I.T. News

[elgatonegro]

Hi guys/gals,

Just want to share some of the "New Technologies" available in the market. Hope you can share also some new/hot gadgets that we can share here in this thread.


Toshiba launches world’s first laptop with 128GB solid state drive


Toshiba’s Digital Products Division announced the addition of a 128GB solid state drive (SSD) into the innovative Portégé laptop series.

Toshiba’s 2.4 pound Portégé R500-S5007V is the world’s lightest laptop with a 128GB SSD and DVD SuperMulti drive and one of the world’s thinnest with a SSD and DVD SuperMulti drive.

Utilizing the industry’s largest solid state drive capacity of 128GB, Toshiba’s Portégé R500-S5007V provides ample storage space for carrying critical company data and sensitive personal data while traveling. With no moving parts, SSD technology provides customers with an enhanced level of reliability, durability and system responsiveness.

To provide added convenience and on-the-go productivity, the Portégé R500 series is the world’s first laptop to ship with a 7mm DVD SuperMulti drive. The built-in optical drive reduces the Portégé R500-S5007V’s travel weight by providing users with an all-in-one solution, eliminating the bulk and inconvenience of carrying additional drives and cables.

For enhanced outdoor viewing, the Portégé R500 series incorporates the world’s first widescreen 12.1-inch transreflective LED backlit display, a feature that embraces the variety of lighting scenarios in which laptop computers are used including direct sunlight. Indoors, the LED backlit display produces an image rich in color saturation and superb quality. Outdoors, the transreflective screen lets the sun’s light pass through and reflects it out to bring the images on the display to life so users can switch off the LED backlighting while outdoors and decrease overall battery consumption. This feature also makes the Toshiba Portégé R500 series an ideal choice for environmentally conscious users. This innovative display technology also enables users to expand their mobile computing boundaries beyond the traditional four walls of their office, home or local coffee shop to include locations with direct sunlight.

Measuring as thin as 0.77-inches, the Portégé R500 series uses Toshiba’s proprietary High Density Mounting Technology process to enable dual-sided motherboard component mounting. This innovative technology produces a motherboard that is one-third the size of a mainstream 15.4-inch notebook’s motherboard, while still providing users the same functionality.

The more than eight hours of battery life of the Portégé R500-S5007V gives users a full work day of normal computing on a single charge. To achieve this extended computing life, Toshiba subjected key system components to meticulous energy efficiency evaluation. Key Portégé R500-S5007V components use low power consumption technology including both the 128GB SSD and an ultra low voltage processor.

For executive durability and security, the Portégé R500-S5007V incorporates Toshiba’s EasyGuard™ Technology including advanced encryption, multiple level passwords and a fingerprint reader. These innovative features help prevent theft, and protect against unauthorized access to the user’s system, helping keep confidential information secure. In terms of data protection, the elimination of all mechanical moving parts from the hard drive further enhances the level of reliability and durability.


Additional information about Toshiba’s EasyGuard Technology is available at easyguard toshiba

* Portégé R500-S5007V Recommended Configuration (MSRP $2,999) Genuine Windows Vista™ Business (32-bit version)
o With Downgrade media for Genuine Windows XP Professional
* Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor U77006
o 1.33GHz, 2MB L2, 533MHz FSB with 64 bit7
* 2048 PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM8
* 128GB Serial ATA solid state drive
* 12.1-inch diagonal widescreen high brightness display
o 1280 x 800 (WXGA) — Transreflective backlit LED
* Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950
* 7mm, 8xDVD-SuperMulti (+/-R Single Layer) drive supporting 9 formats
* Intel® Wireless Wi-Fi Link 4965AGN
* Intel® PRO/1000 — 10/100/1000 Ethernet
* Bluetooth® 2.0 + EDR
* 3-Year Standard Limited Warranty

[jasonbellevue]

Way cool, thanks for sharing!

[elgatonegro]

Originally Posted by jasonbellevue

Way cool, thanks for sharing!

no problem bro. Hopefully all of us can share some of our latest/favorite gadget(s) here.

[elgatonegro]

The Samsung i900 is finally unveiled.

Called Samsung i900 Omnia, this Windows Mobile PocketPC could be a strong competitor of the 3G iPhone, and ready to go head-to-head with HTC Touch Diamond.

Samsung i900 Omnia will be first displayed at the CommunicAsia expo in Singapore from June 17 to 20.

Based on Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro, the Samsung i900 offers a 3.2-inch WideQVGA display (240 x 400 pixels) and an optical mouse much like the one found in the Samsung i780.

Camera-wise the Samsung i900 Omnia is one helluva amibitious handset - offering a 5 megapixel auto focus snapper with face and smile detection plus auto-panorama shot. Geotagging is also among the camera features since the i900 also packs a built-in GPS receiver.

The Samsung i900 Omnia is only 12.5mm and the brushed metal back certainly adds to its refined looks. That figure along with the other dimensions makes it rather identical to the Apple iPhone.

Most importantly the i900 shares with the iPhone the same massive internal memory - both an 8GB and a 16GB i900 versions will be available with the microSD still present for further expanding those with up to 16 gigs worth of storage.

The specs sheet of the Samsung i900 is then boosted by the quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support plus HSDPA 7.2Mbps. Thanks to the built-in accelerometer, the UI automatically rotates to follow the handset’s current orientation. Wi-Fi support is also on board to make the i900 sound even juicier.

The USB port, FM radio with RDS and stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) are among the final touches to this loaded PocketPC.

And since touch-optimization is of critical importance when you strive to compete with Apple’s iPhone, Samsung have also ported their TouchWiz user interface for use on Windows Mobile.

We saw that Touch UI for the first time on the Samsung F480 and we surely enjoyed it.

The Samsung i900 Omnia will be available soon.

[DanP]

Originally Posted by elgatonegro

The Samsung i900 is finally unveiled.

Called Samsung i900 Omnia, this Windows Mobile PocketPC could be a strong competitor of the 3G iPhone, and ready to go head-to-head with HTC Touch Diamond.

Samsung i900 Omnia will be first displayed at the CommunicAsia expo in Singapore from June 17 to 20.

Based on Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro, the Samsung i900 offers a 3.2-inch WideQVGA display (240 x 400 pixels) and an optical mouse much like the one found in the Samsung i780.

Camera-wise the Samsung i900 Omnia is one helluva amibitious handset - offering a 5 megapixel auto focus snapper with face and smile detection plus auto-panorama shot. Geotagging is also among the camera features since the i900 also packs a built-in GPS receiver.

The Samsung i900 Omnia is only 12.5mm and the brushed metal back certainly adds to its refined looks. That figure along with the other dimensions makes it rather identical to the Apple iPhone.

Most importantly the i900 shares with the iPhone the same massive internal memory - both an 8GB and a 16GB i900 versions will be available with the microSD still present for further expanding those with up to 16 gigs worth of storage.

The specs sheet of the Samsung i900 is then boosted by the quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support plus HSDPA 7.2Mbps. Thanks to the built-in accelerometer, the UI automatically rotates to follow the handset’s current orientation. Wi-Fi support is also on board to make the i900 sound even juicier.

The USB port, FM radio with RDS and stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) are among the final touches to this loaded PocketPC.

And since touch-optimization is of critical importance when you strive to compete with Apple’s iPhone, Samsung have also ported their TouchWiz user interface for use on Windows Mobile.

We saw that Touch UI for the first time on the Samsung F480 and we surely enjoyed it.

The Samsung i900 Omnia will be available soon.

My sister in law has that phone for office use in china. She says its a piece of garbage, and after a few uses I agree.

[elgatonegro]

InFocus Corporation has announced that its latest premium business projector models—the IN5534 and IN5504—are now shipping. The InFocus IN5500 series includes four new feature-rich, HD projectors designed specifically for businesses and professional AV installers, featuring high-performance, adjustable optics that enable easy integration into any room, regardless of size or dimensions.

They offer the proven picture reliability of DLP with BrilliantColor technology from Texas Instruments. Automatic sensors for ceiling detection and keystone eliminate commonly encountered radial distortions including pincushion and barrel distortion, enabling perfectly projected images even on imperfect surfaces. A new SplitScreen display option eliminates the need for multiple displays when video conferencing, using white boards or conducting collaborative presentations. The integration of long-life lamps and virtually maintenance-free design, make the IN5500 installation models the most cost effective high-performance projectors available.

Both feature WUXGA (1920 x 1200) resolution, up to 7000 lumens, motorised lens shift and interchangeable lenses for short throw to ultra long throw projection, DLP DarkChip liquid cooled DMD technology and a dual lamp option (IN5534) for fail-safe 24/7 operations. Both models offer unique customisable skins and cable management which allow customers to blend the projector seamlessly into their environment.
“The IN5534 and IN5504 truly embody the cutting edge in business projector technology and style,” said Benjamin Joy, product line director for InFocus. “The latest technologies, combined with our decades of research in user-friendly design and intuitive operation, make the new InFocus IN5500 installation series a reliable, affordable investment that will change how businesses experience projection.”

InFocus IN5534




InFocus IN5504

[TheDude]

Not bad, but I am a bit let down by SSDs - at least in their current form. So far, they haven't really delivered on either of the promises associated with them. They don't improve battery life, and they aren't faster.


I am thinking of getting an MSI Wind to lighten the load when I travel.

http://www.laptopmag.com/review/laptops/msi-wind.aspx

[elgatonegro]

Originally Posted by TheDude

Not bad, but I am a bit let down by SSDs - at least in their current form. So far, they haven't really delivered on either of the promises associated with them. They don't improve battery life, and they aren't faster.


I am thinking of getting an MSI Wind to lighten the load when I travel.

http://www.laptopmag.com/review/laptops/msi-wind.aspx

Like what MSI WIND tells..Light and Graceful Mobile Life When You Are on the Go!

MSI Notebook is drawing mass attention with the coming release of the MSI Wind Notebook. Intel has already made its presentation with the MSI Wind Notebook in Shanghai during IDF (Intel Development Forum). The light and graceful MSI Wind Notebook will provide the simplest operating conditions for the everyday enjoyment for our users.

Living in the new age of the internet, every person has the needs for effective internet connection both at professionally and personally. MSI offers the new Wind Notebook to meet the demands of the modern people, in providing a lighter and more convenient notebook computer.

Through the advancement of information and technology, the internet has become the very bridge that connects the world. It is also the most effective way of receiving the latest of necessary knowledge and methods. The small and beautiful Wind Notebook will provide the necessities for all computer functions, as wells as simple and friendly operating conditions so all of us may participate in the world of the internet.


Friendly and Familiar Operation System


MSI Notebook is about to release the Wind Notebook that is approximately 1 kilogram in weight, making it very ideal for taking it on the go. At the same time, providing the most personable operational conditions by selecting Microsoft's Windows XP as our console, so our users can be familiar with the operational functions, avoiding the adjustment of a new system.

The Wind Notebook has selected the 8.9 "and the 10" wide LCD display as oppose to the typical smaller sizes to provide better comfort while viewing or reading. The embedded LED power-saving backlight technology can provide better color in richness and brightness, elevating the total quality of imagery. The 1024x 600 resolution can relief concerns of the full display of Web Pages while browsing, giving you the freedom when exploring the internet.

MSI Notebook has the same persistence for proper ergonomically design even on the keyboards of our smaller notebook computers. The keyboard of the Wind Notebook not only has great texture, it also increased the space between the keys to 17.5mm, allowing you to be as comfortable as you can.

In addition, with the equipped standard battery package, longer battery life can escalate the mobility and the productiveness of the Wind Notebook, which can also make your daily lives much more convenient.

Unlike its other competitors that has compromised the memory capacity to decrease in size, the Wind Notebook is equipped with the 2.5 inch standard hard drive〈80G〉. It can operate just as any other notebook computers; without the worries of not having enough memory capacity to record the greatest moments in life.









Thanks for sharing these cool gadget. Good choice.

[elgatonegro]

Ultra-compact, stylish and with a unique lens cover that slides open to reveal the 5.0 megapixel Auto Focus camera, is just one of the many features of the new Sony Ericsson C902.

The quadband, UMTS phone is packed with a 2-inch TFT LCD display, Bluetooth 2.0 for connectivity, and 160MB built-in internal memory.

The built-in memory has the equivalent of storage for up to 100 full resolution photos – plus the possibility to add even more memory with the Memory Stick Micro (M2) that is bundled with the phone.

The included WAP 2.0/HTML browser ensures Internet surfing, while the organiser sub-menu contains applications like calendar, notes, calculator, and video call features.

The C902 Cyber-shot sports a camera performance beyond its sleek and slim looks. The phone’s lighting dramatically signals when it is in camera mode by switching from white to blue. The eight camera touch keys come to life and let you choose between camera modes, Photo Flash, Face Detection and Auto Focus, and more with just one touch without moving your finger from the shutter button.

With the C902 Cyber-shot you just need to slide open the active lens cover and shoot. The Face Detection and Auto Focus capability enables the camera to detect and focus on the face of your subject rather than on the background, so that you can take sharp and high quality pictures of your friends.

You can be confident of getting the perfect shot with the C902. The phone incorporates the latest in lighting technology – Photo Flash – giving you better quality pictures even in low-light conditions. Also, a light solution has been added to the established BestPic feature, which lets you take nine photos in quick succession, choose the best and delete the rest. So now you can use BestPic wherever you are, perhaps even to capture the dance-floor action in a club.

Use x-Pict story to add music and transitions to your gallery of photos and automatically create your own multi-media slideshow to share with your friends. Lights, music, action!

You can transfer the images on your phone to your computer by using the CCR-70 M2 USB Adapter, which is sold separately. Save your photos to the phone’s memory card, remove it and pop it into the CCR-70. You then slot the card reader into your laptop and all your photos can be dragged across. Delete from your Memory Stick and you’re ready to go and fill it up again with more memories.

The slim line C902 Cyber-shot will have everyone wanting to have their pictures taken.

[elgatonegro]

The E-510 is extremely portable, measuring 5.35 inches (136mm) by 3.61 inches (91.7mm) and 2.2 inches (56mm), excluding protrusions, and weighing 16.2 ounces (460 grams) body only.

The new camera has a classic penta-mirror design that is light and compact enough to comfortably shoot with all day.

Beyond its portable size, the E-510 delivers unparalleled ease of use – from menus that make sense and buttons on the body that are easy to understand and operate, to automatic settings for every imaginable situation.

While the E-510 includes a full range of manual control options to customize your creativity, it also has 28 shooting modes designed to provide the ideal settings for a variety of shooting situations automatically. These include Digital Image Stabilization, Night Scene, Fireworks, Beach and Snow, and Candle Light to name a few, as well as an xD Panorama mode (for use with Olympus xD-Picture Cards).

Users also benefit from special color modes and the possibility to apply a variety of Black & White filters.

Accepting both CompactFlash Type I & II, Microdrives, and xD-Picture Cards, the camera provides a choice of data storage options for enhanced flexibility, and it is possible to transfer image files from one card to the other right inside the camera.

The E-510 features a Live View LCD to provide users with the freedom to choose how they compose their shots, using either the LCD or the optical viewfinder on the back of the camera. Simply put it, the convenience of point-and-shoot cameras where the viewfinder is one of the LCD display’s feature is included in this SLR camera.

Users can now easily compose their subjects live on the LCD before the shot has been taken, offering a level of versatility that can not be achieved by other digital SLR cameras that only offer an optical viewfinder.

The E-510 can be held away from the face and using the Live View LCD to compose, it’s possible to shoot upward from a low angle for dramatic composition, in close for detailed macro photos of a butterfly’s wings or photographing a parade over a crowd of people.

The big and bright 2.5-inch LCD display contains approximately 230,000 pixels and includes HyperCrystal technology, which offers many times the contrast of conventional LCD monitors. This enables images to be beautifully displayed in vivid color – both in preview and playback. The HyperCrystal LCD also provides a wide viewing angle, which ensures images can be composed from even the most obscure angles. The larger LCD makes viewing icons and text on the camera’s menu a squint-free process.

The E-510 is loaded with an impressive 10 million pixels for high-resolution photos. The 10-megapixel sensor gives photographers the flexibility to blow up their prints to the large sizes supported by many of today’s printers, or crop the image to print only a part of the image that is important to them. The high-performance Live MOS image sensor in the E-510 delivers excellent dynamic range for accurate color fidelity, and a new state-of-the-art amplifier circuit to eradicate noise and capture fine image details in the highlight and shadow areas.

Unlike other digital SLR cameras in its class, the E-510 employs Mechanical Image Stabilization, which compensates for camera movement.

This new technology complements Digital Image Stabilization, which compensates for a moving subject. Combined, Mechanical Image Stabilization and Digital Image Stabilization provide a powerful solution, ensuring blur-free photos even in active shooting situations where photographers may encounter camera shake or a moving subject.

This powerful combination resides within the camera’s body, translating to blur-free images taken with any of the more than 30 digital-specific lenses.

Olympus’ Dust Reduction System produces spot-free photos with the exclusive Supersonic Wave Filter. The patented ultrasonic technology vibrates to remove dust and other particles from the front of the image sensor, and captures the debris on a special adhesive membrane every time you turn on the camera. These spot-free photos liberate users from hours spent retouching photographs at the computer or sending their cameras back to the manufacturer to remove dust trapped inside.

Olympus’ enhanced TruePic III Image Processor produces crystal clear photos using all the pixel information for each image to provide the best digital images possible for every photo with accurate color, true-to-life flesh tones, brilliant blue skies and precise tonal representation in between.

TruePic III also lowers image noise by one step to reduce noise in images shot at higher ISO settings, enabling great results in low-light situations.

The versatility of the Olympus E-System comes from delivering the largest selection of "Designed-for-Digital" lenses – more than any other manufacturer to date. Olympus’ Zuiko Digital Specific Lenses come in a wide range of focal lengths to achieve the best image result in any given situation, and impress with their spectacular clarity and edge-to-edge sharpness.

[elgatonegro]

LG Mobile’s Black Label series of high-end mobile phones has played a great part in the Korean electronics company’s transformation into a well-known mobile brand.

The product line has helped establish LG as a serious contender in the mobile phone industry as far as design and product innovation are concerned.

With the Chocolate for its debut product, the product range has become a roster of bestsellers for the previously not-so-popular mobile phone vendor. The Chocolate phone sold millions of units, making the rest of the industry take notice of the electronics giant’s forays into the mobile phone market.

Shine, the second handset in the Black Label range, continued this trend, reinforcing the product line’s reputation for inspired designs and quality manufacturing.

Hence, the third, and latest, addition to the series comes burdened with high market expectations. Would it live up to these expectations? Would the unit be as inspired and as innovation-filled as its predecessors?

Buoyed by strong sales during the first two weeks after its launch in European markets, the LG KF750, also known as the Secret mobile phone, was launched with lots of fanfare at the CommunicAsia 2008 trade show in Singapore.

My initial reaction when I first met the Secret approximated what I felt when I first saw my childhood sweetheart. More than beauty, this Korean mobile phone seems infused with an ethereal yet sturdy, we-mean-business presence.

This perception seems reinforced by the phone’s weight, which aside from making its presence felt, makes the unit seems strong and enduring. This turned out to be an impression grounded on reality.

With a body built from steel and carbon fiber, the Secret exudes elegance and strength.

This 51 x 103 x 12mm, 116-gram slider comes with a 37 x 50mm main screen with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. The phone’s rather generous LCD can ably display photos and videos captured by its built-in 5-megapixel camera.

Tempered glass protects nearly the whole front surface of the phone, aside from enhancing the phone’s high-end looks. The phone’s back, meanwhile, is amply protected by the battery cover made from carbon fiber.

As with LG’s previous high-end mobile phones, imaging is one of the Secret’s more impressive features. Its 5-megapixel camera enables the KF750 to take pictures and videos with quality that rivals those captured by dedicated digital cameras.

The phone’s multimedia features are also at par with competitors in the market segment it occupies.

The Secret also comes bundled with the usual business applications including file-viewing programs, calendars, and data synchronization that consumers have come to expect from high-end mobile phones. The same goes for the wireless and wired connectivity options, such as Bluetooth, USB 2.0, 3G and HSDPA.

In general, the Secret lives up to its billing as a mobile phone that combines the best in style with innovative features. While its design and style make the phone stand out in the currently crowded high-end mobile phone market, its innovative features are sure to satisfy even the most discriminating of consumers.

There are only a couple or so of issues that we found with the Secret.

First, its touch screen feature has a limited scope. Not all parts of the screen are covered by the touch screen functionality. Nor does it make its presence felt at all times.

Also, the touch screen control pad is a bit too sensitive for my taste. People with big thumbs like me tend to find themselves in the wrong folder or activating the wrong feature.

Other than these, the Secret is a mobile phone consumers would be proud to display and let the world know as their own.

Combining functionality and style, this beauty from LG Mobile continues the winning tradition of the company’s Black Label series.

[mickeydainish]

Cool.... good read... Tx... :-)

I like the latest from Asus in their Eeepc range.. the 1000H......
10" display... very small and light.... 80gig HD..... 2gig Ram... Ultra Portable...
.... and oh ya... what a gadget!!!!



and for those who want to read.......
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/noteboo...43457-6,00.htm

[frostie]

This is one of the best thread i've ever seen

Keep up the great work clap:

[Rockrolex]

For my birthday, my wife got me the Fujitsu P8010 notebook. It's got a 1.2 G Intel Dual Core processor, 2 G RAM, 200 G Hard Drive, 12.1" screen, built-in wireless link, multiformat DVD writer, integrated bluetooth, integrated webcam, SD and PC card slots, 3 USB ports, 1394 port, ethernet, modem, and a bunch of other ports, and weighs in at under 3.5 lb.

http://store.shopfujitsu.com/fpc/Eco...o?series=P8010

What I love about it is that it has everything built-in in a small footprint and weight package. No need for an external CD/DVD drive to hook up. Works great in cramped coach seat, even when the bozo in front of me puts his seat all the way back.

The only thing I'm having to get used to is Windows Vista. I couldn't get it with XP, so it's like having to learn my way around a new town.

[elgatonegro]

Originally Posted by frostie

This is one of the best thread i've ever seen

Keep up the great work clap:

Thanks. Anways, here's one of the hottes gadget available in the market..

Hewlett-Packard's 14-inch HP Pavilion dv2700 offers an upscale design and feature set in a laptop with a price that is quite affordable, including Altec Lansing stereo speakers, a remote control, and an HDMI port. Our review unit clocked added a TV tuner, dedicated graphics, and Intel's latest Core 2 Duo T9300 CPU.

But these are all features available elsewhere. The real star is HP's high-gloss, black-and-bronze finish, called "Verve". HP likes it so much, it calls this a "Special Edition", although the dv2700 is also available in a nonspecial version without the new design for less (at the moment, that's offset by a free upgrade on the Special Edition to 3GB of RAM).

We liked the solid design and wealth of features, and 14 inches is our preference for mainstream computing (as opposed to bulkier 15-inch models), but the dv2700 loses points for being heavier than it should be, and for charging us extra for a fancy pattern.

Price as reviewed - S$2,599 (US$1,911.03)
Processor - 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9300
Memory - 3GB 667MHz DDR2
Hard drive - 250GB 5,400rpm
Chipset - Intel GM965
Graphics - Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS
Operating System -Windows Vista Premium
Dimensions (WDH) -334 x 237 x 39mm
Screen size (diagonal) - 14.1 inches
System weight - 2.4kg
Category - Mainstream


The new dv2700 Special Edition is essentially similar to the Pavilion dv2500 we looked at in the summer of 2007, albeit with updated components. The new "Verve" design is a swirly, organic-looking black-and-bronze affair. While it's aesthetically pleasing, we're not sure it would be enough to sway our laptop-buying decision one way or the other.

The dv2700 felt a bit heavy for a 14-inch laptop at 2.4kg. Recent lighter 14-inch models include the Toshiba Satellite M305-S4826 and the Fujitsu LifeBook S7211.

The dv2700 has a nearly full-size keyboard, with full Page Up and Page Down keys--usually the first thing laptop makers cut for space. A row of seemingly mandatory touch-sensitive buttons is above the keyboard, with media transport controls and quick-launch buttons for HP's proprietary media management software.

A credit-card-style remote control that stows in the Express Card slot works with this or other media software--we've seen that on other HP laptops, such as the Pavilion tx2000 and have always liked it. We also received an optional Express Card digital/analog TV tuner, which included its own full-size remote control. We've never had much luck with either traditional TV tuners (poor image quality), but your mileage may vary. The speakers got reasonably loud, and were clear, but lacked any bottom end, making them OK for Web videos and movies in a pinch, but not suitable for music.

The 14.1-inch wide-screen LCD offers a 1,280 x 800 native resolution, which is standard for a screen this size, and makes for text and icons that are highly readable. We generally prefer matte display finishes--glossy ones, as on the dv2700, can reflect glare from surrounding lights, but they can also offer a better movie-watching experience. It's largely a matter of personal preference.

While it has only two USB ports, the dv2700 goes overboard with video output options, including VGA, S-Video, and HDMI out. However, we'd easily ditch the rarely used S-Video or modem jacks for a few more USB connections.

With its 2.5GHz T9300 CPU, the dv2700 is a speedy performer, easily beating comparable mainstream laptops such as the Toshiba Satellite U405 and M305, which have the slightly slower 2.1GHz T8100 CPU. We had no trouble with multitasking, running multiple Web browsers, office applications and media players at the same time. The Nvidia GeForce 8400 isn't the most powerful video card out there, but we managed to squeeze a very playable 33 frames per second out of Unreal Tournament III at 1,280 x 800.

[RogerF]

great read. I just got the GF a Acer AspireOne (the Asus EEEPC fighter) and love it. Its a great little toy, I will be getting one for myself once the ones with more than 16GB come out for the Cdn market.

[elgatonegro]

“Boom da base” comes in a small package


Music can now be brought anywhere using portable mp3 players, mobile phones, and even laptops.

Those who love to share their music with other people bring along a portable speaker. And like portable music players, audio speakers have also become portable.

We’ve seen numerous portable speakers in the market but not as impressive as this one. The X-Minimax speakers is a new player in the Philippine market and it’s actually quite impressive both in design and performance.

The X-Minimax has a circular package almost the same like that of a shuttlecock tube but only as long as a tall glass. And it comes with three components - the input/audio union cable, the speakers, and a pouch. As simple as that.

If you haven’t seen the X-Minimax in one of our features, you might say that the capsule design is not really new. But there’s a twist to it. It’s actually two individual speakers that sticks together on its base via magnet.

Either stuck to each other (capsule mode) or separated (speaker mode), it’ up to you how you want to use it. And there isn’t any warnings that you cannot use it while in capsule mode. The only problem while in capsule mode is that it can easily roll on an uneven surface.

Each X-Minimax speaker has its own power button because it has its own built-in rechargeable battery that is charge via USB. Speaking of which, the supplied USB cable is very unique (if you happen to break it, I don’t know where you can get a replacement). This is the input/audio union cable; it is composed of two retractable mini USBs joined together on one end, and a standard USB and a baby stereo jack combination on the other end.

You should immediately take note of how thin the cords of the input/audio cable are. Better keep it from getting folded in your bag or pocket as you bring it along.

Anyways, there are actually two twists to the X-Minimax. The first one, as I’ve already said, is that it’s a two speaker system, and the other twist is the "bass xpansion system."

Each individual speaker’s audio quality can be expanded. When you want to add a little "boom da base" to it, you do it by twisting the top portion of each speaker counter-clockwise and the accordion-like portion called the "expandable vacuum base" is revealed. If you will do this while playing music, you would notice the (small) difference and the audio quality sounds (a little) better with base.

Take note, though, that the expandable vacuum base is made of a flexible plastic material so make sure you are careful with the twisting part. We’re not sure how tough this part is but we tried to stretch it carefully. Unfortunately, it doesn’t expand more than when sprung out.

We tried all the recommended devices that can be paired with the X-Minimax and all of it proved impressive results. At high volume levels, you can only hear very minimal cracking sounds. With it’s small size, it sounded better than those cheap, 200-peso desktop speakers sold everywhere.

Connect this to a UMPC and it would sound better than a laptop with built-in Dolby speakers.

There are only a few grimaces to the X-Minimax - the input/audio union cable (would XM-I Pte Ltd. make replacements available), price (I heard it’s a bit expensive for a tiny speaker), and support (in case users accidentally damage it). Overall, it’s a pretty impressive equipment.

One of our employees is already asking for a good deal on the demo unit.

[elgatonegro]

Samsung's newest digital media player, the YP-P2, was recently awarded the sixth spot in TIME Magazine's list of the top 10 gadgets of 2007.

ts touch-based interface, large widescreen display, and Bluetooth support certainly make it worthy of the honor on paper, but what about in practice? Read on to find out.

This review is based on the P2 running US firmware version 1.11.


System Specifications

Capacities: 4GB, 8GB
Supported audio: MP3, WMA, WMA-DRM, AAC (via firmware update)
Supported video: SVI (MPEG4/MP3, 480 x 272)
WMV9 (WMV9/WMA9, 320 x 240 or 480 x 272)

Extras: Bluetooth, photo viewer, FM radio, datacasts, alarm, calendar, world clock, text viewer
Display: 3" touchscreen (480 x 272, 262K colors)
Dimensions: 3.94" x 2.05" x 0.39"
Weight: 3.03 ounces
Colors: Black, white, burgundy





Design

With its elongated PMMA and metal body, large touchscreen, and buttonless face, it's no wonder that "sleek" and "sexy" are two of the most common adjectives used to describe the player.

Unmistakable resemblance to the iPod touch aside, the Samsung P2's streamlined design is a definite head-turner. Its rounded back make it comfortable to hold, and it feels smooth and strong in the hand. Even though the device is quite thin (0.39 inches), it doesn't feel fragile or like it's going to snap in half if not handled with care.
Size

At just shy of 4 inches long, the P2 is right on the cusp of what I consider to be too big for a flash player.




Size

At just shy of 4 inches long, the P2 is right on the cusp of what I consider to be too big for a flash player.

It is still extremely portable and easy to carry but displayed alongside the new iPod nano and iriver clix 2, it's quite big.

Shown above is the P2 with the first-generation Microsoft Zune, Samsung K3, original iPod nano, and Toshiba gigabeat T400. It isn't that much bigger than the K3, but it also isn't that much smaller than the Zune. In other words, the P2 is treading dangerously close to hard-drive-player size. Given that the unit maxes out at just 8GB, an argument could be made that for the amount of pocket space it requires (i.e., based on size alone), you'd be better off with a HDD-based Zune 80 (80GB) or iPod classic (160GB).

[elgatonegro]

NEW YORK - In a breakneck technology world where the second-generation iPhone is already old news, electronics companies, toy makers and software firms can’t wait to tease gadget fans.

Here are some highlights as robots, video gear and tech for kids jostled for attention:

Webcam meet wheels

WowWee, known for robotic toys like the Robosapien and Flytech Dragonfly, is swerving in a more serious direction next month with the launch of Rovio, a three-wheeled, Wi-Fi-connected mobile webcam.

Using an Internet connection from anywhere in the world, Rovio owners can remotely drive the device around a home or office and see and hear through its camera and microphone. WowWee says this "telepresence" technology can be used to keep an eye on pets, attend meetings, monitor a house or read bedtime stories to distant kids through a speaker system.

Rovio includes a navigation system that can be programmed with indoor landmarks, a dock where it parks itself to recharge and an LED headlight.

Rovio is expected to sell for about 9. In mid-August, the Web site www.meetrovio.com is to offer people a chance to remotely control a Rovio online.

Later this year, Rovio may face competition from a device with similar goals: iRobot Corp.’s ConnectR.

Turn left. Press turbo boost

What do you get when you mix modern navigation technology with 1980s pop culture nostalgia? The Knight Rider GPS from Mio Technology, of course.

It may not allow your car to jump vast chasms or deflect bullets, but this GPS unit does speak driving directions with the same voice as KITT, the black Pontiac Trans Am with artificial intelligence from the TV show. Mio recruited actor William Daniels, the original voice of KITT, to record turn-by-turn directions, greetings and 300 names to personalize the experience.

The unit’s 4.3-inch touch screen is surrounded by a black exterior complete with red flashing lights on the sides. KITT’s signature side-to-side light appears during start-up.

The GPS includes pre-loaded maps of the U.S. and Canada. It is expected to go on sale by early September. For more details, visit www.knightridergps.com.

Could a Dukes of Hazzard GPS be next? If the Knight Rider version sells well, anything is possible, a Mio spokesman said.

My BlackBerry is where?

For "CrackBerry" addicts, is there anything worse than not knowing where you left your beloved handheld? YouGetItBack.com promises a way to help.

The company is one of the online lost and found services that help people recover misplaced laptops and mobile devices using ID stickers. It also sells software dubbed Cellphone Superhero that lets people remotely lock their lost or stolen mobile phones and back up contact information.

A new version coming in August is to include a feature for tracking a device’s location using GPS or the positions of cell phone towers. The handheld’s location is shown on an online map.

The software works on the BlackBerry Pearl, Curve and 8800 models and a variety of phones made by Nokia, Samsung and Panasonic.

Play game. Get cuddly toy

Not all video games and toys involve explosions and young boys. Toy giant Mattel has girls ages 6-12 in mind for My Meebas, a new toy coming in late July that combines electronic gaming and a plush little creature.

Each My Meebas is a colored tube with a sliding LCD screen and control panel. By playing games that nurture and care for what’s inside, the creature grows up, the tube unlocks and "a plush toy is born," the company says. (NYT)

[TheDude]

Don't rush out and buy any full-size laptops boys and girls...

We're on the cusp of BluRay-equipped laptops. The advent of the new Intel GM45 mobile chipset along with Centrino 2 (Montevino) will be bringing great capabilities to laptops in the next few months...

Nearly all Montevino CPUs are low power, and -ALL- are the 22x22mm package (the size used by MacBook Air). The previous package size for mobile Centrino CPUs was 35x35mm. That means lots more "Air-sized" offerings.


http://www.intel.com/Products/Notebo...5-overview.htm

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets...oc.aspx?i=3356

[elgatonegro]

Originally Posted by TheDude

Don't rush out and buy any full-size laptops boys and girls...

We're on the cusp of BluRay-equipped laptops. The advent of the new Intel GM45 mobile chipset along with Centrino 2 (Montevino) will be bringing great capabilities to laptops in the next few months...

Nearly all Montevino CPUs are low power, and -ALL- are the 22x22mm package (the size used by MacBook Air). The previous package size for mobile Centrino CPUs was 35x35mm. That means lots more "Air-sized" offerings.


http://www.intel.com/Products/Notebo...5-overview.htm

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets...oc.aspx?i=3356

Thanks for the info.

[elgatonegro]

A lot of people see Nokia as a Fun Factory, others even regard it as a Fun AND MUSIC Factory.

One of the latest offerings from your friendly Finnish giant is the Nokia 5230 XpressMusic. And it could make a lot of people happy.

Presently, quality comes at a stiff price for mobile phones which promise to delight consumers brave and lucky enough to shell out the extra bucks.

Now what about us? Must we settle for less just because of these darn oil price hikes which may soon land in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest -- and darnest?

Well, despair no more.

The Nokia 5320 XpressMusic won’t hurt your pockets much, but it has the powers to perk up your drab life.

What you get for just about the right ding of the cash register is a 3G/HSDPA-enabled bar shaped smartphone (in these days, being smart is a must).

As the name implies, this is a music-oriented device that offers dedicated external music controls, stereo Bluetooth (A2DP), a stereo FM radio and a 3.5mm standard audio jack.

For better audio quality, a smartass suggested buying a dedicated audio chip on a day when we got hit by another oil price bullet (in). Yeah, right.

But another option, if you have the extra bucks, comes via the microSD memory card slot for you to plug a memory card of up to 8GB in capacity.

Frankly, we find no problem with a 512MB, and 1GB card is already a luxury. But hey, that’s why we have birthdays, and generous friends (in some cases, parents are easy targets).

Nokia has introduced the new Say and Play application, which allows users to voice control the music player, in the 5320 XpressMusic.

What is it? Okay, you just say the name of the artist you want and the tune automatically starts playing (we tried it the first time, and it worked).

So what else do we get when we pick up a 5320? Actually, a lot.

After you’ve satisfied your daily dose of music, you can switch to the 5320’s mobile gaming -- the N-Gage. The 5320 XpressMusic’s 8-way navigational D-pad is optimized for that delightful gaming experience on the 2-inch 16M color TFT display with QVGA resolution.

And how good is it? Okay, here’s a short story.

On the day we received a test unit from Nokia, we spent the night bummin’ in a friend’s house, together with a bunch of hyper-kids aged 8, 11 and 12. One of them caught the 5320 outline in our pocket, asked for it, and we obliged thinking finally, a way to keep them busy and silent.

They got busy, alright, but their blabbers got replaced by the loud bangs and strums of the Guitar Rock Tour which they discovered in the 5320.

Did we mention about the 5320 being a 2-megapixel snapper?

Well, now that we’ve mentioned it, the 5320 also sports a microUSB connectivity port and support for a number of online services which come preinstalled -- Macromedia Flash Lite 3.0, Windows Live, Flickr, Yahoo Go!, and Yahoo Messenger. By the way, an SMS reader which does text-to-speech conversion is also tossed in.

The 5320 weighs 90 grams, quite light for a 3G device, and at 108 x 46 x 15 mm. is handy. It has a talktime of 2.5 hours on 3G, 3.5 hours on GSM and it has a maximum of 10 days standby time.

Last time we checked, there’s another oil price hike coming. And while we prepare some very special expletives for that, we reserve the good words for the Nokia 5320.

[elgatonegro]

Re-defining the perception of advanced mobile phones… the HTC Touch Diamond™ signals a giant leap forward in combining hi-tech prowess with intuitive usability and exhilarating design.

Featuring a sharp 2.8-inch touch screen housed within a stunning formation of brushed metal and flawless faceted edges, the HTC Touch Diamond is as beautiful to behold as it is to use.

With HTC’s vibrant touch-responsive user interface, TouchFLO™ 3D, and ultra-fast HSDPA internet connectivity… the HTC Touch Diamond offers a rich online experience to rival a notebook computer, allowing you to interact with Google, YouTube, and Wikipedia as freely as you would with a broadband connection.

Your contacts, favourite music, videos and photos are no longer an uninspired line of text. With TouchFLO 3D, album artwork, video stills and snapshots of your friends’ and family’s faces are brought to life for you to interact, play and launch at your fingertips.

A 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera will help you capture the perfect moment in style and with a massive 4GB of internal storage you can keep all the files you need. The integrated ultra-sensitive GPS will help you find your destination as quickly and efficiently as a dedicated satellite navigation unit.

Style and substance in a phone are no longer mutually exclusive. The HTC Touch Diamond has arrived.


Highlights:

- 2.8-inch touch screen, with four times the pixels of most phones.
- Vibrant TouchFLO 3D user interface, responding perfectly to your finger gestures when scrolling through contacts, browsing the web, and launching media… all vividly displayed as photos and artwork powered by the 3D graphics processor.
- HTC Weather - providing a constant view of weather at home and abroad.
- Surf and download at broadband speed with HSDPA internet connectivity.
- 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera for quality stills and video.
- 4GB of internal storage to preserve more photos, music, files and exchanged data than ever before.
- Integrated GPS for use with maps software for a full turn-by-turn satellite navigation experience.


Specification:


Processor

Qualcomm® MSM7201A™ 528 MHz

Operating System

Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional

Memory

ROM: 256 MB
RAM: 192 MB DDR SDRAM
Internal storage: 4 GB

Dimensions

102 mm (L) X 51 mm (W) X 11.35 mm (T)

Weight

110 g (with battery)

Display

2.8-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with VGA resolution

Network

HSDPA/WCDMA:

* Europe/Asia: 900/2100 MHz
* Up to 384 kbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds

Tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:

* Europe/Asia: 900/1800/1900 MHz

(Band frequency and data speed are operator dependent.)

Device Control

TouchFLO™ 3D
Touch-sensitive navigation control
GPS GPS and A-GPS ready

Connectivity

Bluetooth® 2.0 with EDR
Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g
HTC ExtUSB™ (11-pin mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)

Camera

Main camera: 3.2 megapixel color camera with auto focus
Second camera: VGA CMOS color camera

Audio

Built-in microphone, speaker and FM radio with RDS
Ring tone supported formats:

* MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, WAV, and AMR-NB
* 40 polyphonic and Standard MIDI format 0 and 1 (SMF)/SP MIDI

Battery

Rechargeable Lithium-ion or Lithium-ion polymer battery

Capacity: 900 mAh

Talk time:

* Up to 270 minutes for WCDMA
* Up to 330 minutes for GSM

Standby time:

* Up to 396 hours for WCDMA
* Up to 285 hours for GSM

Video call time: Up to 145 minutes for WCDMA

(The above are subject to network and phone usage.)

AC Adapter

Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 50/60 Hz
DC output: 5V and 1A

[elgatonegro]

If you’re sick of the hassle and expense of the morning drive to work, consider a nice, quiet ride on the subway.

It’s surprisingly peaceful down there, with soft music and the gentle clatter of the rails.

Of course, the subway only sounds this good if you’re riding with a portable music player and a set of noise-canceling headphones. These gadgets deliver clear, clean sound while blocking out the uglier noises of the world.

Sound reaches our ears as a mass of analog waves, like ripples in a pool of water. These sound waves can be canceled out by a speaker that instantly generates the opposite sound waves. But headphones must do this without interfering with the sounds you want to hear, such as an opera or the latest Top-40 tunes.

It’s a big technical challenge to get it right. But the engineers at Bose Corp. in Framingham figured it out nearly 20 years ago, when the company introduced noise-canceling headphones for military and commercial aircraft pilots. By 2000, Bose started making them for ordinary consumers, in time for Apple Inc.’s 2001 release of the original iPod portable music player. The iPod craze has inspired better-quality headphones from a host of vendors, many of them with noise-cancellation technology. I’ve been using four of them - three traditional wrap-around headsets and a pair of earbuds - and I generally like what I’ve heard.

At 0, Sennheiser Electronic Corp.’s PXC 350 was the least expensive of the headset models. Weighing 8 ounces, it was also the bulkiest. It’s not exactly heavy, but feels like it, with huge cups that encase the ears like a couple of beer steins. Even the attached cable is thicker than usual, but it sports a welcome volume control knob.

The PXC 350 did a decent job for me during a couple of Red Line commutes. I picked iPod tracks that might be tough hearing in a tunnel - a podcast on ancient history and some tangos by Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla. While the Sennheiser didn’t deaden noise as well as some of its rivals, the worst of the din died away, leaving me to revel in Latin dance tunes and Roman politics.

Unlike its rivals, the PXC 350 is powered by two AAA batteries, one in each earcup. That means you don’t have to plug in the headphones to recharge them, a potential nuisance on long trips. And if the batteries die, you lose the noise-cancellation feature, but can still listen to music. By contrast, the other headsets were useless without battery power.

Still, Sony Electronics Corp.’s 0 MDR-NC500D was quite attractive when charged up. It weighs a shade under 7 ounces, and its thin cord and compact earpieces make it considerably more portable than the PXC 350. It’s also better at canceling out background noise. Sony is touting the NC500D as the first digital noise-canceling headphone. It uses a chip to analyze background sounds and select one of three cancellation profiles - for air travel, bus and subway trips, or working at the office.

I tried all three in various noisy settings, and while I could hear the difference, it hardly mattered. I was able to tune out the world in all three modes.

I was even more impressed by another Sony product, MDR-NC22, priced at a mere 0. These are earbuds that don’t wrap padded cups around your ears, but the darn things work. No, they don’t cut outside noise as thoroughly as their bigger, costlier rivals, but they come surprisingly close.

The buds come with three sizes of earpieces. Pick one that matches the size of your ear canal, and the buds act like little earplugs, blocking out a good deal of ambient noise. The noise-canceling circuit, powered by a single AAA battery, wipes out most of the rest. Too bad it replaces the noise with a faint hiss of white noise rather than near-silence. But there’s no mucking around with a battery charger, and as with the Sennheiser model, you can listen to music when your battery goes dead. The Sony earbuds weigh just over an ounce and fit in a pocket.

The Sony buds are a good solution for a morning commute. But for a long plane ride, I would favor the 0 QuietComfort 3, the latest model from Bose. It weighs just 5.6 ounces, and doesn’t cup the ears; the earpieces rest against the ears. But Bose has come up with a padding material that conforms well to the shape of the ear. The phones block out noise almost as well as earcups, but with greater comfort.

The noise cancellation is excellent, too; at least as good as the Sony headset. In addition, the Bose headset delivers deeper bass tones than the other models. It’s a mixed blessing; a little too rich for that Roman history podcast, but just the thing for an old Bernard Herrmann movie score.

At a time of economic peril, it seems difficult to justify a pair of 0 headphones, or even 0 for some earbuds. Then again, if you parked your car a couple of times a week, and hopped a bus or train instead, think what you would save. A lot of fuel money certainly. And with good phones and good tunes, a lot of wear and tear on the nerves.

[elgatonegro]

Guys who are suckers for reed-thin, supermodel chassis-based beauties better move on. This piece of display device we will be talking about is not one of those anorexic mannequins fashion magazines have been selling for far too long as the real touchstones of beauty. No, siree. This 595 x 489 x 252-millimeter (that’s 23.4 x 19.3 x 9.9 inches for you, non-metric imperialists) liquid crystal display from ViewSonic is heavy, plump heavy in a way reminiscent of those ancient, stone carvings of Greek goddesses and women warriors.


Easy as ABC

But while the unit certainly is on the heavy side, setting it up is by no means a Herculean task. Installing the VX2640w and its accompanying software took no longer than 20 minutes. Display quality adjustments are easily accomplished with the unit’s OnView on-screen menu of controls.

It does not hurt either that the VX2640w comes with 21.7 x 13.5 inches (horizontal x vertical) of display real estate. That’s 25.5 inches of color TFT Active Matrix LCD screen. On paper, at least, this ViewSonic display is generous to a fault. It does not scrimp on features either.

With an optimum resolution set at 1920 x 1200 pixels, the VX2640w comes with a brightness level equal to about some 400 candles per square meter. It offers viewing angles of 160 degrees for both horizontal and vertical viewing.

And should that somebody find these viewing angles not wide enough, he or she can tilt the LCD up to 5 degrees forward or 20 degrees back. I cannot help but think this display system is designed for contortionists.

Color Me Rich

The VX2640w proved itself quite adept in displaying rich and precise colors. It can handle pictures and videos with aplomb, providing deep and powerful colors. It also made gaming a visual treat, greatly enhancing the adrenalin-pumping capabilities of the shoot-and-slash PC games I tried with the ViewSonic display.

As with the other LCD screens from ViewSonic I have encountered, the VX2640w proved soothing and gentle to my eyes. Despite the brightness of the display and the intensity of the colors it brings, never have I felt too much eyestrain.

That Blue Light

The only thing that peeved me throughout the test period I spent with the VX2640w is its blue power LED. Why did ViewSonic engineers have to put that eyestrain- and headache-inducing piece of light right smack on the middle of the bezel’s lower part?

My piece of advice to consumers planning to buy a VX2640w: Start hoarding on black electrical tapes. Those will come handy when you finally have had enough of that irritating blue power LED. Just do like I did. Use a piece of that black tape to cover that piece of light.

While I seem to make much ado about nothing with that piece of LED, let this not distract anyone from the LCD screen’s superb performance. The VX2640w, our test results have shown, is one pretty and capable display system. Consumers, however, should make sure that they have ample space to park this unit.

The VX2640w is a major investment for most consumers in terms of SRP and the desktop space it needs. In the long run, however, this display system, with its long list of impressive features and capabilities, more than pays for itself.


Features

OptiColor" technology

Delivers 102% color saturation for richer, more precise colors. Enjoy more intense colors in your graphics, photos and documents.

1080p full HD resolution for best video performance

Fast ClearMotiv® video response
Video response as fast as 3ms enables digital HD broadcast-quality video.

4000:1 dynamic contrast ratio Learn more about dynamic contrast ratio.
Provides for darker black levels and better overall front-of-screen performance.

Stylish slim-bezel design
An ultra-thin bezel lets you see more without taking up valuable desktop real estate.

OptiSync® digital/analog inputs expand your connectivity
Multi-mode input technology supports both digital (DVI) and analog (VGA) signals for ultimate compatibility and configuration flexibility.

OnView® controls for superior screen adjustability
Screen adjustments are precisely made via an easy-to-use on-screen menu.

Certified for Windows Vista? Windows Vista certified!

[elgatonegro]

Intel is expanding its offerings for the Intel-powered Classmate PC category by introducing a design that has tablet, touch screen and motion-sensing interaction features. There are a vast number of different education needs among the 1.3 billion students in the world; the new Classmate PC design aims to create more choices to meet these varying learning needs.

"Understanding that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to education, we are passionate about transforming the way students learn," said Lila Ibrahim, general manager of Intel’s Emerging Markets Platform Group. "We want to offer more choices to meet the diversity of student learning needs across the world.

"Our ethnographic research has shown us that students responded well to tablet and touch screen technology," Ibrahim added. "The creativity, interactivity and user-friendliness of the new design will enhance the learning experiences for these children. This is important for both emerging and mature markets where technology is increasing being seen as a key tool in encouraging learning and facilitating teaching."


New design, same philosophy


The new design is based on findings from ethnographic research and pilots from the past two years. The research pointed out that students naturally collaborate to learn in groups, and they will benefit from the mobility and flexibility of notebooks versus being tethered to their desks. Research also suggested that learning and teaching becomes more effective when the option of natural input and touch screen is offered, especially for subjects such as math and science where drawing graphs and diagrams are prominent.


New features also include:


Touch screen: Pen and on-screen soft keyboard for effective writing and drawing to enhance classroom interaction and collaboration.

Tablet mode: Increased mobility for anywhere usage, simple user interface shell and quick launcher for tablet mode.

Enhanced software: Easier network connection and collaboration, simple computer management, and localized, education-friendly content.

The new design follows the same engineering philosophy that has guided the success of previous Classmate PC designs – ethnographic research, feedback from ongoing pilots with students and educators, and the development of a strong, sustainable local ecosystem. Continuing the success traits of existing Classmate PC designs, the new design model maintains the student-friendly design, is rugged and lightweight, and most importantly, is bundled together with custom-education software that encourages classroom collaboration and 1:1 learning.

The new design concept with its simple shell allows for local original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to differentiate with different colors or decorations. There is an optional handle, which is flexible and soft, and doubles as an easy carry or an adjustable backhand support when the PC is in tablet mode. There also is improved usability with the design’s wedged profile, a single bezel button, for tablet usage.


Availability


The new classmate PC design will be available for shipping to OEMs by the end of this year. Operating system, content and software providers and other ecosystem and industry players are already working on products that will support this new version of classmate PC to ensure a broad offering when the platform is introduced to consumers. Aimed at creating more choice to meet the varying learning needs, the new classmate PCs will co-exist with the current offerings of classmate PCs including the second-generation of Intel-powered classmate PCs running on Intel Celeron and Intel Atom Processors.

The new Classmate PC design will be available for shipping to OEMs by the end of this year.

[elgatonegro]

Simple and chic monoblock design, with really slim size. Check.

Two inches QVGA 240x320, 262K color display. Check.

Two-megapixel camera with autofocus and dual-LED flash and 4 times digital zoom. Check.

Stereo music player supporting MP3, AAC, AAC+ and WMA, and RDS stereo FM Radio. Check.

QCIF video recording at 10fps and XHTML browser. Check. Check.

Phone specialized themes and music tracks. Check.

Now here’s a question, and be honest – does the Nokia 7210 Supernova makes you randy, baby, yeah, does it?

Well, pardon us, but you can shag later with the 7210 Supernova after reading what we’ve got to say.

The 7210 is just one of the Nokia treats from the Supernova range that, we believe, is meant for those who, like Austin Powers, love to groove.

It wasn’t the International Man of Mystery but we’re sure it’s somebody from Nokia who said: "As we rely more heavily on mobile phones to stay connected, they increasingly know everything about us and have become a window into our worlds.

"With the new Nokia 7210 Supernova, we set out to give people the ability to set themselves apart in the same way that they would with a traditional statement accessory."

The 7210 Supernova is actually about simplicity with style. It has a chic, slim design which, depending on your taste, can be availed in a choice of "bubble gum pink" and "vivid blue" – both in gloss finish.

The 7210 Supernova’s sleek design and comfortable shape, we must stress, fits so well in almost any pants style.

To be specific, the dimension measured 106 x 45 x 10.6 mm so yeah, baby, even when you go for the skin-tight ones, the bulge in your pocket won’t show ugly.

Nor is it heavy, hardly tipping the scales at 90 gms., battery included. But we must also add, the 7210 Supernova is packing.

Wanna’ stay connected with music, Nokia 7210 Supernova is just a bit of alright as a mobile phone.

It provides access to Flickr, one-click photo sharing, supports GPRS of Class 32, 88 kbps and EDGE of Class 32, 296 kbits. Oh, and the microSD card slot lets you store music of up to 2 GB.

You also get Bluetooth (v2.0 with A2DP), Macromedia Flash Lite 2.1, Adobe Flash 3.0 and Widsets with Standard Li-Ion 860 mAh (BL-4CT) battery, talktime of 2 hrs and standby of 259 hrs.

With the Nokia 7210 Supernova, you get a lot without spending too much (go check the Nokia Store nearest you for the prices). The first thing you get, of course, is it’s very shaggadelic design. So, shall we shag now?

[elgatonegro]

Last September 9, Apple’s Steve Jobs once again went on stage for an iPod related announcement.

So what is new with iTunes 8? First of all, the Views. Apple extended their Cover Flow support and added Visual Browsing. This new way of browsing your music allows you to see the album cover art on a grid, making it easier to browse through your library. You can filter it by album, artists, genre or composers. What is even better is that clicking on the album automatically plays a track from that album.

In addition to this, iTunes 8 added some visual enhancement to the Movies, TV shows and podcasts to let you know which ones are new. For instance, a blue dot is displayed beside the title of the movie to indicate that it is new. TV Shows and podcasts, on the other hand, have a number displayed on its upper right hand corner to inform the user how many episodes are new.

Speaking of podcasts, iTunes 8 added a new setting that allows you to fine-tune your settings per podcast. You can set iTunes to check for new episodes every day, every hour, every week or manually and to download all or download the more recent episodes, etc. on a per podcast basis. You can, of course, still set a default setting for the rest of your podcasts.

iTunes 8 also allows you to group songs together by selecting the track you want to bundle together and setting the Grouping field in the File Menu’s Get Info option. Makes it easier to organize your songs. In my case, I have a group for OPM and another for Holidays.

With these new enhancements, iTunes 8 makes it even easier to manage your media - applications, music, podcasts, movies and TV shows. So what else have been added?

Well, iTunes 8 has become friendlier for the visually-impaired. iTunes 8 now has enhanced support for screen readers, e.g., VoiceOver in Mac OS X, that allows the computer to read your collection aloud. You can also use this to manage your collection and to access your iTunes Store and iTunes U account and even make purchases. And oh, did I tell you that it works on Windows, too?

Another addition is support for HD TV shows. For US.99 an episode, you get both a Standard Definition and High Definition version. The HD version comes in 720p resolution with full Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound support. Just be prepared you have lots of disk space because HD TV shows come at around 1.3GB per episode.

One last thing that is new with the iTunes 8 is the Genius feature. The Genius works in two ways. First, select a song from your library and then hit the Genius button. The Genius will scour through your entire music collection and selects songs that may go great with your selected song and presents it as a playlist, which you can save later on. You can select how many song are in your playlist, too.

The second Genius feature can be found as a sidebar. This one, however, checks the entire iTunes Store for songs that may just be right with your selected song. This, of course, is a ploy to make you buy more music. :) Just a catch, though, iTunes will warn you that information about your music will be sent to the iTunes servers for analysis but it assures you that no personal information are sent. I wonder, though, if it tags those pirated songs for you. :)

So, what are you waiting for? Downloading Quicktime 7.5.5 and then download iTunes 8! Yes, Quicktime 7.5.5 is required. :) Don’t worry - it is safe, even for those who use the iPhone 3G.

[elgatonegro]

All we (or most of us) want for this coming Christmas is a brand new... gadget!

A digital audio player? A laptop maybe? A new portable media player? Or a new digital camera?

What if you can get them all in just one device? You might be thinking "yeah, it’s gotta be the N95. And you can have it on the 8GB version if you want more storage space."

We’re suggesting this one - the N96.


At a glance...

"First impressions last" on N96. Compared to the N95, holding the N96 feels sturdier or tougher in terms of the materials used. It is a little heavier. The corners of the N96 are curved which is appealing in today’s trend. Its black motiff and metallic gray accent is a complementing combination. The battery cover has a wave-like imprint

As with the N95, the N96 comes in a two-way slider form factor. Its users will surely notice the phone has a seamless, glossy, black finish. Slide it up to reveal the alphanumeric keypad and you’ll notice that its already leveled flat, with only the "5" key having two small bumps. Slide it down and you see the multimedia buttons for use in playing music and videos.

The volume keys (also the zoom in and out in camera mode) and shutter button are still located on the right side. On the corners of this side is where the two stereo speakers are located. The left side is where the microSD card slot is placed, as well as a small hole for wrist strap at the lower corner. There is a keyguard switch on top that replaces the lock/unlock shortcut in the N95.

Turn it over and you will see the same 5-megapixel Carl Zeiss autofocus camera, but there are now two flash lamps(which we assume to be Xenon). Take notice of the small gap underneath the camera - it’s what Nokia calls a "kickstand" and it functions as a support when viewing the N96 in portrait mode (like a picture frame).


What’s inside...

Nokia NSeries users won‘t be alienated with the grid menu. The photos, music, and video center icons are out of the media sub-menu. This, along with the Web and games, is what an NSeries phone is all about.

Don’t fear that you will have to look for the other features because they are now in the Apps or Tools sub-menu. The new feature here is the MobileTV Xtra. The N96 has a DVB-H TV broadcast receiver feature allowing users to watch TV shows wirelessly (this is network-dependent).

You might have to get used to the keypad, when composing text messages, if youre fingers can’t feel the buttons immediately.

Using the camera might be a bit frustrating at first because the shutter button needs to be pressed deeper - either on the half-press to use the auto focus or the full press for the photo capture itself. A noticeable improvement here is that photos and videos are saved faster.


Going deeper...

Perhaps the most impressive internal part of the N96, for most consumers is the phones storage capacity. It has three separate drives - the phone memory, mass memory, and memory card. Approximately, the phone memory has about 256Mb while the mass memory at 16GB.

I’m pretty sure those who just bought an 8GB version of the N95 and N81 phones will be pretty upset when the N96 gets released in the local market. So far, this is what mobile computing has become...and what we would all love for the Yultide season.

[elgatonegro]

Sometimes, being cheap should be worn as a badge of honor.

Especially in times like this when large banks fall on their knees big time.

And thousands of stockbrokers and other financial market workers are suddenly finding themselves eligible for unemployment benefits.

The HG281 from Hanns.G may not be the most expensive 28-inch LCD in the market today, but it packs a good number of features that normally can be found only on its more pricey competitors.

It does not hurt either that the LCD looks smart, and well, pricey. Its black finish and strong plastic bezel add up to what looks like a strong and durable build and design.

This TFT Active Matrix technology-equipped LCD boasts of a 3-millisecond response time, making it an ideal viewing platform for PC gaming, watching movies, and even editing text files.

Format-friendly, the HG281 accepts several input modes including HDMI, VGA, component and audio. This 668 x 211 x 486mm, 10.8-kilogram low-cost beauty comes with built-in stereo speakers, which at 2.5 watts may not be the strongest sounding in the market, but capable nonetheless.

With its 800:1 contrast ratio, and a native resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels, the HG281 delivers up to 16.7 million colors. Not bad.

Especially considering its 160-degree viewing angles, vertical and horizontal. This means, guys seated beside you can have an ample view of the bad guys you dispose of while playing the latest version of Counter-Strike.

Verdict Time

The HG281, which some quarters might be quick to dismiss for its value-for-money proposition, is one pretty and capable LCD.

While its default settings might leave much to be desired, a little tinkering with the OSD menu can bring a lot of improvements on the display’s color management abilities.

The OSD buttons being located at the back of the bezel may be annoying to some users. It is a good thing that users may only need to use these buttons once in the product’s lifetime. After the initial fidgeting around with the display controls, display quality remains consistent…for life.

Despite the product’s shortage of video links, this LCD performs well. In the final analysis, that is all that counts.