Introduction

I am reviewing the Fujitsu TH550M netbook-sized convertible notebook. This is a notebook computer which has a touchscreen or stylus-operable screen that swivels to become a tablet computer.

It is the first of this kind of notebook that I have had for review and is an example of what the proposed “netvertible” form factor could look like. This is although it runs the Windows 7 desktop operating system with touch and stylus operation built in to it as well as having full processor capabilities rather than the netbook-grade processor capabilities.

The computer itself

The display swivels to become a tablet

The Fujitsu TH550M convertible notebook is really about squeezing a quart in to a pint pot. Here, the “engine” is an Intel Core i3 processor which would be at home in a 13” ultraportable and the hard disk has a total capacity of 500Gb with cheaper variants having a 320Gb hard disk. Even the supplied operating system is Windows 7  Professional which is the “business package” version.

The notebook as a tablet

This is compared to a typical netbook which would be Intel Atom powered, have 250Gb on the hard disk at the most and run Windows 7 Home Premium. The only thing in common is the amount of RAM available which is 2Gb that is shared with the display memory.

Aesthetics and Build quality

The Fujitsu TH550M is about the size of a small book and is finished in a piano-black gloss finish. There is the sense of very good build quality especially with the flip-screen mechanism.

User interface

Like the typical netbook, this Fujitsu T-Series notebook uses a keyboard that is cramped and it may be difficult to touch-type accurately on this computer. There is also a very small trackpad with chrome-finished buttons and a rough tracking surface. This makes it easy to determine the sensitive area of the trackpad without you looking.

The main feature is the screen being a touchscreen that can respond to your fingers or the supplied stylus. The small screen size may make it hard to select certain operating-system icons like the icons on the edge of the windows.

Keyboard and trackpad

Audio and Video

This Fujitsu TH550M convertible notebook is driven by an Intel HD graphics subsystem which would be adequate for most tasks, even basic video playback. It can be connected to an external display via a VGA or HDMI connector.

The touchscreen is that typical glossy finish that can yield annoying reflections but in other cases, does the job adequately.

Battery life

The Fujitsu can last for many hours on regular tasks even though it was on the power-saving setting by default. This included an evening’s worth of use of the Social Web where I was monitoring and interacting with the #HackGate hashtag on Twitter during the ABC24 live broadcast of the inquiry in to the phone hacking scandal concerning the Murdoch press in the UK.

Other experience notes

I showed this computer to a woman friend and she had considered it as a viable “personal computer” that would suit her needs. This is after she had previously talked with us about personal-computing solutions like tablets and small laptop computers that had impressed her

Limitations and Points Of Improvement

An improvement that I would like to see for convertible notebooks would be a touch-optimised shell for the Windows 7 operating system, so these computers can be a worthy competitor to the iPad and Android tablet computers. This could include the extension of “newspaper apps” and “book-reading apps” to the Windows desktop platform rather than focusing them to the Apple iPad.

This situation may be rectified with the installation of Windows 8 on these convertible notebooks when it arrives or a dual-boot setup with Android and Windows 7 for current-issue machines.

For this model, I would like to have the cord that tethers the stylus to the computer able to retract in to the unit in a similar vein to the typical vacuum-cleaner’s retractable power cord. Here, this can avoid further damage to the cord, pen or notebook if the cord is snagged on items in the typical briefcase or laptop bag.

Conclusion

I would consider the Fujitsu TH550M as a computer for those who want a “bridge” between a tablet computer and a netbook; rather than carrying around an accessory keyboard with a 10” tablet computer like an iPad. This is more so i, offer the bf you mainly use line-of-business applications or create content.

As well, other members of the Fujitsu T-Series convertible notebook range would, with their different screen sizes, offer the bridge between the tablet and the regular notebook with this distinct interface kind.

Article

thinkbroadband :: Virgin Media delivers 1.5Gbps cable broadband to TechHub

My comments

A common situation that I have noticed with cable Internet is that it tends to be overrated as far a the headline speed is concerned. Here, you have bandwidths of 10Mbps or more, including the abovementioned Virgin Media develoment that is driven by DOCSIS 3.0 cable-modem technology.

But the typical cable Internet development is a shared-bandwidth development unlike the ADSL development which is effectively “switched” with each subscriber having their own bandwidth. A cable system will typically have a headend which bridges the copper or fibre-delivered Internet service to the 75-ohm coaxial cable infrastructure and as the cable passes each door, it is split out in a similar vein to older coaxial-based 10Base2 Ethernet setups or the MoCA setup. In a lot of situations, the cable may be split at each street and the multi-tenancy buildings will have their cable split off from the street and, perhaps, at each floor.

The cable Internet providers then have to offer the big speeds to the customers in order to reduce the amount of contention that there is for the bandwidth on the cable.

But what they could do in neighbourhoods where the cable service is heavily subscribed would be to look at deploying more cable-Internet headends and bring the fibre or copper service to these headends. This could be done with streets that have many multi-dwelling units such as townhouse developments or blocks of flats (apartment blocks).

They can continue to roll out the high-speed Internet services like the 1.5Gbps service as well as implementing the abovementioned revisions to the infrastructure. It can then permit the cable services to achieve the headline speeds in most of the neighbourhoods  with plenty of room to spare for subscriber growth.

I am reviewing the Cooler Master NotePal infinite Evo laptop cooling pad which is one of may laptop rests that are equipped with a forced-air cooling subsystem. Here, these units use this fan-forced air to cool the underside of the laptop which, in a lot of older and “thin-and-light” designs, can become very hot. An example of this was the HP Envy 15 laptop that I had previously reviewed on this site. Here, this unit wouldn’t take long to become uncomfortably hot during operation.

This situation may lead to the computer being uncomfortable to use after a significant amount of time and there can be a chance of heat building up under the computer, thus causing overheating and a shortened lifespan for that laptop.

Cooler Master is a name primarily associated with the manufacture of aftermarket computer cooling systems for desktop PCs. These are usually in the form of CPU fan subsystems or add-on case fans that are used as part of tuning-up “LAN-party” PCs for maximum gaming performance, similar to “hotting up” cars for maximum street performance.

Recommended Retail Price: AUD$59

The unit itself

USB input, Fan controls and DC input

This NotePal Infinite Evo is based around an aluminium panel with rubber strips to hold the laptop on. This panel is positioned ant an angle and has two small fans underneath it to create the air draught under the computer. This is the reverse to the typical fan heater which draws the cold air in the top and forces the heated air out the heater’s front grille. Both of these fans are variable-speed fans that are adjusted by use of a thumbwheel on the left side of the unit.

USB hub connections

This is powered through a USB connection to the host laptop computer and there are 3 USB 2.0 ports on the right side of the laptop cooling mat.This is unlike most of the cheaper laptop cooling pads that don’t have a USB hub, thus leaving you without a USB connection when you use them. Thee is also a 5V DC power connection for use with a 5V power adaptor if you need to run this unit as a self-powered USB hub. Here, the external power supply would be required if you were to connect the typical 2.5″ USB hard disk to the unit’s hub while using it as a cooling pad.

Rear-mounted intake grilles

The air is drawn in through large grilles on the back of the unit and expelled through a small air scoop just under where the computer sits.

Usage

Judging from how I handled the Cooler Master  laptop cooling pad, I noticed that it was very well built. There was nothing loose about it and the controls operated properly and smoothly as on good-quality equipment.

The NotePal Infinite Evo mat is lighter than the typical 15” laptop which makes it easier to transport with the laptop. There are large rubber pads to prevent the pad slipping across table tops and protect those polished wooden dining or coffee tables from scratches.

During operation, there is a slight buzz from the fan at high speed, which is well below typical conversation level. I have observed this with a regular laptop being placed on the cooling pad. I have checked for excessive vibration while the fan is at the same high speed and there wasn’t any of that vibration.

The USB hub works according to the standards for a USB hub without the need for driver CDs. Remember that it is a bus-powered USB hub unless you connect a 5VDC power supply to the DC-IN jack on the left of the unit.

Points Of Improvement

One point of improvement that I would like to see is a version that suits subnotebook / ultraportable computers and is big enough for them, without sacrificing the build quality and quiet operation.

As well, Cooler Master could provide an external power supply kit as an option for the NotePal Infinite Evo units so they can work as a self-powered USB hub when used with USB hard disks or as a charging bar for mobile phones.

Conclusion

I would recommend that people who find that their laptop computer runs hot too easily during games or graphics-intensive work should purchase the Cooler Master NotePal Infinite Evo cooling pad. It does the job without intruding on one’s computing life and is designed to last a long time. As well you don’t lose the functionality of the USB socket it is connected to.

Article

Parents get children back after testifying via Skype | The Age Technology

My Comments

The courts of justice are again being used as a proving ground for today’s Internet-driven technology. This time it is the use of Skype in a child-protection case occurring in the USA concerning immigrant parents who were deported back to Mexico. Here, the US-based court had used Skype as a tool for taking the Mexico-based parents’ testimony due to cost and logistical reasons. Video-conferencing has been used in the courtroom for a lot of cases such as high-profile crime trials where it is desireable to keep a high-risk defendant or “supergrass” confined at a secure jail through the hearing. These setups typically use a direct link between known locations like a courthouse and a major prison, or an expensive-to-hire videoconferencing setup for temporary arrangements.

Of course, the Skype-based solution had facilitated the use of cost-effective equipment that didn’t need intense technical help to set up. This has allowed the parents to prove to the court that they were fit and appropriate parents for the children concerned even though they were limited in funds and based in Mexico.

This case could benefit other civil, family and similar cases in most jurisdictions where a key participant or witness is separated from the main court of hearing by significant distance or ill-health. Typically most of these situations would require an expensive video-conferencing setup which may not be feasible in most rural areas and the setups would require a lot of specialist time to set up and run. Or they would require the lawyers representing both sides of the case to travel out to the witness’s location and make a video recording of their testimony which doesn’t have the immediacy and constant judicial oversight of the live testimony.

Here, a Skype setup on an ordinary 15” or 17” laptop, like most of the laptops reviewed on HomeNetworking01.info, connected via a broadband link can be established by most computer-competent people. These same setups could be transported in the typical briefcase, laptop bag or backpack as cabin luggage on a flight or in the boot (trunk) of a typical car.

One step of progress I would like to see for Skype in the courtroom as a remote-testimony tool is for a similar situation to work with a criminal trial, especially one heard by a judge and jury. In this situation, there would be a requirement to test the case beyond reasonable doubt and these cases may be more exacting than the civil case mentioned above.

Articles

HomePlug® Powerline Alliance Announces Support for IEEE P1905 Convergent Digital Home Network Standard – HomePlug Powerline Alliance

IEEE P1905 Standard page

My Comments

Realities

More home networks implementing two or more media backbones

As the typical home network evolves, there will be a time when another interface type will be implemented in that network.

There are two examples of this common situation. One is where a person who has run an Ethernet network from the network-Internet edge to their computer decides to “go wireless” with their laptop computers and upgrades to a wireless router yet maintains the Ethernet connection for desktop computers. Another example that is increasingly common in Europe and will become so with the prevalence of IP-delivered TV would be a household that has a Wi-Fi network for the laptop but implements a HomePlug powerline network to serve the set-top box or IP-enabled TV in the lounge.

Infact I have advocated these kinds of network setups in this site in order to encourage a flexible home or small-business network that suits all situations that are thrown at it. This includes handling radio-difficult environments like double-brick walls or foil-lined insulation that can exist in many houses.

Network endpoint devices with multiple network interfaces

An increasing number of network-endpoint devices like computers, printers and Internet media devices are being required to support multiple types of network interfaces. This may be provided out of the box; or the user may have to install a hardware network adaptor for a particular network interface in to the device even though the device has an integrated network adaptor for another interface.

A very common example that I have seen for myself is laptop users switching between a wired Ethernet connection and a Wi-Fi wireless connection. Typically the laptop user who is getting used to the “New Computing Environment” and what it offers will plug their computer into the router’s Ethernet socket while they work at their desk; then disconnect from the Ethernet socket and “go wireless” when they want to use the laptop in other parts of the house. This typically can cause problems due to network storms or switchover problems; and often requires the user to disable or enable Wi-Fi on the laptop as they change connections.

Similarly, most of the network-enabled multifunction printers that I have reviewed at HomeNetworking01.info are equipped with an Ethernet socket as well as an integrated WPA2-secured Wi-Fi interface. This is becoming very common with most network-enabled media players, especially “smart TVs” and BD-Live Blu-Ray players.

Setup and management difficulties with these networks

These networks can yield their fair share of difficulties as users have to set up each network segment or device for secure reliable operation. This can include initial provisioning needs that a media type has like SSID and WPA-PSK security keys for Wi-Fi segments to management of segment-specific problems like Wi-Fi reception issues.

It will become more difficult as advanced networking requirements such as quality-of-service, synchronous media streaming, multiple logical networks and robust security are required out of these small heterogenous networks.

In the case of the devices, it will include making sure that the device works with the best network interface available even if both interfaces are physically connected. The most common example of this is making sure that the Wi-Fi-enabled laptop or printer works on a wired link if connected to the network via that link and works with the Wi-Fi link in other cases without the need for a manual switchover procedure.

What is this new standard intending to provide

You may think that there are standards out there to help with managing a computer network but most of these standards work to a particular network media type. As well, a lot of them require management by an IT team, something which few households or small businesses can have on hand all the time.

One major benefit is simplified media-level control across different media types on the same network. This isn’t achieved through the use of higher-level configuration routines managed by IP or application-level protocols like SNMP or UPnP, but these protocols can be adapted for this standard.

There will also be a focus on end-to-end performance such as allowing a device to choose the network interface that provides best throughput and quality-of-service. It can also allow “end-to-end” quality-of-service to be achieved from the network-Internet “edge” to the end device for IP telephony, multimedia streaming or Internet gaming.

Similarly, there is the ability to manage the media-level network security and energy-management needs that are required for the network in an easier form. This includes coordinating device wakeup across different media types so that a device can exist in an energy-saving quiescent mode yet “come to” when someone else on the network need it no matter how it is connected.

This standard recognises the reality that no one network type suits all needs, different horses for different courses.

Here, a typical setup may use Cat5 Ethernet as a high-speed backbone between floors or across the house, a HomePlug AV segment as a high-reliability wired “no-new-wires” setup for temporary applications and a Wi-Fi wireless segment that is primarily for portable devices.

The main focus that will be achieved is that bridge or switch devices that work across the multiple media types can perform these jobs more efficiently without needing to use higher-level protocols to achieve this goal; and be assured that the requirements for the network data are met as the data travels these devices.

Unanswered questions

Support for and management of VLAN networks

An unanswered question about this standard is whether it can support a VLAN network. This is a network that hosts multiple logical networks across the same physical infrastructure. It would be relevant in the small network space for “guest / hotspot networks” and IPTV setups where end-to-end content protection is required.

Features that may be considered of importance in this regard include replicating VLAN setups across the network as infrastructure devices are added to the network. An example of this could b to use an extension access point to “build out” a Wi-Fi network yet maintain the “guest network” and the “private network” as separate entities with separate SSIDs.

It also includes multi-tenancy-building environments where there is common “LAN” network infrastructure like cable runs that exist to interlink units (apartments, shops, offices, etc) or multi-SSID access points installed to service common areas (common gardens, swimming pools, food courts, etc). Here, it would be required to establish a VLAN interlink between two or more premises under the control of the same entity or establish a link to a common multi-SSID access point with the same SSID and security parameters as your main access point.

Wi-Fi devices and their operating mode

Another questiom that may affect the management of Wi-Fi devices is what kind of operating mode the device should be in. This is whether it is a client device or an access point; or to implement “direct link” or WDS or newer-standard network repeater functionality.

This would cater for an increasing number of “multi-function” access points which was a trend brought about by newer firmware versions for the Linksys WAP54G wireless access point. Here, the access point could be set up to be on the end of a direct wireless link, or be a client bridge for an existing Wi-Fi segment, a Wi-Fi repeater as well as being an access point.

This standard could provide support for a wireless endpoint such as a "multi-function” access point or the Wi-Fi functionality in a printer or other device to work as a client device or as an access point. It could then allow for these devices to quickly serve as infill access points when they are connected to a wired backbone after working on the Wi-Fi network.

Conclusion

At least the IEEE P1905 standard will make some effort towards making the establishment, management and development of the typical heterogenous small network become an easier talsk that is less painful.

Articles

Your BMW wants email; the Merc wants Netflix | ITworld

HomePlug GP Networking Specification | The Tech Journal

My comments

The HomePlug Powerline Alliance have cemented the “Green PHY” standard for energy-efficient powerline networking and energy management in stone,

Now the major German vehicle builders have defined a power connection standard to connect their electric or plug-in-hybrid vehicles to the mains power supply for charging. This includes using these HomePlug standards for transferring required data between the vehicle and the host power supply for charging-process control, metering and other similar applications.

The core benefit is to achieve a successful level playing field for connecting these vehicles to the “smart grid” for overnight and rapid charging. This also includes particular requirements like costing of energy used by “guest vehicles”, road-tax implications as well as grid integration such as off-peak charging or vehicle-to-grid setups for offsetting energy peaks.

This also facilitates IP linking to the Internet service via this connection thus allowing for some possibilities beyond the “obvious Internet applications”. One application I have often thought of in this context is the ability to integrate the vehicle’s infotainment system in to the home network.

Here, it could lead to synchronisation of maps, contact lists and media files between the home network and the vehicle or the ability to simply benefit from the data held on the vehicle’s infotainment system in the home network. This would be the networked equivalent of bringing a tape or CD that was in the vehicle’s glovebox or sound system in to your home so you can play it on your music system there.

At least there is an attempt to achieve a level playing field across the vehicle industry to support electric vehicles while catering for flexible setups.

Article

DECT-Telefon mit Android: Archos 35 Smart Home Phone – COMPUTER BILD (Germany – German language)

My Comments

I have previously covered various attempts by landline-telephony carriers and electronics manufacturers to restore faith in the classic telephone service. This is more so as younger people are thinking more of the mobile phone as their main telephone device and ditching the classic landline telephone.

The two main examples of this was a DECT cordless telephone handset which worked on the Android operating system but looked like an early-generation car phone as well as the Telstra T-Hub with a separate screen which linked to the home Wi-Fi network.

Now Archos have taken this further with a DECT cordless telephone that is styled like the typical smartphone. As well, they have run this phone on the Android platform with the ability to download software to the phone through the Wi-Fi network. They even have run TuneIn Radio, which is an Internet-radio client, on this phone so it can offer the same Internet-radio experience as the T-Hub’s Internet-radio client.

Archos have emphasised the DECT cordless-phone setup because most of the Internet-gateway devices that are part of a fully-featured “triple-play” service in Europe, especially the Germanic countries (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), can work as VoIP base stations for these handsets. This allows for centralised management of the handsets and for the assured quality-of-service that DECT offers.

It will be interesting to know who else will try to run with a “smart household phone” system to keep the classic home-based voice telephone service alive and relevant in the mobile world.