Laptop Release Review News

If you’re looking to be first in line to pre-order Apple’s new iPad, then set your alarm, because Steve Jobs’s latest creation is available for pre-order in the U.S. early on Friday, March 12: 5:30 a.m. Pacific Time or 8:30 a.m. for those of us on the East coast. While details are still scarce, TidBits managed to snag the elusive details from Apple about the timing of the pre-order. As of Friday morning, you’ll be able to log on to Apple online store and place your order for the device, which goes on sale on April 3 -assuming the company’s site manages to withstand the possible onslaught of excited customers. Pre-ordering allows you to have an iPad delivered to your door or reserve one for pick up at your local Apple Store location on launch day. Only the Wi-Fi model will be available for pre-order-the 3G-equipped version won’t be available until Read the rest of this entry ?

Not just eye candy for Apple fans, today’s Mac and iPhone accessories really deliver the goods. Imagine watching television on your iPhone. Or say you want to process a credit card at a customer site. Then again, you could simply be looking for an iPhone case that reflects your odd, errr, artistic personality. [ Macworld showcases an emerging new class of iPhone apps , reports CIO.com. ] CIO.com has chosen five recently-introduced favorites. (Hint: We like add-ons that are actually useful or have some technology flair.) By the way, it would have been nice to include the Apple iPad, but it’s not an accessory and still hasn’t made an appearance, even at the recent Macworld Expo. Of course, neither did Apple . Putting Pen to Paper Many CIOs still take notes with a good old-fashioned pen. Are they to be left out of all the Apple fun? Livescribe’s Pulse Smartpen Read the rest of this entry ?

Parallels, whose Desktop offering lets you run a variety of operating systems without ever having to leave Mac OS X, has updated Parallels Desktop 5.0 to include support for Google’s Chrome OS. Previously, Parallels Desktop worked with Google’s open source version of Chrome OS, dubbed Chromium OS, but with a few tweaks . With this development, Parallels claims that Parallels Desktop 5.0 will be able to run Chrome OS. “There is already a huge amount of interest in Google’s new OS, even though it’s still just in beta, so we want to make sure our customers can try it out on their Macs without impacting their primary work environment on Mac OS X,” said Kim Johnston, Vice President of Marketing for Consumer, Business and Online at Parallels, in the press release announcing the new build of Desktop. “It’s important to us that we continue to Read the rest of this entry ?

Imagine my horror the other day when I saw an otherwise sharp friend of mine shut down his laptop by holding down the power button until the system turned off. Why is that a really bad idea? I’ll explain this week–and I’ll also tell you about a Web service that could very well save your life. How Not to Shut Down Your PC “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!” I cried. “Why’d you do that?” “What? I was just turning off my PC,” he replied innocently. Sometimes I forget that some of the stuff I take for granted isn’t common knowledge. So in case you’ve been committing this same heinous shutdown crime, allow me to enlighten you. That is not, repeat, not the proper way to shut down a PC. The proper way is to click Start, Shut down . (I know, it’s ridiculous that after all these years Microsoft still forces you to use the Read the rest of this entry ?

Oscar parties are fun — boozing it up with friends, gorging on seven-layer taco dip, shouting at the TV when your favorite Hollywood star mounts the stage — but the show itself can be excruciating. Long sentimental speeches paired with the host’s unfunny jokes could slip you into a coma. However, there’s a workaround: the Internet, of course! From online polls to streaming coverage to iPhone apps , multimedia has a lockdown on the Oscars. The Prep First off, head over to Chiff.com for a printable tally sheet of nominees to organize your Academy Award picks. (click on the reproduction here for a close r look.) Chiff.com also has a bunch of suggestions for pimping out your party , like tacking up movie posters and prepping elaborate meals . Are you more inclined towards intoxication to help you through the night? Check out these Oscar-themed drinks at the site Read the rest of this entry ?