VIA Unveils VIA OpenBook Mini-Note Reference Design

"Taipei, Taiwan, 27 May 2008 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today introduced the new VIA OpenBook™ mini-note reference design targeted at the rapidly growing global market for ultra-portable notebooks."

It looks like it might stack favorably against the Asus Eee PC, which has also recently adopted an 8.9 inch display with its Eee PC 900 model.

Q: What should we call these things: subnotebooks, ultra-portables, netbooks, mini-notes?

ASUS Introduces the Highly-Anticipated Eee PC Mobile Internet Gadget

"FREMONT, CA - October 16, 2007 - ASUS Taiwan today officially introduced the ultra-portable Eee PC which is designed to revolutionize the end-user experience when it comes to mobility, simplicity and style. The name Eee PC derives from the concept of easy to work, easy to learn and easy to play. The ultra portable weights 2lbs and simplifies the application interface with one-click graphic intuitive design."

I recently saw these Eee PCs being highlighted up in an online retailer's catalog. They missed the mark for two colleagues I know in the market for portable computing at the moment. The first, although a road warrior with a limited checklist of application needs such as email, browsing, and .PDF document reading, needed a Windows machine to stay in her comfort zone. The other, who requires reading glasses like Coke bottles--and I mean old school glass Coke bottles here--can't deal with the small screen. As for me, for a few hundred bucks, I'm intrigued.

Q. Would you prefer higher-octane luggable luxury, or be content with this embodiment featherweight frugality?

My life as a dog: Adventures in RFID research

"Adam Laurie lived a few Novembers as a dog earlier this year. By duplicating the RFID tags used to identify pets in the United Kingdom and sewing it into his watch strap, Laurie, an independent security researcher, re-created his dog's ID as a hacking exercise. However, this kind of virtual animal cloning could become a serious issue as industrialized countries roll out RFID-based systems to keep track of their livestock."

An interesting article that points out some potential effects of RFID cloning on the food chain. Although some RFID tags are encased in tamperproof casings, it is noted that none use encryption and some can even be touchlessly reprogrammed. With the risk of herds being destroyed due to detection of mad cow or other diseases, a monetary incentive exists for malfeasance.

Photo: West Virginia Department of Agriculture.