Logbook of Captain Emiliano Bruni

I had a chance these days to try an Asus Eee Box, a miniPC size but contained very respectable performance, with features that make it so ideal as office automation workstation very little cumbersome. The prodottino, despite the minimum size (178 × 223x16mm for a weight of 1.1 kg) shows an overall hardware of all respect. The engine is a classic and reliable processor Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz flanked 1 GByte of RAM expandable, which never hurts, to 2 Gbytes. A large HD and graphics card 160Gbyte of INTEL 945GSE mean that the product's performance are optimal with operating systems that require graphics and speed as the windows manager Compiz Linux or how the effects Aero Windows 7. Obviously they could not miss the network interfaces of both 10/100/1000 Ethernet and wireless technology in 802.11n for optimal access and fast local network and Internet. Complete the endowment a 5.1 sound card inside and a card reader. The product tested was equipped with operating system software or rather was equipped with only Splashtop, renamed Linux distribution from Asus Express Gate, which allows you to take advantage of browser, email, skype in less than 10 seconds from power on the PC. Since obviously interested in this feature I proceeded immediately to remove it even for those two / three seconds less when the boot. So, first thing, I proceeded to install on Windows XP Home via an external USB CD ROM. The installation was successful and the subsequent installation of the drivers in the Support CD that came with the Eee Box has allowed the immediate recognition and enjoyment of all the devices of the product. The speed in the 'installation and use of office automation software, browser, antivirus and email programs have confirmed the capabilities of this product to be successful where they are necessary features of network access, word processing, spreadsheets and graphs. We were unable to perform the tests as to push the graphics but the confirmation of operation of components such as Compiz or Aero bodes well for the use of this product even with something as fun. The photo above shows the product placed on a metal base, which puts him upright on the desk, but what is even better to maximize the opportunities for work and his position behind the monitor. The Asus Eee Box provides for support to be positioned behind the monitor according to the standard VESA 75 and 100. In fact, if you make the case on the back of your LCD monitor you'll find four holes arranged at the vertices of a square of side respectively 75 or 100mm depending on the adhesion to the first or second standard. These holes are usually in place the monitor on brackets or wall. The Eee Box uses these holes as the attachment point for the attachment of the product on the back of the monitor. Despite netting the lowest quality of the monitor, a 15''dated, the Eee BOX is definitely the best of itself, would not it?

Rolltop is born from the idea of a futuristic laptop Orkin Design that has created a laptop that is rolled on a cylinder then used as power supply of the laptop itself and which contains the USB ports and more.

But now it does not run to your local electronics store. Rolltop is only a proof of concept presented as a thesis for a degree and then have many steps to go before we see the light.

In the video we see how the handset is rolled and unrolled on the central cylinder and how it can be used both in the classic mode laptop fully open as a tablet.

A Primavista looks like a geek but who knows if prodottino really see the light or remain only in the head of its creator.

Thanks to Maury for introducing me to this video.

For those who like to play on the computer, especially with RPG games, and do not have a Logitech G-series, then he just can not refrain from buying this G13 keyboard that can not be defined because it has all the keys and the letters of a keyboard normal, as a gameboard.

The G13 offers a perfect comfort as the ergonomic shape fits perfectly to the position of the hand and wrist.

Though the G13 can be used as the sole means of play thanks to the joystick to the right in an ideal position for use by the left thumb, it is also true that every player who respects your right hand will not leave unused but will use it to challenge a mouse high-level management perspective of the player. Because of this, the joystick is still often delegated to the simple function of executing commands.

The G13 comes in a pack simple and functional, as always we have used the manufacturer of that product.

Software intuitive at best, not only recognizes immediately the games installed on your computer but automatically load a different profile for each game, appropriately remapping the function keys.

The G13 has a large configurable display of 160 × 43 pixels which may look different information including, by default, are loaded a nice watch, a check of the RAM and CPU of the machine, a multimedia player, an RSS reader and so on .

The display itself and all keys are backlit and you can configure the color of the backlight within a wide range of colors, controlled by software, in an instant as shown by the following video.

Furthermore, for each profile you can associate a color backlight to become immediately aware of the type of profile loaded at the time.

Of course, like other keyboards of the family G, supported the creation of macros to associate pressing multiple buttons or perform different actions to a single element.

The use is straightforward and functional, thanks to the layout of keys which, although compact, closely follows that of the keyboard, unable to be operational soon and playing at full speed after a short time.

I noticed a slight slowdown in some games but it disappeared once I deactivated the views useless (RSS reader, clock, etc ...) on the display, leaving the essentials (CPU, game statistics).

Ultimately a tool that has convinced me immediately as evidenced by the video below, made after a few minutes using the G13 with America's Army 3 from which one sees in three matches, I can stretch 12 "bastards." We give credit to handle 20% to 60% of ass and at least a 20% Give her the new Logitech G13.

Today I raced against myself ... and I won.

This "magic" was able to happen thanks to the Garmin Forerunner 305 and its "virtual opponent" (virtual partner in English).

With this amazing feature is in fact possible to set the "benefits" of a virtual opponent and then run against this "ghost". And 'that is possible to say something like: "I want to run against an opponent who goes to 5min/km" or "against one who goes to 5min/km for the first 5 km and turn 5.30min/Km for the remaining time," and so on.

But the biggest thing is that you can say "I want to race against myself by taking the data from the race than x days ago." In this way, the Garmin follows exactly the progress carried out by my "self" than x days ago and compares this moment to moment with the race that I'm doing.

The incentive to improve yourself, you get the two views that, instant by instant, the Garmin FR305 gives you to show than six meters ahead (or behind) in your tea than x days ago.

In the first you see two "little men", your partner and your virtual "self" and the current visual indication is in meters than you are ahead or behind.

The second, however, shows, nell'altimetria current, where you were in course selection and where you are in the current race.

It 'a truly fantastic race and really allows you to measure themselves against yourself to improve your performance.

For example, today I received confirmation that the race Friday, as I mentioned, was subdued because of the training of spinning on Thursday.

In fact today, at the start I was a bit 'caught off guard by my nemesis that is taken immediately and after a few minutes it was already 40 yards ahead of me. But after the first kilometer, the situation is reduced and the second km I reached and surpassed my old "me" with a benefit that has been increasing by the minute so much so that the turn-over was already in front of Nereto 100 meters and, as I had certainly seen my poor performance on Friday, my advantage is increased too much to return so much so that, without even pushing, I finally beat my opponent by a margin of virtual well 297 meters. Not bad!

And the great thing is the possibility, a posteriori, to compare various parameters of the two races so you can see the differences.

This one, for example, is the comparison of velocities in the two performances where the pink line is the race today and the blue one, the one on Friday

We note indeed, on average, a trend more cheerful. The nice thing is seen in the comparison instead of pulse

where, in the face of the increase in speed noted above, there is instead a more calm and regulate the heart, especially in the last kilometers.

If you want to see my race online today, is the usual site Garmin Connect.

Well, in short, with this type of instrumentation, it is to say on two simple corset, is not it?

How did I run with no date?

Here, with this sentence, the review of the Garmin Forerunner 305 could also be considered closed. But since it is not nice to be superficial, then maybe you should add some other bit of information about

Presentation.

The Garmin Forerunner 305, which you see on the left is a watch with an integrated GPS receiver and a heart rate monitor with the help of a band to be applied on the chest.

With this standard equipment the FR305 lets you record, moment by moment, position, speed, heart rate and other 39 parameters of instantaneous values, peak values and values medii.

The FR305 is therefore an ideal tool for runners, makes trekking, cycling and any other kind of sport where they can be useful to detect these values and then analyze it later to see your physical state and its growth racing.

In fact, once they arrive home, you can download, via USB, the data collected and analyzed with the management software included, called Garmin Training Center, and / or exports in XML format proprietary to Garmin's called. Tcx readable by others software such as, for example, the SportTracks or directly on the 'special site of Garmin.

Use as a heart rate

Obviously the tool is also suitable in situations where you use only part of the recorded parameters.

And 'the case, for example, a lesson in spinning, where obviously the parameters measured by GPS are not significant but are instead those of the heart rate monitor.

One below, for example, is the graph of one of my spinning classes with the legendary Annalisa, our instructor at the gym Fashion Pescara

As you see, unlike other heart rate monitors, the FR305 is not only recalls the peak value and the average activity but remember every single sample run. This allows you to view highlights of the post and understand exactly how long you have worked in strip aerobics, as in the anaerobic zone and how much in assets not relevant to the loss of fat or to strengthen the heart muscle.

In the chart above, obtained directly into the Garmin Training Center, one notes, for example, the initial warm-up, the slow rise and peak during the intermediate phase (in this case objectively, a bit 'too high) in stage work culminating in rapid jump four times and moments of jump in third position. Note finally the final final cool down.

Using GPS + Cardio

Obviously the above example is a use "crippled" the instrument that gives the maximum of himself in business "road" such as, for example, jogging.

First we must say that the Garmin Forerunner 305, contrary to what the appearance would suggest, is, to the wrist, very light, and during the race, you forget almost immediately, but only as a burden because of the stimulus go read what you are running, what is your heartbeat, what is the slope of the road, is practically a requirement constant.

I wanted to do a review of Wii Fit that I'm using with satisfaction for eight days. But then I found this review online and do not think I can make something better.

The Verbatim MediaStation Pro is a media player with integrated hard disk from 500 GB. The player supports almost all formats of audio and video digital compression, including MPEG 1,2,4 / MP4/divx 3,4,5,6 / HD-MPEG2/SD-MPEG2/XviD (except GMC option applied qpel) / WMV9 (WMV) / TS / TP / TRP / ISO / IFO / VOB. Even the audio portion is fully supported due to compatibility with MP3 / WMA / WAV / OGG Vorbis / AAC and is also full support for image formats with the classic JPG / JPEG / PNG / BMP.

Unpacking

As shown in the photo below

The product comes in a nice box of black. The interior contains the MediaStation, support to hold the device, the wireless antenna, external power, the CD with the manual (in six languages, including Italian) and the USB driver for Windows 98/Me, the remote with two batteries and all the relevant cables for connecting the product with the audio / video devices and the PC. Excludes the optical cable for connection to a Dolby Digital and the cable network.

As seen from the back

the product can be connected to video devices via HDMI port, SVGA port or by using the two holes that are seen centrally jack cables and two cable to devices with composite or with the classic RCA.

To connect to the audio section are available classic left / right channel RCA output, or otherwise, to support the Dolby and DTS tracks are available 's coaxial output or the optical drive.

To connect with the part given the MediaStation has a LAN interface has a wireless 802.11b / g, can be connected to a computer via USB and has two USB ports for connecting additional external drives or USB drives.

You can then add the movie / audio / pictures available on USB sticks or HD, you can connect this device via USB to a computer that will recognize them as any external hard drive enabling you to store inside our films, our images or however, any other files allowing you to use the device as external backup drive for our data.

Also seems possible, given the presence of network connectivity via cable or wireless, you can also transfer these files using the network. One might even say that because, otherwise, why buy a device with network support. We will see shortly that, in the installation and use, things will not all be roses and flowers.

As promised, here's video of unpacking and ignition dell'Acero Aspire One with Windows XP.

Meanwhile you throw them other impressions. Today I used it enough to write an article on the train and I must say that although in some situations a little bumped 'because of the lightness (there's always a downside to all ) I must say that you could still write easily without too many typos.

A little 'worst feedback with the touchpad, but mainly because you try to get used to them with both hands and use the right to scroll and left click, but unfortunately at that point where, out of habit in notebooks there is a button for today is still the touchpad is a bit messes' with two fingers on the same also because two fingers are triggered some of the advanced features of the touchpad like the zoom and scroll the window left / right and high / low.

Instead, I found an annoying bug that I have to send by return assistance acer. During the transfer of files over the network, if you leave the computer without further action, immediately, after a few seconds, the transfer slows dramatically until interrupted. If performing operations like moving a window during the transfer all is well. Probably triggers a power-saving capabilities that messed with the transfer on the network.

The general behavior of the sub-notebook is still overall very good and I must say that I was particularly surprised at the overall speed of the product, probably because even relatively "clean", it is sometimes much faster than my desktop at home.

I just bought an Acer Aspire One in the version with 120 GB HD, 1 GB of RAM and Windows XP preinstalled.

I can see here

In his tiny box.

At this time the prodottino is charging and if I can, tonight I try to RECENZIONI comprehensive first impression of the product as well as a video showing the product extracted from its box, its contents and its essential features just to complete landscape video of this model for sub-notebooks as network and video reviews I found just the model without HD with Linux.

These below are the specifications of the model I bought

Regarding the color, the possibilities are many, ranging from classic white that is so fashionable lately (why?? ) To pink for the fairer sex.

I, as you can see, I chose the metallic blue version like the network even if there are videos of a similar model in which we see clearly that the blue stand out lots of fingerprints while the model remains clean and white pinto. The fact is, however, where I bought it there was a vision that both the blue and white one with all the fingerprints in the sight of all those who have touched since the sale, the Blue continued to play its slut picture to the choice, for the same price, it was inevitable.

In the live streaming of the last council of Controguerra, the biggest criticism was on the audio portion. And rightly saw that as a "technical test", the audio portion was handled by microfonino of my poor camera would return to clear the voices of advisors to 8 feet away in a room full of elementary school children and averages. Impossible task.

To overcome these criticisms and then I started looking for a impiantino sound more professional and I made an astonishing discovery. There are audio mixers having the USB ports. What are they? The computer recognizes the audio mixer as a sound card.

For me, this thing is fantastic, no more cables between the mixer and jack line-in sound card as the mixer itself is seen as a complete sound card from which to acquire or to send sounds.

And already, 'you say, and cost. Well, frankly ridiculous. I got this mixer of Proel Group and I must say that first impression, it all seems good. Connected to the computer without any additional driver, was immediately recognized by Windows XP as a "USB Sound Codec" and was immediately able to use the sound from the mixer for the purposes of the case.

Here you see the test installation of the mixer and microphones in the room advising that I did tonight.

I expect you all then streaming the next City Council Controguerra be held Wednesday June 11, 2008 from 21:00 onwards on the site of the town.

A final thanks to the firm elmusic.it who supplied the material.