Engadget

Datamancer Steampunk Laptop now available for anachronistic pre-order

Terrence O'Brien — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 17:59:00 EST

We really hope you've haven't grown tired of Steampunk over the years. Over-saturated? Passé? Perhaps, but there's still something undeniably alluring about the blend of Victorian-era mechanics and modern technology. That's why, even three years after we first caught a glimpse of it, we're pretty psyched to hear that Datamancer's Steampunk Laptop is actually being made available for purchase. Detailed specs haven't been offered, we only know that it will feature "cutting-edge internal components," but we can tell you there are a bevy of customization options. You can choose everything from the wood stain color, to keyboard fonts, to etched brass lids or clockwork gears like the original design (except these will tick and turn). You can pre-order one now (at the source link) for $5,500 -- a healthy discount over the estimated price once production on these one-of-a-kind machines kicks in to gear ($7,500+). Now we just have to decide between food and rent, or a work of PC art.

Datamancer Steampunk Laptop now available for anachronistic pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MacBook Air 2010 meets Colorware, births skinny rainbow children

Vlad Savov — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:51:00 EST

Not feeling like enough of an individual owning the same ultrathin Apple laptop as everyone else? We feel your pain, you need something more in your status symbol hardware. This is where Colorware enters, asking for (at least) $1,850 in exchange for a MacBook Air -- made in 2010, exactly to your chromatic specifications. Come on, we can mock and we can decry the price, but if this were ever within the disposable income portion of your budget, wouldn't you jump at the opportunity? Alas, there's no option for repainting an Air if you've already bought one, so whether you want the 11.6-inch or 13-inch version, you'll have to buy it directly from Colorware.

Update: It originally seemed as if the 11-inch Air wasn't available, but it is, hence the body of the post has been updated accordingly.

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MacBook Air 2010 meets Colorware, births skinny rainbow children originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ben Heck modifies Toshiba Satellite for cramped flights, throws TSA the peace sign (video)

Sean Hollister — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 23:01:00 EST

So what has technology modder extraordinaire Benjamin J. Heckendorn come up with for his Ben Heck Show this week? Why, a laptop designed to fit on a airplane tray table, thanks to a special swiveling screen. The Coach Section Laptop is a modified Toshiba Satellite with aluminum arms affixed to either side, with slots down the middle upon which the screen's pegs slide. Thumbscrews then tighten to keep the display in place in either of two modes: the standard laptop configuration, or the floating display-over-keyboard setup you see immediately above. Ben himself admits that we're looking at a rough proof of concept for now, but we imagine he'll have a seamless variant on eBay before long -- just as soon as he can figure out where to put that precariously dangling display cord. Video after the break.

Continue reading Ben Heck modifies Toshiba Satellite for cramped flights, throws TSA the peace sign (video)

Ben Heck modifies Toshiba Satellite for cramped flights, throws TSA the peace sign (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Nov 2010 23:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ArcadeDock converts Lenovo laptop into retro gaming machine (video)

Darren Murph — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 07:36:00 EST

Dean Liou, the same fellow responsible for the ToiletPC and LovePC, has just concocted what's likely his most splendorous mod yet. The ArcadeDock Laptop Dock is a half-height arcade machine, complete with a flame job from a dark corner of 1994, a full-on joystick + large button splay and a secret cabinet for a touchpad-equipped keyboard. Put simply, this rig is designed to hold an IdeaPad Y560, and when plugged in and connected via USB, the controls you're peering at above function exactly as you'd expect them to. Toss on a couple of your favorite ROMs (Street Fighter II, anyone?), grab a Go-Gurt and settle in -- a demonstrative video is after the break, and feel free to tap that Lenovo link below if you'd like to vote this mod up above the competition.

Continue reading ArcadeDock converts Lenovo laptop into retro gaming machine (video)

ArcadeDock converts Lenovo laptop into retro gaming machine (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 07:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Adamo gets jammed inside another Dell laptop: yes, it's that thin!

Laura June — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 02:15:00 EST

Check this one out -- if there was any doubt as to the thinness of the Adamo, just for fun, some young modder removed the innards of a chunky Dell laptop and threw a Dell Adamo inside of it. Pretty thrilling stuff as you can imagine -- hit up the source link for the video.

Dell Adamo gets jammed inside another Dell laptop: yes, it's that thin! originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Jun 2010 02:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA's Optimus uncovered in Sony VAIO Z, along with TRIM support?

Darren Murph — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:16:00 EST

Sony's illustrious VAIO Z may have a so-called "Dynamic Hybrid Graphics System," but NVIDIA's Optimus it is not. Or is it. Notebook Review's own igorstef started digging deeper within the laptop's switchable GPU setup, and lo and behold, it sure looks as if Optimus is underneath. He went through the painstaking process of installing a slew of new drivers and tweaking some code within select .inf files, and in the end he seemingly found a way to get Optimus drivers working on the new rig. Of course, the debate has been raging on for five pages now, and it still seems inconclusive as to what's really going on behind the scenes. In related news, ZoinksS2k seems to have discovered a way to get Windows 7's TRIM feature working on his SSD-equipped VAIO Z, and if you're interested in doing some tinkering of your own in either case, you know where to dive in.

[Thanks, Bill]

NVIDIA's Optimus uncovered in Sony VAIO Z, along with TRIM support? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Student-made Xbox 360 laptop channels the Heck out of... well, you know

Sean Hollister — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:11:00 EST

Few can build 'em like Benjamin Heckendorn. Fewer still bother to try. Two college kids managed to do a bang-up job anyhow building this fully loaded, Jasper-juiced Xbox 360 laptop. With a built-in 17-inch Gateway monitor, keyboard, functioning Xbox Live camera and Wireless Network Adapter, this brick hits all the right notes -- yet remains remarkably stylish for a learn-as-you-go student project. If you agree, you can read a remarkably detailed account of how they built it at the source link, see a proof-of-completion video after the break, or even further their education by purchasing the mean machine on eBay for your very own.

Continue reading Student-made Xbox 360 laptop channels the Heck out of... well, you know

Student-made Xbox 360 laptop channels the Heck out of... well, you know originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Two PowerBooks spliced into one epic snowboard (video)

Vlad Savov — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:53:00 EST

We don't know that this requires much more explanation than the title. A couple of rad dudes from the German-speaking parts of Europe have taken up tools against their old titanium PowerBooks G4s and produced the righteous bit of snow-surfing kit you see above. It was done for a competition asking for creative ways to re-utilize old gear, though judging by all the flopping and crashing that ensued in their tests, this isn't exactly useful. See it on video after the break, and if it really catches your fancy, the PowerBook snowboard can be found on eBay, though no one has been mad enough to bid for it yet.

Continue reading Two PowerBooks spliced into one epic snowboard (video)

Two PowerBooks spliced into one epic snowboard (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI Wind modded with sliding keyboard and touchscreen

Joanna Stern — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:02:00 EST

The original MSI Wind is so two years ago, but an Insanely Wind forum member with the handle of ac0ff33 figured out a way to make it so two years from now. Taking a cue from slider phones, the modder has managed to flip the Wind's 10.1-inch display around, fit it on top of the keyboard, and add a resistive touchscreen. He appears to still be working on getting it to slide up to reveal the keys, but from the comments in the forum he's got a pretty solid plan to make it all happen. And if all that isn't good enough, he's also added a plastic power button next to the screen, along with a key for choosing either Win 7 or OSX when booting. We're looking forward to seeing how this project comes along, but in the meantime check out the two videos below of the touchscreen performance in both Win 7 and OSX.

Continue reading MSI Wind modded with sliding keyboard and touchscreen

Filed under: Laptops

MSI Wind modded with sliding keyboard and touchscreen originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 laptop brings retro looks to an eBay near you

Vlad Savov — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 08:25:00 EST

If you thought only a semi-deity like Ben Heck could splice consoles into laptop-shaped cases, here's some evidence to the contrary. This week, CollinE from Ben's forums put the finishing touches to his own, rather professional looking, Xbox 360 laptop. Adorned in a red and black color scheme that features a throwback giant X on the top lid, his 360 stays true to the original console in almost all respects -- including the "wind tunnel" noise generated by Collin's five fans. The fact he also consulted our guide on how to do this is just a cherry on the top for us, and you can find a video tour of the hardware after the break. Should it take your fancy, the machine's now on auction with all proceeds going to the "make Collin's Christmas merrier" foundation.

Gallery: Xbox 360 laptop mod

Continue reading Xbox 360 laptop brings retro looks to an eBay near you

Xbox 360 laptop brings retro looks to an eBay near you originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Mini 9 modded into motion sensitive, touchscreen tablet (video)

Joseph L. Flatley — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:33:00 EST

True, this ain't the first Dell Mini tablet hack we've laid eyes on -- but what we do have here is a pretty sweet mod by MyDellMini forum member "rock99rock" (must be his confirmation name). In addition to replacing his Dell Mini 9 display with a touchscreen kit, our man re-jiggered an ActionXL motion sensing controller to allow the screen to rotate as you rotate the device. Not bad, eh? Hit that read link for some real radical instrucciones -- but not before checking out the enthralling video after the break.

Continue reading Dell Mini 9 modded into motion sensitive, touchscreen tablet (video)

Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs

Dell Mini 9 modded into motion sensitive, touchscreen tablet (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Mini 9 modded into an internet tablet

Vlad Savov — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:11:00 EST

MyDellMini forum member Rob928, take a bow. This honorable gentleman has only gone and transformed an aging 9-inch netbook into a new-fashioned internet tablet. it might still be a chubby little thing, but there's no denying the usefulness of using the entire screen to navigate instead of the usually cramped netbook touchpad. With a 16GB SSD upgrade alongside the venerable Atom N270 and 1GB of RAM, this device will even boot faster into Windows than your run-of-the-mill netbook. The read link will reveal all, including more shots of the hardware laid bare.

[Via SlashGear]

Gallery: Dell Mini 9 modded into an internet tablet

Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops

Dell Mini 9 modded into an internet tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Ben Heck's 17-inch PS3 Slim laptop makes hearts race

Thomas Ricker — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:14:00 EST

Is it us or has Ben Heck outdone himself with the minimal clean design of his latest gaming mod? This laptop sees Sony's PS3 Slim stuffed into a monochromatic chassis with 17-inch Gateway 1775w LCD throwing a 1280 x 720 pixel resolution. There's even space inside to tuck away the power cord when traveling. The pinstriped result is nothing short of elegant, sporty even, especially when compared to his PS3 laptop from 2008. Not much in the way of detail yet, but really, this one's meant to stimulate the heart, not the frontal cortex. See it throb to life in the video after the break.

Continue reading Video: Ben Heck's 17-inch PS3 Slim laptop makes hearts race

Filed under: Gaming, Laptops

Video: Ben Heck's 17-inch PS3 Slim laptop makes hearts race originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Ben Heck amazes with Atari 800 laptop -- again

Tim Stevens — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:34:00 EST

Of all the legacy platforms that have been massaged by modder extraordinaire Ben Heck, it seems the Atari 800 is his favorite. One got the portable treatment back in November of 2005, and he then re-worked it in late 2006. He's done it again, creating the third revision of the 8-bit luggable, completely overhauling the mod in period brownish/beige plastics, with old-school LED lights and an authentic keyboard that even pops up after the laptop is opened. Inside things are a bit more modern, with a 2.5-inch HDD serving the games (no more pressing PLAY on the cassette drive) and a GameCube power supply, of all things. It's a lovely creation that Ben himself rather enthusiastically demonstrates after the break and we, like him, wish we could add one to our collection.

[Via technabob]

Continue reading Video: Ben Heck amazes with Atari 800 laptop -- again

Filed under: Gaming

Video: Ben Heck amazes with Atari 800 laptop -- again originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: Good input device(s) and user interfaces for the 'over 80 crowd?'

Darren Murph — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:03:00 EST

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from a very concerned Mike, who is hoping to give his grandmother a way to properly interact with a laptop.

"I am trying to configure out a really dumbed down and intuitive PC for my grandmother. She recently had a stroke and while she is under my care I would like to repurpose a laptop for her to surf and email her children. Anyone have any experience with what input devices and UI's are really understandable for the over 80 crowd?"

We know this is a bit "out there" for Ask Engadget, but we get the feeling Mike isn't alone here. Anyone have any experience with unorthodox input devices and UIs designed for those with limited mobility and / or weakened vision? Spill the goods in comments below!

Filed under: Ask Engadget, Handhelds, Laptops

Ask Engadget: Good input device(s) and user interfaces for the 'over 80 crowd?' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guitar modded to integrate laptop with music visualizer

Conrad Quilty-Harper — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 21:35:00 EST

Old laptops are a geek modder's best friend: this particular example is one of the better mods we've seen to incorporate an old lappie, with a guy called Ben sticking his old machine behind the strings of an electric guitar. He then linked up the sound produced by the guitar to a visualizer in the laptop, allowing it to pump some psychedelic-looking sound waves out to onlookers. Beats the usual sticker decorations, dontchafink?

[Via Technabob]

Filed under: Laptops

Guitar modded to integrate laptop with music visualizer originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Nov 2007 21:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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That's what you get for installing Windows!

Marc Perton — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 14:15:00 EST

In the tradition of "The Crash" feature on Japan's Impress Watch site, we present this very sad case: a PowerBook that has seen much better days. However, as shown here, it still runs when hooked up to an external keyboard and monitor. So, don't feel sorry for this Mac's owner. Just think of him as the ultimate case modder, who managed to turn an old laptop into a desktop using nothing but a Hummer H2.

[Via TUAW]

Filed under: Laptops

That's what you get for installing Windows! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Apr 2006 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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