Geekly Update October 5

The AskBobRankin Geekly Update

• Dell's new 16-inch Latitude Z claims to be the world's thinnest (~1/2") and lightest (4.5lbs.) With prices starting at $1799, it boasts a Premium High Definition Plus (1600x900) WLED Display, a backlit keyboard, a gesture-enabled touchpad and their EdgeTouch LCD sensor. But the coolest feature... it has the ability to charge wirelessly. Just set it on the wireless inductive charging stand and it juices itself up. Nice touch, Dell, but how about a solar option?
• Apple has announced that the App Store has just passed their 1 year anniversary and have hit the 2 billion mark in downloads. Available in 77 countries, over 100,000 developers have contributed more than 65,000 applications to the online shop. They're not all crappy apps... but Poop the World is a bit much for me...
• Speaking of iPhone apps, this clever one may help you learn to juggle. Normally, apps are terminated when you press the Home key, but Backgrounder allows you to multitask by sending applications to the background on your iPhone or iTouch. It's a simple matter of pressing and holding the home key while running an application. An example: start Pandora, then use Backgrounder to send it to the background, and you can continue listen to music while doing something else on the device.
• DoubleSight has two new mini-monitors that are both affordable and useful. The 7-inch model has a resolution of 800 x 400 while the 9-incher does 1024 x 600 and has the option of a detachable webcam. Both attach by USB and can switch between landscape and portrait orientation. Prices start at $120.00. I'm not sure why I'd want an external monitor for my laptop that's even SMALLER than my laptop screen, but I'm giving it extra coolness point because it attaches via USB.
• Canon has introduced the lastest product in their imageFormula line, the P-150 Personal Scanner. At a size of only 11 x 3.7 x 1.6 and a weigh of about 2 lbs., the portable and mobile device can scan up to 20 documents at a speed of 15 ppm in simplex or twice that in duplex mode. Look for an arrival time of October 28, exclusively through CDW. Ahhh, a mobile scanner... roadtrips will now be that much more productive and enjoyable.
• Verizon Wireless has announced that its first Windows Mobile 6.5 enabled device, the HTC Imagio will be released Oct. 6. At a price of $199 after rebate and with a 2-year contract, the phone has a 3.6" WVGA touchscreen (bigger than the iPhone screen), WiFi, a 5 megapixel cam and 2100MHz UMTS/HSDPA for browsing. Huh? Wifi on a Verizon phone?? I'll bet they just forgot to disable it...
• Panasonic announced this week that they are working on a 50-inch HD plasma TV, which they believe will be the standard, that can also produce 3D. They will be on display at next week's CEATEC 2009 and available to the public early next year. Along with the tacky glasses, you will need a Blu-ray player and 3D formatted discs.
• GeoEye has released a photo of the underground Iranian site that was found last week. The satellite, which also supplies pictures for Google Maps and Google Earth, took the image 423 miles over the planet at 4 miles per second. According to IHS Jane's, a defense intelligence consulting firm, the site is about 100 miles southwest of Tehran.
• And finally, it's time to terminate the Governator. And Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay, has decided to run for governor of California in 2010, believing that her background will help the beleagured state solve its budget, business and other problems. Pssst, Meg... Offering California residents free listings on eBay might win you some votes.

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