OnComputers Radio show Podcast 04-04-10

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 04-04-10. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific that's 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Links from the Gregg Zone

1) My green link for the week was sent to me by Wills, I thank you. Sometimes I look at these ideas and can only think wow!! The concept is great (I suppose that’s why they call them concept cars), but they all seem to run into that special environment restriction. If you were building a city from scratch with lots of design control it might work very well, in New York City no. Although, it would increase the parking spaces by a factor of ten, and you could have a lot more cabs and they should be cheaper to run, but making sense would never be enough cause to change anything. It is a great idea and I was impressed by the Segway - GM collaboration seems like there is a lot of potential in a union like that. I imagine they have someplace in mind to test market, it will be interesting to follow. http://editorial.autos.msn.com/
2) This is another along the green transportation line sent to me by Troll, thank you sir. A link to a story about electric motorcycles in California being touted by Arnie, they are even offering a rebate. According to the story the cost of operation is about one cent per mile, on average terrain, and speeds. That link here http://www.ultimatemotorcycling.com When, I first looked at this story I thought there was something familiar about the bike, then I remembered seeing it on Youtube it was being ridden by a dirt competition rider who was impressed with the bike. I was looking for the video when I found this story about the bike it predates the other link some, in this article they mention that the Zero-S Arnies model is coming out soon and will be equipped for street use. The article is interesting especially about the origin of the motor, this article is about the zero-X my impression is they are same bike, with different equipment. That link here http://www.motorcycle.com
3) This is an article about some new tricks they are working on in genetics, referring to it as Genetic Code 2.0 kind of says it all. They are talking a total rewrite using phrases like synthetic biology, synthetic organisms, almost sounds like a cross between the Island of Dr. Moreau – and a robotics team at MIT. It has the look of a beginning, but I am not sure I want to know the ending. As with most things there is potential for both good and evil, bet you will see it referenced to in a movie soon. http://www.newscientist.com
4) When I saw this I was drawn in because of the neural computer talk noticed in my initial scan. The idea of creating an artificial intelligence has long been one of those fields that arouse my curiosity. The articles early reference to finding “electronics long lost missing link” did not hurt either. Seems that they have demonstrated a working memristor, oops spell check did not like that, but maybe that is going to change soon. This Looks like it is a big deal, and it may make some serious changes in the future. The article has also fostered an interest in slime mold, I will be looking into that after the show. http://hplusmagazine.com
5) Link to a Farmville vs Mafia Wars review, I must admit his description pretty much fits my mental picture of what the games are like. Although with millions playing there must be more to it. I scanned the comments section, but my overall impression is that like a lot of things in the world it is just not for me. http://www.uproxx.com/

Earl's Cyber Steals and Deals

$474 Dell Inspiron 17 Intel Dual Core 2.2GHz 17" Laptop for $474 + $19 s&h
Dell Home offers the 6.1-lb. Dell Inspiron 17 Pentium Dual-Core 2.2GHz 17.3" Widescreen Notebook in Jet Black for $499. Apply coupon code "HKT766V127L105" and it falls to $474.05. With $19 for shipping, Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4400 2.2GHz processor, 17.3" 1600x900 LED-backlit widescreen LCD, 3GB RAM, 320GB 5400 rpm hard drive, dual-layer DVD burner, 802.11g wireless, 2GB of Dell Online Backup for one year, 6-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. Coupon ends April 9.


Netgear GA311NA Gigabit PCI Network Adapter up to 1000 Mbps $6

ZipZoomFly has the Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit OEM for $170 - $10 rebate [Exp 4/15] = $160 with free shipping. Ultimate includes everything that's found in Home and Professional editions in one package. Windows 7 Professional 64-bit = $124 shipped after rebate [Exp 4/15]

SuperBiiz has the Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5300 2.6GHz CPU for $59 - $5 off with coupon code FIRE0905 [Exp 4/4] + $2 shipping = $56 shipped. Intel Dual-Core E5400 2.7GHz for $63 w/ code FIRE1105

ZipZoomFly has the PowerColor AX5450 512MD2-SD Radeon HD 5450 (Eyefinity Edition) 512MB 64-bit DDR2 HDCP Ready Video Card for $45 - $15 rebate [Exp 4/15] = $30 with free shipping. Features a 650MHz core clock, 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x D-Sub, 1 x DVI.

During National Park Week, April 17th - 25th, entrance to all 392 National Parks is free. Parks will also offer additional family-friendly activities and special offers on tours, lodging, food, and souvenirs.

ZipZoomFly has the Hitachi Travelstar 5K320 0A56417 320GB SATA 5400 RPM 8MB Buffer Mobile 2.5" Hard Drive for $60 - $15 rebate [Exp 4/15] = $45 with free shipping.

Google changes its name to Topeka

In response to the city of Topeka Kansas changing its name to Google Kansas, Google Inc has announced that as of 1am Central Time on April 1, 2010, the new name of the company will be Topeka Inc, as a way to honor the people of the former Topeka Kansas for changing their name to Google.

Topeka Inc has said that this honor has no bearing on the decision as to which municipalities will participate in the new high speed broadband project, of which Google Kansas has applied.

Microsoft extends 90-day free Windows 7 enterprise trial until end of 2010 | All about Microsoft | ZDNet.com

On March 30, the company extended that free 90-day enterprise promotion through the end of 2010.
Here is you chance to try Windows 7 for the price of a download. I love Windows 7 better than any other Microsoft OS. It is the most secure OS to date.

AlaskaJoe

Microsoft patches a gaping security hole - The Inquirer

Microsoft has released an out-of-cycle patch for users lazy or ignorant enough to still be using an old version of Internet Explorer.
If your running an older version of Internet Explorer, you really need to upgrade it.
What more can I say Do your Windows Updates.

AlaskaJoe

Shop Lost $200,000 from Online Banking Scam - SPAMfighter

In February 2010, cybercriminals stole $200,000 from an auto body shop in Ohio (USA), Clarke Collision Center, in a brazen robbery done online. Hackers used malware for unauthentic access of bank account.

Security experts said that small business assumes great responsibility when banking online as banks are not lawfully obliged to compensate losses suffered because of the fake activity. Therefore, business should become more careful in the matters related to IT and should regularly update the antivirus solutions and operating systems.

This is getting worst all over the place, the bad guys are not just getting into people's home computers and banks, but Small business are loosing thousands of dollars, and they don't even know. Unless someone notices something wrong and does something about it. The small business in this article got back some of their money.
If you own a business remember your bookkeeping computer is the one you want the most secure. (Don't use it to surf the internet at all!)

I can't tell customers enough times do your Weekly Maintenance and keep your computer clean and MalWare free.

I have said it many time, I make a living fixing Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 are much more secure and are harder for users to get infected.

AlaskaJoe

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 03-28-10

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 03-28-10. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific that's 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Earl's Cyber Steals and Deals

Newegg has the refurbished FujiFilm FinePix S1500FD 10MP Digital Camera for $140 - $15 off with coupon code EMCYPNT57 [Exp 3/28] = $125 with free shipping.
10 Megapixels, 1/2000 sec max shutter speed, 12x optical zoom
Red-eye reduction, 2.7" LCD display, 23MB internal memory

Price $319.00
This Dell Inspiron 546 desktop goes for $319 with the dual core 2.8ghz Athlon CPU. Make sure that is selected as you go through the menu... VISTA Home Basic SP1, 32-Bit
AMD Athlon™ II X2 240 (2.8GHz, 2MB) 1 Year Basic Service Plan 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz- 2 DIMMs 320GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
Integrated ATI Radeon HD3200 Graphics 16X DVD+/-RW Drive 5.1 Channel Audio
Pure White or Black - see menu

HP has the HP Photosmart C4780 Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer for $90 - $20 off with coupon code SVBT557331 [Exp 4/30] = $70 with free shipping. Prints up to 29ppm (black) / 23 ppm (color) and features 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, SDHC / Memory Stick card support, 1.45" LCD with TouchSmart frame.


Dell Small Business offers the Dell Vostro 230 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.93GHz Mini Tower Desktop PC bundled with the Dell E2210H 21.5" Widescreen LCD Monitor for $449. With $8 for shipping, it's $90 under our mention earlier this month and the lowest total price we've seen for the Vostro 230. Features include an Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 2.93GHz dual-core processor, 2GB RAM, 250GB 7200 rpm hard drive, DVD burner, integrated graphics, keyboard, optical mouse, Gigabit Ethernet, and Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit

Dell Home offers the 6.1-lb. Dell Inspiron 17 Pentium Dual-Core 2.2GHz 17.3" Widescreen Notebook in Jet Black for $499 plus $12.95 for shipping. That's $304 off and tied with last week's mention as the lowest total price we've seen for this configuration. Sales tax is added where applicable. It features an Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4400 2.2GHz processor, 17.3" 1600x900 LED-backlit widescreen LCD, 3GB RAM, 320GB 5400 rpm hard drive, dual-layer DVD burner, 802.11g wireless, 2GB of Dell Online Backup for one year, 6-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

Newegg has the gabyte GV-R455D3-512I Radeon HD 4550 512MB 64-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card for $40 - $20 rebateGi [Exp 3/30] = $20 with free shipping


HP Pavilion p6213w 2.6GHz 6GB Desktop PC $358 at eCost eCost has the refurbished HP Pavilion p6213w 6GB Desktop PC for $330 + $28 shipping = $358 shipped. Intel Pentium E5300 2.6GHz, 6GB RAM, 500GB HDD, SuperMulti DVD+RW
15-in-1 media reader, 10/100/1000 LAN, Windows 7 Home Premium x64


SuperBiiz has the Lenovo G550-2958ACU 2.10GHz, 15.6" NoteBook for $469 - $20 off with coupon code SHINE2520 [Exp 3/28] = $449 with free shipping.
Intel Pentium dual-core T4300 2.10GHz, 3GB, 250GB HDD 5400rpm
DVD+/-R/RW drive, Intel GMA 4500M, 802.11b/g, Windows 7 Home, 6-cell

Buy.com has the Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD1200BEVT 120GB Notebook Hard Drive for $37 with free shipping. Sports a 5400rpm rotational speed, 8MB cache, and makes for a cheap replacement drive for your PS3 or Xbox 360

Links from the Gregg Zone

1) With the Chevy Volt about to make its début toward the end of the year I thought a good review page might be in order. Why has it taken so long for us to get here, I suppose that is a question better answered another time? But, I am sure glad to see progress along these lines, it will be very interesting to see how it is accepted. With a MPG sticker on the window saying 235 MPG in the city I cannot imagine it will not make some interesting waves. I have a cousin who lives in Central America he tells me that cars offering up to 85 miles per gallon are common there, but unavailable in the U.S., I thought we were supposed to be leading. Anyway, a good read here. http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com
2) Really not sure what this means, or how much validity to put into the concept. I think I may need to research it a little further; I just found it today and thought it belonged here. As happens so often I was caught by the headline, “Most Meteorites Contain Fossilized Bone”, the initial article was very short and uninformative so of course I googled. I was thinking it was just a terminology thing referring to fossils of planets, I was surprised to find they were talking about mammal bones in meteorites from Mars. This link is much more substantial in scope, and worth checking out. http://wretchfossil.blogspot.com/
3) You know how much I like Google, and to a lesser degree Bing, I usually use the page that searches both at the same time. When I saw this I was quite surprised, this article is about searching the invisible web. That invisible web thing also got me, seems when we use Google or Bing we are searching the “Open Web”. The numbers are truly staggering, the open web contains about 167 terabytes of information, the “Invisible Web” also known as “Deep Web” or “Deep Net” contains 91,000 terabytes. This site offers info on ten search engines that search that whole data base, along with some interesting information on the subject. http://www.makeuseof.com
4) This is an article about a NASA project to put avatars on the moon; it looks like an interesting idea. The whole idea of using an avatar robot for space exploration seems plausible to me, after all it is about the same thing they did on Mars, just a little fancier, and much cooler. The time lag between here and the moon might make it a much easier project, and still offer a path to necessary advancements for more ambitious adventures in the future. http://gizmodo.com
5) Last up for geek is one I saw about Fire Fox, it is most likely not news to this group as it is four days old already, but just in case you missed it, you might want to check it out, especially if you use Fire Fox. http://news.bbc.co.uk

New malware overwrites software updaters | ITworld

For the first time security researchers have spotted a type of malicious software that overwrites update functions for other applications, which could pose additional long-term risks for users.
Malware is getting worse, here is an article on how it is pretending to be an update to other programs you are running like Adobe Reader. I says it's will update the software and over writes it with malware.

Make sure any update you do is real and from the company that built it.

AlaskaJoe

US cities vie to win the GoogleFiber100 award and get GoogleFiberized

Cities renaming themselves GOOGLE ? Is it true?

Create a Bootable Ubuntu 9.10 USB Flash Drive - How-To Geek

The Ubuntu Live CD isn’t just useful for trying out Ubuntu before you install it, you can also use it to maintain and repair your Windows PC. Even if you have no intention of installing Linux, every Windows user should have a bootable Ubuntu USB drive on hand in case something goes wrong in Windows.

This is a handy tool to have around if you do any repair work on a PC. it's easy to use (If your PC will boot to a USB drive)

I just set this up on a 1GB USB stick and my Mini boots to it, I had to play a little to get the wireless NIC to work, but it does a good job!

AlaskaJoe

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 03-21-10

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 03-21-10. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific that's 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Links From The Gregg Zone

1) If you thought you had seen it all when it comes to interesting places to put solar cells, think again. At first glance this seems pretty far out there as presented here http://www.fastcompany.com/ their idea is to replace roads and parking lots with durable solar panels. Seems to have problems like traction, extreme weight of some trucking. But, hey why not sidewalks, parking garage roofs, light show patios, there must be many other applications.
2) Looks like those on glass computer generated displays are soon to our car windshields, I guess it was inevitable the military already has some. Why not have the major car companies start a gadget race for space on my windshield, I’m ready just what I wanted my car looks at my eyes, translates where I am looking and draws circles around what it thinks I am looking for. http://www.popsci.com
3) The evolution of space travel is sure getting mixed up these days. The space race is definitely warming up again China, Japan, India, of course North Korea, along with several other countries are rushing ahead with various programs. The U.S. seems to be backing down in general, but there is hope! In the U.S. what we do best is private industry, they are smelling the money and they are going for it. Here is an interesting article with video about the new citizen’s astronauts program, planning to put people in space in the next year or so. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com
4) This caught my eye thinking it was a good idea, and then having second thoughts. They are talking about using genetics to alter mosquitoes in a way to use them to deliver vaccines to fight diseases usually carried by mosquitoes. I am worried thinking about the whole mutation thing, so many ecological disasters created by bringing in one animal to control a pest, only to have them become a bigger pest. It would probably sell a lot of books for the conspiracy buffs, government altered mosquitoes delivering something extremely evil to the people. http://www.cnn.com
5) I have been waiting for this awhile now, the United States is launching a new division of the military, and it is about time… meet USCybercom. We are fielding a new cyber army to contend with all of the threats being launched at our cyber structure from foreign countries. Being a fan of evolution, I would like to see this morph into one hundred of our finest gamers, and a hundred of their best in a big room in two different countries playing a computer game called “War of the World”. Whenever one country wins a round, they get to make a law that must be obeyed by both countries, whoever wins the next round can either make a new law or revoke the last law. It is just an idea. But, it does look like there will be a new place for geeks in the army. http://news.bbc.co.uk

Earl's Cyber Steals and Deals

Best Buy offers the 5.9-lb. Toshiba Satellite L455-S5009 Pentium Dual-Core 2.2GHz 15.6" Widescreen Notebook for $399.99. Shipping adds $14.99, or opt for free in-store pickup. Even with shipping, that's $165 off list and the lowest total price we could find. Sales tax is added where applicable. It features an Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4400 2.2GHz processor, 15.6" 1366x768 widescreen LCD, 3GB RAM, 250GB 5400 rpm SATA hard drive, dual layer DVD burner, media card reader, 802.11g wireless, 6-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium.

Dell Small Business offers the Dell Vostro 230 Intel Core 2 Quad 2.66GHz Mini Tower Desktop PC bundled with an Iomega 1TB USB 2.0 Prestige Desktop Hard Drive for $489 with $8 for shipping. That's $351 off and the lowest total price we could find for such a bundle with this configuration. Features include an Intel Core 2 Quad 8400 2.93GHz quad-core processor, 3GB RAM, 250GB 7200 rpm hard drive, DVD burner, keyboard, optical mouse, and Windows 7 Professional 32-bit.

Newegg has the Toshiba HDDR500E04XK 500GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive for $80 - $5 off with coupon code EMCYPZW48 [Exp 3/24] = $75 with free shipping. Features complete system backup and recovery (Windows only), password-protected data encryption, and internal shock sensor. Dimensions: 3.2" x 5" x 0.65

Newegg has the SASUS EN8400GS Silent/P/512M GeForce 8400 GS 512MB 64-bit DDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card for $31 - $13 rebate [Exp 3/31] = $18 with free shipping.uper silent operation due to its fanless design.

Lenovo.com offers its Lenovo L215 21.5" 1080p Widescreen LCD Monitor, model no. 6325HB1, for $152.99. Coupon code "USPRETHINK" cuts it to $137.69 with free shipping. That's $2 under yesterday's mention and the lowest total price we could find by $12. Sales tax is added where applicable. Features include a 1920x1080 (1080p) native resolution, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 300 cd/m² brightness, 5ms response time, and both HDMI and VGA inputs


Dell Small Business offers the Western Digital Elements 320GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive, model no. WDBAAR3200ABK-NESN, for $79.99 with free shipping. Apply coupon code "Z36$8LXH1R05WS" and it drops to $54.99 ($0.17/GB). That's the lowest total price we could find by $10, although it was a buck less two weeks ago. Sales tax is added where applicable. This drive is powered via USB; it doesn't require a separate power adapter

Today only, Woot Sellout offers the Diamond ATI TV Wonder HD 600 PCI Express Combo HDTV Tuner, model no. TVW600PCIEV, for $14.99 with $5 for shipping. That's $5 under our mention from last month and the lowest total price we could find by $9. This tuner card allows attachment of an analog TV cable or HD antenna to watch TV on a PC. The included software features an MPEG-2 encoder, TV program scheduling and recording capabilities, and more

Today only, Yugster.com offers this Remote Control Luggage Locator, model no. 48875, for $4.97 with $3 for shipping. That's a buck over our mention of a similar item from earlier this month but the lowest total price we could find by $5. It includes a sensor that attaches to your luggage. Press the remote and the sensor will beep and flash to assist in locating your luggage

Microsoft removes hardware virtualization barrier to running XP Mode | All about Microsoft | ZDNet.com

Effective immediately, Windows XP Mode no longer requires hardware virtualization technology, Microsoft officials said today. XP Mode is a feature of Windows 7 Professional or higher that allows companies to run XP applications that are incompatible with Windows 7 in a virtual environment.
This is great news for those that wanted to run XP on their Windows 7 computer.
I guess I have to try this and see how it works.

AlaskaJoe

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 03-14-10

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 03-14-10. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific that's 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Links from the Gregg Zone

1) One of the big problems with wind, and solar energies is intermittency wind stops blowing, or clouds or night break the sun shine. I was surprised to find that that problem was solved many years ago. Seems there has been an electric company in Alabama using this technology since the ‘80s, basically they are using a technique of storing compressed air underground to balance their energy peaks. Currently, this technology is attracting a lot of attention link here http://www.wired.com
2) This is a link to an article Troll sent me, thanks Troll, this field of nanotechnology just twists the idea of what is physically possible in so many directions. We have been seeing the trend of smaller and smaller devices defying the concept that smaller is weaker, instead in most cases we see smaller is also more powerful. While there is always going to be a comfort level associated with size reduction, my fingers are already too big for a lot of stuff. The payoff is how much you can get into the box. There has been a new never before seen nanotube phenomenon observed that may lead to many energy applications. http://news.bbc.co.
3) One of what seems to me to be a big downside to technology is data mining and its ability to invade my space. Most of this type of thing will never affect me in any way, but I still don’t like it on principal, to me it just seems wrong. This link is to an article is about the new billboard type of sign, hooked to a camera it sees you coming, profiles your appearance then changes the ad to target its assessment of who it thinks you are. How long before it is doing facial analysis looking at what you bought for the last year and checking your bank account as part of its processing. http://www.thesun.co.uk
4) This is sort of a follow up on something I put up a week or two back it was an article about a solar cell manufacturing improvement saving need for rare earths, I referenced China and the coming shortage. This article goes into that a bit deeper. I still think there is some opportunity here for a smart investor. http://news.yahoo.com
5) As usual when I get to the geek link I am at definite risk of not having a lot of grip on what it all means. But, I was impressed by some of the claims made by this article. While a little fuzzy about if capability equals reality. Any way check out the new super whatever router http://finance.yahoo.com

Earl's Cyber Steals and Deals

HP e9220y Desktop PC AMD Phenom II X4-910,8GB RAM Memory,1TB Hard Drive & Windows 7 Premium REFURBISHED

Pamela Fax for Skype Addon http://www.pamfax.biz/en/


4 Port powered USB hub $10
ate has the KEYDEX USB 2.0 4+1 Ports Hi-Speed Mini Hub for $10 with free shipping. Supports up to 480Mbps data rates with USB 2.0 and provides up to 500mA per port

Dell Small Business offers the Dell Vostro 220s Intel Core 2 Duo 2.93GHz Slim Tower Desktop PC with the Dell E2210H 21.5" Widescreen LCD Monitor for $439. With $35 for shipping, it's $75 over our January mention, since expired, but it sports a better CPU and larger hard drive. Sales tax is added where applicable. This PC features an Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 2.93GHz dual-core processor, 2GB RAM, 320GB Serial ATA hard drive, DVD burner, Gigabit Ethernet, and Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit.

Newegg has the Logitech RX1500 Laser Mouse for $13 - $5 rebate [Exp 3/15] = $8 with free shipping. Features a 1000 dpi resolution, fast scroll wheel with tilt function, and USB interface.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104242&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction&AID=10440897&PID=404255&SID=133710

Newegg has the refurbished Linksys WAP54G-RM Wireless-G Access Point for $27 - $10 coupon code EMCYPZN49 [Exp 3/18] + $3 shipping = $20 with free shipping. Supports 802.3/3u, IEEE 802.11b/g standards and features 64/128-Bit WEP, and WPA security.

ZipZoomFly has the D-Link DIR-601 Wireless N 150 Home Router for $30 with free shipping. Features WPA/WPA2/WPS security, NAT firewall, and VPN pass through

OfficeMax offers the 6-lb. Toshiba L505-GS5038 Intel Core i3 2.13GHz 15.6" Notebook for $549.99 with free shipping. That's $30 under our mention a month ago and the lowest total price we've seen. Sales tax is added where applicable. Features include an Intel Core i3-330M 2.13GHz dual-core processor, 15.6" 1366x768 widescreen LCD, 4GB RAM, 320GB 5400 rpm hard drive, DVD burner with Labelflash, media card reader, 802.11n wireless, webcam, 6-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

ZipZoomFly has the LG GH24NS50 24X DVD+-R DL Writer for $35 - $15 rebate [Exp 3/25] = $20 with free shipping. Features a 24X DVD+/-R write speed, 48X for CD-Rs, and a SATA interface.