HP Mini 5102

As the sequel to one of our favorite all-around Netbooks, the HP Mini 5102 has some pretty big shoes to fill. It wasn't HP's choice in components that we liked about its business line 10-inch system--after all, most 2009 Netbooks shared a very uniform set of parts--it was the overall design and build quality of the Netbook we liked

With a body made of aluminum and magnesium alloy, the 5101 felt significantly more rugged than many of the plastic Netbooks it was competing with, and its excellent keyboard layout made typing a breeze. The new version, the 5102, offers only minor cosmetic tweaks, but also more configuration options, including a touch screen.

That means you can create a fairly compelling Netbook using HP's online configurator, but it'll also be an expensive one, as anything above the baseline adds significant cost. At a time when HD displays are becoming the norm, our $424 review unit has only a standard 1,024x600-pixel resolution 10-inch display, along with a single-core Intel Atom N450 processor, Windows 7 Starter Edition, and 1GB of RAM.

With the competition (including HP's own Mini 311 line) regularly offering HD displays and Nvidia Ion graphics for very reasonable prices, we would have liked to see the Mini 5102 make some bolder steps with its new version. As it is, this sequel to our favorite 2009 Netbook feels like just that--a 2009 Netbook.

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Nokia takes on Google with free navigation app

Nokia is making its navigation service free to all GPS-enabled Nokia devices in a move that will help the company better compete in the smartphone market against the likes of Apple and Google.

Starting Thursday, Nokia users will be able to download for free the client that enables GPS phones to get Ovi Maps and Navigation, as well as, various city guides on their phones. Nokia has been offering the maps and navigation service for more than two years. After its acquisition of Navteq announced in 2007, it enhanced the service by adding turn-by-turn pedestrian navigation. And it added premium content from partners, such as Lonely Planet.

Previously, customers could only access the basic maps for free. Turn-by-turn navigation and city guides had cost extra.

But that all changes Thursday when Nokia begins offering these services for free. Initially, the free service will be available for 10 of Nokia's phones, including the Nokia N97 mini, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and Nokia E72. Eventually, the software client will be available for all Nokia GPS-enabled phones. And starting in March, the company will begin shipping new GPS Nokia phones with the software and maps for the service pre-installed.

Taking mobile navigation to the mass market
Personal navigation devices, such as ones made by Garmin and TomTom, have become big hits with consumers. And now personal navigation is gaining popularity in mobile phones, thanks to GPS-enabled handsets, and applications such as Google Maps. Approximately 27 million people worldwide had GPS navigation on their mobile phones at the end of 2009, according to the research firm Canalys. Nokia estimates that by offering the service free on its phones it can boost that figure to 50 million.

"We think this will transform the mobile navigation market overnight by providing consumers with an out-of-the-box experience," said Tero Ojanper?, executive vice president of services for Nokia. "I'll admit it wasn't the easiest process getting this service in the past. But now we're moving from the early market to the mass market."

While Nokia still leads the world in overall cell phone sales, it's been losing ground over the past couple of years to new competitors such as Apple and Research In Motion in the high-end smartphone market. Competition will likely intensify in 2010 and beyond as manufacturers flood the market with a steady stream of new smartphones using the Google Android operating system.

Consumers are attracted to the new breed of smartphones, because of all the mobile applications that can run on these devices. Maps and Navigation powered by Google are key applications on these devices.

Taking on Google
Nokia sees personal navigation and location services as a major differentiator, setting its phones apart from its competitors and adding value for wireless operators. Specifically, Nokia executives believe that its mapping and navigation services are superior to Google's own Google Maps and Google Navigation, which are preloaded and offered for free on many popular handsets, such as the iPhone, the Motorola Droid, and Google's own NexusOne.

For example, Nokia's Ovi Map service offers navigation in 74 countries in 46 languages. And it can provide traffic information in more than 10 countries, as well as detailed maps for more than 180 countries.

Ojanper? said that creating and maintaining a dynamic mapping and navigation service is not easy. He said the company is continually updating its mapping content and it specifically looks at 250 different attributes to collect data using cars driving around various cities around the world to verify information is correct.

"Google offers free car navigation in one country," he said. "We offer it in 74 countries. We are truly global where others are not."

Another important differentiator for Nokia is the free access to the Lonely Planet Travel guides.

But Ojanper? also said that Nokia's service is better for wireless operators because the service and application consumes far less bandwidth than competing mapping navigation services, such as Google Maps and Google Navigation.

Ojanper? said that the technology Nokia uses to serve up its maps is 10 times more network efficient than Google's method. Nokia uses what's called a hybrid vectorizing mapping method, which allows users to zoom in and out of the map without downloading the same map multiple times. By contrast, Ojanper? said that Google's technology requires that a new map be downloaded each time a user zooms in or out of the map, which increases the amount of bandwidth needed to use the service.

For this reason, Ojanper? said he believes that wireless operators will want to work with Nokia to sell its phones and make the Ovi services available on their networks.

This sales pitch could be particularly useful in the U.S., where Nokia has a weak presence and only offers a handful of devices with subsidized price tags through a wireless operator. For several years, Nokia has sold most of its high-end phones in the U.S. directly to consumers. But in a market where someone can get an iPhone subsidized by a carrier for $99, it's difficult to sell a $500 unsubsidized phone.

That said, the new free mapping and navigation services could finally give wireless operators a reason to sell Nokia phones. It could also give consumers a reason to buy a Nokia phone, even without a subsidy. A personal navigation device can cost between $200 and $300, which makes a $500 unsubsidized Nokia phone look pretty good.

Ojanper? said Nokia plans to continue selling its phone directly to consumers but its primary focus will be to target wireless carriers in U.S. market.

Regardless of which channels Nokia chooses to sell the phone, one thing is certain. The company will have to spend some money marketing Ovi Maps and Navigation to the mass market. At this point, anyone with a computer is familiar with Google and is likely familiar with Google Maps.

Nokia's Navteq and Ovi brands are relatively unknown in the U.S., so the company has a lot of work ahead of it.


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Microsoft Confirms Internet Explorer Vulnerability [Security]

Microsoft has confirmed a vulnerability in several versions of Internet Explorer that it should have been used in Chinese attack on Google and other companies. The vulnerability exists in Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 8, but have been the attacks seem to target only the Internet Explorer 6-contained systems on the information in the description of the vulnerability on the Microsoft website.

The vulnerability is not valid as a reference pointer in Internet Explorer. It is subject to certain conditions for the invalid pointer can be accessed after an object is deleted. In a special attack, try to access an object is released, Internet Explorer can be done to allow the execution of code from remote locations.

Microsoft is currently working on a patch for vulnerabilities in the probability that the patch cycle, the patch will be released generally resolve as a fix.

The confirmation page patch lists several mitigating factors, but the safest option is now moving to a different web browser, at least if no patch is needed to protect the computer system vulnerability.

On Call: Android's biggest flaw

In a few months, operating system, Google Android has come a long way to go. We have seen a steady stream of new phones and new updates to the Android Market has increased and the operating system took center stage at CES, 2010.

Since September, I welcomed these developments. I like Android and the idea of openness and choice of the client he represents. Thus, as the operating system expands and enriches the world of mobile phones, I was a little opposition. I will continue to work to identify gaps separate Android phones - that's what I get paid, and it does not mean that I have iPhone Fanboy, - but I also give, where appropriate.

Take, for example, one communication. During the week I spent with the phone, I admire her dress a little. It is very fast, the screen is beautiful and provides new features android family. But even with all this good, which is currently the phone lacks some important features (see our review for full list). And what's this lack of opportunity to illustrate the major disadvantage over Android's.

So far I have reviewed six phones Android, and each of them was a completely different experience. On the design front, as expected - it was partly the reason for Android - and although I do not always agree, I'm okay with manufacturers to add their own layers of interface, as HTC or MotoBlur Sense.

With regard to the functions, however, the lack of uniformity rather disturbing. Each device has its strengths its functionality, but I have not found the phone Android, which brings together all these forces in a single device. Just look at the list of devices with Android past five months. Along with each phone, which I have listed the important features it offers. If I did not include the feature next to the device, we can assume it does not give such an opportunity.

Nexus: Here you will find options for mounting the camera and flash interface options Home Screen, double-click zoom, as well as enhanced voice control. Debut with Android 2.1.

Motorola Droid: Perspectives synchronize calendar, the options for mounting the camera, and then double-click zoom. He debuted with 2,0 Android, which combines several other improvements as a single e-mail address in the box and search text messages.

Motorola Cliq: synchronized with Outlook Calendar and schedule together, these two personal meetings and the work includes editing capabilities included. Debut with Android 1.5.

HTC Droid Eris Hero: Editing options include proposals, support for Flash Lite web browser, Pinch and multitouch-Zoom, synchronizing Outlook calendar and schedule together. Debut with Android 1.5.

Samsung Voice II: synchronization of calendar, Outlook, camera flash and editing capabilities, and improved Media Player. Debuted with Android 1.5

Samsung moments: Bring your calendar synchronization Outlook, Flash, and combined graph. Debut with Android 1.5.

As you can see, there is not an element of the list above, which are on all devices. If I want to pinch and zoom, I choose if I want to synchronize the calendar of Outlook, I have a choice, but if I want to as I have no choice. This situation may change in the near future, but now I can not have it all. And I want it all that Android device, which gives me everything.

The list also highlights the second fault of the OS updates. Currently, Google does not require, when carriers upgrade if you find yourself with a number of fairly mixed OS versions from 1,5 to 2,1. I understand that in the absence of such conditions reflects the spirit of Android, customers do not have to wait for months to update the OS, if they each received yesterday. I urge manufacturers and carriers to ensure a more concerted effort to these updates quickly.

Android is not perfect, I want a better Media Player, there is no native file manager, the options for hands-free calls are limited, and you can store applications in memory. But even these flaws, which I am sure will change over time, are dwarfed by landscape feature, it's all at stake. Hopefully we will see a more cohesive as time passes. There are so many things to talk about Android already, it can do better.

With IE 9, Microsoft fights back in browser wars

With Internet Explorer 9, Microsoft showed Wednesday it's trying to retake the browser initiative.

IE remains the Net's dominant browser. But perversely, it became something of a technology underdog after Microsoft vanquished Netscape in the browser wars of the 1990s and scaled back its browser effort.

That left an opportunity for rivals to blossom--most notably Firefox, which now is used by a quarter of Web surfers, but also Apple's Safari, which now runs on Windows as well as Mac OS X, and Google's Chrome, which aims to make the Web faster and a better foundation for applications.



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Rumors of a Gphone refuse to die

Is Google really thinking about making a substantial change to its business model by releasing the fabled Gphone?

TechCrunch sparked the latest round of Gphone rumors Wednesday, reporting that its sources indicate Google is working on releasing a Google-branded Android phone sometime in early 2010 that will be sold directly to consumers at retail, presumably bypassing wireless carriers. Such a phone is supposedly being built by a manufacturing partner with the intent that Google's brand will dominate the phone; TechCrunch compares the strategy to what Microsoft did with Toshiba and the Zune music player.

Well before Google unveiled its Android mobile operating system project two years ago, and almost ever since, persistent rumors have circulated that Google's mobile phone ambitions go beyond software development. Just as consistently, Google executives have downplayed such rumors with statements that the company is most interested in seeding Android far and wide across multiple carriers and hardware manufacturers, rather than following Apple's strategy of designing and building the entire product itself.

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Rate your Windows 7 upgrade experience

Last weekend we ran a casual, unscientific poll asking what your plans were for Windows 7. It closed Monday morning, but because of the overwhelming response, we decided to reopen it until today. Out of the 13,108 readers who voted, 59 percent (7,669) of you said that you were going to upgrade from Windows XP or Vista to Windows 7.

So, for those of you who are upgrading an older version of Windows to Windows 7 this weekend, we'd like you to rank your experience for us in a new poll posted below. Please share both your horror stories and your tales of easy installation in the comments. The new poll will close Monday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. Pacific time.

The remaining results from previous poll were mostly unsurprising. Fourteen percent, or 1,856 voters, said that they were planning on buying a new computer with Windows 7 already installed. Slightly more of you, 2,146 respondents (16 percent), said they had no plans to change computers or upgrade at the moment. A small but not insignificant percentage, 865 voters, said that they were going to switch to a Mac or a Linux computer.

After we reopened the poll on Monday afternoon, we added two questions by popular demand. Less than one percent of voters said they were going to switch from a Mac or Linux computer to Windows 7, while 454 people (3 percent) said that they already had a Mac or Linux computer and were planning on also using Windows 7.

What these numbers confirmed is that a majority of current Windows users will be upgrading current systems, meaning that most people not only believe that their hardware can adequately run Windows 7, but also that they can comfortably perform the upgrade themselves. However, sizable minorities will either be buying Windows 7 fresh or ignoring it entirely, while a tiny group will be using it as an excuse to abandon ship.