schnitzelbank.

“ 23andMe is one of a small crop of personal genomics companies. For a cash fee (ranging from $400 to $1000, but dropping with regularity) you get a kit to send in a DNA sample. They can’t sequence your genome for that amount today, but they can read around 600,000 “single-nucleotide polymorphisms” (SNPs) which are single-letter locations in the genome that are known to vary among different people, and the subject of various research about disease. 23andMe began hoping to let their customers know about how their own DNA predicted their risk for a variety of different diseases and traits. The result is a collection of information — some of which will just make you worry (or breathe more easily) and some of which is actually useful. However, the company’s second-order goal is the real money-maker. They hope to get the sequenced people to fill out surveys and participate in studies. For example, the more people fill out their weight in surveys, the more likely they might notice, “Hey, all the fat people have this SNP, and the thin people have that SNP, maybe we’ve found something.” ”

“ Betsy Hunter - As a non-techie, Windows person, these smartbooks are in my opinion the missing piece.

So much is done on my phone that screams for a bigger screen and faster internet -- news and emails/Buzz every morning (from bed with coffee from hubby) or on the fly in dentist office or airport. But I don't need Windows (hence my little Acer netbook is already obsolete). I need always on like my Blackberry, except I don't need the phone. And since I carry a purse, unlike you guys, the iPad, or HP AirLife, or Dell Mini 5 or Lenovo Skyligh is potentially the solution. Then I can get rid of the Blackberry and go back to a tiny little cell phone that only calls and texts! Yahoo. ”