A First Look at the HP TouchSmart 600-1370 All-in-One Desktop

There are lots of desktops to choose from, but the HP TouchSmart 600-1370 All-in-One Desktop is one of the special ones. Well, the name tells you the main ways that this computer is different. It has an all-in-one design that is compact, and it uses leading edge touchscreen technology. All of the main features will be discussed in this article because there is a lot more to this HP desktop.  For many years HP have produced some of the best looking desktops on the market usually at a very affordable price and I think this is no exception.

First of all, if you are an avid picture taker, and like to edit your images before sending them to people you know, the HP TouchSmart 600-1370 All-in-One Desktop can help you do this. Want to transfer your digital images from your camera to your computer without cables? No problem! You can do this with the 6-in-1 Digital Media Reader built right in. Anyone that uses standard cables to connect their camcorder or camera to their PC will really appreciate this feature when uploading videos and photos and streaming TV. It is easy to combine your images into a slideshow with the touchscreen. You can even add audio! You will no longer have a problem organizing your photos, or making albums. Just drag your media using the TouchSmart technology, and organizing and sharing will be done in seconds.

 

desktop-63954_640

Another great aspect of the HP TouchSmart 600-1370 All-in-One Desktop is the enormous touchscreen that comes with the PC. Do you like vibrant colors on your computer screen? The HD 1080p LCD Display is designed to display colors and images in crystal-clear clarity – see here. Very different from a smartphone or a notebook computer, this 23″ screen is something that you will really enjoy watching movies on or just surfing the web. Even though it will take a little bit of time, you will get used to using your finger instead of a mouse to do everything with your new touchscreen. The large screen, combined with the touchscreen technology makes this desktop quite enjoyable to use for entertainment and socializing.   I’ve streamed some shows in 4k from the BBC iPlayer service and it looked wonderful.  Remember you’ll need a fast internet connection to cope with this too.

Being able to have fun using the touchscreen, and the user friendly design are the primary differences with the HP TouchSmart 600-1370 All-in-One Desktop. It takes up a lot less space than a normal desktop, and the streamlined look is very attractive. You can move the screen 180 degrees and tilt it either backwards or forwards.  The only slight criticism is that the screen is not always sensitive enough for some operations.  Clicking and selecting blocks of code from my new proxy configuration which I was setting up in text file was kind of difficult.

For your own comfort, it can be put at just the right angle. In the case that you want it mounted on a wall, the base can be removed. If this is what you want to do, then separately, the adapter and bracket will have to be bought. The webcam can even be adjusted and tilted to whatever position you would like for it to be in. Desktops are typical for not being easy to customize, but it is easy with the design of the HP TouchSmart computers. This computer, the HP TouchSmart 600-1370 All-in-One Desktop, is an excellent desktop, free from all of the constraints that a computer usually has, lacking the wires and cables that most computers always need. It is really up to you to make a decision as to whether or not you need this computer. Despite its drawbacks (the price), this might be what you’re looking for.

Further Reading

index.php/uk-vpn-ipad-to-watch-bbc-iplayer/

Using Proxies for Privacy

Some people are rightly concerned about their privacy online.  It’s not surprising as many of us run many aspects of our lives online now.  I’m sure I’m not alone with paying bills, managing my finances, arranging holidays using the internet.  In fact I’d be completely lost without an internet connection and I know my Wife and kids would be too.  Unfortunately with the benefits also comes some risks that all the data we transfer online somehow gets intercepted or lost.

In fact it’s probably a bigger risk that you would imagine mainly because of HTTP.  Hyper Text Transfer Protocol is the language most of our web browsing uses.  Your web browser sends a request using HTTP for a web page and the web site responds in the same language.  It’s a fast and efficient protocol which allows different browsers, OS’s and computers to interact with each other.  However it’s main problem is it is has no concept of security, all the transfers take place in clear text.  So in theory any body who sees the data can read it, seeing as web traffic travels over a myriad of shared computer infrastructure that is very likely to happen.

Using Proxies for Privacy

Now many people think that using a proxy server can help with security and to some extent that’s true.  However it’s not the whole story and a basic proxy server won’t help you that much.  What you need is a proxy server that adds a level of security to your connection as well – this can only be done by encrypting your traffic.  Take for example the two services on this post about  – How to Get a US IP Address.  Although the primary function of this article is to provide you with an American address so you can access US only sites like Pandora and Hulu – they do actually protect your connection.

This video shows a similar process but is to do with watching US Netflix, again by obscuring your real location and IP address.



One is a simple VPN which is encrypted by default and the other uses an SSH tunnel to add an encryption function the connection.  So unlike most proxies the ones provided by the companies mentioned do help.   The encryption level certainly adds a level of protection and privacy, but there can be some drawbacks.  If for example you’re attempting to run multiple identities online for web scraping or perhaps using some limited advertising resource, it may not be a great idea to encrypt your connection.  For sure, it will add a layer of privacy but it will also stand out from most other users.  Most people don’t encrypt their traffic or connections so that may be enough to set of flags on some sites.

The next generation of proxy services will allow you to encrypt or use non-encrypted connections as required.  If total anonymity is required then you can turn on encryption, if you’re trying to run multiple accounts for things like eBay, Craigslist or Instagram then you can turn it off if you wish.  If you think it makes no difference, for example if you’re trying to watch BBC iPlayer through a VPN then you just need a reliable UK based server for it to work.

Without the encryption layer all you are doing by using a proxy is obscuring your address from the web server your connecting to.  Which of course is enough for many people, but please don’t think it provides you with any security as it’s simply not true!