Stylish Laptop Sleeves and Cell Phone Covers

You can say goodbye to the boring old laptop cases of the past - there’s no need to cart your computer around in a dull case when there are so many stylish choices out there! Not only are there cool styles to choose from, laptop bags now also come in the funkiest colors, shapes and styles as well. Depending on where you will be taking your laptop, it’s important that you choose the right case that will both protect your laptop from getting damaged and also look great! Even though your laptop is perfectly safe at home, if you want to bring it to a coffee shop, a friend’s house or to school, it’s very important that you get a laptop sleeve to keep your computer safe. Anything can happen if you carry your laptop around and it’s better to be safe than sorry. Luckily, it’s easy to do it in style with these fashionable laptop sleeves!

How to Choose a Laptop Sleeve

Make sure you buy the right size sleeve for your laptop. Even though some shopping sites might say that their case is a “standard size”, it might just mean 15” which obviously won’t fit every computer! It’s important to get a perfect fit for your laptop to prevent it from shifting around in the case. The snugger the fit, the more protected your laptop is. You can also opt for a laptop messenger bag and many backpacks now have a built in padded protective for your computer. However, laptop sleeves make it easy to transfer your laptop to any bag and it’s the least bulky way to tote it around. The only drawback is that there is no place to put accessories or chargers in a laptop sleeve so make sure you have plenty of room to store those safely.

Cool Cell Phone Covers

Getting a cool case or cover is a great and simple way to add some style and personality to your cell phone! There are so many options out there that it’s easy to get a bit overwhelmed. Do you want a big Hello Kitty face on the back of your iPhone? Do you want your Blackberry to be covered in pink crystals? Or do you prefer something more simple - a sleek black and white zebra print case or a rubber shell in a bright color? If you get bored of your Hello Kitty phone, it’s super easy to just snap it off and replace it with something else that suits your fancy - some of our friends seem to change their cell phone covers every month! Whether you have a flip phone, iPhone or snazzy Android phone, there is a definitely a case out there that will snap on and off just like a mini wardrobe for your phone! We chose some of our favorites for the Kidzworld gallery!

Accessories for large laptops

 Lugging around a big laptop is not good for your back. Now that that’s out the way, and you’re still not swayed from owning that admittedly gorgeous 17-inch laptop, here’s a bunch of laptop accessories that will go well with your titan top.
LAPTOP BAGS
It helps naught to have fancy laptop accessories if you don’t even invest in the bare basics, like a suitable laptop bag for your 17-inch laptop. Thankfully, we recently wrote a post on the best laptop bags for large laptops, which will get you started on the right foot. While that posts is worth reading because it recommends specific items, we learnt two main things from buying bags for larger laptops. Firstly, comfort is almost everything, because the side effects of discomfort can be severe. Secondly, aesthetics matter but less than they normally would – a laptop bag should look good, but not at the price of comfort.

EXTERNAL STORAGE
Photo: monkeyc.net / Flickr

Though external storage is recommended for all laptops, people who use a 17-inch laptop are more likely to need it. Why’s that? Well, a huge majority of us who use larger laptops do it for work-related reasons, and whether you’re using yours for design, video-editing, 3D graphics modelling, or anything else resource intensive, you’ll need tons of storage space. Very quickly, that once ‘generous’ seeming 500GB built-in hard drive will be filled up. Avoid that. Fortunately, we share in your pain and have put together a few external hard drive buying guides.
VINYLS
Though these surely don’t count completely as accessories, we love Vinyls and since you’re spending so much money buying a large laptop, it’s only right you customise it with aesthetic laptop accessories. The folks over at Gelaskins have made the Vinyl space their own, with unbelievable products. Though they’re most famous for their MP3 player skins, their laptop skins are also awesome.

You can ride this bag to office or college! lol

Tired of carrying heavy bags to your college or office? Here's a solution to zip through the problem.
A professor at the Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar [ Images ] has designed a bag called 'Bag-O-Moto', a bag on wheels.

"With office campuses and institutions spread over acres, carrying one's personal belongings alongwith the laptop and books has led to many cases of cervical problems among youngsters. To address this problem, we decided to design a user friendly bag," says Lovi Raj Gupta, professor, LPU.
"Bago-O-Moto is a gadget on four wheels with a steering handle (plus support aid) stretched out, enabling the user to put all his weight on one foot (the user literally mounts on the gadget on one foot) placed on the platform and holding the steer handle with his hands - while pushing the ground with the other foot - which gives the necessary push/thrust to the gadget to move forward," says Lovi Raj Gupta.
The wooden roller board mounted on four strong caster wheels is capable of bearing a weight of 100 kilograms. The platform is further fitted with a collapsible and foldable handle bar, which serves the dual purpose of support handle when you are riding it and a pull-handle when you are using the gadget as a trolley.
The bag which costs Rs 800, can be folded easily once you reach the destination.

New lawsuit to challenge laptop searches at U.S. border

 Criminal defense lawyers, press photographers and a university student are challenging the Obama administration's search policy permitting officers at U.S. borders to detain travelers' laptop computers and examine their contents even without suspecting the traveler of wrongdoing.
In a federal lawsuit to be filed Tuesday in the Eastern District of New York, the plaintiffs allege that the Department of Homeland Security policy violates constitutional rights to privacy and free speech.
At issue is the government's contention - upheld by two federal appeals courts - that its broad authority to protect the border extends to reviewing information stored in a traveler's laptop, cellphone or other electronic device, even if the traveler is not suspected of involvement in criminal activity. In the government's view, a laptop is no different than a suitcase.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the George W. Bush administration took an expansive view of the government's authority at the border in an effort to stop terrorists from entering the country, and to find evidence of terrorist plots.
The Obama administration has followed suit, the plaintiffs said, with a pair of DHS policies issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in August 2009 that reaffirmed the policy of suspicionless searches at the border.
"Keeping Americans safe in an increasingly digital world depends on our ability to lawfully screen materials entering the United States," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said when the policies were issued. "The new directives . . . strike the balance between respecting the civil liberties and privacy of all travelers while ensuring DHS can take the lawful actions necessary to secure our borders."
But the American Civil Liberties Union, which is filing the case on behalf of the plaintiffs, argues that laptops and smartphones, unlike a suitcase of clothes and toiletries, contain highly personal information, from financial records to family photos. The government should have a "reasonable suspicion" that a crime has been or is about to be committed before reviewing such information, the plaintiffs contend.
Justice Department spokesman Charles Miller said that once the lawsuit is filed, "we'll review it and make a determination on how we'll ultimately respond in court."
ACLU attorney Catherine Crump said this case may be more likely to succeed than previous challenges, which involved criminal defendants whose laptops contained child pornography.
"The plaintiffs in our case are extremely sympathetic, and the harms they suffered are grave," Crump said. "I'm optimistic that a judge seeing that will be more inclined to recognize that the Fourth Amendment requires reasonable suspicion for searches that are this invasive."
The plaintiffs are the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), the National Press Photographers Association and Pascal Abidor. Abidor, a 26-year-old doctoral student and dual U.S.-French citizen, was on an Amtrak train from Montreal to New York to visit family last spring when his laptop was searched and confiscated by CBP officers.
"I had no idea how this would end, what repercussions this would have on any aspect of my life," Abidor said in an interview. "Here my laptop and hard drive were taken away from me, after having done nothing. Having no control over what might happen to me, or over what the government might believe me to be up to, was extremely frightening."
The following account is taken from the complaint and the interview.
On May 1, at an inspection point at the border of Quebec and New York, a CBP officer who had examined Abidor's two passports, which had visas for Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, asked to inspect his belongings. In the train's cafe car, the officer turned on his laptop, ordered him to enter his password and began to examine its contents.
Abidor, whose focus is Islamic studies at Montreal's McGill University, frequently travels internationally to conduct research.
She asked him about personal photos as well as pictures he had downloaded from the Internet for research, including images of rallies by the militant Islamist groups Hamas and Hezbollah. She asked him why he had "this stuff" on his computer, the complaint said. He said that his research focused on the modern history of Shiites in Lebanon.
He was later handcuffed and detained for three hours, and agents asked him to explain why he had so many "symbolic materials" in his possession.
Abidor's laptop and hard drive were returned to him 11 days later. By examining the "last opened" date of files, Abidor saw that officers had examined directory folders on his laptop as well as backup documents stored on his external hard drive. The files included personal photos, a transcript of a chat with his girlfriend, copies of e-mail correspondence, class notes and his tax returns.
Today, Abidor travels with less information on his computer. He "self-censors" photos he downloads to his computer. He said he will have to warn people he interviews for research that U.S. officials may have access to the notes, but fears this will discourage interviewees from being candid.
The NACDL and the New York Civil Liberties Union are co-counsel in the case.
Abidor is among 6,671 travelers whose laptops or other devices were searched between October 2008 and June 2010, according to the ACLU. Slightly less than half - 45 percent - were U.S. citizens.
Eighty-three percent were male, 52 percent identified as white, 10 percent as black and 9 percent as Asian. No category was provided for people of Middle Eastern descent.
The policy also permits agencies under certain circumstances to share the data found on travelers' devices, which was done 282 times between July 2008 and July 2009, according to the ACLU.

Druva delivers deduping laptop backup

 Three-year-old start-up Druva is opening an office in the UK and delivering global deduplicating backup software for laptops. It's Outlook and Office-aware to reduce network transmission loads and provide user self-service restores, which Druva says Avamar cannot.

The product is called inSynch v4.0 and it resides on laptops as a 7MB agent which works in the background and backs up files to a server over network links. The 40MB InSynch server software can support up to 1,000 laptops and run on physical servers or as a virtual machine.
The laptop agent performs source-based deduplication, calculating a checksum fingerprint for blocks to be backed up and ignores the block if it has been backed up already. The server distributes its most recently-seen checksums to all the connected laptop clients, so individual client laptops get a global view. Druva CEO and co-founder Jaspreet Singh says that because inSynch is app-aware as far as Microsoft's Outlook and Office are concerned it understands about things like mail headers and footers being repeated in multiple blocks inside a PST file and, unlike other reduplication products, can deduplicate them.
The software sniffs or checks what type of network connection the laptop has - VPN, LAN or WAN - and optimises the style of network transmission, with smart bandwidth throttling, so as to minimise the network burden. There is what Singh calls intelligent caching to ensure that inSynch client-server communications are fast and efficient.
Laptop users can restore files or folders on self-service basis, with a search facility enabling them to look for , say, mails sent at a particular time or to a certain person etc. Singh said: "We can restore reduplicated data on the fly. Avamar does not have self-service restore." Files can be selected and examined by the user to see how they changed over time with a file at a particular point in time selected for restore.
When it was suggested that inSynch has similarities to Apple's Time Machine backup, he said: "Time Machine does not have search; it doesn't have deduplication; and it's not application-aware."
Druva was founded in 2007 by people who came from Veritas. They saw a need for laptop backup facilities that reflected the fact that laptops were not stationary and couldn't have a backup regime based on a standard scheduled backup time and constant, reliable network connection. Likewise restore should not be based on file versions but on file changes over time; a continuous data protection scheme in effect. Instead the software uses what Druva calls "smart, opportunistic scheduling".
InSynch functionality will be coming for iPhones and iPads later this year with an enterprise server backup product due in the 2011-2012 period.
The company is headquartered in Puna, India, with an office in Santa Monica and now one in London. Its products are sold in 28 countries, using a reseller channel. It is being funded by the Indian Angel Network and Sequoia Capital, the VC firm that funded Google and many other startups. One aspect of Druva's marketing pitch is that business laptops are very poorly served by backup software. Over 30 per cent of corporate data can reside on laptops yet Druva says 67 per cent of these laptops are not backed up.
It says 750,000 laptops were lost at US airports in 2009, so 67 per cent of them probably had no backup of their data. Other backup suppliers, Singh says, do a poor job. Veritas has an ageing and very cheap product. IBM is not active in this market at all and neither is CA. He says the Druva software just sits in the laptop and works and is better than all of them.
Druva's customer list includes NASA, Emerson Network Power, Xerox, Schlumberger, Stihl and, in the UK, Capita. The US Marine Corps also use Druva's software, particularly in Afghanistan where notebooks are threatened by an unusually severe set of risks. There are more than 450 enterprise installations.
Druva's inSynch v 4.0 costs £60 per client license, with discounts for quantity, and £500 for the server software supporting up to 1,000 clients. ®

Lenovo IdeaCentre A310 brings laptop technology to the desktop

Squeezing a laptop platform behind the screen, the all-in-one (AIO) desktop's appeal lies in a smaller footprint and reduced cable clutter as it requires only a single power line. But with notebooks offering a similar performance at around the same price range, and Internet HDTVs elbowing into AIOs' home entertainment functions, this category is facing stiff competition these days.
Lenovo, however, is fighting back with the IdeaCentre A310. Replacing the older Core 2 Duo A300 AIO, the new Intel Core-i desktop not only offers entertainment value, but also technology from its laptop division. For starters, the A310 comes with Lenovo Enhanced Experience for Windows 7, which, according to the Chinese maker, means the system boots up and shuts down faster than most of its competitors. In addition, the AIO features the proprietary Lenovo Rescue System, which automates data backup and recovery.
When it comes to casual multimedia entertainment, the A310 offers an optional TV tuner and remote control for over-the-air broadcasts. The AIO also sports a full HD 21.5-inch display that's LED-backlit, though you'll need to hook up an external DVD or Blu-ray drive if you want to watch movies from discs. An interesting feature is the HDMI ports. One port allows the A310 to output to a larger display, while the other permits gaming consoles or Blu-ray players to use the AIO as a screen.
Lenovo IdeaCentre A310
Core i3/i5 processor
21.5-inch LED-backlit display (1,920 x 1,080)
Integrated Intel graphics
Up to 8GB RAM
Up to 500GB HDD
802.11n, Bluetooth and Gigabit Ethernet connectivity
Four USB 2.0, HDMI-in, HDMI-out, 5-in-1 card reader
Integrated Webcam
Optional external optical drive
Optional TV tuner
Bluetooth keyboard and mouse
Windows 7 Home Premium
524 x 396 x 207mm
9.5kg
The IdeaCentre A310 will launch in Asia from end-October, with pricing details revealed closer to date.

Toshiba denies burning laptop issues in Australia

Toshiba Australia has announced that it hasn’t had any reports by Australian consumers of overheating laptops.

The vendor globally recalled some Satellite laptops for posing a burn hazard to customers. The laptops could overheat and possibly melt the area around the notebook’s plug-in to AC adaptor. It potentially affects 41,000 laptops globally and the models being recalled include the Satellite T135, T135D and Pro T130.

The model and part numbers are located on the bottom of the laptops and being with PST3AU, PST3BU or PST3LU, according the vendor’s support website. The models were sold online and through retailers from August 2009 to August 2010.

“The US, Canada and European markets have experienced a limited number of incidents regarding the issue which have been addressed swiftly with a BIOS download from their local country websites,” Toshiba said in a statement. “The Update will determine if there is a potential issue and if so, immediately disable external power of the product, preventing it from overheating.”

If Australian customers are concerned they go to Toshiba’s website for information.

Microsoft Launches Arc Mouse: Most Wildly Designed Mouse Ever

We're beginning to think that 2010 is the year of new mice. Or should we say, unconventional mice. First was Swiftpoint with their finger-based notebook mouse, and now there's Microsoftwith their Arc Touch Mouse. The design on this one is totally new, and even old-school mouse users will probably need a few moments just to wrap their head around what's going on here.

It's the first mouse designed to flatten for portability and pop up for comfort, featuring a capacitive touch scroll strip allowing you to swiftly navigate with the touch of a finger. This may be the beginning of the end for the scroll wheel, no? As you'd expect, Microsoft has also included a tiny Nano transceiver and Microsoft’s BlueTrack Technology allowing you to track on virtually any surface. It's probably the most alluring travel mouse we've seen yet, or at least the most interesting.

We get the feeling the software will work best on a Windows-based PC, as Microsoft has included this line in the release: "Windows-based PC users will love packing up their laptop bags without the added bump of a mouse, as the Arc Touch Mouse flattens with just the touch of a finger." The entire device is less than 15mm thick and it goes from curved to flat with one simple movement. You'll need two AAA batteries, but they'll supposedly last around six months on a charge. The new Arc Mouse won't ship until early December, but you can set aside the $69.95 now.

Think the Mouse Is Dead? Think Again With Microsoft’s Arc Touch Mouse
Microsoft’s newest mouse flattens to be the ultimate portable device.

REDMOND, Wash. — Sept. 1, 2010 — Some say the mouse’s days are numbered, but today Microsoft Corp. proves the gadget is alive and well by unveiling the Arc Touch Mouse, the first mouse designed to flatten for portability and pop up for comfort. The new mouse features Microsoft’s first touch scroll strip for easy navigation — just move a finger slowly for controlled scrolling or flick for hyperfast scrolling. Windows-based PC users will love packing up their laptop bags without the added bump of a mouse, as the Arc Touch Mouse flattens with just the touch of a finger.

As the computing landscape evolves to offer new ways of interacting, such as touch screens and touch pads, the mouse is also evolving but holds true to its core purpose: providing comfort and precision to users when navigating the PC.

“This is not the first time that the mouse has been threatened — look at 10 years ago when people started buying laptops that had integrated pointers and touch pads. Still, the mouse category continued to grow and grow,” said Brett Ostrum, general manager for the Hardware Group at Microsoft. “The reasons people need external mice will not change: comfort and precision. The Arc Touch Mouse just demonstrates again how committed Microsoft is to continuing to bring great new mice to consumers.”
Arc Touch Mouse
Arc Touch Mouse
Click for print version.

Designed for the Mobile Lifestyle

People today are using mobile computers more than ever, and they still want comfort and control when using them. In fact, one-third of mobile PC buyers also purchase a mouse with their new notebooks or netbooks.1 And, at less than 15 millimeters thick at its widest point, the Arc Touch Mouse was designed to deliver ultimate portability to easily slip into a bag, purse or pocket. It also goes from curved to flat with one simple movement, so working on the go is easier than ever — just collapse the Arc Touch Mouse to turn it off, and pop it up to turn on. It’s also extremely durable, tested to ensure years of performance.

Take Control With Touch Scrolling

With the Arc Touch Mouse’s touch strip, consumers can take control of their scrolling with a flick of a finger. Using a capacitive sensing technique and sensor pads, the strip corresponds to each position and velocity change to give users accurate, controlled scrolling no matter how fast or slow the movement. Move a finger slowly on the strip for controlled scrolling, or flick a finger for hyperfast scrolling that can be stopped with just a simple tap. The strip also has three tap “buttons” for added functionality: page up, page down and the middle click area, which is reprogrammable for whatever mouse function the user needs most.2 Switching from a scroll wheel to a touch strip is made easier with haptics, a vibration technology that simulates the bumps users would feel while using a traditional scroll wheel.

Additional Features

The Arc Touch Mouse is equipped with BlueTrack Technology, letting consumers track on virtually any surface,3 and a tiny magnetic snap-in Nano transceiver stores conveniently on the bottom of the mouse. Two AAA batteries give the Arc Touch Mouse more than six months of battery life, and the two-color battery life indicators let people know when the power is running low.

Pricing and Availability

Arc Touch Mouse will be available for the estimated retail price of $69.95 (U.S.)4. It is available now for presale on Amazon.com, BestBuy.com and Buy.com, and it will ship in early December in time for the U.S. holiday season. It will be broadly available online and in stores in January 2011.

How to Choose Your Laptop Bags

Laptop bags have now become important accessories; therefore, if you are about to buy one, you want to make sure you buy the right one. In fact, the times where computer bags were a synonym of black, boring bags are gone. Now you can choose amongst a huge variety of different colours, shapes and styles. Since the range of choice has increased exponentially, it is important that you choose the right computer bag.

Following the easy steps shown below you will be able to choose a laptop bag that meet your needs.

Size

Make sure you know the width, height and length of your computer. Usually you can find it in the PC information booklet. If it is not there, you can always measure it with a ruler. Notebook bags usually have the size of the computers that can be fit in written on the cover itself. Be careful to the fact that usually these measurements are made in inches.

Type

There are many different types of computer cases available. It is suggested that, before going to the shop, you think about what kind of computer bag you need. In fact, there are backpack laptop bags as well as sleeves and covers, or you can even find wheeled laptop bags. The laptop messenger bag is the most popular type, as it is comfortable to carry, and it has many pockets in which to store the power cord and other accessories. On the other hand, sleeves and cover just protect you computer against crashes and scratches, but offer no place for any accessory. However, sleeves are probably the most stylish notebook bags, as they are produced in various shapes and a huge variety of colours.

Colour

The colour choice of your laptop bags totally depends on its use. If you use it to go to work, for example, it is probably more appropriate to purchase one in a sober colour, such as blue, grey or black. On the other hand, if you do not use it to go to work, or anywhere particularly formal, then you can definitely enjoy yourself choosing a colourful, stylish laptop bag

Does iPad + keyboard case = goodbye, Netbook ?

Is this the keyboard case you're looking for?

(Credit: Engadget)

We've waited for one for months, and now someone's finally done it: an iPad case with a keyboard is finally here. Actually, it's already sold out. The KeyCase iPad Folio with Integrated Bluetooth Keyboard is a thin leather stand-type case for the iPad not unlike other cases we've seen, except with a silicone Bluetooth 2.0 keyboard built in. The keyboard recharges with Apple's standard iPad charge cable and lasts 45 hours.

At the rough equivalent of 90 U.S. dollars, it's not a bad deal for a case that would always be ready to convert your iPad into a quasi-Netbook. It seems more ergonomic in landscape mode than the awkward, vertically aligned Apple keyboard dock. And the good news is that, with this on the way, more such keyboard cases should be on the horizon shortly.

Toshiba tablet details loose in the wild

(Credit: Notebook Italia)

We've had few details on the rumored Toshiba tablet, but now more information has been leaked to whet our appetites. Here is a brief rundown of what to expect.

Toshiba Folio 100

• 10.1-inch multitouch display (1,024x600)
• Nvidia Tegra 2 platform
• 16GB flash storage
• SDHC card slot
• Up to 7 hours of battery life
• 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and optional mobile broadband connectivity
• HDMI, USB 2.0 port, mini-USB 2.0 port, audio jacks
• Built-in Webcam
• Dimensions: 11 inches by 7 inches by a little over half an inch
• Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Android 2.2 operating system
• Optional docking station (shown below)

(Credit: Notebook Italia)

As to when the Toshiba Folio 100 will appear and how much it will cost, that remains a mystery at this point.

ASUS Eee PC 1215N review

About nine months ago ASUS released its 12.1-inch Eee PC 1201N to much fanfare. It was the first "netbook" to pack NVIDIA's Ion platform and a desktop-class Atom processor. Translation: it absolutely wrecked regular netbooks (and even other Ion netbooks) on the graphics and performance battlefield. Indeed, the 1201N blurred the lines between netbook and regular laptop, but we ultimately knocked it fairly hard for not lasting longer than 2.5 hours on a charge -- it was dubbed a "netbook" of course.

Our apologies for the brief history lesson, but it's actually quite important in understanding why ASUS' second generation of the 1201N is such a big deal. The 1215N has a Pine Trail 1.8GHz dual-core Atom D525 processor and NVIDIA's Ion 2 with Optimus, which no longer requires the GPU to be running the entire time and saves battery power. The $500 rig (though we're seeing it on sale for as much as $599) is still on the pricey side for a "netbook," but promises 1080p playback, seven hours of battery life and a 250GB hard drive. So, does the 1215N correct all the wrongs of the 1201N and live up to the "netbook powerhouse" title that ASUS has given it? And more importantly can it compete with some of the newer thin and light laptops, like the Dell Inspiron M101z? We found out, and we're assuming you want to as well in our full review after the break.

ASUS Eee PC 1215N review

Look and feel

The 1215N doesn't look all that much different than the 1201N, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially since ASUS tossed the glossy black lid for one a matte, rubbery-feeling one. It's no bamboo, but it's nice enough for a $500 system, that's for sure. Still, there are left over trails of glossy plastic -- the screen bezel and keyboard deck still shine, while the palmrest is made of the same soft matte plastic as the lid. Just like the Eee PC 1018P, the laptop has a more professional look than other netbooks, and the rounded edges give it a familiar aesthetic.

We're quite content with the look of the 1215N, but the size is a bit of another story. The 1.4-inch thick system is nowhere near as svelte as the .7-inch Eee PC 1018P, and though ASUS claims it weighs 3.2 pounds it felt heavier in hand than the 11.6-inch Dell Inspiron M101z and Acer Aspire One 721. We're not saying the laptop is too heavy to carry with one hand or fit in a smaller shoulder bag, it's just a bit chunkier and heavier than we expected it to be. Of course, that means there's more room around the system for the ports; there are three USB 2.0 ports along with VGA, HDMI, mic, headphone and Ethernet jacks. The US version of the 1215N does not have a USB 3.0 port, though other SKUs overseas will have the higher speed jack.

Keyboard, touchpad and screen

We realize the 1215N's chiclet keyboard is the same as the one on the 1201N and the most recent Eee PCs, but the matte keys seem "clickier" than those on the other laptops. Additionally there's just a significant amount of flex to the whole panel. While typing this review we noticed the entire panel caving in at times -- it's not pretty and we've seen much better quality ASUS keyboards, like that on the U33Jc. There's no questioning that we prefer the chiclet keyboard on the M101z.

We have much kinder words about the 3.5 x 2.2-inch touchpad. Besides being quite wide, the plastic is soft to the touch – no, really, your finger will thank you for the nice feeling surface. As usual, the multitouch was a bit sensitive; two finger scrolling was fairly accurate, but we disabled the pinch-to-zoom setting since we kept mistakenly zooming when we just wanted to get to the bottom of a web page.

It's probably no surprise that we're not the biggest fans of the viewing angles on the 12.1-inch, 1,366 x 768-resolution display. Besides being extremely glossy, sitting to the side of the screen caused severe color distortion. Vertical angles were a bit better, but required us to tilt the screen to about 90 degrees when we wanted to sit back and watch the Scott Pilgrim trailer without causing Michael Cera's eyes to blend in with the rest of his face. Despite the viewing angles, the screen was sufficiently bright and a 1080p trailer at full screen was a very detailed. The speakers under the front lip of the machine actually sounded quite loud for a 11.6-inch and 12.1-inch laptop. Similar to the Inspiron M101z, they sounded full when listening to Ra Ra Riot's newest album in iTunes.

Performance, graphics and battery life

Although Intel's just released its first dual-core Atom processor for netbooks, the 1215N was slated before the new chip arrived so it's powered by a desktop-grade 1.8GHz Atom D525 CPU and 2GB of RAM. And unlike most netbooks, it runs Windows 7 Home Premium – see why we're of the mind that this thing is more a thin and light laptop or ultraportable than a netbook? Regardless, the extra processor horsepower is noticeable in everyday performance. The 1215N just felt speedier when opening applications and didn't huff and puff to play a 720p video while simultaneously running Chrome with a handful of tabs open, Microsoft Word, Tweetdeck and Trillian.

Obviously, that bit of high definition video muscle comes from NVIDIA's second generation Ionplatform. We've been told that NVIDIA's actually using its lower-end GeForce G210 GPU, but on the laptop it appears as just "Ion." Regardless, the 1.2GHz, 16-core GPU gives Atom some serious graphics power. Before we compare it to the other platforms out there, we can tell you the GPU fired up – thanks to NVIDIA's Optimus – when playing back a 1080p YouTube clip and output some really smooth picture when we hooked the laptop up to our 40-inch HDTV. But beyond local and streaming HD content, the GPU is capable of handling some games as well. At the native resolution, our World of Warcraft gnome was prancing about the magical forest at a steady 26 frames per second. Comparatively, as you'll see in the chart below, NVIDIA's Ion 2 provided about double the performance of the previous generation and even ATI's Mobility Radeon 4225 graphics. Still, it should be noted that ATI's platform is perfectly capable of full HD playback.

	PCMarkVantage	3DMark06	Battery Life
ASUS Eee PC 1215N	1942	181/2480	5:42
ASUS Eee PC 1201N	N/A	1555	2:26
Dell Inspiron M101z (Athlon II Neo K325)	2572	1311	3:35
Acer Aspire One 721 (Athlon II Neo K125)	1814	1235	3:30
Lenovo IdeaPad U160 (Core i7 ULV)	3863	1175	3:10
ASUS UL50Vf (Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300)	3724	827 / 3438	6:10
Alienware M11x (Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300)	2689	654 / 5593	4:3

So, does all that extra performance power impact the battery life? Well, the good news is that NVIDIA's Optimus has absolutely helped in that area, and when the GPU is off the battery life is pretty impressive. On our video rundown test, which loops the same standard definition video at 65 percent brightness, the six-cell 56Wh battery pushed out nearly six hours of juice – five hours and 42 minutes to be exact. That's more than double the run time of the 1201N! With the GPU on we got 2:45 hours. Still, that's significantly better than any of the AMD Nile systems we've tested lately and just as long as some single-core netbooks. We suspect that the new N550 processor will allow a system like this to get a bit more juice, but we've yet to test the processor performance yet.

Software

Like a lot of the recent ASUS machines we've looked at, the 1215N comes jam packed with proprietary software and some other stuff, including a shortcut to Bonigo's WiFi service. Along with ASUS' typical EeeDock, which is locked to the top of the screen, the machine comes with ASUS' Splendid photo editing software and some new Locale program that seems to want to locate where you are using Bing maps, but didn't seem to pinpoint our top-secret whereabouts. Also, it will boot into the ExpressGate instant-on OS by pressing the small button located on top of the keyboard.

Wrap-up

Without a doubt, the Eee PC 1215N is a major step up from the preceding 1201N. The graphics performance is significantly better and the battery life is double what it was before. But even beyond that, its Intel Atom / Ion 2 combo seems to top some of the recent AMD Nile-powered ultrathins or netbooks we've seen lately in both of those key areas. That said, we actually happen to prefer the dual-core AMD K325-powered Dell Inspiron M101z in terms of overall build quality to the 1215N -- the manufacturing quality just feels sturdier and the keyboard is miles better than the one ASUS is using. But if you're the type that cherishes graphics performance and battery life over hardware feel then the ASUS Eee PC 1215N is your best bet right now for a affordable ultraportable or premium netbook under $500.

iPad to replace laptop within 5 years

Australian businesses will replace laptops with iPad-type devices within the next five years, according to telecommunications experts.

Rather than just an entertainment device, tablet computers like the iPad will eventually infiltrate the corporate world and become a vital business tool, according to telecommunication company Comscentre’s managing director Ben Shipley.
“From a business perspective, the iPad’s biggest limitations at the moment are its compatibility with the Microsoft Office suite and the lack of corporate grade security built in to the device,” Mr Shipley said.
“However, the iPad is very new and will only get better, particularly with competitor products, such as Cisco’s Cius business tablet due to be released.”
“Additionally, just like any other piece of technology, the suite of security products will eventually extend to the iPad which will give companies the confidence to incorporate them into their daily business,” Mr Shippley added.

Giveaway: Studded ‘Nunzia’ Laptop Bag from Shoebuy.com

Did you know Shoebuy.com sells way more than just shoes? …and I mean, way more. Do a quick search and you’ll find over 900 bags, sleeves and other stylish accessories for your laptop alone. But with a user-friendly search engine that lets you browse by brand, color, material, price and other features,shopping on Shoebuy.com is never too overwhelming, despite an inventory of over 1 MILLION products.

As an obsessive online shopper, I appreciate Shoebuy.com perks like free shipping and returns, sales tax-free purchases, and 10% cash back on ebates. And with promo codes like ”formetocoupon”, they obviously have a great sense of humor, which I love. (Not only will it get you 10% off on purchases made before 01/11/11, but it also has to be the best promo code in the history of online shopping.)

I truly dig the site so when they agreed to do a geekGLOSS giveaway, I was ecstatic so this week, we’re giving away one of the most fabulous laptop bag styles that Shoebuy.com has to offer: the Nunzia “Bellagio” – a $129 value!

This stylish bag easily fits your laptop (up to 15.4″), documents, files, and other work essentials, but is so spacious, it can even double as an overnighter! An elegant cream color and studded details keep the bag stylish, while a lightweight design, organizer section and plenty of accessories — a zip-top cosmetic bag, detachable cell phone and CD case with wristlet, and a removable padded laptop sleeve — keep it functional.

Leave a comment telling us which website you love to shop most, and you’ll be entered to win the Nunzia “Bellagio” Laptop Bag from Shoebuy.com. Ends Monday, August 30th at noon PT. Good luck!

PS: I’m serious about Shoebuy.com being an online mecca for laptop bags and cases — here are a few of other Shoebuy picks that I can’t resist:

	“Black Orchard” Sleeve by Laurex ($45)
	“Tina” Metro Brief by Sumdex ($73)
	There’s plenty of stuff for the guys, too… “MF Hyde” Laptop Sleeve by Isis Dei ($37)