Heavily hyped with more than a few teasers from Dell, the computer giant has finally launched its wafer-slim Dell Adamo XPS. The third in the Adamo series, there’s no doubt Dell’s aim with this machine is to give arch-rival Apple’s MacBook Air a run for its money. And the launch follows in the wake of super-thin machines such as the Sony Vaio X range.

Billed as the world’s thinnest laptop, the Dell Adamo XPS is just 9.9mm thick, and weighs in at less than 1.5kg. And this latest product shaves nearly 5mm off the size of last year’s Adamo (more photos at bottom of page!).

Described by some as a work of art or a feat of engineering rather than a functional laptop, a stand at the back of the machine slants the keyboard at an angle towards the user and rests on top of the battery. While this should help with overheating problems by allowing air to circulate, users may find balancing the XPS on their laps uncomfortable.

Size & Spec Overview

This laptop, measuring 34mm by nearly 275, doesn’t open with a conventional mechanical button release. Instead you move your fingers over a heat sensor to release the full-size aluminium keyboard and watch the laptop unfold itself.

This laptop has a high-definition display on its 13.4 inch display screen, and very low voltage. Other features include 4GB DDR3 800 memory, an Intel Core 2 Duo (1.4Ghz) ultra-low voltage processor and 128GB solid-state drive. You’ll also find a built-in 802.11n wireless; 2x USB 2.0; Ethernet connection (through a dongle) and Windows 7 64-bit edition.

Negative Comments

Some of the grumbles already being heard about this product centre on the life of the battery – at around two and a half hours it won’t keep you working for long without mains power. Others have described the Adamo XPS is a triumph of style over substance.

The company insists that this machine will ‘inspire an emotional connection‘ with anyone who sees it. But, clearly, whether it is any good or not is a decision only the individual user can make. We may to wait a while to see for ourselves in the UK, since, frustratingly, a British launch date and pricing has yet to be revealed. What is clear is that, with the equivalent US price tag of over £1,000, it certainly isn’t a cheap product, and in these economic times you’ll need a bulging wallet to check out this ultra-slim laptop.

Image Gallery

Here are some great shots of this impressive product. All photos owned by Dell.

You can see more of this product at adamobydell, well worth a look!

Apple has fixed 18 faults in its most recent upgrading of its Mac OS X operating system, the tenth major version of Apple’s operating system for Macintosh computers.

The latest updated Mac OS X resolves several software security issues, several of them critical bugs to do with the handling of images.

Version 10.5.8 of the OS puts right problems related to Image IO’s handling of OpenEXR images, EXIF metadata and PNG images. Apple has also fixed a stack buffer overflow which existed in the way Image RAW handles Canon RAW images. 

In all, there were six potential security vulnerabilities within the various image file formats. All had the potential to be exploited by hackers forcing users to see malicious images, according to Apple’s advisory.

At the same time, Apple’s update also takes the opportunity to correct a couple of problems which were having an impact on its Safari browser, which works on iPhones, iPod touch, and PCs as well as the Mac.

The first was an issue with the CF Network which could allow a malicious web site to control the displayed website URL in a certificate warning. The problem was that when Safari reached a web site through a 302 redirection, and a certificate warning was displayed, the warning would contain the original web site link instead of the current one.

This created the potentially for allowing a maliciously crafted web site, reached via an open redirector on a user-trusted site to control the displayed URL link in a certificate warning, says Apple.

Equally, the update expands the browser’s list of types of content which will be flagged as potentially unsafe in some cases, for example, if they are downloaded from a web page. Although these content types are not launched automatically, if they are  opened manually, they could lead to the execution of a malicious JavaScript payload.

This month, Apple has also launched Safari 4.0.2. which is now recommended for all Safari users, and will improve the stability of the Nitro JavaScript engine.

However, early blog comments, complaining that “Safari 4.0 crashes immediately at launch with VideoBox installed” and that “ever since the upgrade my computer takes forever to start up” could indicate some early teething problems for the Cupertino-based software developer.

And with hackers and security problems reappearing, hydra-like, the minute you get rid of one, Apple will need to continue to do all it can to stay one step ahead of the game.

Source: eweek. Image: mrbill

A blog claiming to show the first few pictures of Google OS Beta turned out to be fakes last week after the fraudster came clean.

It’s pretty ironic that this happened as the search giant claimed its plans for the operating system heralded an end to all security concerns.

Google Chrome OS, due to be launched around this time next year, with netbooks as its initial target market, will be based on open source code, and claims to offer unprecedented safety.

Allegedly, this means an end for the need to run anti-virus software, but also wider security updates and malware.

Simplicity and speed are other key features, say senior Google sources, adding that it’ll be zippy enough to have you online in a few minutes. Google Chrome OS has been made to run on x86 and ARM chips, and operate within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel, the company says.

But already sceptics are dismissing Google’s claims as unrealistic, saying that no software could claim to be free from security problems, and that malware authors are likely to be doing their darnedest to find flaws in the system from the moment it launches.

Already there have been breaches of a kind, with a prankster posting photos purporting to be from the Chrome OS Beta. Granted, this won’t affect the system, but constant press about security issues will knock consumer confidence.

If it wants to be as secure as it claims, Google is going to have to be one step ahead all the time. And it can surely expect more of this sort of prank in the future. And to think the OS hasn’t even launched yet! So will they manage to keep Chrome clear of security threats?

MSl’s new X-Slim Notebook range are grabbing a few headlines as they are under an inch thick, which puts these machines in direct competition with the classy Apple Airbook, but are they really up to that job?

The Apple Airbook is what we expect from Apple: A classy piece of kit that does a very good job. The specifications are good, it looks amazing, and is a dream to use.

MSl’s new X-Slim 340 Notebook which goes on sale in the UK in June, boasts the following:

• 2GB RAM
• 13.4” inch screen. (1366 x 768)
• 320GB Hard drive
• 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo ULV SU3500 processor
• Intel GMA 4500MDH IGP graphics card
• Under 1” inch thick.

In its own right this looks impressive, and it does have a stylish, streamlined look.  But can it take on the King of class, Apple?

Well from a specification point of view, no it can’t.  The Airbook has a 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo part processor, and a GeForce 9400M graphics card to boot.

The one thing the X-Slim does have going for it, is that at £859, it is £412 cheaper than the Airbook.

Can the X – Slim stand up to Apple, or is it a step to far for this notebook?

Source:Hexus