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At CES I saw several really drool-worthy products, but the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga was among the best, no question, no hesitation. When the company demoed it for us the first time I was immediately impressed and also immediately aware that I needed one of my own.
This isn’t the first time I’ve had this reaction to a Lenovo product. And I’ve been burned in the past. I’ve seen some amazing notebooks and tablets teased and promised at CES only to receive news later that they wouldn’t be coming to market, after all. They swear this is not the case for the Yoga; it’s just waiting for Windows 8 before it can ship to customers. I begrudgingly believe them.
After we saw the Yoga, Josh Smith (my colleague at GottaBeMobile) found an old post on the site from 2009 showing off a Lenovo Yoga that looked very different. It was just a concept design back then, but it shared the dual notebook/tablet nature and the hinge that allowed it to fold all the way back. Further delving into tags revealed an even older Yoga design from 2005 — it actually won an award — that looks very similar in design to what we have now.
You can see all the pictures I found over on the Gadget Porn Tumblr. (Yes, that’s also one of mine.)
Seeing that there was a Yoga all the way back in 2005 yet the product didn’t become a solid reality until 2012 makes me feel better about the Lenovo notebooks I’ve loved and lost. Two years in a row Lenovo showed off the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid, a combo tablet and 11-inch notebook that was actually two computers in one. The display bit would detach and become a tablet — first running Linux, then running Android — with its own CPU, memory, battery, and ports. When attached to the keyboard base it switched to Windows, again with separate memory, ports, battery and so forth.
I wanted this thing so bad, my friends. Lenovo never did bring it out in America, though, because they couldn’t get the hinge/connector up to snuff (so I hear). Even I could tell that this was the weakest point of the design. Still, some of the devices I saw this year gave me hope that the company could get over that hurdle if they so desired.
Another product I’ve always mourned is the Lenovo Skylight. This was meant to be a smartbook, back when smartbooks were deemed a viable notebook category. Here’s a primer if you care, but the basics are that they were meant to be inexpensive notebooks running lightweight operating systems like Windows CE, Android, or similar that acted like smartphones. They’d sleep instead of tuning off, resume instantly, and stay thin thanks to the components inside.
Putting aside the smartbookness of it, the Lenovo Skylight was is one of the best looking laptops I’ve ever seen. It’s not just thin and light, but crafted and designed so well that you instantly want it, no matter what it’s running or what the limitations. The company even brought in the guy who designed the original ThinkPads to create this thing of beauty.
The whole smartbook thing didn’t last. In fact, I don’t think any ever came out. It’s a shame because smartbooks are what netbooks were supposed to be before mainstream consumers started giving their opinions. Anyway, back in 2010 I asked a Lenovo exec if the Skylight was truly dead, because I felt that it would be such a shame if so. He told me: Not quite. Somewhere in the bowels of the company someone still cares about the Skylight.
Given what’s going on with the laptop category right now, I suspect that it’ll be reborn as an ultrabook. As of right now it’s too thin to deal with the components (I think…) but perhaps when the next generation of Intel chips comes out the Skylight can live again. I can also see the U1 Hybrid making a reappearance as a Windows 8 tablet hybrid.
Hopefully it won’t be another 5 years before I see these products again. But if they rises from the ashes as amazing as the Yoga is today, I won’t grumble about the wait too much.
Last week I went to a writing retreat with several writing types in a converted barn somewhere in Connecticut. It was glorious. Five days where our only job was to write and our only sin to procrastinate.
There are many ways to procrastinate in situations such as this, and a big one is undoubtedly by faffing around on the Internet. To combat this great evil, my friend Alaya Dawn Johnson employs a Firefox extension called LeechBlock, which allows one to set specific times when the browser simply will not allow you to access any web pages if that’s what you want. It’s very customizable — you can set it to block or allow only certain websites, or block the whole the ‘net, block during specific times on specific days, limit you to, say, 10 minutes out of every hour, or limit you to a certain amount of time on certain websites. So, if you need the wider web for research but need to stay off Facebook and Twitter, you can make it so. There are even more robust block options that keep the more tech-savvy amongst us from going around the block by disabling the add-on or something similar.
I know some of you reading this are thinking: “Why go through all that? Why not just have discipline and not look at the web?” It’s easy to say such things, not so easy to put it into practice. Besides, not all of us have wills of iron. There’s nothing wrong with employing some technological help in these cases.
I’ll admit that I’m completely guilty of messing around on the Internet when I’m supposed to focus on writing. I used to dismiss cafes for satellite writing/freelancing if they didn’t have free wireless. Now I’m trying to build a list of places without wireless just so I won’t get tempted. But even in places without Wi-Fi I’m in trouble because now I have a smart phone. And not only does my phone access the web, it’s also a mobile hotspot.
Leaving my phone at home when I go out writing isn’t an option, so I went looking for something like LeechBlock but for Android phones. I found a few, but the only one that didn’t have a lot of issues was StudioKUMA AirPlane Scheduler, which turns Airplane Mode (no cell, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi radio) off at a specified time, then off again automatically. The major drawback is that it’s not designed to keep you away from the web, just to save battery, so there are no restrictions from turning Airplane Mode off or anything. However, sometimes having willpower just requires a little bit of restriction to remind you that you’re supposed to be working, not obsessively checking your notifications.
What tools do you use to keep yourself from procrastinating and foster more laser-like focus?
We have several writing positions open at LAPTOP that need to be filled ASAP. We’re in need of a senior writer, a freelance writer, and some editorial interns. I know there are a ton of excellent writers who read this blog who need jobs. So check out the listings below. Even if you think you are only a little bit qualified, please apply. Often times I hear that we don’t get very many women or minorities applying at all, and I know you are out there.
Technology Journalist Wanted
LAPTOP Magazine / LaptopMag.com is seeking a skilled freelance writer with a passion for mobile and wireless technology, and 2 to 3 years of writing experience. The right candidate is obsessed with the hottest gadgets and technologies, and is enthusiastic about writing detailed product reviews, blog posts, and tips articles.
You must be versatile and capable of juggling multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment, which will definitely include daily deadlines. No telecommuting. This person will need to be in our NYC offices 30 to 40 hours a week, for approximately 3 weeks.
Interested candidates should send their resume, a relevant product review writing clip, and a cover letter explaining why they’re uniquely qualified for this position to jobs at laptopmag dot com
Senior Writer Needed
LAPTOP Magazine / LaptopMag.com is seeking a skilled and experienced Senior Writer with a passion for mobile and wireless technology. The right candidate is obsessed with the hottest gadgets and technologies and is enthusiastic about writing in-depth features, detailed product reviews, blog posts, tips articles, and other stories.
This person is an inspired story teller who thrives in a fast-paced environment while juggling multiple, daily deadlines. Pre-existing contacts within the mobile tech industry a plus. No telecommuting.
REQUIREMENTS:
- 3 to 4 years of related experience writing about technology
- Previous experience with live event coverage and blogging
- Feature writing background
- Knowledge of social media promotion
- Comfortable on camera representing the LAPTOP brand in the media, as well as in product review videos
- Some travel
If you think you have what it takes to become a LAPTOP Senior Writer, send your resume and cover letter to explaining why you’re uniquely qualified for this position and identifying your salary requirements to jobs at laptopmag dot com.
Editorial Intern Wanted
LAPTOP Magazine / LaptopMag.com is seeking enthusiastic (yet unpaid) interns with a passion for mobile technology. Must have a positive outlook and be detail oriented.
Responsibilities could include, but are not limited to, producing stories for our Web site, assisting with story research, assisting with product testing, writing for print and Web, designing pages and doing photo research, programming on the site, and performing various administrative duties. This is a great opportunity to learn and get real, hands-on experience.
Will require a minimum of a 12-hour-per week commitment for 3 months. If you think you have what it takes to become a LAPTOP Intern, send your resume and cover letter explaining why you are uniquely qualified for this position to jobs at laptopmag dot com.
Please forward these to anyone you think might be interested or qualified. Thanks!
After many hours, a lot of screaming, much frustration, and some ice cream, I’ve finally found a decent solution for putting Tumblr posts on the blog sidebar. It’s not what I would have wanted, ultimately (I’d prefer you see more text, but I couldn’t get that to happen without large images and videos messing up the sidebar), and I’ll keep looking for better solutions. The main takeaway for me here is that Tumblr plugins for WordPress are extremely poorly written. Just dumping the javascript output from Tumblr is not good enough, people.
The other takeaway is quite possibly that my theme sucks. Any little thing that wants to be wider than the sidebar gets its way, despite my protestations. I did not design this whole theme myself — I just heavily modified an existing one. I might consider switching, but I really love the look of this theme and want to keep it.
I’m wavering between dusting off my web design skills and just whacking this theme into shape, finding something similar but better coded, or just calling Stephanie Leary and offering to pay her to do it right from the ground up.
For the past 2 months I’ve been working on a series of posts called You Grade The Brands. I’ve been reading the reviews we did of notebooks and netbooks in 2009, going brand by brand, to suss out common strengths and weaknesses amongst a company’s laptop line. It’s been a very illuminating process. Also, I never knew there were so many laptops in the world. Lordy!
I’m putting up the last post sometime today, but you can check out all of the others here. We hit all of the major notebook vendors from HP, Acer, and Dell on down to Samsung, MSI and Fujitsu (with a lot more in-between). If you’ve ever owned a laptop, please click on the company’s post and let us know how you’d rate your experiences with that brand.
We’re looking for both positive and negative feedback on everything from how long it lasted, how often it broke, how tech support was, how much you loved using it, anything.
Also, if you’re in the market for a laptop, you might want to check out the posts to see if the brands you’re interested in are likely to have the features you need.
I’m conducting a bit of a survey and I’ll need your help. It’s all about Firebox, the browser I love, and how it breaks my heart every day. Do you love Firefox? Then please help me with an intervention.
If you have Firefox open now and you’re running Windows, go to your Task Manager[1] and click on the Processes tab. Look for the process called firefox.exe and make a note of the number in the Mem Usage column[2]. Then go to your Firefox toolbar, click Help, then About Mozilla Firefox and make a note of the current version you’re running. Then come here and post this in the comments along with the number of tabs (or tabs and windows) you currently have open. Would also help if you said which OS you’re running.
Update: Adam provides instructions for Mac: you can find the memory usage by opening Activity Monitor (in utilities), looking for Firefox in the Process Name column, and seeing what the Real Memory usage is.
Eric provides Ubuntu instructions: you can check out the memory usage under System > Administration > System Monitor, but you’ll have to convert the stats from MiB.
You don’t have to restart your computer or browser or anything like that. I just want to get a snapshot of how much memory Firefox uses for different people. The more data I can collect, the better. I’ll start:
Memory Usage: 920,200K | 11 tabs | Firefox 3.5.7 | Windows XP
Yes, that memory usage is real. Remember the days when Firefox would only use around 300,000K? Or even the long ago when 100,000 was reasonable? Ah, nostalgia.
I showed you mine, now show me yours.
Notes
Whenever I go to tech press events I always come home with a handful of flash drives. It’s easy for companies to put a full press kit and hi-res images on a USB stick with their name on it and is greener than printing everything out. Some companies hand out small drives — 256MB, 512MB and so on — but most use drives that fit at least a gigabyte, usually two. I even have a 4GB drive from Zune around here somewhere.
At first, this is awesome. You think: yay, now I don’t have to buy a USB drive! Then after a few events or a big one like CES, you look around and think: I will never have to buy a USB drive again in my life. Maybe even into my next life. It’s a sea of memory, all segregated into 1 and 2GB chunks.
Today I’m transferring all of the press material I need to my work computer and wiping the drives. I’ll keep a few of the larger ones, but I don’t need 27. I really don’t. If you happen to see me in the next few days, don’t be surprised if, instead of a Jelly Baby, I offer you a flash drive. The latter is inedible but will be more useful.
I’ve decided to stop being silly and make a proper backup plan for my computers. It really is ridiculous how long I’ve been putting this off. But as you read this my important files (including all of my music) are syncing to a server somewhere controlled by SugarSync. Later on I’ll start on the process of making local backups, though I’m running in to a bit of a problem there.
I made some backups before with the program that came with my hard drive, but as they’re old and not incrementally updated over time, they’re a bit obsolete at this point. I’ve installed a new program that will make a full backup and update it incrementally, which is good. However, I can’t delete the old backups and it’s driving me insane.
I tried just deleting the folder, but it’s too big, obviously. I tried deleting folders inside the backup, but some won’t delete and give me that access denied message. I finally figured out how to use the DOS prompt to delete files that are undeleteable but then, lo, those files are all still there.Even after the command prompt window ran for hours claiming it was deleting those files. I don’t get it.
I’m not sure if this is because that hard drive is connected to my router and not to my computer via USB or if something else is up. But the folder contains almost every file that was on my computer at one time simply mirrored to the HD.
I’ve thought of a few ways I could try fixing this, like connecting it via USB to a notebook and trying to DOS delete thing or even going into the drive from Linux and deleting since it’s Windows that seems to feel these files should hang around forever. Any suggestions from the more knowledgable amongst you on other ways I could go about this are appreciated.
However, this shall not deter me from backing up my files. That particular hard drive is getting somewhat crowded, but I have another 500GB one sitting around here, so maybe I’ll make my local backups there. I’m setting the program to make a full backup monthly while the online storage will make backups as I go along every day. Smart, yes? You should do the same. Most people need prodding when it comes to backups, just like they need prodding to go to the dentist. So. Go get your teeth cleaned but not before you set up some kind of automatic backup for yourself. Hurry!
Back when I was a freelancer I spent a large portion of my time trying to find good cafes and coffee shops with free wi-fi so that I could get work done while I was out. Being stuck in the apartment all day while dealing with clients quickly became untenable, so the instant I had a new laptop that could handle the programs I used I went off in search of good food and free wi-fi.
New York City is the kind of place you’d expect to find plenty of cafes and coffee shops with free wi-fi and that’s true, for the most part. Apparently it pales in comparison to Seattle — not surprising. There are plenty of issues, though. Like entire neighborhoods bereft of free wi-fi and even some places without anything resembling a cafe. There are places you’d think had free wi-fi, but no! They charge you, instead. Exorbitant prices. There’s a Starbucks every 5 feet below 135th, but is their wi-fi free? Not exactly. And the well-known spots are, of course, well-known, and thus are packed full of people who show up at 9am and don’t leave until the places closes at the ridiculously early hour of… 10pm.
Cafes that close before 1am should be banned in this city.
Anyway, this is all an extremely rambly way to get to the reason I’m making this post. Last week McDonald’s announced that in January they would be offering free wi-fi at the locations where they currently offer non-free wi-fi. This comes just a little while after Barnes & Noble started offering free wi-fi and Borders followed suit in order to keep up. Just thinking about the numbers of B&N’s plus Borders plus McDonald’s in this city my heart starts to go pitter patter because, well, there’s barely a foot of space below 125th street that isn’t covered by free wi-fi.
It’s like some kind of beautiful dream.
Except. Most of that wi-fi is from McDonald’s. And, well, I don’t really want to spend any time in McDonald’s, much less a whole day. Then again, in my neighborhood free wi-fi is sparse, and the cafe around the corner from me is wonderful but has horrendous, horrendous seating. Even more horrendous than McDonald’s. So if I want to get out of the house and get some work done, where am I better off?
This is, of course, just a gimmick to get more people into McD’s and it will most likely work. I’m not the only freelancing writer in need of outside wi-fi. Here’s the thing I wonder: how long will it be before every McDonald’s in the city looks like a Starbucks? A sea of laptops, nary a seat to be found, and obnoxious people complaining about the quality of their latte.
Oh yeah, this is a glorious new era.
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