

Toshiba, which backed HD
DVD in the format battle, conceded defeat in February 2008 after Hollywood studios and Wal-Mart lined up in support of Blu-ray. Toshiba had hoped to compete against Blu-ray with other technologies, but falling prices and rising sales of HDTVs caused sales of Blu-ray players to increase dramatically, making it impossible for Toshiba to ignore the product category, analysts say.

Source:
TechWeb.com

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South Korea's LG Electronics announced on Sunday that it would launch their 15-inch television set using organic display technology next month. It is perhaps the largest commercial model so far.

Active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AM-OLED) displays, which employ self-glowing materials, have superior picture quality, consume less power and are slimmer than commonly used liquid crystal displays (LCD) that need backlight units.

However high price has kept it from becoming a mass-produced technology in a market dominated by cheaper LCD panels. OLED screens are making inroads into high-end cell phones but costs to apply the technology for PCs as well as TVs are still prohibitive.
Sony Corp launched the world's first OLED TV in late 2007 yet it has not followed with new models.

LG, the world's second-biggest TV brand, held in a statement that it would be unveiling a 15-inch AM-OLED TV during the IFA 2009 consumer electric show in Berlin in September.

The TV set would be commercialized in Korea in November and subsequently overseas by next year.

Research firm DisplaySearch assumes the market for OLED TV to reach 2.33 million units in 2013 compared with estimated 320,000 units in 2011 as per the data provided by LG.

An LG executive further noted, "
We are planning to unveil a 40-inch grade (OLED) product in a not too distant future."

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î Ensure following conditions have been met:

  • Fresh batteries are installed in the Bluetooth (BT) device to be configured.
  • Dell Wireless Bluetooth adapter is installed in the system.
  • Latest driver for the Bluetooth adapter is installed.
  • BT device to be paired is within 30 feet (10 meters) range from the system.
î Click 'Start', then click 'All Programs'. Click 'Bluetooth', then click 'Bluetooth Settings'.

î Click 'New Connection' and Select 'Express Mode'.

î Turn on the Bluetooth device and put it in 'discovery mode'.

î Click 'Next' to start searching.

î Highlight the device you want to pair with, click 'Next'.
  • 'Bluetooth Manager - Bluetooth Security' window may appear on the system. Input the 'Bluetooth Passkey' found in the documentation that came with the device, then click 'OK'.
  • The same process may be required to be completed on the Bluetooth device.
  • Depending on the device, additional information may be required. If required, click 'Next', input the additional information, then click 'Finish'.

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Just recently today, Research in Motion’s BlackBerry® Curve™ 8520 Smartphone was released by Vodafone UK.

It is the newest
BlackBerry® Smartphone in the Vodafone UK range, which also includes the BlackBerry® Storm™ 9500 Smartphone – exclusive only to Vodafone UK.

The
BlackBerry Curve 8520 Smartphone is priced from free on selected price plans. This becomes very ideal for consumers and businesses of all sizes. Its full QWERTY keyboard features a modern touch-sensitive track pad that enables scrolling through messages and navigating web pages very fast and easy. The recently released BlackBerry Curve 8520 Smartphone also comes with the following:

A 2-megapixel zoom camera with video recording
Dedicated keys for music and video
Built- in Wi-Fi®
Support for consumer and business mobile email
Advanced media player
3.5 mm stereo headset jack and the BlackBerry Media Sync
MicroSD card slot that supports up to 16GB configuration
A 2GB memory card

The new BlackBerry Curve 8520 Smartphone is available at
http://www.shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/mobile-phone/blackberry-curve-8520 and through Vodafone Account Managers for Corporate and Public Sector customers.

Disclaimer: The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited.

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