HP Mini 5102: Matte 10.1" display is bright, easy to read

With the new Mini 5102, HP manages to stand our from the otherwise generic netbook crowd. Although the insides are essentially the same as everyone else including the energy efficient Intel Pine Trail processor, it’s the exterior build quality that especially impresses. Brushed metals, sans gloss, are used extensively and give the 10.1″ portable a solid and bespoke demeanor.

Although targeted at the business segment, at $399 (the same price as the Toshiba NB305 we recently reviewed) there’s no reason why it wouldn’t make a top choice for anybody looking for a durable sidekick.

Our unit shipped with both a 4-cell and 6-cell battery. With the smaller battery the HP weighed in just over 2.8lbs which puts it on par with the NB305 (but with 6-cell) and heavier then the new S10-3 from Lenovo which weighs about 2.6lbs. Still the HP, built with resilient materials, felt light and would be no problem tossing into a brief case or even carrying in a leather portfolio.

There are several things that I like about the 5102. Unlike most netbooks, the 10.1″ screen is not glossy, which means it is much easier to see outdoors or under bright office lights. The matte finish helps reduce, and almost eliminate, most glare. The trade off is that movies, and photographs look slightly less vibrant. But I could only really notice this when comparing the 5102 directly next to a glossy netbook such as the Lenovo S10-3.

The keyboard is also a plus.

The well-spaced, chiclet-style keys are comfortable and the layout decent, although not perfect. There are no dedicated page-up or page-down keys. Instead they sit on top of the arrow keys and require an extra function key (on left side) to activate. For me, it’s a big deal, for others probably not so much.

While not best-in-class, the trackpad is good, albeit small (especially compared to the luxurious trackpad on the Toshiba NB305). Scrolling was generally responsive, and the two buttons located at the bottom provide gentle tactile response without requiring too much pressure (like the S10-3). Those who gag at the sight of smudge marks and fingerprints will not appreciate that the trackpad is oddly finished in a gloss that reveals every inkling of grease previously unnoticed to the naked eye.

Performance-wise, the 5102 performs about the same as every other Pine Trail netbook out there. The Window Experience Index came in on par at 2.3. The hard drive, with a faster 7200 rpm speed, resulted in better access times. It was also quiet, and Windows 7 Starter ran without a hitch.

Battery life is another strong suit. Even the 4-cell, which sits flush in the body, provided at least 4-5 hours of run-time. The 6-cell, which protrudes slightly on the bottom, could easily come in around 6-7 hours running wi-fi, perhaps more depending on brightness.

When testing the 5102 I did notice fan noise from the left side of the chassis. An exhaust port is constantly ejecting warm air, and it can be distracting depending on how quiet your work area is, and your level of tolerance for fan noise. Not excessive by any means, but something to keep in mind. Note that it was definitely louder than the NB305 (the quietest we’ve tested) and S10-3.

Overall, the HP 5102 is a very good netbook with exceptional build quality. For the same price ($399) you could buy the Toshiba NB305 which includes a 6-cell battery, and will run a few hours longer. But the HP offers a premium experience that will appeal to a lot of businesses, and consumers to boot.

Clint says:

I agree that this is a good netbook. But not great. There are too many competitors out there that either offer longer battery (Toshiba NB305), less cost (Asus), or an even better keyboard (Lenovo S10-3). For me the fan noise is a deal-breaker. It’s just too annoying, although granted I’m possibly over-sensitive to these things. Plus it causes the unit to vibrate ever so slightly when on a desk. The NB305 on the other hand is almost totally silent, just a whisper of fan. I do like the matte display. I used it for a week in meetings and on-the-go and found the build superior and the keyboard comfortable (although the squared corners sometimes would catch my fingers).

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“The advertising recession began to ease in the final two months of 2009 and preliminary figures from the first quarter of 2010, when compared against the abyss of a year ago, indicate many sectors are experiencing growth,” said Jon Swallen, SVP Research at Kantar Media. “Given the restraint in consumer spending, it appears marketers have more confidence right now than their customers. As we get deeper into 2010, the pace of consumer activity will be a key determinant of the strength and durability of the advertising recovery.”

More information is included in the Kantar press release.

Ad spending is a good bell-weather for the economy, so it’s no surprise lots of people follow the numbers to look for signs that conditions are improving.

As I scanned the report, the numbers that really caught my eyes though were the amount of money the top 10 companies spend on advertising.

Top 10 Advertisers, 2009 (Source: Kantar Media)

As a whole group they spent about $16.5B last year. The top spender is Proctor & Gamble, who constantly reminds us in the most creative of ways to brush our teeth and wash our clothes.

Interestingly, the top 10 maintained ad spending as a group in 2009, indicating possible implementation of long-term marketing strategies built to withstand a downturn or two. In fact, you could argue that in a weak economy it pays even more to spend more. Your competition may be weakened, and consumer’s wallets are even harder to crack open. So, the thinking goes, spend your way into their minds!

3 of the top 10 spenders are from the telecom segment and include Verizon, AT&T and Sprint. Healthy profits are up for grabs when signing on new customers who must commit to two year contracts.

I was slightly surprised at the number 3 spot. GM finished the year having spent about $2B to remind us that Buicks aren’t so bad after all, maybe even hip. At least that’s what Tiger once tried to tell us.

Speaking of cars, the number one ad category is, you guessed it: automotive. Although year-over-year spending was down 23%, car manufacturers still spent over $10B on ads in 2009.

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This art class, I was able to add more detail to the three arched windows at the center of the painting. Although overall I am happy with the results of this painting so far, I did learn a couple of things this week which I will try to remember for future painting sessions.

Firstly, I didn’t plan the sequence of the areas I was going to paint in art class very well. I was eager to make corrections on the bottom arches that leads to the theater doors of the Lucie Stern building. I had noticed a couple of days ago that the arches were too narrow. I quickly widened them with a mixture of my foundation color (blue and umber) and a hint of purple. It was only when I started to paint elements higher up in the painting did I realize that I should not have started on the lower part of the painting. The entire bottom half of my painting was wet and I struggled through the rest of the class to paint the windows and the terracotta roof without smudging the dark paint onto the white stucco areas.

Secondly, I realized that dimension in this painting will be difficult to get right. Dimension was something I thought I would struggle with in my last painting which had many different angles to the buildings and I had taken the photo from a strange angle as well. However, I am beginning to realize that the subtle angle from which I took the photo of the Lucie Stern building may be equally, if not more challenging. Getting every window, arch and detail to lie on a consistent plane will be difficult. I keep using my paint brush as a marker to see if the angles on the windows and arches line up.

Finally, I’m working on textures and figuring out how many brushes I really need to paint well. My goal is to use as few brushes as possible. Lee came by during class and used her finger to smudge some dark colors into the stucco to bring out more texture. Seeing her do this, I tried it as well. There is something liberating about finger painting! In the photo of the painting, you will note that I added the shadows underneath the windows in anticipation of the balcony that will be painted in next. I don’t have the texture quite right on it. Currently, it looks like a mustache. Since noticing this, I have corrected it by smoothing out the texture of the shadow…with my finger.

On another note, I finally started to set up my art studio at home with the help and encouragement of Clint. I am constantly reminded of the support he gives me in all my endeavors. I’ll take some photos of it one day to share with you the progress of this studio area. I’d love to have some walls torn down to let extra light into the studio, but perhaps this is a little too hasty. Let’s see if I keep up with oil painting for at least a year before I consider renovation plans!

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1. Artist Diaries: Learning to create depth with light and dark color tones
2. Artist Diaries: Lucie Stern Theatre in hues of purple
3. Artist Diaries: Transforming green blobs into leaves, a final signature and sketching Lucie Stern

Head-to-head with iPhone: Google Nexus One now available on AT&T

Google today announced that the high profile, but slow selling Nexus One smartphone would be available, unlocked, for $529 on AT&T. It will also be available in Canada on Rogers. With reported sales of about 135,000 units, the much-hyped phone sold directly via Google and running on T-Mobile, is not exactly lighting the world on fire. So far Google’s only answer, true to its open source roots: more phones, more places.

Unlike Apple, Google has wisely chosen to license the Android mobile platform to other vendors who in turn design and manufacturer handsets that are made widely available across multiple carriers such as T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon. It gives Google a resource-rich ecosystem, countering Apple’s vertically integrated army of one.

And so far Google must be pleased with its fledgling OS. It has come on strong in a scant 24 months. Although it still trails RIM and Apple (and Nokia globally by a long shot) in market share, its making impressive gains thanks to the partner-oriented model. Everyone knows the game is mobile. Since more people are computing on the go, more ads will follow the eyeballs. And so goes the money. Ads are of course the core of Google’s business.

But there is a big problem Google needs to fix; an elephant in the room that goes under-reported.

That is: Google needs an answer to Apple iTunes.

Without it, mainstream consumers are unlikely to ever purchase an Android smartphone. To date Google’s efforts have clearly been targeted on younger, tech-focused early adopters (like me, except for the young part). In fact, probably representative of the very people working at Google. This is a smart first move. The early adopters can be fickle, but they can also be very loyal.

With names like Nexus One, Droid, Eris, Behold, it’s no wonder that tech jocks everywhere gravitate to the device. That’s all fine and good, but Google’s ultimate goal is market share, and to get there they need to expand the addressable market. No, that doesn’t mean offering pink smartphones, although undoubtedly that would help I’m sure. Rather, at some point they need a content ecosystem like iTunes.

On Android, donwloading content such as music, movies and podcasts for example, is a kludgy affair. The default music store is Amazon MP3, which works well enough. For podcasts, though, you need to load a separate application called Listen by Google. These are all fine standalone apps. But there is no way to manage everything in one place or sync to your laptop.

For round 1, Google has done well to put Android on the map. Its open model is working. And even if Nexus One sales aren’t exactly robust, it still demonstrates that the company can make waves in a new industry using a powerful approach of integrated Web apps, search, and partners.

For the next round, and to survive long in the rapidly evolving mobile game, Google must now crack something it actually knows very little about: the mainstream, Mom & Pop consumer that values simplicity over tech prowess.

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The “Top Ten Signs You Spend Too Much Time on Twitter” pokes fun at Ashton Kutcher, Lady Gaga, the inaneness of it all in general, and even infidelity.

After all, who can take any of this stuff too seriously?

10. You miss your son’s soccer game waiting for Lady Gaga to post what she had for lunch.

9. You answer the phone: “Twello?”

8: You’ve spent millions developing iPhone waterproofing technology so you can Tweet in the shower.

7. You haven’t touched your CB radio in months.

6. You ask yourself, “What would Jesus Tweet?”

5. You sleep tweet.

4. No number 4 — writer on Twitter.

3. You stopped paying attention to this list after the first 140 characters.

2. Even Ashton Kutcher thinks you tweet too much.

1. You walked in on the landscaper retweeting your wife.

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Corinne Proctor, Chad Deverman*, Ashkon Davaran, Peter Ruocco, Casey Jackson, Kathryn Tkel

Unorganized crime has never been funnier than in Den of Thieves at SF Playhouse. But first, some advice: any time a gun-toting slickster with “Flaco” tattooed on his forearm and a girlfriend named Boochie tells you a job is fool proof, just run.

To three partially reformed career criminals, however, it may sound too good to pass up. Ah, yes, just one more heist!

The SF Playhouse has a way of consistently staging quality, thoughtful, entertaining productions in a small space. It never ceases to amaze me what Bill English and company can do with the set design. Each time I head up the narrow stairs of the Geary theater up to the third floor, I wonder what surprises await beyond the black curtain that separates the lobby from the house.

Den of Thieves successfully continues a season that celebrates the “power of laughter” and demonstrates once again sometimes good things do come in small packages.

Ashkon Davaran, Casey Jackson

I got real personal with the self-help section at Barnes & Nobles.

The story concerns a rag tag group of petty thieves who, despite the best of intentions and even a rehabilitation program, can’t seem to break the habit—not to mention addictions with junk food (“You got a problem with junk food. You got a problem with larceny.”)

We learn that crime is a family tradition, but with a twist. Nerdy Paul (Casey Jackson) explains to Kathryn Tkel, that the den of thieves were a Robin Hood-like group of crusaders who would donate all their spoils to charity so that community libraries could be built for children.

Fortunately they have each other and vow to kill the habit. Enter Flaco (Chad Deverman) who has an idea for one more score. It’s the kind that relies on a friend of a friend of a friend who works at a club sort of deal. It can’t miss!

Later, we meet some mafioso, played by Ashkon Davaran, Peter Ruocco, and Joe Madero who it turns out have personal issues of their own.

Joe Madero, Corinne Proctor

The play moves briskly, the acting strong. Casting is spot on; here we have a group of career criminals yet we root for them. There’s a likability factor. Kudos to Susi Damilano’s direction for maintaining a natural flow, and working in some clever devices. One scene, akin to some kind of immobilized prisoner dance, involves chair stomping. Criminal poetry in motion.

Chad Deverman (the only equity actor in this production), delivers a frenetic, adrenaline pumping performance that single-handedly raises the energy and the caliber of the entire production. His “yo, yo, yo’s” and superficial menace lets way to someone just looking for love, for acceptance.

Life is like an artichoke. Takes the sweet meat and throw the rest away.

The ending was perhaps a little too neat, and the resolution quite swift. Also, there are several Italian stereotypes that we’ve seen many times before. Still, Den of Thieves is a hoot and a half. The laughs keep coming. In the end you can’t help but a feel a little warm glow that comes from seeing another fine production at SF Playhouse. And I won’t be touching a donut anytime soon.

Den of Thieves
SF Playhouse
4 out of 5 stars
By Stephen Adly Guirgis
Directed by Susi Damilano
Starring Ashkon Davaron, Chad Deverman*, Casey Jackson, Joe Madero, Corinne Proctor, Peter Ruocco, Katie Tkel
Through April 17, 2010
www.sfplayhouse.org
*Courtesy of Actors’ Equity

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Instead of ink, this creation uses thread to conjure of the reports of the latest news. This newspaper will definitely not leave any stains on your fingers.

One glance at By A Thread, the latest exhibit at San Jose’s Institute of Contemporary Art, and you know this is not your grandmother’s embroidery…or your mother’s for that matter. The latest exhibit is a collection of works created by emerging and mid-career artists who use thread as their dominant raw material to create imaginative works of art.

What I enjoy most about the collection is that it explores unexpected applications of thread to shed new perspectives on a conventional uses for thread. In addition, it explores forms and shapes that one would not expect to be created from thread.

For example, one piece of work by Allison Watkins entitled Closet (2009) retraces the lines and silhouettes of pieces of clothing. I found it familiar, yet exciting. I liked how contrary to conventional notions of embroidery where all the threads are tightly bound against a cloth base and loose ends are tucked away, many of the pieces in this exhibit—including Watkins’ work—left threads hanging, the fate of them left to the imagination of the viewer.

One of the most enthralling pieces was also one of the smallest works; a set of projector slides whose images are not created from light and chemical against film, but instead sewn on by a multitude of colorful threads. I have a weakness for miniature creations and this small collection requires careful examination to fully appreciate all the intricacies in details.

There were also three-dimensional creations including sculptures and a relatively large installation of red threads in one corner of the exhibit that made me wonder how long the artist took to set it up.

I explored this exhibit both on a South First Friday event as well as at a Cinequest Film Festival soiree that just happened to be in the same location the evening after.

It was fortunate that this exhibit is so interesting, I had plenty to explore the second evening. The sense of wonder had not worn off on second exploration, in fact I found myself marveling each piece even more.

The exhibit runs from February 6 to April 10, 2010 at the Institute of Contemporary Art at 560 South First Street in San Jose. Their website: www.sjica.org.

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1. ‘By A Thread’ at ICA puts a contemporary spin on a centuries-old medium
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City Lights Theater Company of San Jose announced it will be presenting Frank Langella’s Cyrano–an adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac.

“A thrilling romance, this is the classic tale of a man who longs to feel worthy of love – despite the nose that fate has dealt him.”

This story is about poet and swordsman, Cyrano de Bergerac who believes that his enormous nose makes him unworthy of love. To satisfy his own taste for romance, he aids the handsome Christian in wooing the beautiful Roxane, the woman they both love. Christian becomes the vessel for the passionate missives that fly from Cyrano’s pen to Roxane’s heart. But as Roxane finds herself ever more intoxicated by the heady cocktail of Cyrano’s heartfelt words and Christian’s dashing good looks, both men are left to wonder to which of them her heart truly belongs – until fate steps in and reveals to her at last the surprising truth that Cyrano has spent a lifetime concealing.

Edmond Rostand’s original Cyrano de Bergerac debuted in Paris in 1897, and was performed in rhyming couplets of 12 syllables per line. In 1899 a translated Broadway production opened and later was revived in 1923, 1946, and 1984. The play itself is one of the most popular in the French language, has been filmed numerous times (i.e.: Roxanne with Steve Martin), and was even made into an opera. This universally endearing story of unrequited love makes this play a huge success and an audience favorite.

Actor, director, producer, screenwriter and three time Tony Award winner Frank Langella (who had played Cyrano twice in his life before) adapted Edmond Rostand’s classic love story Cyrano de Bergerac and pared it down to bare bones. The things that Frank Langella recognized were that this play could be performed by a much smaller cast/ensemble, performed at small theaters or anywhere for that matter, and could be stripped of some of its more archaic language to become more accessible to a younger generation. Frank Langella’s Cyrano was first produced and performed in the 1997-1998 season by the Roundabout Theater in New York City. Frank not only adapted and directed the play but then also starred as the conflicted Cyrano in his own play.

“A number of years ago, it began to occur to me that this play, so universally loved, might be very effective as a chamber piece. My reasons were two-fold. Most of us have known the pain of unrequited love, and many people ruin their lives holding out for an ideal beyond them, when true happiness is right under their noses, so to speak.”

The production previews on Thursday, March 18th and Friday, March 19th, 2010 with the Gala Opening Performance on Saturday, March 20th, 2010. A post-show discussion will be held on March 28th, 2010. The production is scheduled to run through April 18th, 2010.

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The young filmmakers at Adobe Youth Voices (affectionately AYV) and Cinequest Film Camp recently wrapped week 3 on their film projects. Loni was there to capture some of the action, the nerves, and the excitement. It all comes together to spark the creative process.

Shortly you’ll get to see these teens enjoy their efforts screened on the big screens at Cinema 12 in front of family and friends.

War, pollution, identity, and gang violence are just some of the themes being explored. Community and up-bringing play a significant role in the types of messages that the kids want to communicate. Their world is full of challenges that didn’t exist in previous generations. As a result, these films have vibrancy and honesty that can only come from being so passionately committed to the work.

There are also plenty of tricks of the trade, and techno gadgetry in use here too including green screens, stop motion photography, and motion graphics.

We hope when you watch these videos you get a sense of the thrill that is the filmmaking process from beginning to end. In case you missed previous episodes, here are the links: week 1, week 2.

Coming soon, we capture the world premiere of the films at Cinequest. And then get some interviews and reaction to the screenings!

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Download DIY plans for this planter box

It’s that time of year, at least in this part of the world: to welcome spring. For some of us on the west coast that means less rain, for others it means a very thankful respite from snow.

If you’re looking for a project that might satiate your spring excitement more than just, say, cleaning, then check out Loni’s plans for a DIY vegetable planter box. A few years back we scoured the Internet for ideas on how to build a box for our yard. The goal was to grow some vegetables, tomatoes mostly, but also some cucumbers, strawberries and hot peppers (for my Thai meals, pairing perfectly with Riesling). Herbs were also a possibility.

Surprisingly, though, we never could find the right style, or enough detail on how to build one. So Loni, being type A and all, whipped up a set of home-made plans. I thought she was crazy. At Home Depot, it seemed rather random at first. We dashed through the aisles, grabbing wood here, bolts there. Soon we had amassed a small pile of DIY stuff. I grimaced, knowing I would be the hired help. Loni would wear the white cap. Okay, this would take at least a few beers.

Turns out building the planter box was much easier than we anticipated. Best of all, the thing is very sturdy, and spacious.

Loni made the plans available on SSC, along with some how-to videos. To our complete shock, we have almost reached 1,000 downloads now. People from all over seemed to have faced the same challenge finding the right container plans, and some how stumble on Loni’s hand drawn plans. We get all sorts of comments from New Zealand, Australia, UK, Canada and the US. Even better, some have sent us completed photos of their finished projects. How wild it is for us to see a planter box virtually identical to ours in someone else’s yard.

So, if you’re looking for a spring gardening project, here’s all the links to Loni’s DIY vegetable planter box. Happy gardening! And please send us your photos, stories and recipes too.

Vegetable Garden Planter Box: The Basics

• Venturing into Vegetable Gardening (DIY guide with photos)
• Loni Stark’s ‘Venturing into Vegetable Gardening’ Planter Box Plans (fill out form and download free plans)

Getting Started With Your New Planter Box

• Vegetable gardening with Loni episode #1: Organic Fertilizers
• Vegetable gardening with Loni episode #2: Micro irrigation
• Vegetable gardening with Loni episode #3: Maintenance Tips

Recipes

• “Live simply” tomato and feta salad
• Have your own recipe? Go ahead and send it in to Loni and you could be featured on StarkSilverCreek! Send Loni your recipe to loni@starksilvercreek.com

Photos From SSC Readers Around the World That Have Downloaded and Used Lonis’ Plans!

• Vegetable planter box update from David B. in Australia
• Paul B’s vegetable planter box for refreshing cucumber salads
• Monica’s ‘Sail away with me’ Vegetable Planter Box

Inspiration

• Clint’s championship peppers are winning the vegetable garden race
• How to create a kitchen garden when you don’t live at the White House
• Container gardening inspirations from Murrieta’s Well Winery

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