I have always wondered what cloud computing is, without even realizing that I was already doing it… yes, you are already doing it too.

Honestly, my first concept of cloud computing was uploading files to Google Docs, which I never did because I was weary of the files and documents’ security. And yet, I freely upload pictures to my facebook, multiply and frienster accounts.

Here’s a simple video presentation on cloud computing I found on CNN’s newsplus.

Simple, isn’t it? So, have you realized how you have been cloud computing all these years?

Dell launches a new gadget in the market, it’s called the Dell Streak and it is described as “somewhere in between a smart phone with a big screen and an iPad.”

The Streak, also known as the Mini 5, is the first of a number planned products by the world’s number three computer. It is smaller than most computer tablets with a 5 inches (12.5 cm) screen and runs Google’s Android operating system.

Tavis Butler of Dell said, “This is a data device first and a voice device second.”

He said the Streak is the “first in a family of devices” to be produced by Dell’s new business division whose focus is on small-screen devices. In the future, Dell could also have a 7 inches and 10 inches tablet.

Despite the question on its size and whether it is indeed an iPad competitor or on a league of it’s own, I would like to have one.

Honestly, I like it better. Being so small and yet powerful, makes it an ideal mobile companion.

I don’t think I could use it to blog though.

What do you think? Is it a worthy iPad competitor?

It seems like the iPad hype is far from over, even after it has already been released in the market.

But before you get your hands on  this latest electronic gadget, here are some things you might want to know about the iPad.

(From CNN’s Before you buy: 12 things to know about the iPad)

The price
Not really the first on the CNN’s list, but I’m sure it is one of the major concerns of many. The price of iPad ranges from $499 to $899.

The more expensive ones of course would have more features, such as larger storage space, so there will be more spaces for your music, videos, and what-have-you.

Also, the less expensive ones connect to the Internet with Wi-Fi only, while the more expensive ones connect through Wi-Fi and through AT&T’s mobile Internet network.

The iPad keyboard
By now, you may have already know that the iPad does not have a keyboard, so how do you type on it?

The iPad’s keyboard is a graphic that pops up on the device’s touch-sensitive screen. A feature that is too familiar to iPhone and iPod Touch users.

The touchscreen feature allows the iPad users to type by touching the pictures of the keys on the screen. It is about the same size as the one you have on your desk, only, you can’t feel the keys.

The iPad versus the laptop
Many are already familiar with laptop and the convenience and mobility it affords many laptop users. So how does iPad differs from the laptop?

The laptop computer, which is obviously heavier than a laptop, has its own keyboard. And while some laptops would have touchscreen features, it is something that many laptop models is really lacking.

The iPad differs in that, it falls into a category of its own which the slate or tablet computer, because of its compact size. It doesn’t have keyboard, and therefore, navigation through it would be via touching the screen like how you operate an iPhone or an iPod Touch.

iPad versus Kindle
Before the iPad fever, there were the e-readers like the Kindle where users can read digital books. It has already become popular and in fact had its own cult of followers before the iPad came to be.

Then came iPad. It can also like an e-reader, and then plus some more. For one, the iPad has color display, in contrast to Kindle which only comes in black-and-white.

This difference then would depend on your personal preference, and perhaps the kind of material you are reading.

iPad best function
With all those features, one would ask, “What does the iPad do best?”

Among other things, the iPad is designed for reading digital books, browsing the Web, and watching videos. It is also good as a portable gaming device, of course, you can choose from the hundreds of games for sale at the iPad App Store.

It doesn’t have a DVD player, but iPad users can download videos from Apple, or stream them from the Web.

Lastly, the iPad (as the article said), is better for readers and not really much a delight for those who are writing long articles and messages… such as blog writer.

These are just some of the things you might want to know before buying your iPad. Read the complete list from the CNN report by John D. Sutter.

You might also want to check the iPad competitors.

While the launch of the Apple iPad created a stir in the gadget market, it is not alone in the tablet computer category and actually have stiff competition from other companies who also have their own brand.

The Apple iPad was popular because of its high profile release and due to the many loyal followers of Apple.

But before you buy yourself that iPad that you want to get your hands on even before it was actually released, you might want to see these.

Here are just some of the known biggest rival of iPad when it comes to the table computer category.

The JooJoo
Originally known as “Crunchpad,” Joojoo was released in December 2009. It is a Linux-based tablet featuring only one physical button and a 12.1″ touch screen. JooJoo boasts of the “fastest” startup in the world, as it took only 9 seconds to connect to the internet.

It offers full HD video, a virtual keyboard designed for one-hand typing and a web browsing experience that uses touch navigation instead of traditional window browsing. The JooJoo features a 4GB solid state hard drive and can run for up to 5 hours on a full battery charge.

ExpoPC Slate
A windows-based tablet computer, ExpoPC allows for web browsing, streaming television and movies, and also apps and e-books. This tablet is also dubbed as a “finger driven PC.” It’s screen measures 8.9″ and is capable of HD resolution. It has a 32 GB hard drive and a webcam, which was a major lacking feature in iPad.

The ExpoPC Slate is expected to sell for $599.

ICD Vega
Announced in November 2009 and is expected to be released in the market in the first half of this year, the ICD Vega is another tablet computer that will give Apple iPad competition.

The Vega would be running the Android 2.0 operating system and it has a large 15.6″ touch screen, although there would be two smaller sizes to be released too. It will have a 32-GB internal SD storage, a removable charging dock/stand and ability to play on-demand Web TV, according to Innovative Converged Devices which produced the tablet.

Plastic Logic QUE proReader
Presented mostly as an eReader, the QUE proReader caters to business and professional. Developed by Plastic Logic, QUE comes in two models and priced from $649 to $799. It features full color on its 8 1/2″ x 11″ display and WiFi connectivity. QUE is 1/3″ thick and is operated using touch screen interface.

The QUE is expected to launch in April 2010 and plans to use the Barnes & Noble bookstore for its eBook sales.

Notion Ink Adam
The Ink Adam is expected to be released mid-summer of 2010 at a price of $327, with more robust models priced up to $800.This tablet can support 1080p high definition video on its 10″ screen and also features a 3 megapixel camera.

The device 3G connectivity, as well as a multitasking interface that utilizes the Android operating system, which allows the user to run applications concurrently.

Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t
The Lenovo IdeaPad thus far features the most powerful hardward of all the iPad rivals.

It has a 10″ touch screen, up to 250GB hard drive space a traditional keyboard that allows 180 degree screen rotation. The device is a middle-ground product between full tablets and netbooks.

The IdeaPad price starts around $600.

So, do you still want an Apple iPad? Or would like to have any one of these iPad competitors instead?

Wouldn’t it be nice to have at least two for comparison?

These are just six of the of the new tablet computers, there were actually 12 iPad competitors. To see all of them, check out the report from the Yahoo! Shopping page: Tablet Wars: The 12 Biggest iPad Competitors.

Not that I want you to get more confused.

The world’s first 4G phone has unveiled by Sprint during the start of CTIA 2010 – the HTC Evo 4G.

The new gadget claims to be first WiMax cell phone, and also the first commercially available 4G handset with a major U.S. carrier.

The HTC Evo 4G, or simply Evo, runs Google Android OS 2.1 – yes, an Android phone finally meets the world with latest Android OS available.

The Evo has an attractive touch-screen device in its 4.3-inch display, which closely resemble the HTC HD2. It has a rich resolution and color support which makes for a pleasant browsing experience.

There are four touch controls below the display, these are for the home screen, main menu, search, backing out a page.

Other features of the phone include a 3.5 mm headset hack, a micro-USB port, a power control, and a volume rocker.

The gadget have a protruding camera lens for the 8.3-megapixel shooter that sits in the rear face next to the flash and a VGA lens found above the display for video calls.

The new Evo also has Wi-Fi, 1GB internal memory, Bluetooth, Assisted-GPS with Sprint Navigation, a personal organizer, seven home screens, a microSD card slot that accommodates cards up to 32GB, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, an HDMI out port, Sprint TV, messaging, Outlook Exchange support for contacts and e-mail, and the usual access to Google apps.

Sprint, the only official carrier of the Evo 4G, said that the unit will be available this summer. However, there are still no pricing details annnounced as of date.

Sounds like another must-have gadget, especially for people like me who haven’t really upgraded his mobile phone unit for ages!

Nintendo announces the release of its 3D-enabled DS.  The new portable gaming console, currently named the “Nintendo 3DS” will let players enjoy 3D games without the need for 3D glasses.

The new 3D-enabled DS, according to Nintendo, will be compatible with existing DS and DS1 software -- it will have dual diplays, at least one touch screen and two digital cameras like the DSi.

The gaming company will release more information on the Nintendo 3DS a the E3 video game trade show in June and to release the device itself sometime before March 2011.

It is ulikely though that the DS will be phased out anytime soon, as it is still selling strongly. Nintendo is just keen to continue its long dominance of the handheld gaming market.

How the gadget will create 3D images is not yet known, but there are speculations that Nintendo will the camera face-tracking technology. It uses a built-in, front-facing video camera to where the player is looking and shifts the perspective of the game’s view accordingly.

One Nintendo DSi game have already used the said technology — 3D Hidden Picture. But of course, the company could have something else on their mind.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5QSclrIdlE

Anyway, just like the Apple iPad, this gadget is something I won’t be having anytime soon… it’s not that I don’t want it.

But I will work on it.

Just read on the CNN Living page, the 8 very rare and expensive video games today. The list are diverse… and the prices are unbelievable!

Of course, if your a genuine collector, the prices would not really matter.

These rare and expensive video games are:

1. Stadium Events (Nintendo Entertainment System)
Price Range: $13,000 — $41,300; $10,000 for the box alone
A video game played by walking, running and jumping on a soft, plastic mat controller to make the characters move. Only 200 copies of the game have been sold, and of those 200, it is believe that only 10 to 20 complete copies of the game exist today.

2. 1990 Nintendo World Championships (NES)
Price Range: Gray: $4,000 — $6,100; Gold: $15,000 — $21,000
Nintendo held a 30-city gaming tournament in 1990 to find the best players. They competed for the best scores in three games — Super Mario Bros., Rad Racer and Tetris, all withing a six-minute time limit. The winners of the each three age group were given special gray Championship cartridges exactly like those used in the tournament. Only 90 games cartridges were distributed.

Meanwhile, gold versions were sent out to those who won a promotional contest in the pages of Nintendo Power magazine. Only 26 gold games were produced, so they’re especially hard to find and command a higher price today.

3. Nintendo Campus Challenge (NES)
Price Range: $14,000 — $20,100
Just like the first one, only this time, tournaments were held in campuses in the early 1990s. Games played were Super Mario Bros 3, PinBot, and Dr. Mario. Unlike the World Championship though, copies of the game were destroyed after the competition.

However, one Nintendo saved his cart and sold it to Rob Walters at a garage sale in 2006. Rob sold the same cartridge for $14,000 later. Much later, the buyer was able to sell the same cartridge for $20,000. It is the only known copy of the game in the world.

4. Atlantis II (Atari 2600)
Price Range: $5,000 — $6,000
A popular game in 1982, Atlantis was similar to Missile Command, with players defending their base from overhead attack by enemy ship. A tournament was held by the game developer asking players to send in photos of their high scores. Winners were sent Atlantis II, a special edition of the game that featured faster enemy ships worth fewer points, making the game more challenging.

This version was not mass produced, so its pretty rare today. But if you find a copy of the original Atlantis at a garage sale, it might be a good idea to pick it up anyway. The competition cart had the exact same colorful label of the regular Atlantis, but had a small, white sticker slapped on the front that read “Atlantis II.” The label was easily peeled off, so a quick Google search will show you how to determine if you bought a $3 Atari game or a $6,000 one.

5. Air Raid (Atari 2600)
Price Range: $1,000 — $3,000
A game played just like Atlantis and Missile Command. It is widely believed that there only 12 known copies of this game around the world, making it a must-have for serious Atari collectors.

6. Star Wars Ewok Adventure (Atari 2600)
Price: $1,680
It was really called as Revenge of the Jedi Game I but was more popular as “Ewok Adventure” because of the game’s main character – the ewoks. It was said to become legendary for “never being sold.”

In the game, players took control of an Ewok and flew a hang glider over the forest moon of Endor in an attempt to blow up an Imperial base. You could avoid or kill enemy Stormtroopers, Speeder Bikes, or Imperial AT-ST Walkers, or you could instead commandeer these vehicles to take out the base.

It was taken out by Parker Brother’s marketing department because the controls were too hard to mass, so it was never produced. Larry Gelberg, the designer of the game, gave his one and only known prototype copy to a friend’s son, who later gave it away for $1,680.

7. Kizuna Encounter (Neo Geo)
Price Range: $12,000 — $13,500
A 1996 fighting game similar to Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter. It was produced in such small quantities for the Europen market. Collectors speculate that there were only 15 copies made. The Japanese version, which is exactly the same except for different packaging, is fairly common and sells for about $50.

8. Ultimate 11 (Neo Geo)
Price Range: $8,000 — $10,000
The final game in the Super Sidekicks series, Ultimate 11 was a popular franchise of soccer game that sold very well. However, it wasn’t produced in large quantities. There are now fewer than 10 known copies in existence of this game, making it a rarity that every collector must have

So, why don’t you rummage through those old boxes in your attic, basement, or somewhere at the back of your closet. You may have some goldmine lying in there waiting to be discovered.

Read the complete article of Rob Lammle at this page.

The buzzword last week was iPad, and that is because Apple finally revealed what it called the “magical” iPad.

No less that Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the Ipad last January 28, and he referred to it as a “truly magical and revolutionary product.”

“What this device does is extraordinary,” Jobs said. “It is the best browsing experience you’ve ever had. … It’s unbelievably great … way better than a laptop. Way better than a smartphone.”

The product was presented for demonstration at an  invitation-only event in San Francisco, and it operated without a hardware keyboard, with Jobs typing on what he described as a nearly full-size touchscreen keyboard. “It’s a dream to type on,” he said.

The iPad has a nearly 10-inch screen, about half-inch thick and weigh around 1½ pounds. It is available in 16-gigabyte, 32-gigabyte and 64-gigabyte versions.

Jobs said the iPad will be lightning fast: “It screams.” The device will have a 1 GHz processor, an announcement that coaxed “oohs” and “ahs” from the audience.

The price of this new device starts $499 for the 16-gigabyte version, $599 for the 32-gig version and $699 for the 64, Jobs said. Having 3G mobile access will cost an extra $130 on each, he added.

Two mobile plans will be available through AT&T, and there will be no contracts, allowing customers to opt out at any time, according to Jobs.

Some tweets I’m reading about this iPad isn’t really very encouraging. I haven’t read them though, so I’ll still give this iPad a try… that is, if I can even afford one.

Were you ever wary of what information you have provided Google and how the internet giant is using it? With the new tool released by Google, you can find out. Introducing the Google Dashboard which was released by the company last Thursday.  It lets users see and control data that the company has collected about them.

The new service provides an online summary of a user’s files with Google, in Gmail, Google Docs, Picasa photos, and so on, by collecting privacy controls in one place. With the Dashboard, users can review delete recent Google searches, see what was documents were recently opened and shared, and survey their interactions with other Google-powered sites such as YouTube.

Recently, Google has come under fire from politicians and privacy advocates for its data-collection practices. In its official Google blog, it headlined, “Transparency, Choice and Control – now complete with a Dashboard!”

It’s like seeing all your Google accounts in one place (finally!), as long as you’re using the same e-mail address on all of them. Which would explain why I can’t see some of my accounts

It is still too early to tell whether it would be a hit or a miss, but the idea of having control over your data sounds like a good idea. However, as some reviews have mentioned about it, it doesn’t remove the control from Google either over your information.

I first heard about Google Wave from a friend’s blog who dedicated a post seeking for an invite. It’s the first time I heard about it, so I made a little research and found that my friend is not alone in his quest to get a Google Wave invite!

And I said to myself, “What’s all the fuzz about this Google Wave?” Some even made videos on YouTube just to ask for an invite! What is Google Wave really? In my search, I was led to a CNN article which features the genius brothers behind Google Wave.

They are Lars and Jens Rasmussen, the same team who were responsible for today’s Google Maps. An application that saved them from being broke and jobless.

According to them, “Google Wave will kill e-mail.”

Google Wave, even the brothers admit, is hard to describe. It’s your e-mail, instant messaging system and social networking all rolled into one -- and then some. And all of this done in real time!

Think of it as chatting through your e-mail, or e-mailing in your chat lines and getting instant replies when your friend is online. As the description says, you can see what you’re friend is typing because they will appear in your screen letter by letter as he/she types them.

Wow! I really feel Jurassic! Considering that I am not even comfortable in instant messaging and then this!

The application even boasts of online translation as you communicate with friends with different languages.

Here are a couple of YouTube presentation to help you understand Google Wave better… I hope…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDu2A3WzQpo

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS9AbePnE08

Unfortunately, Google Wave is available only by invites. Which explains why you can see almost everybody begging for it. According to the Wikipedia entry it was “Initially released only to developers, a “preview release” of Google Wave was extended to nearly 1 million users beginning September 30, 2009, with the initial 100,000 users each allowed to invite up to twenty additional users.”

A very limited number it is. Which makes me want to ask, why boast of a very powerful application when there are only a few people who can use it? Would you be happy to get access knowing that you can’t reach through your friends with it when you didn’t get an invite?

Darn! Now, I want to get an invite!

Still couldn’t get it? You can watch the one-hour video here or read about it from the official Google blog.