Posted 11/26/09 at 10:00:00 AM by Alex Castle and Norman Chan

Are you planning to do some travelling or Holiday gift shopping this weekend? There's only one way you can do both at the same time, and that's with SkyMall. It's the catalog for products that didn't quite make it into Sharper Image or BrookStone, and are too expensive to sell on infomercials. We picked up the latest issue on a recent flight, and were astounded to find terrible products on every other page. Here, we've picked out the fifty worst items, including horrendously ill-conceived vehicle accessories, impractical grooming devices, and the most terribly advertised gadgets for sale. 

But let's start with the gem of a cover, which apparently breaks the rules of the space-time continuum.

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Posted 11/25/09 at 03:14:03 PM by Pulkit Chandna

Limiting the time it takes to reach the desktop from the moment the PC is turned on (no pun intended)  may not be the holy grail of personal computing but it is something that merits attention. Google is just not chasing distant dreams in the “cloud” with its Chrome OS. It is also trying to address – or exploit - the growing mass resentment of slow boot times. In fact, the focal point of most reports about Google's operating system in the mainstream media has been its ability to boot in just 7 seconds.  Not that tech-savvy people don't like quick boot times, but this is wonderful publicity as it is simple enough to stoke the curiosity of tech greenhorns, the majority.

A bloke only identified by his Twitter id “Hexxeh” was able to boot Chromium OS (open source  version of Chrome OS) natively from a USB key. He has uploaded the image file of the operating system so others can burn it to a USB Key and begin toying with Chromium themselves. According to our friends over at Engadget, the USB version takes less time to boot than its virtualized counterpart. It took them few seconds to hit the ground running on a Dell Mini 9. Hexxeh has created a website for distributing the bootable image besides a simple set of  instructions for Windows, Mac, and Linux users.

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Posted 11/25/09 at 03:00:00 PM by David Murphy

After hearing the recent announcement that Google has opened up the doors to its extensions gallery for developers, I thought but one thing: Hurry. It's been more than a year since the launch of the browser itself--a tough, troubling year for those of us used to hacking the crap out of our browsers with all the third-party extensions and themes we can stuff into the window.

It warms the heart to see that Google will be using an automated approval process for extensions submitted to its online gallery, reserving the white-glove, actual-human treatment for those using the NPAPI components. For the uninitiated, NPAPI is a cross-platform architecture that should allow developers to quickly port Firefox plugins over to Google Chrome. That's plugins, not extensions--Google still has a lot of catching up to do in order to deliver the wealth of customizations currently enjoyed by the Firefox community at-large.

To this point, however, I wonder if the time has come where the security of a browsing experience has started to outweigh its customizability. Or, in layperson's terms, would you rather have a packed-to-the-gills Web browser or a safe, speedy Web browser? I've always found myself veering toward the former because tweaking a piece of software to one's own specifications is an art in itself. And I do like transforming Firefox into a Swiss Army knife of application stew. However, there does come a point when all the extensions in the world can't improve issues like a 600,000K memory leak or, worse, third-party security exploits.

Firefox might have a wealth of third-party customizations on its side, but is the allure of a fresh start in admittedly better browser enough to compel users to make a switch to Google's Chrome? It might just yet...

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Posted 11/25/09 at 02:30:39 PM by Paul Lilly

There have been a lot of layoffs this year, and it seems recently in particular we've been hearing about companies handing out pink slips. The tough times continue, and this time it's MSI who plans on trimming its workforce, by up to 20 percent and no less than 10 percent, industry sources say.

According to those who claim to be in the know, the layoffs will take place after the holidays in early 2010. MSI will focus on trimming staff in its business units and other departments with excess or overlapping staff, although employees pushing netbook, notebook, and graphics card sales are also under evaluation. It doesn't appear that anyone involved with MSI's motherboard business will be affected.

The rumors, which DigiTimes says MSI has denied, suggest that the layoffs will be primarily aimed at employees with unsatisfactory performance, and as such, the company also plans to hire some new staff.

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Posted 11/25/09 at 01:15:38 PM by Gordon Mah Ung

In motherboards—as in life—it’s the little things that bring the greatest pleasure.

Take the new Core i5/i7 LGA1156 board, the Asus P7P55D Deluxe. Enthusiasts are used to the flashy heatsinks and tons of ports and slots, but small touches like Asus’s innovative RAM slots will make you take notice. Instead of using the typical latch connectors that can snag the GPU, Asus has designed a system that requires only one side of the RAM to be latched in.

But adding unexpected conveniences is Asus’s M.O. of late. The board also features snag-free I/O shields, a quick-connect for front-panel connectors, and ExpressGate—the somewhat handy pre-OS boot environment. Besides adding such extras, Asus said it spent an inordinate amount of time making sure the board overclocks like a champ. There are multiple ways to overclock: using the Turbo V function, AI Suite, and the OC Tuner in the BIOS. If that’s not enough, the company even includes three ominous switches to let you override BIOS limits on RAM, memory controller, and CPU voltage. Even more interesting is the Turbo V remote. This wired remote lets you power up or down and select from three overclocking profiles or crank up the Bclock in real time.

Continue reading this review after the jump.

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Posted 11/25/09 at 12:15:14 PM by Paul Lilly

If at first you don't succeed, keep suing anyway. That appears to be the philosophy behind Rambus, the sue-happy company that some have accused of being a patent troll, while others -- especially its outspoken investors -- have cast as a victim of patent infringement. Most recently, Rambus has been on a rampage against Nvidia, claiming the graphics chip maker infringes on existing patents held by Rambus.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) doesn't agree and has rejected all 17 claims for three Rambus patents asserted against Nvidia in the International Trade Commission (ITC).

"This continues our string of victories against Rambus patents is the USPTO," said Nvidia general counsel David Shannon. "We believe these patents are invalid and are confident that a similar decision will be made on the patents that continue to be examined."

Nvidia requested the review and will present the findings to an ITC judge in Washington, D.C. The ITC judge, who is not bound by the findings, will likely make a decision in January.

Meanwhile, Rambus continues to stick to its guns, which isn't surprising, considering the company has spent $300 million on legal disputes with chip makers since 2000.

"The patents remain valid and enforceable as originally issued until the reexamination proceedings are concluded, including all appeals," a spokeswoman for Rambus said.

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Posted 11/25/09 at 11:54:54 AM by Paul Lilly

Now available from USB Geek is the aptly named USB Wireless Handheld Keyboard and Touchpad. The marketing gurus have pegged the device as a simple wireless input device, but this could be the perfect stocking stuffer for HTPC enthusiasts.

You won't find a multitouch interface nor is there an LCD. But it does come with a trackpad, wireless USB dongle, and a QWERTY keyboard in a form factor that will have all those hours honing your text messaging skills paying off.

It works from up to 30 feet away, and a bright backlight ensures you'll have little trouble manipulating your DVR in the dark. It also comes with a built-in rechargeable battery and supports Windows 7, Vista, XP,  and 2000. And at $62, it's not going to break the bank either.

Check out a video of the remote USB Wireless Handheld Keyboard and Touchpad in action here, then hit up the product page for more info.

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Posted 11/25/09 at 11:45:50 AM by Paul Lilly

It was announced earlier this month that YouTube would soon allow uploading of HD content in 720p and 1080p, and that time has come. Would you have guessed that a Muppets Bohemian Rhapsody would be one of the first 1080p clips to find its way onto YouTube?

You can view the video here and switch between 720p and 1080p at any time. While perhaps not dramatic or always obvious, there's a definite difference in quality noticeable in the finer details. Switch between the videos in full screen to see what we're talking about, or take a gander at these screenshot comparisons Gizmodo posted.

Have you found any other 1080p videos on YouTube worth watching? Hit the jump and drop a link!

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Posted 11/25/09 at 10:00:00 AM by Alex Castle and Norman Chan

For photographers, the last decade has been a very exciting time. Between the rise of the DSLR, Photoshop, affordable HD camcorders, and other technologies, the tools of the trade have seen dramatic changes. But one of the most important innovations has been Flickr.com, which hasn’t changed how pictures are taken, but how they’re stored and shared.

Flickr is an online photo management service and social network, which has become the service of choice for professional and amateur photographers to share their work and discuss their trade. Its open API has allowed the community to develop hundreds of third party apps and add-ons to enhance its otherwise minimal interface. Because we know that many of our readers are into the art and tech of photography, we’ve compiled the 20 essential tips and tricks that we think every Flickr user should know. And even if you aren't a photographer or don't have a Flickr account, we have cool tricks for searching and browsing through Flickr's incredible database of photos. 

Read on to find out how to get the most of Flickr!

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Posted 11/25/09 at 08:30:22 AM by Paul Lilly

The Droid isn't the only Verizon-serviced phone making waves, nor is Android the only platform in town. Come December 2nd, Verizon will release the Samsung Omnia II, and despite earlier speculation, it will run Windows Mobile 6.5 rather than old 6.1 code.

Available in black with red accents, the Omnia II will ship with a 3.7-inch touchscreen and a virtual QWERTY keyboard with Swipe technology. It will also come with full HTML web browsing capabilities with the Opera 9.5 enhanced browser.

Other features include one-touch access to social networking sites via shortcut widgets, a 5MP camera with flash, auto-focus, and camcorder capabilities, integrated support for Divx and Xvid movie files, 8GB of internal memory expandable up to 16GB vai microSD, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.

Verizon and Samsung will price the handset at $200 after a $100 mail-in-rebate (in the form of a debit card) and new two-year customer contract.

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