There is no denying that both the Apple iMac and MacBook are superb products but there is still something missing, this is something that Troll Touch have now rectified. They have now announced new touchscreen systems for the 13 inch Unibody MacBook laptop as well as Apple’s 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac.

These new systems offer analog resistive touchscreen technology running at a 12 bit touchscreen resolution. The MacBook touchscreen is something that needs to be fully integrated at the factory, there is also a choice for a “SlipCOVER” touchscreen system.

Troll Touch will begin delivery on December 1, in some cases a little before. Prices start at $699.00 for the MacBook Touchscreen and $899.00 and $1099.00 respectively for the 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMacs SlipCOVER version. The internal iMac implementations will cost $1099.00 and $1699.00.

All the Troll products come with a full one year warranty; this can be extended for three years, but comes with a hefty price. However, this is certainly something that you should consider. For more details on these products, visit Troll Touch

We have just learned that Mozilla were thinking of developing a plug-in that would allow Internet Explorer to run on Firefox. Mozilla had hope that this could turn IE into a decent browser, but decided not to go ahead with the idea. This is something that Google should have done as well.

According to The Register, Asa Dotzle from Mozilla Corp. said that this idea of a plug-in much like the one that Google Chrome uses was discussed two years ago. The idea was to try to make Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser much faster, this would have been achieved by using the Firefox JavaScript engine.

Google thought that there was something good to offer an IE plug-in, which they released last September. Google have also been working hard on Google Wave and have made certain that Internet Explorer is able to run the new software.

Microsoft and Mozilla were not happy about this as they feel that the Chrome Frame would undermine not only the security but privacy as well. The move would also throw a huge amount of confusion if implanted.

For more on this, visit The Register

Following the amount of replies on my previous post (Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala): Are You Experiencing Problems?), I thought I would research just how many people seemed to have problems with the release.

There seems to be a wide-range of problems associated with the new version, most problems seem to be associated with video playback and display-related issues, and by the look of it most problems seem to have occurred during an upgrade rather than a fresh install.

Within Ubuntu’s official forums a poll has taken place, which at this point had 2541 votes, the question asked was “What is your Karmic Koala install/upgrade experience ?”, of the 2541 votes 1392 had carried out upgrades, 471 of these said that the upgrade worked flawlessly, 494 of these said the upgrade worked but had few things to fix, nothing serious though and the remaining 427 reported that the upgrade resulted in so many problems that users have not been able to solve.

The remaining users carried out fresh installs, of these fresh installs 420 users reported the install worked flawlessly, 319 users reported that the install worked but there were a few things to fix, nothing serious though, the remainder of users (410) reported that a fresh install resulted in problems that users have not been able to solve.

I would imagine that the results of this poll are a nightmare for Ubuntu, as there seems to be no pattern what-so-ever, currently from what we can see Ubuntu have not officially addressed the issues with the release, therefore we cannot help you yet, our best advice is to avoid the OS verison for the time being.

What do you think Ubuntu should do about the problems? Do you think their support has been adequate?

According to a recent article on SlashGear it seems that Lenovo’s ThinkPad X100e which uses the tagline “Entry level ultra portable, the first ThinkPad of its size” is said to be arriving on January 5th 2010.

There are currently no definite specifications for the upcoming device, however from what we can see it should use either an AMD Athlon 1.6GHz Neo processor combined with ATI Radeon HD3410 graphics, if not it may use an Intel Centrino 2 ULV 1.4GHz processor combined with GMA 4500MHD graphics.

As for other specifications it seems as if the ThinkPad will feature a 12.1 inch display which will support a resolution of 1280×800, there also should be 3GB of RAM and various other options.

As we hear more confirmed details we will keep you posted, check out SlashGear for more information.

We know that the Motorola Droid has launched today, but it is not the only Google Android device launching. We have just learned that the Android Media Platform (AMP) has popped up out of nowhere, for those who do not know, the device is an OLED Android 2.0 Handheld.

There are three AMP devices in the family and all have are flash-memory based. All three run on embedded Linux but have an Android OS layer. The loaded software is of a high quality and add to that superb hardware, and you are left with an advanced portable device.

We mentioned above that there are three devices from the AMP family, the first is the 5-inch tablet with its OLED capacitive touchscreen, the others are the 2.5-inch and 10-inch versions, these will be released sometime in 2010.

Other features include an 8-megapixel camera, optional 3G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. As yet no information has been given to pricing as it has only been released to developrs. Visit Electronista for more details.

Following on from our earlier report which showed you a video of the super sleek, super slim Dell Adamo XPS Laptop, we now have some juicy hands-on photos of the device for you to check out.

The photos come to us courtesy of Pocket-Lint, who have uploaded over 25 close up shots of the Adamo XPS in all of its glory.

A quick refresh of specs for you: Aside from being incredibly thin (9.9mm), it features a 13.4-inch HD WLED display screen, Intel Core 2 Duo 1.4 GHz processor, 128GB SSD, 4GB of RAM, Bluetooth and WiFi.

However, if you’re interested in picking one up before Christmas, be prepared to fork out around $1799 for one. Head over to Pocket-Lint for all of the photos.

The original Nvidia Tegra chip is a popular choice for mobile devices; you only have to look to the Zune HD for proof of that. It comes as no surprise that a new faster model would be on the cards, which is where Nvidia Tegra 2 comes in.

The news chip will have double the power thanks to its new dual-core CPU, allowing for twice computational and graphics power than the first chip. The Tegra 2 should be ready for launch some time in 2010, according to Fudzilla, a number of industry sources have conformed this news.

The main target for the new faster chip will be for the smartphone market, but Nvidia are keeping its options open for other industries who wish to take the chip on, such as the automotive industry. Cars are now becoming a central part of our mobile life, there are even plans for a LTE connected car.

Nvidia are hoping that the Tegra chip will account for over half of its profits within the next few years, but this depends on how good of a job they do with the Tegra 2.

For those looking to purchase a new Apple iMac, then you will be pleased to learn that they have now introduced a 27-inch version. When computer makers try to stretch things a little bigger things tend to go bad, so how will Apple fair.

It is no secret that when it comes to all-in-one computers Apple is at the top of their game, but they have been feeling the hot breath of Sony on the back of their neck. The Sony 24in VAIO VPC-L11S1E computer is waiting in the wings ready to pounce if the verdict is not good.

ITPRO have decided to take some time and offer us a review of the new desktop, so have Apple done enough to keep it on top? The first signs are good and Apple has managed to stretch the screen size without losing its allure.

ITPRO’s review of the Apple iMac 27in seems to be very positive but they were a bit shocked by how much the price increases when trying to upgrade some of the hardware options. If you feel that your wallet cannot stretch to the high prices set by Apple, then the Sony 24in multitouch VAIO VPC-L11S1E is always there for you.

Visit ITPRO for their full review

When looking at all the laptops on the market, they all seem to struggle to try to offer something a little different for the user. Every now and again a little gem comes along that promises to shake things up a little, and that gem is the Gigabyte Booktop M1305. We know that it is a little like the M1022 netbook, but when paired with the desktop-docking station, the little device can then start to take full advantage of its GeForce GT220 GPU.

The M1305 is based on Intel’s CULV chipset and processors; this means that the portable device can handle up to 4GB of RAM. Softpedia has not told us if Gigabyte has used the 64-bit version of Windows 7, if you only have the 32-bit version, then you will only need to upgrade to 3GB of RAM.

The Booktop M1305 has a 13.3-inch display and can be upgraded to house a 500GB hard drive, but remember that this will take more life from your battery. The laptop offers two USB 2.0 ports, and an eSATA/USB port, the dock adds a further six USB 2.0 ports as well as a DVI and HDMI ports.

As we mentioned above, once the Gigabyte Booktop M1305 has been connected to its dock, only then can it take full advantage of its NVIDIA GeForce GT220 GPU with is 1GB of DDR3 memory. The six-cell battery offers up to 6.5 hours of life, there is a battery upgrade option giving an extra 4 hour of runtime.

For more details, visit Softpedia

Dell has now released more details on its Adamo XPS laptop, and all the leaked rumors on the specs look to be true. Engadget managed to get hold of one so thought that they would offer their readers an unboxing video, well two videos.

The 0.4-inch thin laptop has a LED-backlit 13.4-inch display and is powered by a 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor; this will certainly not break any speed records. There is a choice of up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM and the 128GB keeps things running smoothly and quiet. The new laptop comes with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit pre-loaded; let us hope that you are able to load your printer software.

The Dell Adamo XPS was touted as a contender to the Apple MacBook Air, but its 20WHr Li-Ion battery that only lasts up to 2 hours and 36 minutes is shocking. However to try and compete with the MacBook Air there is an upgrade option to a 40WHr battery, this will give you up to 5 hours and 17 minutes of life. This has yet to be proven though.

The price of the new laptop starts at $1,799, much better than we had first thought. Engadget spent some time with the Dell Adamo XPS, but were upset that their time was limited. They said that they were impressed with the hardware, but they were less impressed with the viewing angle of the screen. Watch the hands-on videos below.

We already knew that Windows 7 would see healthy sales and according to NPD Group, a market researcher, the latest OS from Microsoft has shifted 234 percent more copies than Vista did in its first few days of release. There are a number of reasons for this, but what are they.

PC World thought that they would try to offer us an insight in to this and have come up with two good reasons. The first is that Windows 7 is a good OS; the second could be due to the big discounts that customers were offered.

We know that there had been a massive media hype surrounding the launch of Windows 7, but we also know that it is much improved over Vista. However, as with all Windows operating system launches, Windows 7 has been dogged by install problems.

Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade is currently being offered for $76, the normal price is $120. Windows 7 Pro Upgrade should be $200 but is currently $147. We have to wonder if Microsoft was not offering these huge discounts, would they have sifted as many copies, I believe the answer would be no.

I would not normally purchase a new Windows OS until the first service pack was introduced, which is what I did with Vista. However, I was forced into the upgrade because of the fantastic price that Amazon tempted me with.

Let us know if the lower price made you purchase Windows 7 before you would have done.

Google in their quest to offer a software solution for everyone has just launched Google Dashboard. The new privacy dashboard will give Google users quicker access to their personal data, they will also have much more control over their data that is stored on Google’s databases.

Google Dashboard has everything under one roof and allows users to manage data and settings of all their Google products once signed in. This is just the latest in a long line of products launched by Google; it is hoped make life much easier for Google users.

To get to Google Dashboard, just visit www.google.com/dashboard, or you can just visit your Google Account page once logged in. Once there just click on Personal Settings, which will say “View data stored with this account.”

Google Dashboard is still in its early stage so not all products can be accessed, Google have said that these will be added over the coming weeks. Google Dashboard will only list the programs that are associated with your account, so if you have Gmail, every chat or email sent and received can be viewed.

For a closer look at Google Dashboard, visit Search Engine Land

The nest product from Google will be Wave and is due for release in 2010.

It has been reported that Mozilla are planning a major update to their Firefox browser, in which they will focus specifically on the appearance and interface aspects of the browser.

As reported from Computer World, the updates will affect Windows Vista and Windows 7 and are expected to come in two parts - both of which will be available next year.

Ever since Mozilla released some preview screenshots of how the update will look, consumers have been comparing it to how Google’s Chrome browser currently looks, but Mozilla were keen to stress that the two will be significantly different.

“We are not trying to make Firefox look like any other browser,” was their response to the criticism. What are your thoughts on this? Do you like the new look Firefox?

Full article over at Computer World.

Toshiba have recently revealed three new 1.8 inch hard drives, the new models are the MK1633GSG, MK 2533GSG and MK3233GSG, these drives offer higher capacities and lower noise then previous models.

There drives have capacities of 160GB, 250GB and 320GB, they all have a spindle speed of 5,400rpm and have a 16MB cache, the drives are said to produce 4-5dB less noise then previous models and connect via SATA.

It is thought that these drives will mainly be used in Internet tablets and other portable computers, whether they will be preferred to SSD’s is yet to be seen.

It is thought that these drives will go into mass production in December, until then we will not know a release date or any details regarding pricing, check out SlashGear for more.

It has been reported that a UK security company is handing out free software to banks, which will aid them in their attempt to stop the ongoing trend of internet fraud, during online banking transactions.

As reported from PCWorld, the software, which is called ‘SafeOnline’ and comes from Prevx, will also provide security against malicious software and still operate on systems that have already been affected.

The software will work by installing its own kernel-level driver on your system. Then when you next go online, all information from the keyboard is routed through that driver, which is where the software will protect you against attempts to record keystrokes or other potential attacks.

Full details over at PC World, let us know your thoughts on this new software.

It has been reported that Apple have released a new beta for their Snow Leopard software, which will address performance issues found in relation to VMWare, iMacs, Apple TV and much more.

As reported from Apple Insider, the new beta of Mac OS X 10.6.2 will supposedly tweak around 150 components in the new build, which is titled 10C540.

Specific areas addressed are AirPort performance issues within the new iMac ranges, fixes for VMware Fusion 3 and minor fixes for software such as Quicktime, Spotlight, Time Machine and much more.

The full 10.6.2 update is expected sometime this November, with Apple Insider stating that the update will be around 480MB in size.

Full details through the link.

Are you a fan of Linux? If you are, you have probably already installed the latest version of Ubuntu (9.10) and are currently working your way around all of the new features.

We have found an interesting article from Computer World for you to read now, which gives 5 solid reasons why they think Ubuntu 9.10 is already ‘better’ than Windows 7 - released on October 22nd.

The first reason is security, as they have stated that Windows 7 is still prone to a whole selection of malware programs, and still requires users to constantly keep on top of security updates, or risk being hacked.

Other reasons they have stated is the Cost, the simplicity of installing Ubuntu 9.10 and Ubuntu’s support for Hardware.

You may agree with the reasons mentioned there, you may not. It is still a very interesting article to read. Take a look, then give us your thoughts afterwards.

Macware has announced the release of MacTuneUp 3.6; this is a free update for Snow Leopard users who run the Mac disk utility software. The software helps to find problems and then fix them; it will also restore hard disk space and help to give you a better Internet and network connection.

Macware MacTuneUp 3.6 also helps to prevent your system from coming instable in just a few easy steps. If you are running Snow Leopard, then you can download the update to this software from Macware support center.

Some of the new features include Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard support, increased application performance for those who have an Intel Mac. MacTuneUp 3.6 will also help to resolve any issues when displaying certain Unix manuals.
The full version of MacTuneUp can be purchased from Apple retail stores and other major retail outlets, such as Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot, Fry’s Electronics and many more.

For more information, visit www.macwareinc.com

A number of Windows users wishing to upgrade to Windows 7 have been suffering with installation failures, this is not the start that Microsoft had hoped with its new OS. This problem has been occurring when users attempt to do a clean install and wipe all data from the hard drive.

This bug has not been affecting Vista users choosing to upgrade to Windows 7, as the upgrade does not need to wipe out all hard drive data. The Installation failures have only been affecting those running Windows XP, as they have to run a clean install in order to upgrade to the new operating system.

According Information Week, this is caused by a Microsoft security feature, as it will not allow users to run a clean install, this is because the feature only allows for installs on machines already running on Windows.

XP users are certainly not happy with seeing these error messages, as they were promised that Windows 7 would be a much better option that Vista. However, they would not know this, as they cannot even install the OS.

Information Week do tell us that a number of tech support staff from a number of companies have found a way around this problem, although it is an unofficial solution to the problem.

Acer have recently unveiled a new gaming notebook which will be available for purchase this holiday season, it is called the Acer Aspire AS8940G-6865 and boasts some pretty decent specifications.

The first thing you will notice about this notebook is its massive 18.4 inch display which supports a resolution of 1920×1080 (16:9), it also features 5 speakers which deliver a Dolby Home Theater experience.

The performance related hardware is very impressive, it features an Intel Core i7 720QM 1.6GHz processor, 4GB of DDR3 1066MHz memory and NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M graphics with 1GB dedicated DDR3 VRAM.

Other things worth mentioning include a 500GB hard drive, a 4x Blu-ray drive, and a touch-capacitive Media Control interface, the notebook runs Windows 7, for full specifications check out HotHardware.

The MSRP of the notebook is $1,349.99, at the moment it is unclear whether that price covers all of the hardware mentioned above or not, if so the price is very competitive.