People prefer buying notebooks due to their portability. There can be nothing better than having a notebook, as they fulfill all your functional needs and can also be your style statement. The new sleek Sony VAIO UX180 has been launched recently in the market. VAIO UX180 has a 4.5 inch LCD. However, it does not have any hardware buttons to manage brightness. You have to do this through an application. Its LCD panel is touch-sensitive, so it works well with stylus input. The keyboard of Sony VAIO UX180 is revealed when you slide its display up or its body down. The whole process of sliding depends on the way you look at the product. The 64 buttons, with 8.6mm pitch and 0.15mm stroke, of the keyboard does not cause much trouble to a user, who works for short periods. The UX180 also includes an analog pointing stick, which functions similar to pointing nub of notebooks, which directs the mouse according to your requirements.

Sony VAIO UX180 comes with two integrated digital cameras, one in front, and one in the back. The one in front is a .3 Megapixel sensor that is designed to be used for video in chat clients and the like. The rear camera is 1.3 Megapixel and exposed by sliding up the screen. It’s designed for taking stills or video. Sony has also included an application for handling the cameras and taking shots and videos. Sony VAIO UX180 also comes with an integrated biometric scanner. This gives you another layer of security from spywares. The fingerprint scanner can be used at both the BIOS and Windows levels. Registering your fingers is very easy. It’s also quite fast and generally recognizes your finger on the first try. VAIO UX180 consists of a mono speaker, integrated microphone and separate jacks for microphone-in and headphones. The speakers of the notebook are way below expectations of a user, still they give adequate performance.

Sony VAIO UX180 uses the Intel Core Solo Processor U1400 (1.20GHz, 2MB L2 Cache). For productivity uses, the processor and the included 512 MB DDR2 RAM with 30 GB SATA hard drive is sufficient. They included disk drive shock protection, which in a nice small droppable unit like this, is much appreciated. They offer three levels of protection, the more protection, the less performance. The default is at the medium level. The notebook is triple threat wireless. They’ve got the standard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but also included access to the Cingular data network.

They have included fully-functional docking stations, which can make huge difference to you as a user. Sony VAIO UX180 can be regarded as a base computer for its users. VAIO UX180 can drop into dock and acquires power, 3 USB, VGA, IEEE 1394, AV out port and Ethernet. Sony has tossed in 1 dongle, which supplements Ethernet, AV out and VGA out. These included utilities are imperative for this platform.

Notebook buyers, who are looking for something in the ultra-portable category, should give the Sony VAIO UX180 a serious consideration.

Specifications
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So this it my first free wordpress theme “NorthBlues” which is a clean and simple Styled Wordpress theme. It utilizes the Widgetized sidebar, Search Engine Optimized & xhtml + css valid Wordpress Theme to break out of the Wordpress box and create a true look. Perfect for the all blogs.

Here is the screenshot:

NorthBlues Theme Features:

• Clean and simple
• Sidebar widget ready
• Search engine optimized code
• XHTML + CSS valid
• Compatible with Latest Wordpress 2.6
• PSD Logo
• Page templates for Links and Archives
• Fast loading time
• Sponsor section
• Includes 404 Template & Search Template

Released and updated on September 17th 2008

Installing NorthBlues:

1. Unzip the NorthBlues archive, and upload the NorthBlues directory into the wp-content/themes of your Wordpress install.
2. Then, go to your WP administration panel, Design » Theme and select NorthBlues .
3. But along with the theme you need to upload wp-pagenavi directory into the wp-content/plugins to show numbers to browse pages or else you don’t need to do and it will show the same Next Page & Previous format

Please note
Theme is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5
This means that you are free to use and modify theme for any purpose, but you must include the provided links backs. Thanks in advance But if you really don’t want to give link back to TechTreak.com, please contact me for a licensed version.

Twitter(Follow me @narendrasv) is really a great service, and a sweet place to hang around Here i have highlighted 10 Awesome Twitter Tools as Wordpress Plugins.

Here are some useful Twitter Tools for your wordpress blogs.

1. Twitter style links
   If you write something like “@nick, where are you?” then this plugin will search for the @nick’s url in the comment and will list the current post along with converting his/her name to a link.
2. Wordpress Twitter Widget
   This is a sidebar widget that handles Twitter feeds. It’s true that you could just point and RSS widget at one of the Twitter feeds, but you end up with the whole tweet (I honestly don’t know what they are called) as a link, @replies don’t function, etc. Twitter Widget Pro properly handles twitter feeds, including @username and link parsing, feeds that include friends or just one user, and can even display profile images for the users. It’s set up like the RSS widgets, so you can have as many of as you want on your sidebars.
3. Twitpress
   This plugin Submits a user definable tweet to your twitter account by notifying any twitter followers or friends that a new blog entry has been published on your blog. It also features inclusion of a permalink to your blog posting in the tweet.
4. Twitter Updater
   Twitter Updater will let you automatically update your Twitter status with your most recent blog entry. It also features some options like how the display will look when it updates.
5. @ Reply
   This plugin allows you to add Twitter like @reply links to comments. When you click, those links insert the author name and a link to the comment you are replying to in the textarea.

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Here is a handy list of 25 Best Logo Design Tutorials using Photoshop which help you to have your own logo to your blog and some good branding. If you want to make your blog more attractive then you can also Download 19 sets of free icons collection for a better blog Subscribe to our feeds to stay updated on more design posts.

Photoshop Logo Tutorial Videos

If you want a great Photoshop tutorial package that is simple and uses videos. Click HERE.

Checkout the 25 logo design tutorials below:

Creating an elegant logo using Photoshop

[View Tutorial]

Drawing the Volkswagen Logo using Photoshop

[View Tutorial]

Simple logo design ideas using custom shapes in Photoshop

[View Tutorial]

Photoshop Professional Logo Design

[View Tutorial]

Create a Cool Music Logo on a Grunge Background

[View Tutorial]

Creating the Sky Logo in Photoshop

[View Tutorial]

learn How to make an awesome logo

[View Tutorial]

Design a Concept Web Logo in Photoshop

[View Tutorial]

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The top poster of the month will win $100 via PayPal (International) or Rs.4000 via Indian Bank Transfer(India).

The contest winner will be selected on next month (30th October 2008) based on the total topics create till the date. Any prize money will be sent to the WINNER before 3rd, November 2008.

So, lets get started and post as many topics as you can. The more topics you create the more the chances of winning.

What can you post?
There are several categories to post like Funny Images, Images for people, Jokes & Humor, Forum Games, General Discussion, Current Affairs, Fashion & Lifestyle, Graphics and lot more. You can post anything that makes some interest to the readers of your topic.

Checkout the Full Contest Details here Win $100 via PayPal in IYouWe forum Contest.

Today’s generation looks for more than the basic needs that are fulfilled by the notebooks. They want a device that has all the features of a desktop and more, including a high end gaming capability. Dell XPS M1710 is the latest gaming notebook launched by Dell. As XPS M1710 is a gaming notebook, it has the highest performing components available for suiting the requirements of high-end games. It comes in a choice of two colors, “formula red” or “metallic black”. The notebook is quoted as being 8.8 lbs by Dell. The battery is a 9-cell located at the front area of the notebook and is available with a feature, so that you can push it on to light up 5 green LEDs to display how much charge is left. This feature works whether the notebook is on or off.

The keyboard keys of Dell XPS M1710 are not black, but rather a silver color that blends with the rest of the case color. The keys are springier and there is no flex to the keyboard, as it is built sturdily. The touchpad is adequate to the XPS lighting, but more importantly it’s actually a decent size and works well with scroll zones on the right side for vertical scroll and on the bottom for horizontal scroll. The integrated sub-woofer provides decent bass. It also provides for extra oomph with sound volume. However at top volume, the sound is definitely too loud.

One thing, which you get with Dell XPS M1710, is the Media Direct functionality that allows you to quickly load up the machine to play music, view pictures or watch a DVD. You do this by clicking the “Media Direct” button on the front of the laptop. The port selection on the XPS M1710 includes 6 USB 2.0 ports along with the video connectors comprising of VGA out, DVI and S-Video out. Graphics card used in the XPS M1710 is 512 MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900 GTX, which is necessary for playing high-end games on the notebook. Coupled with the M1710’s 17 inch widescreen and True-life display, the notebook has the graphics at the native resolution of 1920 x 1200. True-life is the reason behind the higher contrast, brightness and colors. This feature allows better viewing while playing games on the notebook.

At the heart of the XPS M1710 is Intel’s Core 2 Duo processor T2600. It has a processor speed of 2.16GHz with a 2 MB Cache. This processor supports a 2 GB DDR2 RAM (extendable to 4 GB). XPS M1710 has also been bundled with a 7200 rpm SATA hard drive of a 120 GB capacity. The notebook comes with an Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 card, which supports a, b and g bands and can help you in getting connected to the Wi-Fi network even at a distance from the Wi-Fi hotspot. You have three choices of an OS: XP Home, XP Professional and XP Media Center Edition. However, the last of the three versions is more preferred, as it supports better gaming.

Specifications
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This is the Commercial Ad for the amazing new iPod Nano 4th Generation and iPod Touch 2nd Generation. Both were introduced by apple on september 9th 08.

Check out the video below:
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Notebooks have created a niche for itself in the modern society. Most functions carried out by an individual in his daily life revolve around this electronic device. They are slowly but surely replacing desktops for the convenience that it provides to a user. Apple MacBook Pro is a new notebook, which has been recently launched in the market by Apple. Macbook Pro has a metal body and weighs around 6 pounds. With a dimension of 15.4 inch x 10.4 inch x 1 inch, this notebook gives adequate space for wide screen display. Its wide screen gives a provision of opening more than one window and scroll-free viewing of web browsers. With one Lithium polymer battery having a capacity of 68 WH, Apple MacBook Pro can stay on for over 5.5 hours after receiving a complete charge.

Apple MacBook Pro has a 17 inch TFT active matrix display screen with a resolution of 1680×1050 (WSXGA). This widescreen provides clear viewing to the person, who uses it. Apart from its widescreen, the display is also supported by ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 PCI Express x16 Graphics Card. Although MacBook Pro cannot be tagged as a gaming notebook with such a configuration, games running on 1280 x 1024 (resolutions) are playable at 32.8 fps. Again, the notebook has an iSight 0.3 Megapixel Integrated Camera sitting above the display. Again, the model includes power buttons, stereo speaker, sizeable touchpad (two finger scroll that gives the feeling of a mouse wheel) and a single mouse button. With stereo speakers, mic-in features and iSight Integrated Camera, audio and video transmission during videoconferencing through this notebook has been improved.

When it comes to networking features, Apple MacBook Pro has been provided with Ethernet, Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet. For Wi-Fi, the standard set in the MacBook Pro includes IEEE 802.11b and IEEE 802.11g. An inbuilt 2.0 Bluetooth is also provided with the notebook for short range connectivity. The device is also provided with a 1(1) x ExpressCard / 34, 2 (0) x Memory–SO IMM 200-pin. Again, the extra interfaces for connectivity available with Apple MacBook Pro include Display/video (DVI) and Audio – SPDIF input/line-in & output headphones along with a 3.5 TOSLINK Mini-phone for making full use of media file types. Again, it’s FireWire IEEE 1394 (FireWire) and IEEE 1394b (FireWire 800) allows you to access Wi-Fi without being in close vicinity of a Wi-Fi hotspot. In addition to all the above, MacBook Pro has 3 4-pin USB and an RJ-45 for connecting external drives and establishing local connections.

Looking in the interiors of the notebook, Apple MacBook Pro is provided with an Intel Core 2 Duo T7700 (2.33 GHz) processor. Its 64-bit processor provided with 4 MB L2 Cache allows you to run almost every multimedia and productivity application without any trouble. For complementing the high processor speed, MacBook Pro has a 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM (extendable to 3 GB) and 160 GB SATA-150 hard drive to give you adequate space and speed for running high-end applications. The operating system standard for the notebook is the maker’s own Apple MacOS 10.4. With the presence of Boot Camp, which allows you to install Windows XP in partitioned space, several popular and high range games can be played on this MacBook.

With market price starting from $2,799, Apple MacBook Pro has been mainly aimed towards professionals. However if you are amongst those users, who crave for speed and style, MacBook Pro should be in your list.

Specifications with Pros & Cons of Apple MacBook Pro below:
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