Dell laptops in electric shock shocker

We've discovered a worrying new feature in some Dell laptops: If you touch them, you may get an electric shock. This discharge can vary in strength from a gentle tingle to a sudden jolt. Disturbingly, you could also be shocked when connecting printers, PDAs and other peripherals to the offending laptops.

We know this because several CNET staff were hit with an electrical charge while using Dell's new XPS M1530--and we're not the only ones. Dell's forums are littered with user complaints about the shocking experiences they've had with some systems.

The problem seems to occur only in Dell laptops that have a brushed aluminum finish. These include the XPS M1330 and XPS M1530. It's caused by the two-pronged connection between the mains lead and the power adapter, which isn't earthed properly because of its lack of a third pin.

The laptop therefore exhibits an electrical potential (voltage) between its exposed metal parts (the brushed aluminum wrist pad) and earth ground. Since there is no earth, the human body basically acts as a wire that can conduct electric current, hence the tingling, jolting sensation.

This can be exacerbated depending on the conditions of a person's skin--whether it's oily or dry--and the surrounding environment. Humidity levels, flooring types or desk material all play a role here.

Dell had not responded to a request for comment at time of publication--we'll update if it ever gets back to us. When our colleagues rang Dell to complain, they were told Dell is willing to replace all affected two-pin power supplies with a three-pin connection. As some Asian countries are already using the three-prong plug, we are awaiting confirmation from Dell Singapore if these units are experiencing the same issue. In any case, the company doesn't seem to publicly acknowledge that there's a serious problem. According to a Dell Knowledge Base article:

"The electric current on all Dell products have been measured and proven to be well within the safety limits per safety standards--IEC950, EN60950, UL1950, etc., even with an input voltage of 240 volts. The voltage (tingling sensation) does NOT present any risk of injury to the user. It is recommended to unplug the AC adapter from the parent device before attaching any cables or accessories, as this reduces the possibility of experiencing the tingling sensation."

While this may reassure some users, we're still slightly concerned. Back in 2004, the company recalled 4.4 million laptop power adapters because of a fear they could overheat, creating a risk of fire or electric shock. The problem affected some Latitude, Precision and Inspirons between 1998 and 2002.

Via CNET UK Crave

Zepto Penryn notebooks take a small step into Singapore

My, my, aren't Singaporean consumers spoilt for choice this year. Barely a month into 2008, and a third entrant into the local market has been spotted.

We received a heads up by a local distributor that it will be bringing in Zepto laptops. Though the brand is almost unheard of in Asia, Zepto claims to be the largest notebook manufacturer in the Nordic countries and have been in business since 2002. It was also one of the first to offer portables with Intel Penryn processors.

Zepto specializes in built-to-order (BTO) laptops and has a presence in Australia. As each system is customized at point of sale (similar to Dell's business model) and delivered from Denmark, it may take up to 20 days for the notebook to reach your doorstep. The distributor is also in talks with several retail outlets to stock popular configurations as well.

The local online store is still in its preparatory stages, so for the time being, you can check out the various models at Zepto's Australian Web site and place your order by emailing zeptosg@gmail.com. Not the most professional of setups, but the distributor promises to service and provide warranty coverage for any Zepto laptops bought through it.

DVD media that backs up data on its own

At the recent Digital Experience event at CES in Las Vegas, storage maker Imation showed off its latest optical disc called the TDK SimpleSave DVD. What this does is automatically back up digital content (photos, music, documents, etc.) from the PC to the DVD. You heard right. No third-party DVD-burning software is required. All that's needed is a PC with a DVD burner drive, the SimpleSave DVD and, of course, the data to back up.

Here's the cool thing. The DVD backup software is embedded on the recordable disc itself.

So when the disc is inserted into the optical drive, the DVD application is activated and automatically finds, organizes and archives the desired content on the PC into the disc--all without having to install any software. Now once the disc is full, users will be prompted to insert another media to continue the backing process. According to Imation, there are also advanced options to specify the location and type of files to back up.

The manufacturer believes the discs will significantly simplify the archiving process, which should appeal to those who often find it confusing and sometimes inconvenient to do regular backups of their data.

The SimpleSave DVDs will come in three variations.

• The SimpleSave:Photo--Backs up image files such as .JPG, .RAW, .PSD
• The SimpleSave:Music media--Takes care of MP3, WAV, AAC and other audio files
• The SimpleSave:Docs--Finds and saves TXT documents, presentation and spreadsheets

It is expected to be released worldwide in the spring of 2008, with prices ranging from US$7.99 for a pack of three SimpleSave:Docs DVDs to US$12.99 for a five-pack SimpleSave:Photo discs.

Sneak peek of the Fujitsu LifeBook P8010

At a media lunch with Kenichi Kimura, chief designer and design consultant for Fujitsu's Ubiquitous Solution Design Department, we were given an insight on the inspiration behind the LifeBook U1010 design (gleaned from the Storm Trooper in Star Wars as well as from spiders in nature). The real highlight of the event, however, was when we were offered a short preview of the LifeBook P8010.

The top cover has been made to look like the joint of a bamboo, though the high-gloss exterior makes it hard to capture on a camera. The unit holds a low-voltage Core 2 Duo L7100 1.2GHz processor on an Intel chipset. According to a Fujitsu representative, this gives the same performance as a midsize machine running a full-powered mobile platform.

The most interesting thing is that the P8010 uses the same SlimEdge technology as the LifeBook S6510, which allows the 12.1-inch screen to stretch almost to the edges of the bezel, thus reducing the footprint significantly. It weighs in at around 1.3kg and is comparable to the P7320 in terms of portability and heft.

The P8010 will be launched next month in Singapore for an estimated price of around S$3,700 (US$2,679.41).

Axiotron's Mac tablet comes out of hiding

On first glance, Axiotron's Modbook is unsettling. It takes a minute before you realize it's because you've been programmed by countless Apple advertisements to expect a keyboard down there below the screen.

But Axiotron thinks its Modbook machines look just fine, thank you. The start-up, founded in 2005, just began selling its "Tablet Mac" machines the last day of 2007 and is showing them off at the Macworld trade show here.

The company hopes to appeal to artists, designers, and photographers who want to be able to draw or otherwise directly interact with the screen. That can be done with products such as some Wacom graphics tablets, but the Modbook is a more portable option.

Axiotron makes the Apple-authorized machines by rebuilding MacBooks it buys from Apple with Wacom pen-computing technology that lets people draw, click, or write directly on the screen. It has a virtual keyboard, but if you want a real one, you'll have to purchase it separately and plug it into a USB port.

The Modbooks run Mac OS X and employ either a 2.0GHz or 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 processor. They also come with a 13.3-inch, 1280x800 screen, Inkwell handwriting recognition software, a built-in iSight camera, a DVD Combo drive or SuperDrive, and GPS (Global Positioning System) abilities for location.

For a model with 1GB of memory, the price tag begins at US$2,290, the company said.

Via Crave CNET

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