Archive for May, 2009

Amorphous silicon cells

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

Amorphous silicon cells

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Domestic solar cell research and application experts Alxa League of microwave power station scenery complementary system of site visits. Identified by experts, Tianjin to the company’s amorphous silicon cells with a low-light conversion efficiency, better use of scattered light and low cost, suitable for the photovoltaic system at home and abroad to use.

Alashan League microwave station 2000 meters above sea level, in the past has been to diesel and wind power stations needed to complement each other as the power supply, each year about 10 tons of diesel needs. Its application to the company-Si Jin-built scenery hp pavilion ze2000 battery, compaq-presario-m2000.htm”>hp presario m2000 battery power complementary system, not only saves a lot of fuel costs, but also as to reduce the burden of the Road Transport. The system put into operation more than three months, the amorphous silicon cell surface of a clear, non-corrosive, such as pollution and water infiltration anomaly, equipment to work well.

Ends, see my best blog here: Myblog Battery blog.

Why Linux Has No Future on Netbooks

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

I’ve long said that Windows 7 may mean the death knell of Linux on netbooks, and here’s more evidence: A top Lenovo analyst says that Windows 7 will dominate netbooks, and Linux will fade away.

Lenovo’s Worldwide Competitive Analyst Matt Kohut spoke with Tech.Blorge about the future of netbooks, and what he had to say will likely make Linux fans fume. He touted Windows 7, particularly for its touch features. But when it came to Linux, he was not impressed. Here’s what he had to say about Linux on netbooks:

“…in order to keep the price points down, a lot of people thought that Linux would be the saviour of all of these netbooks.”

You know, there were a lot of netbooks loaded with Linux, which saves $50 or $100 or whatever it happens to be, based on Microsoft’s pricing and, again, from an industry standpoint, there were a lot of returns because people didn’t know what to do with it.

Linux, even if you’ve got a great distribution and you can argue which one is better or not, still requires a lot more hands-on than somebody who is using Windows.

So, we’ve seen overwhelmingly people wanting to stay with Windows because it just makes more sense: you just take it out of the box and it’s ready to go.

That’s exactly what I’ve been saying for a while. Although Linux is generally easy to use these days, upgrading and installing software on it is no easy task. Linux’s only future on netbooks is as a niche, and what Lenovo says is one more piece of evidence.

Activation of used batteries is expected to recover

Monday, May 18th, 2009

Activation of used batteries is expected to recover

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Developed by Tsinghua University and other units of lead-acid battery recovery super technology, has entered the stage to promote the industrialization of formal recruitment in the country at all levels of the regional agent.

In all types of batteries, lead-acid batteries the largest share, accounting for the secondary battery market, according to 75%, is widely used in automotive, communications, finance, electric power, railway, aviation, marine, mining and other industries. Waste of the environmental pollution caused by the battery has become the world’s problems. China more than 5000 each year about 10,000, more than 300,000 tons of spent lead-acid batteries. Super recovery of lead-acid battery technology can be used on all types of lead-acid batteries for recovery activation. Detection by the Ministry of Information Industry, confirmed that the recovery rate of more than 96%.

It is reported that a vast reservoir of the technology market. In 2002, domestic output of lead-acid batteries, nearly 80 billion yuan, and each year to grow at a rate of 30%. Super use of lead-acid battery technology used to recover the battery recovery, the average cost to buy a new battery less than 1 / 4, which will save users a lot of money. With the industrialization of the technology promotion, running into billions of dollars annual output value of the used batteries is expected to recover activation of the birth of industry.

Care to send you a ticket

Monday, May 18th, 2009

Care to send you a ticket

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Litter next year to send your battery carefully tickets

Reporters yesterday that, “Sichuan Province of hazardous waste pollution prevention approach,” the official introduction of a few days ago and will be on January 1 next year the implementation of, the public or flats for sale and indiscriminate dumping of hazardous wastes will be subject to severe penalties, resulting in strict

- Most people do not know the investigation of hazardous waste

Chengdong reporters yesterday in a residential district in Chengdu were investigated. In the area of the ground floor of the corner is more than 200 households in a transit point for garbage, garbage bags of various colors, containing all kinds of garbage, piled up together Chengshan. In these garbage in people’s daily life can be seen everywhere in the commonly used batteries, lamp.

Reporter interviewed a number of residents, most people are familiar with hazardous waste, do not know what is around hazardous waste, hazardous waste recycling sites together with the sound, then the public of hazardous wastes into trash bags, fling is over. The results of a large number of hazardous wastes and mixed solid waste, environmental pollution has become a hidden danger.

Recycle Bin just to make money, regardless of pollution

In urban Chengdu, many used to hide the Recycle Bin. Qinglong field in the vicinity of, a number of recycling of waste electrical appliances shop business is booming. Due to electrical appliances in the waste contains large quantities of recyclable non-ferrous metals, ferrous metals, plastics, glass, and some parts are still useful in terms of their broad prospects for future recycling. Refuse collection of used electrical appliances hawkers went ahead with the dismantling or burning of the home appliances containing gold, silver, copper, tin, chromium, platinum, palladium and other precious metals, “down” out of the remaining waste to throw away, a serious pollution the environment. A hawker said that they want useful waste, of course, not only with the throwing, “which control what pollution Oh!”

But, in fact, in the electrical circuit boards, fused, such as the “possession” has harmful chemical raw materials, etc. In case of high temperature will produce harmful substances; there are other non-degradable, such as broken shells and tubes, screen such as garbage, such as the soil will be buried in the underground water pollution.

High cost and difficult handling systems business to run

At present, some large enterprises in the handling of dangerous waste, a large number of “jerry-building” phenomenon. A business person in charge told reporters that the process of their production volume of the plating bath is very large, if the charges dealt with in accordance with the current month to spend tens of thousands of dollars. Although the companies have their own simple processing equipment, but the handling capacity of less than 1 / 5. The remaining liquid waste emissions only quietly. He bluntly, many polluting enterprises to establish their own system of dealing with pollutants, really very little running.

Interpretation - set up hazardous waste identification

To be implemented next month “measures,” the provisions of the next hazardous waste containers and packaging, as well as the collection of storage and transportation of hazardous waste disposal facilities, premises, means of transport must be in accordance with relevant state regulations, set up hazardous waste identification. Prevention and treatment of hazardous waste facilities, premises, shall not be disabled, idle or even shut down, removed; to engage in collection, storage, disposal of hazardous waste operations of the unit, should have to adapt their business activities in technology, premises, equipment and pollution prevention and control capacity , and in accordance with the relevant provisions of the license. Prohibiting the operation permit, or not in accordance with licensing requirements, super scope, super-elements involved in the collection of hazardous wastes and other activities. Prohibited hazardous waste units will be commissioned to provide or pollutants to the land shortage of undocumented Carpenter, recycle bin for waste collection, disposal and so on. Engaged in the collection of hazardous waste management activities such as staff access the system to be implemented.

Hazardous waste a maximum fine of 30,000

“Measures” indiscriminate dumping of the collection, storage, disposal, possession of, hazardous waste, such as damage to the conduct of the detailed requirements. The maximum fine for violations of up to 30,000 yuan. At the same time, in accordance with the provisions of national law, in violation of explosive, flammable, radioactive, toxic, corrosive materials regulations in the production, storage, transport, use of a major accident, causing serious consequences will be sentenced in accordance with the law.

Waste battery recycling there are three major errors

Monday, May 18th, 2009

Waste battery recycling there are three major errors

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Batteries harmful to the environment have been well-known to the general public. In recent years, many schools in our city, community and business began to take part in prevention and treatment of waste batteries to the list of pollution, and even the kindergarten children also participated in recycling used batteries. However, recently the State Environmental Protection Administration of the control and other relevant departments jointly issued the “Waste Battery pollution control technology policy”, the city used batteries in recycling there are three “errors” has come a long “detour . ”

One need not recall errors in the recovery

No recovery: mercury-free batteries, and low mercury button cell battery

Focus on recycling: nickel cadmium batteries, nickel hydrogen batteries, lithium-ion batteries, lead-acid batteries such as rechargeable battery waste

Not long ago, Haishu District in a primary recovery of used batteries in the box, the reporter found here focus on the various types of batteries: mercury-free batteries, button batteries, as well as low-mercury batteries, and so on. In fact, the majority here simply is no need to waste battery recycling.

Battery of harmful substances including heavy metals and acid, alkali, such as electrolyte solution. Heavy metals including mercury, cadmium, lead, nickel, zinc, mercury, cadmium, lead on the environment and human health against the larger, zinc, nickel in the environment more than a certain amount will also constitute a hazard to human health. Waste acid, waste alkali, such as the electrolyte may be contaminated soil, so soil acidification or alkalization.

Therefore, the state pollution control waste battery technology policy: focus on the collection of waste batteries are nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel hydrogen batteries, lithium-ion batteries, lead-acid batteries can be discarded, such as rechargeable batteries and silver oxide button, such as disposable battery waste. Recovery in the current lack of effective technical conditions, not to encourage countries to focus the collection has reached a low mercury or mercury-free disposable battery waste requirements.

It is understood that the mercury-free batteries, Ningbo, the market has already reached a fairly high level. Various types of batteries in our city’s annual sales total about 17 million, of which the Bank of the battery company’s “Shuanglu” the total battery market accounted for around 70%. At present, the Bank has the full realization of the battery cell production of mercury-free. And so is estimated that the city of mercury-free battery sales ratio was 80%. In other words, the majority of Ningbo production do not waste battery recycling.

Misunderstanding of the second burning of the landfill recovery

Against: the burning of cadmium, mercury, lead batteries can cause serious air pollution

Found in the visiting reporter, at present, the city spent a lot of the battery into the municipal solid waste mixed with the solid waste landfill or incineration.

Scrap metal batteries mercury, cadmium, arsenic and zinc in the incineration volatile, burning into the latter part of bottom ash, and some were taken away by flue gas, condensation of cold air to become homogeneous when small flakes. Metal parts furnace to participate in the reaction of chloride, sulfide or oxide, the metal more easily than the original volatile gasification, and more of these substances into the final remnants of bottom ash to the heavy metal content of ash increased, it is difficult to deal with. Therefore, the incineration of cadmium, mercury, lead batteries can cause serious air pollution, the high level of heavy metal enrichment of the ash can also be sources of heavy metals.

Relevant experts believe that mercury-free batteries can be used for landfill treatment, incineration can also be carried out and will not impact on the environment.

City Sanitation Department from information that I urban solid waste production of about 1200 tons, of which 870 tons of burning to Fenglin. At present, Fenglin no way of sorting their refuse for handling solid waste mixed with waste batteries will then burned. Incineration of waste in the cell, there is no lack of recovery and not have to be harmful to the battery recall.

Errors of three network elements are out of line recycling

Question: The city has not collected to form an effective channel for receiving the waste batteries at present nowhere else to go

It had become a focus of public concern. However, the effect doubtful.

At present, members of the public for purely environmental conscious behavior. It can be said that the city has yet to form a well-established channels for the collection of used batteries. Not to mention a number of communities and units has not carried out this work, some schools and even the collection of waste battery collection nobody answered. This reporter recently visited a residential district in also found that the district was in the collection of waste batteries, but there are not a.

Through a telephone interview, the reporter also found that there are currently receiving is not responsible for the environmental protection department of waste batteries. Sanitation sector can not be sorted waste batteries, the battery is currently receiving the waste can not go anywhere. Fenglin enterprises receive only batteries, will be buried in the “cement coffin.” It can be said that public enthusiasm for recycling of waste batteries is almost down the drain.

It was learned that a solid waste batteries, including nickel-cadmium battery waste, waste mercury-containing batteries and waste lead-acid batteries are hazardous waste.

Analysis of relevant experts in order to tackle the pollution problems of waste batteries, government departments must be correct guidance, from each community, schools, enterprises and institutions to start, the separate collection of hazardous waste batteries, and then transported through the sanitation department to Fenglin landfill to deal with seal. The only way to eliminate waste from the environmental pollution caused by batteries.

Car battery to keep pace with

Monday, May 18th, 2009

Car battery to keep pace with

Car made in 2003 to become a Fashion. U.S. Sanxiang the 1.7 billion acquisition of vehicles, the United States and 2 billion compaq 319411-001 , compaq presario 2100 battery , compaq presario 2500 battery  yuan to build the automotive industry in Yunnan City; desire to create the Central Plains Xinfei Special Purpose Vehicle manufacturing base, the first batch of new refrigerated trucks have been flying off the assembly line; production Wuliangye Liquor is riveting enough a strong production line to the car; But the most noteworthy in the last year, none other than the first wave of non-automotive business, “movement” of listed companies in Shenzhen BYD.

In the acquisition of Xi’an Qinchuan car, Geely became the second following the private car in BYD enterprises in the automotive sector is a relatively unfamiliar name, and its head is famous Wang Chuanfu. Wang Chuanfu assets in 2003 to 328 million U.S. dollars to board the “Forbes” magazine “China Peregrine list,” ranked No. 13, followed in November 2003 in the United States, “Business Week” and “Stars of Asia.”

Battery King diverted hp f2299a , hp f3172a , hp pavilion zt1000 battery

January 23, 2003, with the Asia-Pacific Region “Battery king,” the title of the private entrepreneur Wang Chuanfu in Hong Kong announced that through its Hong Kong main board listed company shares in BYD (HK1211), to 254 million Hong Kong dollars (about 269.5 million yuan million) the price of the acquisition of motor vehicles in Xi’an Qinchuan limited liability company 77% of the equity. Thus, the official holding Qinchuan BYD Automobile Company.

Known as the “battery king” of Wang Chuanfu, 1987 and graduated from Central South University, 26-year-old become a national-level senior engineer. The sea in 1995, BYD Co., Ltd. established in 1997, began producing nickel metal hydride batteries, the performance was ranked first in the world 7. In 2000, Wang Chuanfu started lithium battery research and development, will soon have a core technology. At that time, cell phone lithium battery has been monopolized by Japanese enterprises, the average price of 8 U.S. dollars each, Wang Chuanfu put a hand down the price of lithium batteries of 2.5 U.S. dollars. According to Wang Chuanfu said, the cost of BYD hp f2019 , hp f2019a , hp f2019b , hp omnibook 6000 battery  only 30% of it.

With the technical and cost advantages, Wang Chuanfu open market. From 20 to 28,000 small factories of the “Kingdom of the battery,” Wang Chuanfu only took 8 years. In 2003 to become second only to Japan’s Sanyo BYD of the world’s second largest mobile phone battery manufacturers, accounting for global market share of 23%.

In 2003, the wealthy 37-year-old to a “magnificent turn” into more than 20 billion investment, BYD Automobile to build his kingdom.

It is worth mentioning that, Xi’an Qinchuan vehicle is approved by the state only a north-west car production enterprises in the industry, the status of the Northwest can not be ignored. FLYER is the Qinchuan company launched in 2001 the family car, was on the 2000 sold over the last two years in count market. However, the surface of chronic hp f1739a , hp omnibook xe battery  illness, Qinchuan prosperity, as the former military enterprises, Qinchuan car has been suffering from financial problems. Even in 2002, has been sold 17,000 vehicles in the context of sales, Qinchuan car in 2002, only the net profit also more than 70 million.

Qinchuan 2003 companies rely on the FLYER launch a variety of brand new car. Include: FLYER broad-based, three-box cars and a FLYER FLYER small MPV brand as well as a 4.8-5.0 m long, 1.8 meters wide, with Mitsubishi’s new factory engine. At the same time in 1000 acres of land Xi’an, construction of new plants, with a total investment will reach more than 500 million yuan.

In October 2003, Wang Chuanfu surprise and burst out of its stake in BYD at the helm of the high-tech Industrial Development Zone and Xi’an, hp f2024b , hp f2024a , hp omnibook xe3 battery the Shaanxi Provincial Investment Group signed a joint venture automobile production enterprise projects, with a total investment of 20 billion yuan in Xian 1500 acres of land high-tech zones, and build cars, electric vehicle production base in research and development, the project put into operation, it is expected that annual production capacity of 200,000 automobiles, an annual output of 100,000 sets of spare parts.

Wang Chuanfu will not drive themselves, but on how to fully confident. He in Shanghai, a dedicated electric vehicle research and development base in Beijing, a base-pressure cell, and vehicle manufacturers on Xi’an. It is produced by BYD electric cars first quarter of this year will appear in the streets of Shenzhen.

Car batteries in parallel

King BYD entered the car hp 346970-001 , hp hstnn-db02 , hp hstnn-ub02, it is clear that is intended to build a car battery industry platform to seize the advantage of electric vehicles.

Not everyone is optimistic about the BYD’s electric vehicles. 20th century 90’s, the rise of the global thermal electric vehicles, including General Motors, including a number of enterprises involved in research and development, the ultimate electric vehicles out of the laboratory or not, the electric car dream ended in failure. This makes people doubt that BYD again whether there are the future of electric vehicles.

Wang Chuanfu own views clearly, in the Wang Chuanfu personal view: “I used to be so mobile phone battery, and now is a great little battery put it in the car on it.”

Wang Chuanfu believe that the reason why GM abandoned because they did not expect such a fast development of lithium hp dp390a , hp pp2100 , compaq presario r3000 battery. GE now has to do hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, alternative energy sources is only one solution, not only. Electric vehicles, the key problem is that batteries, the future of battery electric vehicles is the lithium battery. BYD has been resolved and high-capacity battery, high-life issues such as core technology, already in commercial production conditions.

According to Wang Chuanfu introduced since BYD entered the car after Qinchuan, the first in China to conduct R & D and manufacturing of electric vehicles. BYD invested heavily in 2003 in Shanghai Automotive R & D center is mainly responsible for electric vehicles and new car R & D tasks. At present, BYD has solved a number of electric cars key technical problems, especially large-capacity battery energy storage technology have made breakthroughs in bottleneck, electric vehicles have entered the manufacturing stage, the first half of 2004, there will be 200 electric vehicles into the taxi industry in Xian trial. The price of electric cars will be the price of regular gasoline vehicles slightly higher, about 16 million. A rechargeable electric vehicles that can travel 350 kilometers.

Wang Chuanfu said BYD in the development of electric vehicles still insist on ordinary gasoline engine production and development of domestic cars in 2003 hp pavilion zv5000 battery , hp pavilion zv6000 battery, hp pavilion dv1000 battery , hp pf723a , hp 367759-001, their original FLYER Qinchuan car had a number of technical upgrades, the introduction of a higher technological content and more cost-effective FLYER “lucky star” cars, has been welcomed by the market, sales increased steadily. At the same time, BYD cars in Shanghai R & D centers and foreign automotive design company, has developed a new 1.6-liter cars BYD. The car will be listed in January this year, to model the large number of highly competitive car market 1.6 liters to launch a strong impact. The new car will be put up BYD standard, will be the first to introduce brand new cars BYD.

Wang Chuanfu once said: “If we bring this technology for electric vehicles to achieve industrialization and commercialization, it can be turned into the Three Gorges water of oil.” BYD battery started obviously hope that in the future development of the battery , cars keep pace, but the oil into the water requires more than just imagination, but also capable of genuine, full of self-confidence in making the BYD letter into his confidence, I am afraid only BYD electric vehicle running in the streets can be found at the time.

Concern behind the prosperity of hp pm579a , hp pavilion dv4000 battery , hp pavilion ze2000 battery

Wang Chuanfu had said publicly in the media, the battery industry, it frankly is not a development, we must seek greater industry. As we all know what the next opportunity is the vehicle.

July 2002, BYD shares listed in Hong Kong, BYD Automobile Qinchuan after the acquisition, the concept of a good car in the secondary market to maintain a good performance, and in October 2003, BYD shares 11 billion market capitalization of the Hong Kong dollar.

Indeed, now to find a car manufacturing sector as the rate of return high profits and high growth industry, a very difficult one. 30% profit margin, growth rate of 40%, such figures are sufficient to make jealous of other industries. Any exciting things are bound to attract a large number of participants, cars can not make an exception.

In addition to taking over hp presario m2000 battery , hp presario v2000 battery Wang Chuanfu Qinchuan automobiles, automotive investment in the new century Guizhou project contract means the company took over the Guizhou Aviation Industry Group Skylark sedan project. In addition more than 40 enterprises in Zhejiang Province to build applications for cars is even more. In addition, Jiangsu Chunlan, Ningbo Bird, Guangdong Midea, Henan Xinfei, Ningbo Aux and other dozens of well-known enterprises have entered or are preparing to enter the automotive industry. Some of them have cars available, and some are actively being planned. Most of these enterprises through mergers and acquisitions to enter the field of automobile production, the total amount of more than billion in mergers and acquisitions.

The automotive industry so that the flowers are all practitioners, but it seems that behind the smile, there are always a trace of anxiety.

Automotive industry is more prominent scale industries. From the world history of the development of the automobile industry, the auto companies continue to reduce the number of enterprises to the oligarchs is a trend. ,1964-2000 data show that 36-year period, the world’s cars and station wagons of the number of vehicle manufacturers sharply from 52 to 10, at present, has taken shape in six groups and three independent cross-car company, ” 6 +3 “pattern. This multinational group of six major automobile production in more than four million hp pavilion dv2000 battery , hp hstnn-lb31 , hp ev088aa , hp 417066-001, more than any of the annual output of automobile production in China even more significant.

This is another in our country and laws of the anti-tune singing, after years of development, now China’s auto industry can be described as love everyone. At present, China’s vehicle manufacturers are up to more than 100, there are 27 provinces (municipalities) the production of automobiles, there are 17 provinces (municipalities) the production of cars, there are 23 provinces (municipalities) have been completed and the car production line, many local governments have the auto industry as a pillar industry in this region. Profits in the automobile industry under the effects of the model, the new car project launched one after another.

Experts believe that China’s auto industry due to the lack of its own brand, its own technology, so as not to consciously make lower the threshold, a permit is obtained, then the introduction of a model, as long as the vision is true that most earn a basin huge, so car has become a “do not play on” thing; but the market will not remain nameless so friendly, when the arrival of the brutal competition in real time, so cut-throat competition and scattered industry hp f4486b , f4486a , hp cgr-b1870ae , bta0302001 , will inevitably face the greatest crisis.

BYD is the pace car to enter the amazing speed, confidence Wang Chuanfu no doubt, however, the weakness is the lack of BYD products and brands, so how strong auto industry, such as forests get their share, it will be before Wang Chuanfu before a new topic.

Lenovo Looks to Smooth out Netbook Line With IdeaPad Update

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

Lenovo on Monday updated its IdeaPad S10 netbook, making it thinner and lighter, with a larger keyboard and touchpad in an attempt to make it easier to use.

The IdeaPad S10-2 netbook will also come with built-in 3G (third-generation) mobile broadband as an option, the company said.

The netbook’s keyboard has been increased to nearly 90 percent the size of a standard laptop keyboard, which should give users the familiar feel of a fully functional laptop, Lenovo said. The netbook’s weight, size and estimated battery life were not immediately available.

The S10-2 includes a 10.1-inch screen and will be available worldwide by the end of May starting at US$349. It will be powered by an Intel-based Atom N270 processor and will come with the Windows XP OS. It will support up to 1GB of RAM and up to 160GB of hard-drive storage. It will be available in designs of black, white, grey and pink. Integrated 3G will be offered in a few months, the company said.

The redesign is an attempt by Lenovo to iron out kinks in its netbook products as the category evolves. Netbooks are low-priced laptops designed for applications like Web surfing and basic word processing, but it have been criticized for limited hardware. An Apple official late last month trashed netbooks for having cramped keyboards and junky hardware.

Despite the obvious shortcomings of netbooks, low prices have fueled demand for them. IDC earlier this month said worldwide netbook shipments went up sevenfold to roughly 4.5 million during the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same quarter last year. It comprised approximately 8 percent of all PC shipments during the first quarter. Netbook shipments are expected to reach 22 million this year.

Lenovo was the fourth largest netbook vendor during the first quarter behind Acer, Asus and Hewlett-Packard, according to IDC.

Lenovo Looks to Smooth out Netbook Line With IdeaPad Update

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

Lenovo on Monday updated its IdeaPad S10 netbook, making it thinner and lighter, with a larger keyboard and touchpad in an attempt to make it easier to use.

The IdeaPad S10-2 netbook will also come with built-in 3G (third-generation) mobile broadband as an option, the company said.

The netbook’s keyboard has been increased to nearly 90 percent the size of a standard laptop keyboard, which should give users the familiar feel of a fully functional laptop, Lenovo said. The netbook’s weight, size and estimated battery life were not immediately available.

The S10-2 includes a 10.1-inch screen and will be available worldwide by the end of May starting at US$349. It will be powered by an Intel-based Atom N270 processor and will come with the Windows XP OS. It will support up to 1GB of RAM and up to 160GB of hard-drive storage. It will be available in designs of black, white, grey and pink. Integrated 3G will be offered in a few months, the company said.

The redesign is an attempt by Lenovo to iron out kinks in its netbook products as the category evolves. Netbooks are low-priced laptops designed for applications like Web surfing and basic word processing, but it have been criticized for limited hardware. An Apple official late last month trashed netbooks for having cramped keyboards and junky hardware.

Despite the obvious shortcomings of netbooks, low prices have fueled demand for them. IDC earlier this month said worldwide netbook shipments went up sevenfold to roughly 4.5 million during the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same quarter last year. It comprised approximately 8 percent of all PC shipments during the first quarter. Netbook shipments are expected to reach 22 million this year.

Lenovo was the fourth largest netbook vendor during the first quarter behind Acer, Asus and Hewlett-Packard, according to IDC.

Consumer Electronics Help Nudge Economy

Friday, May 8th, 2009

The federal government last week reported a 6.1% contraction in the U.S. economy during this year’s first quarter — a grim headline in the making. But economists and IT industry analysts saw some hopeful signs in the latest numbers, as did Wall Street, where stock prices staged a midday rally.

The U.S. Department of Commerce, in its quarterly report on gross domestic product (GDP), said that consumer spending increased by 2.2% in Q1 on a sequential basis, after falling 4.3% in last year’s fourth quarter. Consumers account for about two-thirds of overall spending in the U.S., so the first-quarter jump was seen as a good omen for the economy as a whole.

“If consumer spending is starting to recover, that means you’ve got signs that the economy is starting to recover,” said Andrew Bartels, an analyst at Forrester Research Inc.

Bartels and other analysts said shrinking business inventories that also were cited in the Commerce Department report may spur increased production to meet the growing consumer demand. Moreover, the federal government’s economic stimulus spending under the $787 billion bill signed by President Barack Obama in February has yet to fully kick in.

The first-quarter decline in inventories “is a classic sign of reaching a bottom, because now the shelves are empty,” said Frank Scavo, president of Computer Economics Inc., a market research firm in Irvine, Calif.

But overall, the first quarter was rougher than expected for the economy, and the drop-off in GDP followed a similarly sharp 6.3% decline during the fourth quarter of last year.

Tech Firms Report Tough Quarter

IT vendors were among the businesses that had a tough time in Q1. For instance, Microsoft Corp. reported a 6% revenue decline year-to-year, while IBM said its revenue fell by 11%. SAP AG Wednesday reported a 33% drop in software sales; its total revenue declined by only 3%, but that was thanks largely to increases in software support fees that took effect Jan. 1.

The data released by the Commerce Department explains why the revenues of tech vendors were down during the first quarter. The agency’s report shows that spending on software dropped by 8% in Q1 and that purchases of computers and peripherals were off by 25%, Bartels said.

But with the consumer-spending data suggesting that the economic downturn is flattening out or perhaps even coming to an end, Bartels expects businesses to revisit their capital investment plans and decide that they might have overreacted in making spending cuts. And although federal spending was down 4% in the first quarter, the stimulus plan “is going to turn government spending from negative to positive very quickly,” he said.

The Federal Reserve, in a statement issued this afternoon, said it also has seen signs of improvement in the economy, although its comments were guarded. The Fed said that “the pace of contraction appears to be somewhat slower” and that since March, “the economic outlook has improved modestly.” Household spending “has shown signs of stabilizing but remains constrained by ongoing job losses, lower housing wealth and tight credit,” the Fed said, adding that weak sales prospects have prompted businesses to cut their inventories, investments and staffing levels.

Swine Flu an Issue

One wild card is the possible economic impact of the swine flu outbreak, especially if the World Health Organization determines that it amounts to a pandemic. Such a declaration might increase demand for technologies that support telecommuting, but it would hurt the travel industry and other businesses. Overall, Scavo said, a full-blown pandemic “could lengthen the recession, and that in turn could suppress demand for IT equipment and services.”

There is one economic sector that may be unaffected by the downturn: lobbying. Tech vendors spent $29.5 million in the first quarter lobbying Congress and the White House, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That amount is on track with last year’s levels, when the IT industry spent about $118 million on lobbying efforts for the year as a whole.

Angry MacBook Air Owner Takes Kitchen Knife to Laptop

Friday, May 8th, 2009

Some of us take out second mortgages to make ends meet. Some of us toil away at menial jobs to weather the economic crisis. Others stab their US$1,800 MacBook Air with a kitchen knife because it has a broken hinge. Who are we to say what’s right and wrong?

According to the resourceful genius in this video, he, as well as six of his friends who also own MacBook Airs, have all experienced issues with a broken hinge that attaches the monitor to the body. This defect also apparently gives one a bloodthirsty urge to repeatedly stab their MacBook Air in the display with a kitchen knife. On camera.

To add insult to injury, he recommends that we buy a Lenovo x300 laptop instead of a Mac. Uh huh. We have one question to ask: is it kitchen knife-proof?

I’m personally surprised it took three stabs to crack the screen. That’s gotta be some sort of testament to Apple’s build quality, right? And amazingly the MacBook didn’t explode in his face, electrocute him, or shoot hazardous LCD goo into his eyes. Well, it would have made for a more interesting video, anyway.