Mobile Computing News, Reviews, & Tips
Notebook News: Return of the Libretto
Toshiba's Libretto notebook is making a comeback after a three-year hiatus. The Libretto U100 is compact, like earlier models, measuring 8.3 by 6.5 by about 1.2 inches and weighing only 2.2 pounds. As with many compact notebooks, touch-typing could be difficult on the cramped keyboard, and there's no built-in optical drive.
Go to our Product Finder for the latest prices (about $1950).
Notebook Accessories: Toshiba's Multimedia Center & USB Hub
Toshiba's new Multimedia Center Audio/USB Hub ($130), about the size of a cable modem, connects your notebook to an entertainment system and delivers 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound, 3D gaming audio, and more. A remote control is included, and the device has USB 2.0 ports (you can never have enough of those babies).
Tablet PC News: IBM's First ThinkPad Tablet
According to documents from the Federal Communications Commission, IBM has developed a Tablet PC. The ThinkPad X41 Tablet's screen can be rotated 180 degrees and pressed flat against the keyboard, transforming the notebook into a Tablet PC. The ThinkPad X41 Tablet will be equipped with wireless networking using IEEE 802.11a/g wireless LAN standards and Bluetooth.
Tip: Recycling Your Old Notebook
According to research firm Gartner, 133,000 PCs are junked daily--not to mention thousands of cell phones, printers, monitors, and other electronics. Such "e-waste" contains hazardous materials such as lead and mercury that leech into the soil and eventually contaminate water supplies.
Solution: Recycle your aging notebooks, PDAs, cell phones, and other outdated equipment. You can call many metro area recycling/trash collection companies to arrange a pickup, notes PC World writer Michael Lasky. Read more of Michael's tips in "Easy Ways to Recycle Old PCs and Cell Phones--Really!"
Wireless News: Nokia's New Multimedia Phones
Nokia recently introduced three new multimedia-rich mobile phones: the N90, N91, and N70.
The N90, due by late June, will retail for about $909 (depending on local markets and retailers). What do you get for such a big price tag? A 2-megapixel camera with a twist-and-shoot design, autofocus, 20X digital zoom, a Carl Zeiss lens, and integrated flash. Also, the phone has two screens: a 352-by-416-pixel main display and a 352-by-416-pixel second screen that can serve as a viewfinder for shooting video in MP4 format.
Gadget News: Easy Media Streaming
Don't want to carry storage-hungry media files on the go? Stream 'em for free, using Orb Networks. The Web-based service streams music, video, and photos from your Windows XP PC to other Web-connected devices, including a notebook, Pocket PC, or Microsoft Smartphone. The services works "remarkably well for such a new technology," writes Edward N. Albro.
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