Send to KindleTweetThe Raspberry Pi has been getting a lot of attention recently, for a many different reasons, but what is it exactly?It is a small computer ( Only about the size of a credit card ) made from parts you’d normally find in a smart phones, tablets and other small computing devices. So, why are people excited about it? One of the main reasons is the price. The device costs only $25 for the Model A, which has 1 USB port and no Ethernet socket, and $35 for the Model B, which has 2 USB ports, and a built in Ethernet socket . This computer is not very powerful with only 256mb of memory and a 700mhz processor, but as the device is an ARM based device, and will most likely only be running Gnu/Linux distributions, which are lightweight, this shouldn’t be a very large issue. The goal of this device is to teach programming to children by offering a cheap alternative to the expensive computers on the market today. The device can also be hooked up to a Television screen, which solves the dilemma of purchasing an expensive monitor . The Raspberry Pi is especially useful for people that live in developing countries who cannot afford more expensive computers and are yearning for technological education. As more developers gain access to the Raspberry Pi, a significant amount of software will be created that will make this cheap, versatile computer even more useful. It’s not the first ‘mini’ computer the market has seen, but is a pretty cool project all the same.[Image] [Source] Read more »
What does “rooting” mean?
Send to KindleTweet People have been rooting their Android phones since soon after the smart phone platform was released. But what is rooting, exactly? And why should you consider doing it? I’ll go through these questions and more throughout this post. So first off, what is rooting? Rooting is basically having permissions given to your phone that you couldn’t have before, known as Superuser permissions. For example, rooted users can flash custom ROMs to their devices. ROMs are custom versions of Android that have different features, such as having features your phone normally wouldn’t have or making it extremely fast. If you are frustrated that your phone’s manufacturer isn’t updating your phone to the latest version of Android, just flash a ROM such as CyanogenMod. You also have the ability to overclock your phone, which gives you a performance boost. Now that you know what rooting is, you may be wondering how you do it. Well, they isn’t one way, as it depends on the phone. Many phones are able to be rooted simply by downloading a programing and clicking a button. It’s pretty easy. Rooting your phone has many advantages, like the ones I went over earlier. But there are some disadvantages as well. First, your phone warranty will be voided if you root your phone. If you aren’t sure how to fix problems yourself, you may not want to root. Another disadvantage about rooting is that there is a very small chance your device will be “bricked,” or permanently broken. If you follow instructions, however, you shouldn’t run into a problem. So that wraps up this post. Do I find rooting worth it? Yes, I do. If you pay attention to the instructions you can find online about how to root your device, I think you will find the pros definitely outweigh the cons. Read more »
The rise and fall of netbooks
Send to KindleTweet When netbooks came out a few years ago, people loved them. For a price cheaper than a regular laptop, you got a portable computer that was very light and easy to carry around. Sure, they weren’t the fastest. But they were cheap. Once PC manufacturers realized the potential of these little computers, they all started creating their own netbooks, and netbook sales shot up. Everybody needed to have one. People were doing all kinds of things with them. One was Dell’s Mini 9, which was a popular netbook for people to “Hackintosh” by putting Apple’s Mac OS X onto the system. But recently, netbooks sales have been in decline. Even though today’s netbooks are much better in specs and price compared those of a few years ago, they aren’t in demand nearly as much as they used to be. Many believe the reason for this is because of tablets like Apple’s iPad. Tablets offer a relatively affordable way to get on the internet and do some basic tasks, just like netbooks do. However, they are even lighter and more portable then netbooks are. They also feature touch screens, which allow developers to make all kinds of innovative applications that wouldn’t be possible to make for a netbook. Even though netbooks aren’t as popular as they used to be, they still are an important part of tech history. They gave people the opportunity to get a portable computer for a very low price, which is why netbooks will always be remembered as the computers that allowed many to start computing on the go. For that reason, the netbook is an important piece of tech history. Read more »
Why the Kindle Fire will succeed
Send to KindleTweetWhen the Kindle Fire was introduced back in September, there were some skeptical people. Many thought that Amazon reaching the $200 price point would mean the tablet experience would be much worse than on other tablets at higher price points. They mentioned the lack of cameras, Bluetooth, a microphone, and more. But it doesn’t matter. Here’s why. When doubters mention the lack of these features, they aren’t thinking of the Kindle Fire’s target market. The Fire is for people who want to sit back and just play some games, read books, and watch movies. The new document translation feature is also really awesome. For them, cameras, Bluetooth, and microphones don’t matter to them. All they want is a way to enjoy content. Nothing more, nothing less. So, overall, I think the Kindle Fire will be great for people that just want to have an easy way to have a ton of content at their fingertips. And that’s what they’ll get. With Amazon Prime on the device, people will be able to stream tons of content for only $79 a year. That’s all most people need. With this price point, parents will be able to give their kids tablets without breaking the bank. The Fire will be what puts tablets into the hands of people that didn’t want to drop hundreds more for a more expensive tablet. And that’s what’s exciting. Read more »