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Nov 152010
HP Rolls Out New Small Biz Netbook
IT Industry
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Nov 152010
If you are a small business owner whose shoulders are sagging under the weight of the heavy notebook computer, then you might want to read this post.
HP has launched a new configurable netbook, the Mini 1103 for small businesses touting it as a lightweight computer (weight starts at 2.78 lb).
Set for availability in December, the 10.1-inch netbook comes with a choice of Windows 7 Starter 32, SuSE Linux Enterprise 11 or FreeDOS operating systems.
Most netbooks currently on the market are for consumers, usually come with Windows XP or Windows 7 Starter and are not configurable.
Having used Windows XP consumer netbooks for over a year, we can tell you that they’re quite convenient to lug around and come with a fairly long battery life (8+ hours). You can get the consumer netbooks for about $300 at Amazon or BestBuy in the U.S.
Mini 1103 for Businesses
But the 10-1-inch HP Mini 1103 is expressly targeted at businesses, coming as it does with configurable options. Continue reading »
Holy Cow, Facebook Valued at $41b
Digital Media
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Nov 152010
Social networking web site Facebook, which lets little twits with lotsa time on their hands exchange silly little notes on their babies, their babes, their boyfriends and other equally inane subjects, is valued at $41 billion.
This would make Facebook the third largest online business by valuation, after Google and Amazon.com.
A Bloomberg report today said Facebook’s stock was trading at over $16 on SecondMarket Inc., an exchange for shares of privately held companies.
Harvard dropout Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook a few years back based on ideas he may have ripped off from others, a subject well detailed in the movie The Social Network.
Facebook has an estimated 500 million members (including a thin presence by SI here).
Downright Ridiculous
For a private company that’s just a few years old, rocked frequently by privacy scandals and has yet to prove itself financially, it’s ridiculous that Facebook should be valued at $41 billion.
Shows that investors have scant regard for financial performance and are still riding the hype wave.
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Drat, Solid State Drives Still Too Expensive
IT Industry
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Nov 122010
Solid state drives are one of the hottest trends in the PC and notebook industry.
Leading industry names including Apple, Lenovo and HP are rolling out computers based on solid state drives instead of the traditional hard disk drives with their spinning parts.
Yet, prices of solid state drives are falling too slowly for our liking.
Faster, Lighter, Quieter
For all ye schmucks, solid state drives are faster, lighter, quieter, draw less power, last longer and have no moving parts.
Obviously, traditional hard disk drives that store the data in 99% of the world’s computers are the opposite.
One of the key players in the solid state drive business is Intel, which today rolled out a new solid state drive and cut prices on some of its older drives.
Despite the price cuts, the solid state drives are still too expensive and we don’t see these drives making their way into PCs or laptops in large numbers anytime soon at these price points.
Intel’s new X-25M 120GB solid state drive costs a whopping $249. In comparison, a 1TB Seagate Barracuda traditional hard drive with nearly 10-times the capacity of the new Intel drive costs $65 (source: Amazon.com).
Here are the prices for some of Intel’s other solid state drives: X25-V 40GB – $99; X25-M 80GB – $199; X25-M 160GB – $415.
Eureka, after a long while we can rhapsodize about a New Jersey Indian restaurant that pampers battle-hardened desi palates rather than punishing them with effete curries.
Folks, Tawa at 1357 Stelton Road in Piscataway (NJ) is da place for fans of our non pareil Indian cuisine.
With curries that sing with flavor, Tawa is a welcome oasis among the endless Sahara of impostors in New Jersey that besmirch the fair name of our favorite Indian food.
After a recent meal at Tawa and a revisit to its South Plainfield rival Palace of Jaipur, we’d award higher marks to Tawa.
No Stranger
Of course, we’re no strangers to Tawa.
Over the last few years, we’ve dined in and even ordered takeout from Tawa on several occasions.
And for the most part we’ve had little cause for complaint.
Except for one occasion when our eyes fell on a desi waitress with her hand in her mouth near the buffet table, Tawa has mostly been serving decent Indian food (be warned that the Chaats in the evening are bad).
Tawa (South Plainfield) – Delicious Indian Fare
(File photo)
Delicious Fare
Considering how bad most Indian restaurants in New Jersey are, we rendered thanks to the Lord that our recent meal at Tawa turned out to be an embarras de richesse.
On a chilly afternoon, the greenish-hued Lemon Cilantro Egg Soup looked enticing and after the first spoon we swooned under the spell of this warm and flavorful delight.
Jeera Alu, comprised of medium-cubes of potato with thin sliced ginger seasoning, was a spicy delight whose memories still linger on our taste buds.
Makai Mutter Chaman in a medium-thick, light yellow creamy sauce was rightly spiced and easily won our approval. Have it with rice or have it with the hot, fresh Naan bread brought to your table, either way you are a winner. Continue reading »
You schmucks can say what you will but most Indian restaurants in New Jersey have no reason to stay in business except that some greedy desi swines want to rip you off with garbage.
That’s a mighty shame considering the orgasmic euphoria that follows eating genuine, fine Indian food.
Alas, rare is that pleasure!
Chand Palace Piscataway – Awful Food
One of our worst dining experiences at an Indian restaurant in New Jersey lately was at Chand Palace on Centennial Ave in Piscataway, NJ.
After a particularly odious meal accompanied by horrible service, dirty eating plates and cheap tipping practices, we wondered how this disgusting dump a.k.a. Chand Palace (Piscataway) continues to stay in business.
As Churchill would say if he were alive, Chand Palace Piscataway’s survival is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.
Disgustingly Bad; Stay Away
Awful Food, Bad Dosas
Much of what we sampled at Chand Palace Piscataway was a total travesty of Indian cuisine. No connection to the real thing.
Both the Green Chutney and Coconut Chutney were ice-cold, a clear suggestion they were not fresh. To make it worse, the two Chutneys were not even flavorful.
In several decades of eating Masala Dosa (we hail from South India), we have not had Dosas this bad.
Do these Chand Palace monkeys even know to spell the word D O S A?
The tiny Mysore Masala Dosa was not golden-brown but white, not crisp, the onion-potato filling not fresh and the masala paste not the reddish chilli paste but a weird brown stuff. In short, what we were served was not a real Mysore Masala Dosa but a cruel hoax was played on us by these swindling Chand Palace buffoons.
Onion Chili Dosa consisted of a few forlorn looking onion pieces inside the Dosa.
Raw Alu Gobi, Horrid Sambar
If there’s one thing we hate in our food, it’s the raw, uncooked flavor.
Like the Alu Gobi Curry that landed on our plate. The Gobi (cauliflower) was insufficiently cooked and its raw odor and flavor left us in high dudgeon.
The watery Sambar was a clear instance of mislabeling as it was all but Rasam in name. You see, the cheapos at Chand Palace didn’t bother to add any Dal to the Sambar. Continue reading »
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