I’m really, really meticulous with my laptop, but sometimes, the fact that I have to lug around a huge padded backpack containing my laptop, the power brick, and a few accessories like the mouse can be a hassle. What if I just wanted to bring my laptop with me to the nearest coffee shop? I don’t want to have a huge bag cluttering the already-cramped cafe when I’m going to be staying there for a few hours. However, I don’t want to walk around carrying my laptop only. Heh, I don’t want to be an easy target for muggers.

So imagine my surprise when I saw Conceptual Devices offering a few things you can do with a hoodie, among them was to use it to make an improvised laptop bag. You can find more tips, including using your hoodie as a baby sling, and another tip on how to make a backpack, actually.

A hoodie is not just a hoodie. In a world full of stuff, smart items should be transformable, editable. They should engage the possibility to be transformed into something else. We do not need a new object. We rather need to get rid of some of them, to reduce the complex network of things around us.

You can check out the steps how to do just that here (click to embiggen):

I’m kind of iffy using a hoodie as a laptop bag, to be honest. I don’t have much faith in my DIY skills to make an improvised laptop bag that won’t unravel at the worst possible time, leading to a mess of computer components on the sidewalk. I’ll have to try it out with a netbook first. What about you? Do you see yourself using this in the future?

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In three years, netbooks have entered the computer market and have been successful beyond any computer manufacturer’s dreams. If there’s anything the Asus Eee PC 701 and its descendants proved, there are people willing to sacrifice a bit of computing power for a huge price difference and portability. But I wonder, how far have netbooks gone? There’s really no other way to look at it than seeing it in graphs and the like so we’d be able to take it all in.

Fortunately, the guys at GigaOM has done us a favor, and they’ve made a graphic charting the lowly netbook’s meteoric rise to fame. You can visit their site, or you can view the charts here.

Unfortunately, there isn’t anything else the graphic tells us. For instance, the reason why netbooks have been so popular have been glossed over. I don’t have any scientific study behind me to prove anything, but a lightweight, cheap, small, and relatively sturdy laptop that can do almost any basic task its bigger brothers can: it’s a sure winner in my book. Yeah, you can’t edit videos on it, nor can you use it as a primary computer (trust me, I used a netbook as my primary computer for a while, it was a nightmare), but it’s good enough. That there is the bottom line: good enough. Good enough to travel with and to work with. That’s what the majority of computer users do anyway, this writer included.

What about you? Are you into using a more powerful computer or is a netbook enough for your needs? Tell me about it!

So, while everyone else is eagerly waiting for the release of Apple’s iPad, us who aren’t really convinced of the iPad’s abilities to walk on water or its promises to cure cancer are looking someplace else. Enter: Microsoft’s Courier. The Courier is being marketed as a “digital journal.” Instead of Windows 7, we’re seeing the Courier has the same software that runs Zune HD, Pink, and Windows Mobile 7 Series. It makes sense, really. The iPad uses iPhone OS because full Mac OS X will not work well for touch screen interfaces. And of course Windows 7, with all its touch-screen friendly glory, won’t even give the best user experience.

According to Engadget:

The interface appears to be pen-based and centered around drawing and writing, with built-in handwriting recognition and a corresponding web site that allows access to everything entered into the device in a blog-like format complete with comments. We’re also hearing that there will be a built-in camera, and there’s a headphone jack for media playback. Most interestingly, it looks like the Courier will also serve as Microsoft’s e-book device, with a dedicated ecosystem centered around reading.

Okay, I don’t expect this to kill the iPad – there’s seriously no way anyone can beat Apple right now – but look at the potential of the Courier. Check out the video below:

Okay, this device is pretty and all, and the UI is nothing short of amazing (and totally unexpected of Microsoft – I’m kind of used to seeing them churn out releases with drab interfaces) but if you’re wondering when this will come out, you have to wait a bit. Launch date is expected to be around “Q3 / Q4,” and there’s not pricing yet – I don’t expect this to go head-on with the iPad’s price.

What do you think? Would you choose this over the iPad? I know I would, but I’d like to hear your opinions.

Well, this was unexpected. Nokia and Intel, the companies behind the Maemo Linux-based OS for Nokia Internet Tablets like the Nokia N900, and the Moblin Linux interface for netbooks, have announced that they’re merging the two projects to form one operating system designed for netbooks, tablets, mobile devices, in-vehicle entertainment systems, and internet-connected televisions.

The new OS will be called MeeGo. While nobody has any idea how the new OS will look like or how it is going to run, they have announced that the first version of MeeGo will be available by the end of March. The Nokia N900 will be compatible with MeeGo. Applications from the Intel AppUp Center and Nokia Ovi Store should be able to run on the platform. The Linux Foundation will be hosting the project.

I honestly like this. Moblin has one of the best interfaces of any OS, hands down. In fact, if there was a Moblin-based OS compatible with my Asus Eee PC 701, I would’ve installed it right away, no questions asked. I haven’t tried Maemo yet, though, but everyone who’s used a Nokia N900 attests to it being a rock-solid OS capable of taking over Nokia’s powerhorse mobile OS, Symbian. I do remember of plans of moving the whole N Series from Symbian to Maemo. I wonder if this will still happen or if we’ll see MeeGo-based Nokia phones by next year.

Once the first stable version of this OS comes out, I am seriously going to give it a spin. What about you guys? Are you looking forward to MeeGo, or are you going to pass this time?

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As much as I love Ubuntu Linux and all its open source glory, I really am not a fan of the current logo and the color scheme. Come on, brown. I understand that they took the current design inspiration from the word Ubuntu’s African roots, but that particular shade of brown they used isn’t exactly the most enticing thing to see.

Which is why I’m totally behind Canonical’s decision to change Ubuntu’s branding and the operating system’s color scheme into something more modern and sleeker. They believe that the new Ubuntu logo – which I love, by the way – will “reflect the precision and engineering that sits at the heart of the product. The new logo reflects this but not at the expense of the immediately recognisable circle of friends.”

They’re dropping the brown “Human” theme and introduced a new theme called Light:

The new style in Ubuntu is inspired by the idea of “Light”.

We’re drawn to Light because it denotes both warmth and clarity, and intrigued by the idea that “light” is a good value in software. Good software is “light” in the sense that it uses your resources efficiently, runs quickly, and can easily be reshaped as needed. Ubuntu represents a break with the bloatware of proprietary operating systems and an opportunity to delight to those who use computers for work and play. More and more of our communications are powered by light, and in future, our processing power will depend on our ability to work with light, too.

If you ask me, I say it’s about time. But I’m curious about what you guys think. Give me a piece of your mind via the comments!

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Until now I haven’t tweaked Windows because I actually love how the Superbar and all the other changes work. I can say that this is the first version of Windows I was practically very satisfied with. However, earlier today I was rushing a really important project and that required me to open and maintain around 15 windows between various programs, and even the Superbar wasn’t able to actually help me out here. I remember sighing in frustration because switching windows somehow took too many clicks.

Taking a breather from my deadline-intensive task, I did a little googling and found Switcher, a nifty little app that emulates the actions of Mac OS X’s fabled Exposé. Okay, yeah I know this is one of those little apps that try to make Windows look and act like Mac OS X, and I’m usually against that kind of thing. I mean, if you’re going to make your PC look like Mac OS X, just get a freaking Mac, right? Or if you’re willing to go down the illegal route, just Hackintosh your beloved computer. But I digress.

The thing is, Switcher isn’t just one of those “me too” programs you install. It’s actually fast enough, and kinda light on system resources. I say “kinda” because it’s not exactly lightweight, but it’s good enough to be functional when I have around 20 windows open. I didn’t even have to install it. There’s a stand-alone version that runs pretty well. I don’t see myself using it all of the time, but when I’m overwhelmed by too many windows and clicks and alt-tab just isn’t cutting it, Switcher works pretty well.

Download Switcher here.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X100e is one of the best netbooks out there at the moment. Come on, how could it be not good when it’s carrying the ThinkPad brand? The 11.6 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display, AMD Neo MV-40 single core CPU, and AT Radeon HD 3200 graphics make it one of the best choices to get when shopping for a netbook.

But it looks like Lenovo’s got something else up their sleeve. According to rumors, they’re going to make a 10-inch ThinkPad that’s going to be rocking an Intel Atom processor. From Liliputing:

It looks like Lenovo is also planning to launch a smaller version of the laptop with a 10.1 inch, 1280 x 720 pixel display. An Intel Atom N450 Pine Trail processor option also appears to be on its way. It’s not spelled out specifically, but it’s likely that the Atom CPU will be tied to the smaller screen.

While a number of reviewers have given the Lenovo ThinkPad X100e high marks for its keyboard, build quality, and overall design, it gets pretty lousy battery life for a modern ultraportable. Swapping out the AMD CPU for a low power Atom processor could go a long way to address that.

Say what you want about the ThinkPad’s looks, but I think it looks pretty neat. Seriously considering the future 10-inch ThinkPad X100e as a possible netbook purchase if my laptop proves to be too big to carry around.

Engadget has a great review of HP’S 13-inch Envy laptop out, and I’m here to digest the review and present the most important parts for you guys. It’s been called a Macbook Pro clone, and from the looks alone, it really does deserve the title. It has an aluminum body, chiclet keys, even a buttonless trackpad. But how does it stack up to Apple’s premiere notebook?

Hardware-wise, it’s already supposed to be an ok notebook. Just look at the specs: Intel Core™ 2 Duo processor, ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4330, and a 13-inch screen with a 1600 x 900 resolution. The “Beats”-branded speakers actually sound slightly better than in other netbooks as well. However, there is a bit of a drawback: the buttonless trackpad, obviously patterned after the Macbook’s trackpad, is a little, well, clunky. And of course what kind computer manufacturer would not install any crap and bloatware on a Windows 7 install, rendering the usually-snappy OS to slow down? HP does just that, true to form.

Here’s what Engaget says about the HP Envy:

Overall we’re very conflicted about the Envy 13. Hardware wise it’s one of our favorite laptops ever, but the trackpad almost destroys all of that good will built up by the other elements — no matter how great a laptop is, if it’s painful to interact with on the go (without an external mouse), what’s the point? We also have to say that Windows 7 doesn’t make this laptop crazy delicious in any particular manner. It’s certainly a better OS than Vista, but it’s not so much better to make it a huge selling point in our book or a lure for folks who don’t normally walk the Windows path, since many of the traditional pitfalls are still present. All we can say in summary is that we hope HP manages to update the trackpad drivers very, very soon, and that other PC manufacturers steal a bit from HP’s and / or Apple’s in other respects, since it seems to be working.

What do you think? Is the HP Envy worth it, or do you think you’re better off going for a cheaper netbook?

One of the things I envy the most about Macbook users would be the pretty neat MagSafe power adaptors. Aside from the fact that it’s much, much easier to plug and unplug your laptop, it also keeps your Macbook safe if someone trips on the cable. And have I mentioned the fact that it also reduces wear and tear damage? So yeah, that’s the one feature I really, really like about Macs.

Apparently, us PC users can get this feature too, but it requires us hacking our beloved laptops a little bit so we can get that coveted MagSafe connector for our Windows notebooks. The hack is also reversible, so if you’re planning to sell your laptop in the future, this hack won’t drive the price down.

A bit of a warning though: we’re still dealing with electricity here, and if you don’t know what you’re doing, I would advise you to not push through with this hack.

According to Lifehacker:

The mod isn’t very complicated but it does take a bit of patience as you search for just the right size magnets and nail for your particular laptop. Once you’ve found the right pieces however, the build itself is quick and makes your laptop safe from the computer-slaying feet of clumsy coffee shop patrons. Check out the link below for the detailed build guide along with plenty of tips.

Check out the tutorial on Instructables to see how to do this!

Adobe has been trying real hard to strike back at Apple’s insistence that the rest of the web should hurry up and ditch Flash for HTML 5. An Adobe employee blogged about how the iPad’s browsing experience will pretty much suck because it doesn’t support Flash, and now they’re quickly developing Adobe Flash Player 10.1 for Google Android.

Now check out one possible future product running the aforementioned Adobe Flash Player for Android. Via Liliputing:

Google Android doesn’t currently support Adobe Flash, which means that a fair number of web sites look like they have blank boxes when you visit them in a browser on an Android-based tablet or smartphone. But Flash support is coming soon — and a number of tablets and other devices on display at Mobile World Congress in Spain this week are sporting a pre-release build of Flash for Android.

Sascha from Netbook News stumbled across one of those tablets at the NVIDIA booth. It appears to have a 9 or 10 inch touchscreen display and an NVIDIA Tegra 2-based chipset. Tegra 2 combines a low power ARM-based processor with NVIDIA graphics, which means you should be able to watch 1080p HD video on this low power device. And since Flash Player 10.1 will feature hardware acceleration for the Tegra 2 platform, it should even be able to handle 1080p HD Flash video.

Check out a video of the said tablet:

Now Apple may be pushing for the future (and bucking the trend has almost always worked for Apple in the long run), but right now people who don’t give a damn about HTML 5 are going to look for a tablet that’ll let them play with their Farmville and other Flash games.