http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1364460
Ultra helpful article that allowed me to manually set a resolution of 1280x1024 on a VGA monitor with the command xrandr --newmode "1280x1024_60.00" 109.00 1280 1368 1496 1712 1024 1027 1034 1063 -hsync +vsync &&xrandr --addmode VGA1 1280x1024_60.00` `
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Ericsson_F3507g_Mobile_Broadband_Module
Useful info on powering off the 3g modem on a Lenovo X301. Also includes tips on powering off other power saving devices at boot / resume.