BMODO12 WINDOWS TABLET REVIEWED

The bModo12 is a Windows tablet with an 11.6 inch display. It has an Intel Atom N450 processor and a Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator. Other specifications are pretty standard. The tablet has 32GB SSD, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS and an accelerometer.

In terms of looks the bModo12 isn't all that different from the ExoPC Windows tablet. Both machines are probably based on the same design and were built by the same OEM. The software, on the other hand, is different. ExoPC runs the custom ExoPC user interface on top of Windows 7, while the bModo12 runs a few custom apps.

All Touch Tablet has posted a detailed review of the bModo12. The reviewer is impressed with the tablet's performance and software. On the flip side, the tablet gets only around 3 hours of battery life. It also has a huge price tag. The base model with 1GB of RAM is priced at $799. $849 will get you the 2GB version.

The bModo12 is now available for purchase from Amazon and bModo stores.

APPLE SELLS NEARLY 15 MILLION IPADS IN 2010

In the quarter ending December 25th Apple sold 7.33 million iPads. But that is not the number of iPads sold during the whole number... that's just the numbers for the fiscal quarter. During the previous quarter the company sold 4.19 million iPads. The quarter before that saw 3.27 million iPads reaching the hands of its owners. That means Apple sold nearly 15 million iPads since launching the tablet in April 2010.

Part of this success can be attributed to the fact that Apple faced little competition in the tablet space during the year. Sure, a number of Chinese companies launched cheap Android tablets in 2010 and Samsung introduced its Galaxy Tab. Although, the Samsung Galaxy Tab was indeed a success, it couldn't diminish the popularity of iPad.

Apple will, however, face real competition in 2011 now that companies like Asus, HP, Motorola and RIM have also announced their tablets. It will be interesting to see if Apple manages to sell equally impressive numbers of iPads during this year.

ASUS EEE SLATE EP121 FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The Asus Eee Slate EP121 is a Windows tablet with a 12 inch capacitive touchscreen display. It was introduced at CES and now the folks at Blogeee have posted a short review of the tablet.

The Eee Slate EP121 is different from most other tablets that are going to flood the market in the coming months. For one thing, it has a larger 12 inch display. Most tablets have 7 to 10 inch displays. It also comes with a Wacom active digitizeer which will help with handwriting recognition, drawing and some other tasks. What's more, EP121 has an Intel Core i5 processor which makes it way more powerful than other ARM-based tablets on the market.

Other specifications too are pretty impressive. The tablet has 2GB of DDR3 memory, up to 64GB SSD, Bluetooth, WiFi 802.11b/g/n and HDMI output. But premium features command a premium price tag. The base model of EP121 is priced at $999.

At 2.6 pounds, the EP121 is a bit heavy to hold in one hand. Real world reviews are not yet available, but the machine is expected to get only around 3 hours of battery life.

MEET NET SURFER PRO: THE 10 INCH ANDROID NETBOOK FOR THE UK

UK retailer Next has introduced a 10 inch laptop running Google Android. The netbook called the Next Surfer Pro has a 1GHz processor, 256MB of RAM and 16GB of storage. It runs Android 2.1 and also has WiFi, a flash card reader and 2 USB ports.

Next hasn't revealed the detailed specs of the device, but a Japanese website says that the netbook has an ARM11-based processor. In terms of looks, the Surfer Pro is an attractive little laptop. It has a nice keyboard. The touchpad isn't very big and seems to have just one button.

On the down side, Android as an operating system isn't quite suitable for a device like this.Although Android runs well on ARM-based processors, it is essentially an operating system designed for small screen devices like smartphones. Sure, Android is the preferred operating system for tablets and it may even make activities like web surfing a pleasant experience. However, users may have difficulty installing third party applications or navigating through some Android menus.

On the other hand, the Next Surfer Pro is quite cheap. It is priced at £155, or about $248 US.

ASUS UNVEILS EEE PC SIROCCO AKA EEE PC 1015PW

A few days ago Asus launched a teaser campaign for a netbook called the Eee PC Sirocco. The teaser had the tag line 'making waves' which kind of gave the impression that Asus would be launching an innovative product that would make waves in the industry. But now it looks like Asus was just talking about a wavy textured paint job on the lid.

Regarding specs, there is nothing particularly impressive about the Eee PC Sirocco. In fact, it has now turned out that Sirocco is just another name of the Eee PC 1015PW introduced in October.

The Eee PC Sirocco or 1015PW will be available in purple, gold or pink lids. It has a 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 dual core processor, 1GB of DDR3 memory, a 250GB / 320GB hard drive, WiFi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0. The 10.1 inch display has a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. Still no word on pricing or availability.

TOSHIBA SATELLITE C650D-BT2N15 WITH AMD FUSION APU GOES ON SALE IN THE US

The Toshiba Satellite C650D with AMD's latest Fusion APU technology has gone on sale in the US. The Satellite C650D-BT2N15 is Toshiba's first laptop based on the Fusion platform.

The configurable C650D-BT2N15 has a 15.6 inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. It is available with your choice of a single core 1.5GHz AMD E-240 or a 1.6GHz dual core AMD E-350 processor. Both processors come bundled with the Radeon HD 6310 graphics and UVD3 HD video decoder.

Other specifications include up to 4GB of RAM, up to 500GB hard drive, a DVD burner, WiFi 802.11n, 2 USB ports, a VGA output port, a multi-in-one media card reader and an optional webcam and microphone.

The Satellite C650D-BT2N15 weighs 5.5 pounds. It runs Windows 7 Home Premium operating system. Prices start at $399.00 at Toshiba Direct.

CLOSER LOOK AT THE ENSPERT E201 ANDROID TABLET

Dynamism will start taking pre-orders for the Enspert E201 Android tablet on February 1st. Shipping will reportedly start a few weeks later.

The Enspert E301 is an interesting tablet PC. It possesses excellent build quality and has a 7 inch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. However, the version that Dynamism is going to sell will have a 7 inch, 800 x 480 pixels display instead.

Other features include a capacitive touchscreen display, a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor and two cameras - one on the front side and another on the rear side. The machine runs Google Android 2.2. Interestingly, it has access to the Android Market and official Gmail app. The tablet also has HDMI port for transferring HD video to an external HDTV. The supported connectivity options include WiFi and Bluetooth. There is no 3G.

The tablet will sell for a reasonable $349 in the US.

DELL STREAK 7 ANDROID TABLET REVIEWED

The Dell Streak 7 Android tablet will be available from T-Mobile for $199.99 after rebate on a 2 year service contract. It will start shipping on February 2nd. The SIM free version will run $450.

The Streak 7 has a 7 inch Gorilla Glass display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. It is powered by a NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor. The tablet is 4G enabled and will connect to T-Mobile's HSPA+4G network. It also has WiFi and Bluetooth.

The Streak 7 will ship with Android 2.2. It is not clear whether an update to Android Honeycomb 3.0 is anywhere on the cards. Although the tablet hasn't hit the market yet, many tech blogs have already published detailed reviews. Here is a quick overview.

Crunchgear thinks that the Streak 7 is a nice tablet. But the funky UI doesn't quite make it stand out from the rest. Gizmodo found the display's lower resolution and the tablet's inability to make phone calls disappointing. Engadget reports that besides being of a lower resolution, the display is less bright and has poor viewing angles. Engadget, however, found the tablet more responsive than the Galaxy Tab, but got only around 6 hours of battery life. In the Laptop Magazine review, the Streak 7 managed to get only 2 stars out of 5. The reviewer got only around 4 hours of battery life and wasn't impressed with a low resolution display.

Overall, it looks like the Streak 7 may have a tough time competing with the dozens of tablets expected to hit the market this year. However, the snappy Tegra 2 processor, 4G mobile broadband connectivity and a relatively cheap price tag may attract some buyers.

LG G SLATE COMING THIS SPRING, CAN SHOOT 3D VIDEOS

T-Mobile has released detailed specifications of the upcoming LG G-Slate Android tablet. The LG G-Slate was announced at CES. The tablet has a 1GHz dual core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, 32GB of built-in storage, a gyroscope and an accelerometer. Most importantly, it has two cameras on the back side. One of these can be used to shoot 1080p HD video in 3D.To view the recorded 3D clips on the tablet's display, you will need glasses, though. The second camera on the back is rated at 5 megapixel. It is for shooting stills and has an LED flash. There is a third camera on the front side for video calls.

The G-Slate has an 8.9 inch display. It will run the tablet optimized Android Honeycomb operating system. There is still no word on pricing, but the tablet is tipped for a launch this spring.

CLOSER LOOK AT GIGABYTE'S S1080 WINDOWS TABLET

Gigabyte unveiled a new 10 inch Windows tablet at CES 2011. The Gigabyte S1080 has a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N570 dual core processor, 1GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive. The 10.1 inch capacitive multitouch display has a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. The tablet runs Windows 7 Home Premium and has a VGA ouput port, an Ethernet jack and a USB 3.0 port.

Unlike Android which is very touch friendly, Windows is designed for mouse input. Keeping this point in mind, Gigabyte has added a few buttons including left and right mouse buttons to the tablet. The tablet also comes pre-loaded with Gigabyte's AppPark software which is a small suite of touch friendly apps.

Gigabyte has been producing convertible tablet-style netbooks for a while, but the S1080 is the company's first Atom-powered computer without a physical display. No word on pricing or availability.

ASUS EEE NOTE EA800 TO SHIP IN EUROPE IN FEBRUARY

The Asus Eee Note EA800 will start shipping in Europe in February for 259 Euros (about $355US). The EA800 is essentially a digital note taking device which can also be used as an eBook reader.

The tablet has a grayscale display which supports 64 shades of gray. It comes with a stylus for pressure-sensitive note-taking. There is also a Wacom active digitizer for handwriting recognition. Other features include a 2 megapixel camera. Although the camera can take color pictures, you can't view them in full color on the tablet's grayscale display.

The EA800 has an 8 inch display with a resolution of 768 x 1024 pixels. It will get around 13 hours of battery life. The device comes standard with 4GB of onboard storage. There is also an SD card slot for expansion. The supported connectivity option is WiFi 802.11b/g.

TOSHIBA NB550D NOW SHIPPING IN EUROPE AND AUSTRALIA

The Toshiba NB550D with AMD's Ontario processor is not yet available in the US. However, the netbook has started shipping in many parts of Europe and Australia.

The Toshiba NB550D has a 1GHz dual core AMD C-50 Ontario processor. The Ontario processors are highly power efficient. They consume just 9W of power. And because they come bundled with the Radeon HD 6250 graphics they will deliver excellent graphics performance including 1080 HD video playback and support for DirectX 11. In fact, in many benchmark tests, these processors have delivered graphics performance comparable to NVIDIA's ION.

The Toshiba NB550D has a 10.1 inch display with 16:9 aspect ratio. Other specifications include up to 2GB of DDR3 RAM, 250GB storage, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 and HDMI output.

New Macbook Air

Apple has officially revealed the new Macbook Air at a press event in Cupertino, California. The new MacBook Air series includes 11- and 13-inch models available starting at $999. What’s new in the updated Air? The updates are no small potatoes…

The new MacBook Air features flash-only storage, a large, multi-touch trackpad, an extended battery life and a high resolution display. For speed and size, Apple has switched exclusively to flash storage for the new MacBook Air, with capacity options of 64GB and 128GB available. The new multi-touch enabled trackpad is large and in charge, located on a deep amount of space directly below the space bar. The battery life on the Air will run for 5 hours on wireless productivity mode and can last for up to 30 days on standby. Last, the new display on the MacBook Air is an LED-backlit high resolution screen capable of supporting millions of colors in vibrant detail.

The Dodge Tomahawk Concept Motorcycle

The Tomahawk is a Viper V-10 based motorcycle, a 500 horsepower engine with four wheels beneath it. The engine breathes through twin throttle bodies mounted right up front (the two round things above the front tires are). While the Tomahawk has the same number of tires as a car, it keeps the motorcycle form factor otherwise. This is no sedan...

Chrysler sold nine replicas through Neiman Marcus, for $555,000 each. The motorcycles cannot be driven on public roads. A spokesman told Reuters they were meant as rolling sculptures, presumably to avoid legal liability. They are driveable - just not (legally) on public roads. The Tomahawk concept is an awesome-sounding machine; we saw it started and revved. Clouds of blue smoke vied for attention with the throaty rumble of the mighty V-10, and hitting the gas visibly opened the twin throttle body blades up front where the headlight would normally be. Though deeper and more rumbling than most motorcycles, it did not seem to be louder overall - just deeper, with no shrill overtones.

Wolfgang Bernhard, Chrysler's first mate at the time, was said to be enthusiastic about that project, so much so that hundreds were projected to be built at under $200,000 each (probably below breakeven). They reportedly cost Chrysler over $100,000 to build (the work is outsourced), not including engineering costs. The Dodge Tomahawk can reach 60 miles an hour in about 2.5 seconds, and has a theoretical top speed of nearly 400 mph. Each pair of wheels is separated by a few inches and each wheel has an independent suspension. Bernhard said four wheels were necessary to handle the power from the engine.

Terex RH 400 - Worlds Largest Hydraulic Shovel

The Terex RH400 is the worlds largest hydraulic shovel and weighs 1078 Tons with a shovel capacity of 94 tons in a single scoop. It can fill huge mining trucks like the Komatsu 930E with 3 or 4 passes. The RH400 has the working ability to scoop up around 9900 tons of material ever hour which is a world record for a vehicle of this type.

The entire hydraulic system for the RH400 holds 3400 Gallons, because the RH400 can work in extreme conditions there are several devices to pre-heat the engine oil, the coolant and hydraulic oil so it doesn't cool down to difficult operation levels, these machines are like anything else automotive...they like to run best whilst warmed up. The hydraulics on this machine are quite something to behold which is why there is a 1000 liter capacity pump holding grease for the regular automatic joint greasing. Too much friction on any of the working members could spell disaster considering how much weight the RH400 has to handle.

The shovel on the RH400 can hold 85 tons of burden in a single scoop and weighs 80 tons on its own and the hydraulic arm that lifts the combined weight of 165 tons is held in by a strong metal pin, the metal pin weighs a mere 3 tons. The below images show a closer view of the bucket and the pin being inserted into the arm. See a YouTube video of the RH400 in action. Its only when we see some actual video of a machine like this that we can appreciate its power and capabilities a bit more. It only takes between 3 to 5 scoops to fill up 240 to 400 ton mining trucks and when you consider that these machines work 7 days a week 365 days a year, its saving a lot of Time = Money for the mine owners.

Hovercraft Civilian and Military Applications

A hovercraft is a craft capable of travelling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.

Hovercraft are used throughout the world as specialized transports. They can also be used after a natural disaster for emergency purposes. Because they are supported by a cushion of air, hovercraft are unique among all other forms of ground transportation in their ability to travel equally well over land, ice, and water. Small hovercraft are used for sport, or passenger service, while giant hovercraft have civilian and military applications, and are used to transport cars, tanks, and large equipment in hostile environments and terrain.

Military Hovercraft