mini

I've tested and reviewed a good amount of NAS devices and found them generally bulky. Even those we consider "compact", like the Synology DS107+ or the D-Link DNS 323, are still in no way close to being able to fit in your pocket. This is why I let out a big "wow" today when I saw Buffalo's newest kid on the NAS block. The LinkStation Mini immediately and totally changed my expectation in regard to how tiny a network storage device can be!

By tiny I refer strictly to the form factor. Having the … Read more

The Google Mini search appliance got a booster shot Tuesday with the addition of three new features and support for six additional languages.

Google, which has been building up its enterprise presence for several years now, is bolting on to Google Mini file system access control, source biasing, and date biasing.

File system access control is designed to let Google Mini crawl through files housed in shared drives and dish them up as search results to authorized users.

Source biasing aims to give users the ability to rank URLs based on the location and type of documents they're seeking, … Read more

Chip designer Via Technologies unveiled its OpenBook Mini-Note reference design on Monday, in a move that throws some open source into its core business of developing chips for mobile devices.

The OpenBook design aims to aid PC makers in creating ultra-small notebooks based on Via's Ultra Mobility Platform. Last year, the company trotted out its Via NanoBook reference design, a prototype designed to compete against rivals in the small-computer market but at a lower cost.

"By making the CAD files of the external panels for the OpenBook available for download, Via has simplified design customization. You can now … Read more

Facebook users can now import YouTube, StumbleUpon, Pandora, Hulu, Last.fm, and Google Reader into the social network's Mini-Feed.

By doing this, Facebook users will be opening up their actions at these sites to their friends. The service, which was announced on Facebook's blog on Friday, is similar to one offered by FriendFeed.

Facebook had already included Flickr, Picasa, Digg, Yelp, and Del.icio.us. in Mini-Feed. Facebook executives have said that it intends to focus on adding data from third-party sites.

Even in the world of ever-shrinking gadgets, small doesn't always mean better. Especially where ergonomics are concerned.

Brando's wireless mini-mouse measures less than 2.7 inches long and would be absolutely tiny to the average person as indicated by this photo, unless Andre the Giant was moonlighting as the hand model. It's definitely portable, as GeekAlerts says, weighing barely an ounce and easily carried in a pocket.

In fact, it might be too portable--we'd be afraid of losing it among the loose change. The real problem, however, is one of functionality: There's no way we … Read more

With all the attention we lavish on Netbook-style laptops such as the Asus Eee PCand the HP 2133 Mini-note, it's easy to forget that all these systems owe some of their DNA to the One Laptop Per Child project and founder Nick Negroponte's dream of getting a low-cost XO laptop into the hands of any student who needs one.

The original XO ended up having more impact as an influence than an actual product, as it was plagued by delays, price increases, and lowered expectations. But even if there are more Intel Classmate PCsand Eee PCs in the … Read more

The new Mini continues its automotive archeology by bringing back the Clubman version. The 2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman shares the same powertrain and cabin gadget options with the Mini Cooper S, yet the Clubman gets a bit more cargo space and easier access to the back seats. With its extra length and weight, we expected it to lose that fun Mini driving character, but it maintains its sprightliness. Mini's BMW owners let it share excellent cabin technology, including navigation with live traffic and HD radio. But the only significant cabin tech option on our Clubman was Mini's … Read more

MSI put out a vague news release today that details some, but not all, of the specifications of its upcoming and unfortunately named Wind mininotebook. At the top of the release, it states the 10-inch notebook will "feature the new Intel Processor," but it fails to explain what that processor might be. An Intel Atom processor is a safe bet; the chips are expected to be released this summer.

The only mention of pricing in the release states that MSI Wind configurations will start at less than $500 in early June. The MSI Wind is available, however, for … Read more

On Tuesday, Opera sewed up a short beta run of Opera Mini 4.1. After a mere month and a half, the Norwegian software company declared the cell phone browser build stable enough to institute as the latest product standard.

Opera Mini 4.1, like Opera 9.5 Beta 2, can now guess the URL you want when you enter a search term in the address bar, a praiseworthy ability. It can also highlight terms on a Web page to let you zero in on most-wanted data bites. You'll use this Find feature, common to desktop browsers, by hitting … Read more