Regular readers know that I couldn’t do without Skype. The voice over IP service has been a daily staple in my routine since early 2005. Since I use it so much, I’m a perfect candidate to test out new Skype accessories like the FREETALK Everyman USB headset I have on loan. I was initially skeptical because of the headset’s low, $22.88 price tag. But as they say, the proof is in the pudding. After using the Everyman headset for Skype over the past few weeks, it’s easily worth every penny and then some. Have a quick look — and listen — to the audio quality.

I am a Twitter fool, and I know from the growth the social network has experienced that I am not alone in that regard. Twitter can be a very useful tool if it is used correctly, and the desktop program TweetDeck helps me leverage the service to my benefit.

TweetDeck’s strength is the ability to display multiple columns at once, each tuned in to capture a particular subset of the Twitter noise. The program helps me focus my attention on the little area of the Twitterverse that will do the most good. TweetDeck is an Adobe Air program, so that means it runs exactly on Windows as it does on OS X. Since I am largely platform agnostic, that’s a good thing. There is also an iPhone version of TweetDeck. I have tried that but quickly gave it up as the narrow little phone screen does not lend itself well to multiple columns side-by-side. YMMV.

In the video I show my TweetDeck setup, and give a brief explanation of how I use this to get the most out of Twitter.

Yes, screen size matters and I am in a unique position to demonstrate that old adage. I have so many gadgets in Mobile Tech Manor that it occurred to me that I can show many different screen sizes on devices.

The devices, screen sizes and resolution as shown in the video:

• Viliv S5 UMPC, 5-inch, 1024×600
• Viliv S7 UMPC, 7-inch, 1024×600
• Lenovo S10-2 netbook, 10-inch, 1024×600
• Lenovo S12 netbook, 12-inch, 1280×800
• Apple MacBook, 13-inch, 1280×800
• Lenovo ThinkPad T400s, 14-inch, 1440×900

It is interesting that all devices from 5 inches through 10 inches have the same resolution, so things appearing on-screen vary from tiny to quite large. All of the notebooks, netbooks and UMPCs shown in the video are running either Windows XP or Windows 7.

It’s only been at Mobile Tech Manor for a few hours and I’m already getting pinged for a video of the Viliv S7 UMPC. The S7 is a small laptop with a 7-inch swivel screen that can be used as a slate. It is roughly the size of the original (and small) EEE PC and this configuration has integrated 3G (HSPA) and a 32 GB SSD. This video gives a tour around the device and shows the screen in all its swiveling glory. There will be more comprehensive coverage of the Viliv S7 to come, meanwhile enjoy the show.

I have started using a program for my fiction writing projects and I am liking it the more I use it. The program is StoryMill from Mariner and it is a sophisticated writer’s editor and project database to make it easier to handle any writing project. In this screencast I show the basics of StoryMill and show how I use it to handle my writing projects. StoryMill costs $49.95 but I find it worth the rather steep cost. It is available on the Mac platform.

The new QuickTime Player in Snow Leopard has added the ability to make screen recordings that are very high quality. They can be shot either with or without audio, and they have full HD resolution. In this screencast I show the programs and utilities that I use every day in my work. Be sure and watch it in full-screen mode to see all of the detail. Enjoy.

I told you about my painless installation of Windows 7 on the Mac. This was using Parallels Desktop on the Mac to install Windows 7 in a virtual machine. I get asked how well Windows runs in a virtual machine on the 13-inch MacBook and the easiest way to demonstrate that is with a video. In this video I have created two Spaces in OS X, one running native OS X and the other Windows 7 in a full screen. I am toggling between the two either via Exposé or via the Option– ← key combination. This screen capture was done through the screen recording feature of QuickTime on the MacBook. Enjoy.

Harry McCracken says Opera 10, just released today, is worth trying. After just a few minutes of working on the road, I’m inclined to agree. I grabbed the download for my MacBook, but you can install the new browser on Windows or Linux as well. Since I’m on a marginal EVDO connection right now — downloads are topping out around 600kbps — I immediately checked out the new Opera Turbo function. This speeds up browsing just like it does for Opera’s mobile browsers — it compresses the data on Opera’s servers before you see it on your computer.

I used the new Screen Recording feature of Snow Leopard’s QuickTime Player to show the speed difference on my current connection. In the video — no audio since I’m at a noisy Starbucks — I simply open up the jkOnTheRun home page in both Safari 4 and Opera 10. I have Opera Turbo turned on, although you can also disable it or have it kick in whenever Opera automatically thinks you need a boost. This isn’t meant to be a definitive browser comparison, but more to give you an idea of what Opera Turbo can do. Images suffer from the compression, but that’s a small price to pay for a speed boost.

I’ll have to kick the tires much more before I decide to move to Opera on a more regular basis, but Turbo offers a definite advantage for mobile device users. When we’re home, we tend to have faster or more stable connections to the web. On the road, we have to deal with signal variances and over-saturated airwaves — in places like that, Opera Turbo offers a huge boost.

It’s rare that we look at non-mobile gear, but I’m making an exception for the EVGA Interview dual-monitor solution. This $649 device is not one, but two 17″ monitors with a single input. Using the included DMS to double DVI cable, a computer with a supported graphics card can take advantage of the Interview. Each panel can display up to 1440×900 resolution. You can make one big extended desktop, or you can clone your display on each monitor. Why would you do that? When the situation arises that someone needs to see what you’re working on, you simply take the cloned display and rotate it 180-degrees — the Interview automatically adjusts the picture so the person behind it will see the image right side up! Very slick.

Additionally, the Interview can add three more USB ports to your computer and it also has a built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam and microphone. Have a look in the video overview to see how it all works. Oh and don’t think I totally ignored the mobile aspect. Wait until you see what the $70 UV Plus accessory can do with a laptop when paired with the Interview!

I have only had the HP Mini 5101 netbook for a day and I am already getting some good mobile use out of the little laptop. I am impressed with the metal casing that makes this thing feel like a tank, something that could be important for the road warrior. The keyboard is very nicely done for touch typists; it is 95% of full size and the chiclet keys are perfectly spaced. The only complaint I have so far is the F-key row at the top. HP made the poor decision to make the F-keys, F1 – F12, to not be the default keypress. That means you must use the Fn key in conjunction with them to hit an F-key, and that bites.

This short video shows off the construction of the Mini 5101 and all of the ports and connectors. You can also see how little bulk the 6-cell battery adds to the small size of the netbook. The full specs of the 5101 as reviewed are after the jump.

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