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Intel gives its NUC mini-PCs new processors, new ports and a new design
When you're looking for a tiny desktop, Intel's NUC computers are something of a standard. These bare-bone PCs have made a name for themselves as affordable, reasonably powerful and adorably small. Now they're even better: Intel is giving its line of tiny computers new seventh-generation desktop CPUs, a fresh design and Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Yojimbo 4 brings syncing, highlights iCloud woes
Good news for Yojimbo fans: version 4 is now available, and it syncs across Macs. (Pause and wait for for chorus of 'hallelujahs' to subside.) I've been a Yojimbo user for years, but in case some of you don't know what it is, I'll start by quoting Bare Bones' own website which describes it this way: "Yojimbo makes keeping all the small (or even large) bits of information that pour in every day organized and accessible. It's so simple, there is no learning curve. Yojimbo's mechanism for collecting, storing and finding information is so natural and effortless, it will change your life, without changing the way you work." Yojimbo is not meant to hold your entire PDF collection, or all of your images, or all of your bookmarks. It isn't meant to replace Google or the Finder or even Spotlight. It's meant to be that place which is always in reach where you can put something, anything, when you don't want to lose it but you can't (or don't want to) deal with it right now. It's easy to get things into Yojimbo, it's easy to get them out again, and it's easy to search and categorize what you have there. Yojimbo is often referred to as a "digital junk drawer" but to me it's more like the stuff I keep piled on or around my desk but don't put away because I don't want to lose or forget about it. It's that digital 'inbox' where you can throw anything that you might need to sort through later without thinking too much about it now. This is an important role which is easily underestimated. The reason I know that is because I have become aware of the fact that I don't have one now – which means that I have several. See if this sounds familiar: I have a text file with some quick notes that I've jotted down. I have some 'flagged' emails which I hope I will remember means I need to followup on them next time I see them. I have some articles that I saved to Pinboard and some PDFs that I saved to my "To Read" folder and some files on the Desktop, not to mention a few things I tossed into OmniFocus. Too often things go into one of those 'buckets' and I forget about it, mostly because there are too many of them. More than likely I waste time trying to decide where to save them, and I know I waste time trying to find them, if I even remember to look. One of the great things about Yojimbo was that it did syncing of a variety of different kinds of information. Unfortunately, that's also been a major thorn in its side lately. Sync, sank, stunk When Yojimbo was introduced, it used MobileMe syncing to bring your data across your Macs. Way back in 2006 Yojimbo was described as having "Seamless .Mac syncing" and that syncing was always an essential part of the app. Unfortunately, it relied on MobileMe, which Apple eventually shut down. It seems to be a pattern with Apple that web services don't have a very long life and never really get the attention and "polish" that people hope for when a new product comes along. By the time Apple finally killed off MobileMe and the loathsome, atrocious iDisk, few people were sad to see it go, and we were all encouraged to see Apple's new efforts towards iCloud. Until it arrived. What iCloud does extremely well is file syncing. You save a document in Pages on your Mac and a few seconds later it will show up on your iPad or your other Macs. It's fast and easy, not to mention free for the first 5 gigabytes. What iCloud does not do well is database syncing, or in technical terms: "Core Data" syncing. Now, I'm not a developer and I won't pretend to be here, but if you have been paying any attention at all, you have probably heard Mac and iOS developers complaining about iCloud. If you missed it, allow me to direct your attention to Ars Technica which featured this issue in an article almost six months ago Frustrated with iCloud, Apple's developer community speaks up en masse. Bare Bones Software's Rich Siegel is featured prominently in that article, but he also echoes many other developer complaints about the way that iCloud works. He also explained why Dropbox is not an viable option (again, Dropbox does file syncing very well, but not database syncing). If after all that you want an even more thorough, yet easy-to-understand explanation, you can read Rich's Tumblr post The Gathering Storm: Our Travails With iCloud Sync from earlier this year as well. He also links to several other developers who spoke about the problems they faced with iCloud syncing. The bottom line is this: Dropbox doesn't have the necessary tools (yet?) to sync databases, and iCloud is supposed to have the necessary tools, but it doesn't work. Which left Bare Bones with only one viable option: a 3rd-party sync solution. Sync Rises If you are familiar with Evernote, you know that it syncs via its own service, not iCloud and not Dropbox. The same is also true for OmniFocus and several other applications. DEVONThink can sync to Dropbox, sort of, but it requires that you go into Dropbox and turn off automatic syncing and sync things manually. (I tried when they first introduced it, and quickly abandoned the idea as more trouble than it was worth. You'd get roughly the same effect if you just copied your data to Dropbox when you quit the app.) Bare Bones has decided to offer a syncing solution which will cost US$3 a month. The syncing is handled through Wasabi Sync which describes itself as "Core Data cloud syncing done right" (as opposed to, say, the way that iCloud currently wörks). The first 30 days are free so you can try it and see if it works for you. You can also try Yojimbo 4 free for 30 days by downloading the demo from BareBones.com. Before anyone complains about Yojimbo syncing, let me remind you that it is still cheaper than Evernote. Also note that Yojimbo for iPad still happens over your local Wi-Fi network, so you do not need a sync subscription for that. (Before you ask, no, you cannot directly sync Yojimbo for iPad from your Wasabi sync account. When I asked Rich Siegel whether that would be added, he politely declined to make any 'forward looking statements' but certainly left the door open for that possibility. One thing at a time.) Final words, for now In a perfect world, Yojimbo would have been able to sync via iCloud and the BareBones folks would not have had to spend the past year of their lives trying to make it work before eventually giving up and implementing their own solution. But right now iCloud just does not work for database syncing, and you don't have to take my word for that, there are lots of developers who will (and have) shared their frustrations. Again I would refer you to both Frustrated with iCloud, Apple's developer community speaks up en masse and The Gathering Storm: Our Travails With iCloud Sync and remember that syncing files is a lot easier than syncing databases. Yojimbo is a great Mac app by a great Mac development team who sweat the details to make something excellent. That's why BBEdit has been around for over 20 years and still growing strong. Yojimbo is not DEVONThink or Evernote, nor are they Yojimbo. They do different, if similar, things. If you have been frustrated by having little bits of your digital life spread out in several different places, I would strongly encourage you to check out Yojimbo. I'm very happy to have it back in my dock.
Adafruit releases WebIDE alpha for Raspberry Pi, eases beginners into coding
If you've been intrigued by the Raspberry Pi but were hesitant to get one because you're new to Linux, Adafruit has a solution for you. The team that brought us the Raspberry Pi Education Linux Distro has come up with a special WebIDE (Web Integrated Development Environment) designed to run on the affordable barebones computer. It's entirely web-based so there's no need to install any software -- just launch a browser, hook up your Pi, and you're ready to go. To make life easier for coders, the platform has a terminal built in, plus there's an automatic updater included to keep folks running only the freshest version of WebIDE. It's currently at the alpha stage, so only experienced users should install it for now, but Adafruit's hoping to roll out a stable release suitable for programmers of all levels sometime soon.
VIA Technologies APC 8750 mobo / CPU combo will go on sale today for $60
Did you get giddy at the thought of playing around with VIA Technologies APC 8750 Android-based board, but failed to get in on the pre-order action? Good news for you, as folks wanting to dig into its custom Gingerbread OS, 800Mhz ARMv6 CPU and 3D graphics engine can head on over to Newegg and get one for $59.99. Unfortunately, it's currently out of stock, but our gadget senses tell us that more APC's will be available soon, and you can head on over to the source link below and sign up to be notified when it happens. If patience isn't your thing, feel free to hit up the source and give your F5 key a workout instead. [Thanks, Anonymous]
Foxconn fanless nano PCs get priced, dated and tweaked
Remember those Foxconn built nano PCs that surfaced back in May? The giant manufacturer recently made them official, detailing a few unexpected tweaks in a Russian language press release. Now decked out in a sleek black finish, the nettops will sport the same I/O, but one image courtesy of FanlessTech hints that DVI might be thrown into the mix despite lacking a mention in the official press release. The AT-5250 model won't be walking the Cedar Trail with an Atom D2700 as originally planned -- instead, its sights are set on a 1.86 GHz D2550. On the other hand, the AT-5600 will pack a Radeon HD 6320 alongside the anticipated AMD E450 APU. Surpassing their presumed sub-$200 price tag, they're set to ring up at $260 and $280, respectively, when they launch this September. Journey past the break for the translated press release.
Shuttle takes quiet nettops down the Cedar Trail, intros XS35V3 and XS35GTA V3
Nettops have slipped a bit out of vogue, but Shuttle is keeping the flame alive for those who like their desktops tiny and hushed. The XS35V3 and XS35GTA V3 have moved on to more contemporary Cedar Trail-era, 2.13GHz Atom D2700 processors that keep the power draw to a fanless 27W, even when everything is churning at full bore. That limit might get tested with the GTA variant, which brings in Radeon HD 7410M graphics for a lift to 3D performance, but neither mini desktop will exactly make the power company beg for mercy. Either is a barebones kit with the laptop-sized hard drive, optical drive and OS left to the buyer -- if you don't get them at the same time, you'll have only the HDMI, VGA, USB and card reader to keep you company. Europeans are currently the only ones getting a crack, where it costs €172 pre-tax ($214) for the XS35V3 and €233 ($290) to get its faster GTA cousin.
Android PC gets wrapped in maple, hits that premium sweet spot
If you feel that a typical barebones Android PC really won't do alongside your chaise longue and stack of hardback first editions, you may be interested in Jeffrey Stephenson's latest case mod. Underneath the birds eye maple, acrylic panelling and mesh, the Acero houses VIA's humble $49 Neo-ITX-based system card, running an iteration of Android 2.3 ready for mouse and keyboard add-ons. Up to 720p graphics is possible, which can be output through its VGA or HDMI ports and although that 800MHz processor may not be up to delivering the greatest gaming thrills, we've already got our joystick picked out.
VIA Technologies' $49 Android barebones PC available for pre-order, ships in July
VIA Technologies' small -- but not bite-sized -- Neo-ITX-based barebones Android PC is now up for pre-order. Folks willing to plunk down $49 now will be among the first to play with the APC's version of Gingerbread that's been modified for use with a mouse and keyboard. When can you expect the return on investment? Well, it's slated to ship in early July, meaning you'll get your hands on its 800MHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 2GB of storage before the end of summer. [Thanks, Nikolas]
CompuLab to serve fanless AMD PC-3's stuffed with minted penguin
With the Ubuntu variant Mint roaming free as one of the more attractive Linux breeds, why not lock it up in its own mini-case? That'll happen soon thanks to mintBox, a joint venture with CompuLab, which will put the OS in two of its fanless PC-3's -- the T40N and T56N -- priced at $476 and $518, respectively. That might seem steep for the tiny 6 x 6 x 1-inch AMD G-series boxes, but with a Radeon HD 6290 APU and USB 3.0 / eSata ports, power is above par for its class. CompuLab will give some of the proceeds to Mint's team, so if you maybe want to throw some cash at the so fresh, so clean Linux distro, hit the source for more details.
VIA Technologies outs $49 APC Android barebones, nods towards Raspberry Pi
Android might have already spilled over into the desktop world in one form or another, but what if you want something a little more project-friendly? VIA Technologies has developed the APC, a Neo-ITX-based barebones system running a custom version of Android 2.3 optimized for mouse and keyboard input. The board is compatible with Mini-ITX and MacroATX form factors, and comes with a VIA 800MHz processor, 512MB RAM, 2GB flash memory, and built-in (up to 720p) graphics. HDMI, VGA, 4 x USB, audio out / in, microSD and Ethernet come along for the ride too, for a reasonable spread of connectivity. Best of all? The whole lot will only cost $49. No word on when pre-orders will open, but drop your email in over at the source link to find out when they do.
World's slowest Linux computer, says 'Hello Wor...' (video)
Evidently tired of smooth running graphics, lightning fast processing and bags and bags of available memory, programmer Dmitry Grinberg decided to go back to computing basics. And then some. As Linux was developed on a 32-bit machine with 1MB of RAM, this has always been considered the minimum system requirements to run the open source OS. Dmitry, however, put this theory to test, building a barebones set-up with just an 8-bit RISC microcontroller at its heart. Running at a somewhat sedentary 6.5KHz, with only 16KB of SRAM and 128KB of flash storage, these are specs that make most phones look like supercomputers. To get things working, Dmitry had to write an ARM emulator so that the system appeared as having a 32-bit processor with an MMU, and it looks like a 30-pin 16MB SIMM was added, plus as SD card to house the Ubuntu image. Despite all this, he was able to load Ubuntu successfully. Sure, it took four hours, and that's after two hours waiting for the bash command prompt, but hey. Grinberg claims that the system is still useable, with the command line typically responding "within a minute." So Dmitri, if you're reading this on the machine, happy new year! Check the time-lapse video after the break to see it in full, patience testing, action.
Shuttle rolls out bantam XH61 barebones PC, dares you to throw a Sandy Bridge at it
It's been a hot minute since we've seen anything compelling from the folks at Shuttle, but there's nothing like a Sandy Bridge-enabled, three-liter PC to get us back on the bandwagon. The XH61 is barely seven centimeters high, and supports second-generation Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors for the LGA1155 socket. You'll get a pair of memory banks (up to 16GB of DDR3 can be thrown in), a foursome of SATA 3Gbps slots, six USB 2.0 ports, HDMI / VGA ports and room for a laptop-sized 2.5-inch HDD / SSD. The 90-watt power supply provides all the juice this little guy needs, and the €146 ($184) price tag actually includes little more than that; being a barebones system and all, it's on you to pick out the particulars.
CompuLab Fit-PC3 comes in many flavors of AMD, starting at $328
The march of the mini PCs continues, this time with a pumped-up little number from CompuLab. We've already reported on the Fit-PC3, which forgoes the Atom and Tegra 2 of previous models in favor of AMD's APUs, but it's only now that full pricing has been divulged. You're looking at $328 for the cheapest barebones nettop, which includes the fan-less case, motherboard and a 1GHz single-core processor with integrated Radeon HD 6290 graphics. Sure, some rivals might be cheaper, but the Fit-PC3 has above-average connectivity, including USB 3.0 and eSATA ports, HDMI, DisplayPort and digital audio out, as well as gigabit Ethernet and mini-serial. If you want a more powerful APU, or if you're too busy to go rummaging for your screwdriver, then there are plenty of dual-core and pre-built options up to $700 at the source link. Be advised though, only the pilot batch is currently available and end-users are being advised to wait a little longer.
VIA's ARTiGO 1150: a $265 barebones nettop with big potential (video)
That VE-900 mini-ITX kit still too big for you, eh? Then check out VIA's latest pico-ITX alternative: the ARTiGO 1150 DIY nettop. It improves on last year's 1100 model with a dual-core Eden X2 processor clocked at 1GHz and a VX900H media system processor for accelerated decoding of video up to 1080p. The palm-sized chassis houses the usual HDMI and VGA outputs, gigabit Ethernet and four USB 2.0 host ports, while also leaving just enough room for you to install up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, one 2.5-inch SATA HDD or SSD, plus optional WiFi and SD card reader modules. We've found the 1150 selling for $265, which strikes us as appropriately diminutive, but there's a promo video and press release after the break to help you weigh it up for yourself.
WWDC Interview: Bare Bones Software
In this interview, Neil Ticktin of MacTech talks to Bare Bones Software co-founder Rich Siegel about the WWDC keynote, and also potential issues with the Mac App Store going forward. Bare Bones produces BBEdit, TextWrangler and Yojimbo (see our coverage of Yojimbo here and BBEdit here). TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers at WWDC 2011 about the keynote announcements and how Apple's new technologies will help them and their customers. We'll bring you those videos here, MacTech.com and MacNews.com. Also, check out the free trial subscription offer for MacTech Magazine here.
Shuttle H7 Pro, H3, and XG41 HTPC hands-on
Shuttle's diving headlong into Sandy Bridge to shore up its ever-expanding line of barebones HTPC systems at CeBIT this week, showing off the H3 model (pictured above) featuring support for up to 16GB of DDR3-1333 RAM alongside one PCI Express x16 slot, one x1 slot, and another mini-PCI Express x1 slot -- but considering that you've got HDMI and eight-channel HD audio on board, you won't likely use all three. Moving on, they've got a re-upped version of the H7 -- aptly named the H7 Pro -- with two built-in USB 3.0 ports and a pair of 6Gbps SATA connectors. Finally, there's the slim, sexy XG41, though it's on the aging G41 Express chipset; needless to say, it's the lowest-power (both in terms of electricity and capability) of the three. See galleries of all three models below! %Gallery-117854% %Gallery-117852% %Gallery-117855%
Yojimbo 3 released with companion iPad app
In the department of "Things That Took TJ By Surprise" you can add "Barebones released Yojimbo on the iPad!" Yojimbo was the first "collection box" app that I ever used. It is still the easiest app I know to grab bits of information from anywhere on your Mac to save it for later. The lack of an iOS app has been a big drawback. Being able to access Yojimbo on the iPad may be surprising, but it's great news, and I look forward to putting it through the paces. There's a good overview on Barebones.com of mobile Yojimbo's feature set, which includes a few caveats. The initial version is "read-only" so you can't add to your Yojimbo collection from the iPad. It will sync with your Mac, but only over Wi-Fi on the same network. This is version 1.0, but I always caution against buying an app that you can't use today because of what you hope it will do tomorrow. For $10 you are getting mobile access to your Yojimbo collection, assuming that you own Yojimbo 3 which was also just released as a free upgrade for Yojimbo 2 owners and a $20 upgrade for existing users (Version 2 users: you will be getting your 3.0 registration via email "soon" according to the website. They recommend using the demo until then). Yojimbo 3 offers two main features: you can now scan from a TWAIN scanner directly into Yojimbo,and iPad support. I can already hear a host of Evernote users clamoring to add that it does all this and more, but some of us (myself included) have never warmed to Evernote the way that we did to Yojimbo. For us, this is a great day.
Zotac's ZBOX HD-ID11 starts shipping for $250
You've seen the sneak peek, you've dug into the review, and now you're more ready than ever before to part with $249.99 in order to get your grubby mitts around one of the world's smallest Ion 2-based small form factor PCs. You've already dreamed up the perfect application for this pint-sized rig, and now it looks as if Newegg is shipping out the orders that it receives right now. Go on and head down to the source link if your mind's made up, but remember, we can't be held responsible for buyer's remorse effective March 13, 2004.
Zotac ZBOX HD-ID11 and its Ion 2 innards reviewed
Small form factor? Check. Low power consumption married to 1080p video playback capabilities? Of course. Quiet cooling? Naturally. Those are the basic requirements for, and their fulfillment is the means by which we judge, a good home theater pc. They're also the highlights of Zotac's Ion 2-powered ZBOX HD-ID11 barebone (you have to add your own RAM, storage and OS) nettop, which recently visited AnandTech's labs for some old fashioned review action. It's a highly illuminating read, particularly for those interested in the differences between NVIDIA's Ion generations, which throws up a mixed bag of results. While you'll be quite alright watching Full HD Blu-rays on the ZBOX, Flash hardware acceleration -- yeah, that old nugget again -- is not yet implemented well enough, resulting in a maximum of 480p resolution before Hulu streams started glitching out on the reviewer. A June driver update from NVIDIA should rectify this issue, and we're encouraged to wait it out and see what we might see then. In the mean time, you can just delve into the complete analysis which awaits at the link below. [Thanks, Wowzers]
Shuttle's X50V2 all-in-one barebones PC gets passively cooled, passively hits online retail
When you've got an entire desktop PC inches from your eardrums, it helps if the machine is dead silent... or as close to that dream as possible. That's why we're pleased that Shuttle's new XPC X50V2 -- last spotted wearing a toga -- is now on sale with a completely fanless design for silent cooling. Since CES, the all-in-one has also gained legacy parallel and serial ports (you know, for your Zip drive) and room for up to 4GB of memory, but hasn't lost any of its dual-core Atom D510 1.66GHz goodness or its school lunchbox charm. Though we haven't heard official word about US availability, Shuttle's domestic website places the MSRP at $400, and online retailers including Newegg already show the tethered touchscreen tablet in stock.
