Portable Gadget

The Chase for the Sprint Cup is three races away. in the remaining two regular-season races, everyone likely to make the Chase – and there isn’t much likelihood of a change in the top 12 in points – is concentrating on the 10 bonus points awarded to race winners.

Once the Chase starts, it’s all about points again.

“Consistency is still key, but I’m almost wondering right now if it’s more important to win during the regular season than it is in the Chase,” said Jeff Gordon. “get the bonus points to get yourself eeded where you really need to, to get that advantage going into the Chase, and then knock out your top fives throughout the Chase and win it that way.”

It’s unlikely that anyone is going to win the championship without winning any races, but six of the 12 likely qualifiers are winless at the moment.

“I think the guy who wins the championship is going to at least have one win this season and, more than likely, in the Chase,” said Gordon.

Good and bad — As presently configured, the Chase would consist of six teams: three from Richard Childress Racing and Roush Fenway, two from Hendrick and Gibbs, and one each from Penske and Stewart Haas.

Most consider having teammates in the Chase an advantage, but Gibbs’ Denny Hamlin isn’t so sure.

“It’s good and bad,” he said. “One, it’s another guy that you’ve got to beat for the championship. In-house, anytime you have a teammate in the Chase or around you in points, you’re always wanting to one-up them.

“I think it’s important for team competition and keeping everyone fired up. the only benefit to not having one is maybe some of the resources get pulled more toward your way.”

Jump Street — A victory in a Camping World Truck Series race may not have been the most exciting night for Kyle Busch during the past week.

The driver who has won the last four NASCAR races he’s entered tried his hand – and apparently took his lumps – in off-road racing, competing at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., in the TORC (The Off Road Championship) series.

Busch liked his new experience.

“any time you can put a big heavy vehicle up in the air like that, it’s always cool,” he said.

Welcome back — NASCAR officials have reinstated Randy LaJoie’s license. the 1996 Busch (now Nationwide) Series champion was suspended on June 22 for violating drug policies.

LaJoie completed a NASCAR-approved treatment program. he has been a pioneer in the construction of safe racing seats through his Joie of Seating business.

Racing Notebook

Some films are just crying to be made into videogames, and not just new films, old ones.  look at Star Wars, even before the film franchise was expanded, there were incredibly successful – and some very good – videogames made based on it.  Other films, however, don’t seem to be quite as obvious choices to be videogame-ified.  Case in point, Grease.  although the movie shows significant staying power – it was just rereleased to theaters as a sing-along this past summer – it doesn’t feel like a natural fit for home consoles.

The good folks over at 505 Games, however, would beg to differ.  Not only, apparently, did they feel as though Grease could be made into a videogame, they went ahead and did it.  now, owners of the Nintendo Wii (and DS) can rock out to Danny and Sandy at home (and not just on DVD or Blu-ray or one of the myriad of times its shown on basic cable). 

So, you can play Grease at home, but should you?

That depends.  Are you a massive fan of the film who wants nothing more than to relive the songs over and over again in a multitude of forms?  If you are, then unquestionably you’re going to love this, no need to read further.  Are you someone who hates the film, wants absolutely nothing to do with it, any of the characters from it, and walks away just because someone says to you “tell me more?”  If you answered yes to that, then no, you’re not going to like the game, you have no need to read further either.  On the third hand, are you someone who could go either way with the film?  do you like it but still find yourself wary of other products with the name attached, thinking that said ancillary products may not live up to the film?  You ought to read on.

People who follow videogames will tell you that there is a general sentiment that games made from movies are, almost without exception, disappointing.  This videogame version of Grease will do little to convince those folks that they are wrong.  Balance board, microphone, and Wii remote playable it may be, but it simply isn’t a lot of fun.

Nintendo Wii Review: Grease

GeneralBrand ASUSModel G73JH-B1Color BlackHighlights ASUS G73JH-B1 Intel Quad Core i7-740QM (1.73GHz) Processor, 17.3″ full HD (1920×1080) LED Display, 8GB DDR3 1066MHz Memory, 1TB (500GB 7200RPM x 2) Hard Drive, Blu-Ray DVD Combo Drive, ATi HD5870 1GB GDDR5 Graphics Card, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit, Illuminated Keyboard includedProcessor & ChipsetProcessor Intel Qaud Core i7-740QM (1.73GHz) ProcessorBus Speed 1333 MHzCache 6MB L2 CacheChipset Intel HM55 Express ChipsetMemoryStandard Memory 8GB DDR3 1066MHzMemory Standard DDR3-1066Memory Technology DDR3 SDRAMStorageHard Drive * 1000GB (500GB x 2) 7200RPM SATA* Free recovery disk and a hidden partition in the hard drive allow users to reformat the hard drive and reinstall the operating system and pre-loaded software as when it was shipped.Optical Drive Blu-Ray Disc Drive (Reader) + CD/DVD Burning FeatureCard Reader 8-in-1 Card Reader (MMC/SD/Mini-SD/XD/Memory Stick/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo)Display & GraphicsLCD Display 17.3″ full HD (1920×1080) DisplayASUS Splendid Video Intelligent TechnologyGraphics Controller ATi HD5870 with 1GB GDDR5 VRAM, DirectX 11Video Camera Built-in 2.0 Megapixel Video CameraNetwork & CommunicationNetwork WLAN: 802.11 B/G/NLAN: 10/100/1000 Base TBluetooth: Bluetooth V2.1 + EDRInterfaces/PortsPorts 1 x VGA port for external monitor4 x USB 2.0 ports2 x Audio jack : 1 Head phone / 1 Mic-in1 x LAN RJ-451 x HDMILED Status Indicator Power-on/SuspendBattery Charging/full/lowStorage device accessCapital / Scroll / Number LockWireless on status indicatorInput DevicesKeyboard Numeric Keyboard348mm illuminated Chicklit keyboard and Gaming KBD printing supportHot Keys Function Keys:Fn+F1 Suspend switchFn+F2 WLAN switchFn+F3 Keyboard light downFn+F4 Keyboard light upFn+F5 Brightness downFn+F6 Brightness upFn+F7 LCD on/offFn+F8 LCD/CRT switch displayFn+F9 TouchPad LockFn+F10 Volume on/muteFn+F11 Volume downFn+F12 Volume upFn+Num Lk: Scroll Lock on/offFn+Ins, Fn+NumLK Scr LK on/offFn+Del Scroll Lock on/offFn+Space Power 4GearFn+C SplendidFn+↑: StopFn+↓: Play/PauseFn+ ←：Skip to Previous TrackFn+ →：Skip to next TrackSecurityPassword Protection BIOS Booting / HDD User Password ProtectionNotebook Lock Kensington lock holeAudioSpeakers Built-in Azalia compliant audio chip, with 3D effect & full duplexBuilt-in 4 speakers and array microphoneSupport Dolby Home TheaterAltec Lansing co-brand speakersSoftwareOperating System Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 BitMultimedia Software WinDVD8 BDVirus & Tool Software Adobe Acrobat Reader 9.0NERO 8 EssentialsPower2GoTrend Micro Internet Security 2009/2010ASUS Utility ASUS SmartLogonASUS Power4Gear HybridASUS Live UpdateASUS NB Probe +ASUS Life Frame 3ASUS Wireless ConsoleVirtual CameraASUS SplendidASUS HotkeyASUS Express GateASUS Screen SaverFancy StarteManualAI RecoveryPowerBattery Pack 8 Cell, 5200 mAhAC Adapter Output: 16 V DC, 4.7 a, 150WInput: 100-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal (Intel® i7-720QM / i7-820QM platform)Physical CharacteristicsMachine Dimensions 16.6″ x 12.8″ x 0.8″ – 2.3″ (W x D x H)Carton Dimension 19.7″ x 11.4″ x 16.5″ (L x W x H)Weight 8 lbs (w/ 8 Cell Battery)AccessoriesIncluded Accessories Gaming Mouse and Gaming BackpackWarranty & SupportAsus 360 (2 0 2 24) Warranty 2 – Standard 2 Year Global Warranty0 – 30 days Zero bright Dot Guaranty LCD replacement (ZBD)2 – Free 2-way Overnight Shipping for warranty related services24 – Technical Support: 24/7 (except holidays)ASUS Notebook Hotline: +1-888-678-3688 (Toll-free)One Year Accidental damage Warranty

ASUS G73JH A1 – Core i7 1.6 GHz – 17.3″ – 8 GB Ram – 1 TB HDD

Apple’s iPod may live in the shadow of its splashier sibling devices — the iPhone and iPad — but the digital music player, expected to get upgrades today, is a key reason the Cupertino company got back its chic aura. Steve Jobs, expected to be on stage for the 10 a.m. event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, may announce a front-facing camera on the iPod touch, some analysts say, allowing use of Apple’s new FaceTime video chat technology that comes with the iPhone 4. Jobs also may unveil a Wi-Fi-equipped iPod nano, which would enable users to stream music. Apple is completing a $1 billion data center in North Carolina, and last year acquired streaming music site Lala.com, fueling speculation it is preparing to launch a cloud-based service that would store music on remote servers that could be accessed on multiple devices. while many observers say Apple is likely to focus just on its iPod line, some speculate it will reveal new features for Apple TV, the company’s contribution to the revolution in living-room entertainment. Bloomberg reported Tuesday that Apple will announce a new $99 set-top box that includes a Netflix subscription movie service. There also are rumors Jobs will announce a 7-inch iPad tablet, though many analysts say any additions to the iPad line, which was introduced earlier this year, will likely come in the spring, following the company’s recent pattern of refreshing products annually. Upgrades for the iPod usually come in September, so it would be fitting for Apple to give the iPod the entire spotlight today. The iPod, and the iconic TV ads of silhouettes of dancers that came with it, re-branded Apple as the king of tech cool a few years after Jobs returned to the company to help it recapture its role as a leading innovator long after it helped launch the personal computer industry. The pocket music players drew crowds of shoppers into Apple retail stores, where many consumers were reintroduced to the company’s sleek and easy-to-use Macintosh computers, triggering a surge of new sales. “It’s very hard to overplay the iPod in the resurgence of Apple,” said Gartner analyst Mike McGuire. The iPod, launched nearly nine years ago, is no longer the poster device for Apple, whose iPhone 4 and new iPad tablet have triggered demand that has outpaced supply, forcing consumers to wait days or weeks to get the gadgets. Apple sold 9.41 million iPods in the third quarter ended June 26, an 8 percent drop from the year-ago quarter. but many analysts attribute the drop in popularity of the iPod to the extraordinary sales of the iPhone; Apple has long said it expected the iPhone to cut into iPod sales. “They are following the old rule of cannibalizing your own product before someone else does,” said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for the NPD Group. Analysts, though, say the iPod remains more than an afterthought for Apple, which for years has devoted a special event to reveal new versions of the device, which includes the hard-drive-based iPod classic, the iPhone-like iPod touch, the thumb-size shuffle and the nano, which has a video camera. Apple’s online iTunes Store, which sells digital music and videos, pulled in more than $1 billion in the third quarter. For the first seven months of 2010, Apple’s iPod claimed 77 percent of the MP3 player market in the United States, according to research company NPD. iTunes now controls 70 percent of the legal digital download market and 28 percent of the total music market in the United States. Creative Strategies President Tim Bajarin said any talk of the iPod’s demise is premature. In fact, many consumers still buy and use the music players even if they own iPhones because playing music and video can drain the iPhone’s battery, potentially leaving them without a mobile phone to use, he said. “You’ll see more people buy a dedicated device for their entertainment,” Bajarin said. “I don’t believe the iPod is anywhere near the end of its life and Apple will emphasize it again, especially when they start rolling out their cloud-based services.” while sales of iPods are sure to gradually decline, they still represent a good chunk of Apple’s business. during the third quarter, iPod sales pulled in $1.5 billion. “It was the success of this device that caused Apple to change its name,” Bajarin said. “Until the second year of the iPod, they were still known as Apple Computer Inc. Once the iPod took off, Apple bridged the gap of being a computer company and being a consumer electronics company. they changed the name to Apple Inc. it gave them the freedom to create anything they wanted to.”

Apple Rumors: New iPod Expected – HispanicBusiness.com

Just one day before Lenovo will launch their stylish LePhone, a wholesaler unveils that the price of the smart phone will be set at 2,650 RMB yuan ($389), a local web site said on Monday (May 10, 2010).

"The online order price of LePhone will be set at 2,899 yuan ($425), and the group shopping price will be set at 2,650 yuan ($389). The packages include double batteries and two chargers,” said a Sichuan-based cell phone wholesaler, as quoted by the Beijing-based Sohu.com on may 10.

LePhone Rival Apple iPhone with low Price Strategy in Mobile Smartphone Market

If the price is true, Lenovo LePhone will kick off its game with Apple iPhone through a low price strategy. LePhone’s price will only equal half of the iPhone’s, even when Apple just cut the prices of iPhone handsets in the Chinese market.

China Unicom, the nation’s third-biggest mobile phone operator and Apple iPhone’s partner in the market, announced on April 30 that it would cut the price of iPhone 3G (8GB), the cheapest version in the iPhone line, from 5,999 RMB yuan ($880) to 4,999 yuan ($730). They also cut the price of iPhone 3GS 16GB from 6,999 yuan ($1,026) to 5,888 yuan ($863), and iPhone 3GS 32GB from 7,999 yuan ($1,173) to 6,999 yuan ($1,026). The prices of iPhone models are obviously much higher than the LePhone’s.

According to an earlier LePhone report, Lenovo President Liu Chuanzhi said that mobile Internet products would account for 10-20 percent of the computer giant’s total revenue in five years, and they would not expect to make money from mobile Internet products until two years later.

Lenovo plans to use their abundant cash reserves to expand their mobile phone business in the Chinese market as soon as possible. under this circumstance, low-price strategy is one of their best choices. currently Lenovo has 3 billion yuan ($450 million) of cashes, which can help the company support the expansion to the smartphone market.

Mobile Phone Operators help Lenovo LePhone Defeat Apple iPhone in 3G Smartphone Market

Support from local mobile phone operators is another means that Lenovo LePhone will use to defeat iPhone. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), China’s number of 3G users will increase from 10 million to 30 million between 2009 and 2010.

China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom will, respectively take around one third of the market. but Apple iPhone only supports China Unicom’s WCDMA network, which means that iPhone will lose two third of the market if Apple can do its best in the WCDMA market. by comparison, Lenovo LePhone supports China Mobile’s TD-SCDMA, China Unicom’s WCDMA and China Telecom’s CDMA2000 networks, and will no doubt have better chances to gain more shares in the 3G smartphone market.

Lenovo LePhone Strikes Apple iPhone at Low Price $389