Geekly Update November 2

The AskBobRankin Geekly Update

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Sony have issued a recall on 69,000 VAIO adapters. Four have short circuited so far and if you send yours back you can receive a new one. Check to see if your adapter has the serial number VGP-AC19V17, or is on fire.

The BlackBerry Storm 2 became available this week through Verizon Wireless at a price of $179.99 after a $100 rebate. RIM's latest smartphone has a SurePress "clickable" display and multi-touch support including overseas calling, 256MB flash memory, 2GB packed memory and comes with a 16GB MicroSD card.

But will anyone really care? The Droid is coming Friday! Here is a sneak preview of the latest in a succession of "iPhone killer" devices: The Droid Phone. Does this one have a chance to derail the iPhone juggernaut?

The latest iMac all-in-one computer has arrived with a 21.5 or 27" backlit LED display, dual-core Intel processors, an integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor and comes with wireless keyboard at a price starting at $1,199.00.

To complement the release of the new iMac, Apple has released their Magic Mouse as a replacement for their Mighty Mouse. The device's top surface is a multi-touch area and doubles as the button. Using laser tracking, the MM is included with the purchase of any new iMac, you can also order one for $69.

Microsoft claims that students are having difficulties when trying to download Windows 7, which was offered at the can't resist price of $29.00. It seems that those having the problems are trying to go from the 32-bit version of Vista to the 64-bit version of Windows 7. The company is offering a refund or a CD for a clean install.

Dell's line of products are generally affordable and lackluster, but now that Windows 7 has been released with multi-touch capability, the company has come up with an extremely touchable 21.5" HD monitor. The Magic Touch features an integrated 2MP webcam and dual mic. Flick, tap, drag and scroll at a price starting at $469. (Windex and paper towels not included.)

Spoofcard allows you to make a phone call and display a number that you choose. The service goes so far as to be able to disguise your voice as well. After a free test run, you can purchase 25 credits for $4.95 or up to 560 credits at a price of $79.95. Darth Vader calling me again? That's the 14th time, dangit!

The White House has changed its website to use open-source code. Is this what Obama meant by transparency?

Gary Warner, the director of research in computer forensics at the University of Alabama, says to beware of emails telling you that your FDIC bank or insurance coverage has failed. Look for the subjects such as "FDIC has officially named your bank a failed bank" or "You need to check your Bank Deposit Insurance Coverage" -- but don't click any links inside the message, or you may receive the nasty Zeus Bot virus.