This is really really cool

[djk]

As if we need more proof, the post-PC era is inevitable.

http://blog.laptopmag.com/usb-stick...uter-turns-any-screen-into-an-android-station

 

[larry]

That is more than cool. That is fantastic. And once released, volume will drop whatever price point it starts at. With the high-end TVs having USB, you can access the net anywhere. I like it.

 

[onthebottom]

That is a cool idea, not sure about how useful it is but it's the beginning of your computer fitting in your pocket instead of your computer....

I would think this is the same as having a phone with you with an HDMI connection.

 

[Cobster]

"Packed in its tiny body is a dual-core 1.2-GHz Samsung Exynos ARM CPU (same as in the Galaxy S II), 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI-out and a microSD card slot for memory. "


microSD slot? ..... "SD slots on phones are a stupid idea, like floppy drives...." -OTB.
Ya, because without floppy drives, how else would programs have run, files be saved or transfered?

From the article:
"You can even transfer files between your notebook's native OS and the Cotton Candy's Android environment by dragging them off or on the USB stick's memory."


It's called OPTIONS, nice to have, not a MUST to use.

 

[onthebottom]

microSD slot? ..... "SD slots on phones are a stupid idea, like floppy drives...." -OTB.
Ya, because without floppy drives, how else would programs have run, files be saved or transfered?
.

Yes, they are both back-in-the-day technologies...... move forward, today we have built in memory and this thing called the internet..... and now:

OTB

 

[djk]

Yes, they are both back-in-the-day technologies...... move forward, today we have built in memory and this thing called the internet..... and now:

OTB

Exactly. SD cards get lost, you have to physically manage them and so on.

I love how whatever I do with Dropbox on one device, updates the changes to the rest instantly. Same goes for Box.net.

 

[Cobster]

Yes, they are both back-in-the-day technologies...... move forward, today we have built in memory and this thing called the internet..... and now:

OTB

So is a USB key (back-in-the-day) technology, yet look at its capabilities in the article above. ...and a USB key will STILL be prevalent for years to come. (Pfff how dated is that?)
I'd dare say that your beloved DSLR that takes CF cards is also dated, why are you living in such a Jurassic period?


You only love the cloud because it's your only viable option on your phone and iPad and were forced to buy some "cloud" time/space with Steve up in heaven (wait he's Buddhist, nm).
Keep forking over the cash because your device is quite limited and others will choose to use whatever they see more convenient, fit and worth the price of admission.

 

[larry]

when wifi is 100% available including in the woods, at high speed, sufficient to copy at least multi MB/second, for free, I may find a USB stick not as necessary. Of course, handing an iCloud link to an associate and telling him to just get it may not be so useful. Then we go back to really old-school and we start looking for a pencil/pen to write down the name. floppy drives didn't die because they were "jurassic", they died because better technology replaced them. USB isn't great either but it is a manageable size and can hold large amounts. with USB 3, the speed is getting more useful.

 

[b4u]

Cotton Candy running Ubuntu Linux

Cotton Candy: The USB Sized ARM PC That Runs Ubuntu

A quad-core computer the size of a USB stick.

A few years ago that would’ve sounded like a pipe-dream, but today it’s a reality.
‘Cotton Candy’

‘Cotton Candy’ is a USB-sized computer capable of turning a monitor into a fully-fledged PC; a HDMI TV into a smart TV, and a Mac or Windows laptop into a multi-OS beast.

Price wise the developers FXI Tech are aiming to badge the product with a sub-$200 price-tag.

Of the device they makers say: -

“The Cotton Candy …allows users a single, secure point of access to all personal cloud services and apps through their favorite operating system, while delivering a consistent experience on any screen. The device will serve as a companion to smartphones, tablets, and notebook PC and Macs, as well add smart capabilities to existing displays, TVs, set top boxes and other media that supports USB mass storage.”

Although the Cotton Candy is currently only a prototype device, the makers expect to see it delivered to market in 2012. I suspect that interest in such a low-cost, low-power and highly versatile device is going to be strong.

Specs

* Supports Ubuntu, Android, Virtualization client for Windows, Linux, Mac, embedded
* Dual-core ARM A9 Cortex @1.2Ghz with TrustZone and Neon extensions
* Quad-core GPU with 720p / 1080p OpenGL ES v2.0
* 1GB DRAM
* Wifi 802.11 b/g/n
* Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
* MicroSD slot for storage
* USB 2.0 male form factor for power and connection
* HDMI 2.1 with audio for connection




yep very cool indeed! I want one!

 

[Cobster]

But USB is so antiquated.

 

[onthebottom]

So is a USB key (back-in-the-day) technology, yet look at its capabilities in the article above. ...and a USB key will STILL be prevalent for years to come. (Pfff how dated is that?)
I'd dare say that your beloved DSLR that takes CF cards is also dated, why are you living in such a Jurassic period?


You only love the cloud because it's your only viable option on your phone and iPad and were forced to buy some "cloud" time/space with Steve up in heaven (wait he's Buddhist, nm).
Keep forking over the cash because your device is quite limited and others will choose to use whatever they see more convenient, fit and worth the price of admission.

iCloud is free.

I rarely use a USB drive but I do use them... but a micro SD card reader for a phone... that's just stupid.

OTB

 

[Tangwhich]

but a micro SD card reader for a phone... that's just stupid.

OTB

Why?

 

[Cobster]

Why?

..because it's not on an iPhone, therefore it's stupid.

 

[Cobster]

iCloud is free.

You're using something that's FREE? My GOD!

 

[WoodPeckr]

For years it has been possible run Ubuntu off any common thumb drive. I just plug the thumb drive into any PC or Mac and boot up into Ubuntu. This is just the further development of this 'PC on a key chain' capability...

 

[WoodPeckr]

iCloud is free.

Cloud computing was available for years on Linux before iCloud was created....

 

[b4u]

iCloud is free.



OTB

A whopping 5GB is free!! lol $20 per year for an extra 10GB, 20GB is an extra $40 and 50GB is an extra $100 per year. great deals
although any purchases you make through iTunes are stored for free. it doesn't help me much with my 500GB of music files none of which was bought in iTunes.

 

[Cobster]

Cloud computing was available for years on Linux before iCloud was created....

I'm just shocked that OTB, Mr. Money, Mr. I-own-all-expensive-toys, is sucking on Jobs' nuts and using the free iCloud service, just the basic shit. lol

 

[onthebottom]

A whopping 5GB is free!! lol $20 per year for an extra 10GB, 20GB is an extra $40 and 50GB is an extra $100 per year. great deals
although any purchases you make through iTunes are stored for free. it doesn't help me much with my 500GB of music files none of which was bought in iTunes.

Yes, but that free 5g also includes photo stream which doesn't count against the storage allotment.

I did pay for music match which is $25/year it scans your library and gives you access to ripped music from the cloud on all your devices. I have a library of about 14,000 songs, all but 400 matched (meaning they didn't need to be uploaded) - that took about 5 minutes, then about 20/30 to upload the remaining songs. Cool idea, I'll see how often I use it.

 

[WoodPeckr]

... it doesn't help me much with my 500GB of music files none of which was bought in iTunes.

500GB of music!
You must have every song ever written....LOL.....:Eek:
That's quite a collection.

Are they stored as mp3 or WAV?