Don't look now, but Acer—yes, that Acer—is on the verge of unseating Dell as the second-largest PC maker.

Acer's rise to the number two spot behind Hewlett-Packard was fueled in part by netbooks and other low-cost PC models, as well as what people in the biz call "vision" as it pertains to introducing new PC features months before the competition even knew consumers wanted them. The souring economy has helped too, notes the New York Times, as consumers were naturally inclined to reward PC companies that could sell them cheaper hardware.

Perhaps the biggest piece of the explosive growth puzzle, however, is Acer's relatively recent acquisition spree. The short list read, to me, like a laundry list of PCs that friends and I had owned in the early 1990s:

Over the last two years, it has acquired brands like eMachines, Gateway and Packard Bell. It pitches eMachines as its most affordable brand, while Acer-branded products cater to the mainstream. The Gateway moniker covers more expensive, flashier computers in the United States, while the Packard Bell brand serves the same purpose in Europe.

The four-front branding assault adds a thick layer of complexity to the company's ultimate goal of establishing a consistent image around the globe. But Mr. Lanci says PC makers must follow the lead of automobile companies and the likes of Procter & Gamble with a brand for every occasion now that consumers make up such a large part of the computer business.

These factors have combined to give Acer a sure shot at dethroning the mighty Dell as the No. 2 PC maker. That fact sat strangely with us at Gizmodo today, if only because of the scant anecdotal evidence we've associated with the brand: Neither Blam or I could name one person we know who owns an Acer computer.

Obviously someone is buying all these computers (and that comment isn't meant as a sleight against Acer at all), but who? You? [NYT]

The wonderfully retro Olympus E-P1, recently fondled by the hands of beautiful Chinese models, has been subsequently unboxed and fondled by the rough hands of some lucky guy in the U.K.

We get a good look at the interchangeable lenses, the rig itself, as well as a shot of the pretty pedestrian box. As we've said before, it's what's inside that counts with this sexy beast. [Recently Reviewed via Engadget]

The wonderfully retro Olympus E-P1, recently fondled by the hands of beautiful Chinese models, has been subsequently unboxed and fondled by the rough hands of some lucky guy in the U.K.

We get a good look at the interchangeable lenses, the rig itself, as well as a shot of the pretty pedestrian box. As we've said before, it's what's inside that counts with this sexy beast. [Recently Reviewed via Engadget]

The inventor of this head-pounding "alarm clock" is admittedly a bit quirky ("Hi Mom!" cliche, check!), but I'll be damned if I don't give him kudos for inventing the most violent, aggressive alarm clock I've ever seen.

Sadly, the source site doesn't allow embedding, so I've assembled a series of screen grabs to try and capture the raw violence I saw in the original video. The same video, coincidentally, you can catch in the accompanying link. [TechEblog]

The inventor of this head-pounding "alarm clock" is admittedly a bit quirky ("Hi Mom!" cliche, check!), but I'll be damned if I don't give him kudos for inventing the most violent, aggressive alarm clock I've ever seen.

Sadly, the source site doesn't allow embedding, so I've assembled a series of screen grabs to try and capture the raw violence I saw in the original video. The same video, coincidentally, you can catch in the accompanying link. [TechEblog]

io9 was busy this weekend detailing detailing how the future might look as "augmented reality" takes off in the next decade or so. Personally, I can't wait for the information overload. It's just too bad spam will follow us into 2020. [io9]

io9 was busy this weekend detailing detailing how the future might look as "augmented reality" takes off in the next decade or so. Personally, I can't wait for the information overload. It's just too bad spam will follow us into 2020. [io9]

The quick lens of U.S. Navy sonar technician Ronald Dejarnett was able to capture this Air Force F-22 going supersonic over the Gulf of Alaska as the pilot did his best Top Gun flyby impression. [U.S. Navy]

The quick lens of U.S. Navy sonar technician Ronald Dejarnett was able to capture this Air Force F-22 going supersonic over the Gulf of Alaska as the pilot did his best Top Gun flyby impression. [U.S. Navy]

TV pitchman Billy Mays was found dead this morning in his Tampa Bay home. The unmistakable Mays, whose signature high decibel delivery was a staple for dozens of quirky TV commercial wares and gadgets, was 50.

The video at left was Mays' recent visit to The Tonight Show, where he pitched his new reality show, Pitchmen. [FOX News]