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Normally, I don’t use this space to blog about software but the Flock web browser has recently shown up on my radar. At version 1.1, this is an early stage in the development of this “Social Web Browser” – a Mozilla/Gecko browsing core with integrated social bookmarking, blogging, media and webmail support.

Users who are online all day know that every keystroke saved is worth investigating. That (and my general, geek’s interest) what was initially intriguing about the FREE Flock browser download I saw in the PC Magazine Best Free Software list. Through a vertical browser frame, Flock loads quick links to your favorite social services. If you’re big into communities like Facebook, Flickr, Blogger or Magnolia the browser allows you to pre-load your user information for quick and easy access to those services. Webmail services like GMail are supported as well, so all bases are covered. As stated within their company info,

Flock is an open source company that innovates on the superior, constantly-improving Mozilla architecture to provide a fast, safe and competitive browsing experience.

Which brings me to my only cynical question: How is the Flock browser better or different than customizing Firefox itself with toolbars and add-ins? Maybe you can tell me. The two are so closely related that my StatsCounter info reads Flock as Firefox. To be precise, the browser footprint reads as Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.12) Gecko/20080304 Firefox/2.0.0.12 Flock/1.1.

The install is currently only approved for Windows machines (with the notable exception of Ultima Linux) but indications are it’ll run smoothly on any GNU/Linux on x86 box. Perhaps I’ll hop on my Asus Laptop running their slick Linux OS, install the browser and see what happens.

What kind of reception is this upstart receiving from the tech world at large? Recently, the Flock web browser was awarded a South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) Annual Web Award under the “community” category. There’s been a bit of press in Wired and other outlets but let’s see if their user base can drum up enough support to keep the angel-funded venture on a roll. If the 160+ topics in the Community section of their forums is any indication, good buzz is well under way.

Technorati Tags: Flock web browser

Good things come in small packages… 7.5 x 9.4 x 3.2 packages to be precise. The Nokia N800 Internet Tablet PC is one of the new breed of web-enabled devices that use 802.11b/g Wi-Fi to connect to the world with Internet calling, IM and multimedia capabilities. Is it worth the low $239.00 sale price we have featured?

The device is described by the manufacturer as including:

4.1-inch touchscreen has an 800 x 400-pixel resolution with up to 65,536 colors. You can access controls with your fingers or use the included stylus, and the N800 provides intuitive handwriting recognition and a full-screen finger keyboard.

Rechargeable battery provides up to 10 days of standby time and up to 3 hours of continuous Web browsing or media playback.

256 MB of on-board flash memory and 128 MB of RAM. It also offers two expansion slots that are compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia, miniSD, and microSD memory cards with a size limit of 2 GB. (Adapter required for miniSD and microSD.) You can also connect the N800 to a PC using the included USB cable to update software and transfer files from the PC to the a memory card. For multimedia playback, the N800 is compatible with MP3 and WMA digital audio files (as well as AAC, M3U, and WAV), Real Audio streams, and video files encoded as AVI or MPEG4. The UPnP media server lets users share music, video, and photos with others on the same Wi-Fi network. The device uses two integrated speakers as well as a headphone jack for personal listening.

Features the Opera web browser, which provides Flash 7 multimedia support. Other applications include an RSS feed reader (for accessing all your favorite news sources), a PDF reader, image viewer, Internet radio player, and instant messenger with voice and video conferencing capabilities (using the Jabber and Google Talk services).

Built-in chat programs and easy-to-use onscreen keyboard.

While there are a few three star reviews, most self-professed “gear heads” rated this device with 4 or 5 stars. Here’s one user’s detailed review:

INTERNET – I am a little frustrated over Internet visibility, even though the resolution is excellent. When I magnify the webpage for text, the icons also magnify and crowd out the visibility of the text, so I cannot read all the information. My laptop is obviously much more accommodating. The I-phone does a better job with the visibility issue.

NOKIA DOWNLOADS – I am having trouble finding just where there might be a complete list of available downloads for this great little thing. The ones recommended within the device are good, but the list is small. I am looking for something like OPEN OFFICE, so I have good calendar and address book programs. I would also like a good Bible reader and recording software, which I am not finding.

SKYPE – I downloaded SKYPE right away, and when I call my friends, they say they can hear me just fine, so the microphone and speakers are adequate. My one criticism of the software is that I cannot type in the name of someone and just isolate that person. I have to scroll to find the person I want to call.

RADIO – One of the most pleasant surprises for me as been Internet radio. I can easily download the radio stations I want to listen to and pick them up when in a WIFI environment. The Sound Quality is excellent. As for local radio, I love the fact that I can pick up local FM stations. I just wish I could also pick up AM stations. Is there software out there to do that?

MEMORY – I appreciate that there are two SD card slots for external memory. I have downloaded a lot of my digital music, and it is easier to use for choosing selections than my daughter’s mp3 player. They say the maximum capacity is 2 gigs for each card, but I am going to try an 8 gig card in one of the slots to see if it will play all of the digital music I have stored on my laptop.

TEXT – So far, the only useful software I have downloaded is the PDF reader. Nothing Microsoft can be read by the Nokia N800 as it has come, and I have not yet found any software that will allow me to read my documents from Word, Excel, Power Point… I hope there is software that will allow me to store my documents with Microsoft software on my SD card, but allow me to read and even edit my documents on this handheld.

EMAIL – I am enjoying the email software this device came pre-loaded with. I have two different servers sending my emails to this little device, and it has been very handy for reading, but not for editing, just because the keyboard is so small.

So if you’re the type that likes to have multiple gadgets, this is a low cost option. From what I’m reading, though, those interested in the MOST power and the MOST options should probably look elsewhere. Anyone with another opinion?

Technorati Tags: Nokia tablet

Home computers have now been on the market for around 20 years. As they’ve become more than just number-crunching machines, our requirement of them (as users) has grown from simple completion of tasks to integration into the fabric of our lives. Think of the ugly beige boxes you had to buy back in the 80s and 90s… then came the iMac, which started us down the path of “pretty” computers that looked nice on our desks. This trend has continued with computer system manufacturers like Alienware, who feature slick outer shells and light up interiors. But there are also those desktop systems that truly seek beauty in their design and simplicity in use. Enter the Sony VAIO VGC-LT17N All-In-One Desktop – a 4.5 star rated computer that’s as much a piece of art as it is a powerful computing platform.

Sony VAIO All-In-One

From first glance, you can tell this is more than just an ordinary box. The all in one design merges the motherboard into the beautiful 22-inch LCD screen. What results is a computer you can hang on your wall that looks like a nice picture frame when turned off. But will you ever turn it off? Since it includes an integrated TV tuner and remote, this system truly can become an all-in-one solution for your home or home office. In case you’re wondering, the wireless keyboard and mouse communicate with the main unit via Wi-Fi LAN, virtually eliminating ugly, hard wiring.

So what about the specs? The VGC-LT17N uses a 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 processor with 4 MB L2 cache for power. This is complemented by a 320 GB hard drive, 2 GB installed RAM (with 4 GB max) and up to 358 MB of vRAM through the Intel GMA X3100 graphics card. There are five USB ports, 1 FireWire, 1 PCMCIAs slot and even a 56K modem if you feel like going old school. Being a Sony, it also features a multi-format Memory Stick reader, a Secure Digital memory card slot and support for Gigabit Ethernet wired networking built in. (Sony just loves those memory sticks…) It ships with Windows Vista Business which, honestly, appears to be the only reason why anyone who purchased the VAIO VGC-LT17N complained.

The reviews are excellent, with owners quoted as saying “flawless”, “easiest setup ever” and “absolutely the best” and freely giving 5 stars out of 5. Those who were skeptical were won over by the ease of setup and boot time, the beauty of the 22 inch screen and the overall execution of the all-in-one computing goal.

I’ve checked the price through our shopping system, which is $1,661.68 + FREE shipping. Since the total weight of this machine is around 35 lbs, I’d say the free shipping offer trumps the slightly-lower price seen when you search Google for the VAIO VGC-LT17N.

See Also:

• BizRate reviews
• ZDNet’s information on the VGC-LT1N
• Sony All-In-One info on Retrevo
• PCWorld’s pricing roundup

I’m very excited – I got my new Asus Eee PC ($299) running Linux. I will write a full review later but, for now, here are screenshots from the primary menu “tabs” within the OS.

There’s one last tab for “favorites” as well – you can put whatever you’d like there.

I found it using my own StatsCounter logs… The Asus Linux laptop computer for just $299! Do your own research or trust the 4 to 5 star feedback on our Asus Laptop page, but this gem features an 800 MHz Intel Celeron Processor, 512 MB DDR DRAM, 2 GB Hard Drive and Linux Preloaded. From what I’m reading, this version of Linux even supports Windows XP.

When it comes to what you can expect, other than a 7″ screen, you won’t be disappointed:

Get the power of a full-sized laptop in the ultra-compact ASUS Eee PC 2G Surf, which offers a full QWERTY keyboard, 7-inch screen, and preinstalled Linux operating system. (This laptop is also compatible with the Microsoft Windows XP operating system.) You’ll be able to stay connected to email and the Internet easily thanks to the Wi-Fi LAN (802.11b/g). Because it uses flash memory instead of a hard drive (with 2 GB of storage), the Eee PC is optimal for weathering rough handling and sharing space in overstuffed bags.

An interesting thing that I found while looking over the reviews is that this little baby is expandable as well.

“I… added the 8 GB SDHC card for file storage. In the future as the SDHC format expands you could have truly unlimited storage at a reasonable price.”

Another thing that I love seeing – one of the reviewers is happy to have spent $400 for his/her Asus laptop, saying “Best $400 ever spent!” But you can get one for under $300 before shipping, at just $299 through our shopping system. The Sky Blue model is my favorite. No joke, I’m ordering one now.

update – I ordered the Sky Blue one with the 8GB card (for just $42 more). There was even a free shipping option. I will let you know my opinion when I receive it…

Technorati Tags: Asus