As Jason points out in his video, Vostro notebooks have a reputation of being a bit on the chunky side. Dell’s slimmed things down considerably and the V13 looks pretty nifty. The Dell Vostro V13 notebook has a 13.3″ display and weighs in at 3.5 pounds, which means its small enough to tote around all day long. It runs on a low-voltage Intel processor for extended battery life.

The Dell Vostro V13 starts at just $549 with Windows 7 ($449 with Linux) at Dell’s SMB store.  Check out the videos over at Digital Home Thoughts, including a look inside the notebook.

Related posts:

1. Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Unboxed
2. Deal of the Day: 50% off Dell Vostro and Dell Latitude Notebooks
3. Deal of the Day: 46% off Dell Vostro 1520 & 1720

Pricing for the Sprint version of the Nexus One hasn’t been announced yet and it’s not clear if the phone will be subsidized. Thus far, T-Mobile is the only carrier to offer a subsidy on the Nexus One. The Nexus One costs $179 with a new two-year T-Mobile contract, starting at $59 per month. The AT&T an T-Mobile compatible versions of the Nexus One cost $529 without a contract. A version will be available for Verizon shortly.

Sprint’s Everything Data 450 plan starts at $69.99, which includes unlimited talk to mobile phones, unlimited text and unlimited web. The ‘catch’ in this plan is that you’re limited to 450 minutes of peak talk-time to landlines.

The Google Nexus one features Android 2.1, a mobile phone operating system that is quickly gaining popularity. Android is found on a number of devices, including the oft-advertised Droid. According to analysts, approximately 60,000 Android-powered smartphones are shipping every day.

There are two major why there are various versions of the Google Nexus One: compatibility and lock-in.

AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM radio technology, but their networks use different frequencies. This means a phone built for AT&T will not be able to access T-Mobile’s 3G network and vice versa. Sprint and Verizon use CDMA radio technology, which means their devices use completely different components than AT&T and T-mobile.

If you visit Google.com/voice, you’ll notice that the Google Nexus One for T-Mobile can be had for just $179. Carriers demand a two year commitment from customers in order to pay for the subsidy. In some cases, it makes sense to pay the full price of the product and forgo the subsidy. For example, T-Mobile’s pay as you go pricing is so much cheaper than its contract pricing that you’ll save about $200 in the long haul if you pay $529 for a Nexus One and stick with the network for two years.

Despite which network you go with, the Nexus One has a lot of compelling features, including:

* Google Maps Navigation with turn-by-turn driving directions with voice output.
* Email: multiple Gmail accounts; universal inbox and Exchange support.
* Phone book: aggregate contacts from multiple sources, including Facebook.
* Quick Contacts: easily switch between communication and social applications.
* Android Market: access to more than 30,000 applications.

Nexus One Hardware Features:

* Display: 3.7″ AMOLED 480×800 WVGA display
* Thinness: 11.5mm; Weight: 130g
* Processor/Speed: Qualcomm Snapdragon(TM) 3G QSD8250 chipset, delivering speeds up to 1GHz
* Camera: 5 megapixel auto focus with flash and geo tagging
* Onboard memory: 512MB Flash, 512MB RAM
* Expandable memory: 4GB removable SD Card (expandable to 32GB)
* Noise Suppression: Dynamic noise suppression from Audience, Inc.
* Ports: 3.5mm stereo headphone jack with four contacts for inline voice and remote control
* Battery: Removable 1400 mAh
* Personalized laser engraving: Up to 50 characters on the back of the phone
* Trackball: Tri-color notification LED, alerts when new emails, chats, text messages arrive

Nexus One offers new functionality and software enhancements including:

* Enter text without typing.
* Use a voice-enabled keyboard for all text fields: speak a text message, instant message, tweet, Facebook update, or complete an email.
* Tell your phone what you want it to do.
* Search Google, call contacts, or get driving directions by just speaking into your phone.
* Take personalization to the next level.
* Dynamic, interactive, live wallpapers react to the touch of a finger.
* More widgets and five home screen panels allow for further device customization.
* Capture camera-quality pictures and video with your device.
* 5 megapixel camera includes LED flash, auto focus, zoom, white balance and color effects.
* View pictures and Picasa Web Albums(TM) in the new 3D Gallery.
* Record Hi-Res MPEG4 video, and then upload to YouTube(TM) with one click.
* Read your voicemail messages.
* Get transcribed voicemail with Google Voice integration, without changing your number.

Related posts:

1. Google Nexus One Review Roundup
2. CES: Google Nexus One Hands On Video
3. Google Voice Reviewed: Why Google is my Phone Company and Should Be Yours

There has a been a fix for this for a while but it was a bit involved for many users who just want to watch fullscreen flash video while they work. Enter FlashHacker.

FlashHacker is a downloadable file that you can use to hack your flash for full screen flash video watching. Just download the file, unzip it and run FlashHacker.exe. Once you Click “Hack My Flash!” you’re good to go.

This is a great hack to keep in mind if you add a second display to your computer with one of the 2 DisplayLink USB to DVI adapters we are giving away.

The developer is currently working on a version that supports Flash 10.1, but you should be good to go with any other Flash version.

Hat tip to Lifehacker for pointing this out and letting us know that if it doesn’t work the first time to unhack flash and then try the hack my flash option.

Related posts:

1. How to Watch HD Video On Your Netbook for $10
2. Contest – Add Another Monitor with DisplayLink
3. Smooth HD Flash Video Coming to Netbooks w/ NVIDIA ION

There are two ways to add two finger scrolling to your Windows notebook; the easy way (just 2-finger scrolling) and the involved method (adds gestures and three fingers etc.).

For users who simply want to scroll with two fingers the process is a rather painless installation of TwoFingerScroll which also includes some additional tapping commands to add shortcuts to your trackpad.

The more involved version requires that you install a modified Synaptic driver to your computer which means you can’t update your trackpad drivers direct form the manufacturer, but you will gain three finger gestures, two finger gestures and more.

On the netbook trackpad I’m currently using I am choosing just to use the TwoFingerScroll method since the trackpad is already very small and I don’t know that I could even get three fingers onto the board without cramping up!

Related posts:

1. Microsoft’s new tool makes loading Windows 7 on a netbook as easy as USB
2. Uninstall Windows Programs with Revo Uninstaller
3. How To Do Practically Anything in Windows 7

First, over at MacRumors, we have this piece on the new Xeon 5600 processors Intel released.  Why is this important? Because, in Apple’s 8-core Mac Pro, it uses the Intel 5500 processors.

Intel today announced the launch of its new Xeon 5600 series processors, bringing to market a number of new four-core and six-core processors that Apple could choose to utilize in an update to its Mac Pro line. The company also introduced itsCore i7-980x processor, a high-end consumer-focused relative of the new Xeon chips.

These are also the first server and workstation chips based on the groundbreaking, new Intel 32nm logic technology, which uses Intel’s second-generation high-k metal gate transistors to increase speed and decrease energy consumption. The Intel Xeon Processor 5600 series supports up to six cores per processor and delivers up to 60 percent greater performance than the 45nm Intel Xeon processor 5500 series.

Intel Xeon 5500 series processors are currently used in Apple’s 8-core Mac Pro introduced last year. Using new six-core Xeon processors in a dual-processor configuration, Apple could now offer up to a 12-core Mac Pro running at base speeds of up to 2.93 GHz if it chose to remain within the thermal constraints of its existing dual-processor Mac Pros or up to 3.33 GHz if it was able to offer sufficient cooling for the increased heat load.

And then, there is this Engadget post up today showing the Australian Apple web sites with new pricing on their MacBook Pro pricing:

Could this be another example of online advertising presaging the onset of a hardware upgrade from Cupertino? Apple’s ads on Australian tech pub PC Authority have been spotted displaying some rather peculiar price tags for its flagship mobile and desktop computers. Whereas Cupertino’s Aussie online store lists the most affordable versions of the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Mac Pro at A$1,599, A$1,999 and A$3,599, respectively, the above, official-looking ads would seem to disagree. Clicking on them still leads to the currently priced (and specced) machines, but looking at them suggests that — in the absence of some major conspiracy or a splendidly random price hike — we’re getting an early peek at the pricing of the newly updated models of each of those series. The MacBook Air has jumped by A$400 so that what used to be its costliest base price is now its lowest, while the MBP has suffered a A$300 bump in cost of entry.

While we are still in rumors and speculation, maybe this time something will happen and we will get those upgrades we have all been waiting on.  Between these posts and the Intel launch of its new processor line back in January, we hope something is coming from Apple…and not just another accessory for the iPad.

Related posts:

1. Educated Macbooks Get a Limited Time Price Cut
2. No Intel Core i5 and i7 for Mac?
3. A look into Apple iPad’s A4 processor

Keeping Track of the Action Online

Busy basketball fans are not always able to sit in their man caves, in front of their HDTV sets. Fortunately there are a number of ways to keep track of the action online.

The official NCAA site for the 2010 Championship Tournament is a good starting spot. It has news, brackets, and links to sites where you can follow the action live. If you are a fan of a smaller division II or III school, there is information for you too. The CBS Sports Web site has news and information too. You can read about the games or watch video previews. After a game is over you can check the stats and view game highlights.

But the thing fans really want is to watch the games live, especially if your favorite team is not being shown in your market or you are not near a TV. For that, you will want to go to March Madness On Demand a partnership with the NCAA, CBS Sports and Westwood One Radio. You will get live streaming of the games, the radio broadcasts and game highlights.

The streaming quality of the archived games from last year were excellent. I tested it at a coffee shop with half-a-dozen others surfing the net at the same time. The coffee shop only has 802.11b Wi-Fi and still the quality was good. I then tested it using my Verizon Wireless MiFi broadband modem. There were no problems with it either. The only reason it might degrade is if the demand during live games stresses their servers. Don’t be surprised if that happens, especially during the biggest games.

If you do not have access to a computer, but do have either an iPhone or an Android phone there are still options. The CBS Sports NCAA March Madness on Demand app in the Apple App Store will let you watch the games via live streaming whether you are on Edge, 3G or Wi-Fi. With the app you can watch the games, listen to the radio broadcast and get highlights. And if watching or listening is not appropriate for your environment, then you can keep track of games highlights with in-game updates. You can also fill out your brackets in the app. The app uses the same video feeds as the March Madness On Demand web site, so it should be adequate. However, in the App Store there are a lot of bad reviews saying that it could not keep up with demand at times last year. Again, don’t be surprised it there are some freezing frames or dropped connections. The cost of the app is $9.99.

Bracketology

Part of the fun of the NCAA tournament is filling out your brackets. The official NCAA site has both an interactive bracket of the tournament or a PDF that you can download, print or send to a friend. Most sports web sites will have interactive or printable brackets as well. When putting together your brackets, you may want to enter a pool. CBS Sports has the online Bracket Manager as well as a game with prizes called Bracket Challenge and another one called Round by Round Brackets where you update your brackets after each round. ESPN’s bracket game is called Tournament Challenge. They have the online site and an app in the Apple App Store. If you do a Google search for NCAA brackets you will find dozens of interactive online tools or printable brackets that you can fill in the old fashioned way. There are a lot of free and paid competitions as well. Or you could just use this bracket (click to download PDF):

Some people don’t want to just enter an anonymous contest; they would rather set up a pool for their family, friends or office. Yahoo’s Fantasy Sports site is one of the most popular. Most of us have a Yahoo account already. So it might be the best option. With their site you can create your own group and invite friends to participate or you can join one that is already set up. Go the the site and click the ‘Create Group’ button to start a pool for those you know. Follow the instructions and you are ready to compete with your friends or coworkers. You will have to invite them via email, Facebook, or Twitter. If you want to join the group that I set up for readers of Notebooks.com, then go the group page and click “Join This Group.”

Another option is filling out your brackets on your mobile phone. There are a number of apps for the iPhone. The one from CBS Sports has this feautre built in. If you don’t want to spend ten bucks, get the lite version for free. It doesn’t have any broadcasts of games, but does have brackets, scores, and stats. A better app is PocketBracket. With it you can sign up for an account from within the app and then create as many brackets as you want. These can be submitted to the online pool so you can compete with others. Or just make enough for your family and have your own competition. You can get it for only $.99 and I think it is worth it. It is also available in the Android Marketplace. Below is a video that demonstrates it on the iPhone.

Related posts:

1. WSJ: Apple Tablet to Ship in March for $1,000
2. iPad Preorders start March 12 for April 3rd Release
3. CES: Microsoft Keynote- Steve Ballmer

This mini notebook will be available starting at the end of March. This mini notebook is designed for day-to-day computing tasks such as web browsing, email and apps geared towards the mobile lifestyle. More information on the  Sony Vaio M series Netbook.

Specifications of the VAIO M11ME:

Related posts:

1. Sony VAIO W Series Netbook Announced
2. Sony VAIO S Series Reviewed
3. Sony launches new “colorful” VAIO E series

All three capacities offered – 16, 32, and 64 GB models – are selling equally; but the Wi-Fi model is outselling the 3G enabled models 69% to 31%. The number sold per day since Friday dropped off sharply with an estimated 150,000 total pre-orders to date.

Tello, who has been accurately estimating Apple sales for five years, says that he believes they will hit the 1 Million mark in the “second week after it ships,” according to Brainstorm Tech.

In June, 2007, when the first iPhone was released Apple sold 270,000 units in its first 30 hours, according to the company’s own Q3 2007 report. They hit the 1 Million mark 74 days after the first-gen iPhone was released.

Related posts:

1. Mac sales are up– and not just the iPad
2. Apple on iPhone 3GS: 1 Million Sold in Three Days
3. iPad Preorders start March 12 for April 3rd Release

I’ve long been a fan of these Enterprise series netbooks from HP, especially the HP Mini 5102 announced at CES this year, due in part to the wonderful metal cover and sturdiness, which I am happy to see has carried over to the current model. HP has also added an optional handle to the 5102 for education markets that allows students to easily tote the netbook from class to class; a feature James says he won’t use in public, but finds very useful around the house.

The video review gives you a good look at the hardware as well as the multitouch screen that the Hp Mini 5102 can be equipped with. Unfortunately adding the touchscreen option removes the ability to gat an HD (1366 x 768) display which is my new must have netbook feature.

The HP Mini 5102 is available for order at HP starting at $415.

Related posts:

1. CES: Introducing the HP Mini 5102 with Touch
2. Onkyo DX Dual Screen Netbook Reviewed On Camera
3. Sony VAIO X Reviewed as a Netbook

But, there is also good news on the Mac front. Remember, the devices that arent an iPad? According to some new reports, Apple Mac sales are up almost 40% from previous years and iPod sales are up 7%.  It looks to be a good quarter for Apple.

From Engadget:

Well, it looks like it’s not just iPad pre-orders that are possibly be beating a few expectations — according to NPD, sales of Macs and iPods were also up over some estimates in January and February. Citing the report, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster says that sales of Macs were up 39% year over year for the two months (ahead of estimates of 22%), which should translate to sales of between 2.8 to 2.9 million Macs for the full quarter, while iPod sales were up 7% during the same period, suggesting total iPod sales of between nine and ten million for the first quarter. That latter number may actually be the more impressive of the two, as it marks the first time iPod sales have rebounded into positive territory in a full sixteen months — although that trend could just as easily be reversed again if, say, Apple rolls out a new iPhone that cuts into iPod sales.

So, even though the world has gone crazy once again for one of Apple’s newest creations, dont leave out the slow but steady Mac.  Mac minis and Macbooks are still one of the better buys out there for new computers– when it comes to reliablity and ease of use.  When all the hype dies down, this is what Apple can count on to make those wonderful profits Steve Jobs, the Apple employees, and the Wall Street analysts love to see.

Related posts:

1. First Day iPad Sales v. iPhone Sales
2. How to Make the Apple iPad with 3G yours for just $7 … a day
3. iPad Pre-orders are a Go: What you need to know!