| One Laptop Per Child Project OKs Mass Production
The initial deployments of the laptop will feature AMD Geode LX processors. "Since the inception of the XO laptop more than two years ago, AMD has been committed to helping the One Laptop Per Child program succeed," said Gustavo Arenas, AMD's corporate VP for high-growth markets and innovation, in a statement. Arenas noted that the B4 complements AMD's 50x15 initiative, which has a goal of enabling 50% of the world's population to have affordable and Internet-accessible connectivity and computing capability by 2015. Other companies collaborating on the OLPC effort include Brightstar, BT, Citigroup, Chi Lin Technology, eBay, Google, Intel, Marvell, News Corporation, Nortel, Quanta Computer, Red Hat, SES, Astra, Underwriters Laboratories, and the global Open Source community.
The Art of Organization
EUREKA SPRINGS -- Art workshop fliers are stacked in neat piles. A laptop computer complete with a presentation of visiting artists is running in another room.Peggy Kjelgaard, executive director of the Eureka Springs School of the Arts, is a model of efficiency. She left her career in the corporate world of Dallas to settle in Eureka Springs, a favorite vacation spot for her and her husband, Roger Shepperd.As a child growing up in McHenry, N.D., Peggy was interested in the farm animals and writing. She was born July 26, 1955, in Cooperstown, N.D., to Myron and Virginia Kjelgaard. She has two siblings, Nancy Olson and Bruce Kjelgaard. Her family still resides in her homestate.She described herself as a tomboy, preferring to help her father with the milk cows, chickens, pigs, dogs and cats, instead of helping her mother in the kitchen.Peggy became interested in writing short stories in the fifth grade.
Kiffin's Raiders return quiet -- as ordered
Raiders wide receiver William Buchanon played for Lane Kiffin at USC and remembered him missing practice only once during his time in college. That was when Kiffin's wife, Layla, gave birth to their first child, Landry. So Buchanon knew Kiffin had to be seriously ill to miss two days of practice. .
Nokia recalls 46 million cellphone batteries
Nokia warned Tuesday that up to 46 million batteries used in some of its cellphones could be faulty and pose a risk of overheating. The advisory applies to batteries manufactured by Matsushita from December 2005 to November 2006, the world's largest mobile phone maker said. Matsushita Battery Industrial Co. Ltd. of Japan is among several suppliers that have together made some 300 million BL-5C batteries. The lithium-ion battery is one of 14 different battery types used in Nokia phones. Nokia said 100 incidents of overheating of the Matsushita-made BL-5C batteries have been reported worldwide, but added that no serious injuries or property damage have been reported. "Consumers with a BL-5C battery subject to this advisory should note that all of the approximately 100 incidents have occurred while charging the battery," the Finnish company said.
Nokia Warns Of Faulty Phone Batteries
Nokia Corp. warned Tuesday that up to 46 million batteries used in some of its cell phones could be faulty and pose a risk of overheating.
The advisory applies to batteries manufactured by Matsushita from December 2005 to November 2006, the world's largest mobile phone maker said. Matsushita Battery Industrial Co. Ltd. of Japan is one of several suppliers that have together made some 300 million BL-5C batteries.
The lithium-ion battery is one of 14 different types of battery used in Nokia phones.
Nokia said 100 incidents of overheating of the Matsushita-made BL-5C batteries have been reported worldwide, but added that "no serious injuries or property damage have been reported."
"Consumers with a BL-5C battery subject to this advisory should note that all of the approximately 100 incidents have occurred while charging the battery," the Finnish company said.
Gaming laptops are a complete joke
THERE IS A RAGING debate between me and the rest of the world over gaming laptops. Most people think they are the hottest thing since sliced bread, I think they are about as dumb as you can get. It begs the question, if all of your friends said enemas were cool, would you get one? The concept is a good one, in theory, but falls flat in reality. The promise is to have a portable machine that plays games as well as it does all the things you want a laptop for. All the machines to date fail on both accounts, with only a nod to portability. Let's look at the pros of the current crop of gaming laptops. They are, in no particular order: 1) More portable than a desktop
2) Fanbois think you are cool Now let's look at the down sides, again in no particular order: 1) Very expensive
2) Proprietary hardware that is unfixable if it breaks
3) Proprietary hardware that is unupgradable
4) Slow CPUs
5) Slow buses
6) Slow memory
7) Slow HDs
8) GPU makers lie about the capabilities of mobile GPUs (the 5000M is every bit as good as a 5000, really)
9) They are heavier than a normal laptop
10) They are as portable as a phone book
11) Battery life measured in hummingbird wingflaps
12) Screen responses measured in glacial movement units
13) Keyboards and mice that pale in response to a Logitech G5/G15
14) Lots of expensive crap bolted on you will never use Let's look at these in detail, shall we? The initial count says two wins for 14 losses, but the devil is in the details.
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