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table-top

Tabletop PCs: The first wave

This new category of PC can be hard to pin down. To some, these are all-in-one desktops, similar to the Apple iMac, but with the added ability to either fold down flat or detach their screens. To others, these are battery-powered megatablets, with screens measuring between 18 and 27 inches, but are otherwise similar to Windows 8 slates such as Microsoft's Surface Pro. But, I think they're an entirely different animal, with features of a personal computer, a piece of consumer electronics equipment, and even living-room furniture.

That's why I call them tabletop PCs, and since late … Read more

Microsoft renames its old Surface computer as PixelSense

With Microsoft's unveiling of a laptop today carrying the "Surface" name, the company has bestowed a new name on the product that formerly carried the Surface moniker.

The table-top, multitouch computer that Microsoft unveiled in 2007, which was largely relegated to retail outlets, hotel lobbies, and museums, has been rebranded as PixelSense. The original Surface, which resembled a 1980s sit-down arcade machine, wasn't much of a gadget for consumers, thanks largely to its $12,500 price tag.

But the new name is a bit of return to the product's roots. The device's panel features … Read more

Hands on with the Manfrotto Modopocket

While good full-size tripods are readily available, good tabletop camera supports are not always so easy to find. Tabletop supports run the gamut from bean bags to miniature tripods and usually lack somehow either in how much weight they can hold or in how adjustable they are.

The Manfrotto Modopocket, however, is a tiny but powerful camera support.

The Modopocket supports up to 1 pound, which covers almost all point-and-shoots and even some lightweight dSLRs. Its innovative design allows it to fold up flat for easy storage in a pocket of your camera bag, or almost anywhere. It looks like … Read more

Bake and boil on your baby Belling

In many battles, bigger is better. But, when it comes to working efficiently in tight kitchens, the little guy almost always comes out on top.

Belling makes a wide range of standard kitchen appliances, from ranges and built-ins to free-standing cookers, but it's the "Baby Belling" line that caught my attention. Specializing in compact appliances, the line features things like ranges and induction cooktops that make the most out of small spaces.

One product of the Baby Belling line is this Table Top Mini Kitchen, which combines a range top and a conventional oven in a unit … Read more