convertible

Only a handful of Windows RT devices will appear initially, as Microsoft wades slowly into new Windows waters, sources told CNET.

Chipmakers Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments will initially get two "slots" each for devices, according to sources familiar with Microsoft's plans.

"ARM is restricted to two designs each, meaning six total initial designs," one source said, referring to the chip design from U.K.-based ARM that those three suppliers use.

Windows RT -- aka, Windows on ARM -- is the first mainstream, desktop-class Windows operating system to run on ARM chips. This presents … Read more

The first wave of Intel-based Windows 8 tablets are expected to land in retail stores in November, a source familiar with device makers' plans told CNET.

"The schedule is tight," said the source. "Looking at what Windows is trying to achieve not only with a new OS, but a new OS that needs to run four to five architectures -- three ARM, Intel, and AMD," according to the source.

And don't expect just tablets. "More than 50 percent" of the "more than a dozen" designs will be hybrids, aka convertibles, the … Read more

As I've mentioned before, the makers of DVD rippers and video converters seem to offer a new giveaway every month or two -- meaning there's little point in actually buying their products. (Don't feel guilty; this obviously works out for them, otherwise they wouldn't keep doing it.)

Digiarty Software, for example, is currently running two separate giveaways on five different programs. Sort of. Stay with me, because this gets a little confusing.

From now until May 20, as part of its Hello Summer promotion, you can get Digiarty's WinX DVD Ripper Platinum (Windows) for free.… Read more

It's a Thursday three-fer!

Deal No. 1: Convenient though it may be to snap photos on your phone, there are times when you want a real camera -- one with interchangeable lenses, a big image sensor, lots of shooting modes and manual settings, and so on. In other words, a dSLR.

Today only, 1SaleADay has the Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.3-megapixel digital camera for $399.99, plus $4.99 for shipping. That's about $100 less than the prices elsewhere.

This isn't just the camera body; the T3 comes with Canon's 18-55mm autofocus lens. Plus, it'… Read more

Certain image formats are better suited to particular tasks than others, so if you do a lot of work with digital images it makes sense to have a program that can easily convert between a variety of formats. AVD Batch Converter is definitely not the fanciest file converter we've encountered, but if you need a no-frills way to convert batches of images from one format to another, it can get the job done.

The program's interface is intuitive, if not particularly attractive. Three panes let users navigate to specific directories, view a selected directory's contents, and preview … Read more

Need quick access to a currency converter? Then maybe XE Currency Converter from Kurisu is the app for you. The free software is a Google Chrome add-on that accesses currency conversion information directly from XE.com.

XE Currency Converter, once installed, is very easy to use. Access is through Chrome's Productivity Tool Kit. The app has a very simple and very understandable interface. Just put in the amount and the currencies you want to use, click on the Convert button, and that's it, instant real-time currency conversion. Really a whole lot faster than going through the XE Web … Read more

I've frequently raved about Woo Audio's all-tube headphone amplifiers in this blog, so I was surprised to see that the company's new WDS-1 digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is a solid-state design. Woo still offers the full line of made-in-New-York-City headphone amplifiers, with prices starting at $495.

There's also a new matching WPT-1 CD transport. Build quality is superb; these components have the sort of detailing you see on high-end gear that sells for two or three times the price of Woo's products. Each unit is 9 inches wide and 13 inches deep so they can be … Read more

Looking to convert a video or audio file into a different kind of video or audio file? Freeware favorite HandBrake can handle some video formats, but it's a bit out-of-date -- and nowhere near as comprehensive as a utility like WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe.

That tool normally sells for $49.95, but from now until tomorrow, April 11, you can download WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe absolutely free. It's available for Windows and Mac; the license codes you need are listed right on the download page.

Update: My apologies! This giveaway is for the Windows version only.… Read more

While e-books are steadily gaining in popularity with the reading public, an overabundance of devices and formats keeps the lid on. The market will probably sort out the competition the way it always does, but until then, your options are to limit your reading to titles available for your reader, or convert e-books into a format your reader supports. That's where Hamster Free Book Converter enters the story. This simple, free tool lets you drag and drop or add e-book titles in a wide range of formats and either choose your device or file type to automatically convert them … Read more