Novemeber 8th marked Microsoft's re-emergence in the smartphone space with the debut of Windows Phone 7. Microsoft isn't new to smartphones; their Windows Mobile operating system has been powering phones long before companies like Apple and Google joined the fray. However, somewhere along the lines Microsoft fell behind in modern phone making trends. Windows Mobile just wasn't as attractive to people in post iPhone world.
Since upgrading to a new Windows Phone 7 smartphone last November, my aged AT&T 8525 Windows Mobile 6 device has done nothing but museum duties (filling space on a shelf). It's a shame to see decent tech serve no purpose. I won't argue with anyone that the old Windows Mobile OS isn't up to the same level of on-the-go user friendliness of modern phones like the iPhone, Android, and Windows Phones, but that doesn't mean it's now a useless hunk of plastic.
A fellow TechLore editor recently picked up a CR-48 Chromebook running Google Chrome, and has since been sharing mcuh about his experience using Google's browser/quasi OS combo. Once I got past my initial "shiny gadget I don't have jealosy moment," I was surprised to hear a fellow tech geek get so excited about so little. It's a notebook that doesn't do everything a notebook does, yet people are clamoring for devices like this.
Below are several things I've heard him (and others) while telling me all about their low power computing device and their reasoning for believing that these devices are superior to the notebook. And of course, why I don't get it.
"I've been working for a few hours this morning, and it says I have 6 hours of battery left. I could work all day with this."
Home theatre systems are playing an increasing role in our lives as the recession is driving new trends for staying at home rather than spending money on going out. To quantify this, total user spend on AV (including home theatre systems) in 2011 was approximately 2.8billion. Home theatre encompasses everything from television, DVD players and speakers. However the process of installing a home theatre system remains a mystery to most, therefore we have put together a basic guide to assist you with this.