We've heard of creepy 'porn detection' software and devices before, but now a new gadget called the Porn Stick Detection Pro will snoop around in the dark depths of your computer and uncover any kinds of pornographic images or videos that it deems to be a little too inappropriate.

It may look like a regular flash drive (aside from the fact it's got 'porn' written on it in caps of course), but it uses advanced software and algorithms to work out what's a bit too adult and what isn't. Whether it actually works is another question, but according to its manufacturers it will be able to thoroughly look through all kinds of video files, like MOV,MP4, MPEG1 - MPEG4, DV, Ogg, Real, ASF, AVI, SWF, FLV and pretty much every image file you could imagine. It'll look everywhere too, it can search all your different drives, the browser cache and deleted folders.

What worries is us why people are using it, as the website stresses that it "works covertly". Some of the top ways it's suggested that people can put the gadget to good use are to monitor what their family are doing online, find out if their other half has a porn addiction (what a trusting and mature way to go about it), check that their employees aren't doing anything naughty in company time, or just find out if they've accidentally (yeah, right) downloaded anything dodgy in the past. Oh, and one funny commenter suggested he could use it to find all of his porn and put it in one safe place. Ahh, there's always one.

Whether it works in practice and weeds out everything pornographic on a computer remains to be seen, but is it good this gadget exists so parents can keep an eye on what their kids are looking at? Or is it a creepy spying device that's all a little too Ninteen Eighty-Four for your liking?

If you're less freaked out and more excited at the thought of playing a fake detective, then you can get hold of a Porn Stick Detection Pro from Gadgets and Gear for $99.

[Via Chip Chick]

Ultrabooks are set to be the hottest gadgets at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas next week. All of the top PC manufacturers are rumoured to be launching super thin, super light devices, but this week Lenovo announced its two new PCs a little earlier than the rest.

First up is the ThinkPad T430u ultrabook and then there's the the ThinkPad X1 Hybrid laptop and both boast a thin and light design without sacrificing on internal performance.

ThinkPad T430u Ultrabook

The 14" ultrabook is specially designed for businesses, giving them a thin, light (less than 4lb) and portable device for easy computing on the move.

It looks good too, with a matte, soft-touch finish and an aluminium top cover.

ThinkPad X1 Hybrid Laptop

The second 13.3" laptop combines the key features of the X1 (its predecessor), with double the battery life and an Instant Media Mode (IMM), which will be powered by a second processor and operating system. That's why it's called "hybrid", because you can switch between Windows 7 and IMM, which makes the laptop operate more like a smart phone, allowing you to watch videos, view photos, listen to music and browse the web while requiring fewer charging sessions.

Although this device isn't being called an ultrabook, it's actually thinner than the T430u and at 4lb it's also the same weight.

Dilip Bhatia, vice president of the ThinkPad Business Unit at Lenovo said:

"The ThinkPad X1 Hybrid and T430u ultrabook represent the next generation in thin and light computing.

From small businesses that literally live their life on the road to corporate professionals working in a managed environment, these new crossover laptops fundamentally change the way people think about mobile computing technology."

Although Lenovo clearly has businesses and professionals in mind for the new small, thin and light devices, it'll be interesting to see how regular consumers react to the new products as well. We can certainly imagine investing in a new ultrabook for both work and pleasure purposes if it means the capability of a high-end laptop in a small, portable and good-looking package.

The products will be officially debuted at CES next week, but Lenovo decided to make the announcements ahead of the competition. However, if you want to get your hands on one of these new ultrabooks you've fortunately got a bit of time to save your pennies, the ThinkPad T430u will be available from August and will retail at around £545 and the ThinkPad X1 hybrid will be available from Spring and will retail at around £1025.

Having cookery books in your home often makes it look like you're a great chef, but with a whole host of recipe apps and small portable gadgets, do we really need them anymore?

A new study conducted by PC manufacturer Lenovo has found that more than a third of Brits often turn to their laptops to look for recipes instead of searching through books.

In fact a huge 83% have looked for recipes online before (that's a lot of men) and 44% say they enjoy browsing through recipe sites, blogs apps and online libraries of ideas on a regular basis to find inspiration. In comparison, only one in ten said they still turn to a normal cookery book (with actual paper and everything) to find the recipes they're looking for.

Those that prefer to hang onto traditions and curse eReaders, laptops and tablets for trying to replace books will probably be upset by these findings. However, it's no surprise people prefer to go online for recipes as it's just so simple to find what you want, there's an infinite number of ideas and increasingly blogs and publishers are accompanying recipes with how-to videos too, which makes the whole process even easier to follow.

To take advantage of this growing trend many companies have introduced accessories to make our technology as safe as possible, like the Chef Sleeve, which protects your iPad and the Fridgepad, which keeps your tablet high and dry on your fridge door.

Others have instead created more compact and durable computers to ensure that they won't get ruined in the kitchen, the U300S Ultrabook from Lenovo (pictured above) has been sandblasted to create a tough, scratch-resistant, coating so if you accidentally scrape a spatula covered in cookie batter all over it you won't feel too guilty!

[Thumbnail image via Ross Griff]

Sponsored post

Long gone are the days of antiquated personnel records in manila folders with hand written forms, holiday charts and disciplinary letters - the world has moved on. Forward looking companies are moving to HR software to bring efficiency to the Human Resources Department and more importantly to personnel management.

It is astounding how many companies remain stuck in the mud of personnel management but it is even more astounding to see how many organisations worldwide are now using HR Software. HR Software makes personnel management an efficient and effective way to manage people employed in an organisation. HR software can provide a record about individual employees to include all information that is important for personnel management.

The efficiency of such software makes you wonder why all companies are not utilising its powerful organisational capabilities. For HR departments that need to access information and need a fast response to personnel queries there is no excuse not to be utilising HR Software and all that it can bring to a busy department. Some companies worry about utilising HR Software that is downloaded from an outside company but long gone are the days of insecure sights. HR Software can be purchased from a HR software specialist organisation and they will keep the software updated in terms of downloads etc. It is very economical as individual companies do not have to purchase their own specific server or for that matter to remember to back up data, the software provider will take responsibility to make sure the software is operating efficiently and that it is backed-up as per regulations. Storage of data is therefore kept secure and the most secure software providers will guarantee that all data is secure from external threats.

This method of HR Software solutions - that is - remote installation and monitoring is the way of the world in many different areas of business progression. Remote installation requires no on-site equipment, no huge secure, temperature controlled server room and no need to purchase software disks and all the hassle this involves. It maybe however, that Human Resources employees will need some training in using a remote installed HR software solution - but once training is completed the software offers a complete personnel management system that is so efficient it reflects in the competency of the HR staff. HR software can store huge amounts of data and provides HR staff with time efficiencies to concentrate on issues like staff development and staff training. The software can be accessed to indicate where skills gaps are within employee groups, or an individual's personal development requirements - making the job easy for HR staff to arrange future training. Such software can make payroll simple and effective as HR software and Payroll Software can easily link to provide accurate data and ultimately reduce payment errors. For instance an employee beginning maternity leave can have their data entered in the HR software and automatic links will then update Payroll. HR Software is a means to an ends in terms of efficiency and effective personnel management and for those companies that remain blowing the dust of old manila files, HR software solutions are leaving them behind.

What is it?

Windows 8 is the next version of the Microsoft Windows operating system (yes Apple fans, that does still exist) which launches to developers this week.

Why should we care?

Because Windows 8 is expected to offer a range of new and exciting features that we're sure everyone will welcome with open arms, like advanced touchscreen capabilities, much better applications and hardware that never sleeps:

Touchscreen

It has a redesigned user interface (which is being called Metro style) to work beautifully with touchscreens as well as with a regular old keyboard and mouse. Considering just how many new devices now have touchscreens this is a big deal. But that wasn't the only touchscreen revelation, apparently Internet Explorer 10 will also offer users an intuitive and fluid touch browsing experience too.

Apps

Apps are generally going to be bigger, better, faster and stronger. They'll also be able to communicate with one another too, meaning regardless of what you're working on everything can be integrated together seamlessly.

Developer fun

Developers basically have more freedom when it comes to where they sell their apps and the languages they can use, as well as a richer gaming experience they can build on.

Hardware

Windows 8 will work across all kinds of devices, from 10 inch tablets to BIG computers with 27 inch HD screens. Certain devices will be able to run off a single charge too and will always be connected to the internet, so your computer is ready the second you are.

Have a quick browse of these links for more detailed news about Windows 8 and what it's got to offer:

BGR asks what it means for Apple: Sorry Apple, Windows 8 ushers in the post-post-PC era
Tech Digest gives you the deets about how to get it: Want to try Windows 8 on your PC today? Here's how to do it
IT PRO gives us all an in-depth review: Microsoft Windows 8 review: First look

Image via.

Many large tech brands are creating laptops that are thinner, slimmer and lighter than ever before, from Apple's MacBook Air to Toshiba's Portege Z830 series.

Now Acer has announced that it will be launching its own offering onto the super slim, small and lightweight laptop market at IFA this week.

Acer's new model, the Aspire S3 Ultrabook, is 13mm at its thinnest, 17mm at its thickest and weighs just 1.3kg. Interestingly, to keep the little laptop as teeny tiny as possible, the screen has actually been bonded to the Ultrabook's aluminium lid.

The Aspire S3 can be woken up and then ready for action in under two seconds, but can also go into a kind of deep hibernation. This means it doesn't need to be charged for 50 days while its getting some rest.

The Aspire S3 Ultrabook will start shipping in September time with prices ranging from around £700 to £1050.

I'm really into ruggedized laptops. Not because I'm ever likely to take my PC to the Gobi desert, or want to edit a word document while half-submerged in the Antarctic ocean. Nah - the furthest my laptop goes is Starbucks. But that doesn't stop me enjoying how tough and unbreakable these things are - the Navy SEALS of the PC world, they're hot, in a computer way.

Consequently an update to the Panasonic ToughBook range has got me all excited. The Toughbook CF-31 Performance Model was released today and we've selected some of the juiciest features for you rugged-lovers out there. Just out of gadget-lust really.

Panasonic say: "Designed to access applications and data in the most extreme mobile computing environments, the CF-31 has become the fully rugged device of choice for utilities, emergency services and military personnel. "

We say: "Mmm, fully rugged"

> Massive Battery: 13.5hr battery + a 6.5hr spare battery pack that will let you "hot swap" the main battery.

> It has a Concealed Mode for use in mission critical environments. Using this feature, the Toughbook can go into "silent mode" by disabling the Fan, the backlight, status LED's, speakers and communication (3G, W-LAN, Bluetooth) as specified. (Cool or what.)

> Screen shows up, even in the dark: The ability to see data and applications on screen in bright sunlight is essential for field workers. The CF-31 uses Panasonic's Circular Polarizing technology to deliver market leading clarity with brightness displays of 1,200cd/m² and a very low reflection ratio on its touchscreen, 13.1" XGA display.

> Shock-resistant screen - the LCD screen "floats" on the frame making it more resistant to bumps and shocks.

> Tough magnesium alloy casing with proven resistance to water, dust, vibration and temperature protection.

See more on the Pansonic ToughBook CF-31 here

You have to be 13 years old to be on Facebook, those are the rules - but a study shows that 20 million children are happily networking away in spite of being too young.

7.5 million of Facebook users were under 13, while over 5 million were younger than 10, according to a study published in Consumer Reports, CNET reports. This tallies with previous research that shows 38% of kids aged 9 to 12 in Europe use social networks.

Not savvy enough
So what's the problem here, you might ask. After all, at first glance it might seem harmless that children are using Facebook and similar sites. The problem is that many children aren't internet savvy enough to engage in the world of Facebook. Identity theft and computer viruses are among the more mellow risks, but these dangers also include more serious issues such as bullying, and even being groomed by potential abusers.

Just as the study was being released, Facebook issued a release commenting on the difficulty of implementing age restrictions on the site: "We appreciate the attention that these reports and other experts are giving this matter and believe this will provide an opportunity for parents, teachers, safety advocates, and internet services to focus on this area, with the ultimate goal of keeping young people of all ages safe online."

Parental supervision
The problem is that the internet usually relies on us being honest about things like age when we sign up. Social networks have tried to implement age checks, such as preventing someone who tried to enter a too-young birthday from later registering as being older, but it's difficult to find a foolproof system.

Also, the study showed that most parents weren't all that concerned about their kids using things like Facebook. Parental supervision does however seem to be key, though - keeping an eye on what the kids are doing online, explain to them about viruses and remember the sage old advice about caution when talking to strangers.

We know our pretty little Macs aren't THAT good - they don't actually repel computer viruses. It's just that until now the Mac market has been too small for most malware programmers to pay much notice, choosing instead to throw their appetites for destruction at the PC market.

This could now all be set to change, as hardworking hackers have managed to write at least one cross-platform virus, according to McAfee. TechEye says the trinket is called IncognitoRAT, and it's a Java-based Trojan virus. It has a programme which converts .jar files into .exe files, which means the intruder can control the keyboard and mouse of the computer, record images seen through the webcam and send information out on email.

Bad enough, but the real issue is that if hackers can write a virus to attach Macs in the same swoop as PCs, this could mean Mac-owners need to create a new budget post: anti-virus software. It's a sad day for smug Mac people everywhere.

Amazon has launched a new cloud service that lets users upload their music and stream it from anywhere. It will work for Android, PC and Mac - but so far there is no iPhone app and it will not work on the iPad browser either.

The Amazon Cloud Drive launch has the potential to cause some trouble as Amazon has stated it does not need any licences to store music, as this is the same as storing songs on a personal hard drive. It remains to be seen if record labels agree with this assessment.

The service comes as part of the Amazon MP3 Android app - launched so far only in the US. Users can have up to 5 gigabytes free storage, but this get upgraded to 20GB if you buy an album from the Amazon digital music shop. You can also buy more storage for $20 a year for each extra 20GB.

Searching for deals is the most popular internet activity, according to a new report from by electronics chain Comet.

And here we were thinking social media was on top of our minds when we logged onto the internet, as determined in a recent study by Experian Hitwise.

But according to Comet's study, researching deals was more popular than social networking, which came seventh in terms of priority. Second came online banking, with checking the news coming third, in the study which polled 2,600 households.

You could be extremely cynical here and suggest the findings that we are a bunch of bargain-hungry shoppers is somehow related to Comet's business ... but we're thinking this discrepancy between the two studies can probably be explained somewhere between the questions asked, and the people answering them. But there was one point in the Comet study which most people would probably agree with: 70% said that they would consider it a "disaster" if the internet stopped working.

The brand new Radeon HD 6990 graphics processor is the fastest graphics technology in the world - no small claim by semiconductor design company AMD, but it seems to be merited.

'This is for the really high-end gaming market,' Leslie Sobon, vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing at AMD, told Shiny Shiny. 'It's faster, more realistic, and delivers a much better visual experience.'

But it's not only gamers who will benefit from this cutting edge technology - anyone working with high-end visuals will benefit, says Sobon. 'Those working with video editing or creating can take advantage of this as well. It's the top of the line, so it's ideal for anyone who considers themselves an enthusiast.'

On to the specs: The card records score of P11865 in the industry standard 3DMark11 benchmark. There is native support for up to five displays, with potential to upgrade to six with additional components. There is also a dual-BIOS toggle switch, allowing enthusiast gamers to unlock the card and rev up the clocks and voltages for even more performance. The card also allows for stereoscopic 3D gaming and film viewing as it has HDMI 1.4a support.

Into affordable laptops
While gamers will be salivating over the news, others may be more enthused to hear AMD is taking this cutting-edge graphics technology beyond the gaming world. Fusion APU is the company's new combined technology, where the graphics capabilities are joined with the regular computer brain onto a single chip. This means faster processing, and AMD expects to see this top-of-the-line technology become available for even basic laptops, explains Leslie Sobon.

'The improvements are still very much about the visuals and the graphics, but with the new chip you get this without sacrificing the battery life.'

Equally interesting is the fact that these jacked-up laptops will come in at modest price points too: 'They will be highly affordable as well,' says Sobon, suggesting prices under the £500 mark.

Fusion has now been officially launched with products including the Sony VAIO Y Series, Acer Aspire One AO522 and Toshiba NB520, and AMD expects budget Fusion APU-powered laptops to become available also from Asus, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo, MSI and Samsung.

Specs for the Fusion APU: Multi-core CPU (x86) technology, a high-definition video acceleration block and a high-speed "bus" that speeds data across the differing types of processor cores. Furthermore there's stutter-free HD video playback, DirectX 11-capable graphics and "all-day" battery life.

Sobon says upgrades to the Fusion APU range will continue to be announced on a bi-annual schedule: 'We're moving forward in leaps and bounds.'

Soon you'll be able to control a computer by just looking at it, according to Swedish company Tobii who have paired up with Chinese computer makers Lenovo to make a prototype eye-controlled laptop.

They unveiled the eye-controlled computer at CeBit today - there are only 20 models in existence split between the research labs of Lenovo and Tobii, but the CEO claims that the technology could be in mainstream consumer computers in a couple of years.

Using eye-tracking technology and a webcam, the user can point, select and scroll by just moving their eyes. Other computer controls can be tuned to your eyes - focussing on a particular area could make the screen zoom for example or battery power could be saved by dimming areas of the screen that you are not looking at.

They say that the experience of controlling a computer with your eyes is "thrilling" - we're a bit worried that it would go bonkers and start pressing loads of buttons when you did something unintentional like rolling your eyes or casting sidelong glances at your colleagues. However we assume they have cut some slack for natural eye motions and that you can switch off the controls if necessary.

Tobii are certain that eye-control will go mainstream soon -

"More than anything else, the Tobii laptop prototype is proof that our eye tracking technology is mature enough to be used in standard computer interfaces. To reach a state where the technology is part of the average computer, we need to make it smaller and cheaper. We believe that this can be realized in a couple of years by partnering with the right manufacturer," comments Henrik Eskilsson, CEO of Tobii Technology.

There's been a huge boom in natural user interfaces the past few months with the release of the Microsoft Kinect - this technology will only accelerate that trend. Tobii suggest it could go way beyond the laptop too...

Eye-controlled cameras anyone?

The smart way to drive down computer prices for places that use a lot of them is to have several monitors to one hard drive.

It reduces the cost to a fraction of buying individual ones.

The latest company to market this technology is Userful Corp which has come up with a $59 desktop computer - £36.30 - that comes in groups of 12. Twelve monitors or screens can be run off the one hard drive and each can be running different applications or services simultaneously.

They say it reduces hardware costs by 80% and running costs like energy by 90%.

The many monitors, one hard-drive approach is already proving very popular for schools and businesses in the developing world but there are also advantages for Western businesses trying to drive costs down.

In an era when the chip in a phone is easily powerful enough to run word processing and internet browsers, it's possible for one computer hard drive to power simple applications on many computers.

Of course this set-up wouldn't work if everyone wanted to run video editing software but for simple functions like word and internet browsing the set-up.

Userful comment in their press release:
"At Cebit this year Userful Corporation will be demoing free software licenses for it's Userful MultiSeat software which turns one Linux computer into 11 high performance
independent computer stations using standard USB devices such as the HP t100, Wyse E01, Goodway DU2600, Atrust m200, MCT MWS 8820, and DisplayLink devices.

"Userful MultiSeat enables schools and businesses to deploy more than twice as many computers for the same cost, while enabling up to 11 users to use different applications at the same time from one host computer, each with their own monitor, keyboard, and mouse. At just $59 per seat (education pricing), Userful
MultiSeat is the lowest cost computing solution available with the features and performance of a full desktop computer."

See more on the USERFUL WEBSITE

Related: Children in Brazil and Asia get computers for first time with low-cost Linux software
Creativity, Cost-Cutting & Keeping it Simple: what the Developing World can teach us about Technology

While data storage has never been a problem for the computer mind, its ability to follow tricky nuances of language and reasoning has held back any plans for world dominance. This problem might be soon conquered, however, as an IBM computer demonstrated its skills by winning a top game of Jeopardy.

An IBM computer called Watson managed to beat two former Jeopardy masters last night, and even amassed $77,147 over the course of two games. In addition to having to understand the nuances of the Jeopardy questions, Watson had to make suitable bets depending on its certainty, plus physically press the button.

Watson's brain has the power of 2,800 large-capacity desktop computers, roughly the size of 10 refrigerators. The computer's advanced skills are now being put to use in medicine, publishing, and finance, according to IBM.

Watson showed skill in answering vaguely-worded questions such as "It's a poor workman who blames these" - "What are tools?" answered Watson. But the clever computer still has a few issues to sort out. In the Final Jeopardy round, Watson was asked which US city's largest airport is named after a second world war hero. "What Is Toronto?", said Watson, failing on the fact that Toronto is indeed in Canada. No reasons to be worried about any Matrix-type scenarios developing any time soon, then.

HP have bet a billion dollars on making their company more like Apple by creating software to go with their own computers. Earlier today they launched the TouchPad tablet running the web OS they bought from Palm last spring.

Here are ten things you need to know about it:

1) The new HP Touchpad will run the Palm patented Web OS, will have a 9.7 capacitive screen with tough Gorilla Glass. In size and weight it's lining up directly to the 9.7 inch iPad.

2) More specs - the TouchPad has a dual core Qualcomm chip, at 1.2ghz, it's more powerful than the iPad's 1GHz. It has rounded corners and a bevelled edge. It has eight hours of battery life and a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera plus GPS, stereo speakers, gyroscope and an accelerometer.

3) HP are the biggest computer manufacturers in the world. They planned to release a tablet before codenamed the Slate, but it has been officially dropped. The

4) Breaking with Microsoft Windows for their flagship mobile product is a big step for HP and a blow for Windows. However - their other tablet the Slate 500 is a Windows 7 device aimed more at the business professionals.

5) The TouchPad's is based on the much praised and silky smooth webOS - originally patented by Palm. It uses a very graphical interface of cards which makes devices good at multitasking and intuitive to use. The webOS also integrates information very smoothly across different parts of the operating system.

6) HP's move into making their own Operating Systems makes their business model more like Apple's - where the hardware and software are made by the same company and are perfectly tuned together. Obviously the "making everything" model has worked well for Apple, but other companies like Nokia have struggled to make it work. Could go either way for HP.

7) The Palm name has been completely dropped, despite rumours that the tablet might have been called the PalmPad.

8) A smaller educational version of the TouchPad intended for use in schools will be released in the US

9) It will feature apps - from the 8,000 strong Palm store, however - it still lags far behind its Android and iPhone competitors.

10) The UK release date is September 2011, price to be confirmed. If it can significantly undercut the iPad then it has a good chance of selling well, but if it falls in the same price bracket then it's likely to take a hit from iPad 2.

It's tough to compete with Apple, especially at the top end, and it looks like Dell has just withdrawn their Adamo range of super slim laptops after sales failed to meet expectations.

Designed to rival the MacBook Air for portability, design and performance, the Adamo was the thinnest laptop in existence at its launch in 2009, it featured a better resolution screen than the MacBook, aluminium casing and a cool sort of flip out stand which made the keyboard hover above the desk. I liked it. It also had a 13.4 inch screen, a dual core Intel processor

But the drawback seems to have been the price. Originally on sale for $2000 in the US, £1649 in the UK, it was way pricier than the MacBook Air at the time - the 13.3-inch model started at $1,299 and that 1.2GHz chip just wasn't quite powerful enough to convince the power users.

Still, we loved the design so we're pleased to see Dell are incorporating elements of it into a new release arriving in the next six months. Just hope they can do something about the price tags...

[via cnet]

We got a couple of these smooth mean looking machine into the office last week and this is a quick video preview before Gerald posts up a full review.

The HP Envy gets a red and black makeover in the Beats edition plus some of the pumpingest headphones we've ever had the pleasure of putting on our ears. They are endorsed by Dr Dre and will burn the delicate sensory hairs of your ears off in about 3 minutes.

Back to the laptop - Anna and Gerald run through the specs and the look -

HP Envy 14 Beats is circa £1300

This week Dell introduced their the Inspiron Duo, a convertible computer that can essentially be used as either a tablet or a laptop.

The convertible tablet, sports a useful flip-hinge design so that you can use it as a tablet, but still have access to the functionality of a keyboard and the convenience of a dock. The release states that you can "switch seamlessly from touch to type to dock mode in seconds."

In tablet mode, the screen faces outward, and with Dell's new duo Stage software you can navigate music, video, games and the Internet on the 10.1-inch high-definition touch display. When you open the lid and flipping the screen inward, it reveals a chiclet keyboard making typical work functions such as e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets and presentations easy. it also has a built-in Web-cam, integrated Wi-Fi and optional connectivity choices such as Bluetooth and 4G mobile broadband. The computer also comes with an optional Audio Station dock with built-in media card reader, JBL speakers, two additional USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet adapter and battery charger.

The Inspiron duo, comes with Windows 7 Home Premium and a dual-core processor with 250GB hard drive for £449 or £499 with optional dock. There is also a 320GB version available for £479. The Inspiron Duo will be available on December 2nd.

So you'd think Starbucks wouldn't have much to teach Microsoft except for um, you know, how to make better lattes for the office cafeteria.

But Starbucks does have an interesting little bit of information to give the tech giants... as Robert Scoble picked up earlier this week. Starbucks gets data on who uses the wifi in their stores and what devices they are using to access it on: whether it's a PC, a Mac, a smartphone or whatever.

Okay it's not comprehensive, but it's an interesting barometer of how the public use technology.

And the big finding? - laptop use is actually declining in Starbucks cafes, while the use of mobile devices, including tablets, has rocketed up. Scoble also reports that the Starbucks CIO told him that iDevices from Apple are used more in its stores than any others.

Okay there's definitely a distortion here- perhaps Apple customers are just more likely to work in coffee shops (I make no comment), but it skewed as it may be, it does show a trend.

Gadget sales are important of course, but how people use their gadgets is perhaps even more interesting, though hard to quantify. The Starbucks data just gives a little insight into the future... and the future is mobile.

[via Scobelizer]