Jan 23, 2009

LG KP500

The LG KP500 Cookie is a smart looking handset with some special features, like touch screen, accelerometer sensor and handwriting recognition. Its display is of 3.0inches in size and hence we can access the Internet in a more convenient manner. This LG handset has an internal memory of 48MB and its memory can be expanded upto 8GB. This smart mobile phone supports class 10 GPRS and EDGE technologies. This dynamic handset is versed with WAP and HTML browser, thus enabling a variable speed for usage of Internet. The LG mobile phone has photo calling features and its phonebook can store upto 1000 entries. This smart widget is enabled with Bluetooth and USB connectivity features and the installed JAVA in the mobile phone offers downloadable gaming features. The mobile phone can be used for entertainment purpose, as its music player supports MP3, WMA and AAC formats. The handset is also preloaded with FM radio and it is also equipped with MPEG4 video player. It has a 3. mega pixels camera and the battery backup is upto 350 hours.

Key Features:

Weight : 89 g
Talktime : Up to 3 h 30 min
Standby : Up to 350 h
Colour Display : TFT touchscreen, 256K colors
Ringtones : Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3
Camera : 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels
MP3 : Yes
Bluetooth : Yes, v2.1 with A2DP
Infrared : No
GPRS : Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
Video Recording : Yes
3G : No

For More Detail :CLICK HERE

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SONY CUBERSHOT HDRXR500V

sony has Launched its new Cybershot HDRXR500v camcorder at the company's showroom.
Device to relased in February, boasts of the new 'EXmor R' CMOS sensor, 12X optical Zoom and a 120GB hard disk drive. The new sensor is enhanced to shoot FullHD images in low light, promising to deliver night scenes with greater clartiy(low noise).

For More Detail: CLICK HERE

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Nokia 1661

Size
Form: classic
Dimensions: 108 x 45 x 13.55 mm
Weight: 82g
Volume: 65.85cc

Display and 3D
Main display
- Size: 1.8"
- Resolution: 128 x 160 pixels
- Up to 65,000
- TFT

Keys and input method
Numeric keypad
Dedicated speaking clock key
Large keys - easy to use

Colours and covers

Available in-box colours:
- Black
- Grey

Connectors
System connector: Easy flash II
2.5 mm Nokia AV connector

Memory
4 MB internal memory

Power
BL-4C 860 mAh Li-Ion battery
Talk time (maximum):
- GSM (Ectel) 234 mins
Standby time (maximum):
- GSM (Ectel) 500 hrs

Operating frequency
Dual-band EGSM 900/1800, GSM 850/1900

Call features
Integrated hands-free speakerphone
Number screening for messaging and calls
Automatic answer with headset or car kit
Call waiting, call hold
Call timer
Logging of dialled, received and missed calls
Automatic redial
Speed dialling
Fixed dialling number support
Vibrating alert (battery)
Mute/unmute
Conference calling with up to 3 participants
Time tracker

Messaging
SMS with support for concatenated SMS for long messages
SMS storage: up to 250 messages on phone
Speed dialling for SMS sending
Multiple SMS deletion
Common inbox for SMS messages
Distribution lists for messaging
Chat via SMS

music and audio
playback FM radio
Ringtones: 32 polyphonic ringtones and MP3-grade ringtones (built-in)

Voice and audio recording FR, EFR, HR, AMR

For More Detail: CLICK HERE

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Samsung innov8 (i8510) 8-Megapixel Camera And Multimedia Experience

Samsung i8510 Innova8 is right choice phone for people searching for heavy duty camera phone. The device is known for its 8 megapixel camera with mechanical shutter, automatic lens cover, dual PowerLED flash, digital image stabilizer,
geotagging, auto panorama shot, face detection, smile detection, blink detection. Clicking photo in this phone is a very wondeful experience due to its utmost clearity.
The device is equipped with 2.8 inch 16M color TFT display of QVGA resolution. Phone has Symbian Os 9.3 with S60 3.2 UI.
The device supports 3G with HSDPA, Quad-band GSM, dual-band UMTS, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps. The gadget has an massive internal
memory 8/16GB which can be expanded via microSD card slot with microSDHC support, it also has 128 MB of RAM.
Phone has built in GPS with A-GPS functionality.
Phone also support Wi-Fi with DLNA technologyand USB and Bluetooth v2.0.
Phone also has Built-in accelerometer for UI auto-rotation and 3.5 mm audio jack.

For Detail About Specifications And Reviews: CLICK HERE

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Sony Ericsson S302

Sony Ericsson S302 is a right phone for people who are looking stylish phone with all modern features.
sony Ericsson S302 has glossy finish which makes it look and feel good the phone is equipped with 2 megapixel camera on the back and also has phot light which helps to take photo with proper brightness. Thhe device also support video recording which allows to capture wonderfull moments of your life.
The device is equipped with in built music player which supports several file formats which make you free from extra load of converting one music format to another format.
The device also support bluetooth which enable several devices to connect together without bundels of wire.
The phone has internal memory of 20 MB which can be extended via Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) which is the smallest card available in the market. It supprts messaging formats like SMS, MMS, E-mail etc which helps you share your words with your
near and dear once.

Size
101.0 x 46.0 x 11.0 mm
4.0 x 1.8 x 0.4 inches

Weight:
79.0 g

Thestylish gadget is available in two colors i.e Thunder Grey and Crystal Blue.

For More Details on Specifications And Features:CLICK HERE

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Lian-Li's PC-888: if the Burj Al Arab were a PC chassis

We're not sure what percentage of each PC-888 sale goes straight to the owners of Dubai's Burj Al Arab, but it better be a lot. Lian-Li's latest eye-popping PC chassis looks pretty much exactly like the aforesaid hotel, and it's constructed from a significant amount of blue anodized aluminum. As you can probably tell from just looking, you can fit practically anything you'd ever need (as far as PC internals go) in here, with the case measuring in at 11.6- x 29.1- x 18.1-inches. A price has yet to be publicly disclosed, but a quick search brings up figures in the high $400s. Yeah, ouch.

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HP issues software update for MediaSmart Server

It's been forever and a day since HP issued a MediaSmart Server update, but now -- at long last -- owners can suck down some more new software in order to implement a few minor changes. The HPMSS-1.3-R1 update adds in a Rollback feature, improves image processing performance in HP Photo Webshare, corrects error messages displayed using SSL and TZO certifications and removes unnecessary temperature sensor displays. Give it a go and let us know how things turn out, will ya?

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Forget chocolates, Samsung offers pink NC10 for Valentine gifting

If a pink MSI Wind isn't the way to your significant other's heart, Samsung has an alternative for you in the form of a rose-colored NC10. The similarly-spec'd 10.2-inch netbook sports a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, and Windows XP Home. Additionally, it's got a suspiciously-long 7-hour battery life and anti-germ keyboard. UK retailer dabs has it listed for ?316 ($434) with VAT and a February 9 release date. Let's just hope she doesn't lament the color choice come March.

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Wacom extends the PL-Series Pen Display with PL-900

Wacom unveils the PL-900, a 19-inch LCD pen tablet, offering a 4:3 native resolution of 1280×1024 of interactive pen screen real estate with a smart auto-sensing video scalar that switch source aspect to 16:10 widescreen format.
The PL-900 is the latest addition to company’s PL series pen interactive display with an enhanced visual quality- a much wider viewing angle and anti-glare finish. The high-resolution LCD of 19-inch screen is fabricated with a digital pen enabled screen for writing, annotating and navigating directly with the pen on the screen.
It supports video connectivity of DVI-I for both analogue and digital sources, and its content can be display though similar connection via DVI-I output for external displays or projectors.
The Wacom PL-900 is compatible with Windows or Mac OS, and is available now at £1,249.99 ($1,713) including VAT and comes with a two-year warranty. U.S. pricing and availability have not yet been announced.

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Overclocked A-DATA XPG 2133x memory breaks World Record

A-DATA XPG series DDR3 desktop memory may not process the native speed of the World’s fastest firestix at 2200mhz, but is capable of pushing 2237Mhz from 2133Mhz though a combination of cooling methodology to break the SuperPI 32m world record.
The SuperPi 32m test was conducted on the DFI Lanparty UT X58 motherboard and A-DATAs’ DDR3-2133X v2.0 2GBx3 triple-channel kit. Pushing 2237 MHz at latency settings of 8-7-7-21, folks at A-DATA were able to achieve an unprecedented result timed at 6min 40sec 360ms.
The A-DATA XPG DDR3-2133X v2.0 tripled channel kit memory comes with a heavy set of Aluminum heatspreaders and an active dual-fan cooling system to maximize RAM heat’s dissipation. Its distinctive design was previously recognized with the prestigious Taiwan Excellent 2009 Award. Pricing information and product availability were not announced.
Taipei, Taiwan - Jan. 22nd, 2009 - A-DATA® Technology Co., Ltd., a worldwide leading manufacturer in high performance memory products, announced today that its XPG™ DDR3 memory modules have broke a new world record on SuperPi 32m. The record was set by utilizing the DFI Lanparty UT X58 motherboard and XPG X Series v2.0 memory, the DDR3-2133X v2.0 2GBx3 triple-channel kit.
The SuperPi 32m record of 6min 40sec 360ms was achieved at a speed of 2237 MHz and latency settings of 8-7-7-21 using DDR3-2133X v2.0 2GBx3 triple-channel kit.
The XPG DDR3-2133X v2.0 is engineered with heavy Aluminum heatspreaders and active dual-fan to keep the RAMs operate in low temperature environment. Through the combination of the cooling methodology, the XPG DDR3-2133X v2.0 is able to maximize its OC performance. Moreover, it was awarded with the prestigious Taiwan Excellent 2009 Award for its distinctive design.
A-DATA X Series memory represents the ultimate overclocking performance. It was developed to unleash the hidden power of CPU and motherboard by using A-DATA’s latest overclocking IC sorting technology. A-DATA XPG modules are guaranteed to satisfy the needs of PC enthusiasts and overclockers for high-performance, compatibility, and stability on memory modules.

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IDAPT i2 and i3 Universal Chargers

Universal chargers usually look like complicated octopus creatures, with multiple proprietary tips dangling off a cluster of cables, or maybe a single box and a bag of easy-to-lose adapters, but IDAPT’s solution is bit more sturdy. Saying that, the i2 and i3 Universal Chargers also require a bit more room, being intended for table-top rather than travel use. Interchangeable plugs slot into the base plate, letting you centralise your commonly-used gadgets.
As you might expect, the IDAPT i2 has room for two devices, while the IDAPT i3 can accommodate three at a time. According to the manufacturer, there are tips for all manner of electronics: mobile phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, game consoles, PDAs, GPS and Bluetooth headsets. Each can rotate, and there’s a nice big power switch on the back to save wasting power.
The IDAPT i2 is priced at €34.95 ($45) while the IDAPT i3 comes in at €49.95 ($64); both include four tips of your choice. Individual tips are priced at €7.99 ($10) each, and IDAPT is claiming that they’ll keep up to date with new adapters.

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T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8900 arriving early: Video Unboxing

T-Mobile announced the BlackBerry Curve 8900 at the beginning of the month, and promised delivery in February. Someone obviously hasn’t told the carrier’s warehouse staff that, though, as reports are coming in of premature arrivals well in advance of the predicted February 11th release date. One of those arrivals has been caught on camera, so if you’re curious as to what comes in the box and how T-Mobile have packaged it, you’ll want to see this video unboxing.
Included accessories look to be pretty much par for the course, with RIM throwing in a data cable, travel charger, earbuds and a leather pouch. One odd omission for a BlackBerry is the holster, which is strangely absent.
The Curve 8900 then gets a little back-to-back snuggle time with the iPhone 3G; not too much, of course, just in case any IP accidentally gets rubbed off and RIM become the next targets in Apple’s litigation roadshow. Have you ordered the new T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8900? Has it arrived yet? Let us know how you’re getting on in the comments.

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LG X110 netbook reviewed: integrated 3G handy, but it’ll cost you

The LG X110 is, under its pleasant casing, basically an MSI Wind. What LG throw into the mix is integrated 3G, and it’s that which singles the netbook out in Register Hardware’s review. The 10-inch X110 has the usual Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard-drive; it’s also available free, if you sign up with one of a number of mobile broadband contracts in the UK.
Other than more connectivity freedom, the X110’s keyboard is praised for not feeling as cheap as it undoubtedly has to be, while the casing is better than MSI’s own efforts despite the shared guts. However the display is a frustration, with webpages looking cramped, and the touchpad is smaller than the space allows.
These mobile broadband deals are all well and good if you lack the upfront money for a new netbook, but don’t be blinded to the fact that, over the course of the contract, you’ll be paying significantly more for your “free” computer. Without the integrated 3G the LG X110 will set you back £299 ($406); with it, even though there’s no upfront cost, you’ll have spent £720 ($977) once your two year agreement is up.

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10-inch Acer Aspire One officially launches

Acer have officially announced the 10-inch Aspire One netbook, complete with a WSVGA 1024 x 600 LED-backlit display, standard WiFi b/g and Bluetooth, and up to 2GB of RAM. As with its 8.9-inch predecessor, the new Aspire One uses an Intel Atom CPU, and offers a 160GB hard-drive, multi-format memory card reader and integrated webcam. 3G and WiMAX will be options.
Acer are promising up to 7hrs runtime from the optional 6-cell battery, with a front-panel gauge visible even when the lid is closed. It’ll be available in four colors - white, blue, red and black - and has a brushed-metal palm rest; OS is Windows XP Home.
The new 10-inch Acer Aspire One weighs 1.18 kg; sizing is yet to be announced. Also unknown is price, although given Acer have carved their niche in the netbook market with budget options, expect it to be competitively low.
Press Release:
Acer presents the new Aspire One with a 10-inch form factor
Ultimate mobile freedom, now even bigger
Acer, the third largest vendor in the global PC market (source: Gartner data, 1H 2008), today presented an all-new 10” Aspire One netbook, complete with a 10-inch screen, Windows XP and integrated Bluetooth, and designed for a fast, simple and utterly cool online life.
Only one year after first appearing on the market, netbooks have totally revolutionized the PC market, helping to form an entirely new market segment that users themselves created through a real need to be online all the time and to socialize around the clock.
Acer, thanks to its unique ability to read market trends and anticipate user needs, rapidly introduced the Aspire One, the world’s most popular netbook.
“Despite the recent problems of the financial markets and general economic uncertainty, the netbook and notebook markets will continue to grow in 2009” said Gianfranco Lanci, President & CEO, Acer Inc. “With companies focused on containing the crisis, consumers and products designed for them become more important as users simply cannot do without their personal communication instruments.”
At a little more than one kilo (1.18 kg), the new 10” Aspire One combines style, great features and a new form factor to provide the best combination of ultra-portability and maximum screen size for navigation and data input.
Designed for an optimal web browsing experience and Internet productivity, the 10” Aspire One includes a 10.1” WSVGA LED backlit display with a resolution of 1024×600 pixels that offers a broader vision for more convenient navigation. Integrated on top of the screen is the unique Acer Crystal Eye webcam optimized for poorly lit environments, a tiny window, tastefully encircled by a mirror rim, that keeps you connected to the world though live video streaming, video chats and conferences.
The 10” Aspire One comes with 802.11b/g WiFi and Acer Signal Up technology built-in as standard for easy access to available wireless networks. In addition is equipped with Bluetooth and can also be specified with a choice of embedded WiMAX or 3G wireless technologies for unlimited connectivity.
The 10” Aspire One meets Energy Star 4.0 requirements and can be equipped with a 6-cell Li-ion battery pack. With incredibly low idle power consumption, the 10” Aspire One guarantees up to 7 hours battery life for maximum fun. The battery indicator, placed on the front side is immediately recognizable even when the netbook is folded.
But the 10” Aspire One not only keeps you always connected; it keeps you connected with style. Available in four high-gloss color options including white, blue, red and black, the unmistakable design immediately catches the eye. The slim and streamlined Aspire One evokes speed and mobility, making it clear that it was designed for a life on the go. Stylish details such as the aerodynamic shaped metallic hinge with a colored accent and the fancy bright color rim that encircles the mirror plate power button immediately draw attention. The brushed-metal palm rest offers a refined look while avoiding unaesthetic fingerprints.
The 10” Aspire One is equipped with an Intel® Atom™ processor, Mobile Intel® 945GSE Express Chipset or Mobile Intel® 82801GBM Chipset and can be equipped with up to 2 GB of DDR memory for an enhanced user experience. Notwithstanding the small size, the 10” Aspire One features a large 160 GB internal hard drive. In addition the 10” Aspire One features a multi-in-one card reader for absolute data freedom.
The Aspire One comes with Windows XP® Home operating system; additional preinstalled software includes Acer eRecovery Management, Acer Launch Manager, Adobe® Reader®, McAfee® Internet Security Suite, Microsoft® Office Trial 2007.
The Aspire one comes with a 1-year carry in warranty which can be extended to 2 years with Acer Advantage.

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Nokia N75 appears in better quality leaked photos

It’s been a few months since we first saw the Nokia N75, complete with its slide-out QWERTY keyboard, but now the latest unannounced Nseries smartphone is back in some higher-resolution pictures. Full spec details on the E75 are still scarce, but it’s believed to have 3G, WiFi and a 3.2-megapixel camera.
The display measures 2.4-inches and is non-touchscreen, and it looks to be flanked by what could be proximity and/or light sensors. Since there’s no touchscreen to shut off (as the iPhone does to save your cheek making accidental button-presses), the former could be used to activate the display if the N75 is taken away from the face mid-call, such as to check a calendar entry or contact.
No word on availability, but with Mobile World Congress fast approaching it’s entirely possible that Nokia could debut the N75 there. SlashGear will of course be attending the show, so we’ll bring you all the announcements.

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HP Mini 1100 ExpressCard listings ‘an error’: no separate range

Bad news for anyone looking forward to an HP Mini with an ExpressCard slot. Contrary to what the company’s website suggests, there is in fact no distinct HP Mini 1100 range, only different SKU versions of the existing Mini 1000 line-up. An HP representative has informed Crunchgear that the mention of ExpressCard on their support site was “an error” that is being changed.
“We don’t offer a model within the HP Mini 1000 series that has an Express Card slot. There was an error made on our website which is being corrected. But for those customers interested in an HP Mini with an Express Card lot [sic], we do offer the 2140 of course!
…I know this is confusing, but the 1100 models are simply other SKUs within the 1000 series, and differences within the various SKUs can be things like panel size, hard drive, etc., you know? (Though the info on our support website looks a little misleading because it makes it sound like the 1100 is a completely separate/new series.)” HP representative
According to Xavier of Notebooks.com, the only models of note among the 1100 SKUs flagged up recently are the Mini 1140NR, which is the Vivienne Tam edition priced at $699, and the Mini 1141NR, which is an upgraded version of that machine, for $749. The smaller casing of the 1000-series machines are too compact to accommodate an ExpressCard slot, unless there was significant reworking of ports and internal components.
HP’s Mini 2140 does offer such a slot (at the expense of a slightly thicker casing) but is more expensive than the 1000-series. Meanwhile rumors circulated last week that HP was planning a number of new netbooks, including a Mini 2150 with integrated 3G connectivity for release in June 2009.

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Lluon Mobbit WiBro MID gets inflated pre-order price

We described the Lluon Mobbit MID, back in December, as a bargain: a roughly $400 price-tag for a 4.8-inch touchscreen, 1.3GHz Intel Atom Z520 processor, 1GB of RAM, a choice of 30GB HDD or 16GB SSD and WiFi, Bluetooth and WiBro. Something seems to have gone wrong in the weeks since then, however; TG Sambo have finally announced pre-order pricing in Korea, and for the basic model (which lacks WiBro) they’re now asking 799,000 won ($575).
It gets worse, too. Only 150 pre-order units are on sale at that price, which means it’s entirely probable that TG Sambo will crank up the cost once the Lluon Mobbit reaches general availability. If you want the WiBro version (which is unlikely unless you’re actually in Korea) then it’ll cost you KRW 699,000 ($503) but tie you into an 18-month data contract.
Now admittedly you do get a 2-megapixel camera, a DMB-T TV tuner (again, only really useful in Korea), and the US15W chipset which supports hardware video decoding, but the price increase puts it in line with some impressive alternative MID and UMPC models. It’ll be interesting to see whether TG Sambo ever begin selling the Lluon Mobbit outside of Korea; for the price, I can’t see the demand being there.

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Pirate iWork 09 loading trojan onto thousands of Macs

Apple may have added some neat tricks to iWork ‘09 earlier this month, but they didn’t list a trojan on the spec sheet. That, however, is what at least 20,000 users have found infecting their machines, after illegally downloading a pirated version of the software. The trojan - which obviously Apple didn’t add themselves - is called OSX.Trojan.iServices.A, and can access a Mac’s root OS, modify existing software, and download and install extra components, potentially allowing the authors to remotely take control of the computer.
The trojan was spotted by Intego, the company behind the Mac security app VirusBarrier, who are describing it as a high-risk issue and warn that “users may face extremely serious consequences” if their Macs become compromised by the third-party behind the malware. Although it cannot spread from computer to computer by itself, given the allure of free software it’s likely that OSX.Trojan.iServices.A will affect significantly more people than the initial 20,000 estimates.
“The installer for the Trojan horse is launched as soon as a user begins the installation of iWork, following the installer’s request of an administrator password. This software is installed as a startup item (in /System/Library/StartupItems/iWorkServices, a location reserved normally for Apple startup items), where it has read-write-execute permissions for root. The malicious software connects to a remote server over the Internet; this means that a malicious user will be alerted that this Trojan horse is installed on different Macs, and will have the ability to connect to them and perform various actions remotely” Intego security alert
Unfortunately, the safest way to clean an infected Mac is to completely reinstall OS X, making sure to do so from the original discs and not backups, which the trojan could have tampered with. Unfortunately, this just underscores the need to be careful if downloading unofficial software - and to have an up-to-date anti-virus app running if you insist on doing so.

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Jan 22, 2009

HyperSpace instant-on coming to ASUS notebooks & netbooks

Phoenix Technologies’ HyperSpace instant-on system will soon be appearing on ASUS notebooks and netbooks, offering fast access to internet-based applications and automatic network connection while Windows optionally continues to boot in the background. Once the Microsoft OS has loaded, the user can - device depending - switch between the two platforms, prioritizing functionality or, in the case of HyperSpace, battery savings potentially in excess of 25-percent. However while the software will be preinstalled on the ASUS devices, users will still be expected to pay Phoenix’s annual subscription fees.
Those fees amount to $39.95 annually for the HyperSpace Dual setup, which will be seen on ASUS Eee PC netbooks, and $59.95 for the more functional HyperSpace Hybrid setup, which requires a Core 2 Duo processor and above. Hybrid allows for the real-time OS switching and makes the battery life extension promises, while Dual is more akin to dual-booting your netbook, and lacks the OS switching.
It’s curious that ASUS haven’t absorbed the cost of HyperSpace into their sticker prices, instead choosing to pass on the subscription fees to the consumer. It seems sensible to me to include the first 12 months use, on notebooks at least, at which point owners would hopefully be so used to accessing HyperSpace that the ongoing subscription wouldn’t seem such a big deal. Paying $40 for dual-booting netbook functionality seems a lot, when you consider the low purchase price of these budget ultraportables to begin with.
Press Release:
Phoenix Technologies Announces Strategic Agreement with ASUS to Accelerate HyperSpace™ Adoption by Consumers
MILPITAS, Calif. January 20, 2009 —Phoenix Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: PTEC), the leader in PC 3.0™ products, services and embedded technologies, today announced a partnership with ASUS to accelerate the adoption of its award-winning HyperSpace product by consumers worldwide. HyperSpace is a revolutionary new instant-on and always-connected application environment that makes operating a mobile PC as easy and efficient to use as a cell phone.
Based on the partnership agreement, ASUS will incorporate HyperSpace into their next generation notebooks. With HyperSpace-installed notebooks, users can instantly launch important web-based applications (before Windows® ever boots), automatically connect to the best available network, dramatically extend battery life and achieve new levels of uptime and security protection.
HyperSpace is available for download at www.hyperspace.com
“Phoenix is pleased to be working with ASUS to offer a broad choice of affordable products that revolutionizes the mobile PC user experience,” said Woody Hobbs, President and CEO of Phoenix Technologies. “With HyperSpace, we ensure users will enjoy a dynamic online experience seconds after turning on their PCs. And once Windows has fully booted, users will be able to quickly and easily toggle back and forth between their Windows applications and the instant-on, always-available HyperSpace environment. An added benefit is that HyperSpace extends the battery life on an average notebook by more than 25%.”
Mr. Hobbs added, “All-day mobile computing is a cornerstone of our PC 3.0™ promise to simplify the PC end user experience and transform PCs into more user-friendly, fun, versatile and effective systems.”
“As the fastest growing notebook brand, we are committed to bring to market innovative technology solutions to simplify consumers’ lives. We are glad to see Phoenix’s PC 3.0 vision is in line with our commitment to our customers. HyperSpace’s easy-to-use, smart, instant-on and longer battery life features will allow ASUS to deliver richer, more dynamic products and satisfy our customers’ desire to make mobility a far more elegant and intuitive experience,” said Henry Yeh, General Manager, ASUS Notebook Business Unit.
Phoenix HyperSpace was named “Best Software” by Laptop Magazine at the 2009 CES and was also winner of Laptop Magazine’s 2009 CES Readers’ Choice Award. For more information about HyperSpace, please visit www.hyperspace.com

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Sony PS3 firmware 2.60 now available

Sony’s update for the PlayStation 3 has been released, and is available to download now. PS3 Firmware version 2.60 includes a new Photo Gallery that offers face detection - similar to the new iLife ‘09 iPhoto app Apple announced earlier in the month - and automatic sorting by individual, individual’s age, landscape and color, among other things. There’s also improved codec support for the PS3’s media player.
In fact with firmware v.2.60, the PS3 can now play back video encoded in DivX v3.11, strengthening the console’s position as a media playback device as well as a gaming device. The new firmware also gives guest access to the Playstation store, allowing users to browse without necessarily having an account.
The update can be triggered through the settings menu. It’s a sizable 140MB download, however, so you’ll need a decent connection or a fair chunk of spare time. Updated your PS3? Let us know how you get on with the new functionality.

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Mozilla Mobile ‘Fennec’ browser on e-ink touchscreen: Video Demo

Take one E Ink AM300 prototyping kit, combine it with a build of Mozilla’s new Fennec mobile browser, and this is what you get: a touchscreen demo of web surfing on an e-ink device. It’s the work of Jaya Kumar, who loaded Fennec into the AM300’s Linux-based Gumstix controller and, with only a little modification, has a usable browser.
Right now memory seems to be the constraining factor; in the second video below, you can see how fast the Midori-webkit-gtk browser runs on the relatively meagre Gumstix computer. The Gumstix E Ink provide has a Marvell XScale PXA255 processor together with a Bluetooth transceiver, USB, a serial port and an MMC card reader.

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Apple white MacBook specs updated: better CPU & graphics, 2GB RAM

Apple have quietly updated the entry-level white plastic MacBook to bring its specifications further in line with the new-design unibody MacBooks, including an improved 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo processor now with 1,066MHz frontside bus. Also changed are the memory, which doubles to 2GB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM as standard, and integrated graphics courtesy of NVIDIA’s GeForce 9400M. The price remains at $999.
Other changes are trickier to spot. Bluetooth has received a mild upgrade, from v2.0 on the previous-gen white MacBook to Bluetooth v2.1 on this new update, but otherwise connectivity remains the same and there’s no sign of the faster, DDR3 memory that was introduced on the unibody MacBooks.
The initial assumption is that Apple are attempting to bring their most basic MacBook in line with their own OpenCL GPU requirements for the upcoming OS X Snow Leopard operating-system. OpenCL will allow the MacBook to use the graphics processor not just for video work but for general processing as well.

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Sanyo Xacti 2009 camcorder range unveiled: 1080p 60fps HDX-2000

Sanyo have taken the wraps off of their 2009 line-up of Xacti camcorders, including an update to the company’s popular pistol-grip full-HD HDX range. The new Sanyo Xacti HDX-2000, shown here in gold and black, is capable of full HD 1080p recording at 60fps together with 8-megapixel stills (interpolated up to 12-megapixel) that can be taken simultaneously. Sanyo have also introduced a traditional camcorder form-factor version, the Xacti DMX-FH11, which has an integrated 8GB of flash memory. Both models have microSD slots.
Sanyo also announced a new range of waterpoof camcorders, the Xacti DMX-CA9 and Xacti DMX-WH1, which record at standard definition and can be submerged to 1.5m and 3m respectively. The WH1 has a 30x optical zoom, and both have anti-shake and face-detection.
Finally, the Xacti DMX-CG10 is a compact HD camcorder that can take 10-megapixel stills and yet weighs only 171g. It, too, has anti-shake and face-detection, together with a 3-inch LCD for preview and review. It will go on sale on February 20th, 2009, while the waterproof DMX-WH1 and DMX-CA9 will go on sale March 19th and 13th respectively. As for the DMX-2000, it will go on sale on February 6th, with the DMX-FH11 following on April 24th. No prices have been revealed as yet.

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Toshiba Satellite A350: 720p-capable 16-inch notebook

Toshiba have announced a new 16-inch notebook that they claim is ideal for movie-lovers. The Toshiba Satellite A350 has a 720p HD capable screen with 1366 x 768 resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio, together with speakers from Harmon Kardon, but sadly no Blu-ray drive, only a dual-layer DVD burner. Both Intel and AMD processors are available, with the cheapest model having a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 while the range tops out with a Core 2 Duo P7450 running at 2.13GHz.
4GB of DDR2 memory is standard (8GB maximum supported) and there’s a choice of 250GB or 350GB hard-drives. Graphics are either courtesy of the Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD chipset or the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650; WiFi is a/b/g/n across the board. There’s also a 1.3-megapixel webcam, and battery life ranging from 2hrs 15 on the integrated graphics models, to 1hr 55 on the ATI graphics models.
Ports include three USB 2.0, one dual USB/eSATA, VGA output, S/PDIF and a multiformat memory card reader. There’s also an ExpressCard slot. The Toshiba Satellite A350 range starts out at £529 ($732) and maxes out at £749 ($1,037).

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iRiver SPINN firmware 2.0 released

iRiver’s SPINN media player has received a new firmware update, version 2.0, bringing with it increased GUI usability and a handful of new features. Among the changes are a new memo pad feature, allowing handwritten notes and sketches, new picture handling tools, bigger album art displayed during track playback, and timed recording of FM and, where supported, DMB digital radio.
There are also new video playback options, as well as new searching tools, and Korean users of the SPINN will now be able to download games for their PMP. These appear to be Flash titles, but there’s no word on whether users outside of Korea will get access or whether general Flash games will now work.
The update is available to download now, from iRiver’s Korean site. It’s a small, 3.9MB file, but should make a significant difference to the AMOLED touchscreen PMP’s usability. We’d be interested to hear anybody’s experience with the new firmware; let us know how you get on in the comments.o

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Portal ASHPD Gun replica looks amazing

Now there’s love, and there’s making your girlfriend an incredibly detailed replica of the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device (ASHPD) gun from Portal. Planned from game screenshots and constructed out of such mundane items as an acrylic plunger handle, it lights up, has articulated claws and will generally go perfectly with said-girlfriend’s Portal cosplay costume.
In use, the barrel of the gun lights up blue and orange, while red LEDs light up the three prongs. Rather than leaving it immaculate, they’ve then artificially aged and added a few blood splatters to the casing, so that it looks as though it’s been around the testing facility a few times already.
There are plenty more photos to be seen - from a lot of different angles - at the Cosplay.com forum page here. There’s also plenty of background into the construction, together with a gallery of in-progress shots.

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Dell Adamo Air-rivalling ultraportable delayed until 2H 2009?

Dell’s upcoming Adamo ultraportable, which the company intends to rival Apple’s MacBook Air, may not arrive as quickly as many initially suspected. According to the latest rumors coming out of China, Dell have contracted Foxconn for a joint design manufacture (JDM) role in the manufacture of the Adamo, with mass production not expected to begin until the second half of 2009.
Foxconn are playing coy about the rumors, with company spokesperson Edmund Ding denying that they have any knowledge of the Dell orders. However, according to the sources Foxconn have already produced Adamo samples, suggesting that the design process is well under way.
The Dell Adamo is a 13-inch super-thin ultraportable, aimed at the niche road-warrior customer that is drawn to the MacBook Air. While Dell demonstrated a non-working prototype of the notebook at CES, they made no comment about its specifications, and only reiterated plans to launch it in the first half of 2009.

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HP Mini 1100-series netbook listings appear

Early details of HP’s next Mini netbook models have emerged, courtesy of the company’s own support site. Along with the current range of Mini netbooks, there are new listings for the HP Mini 1100 series. Nine different models of standard 1100-series netbook are suggested, together with a Vivienne Tam Special Edition.
The new models are the HP Mini 1110NR, Mini 1111NR, Mini 1120NR, Mini 1125NR, Mini 1130NR, Mini 1133CL, Mini 1135NR, Mini 1136NR and Mini 111NR. Beyond model numbers, however, little is known about the netbooks; none have a working product page as yet, and there the image appears to be a generic one.
According to one set of rumors, an HP sales agent in Canada suggested that the 1100-series all have ExpressCard slots, intended to offer compatibility with a wide range of mobile broadband modems. However no details are known for certain.

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Sotec C102 netbook gets WiFi-N

Sotec have announced their latest netbook, the C102, which will replace the existing C101. Differences between the two models are slight, primarily being the introduction of draft-N WiFi support and two new casing colors: platinum silver and rich black. Otherwise the Sotec C102 is a pretty standard 10.1-inch netbook; full specs after the cut.
Power is courtesy of Intel’s Atom N270 1.6GHz processor, paired with 1GB of RAM and the Intel 945GSE Express chipset. There’s also a 160GB SATA hard-drive, a multiformat memory card reader (SD/MS/MMC) and 1.3-megapixel webcam, together with three USB 2.0 ports and VGA output.
The Sotec C102 will be launched in Japan on January 24th; no word yet on pricing. There’s also no confirmation as to whether there will be another Hello Kitty special edition, the first version of which Sotec announced back in November, and which was based on the original C101 netbook.

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NVIDIA unveils low profile Quadro NVS 420

NVIDIA has today unveiled the industry’s first low-profile professional graphic card, shrinking their Quadro series GPU fitting for a small form factor computer, with the introduction of a quad-display capable Quadro NVS 420.
The upcoming Quadro, according to NVIDIA, is designed for business class user seeking out a high performance graphic solution in a space challenged workstation. The GPU boasts 512MB of graphic memory, 128-bit precision pipeline with memory bandwidth runs up to 11.2GB/s at a mere 40 watts power consumption. It features Nvidia’s Cuda parallel computing processor; supports DirectX 10, OpenGL, and can output as high as 2560×1600 resolution images up to four 30-inch displays.
The Quadro NVS 420 comes standard with digital connectivity of a dual Link DVI and displayPort connections. It will be available next month with a suggested retail price at $499.

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Leica debuts Pradovit D-1200 projector in Japan

Leica turned their Pradovit series slide projector digitally, announced company’s first entry in digital projector display back in Photokina with the Pradovit D-1200 – a 16:10 WXUGA digital projector wet dream for photographer; portable size with world’s lightest, and smallest presentation tool suitable for traveling; Leica-grade optics equipped display and high resolution realistic image reproduction from Pixelworks DNX 30-bit video processing MotionEngine, and a host of connectivity for the most-demanding digital media sources.
The beamer has recently made its debut in Japan, with targeted audiences from professional photographer, hardcore Leica fans to business users. Leica representative, Sascha Noack was very confident with its Pradovit’s offering to the already-crowded digital projector market, and commented on the adoption of DLP were the superiority of image sharpness and better color rendering in comparing to LCOS or SXRD technology. My guess? Brightness and heat resistance could have something to do with the decision too. Also, Noack said the availability of high resolution WUXGA panel finally sealed the deal for the company’s first entry in digital Projector.
The Pradovit D-1200 sports the Leica VARIO-ELMARIT-P 1:2.8-3.1/33-42 mm/59 mm-74 mm zoom lens with 120% vertical lens shift. Its image can display at brightness of 2,000 lumens and 2,500:1 contrast thanks to the adoption of TI’s DMD-0.98-inch DLP, 6-segment color wheel technology and Philips’ 220W FusionPlus VIDI UHP bulb, which has a life expectancy of 3000 hours for standard applications and 4000 hours when operated in power-save mode.
It’s available now at a suggested retail of 115 million yen in Japan, US buyer should be able to locate one online from B&H for less than $12,000 (ouch!)

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Corsair joined SSD bandwagon 128GB announced

The news first appeared on the UK Online Retailer san.co.uk, revealing a stock of MLC-based SSD 128GB (CMFSSD-128GBG1D) from Corsair, and stories were later published at numerous techie sites citing Corsair will let loose of its first SSD storage device in a very near future. Today, a UK-based CustomPC got words that it’s official- The memory maker has joined the SSD bandwagon, targeting mainstream market with the of launch a 128GB S128.
Equipped with a Samsung controller and Samsung NAND flash memory, Corsair claimed its S128 SSD is capable of data transfer rates at the sequential read and write speeds of 90MB/Sec and 70MB/sec respectively. Also, later this year, they will release its 2nd-gen SSDs with increase performance to match competitive levels.
Though Corsair has not made it formal introduction in US market, but the 128GB is already available now at NCIX for $335.
Detailed specifications of the Corsair S128:
Form Factor 2.5′
Unformatted Capacity 128GB
User Addressable Sectors 250,069,680
Bytes per Sector 512
Interface SATA II
Sequential Read/Write 90 MB/s read / 70 MB/s write
Voltage 5V ±5%
Power Consumption Read 0.48W
Power Consumption Write 0.46W
S.M.A.R.T Support Yes
MTBF 1,000,000 Hours
Operating Temperature 0°C to 70°C
Shock 1500G
Width 69.85 mm
Height 9.5mm
Weight 72g

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Jan 20, 2009

Politics, not technology, did for the PSP phone

No PlayStation phone then? There's a surprise.
It's not hard to see through Sony Ericsson's line about the technical specs not being high enough. It's face-saving spin designed to distract attention from Sony's basic problem with Sony Ericsson's entire existence.
There's been no shortage of signs that Sony is unhappy with its relationship with Sony Ericsson, and we expect the PSP phone has been denied due to Sony's fear of repeating the alleged "strategic mistake" it made when it gave up the Walkman brand for their line of phones.
There have been long-standing rumours that Sony wants to buy out Sony Ericsson and enter the phone business on its own terms. Giving up the cornerstone PlayStation brand to someone you might want to buy isn't something you do ahead of the deal.
A PlayStation phone makes a lot of sense and it's not hard to see why Sony would very much like to make one - but it can't until the politics are sorted out.
And who knows how long that's going to take?

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In Depth: Windows 7 - what it means for gamers

It's telling that one element of Windows 7 Microsoft isn't especially trumpeting (amidst the cloud of self-congratulation about how the new OS is slicker, faster and essentially the Barack Obama of networking) is its gaming clout.
There's one simple reason for that - it's built on Vista, an operating system that gamers at large have spurned after all its outrageous performance promises turned out to be performance penalties instead.
Sure, SP1 helped a lot. And yes, there's been a ton of exaggeration from the operating system's counter-propagandists to contend with. But the truth is that three years on DirectX 10 remains a niche option of debatable usefulness, while the back of most game boxes coldly state you'll need an extra half-gig (or more) of RAM to run 'em on Vista instead of XP. Even the notoriously hyperbolic Microsoft is unlikely to attempt a similar massaging of the facts this time around.
So we can largely expect 7's gaming performance to be pretty much on a par with Vista's, and the recently released beta bears that out: give or take a few frames per second, benchmarks match those on the same system running Vista SP1.
More RAM available
It's the RAM issue that's likely to be 7's biggest boon to gamers, however. While the new OS is fundamentally an optimised version of Vista rather than a brand new platform, it's significantly more efficient, especially in terms of memory usage.
This means there'll be that much more RAM optionally available to gamers, as less of it is sacrificed to the OS's bottomless stomach. It also means there's the potential for smoother-running, faster-loading games for those with ample RAM, and for more games to run in the first place for those toting just a Gigabyte or so.
Unlike fat old man Vista, 7's even happy on a netbook, so there's more scope for Eees, Winds et al to be decent mini-gaming platforms.
In the long-term, we hope Windows 7 will achieve the success that Vista didn't quite manage and, more importantly, the respect that it definitely failed to win. If most gamers decide they trust 7 enough to finally step away from their faithful XP, that means DirectX 10 (although Win 7 introduces DX11, it won't be the major shift that 10 was from 9 and, importantly, it'll also be available for Vista) will be that much more established. That, in turn, means more games will support it, so we get better-looking titles all round.
It's likely, too, that the fairly insulting Vista-only tag carried by the few games unfortunate enough to get caught up in Microsoft's marketing misfires will seem less offensive when it now means the game will run on two operating systems.
Solid 3D stability from day one
Speaking of which, the early days of 7 shouldn't suffer from the really severe performance hits that blighted Vista's first months. While Vista's launch saw 3D card makers scrabbling to write drivers for a whole new architecture, we're told that this time around what works on Vista will work on 7.
While there's bound to be a few casualties, the current beta version certainly installs the latest Vista Nvidia and ATI drivers without complaint, which should mean rock-solid 3D stability from day one. Outside of drivers, however, the beta's not quite proving the plain sailing Microsoft is promising 7 will be - there's a few weird-beardy errors such as Mirror's Edge not playing sound during its cutscenes.
While most current games run solidly and developers working on upcoming titles have most of 2009 in which to ensure maximum 7 friendliness before the OS's retail launch, there's a worrying chance some older titles will remain unpatched and only partially functional.
In the end, though, Windows 7's main appeal to dedicated gamers is that it's simply a more pleasant place to be than Vista ever was. It looks better, it loads quicker, it's more responsive and it gets in your face a whole lot less. It may not offer gamers much that's new, and it's certainly not going to revolutionise performance, but as a nippy, cheerful background platform to launch games from, it's probably Microsoft's strongest-ever hand.
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Exclusive: DivX's future is the modem, says founder

DivX, one of the world's leading codec creators, mapped out what it sees as the future of the format today.
Jérôme Vashist-Rota, founder of DivX, spoke to TechRadar about the DivX Connected brand and how the company is speaking to ISPs about potential partnerships.
"We are currently trying to engage with ISPs and cable operators – it's definitely something we are looking at," said Rota.
"Our new managing director [Steve Herbert, formerly Vice President EMEA at Amdocs UK] comes from this background, so the area is of interest to us."
Modem certification
Rota explained that by bypassing playing devices altogether and getting DivX straight into the modem could be in the best interests of the codec. "Ideally, the best place for us to put the DivX technology is straight into the modem," said Rota. "Again, this is also something that we are looking at doing."
When we asked for any specific companies DivX had been speaking to, Rota was hesitant to name names, but did show interest in Sky: "Obviously someone like Sky would be of interest as they have such a large subscription base."

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Control a PS3 from your BlackBerry

Ever held your BlackBerry towards your PS3, wondering in desperation why you can't control the action on the screen? Well, your worries could soon be over thanks to a natty piece of new software.
No longer do you have to suffer the ignominy of multiple devices to control multiple things, as Unify4Life's Game|Shadow allows you to use a BlackBerry as if it were a PS3 control pad.
By connecting a little dongle to the PS3, you can work all your magic from the fun of your smartphone.
Not only that, but Blu-ray discs are also included too, so you could probably throw that controller out the window (though we advise you don't... you'll probably want it for actually playing games properly).
Eh? V?
In fact, add in another little program (AV|Shadow) and you'll even be able to change the inputs on your AV system as well!
If that wasn't enough for you (yes, there's more), you can also navigate to pre-defined bookmarked sites and you can even use the BlackBerry's keypad to input text (probably the most useful feature of the lot, as few people ever bother to plug a keyboard into the system.)
You should probably watch the video to decide for yourself whether it's worthwhile (you have to make a lot of button presses just to do something that takes usually one with a standard controller) but hey, everyone likes different things.
Anyway, it's available for $39.99 (around £29) and can be ordered over the internet from pretty much anywhere. So if you love your BlackBerry so much you want to use it for EVERYTHING, get on over to Unify4Life's website.

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Nokia 5730 XpressMusic breaks cover

Not just recycling old phones, Nokia has new product heading our way too, although the only real evidence of the Nokia 5730 XpressMusic comes from a Russian review site.
Thankfully, Mobile Review has reviewed Nokia's latest musical handset in infinite detail...

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Sony RDR-HXD995

Sony's DVD/HDD recorders have been improving considerably of late, in terms of both features and performance.
This positive trend is continued by the Sony RDR-HXD995, a 250GB HDD/DVD recorder that complements Sony's Bravia TVs.
The smartly-styled machine totes Freeview and analogue tuners, a choice of GuidePlus or standard Freeview EPGs, and – exclusive to the decks tested here – a CI slot for pay-TV services. If you're after Setanta Sports, you're already off to a good start.
The HXD995 is Freeview+ certified; its GuidePlus EPG will automatically record complete series, too, and can control an external set-top box (e.g. Sky) with an IR blaster.
Flexible DVD deck
Naturally, the HXD995 sports an HDMI port. This features remote control via HDMI CEC, and scaling up to 1080p – there's also a 576i output option.
All recordable and rewritable DVD formats, including dual-layer, are supported. However, while DVD-RAMs can be played or dubbed from, they can't be recorded to.
In terms of overall recording flexibility this Sony tops the lot. In addition to six preset recording modes is a user-definable 32-step manual mode. With effort, you can determine the optimal manual setting for each source.
Jukebox
The Sony RDR-HXD995 will rip CDs to the HDD, although it won't identify the album or any tracknames.
To prevent your jukebox becoming a disorganised mess, you'll need to name the tracks with the onscreen keyboard. But you can copy MP3 files and JPEG images to the HDD from memory devices plugged into the front-panel USB socket. The HXD995 also supports playback of such files (and DivX content) stored on CD/DVD-ROMs.
A second USB socket allows a PictBridge-compatible printer to be plugged into the HXD995. Hard-copy of your favourite photos is therefore possible without recourse to a PC. Groovy.
Back-up your recordings
Hard-drive editing is supported, enabling you to delete unwanted adverts and programme segments. As well as reclaiming capacity, this ensures pro-looking self-made DVDs.
Previously exclusive to Pioneer's recorders is an excellent DVD 'back-up' function, which works by copying the (recordable/rewritable) original to a temporary 'image' file on the HDD. Only DVDs made with Sony recorders can be backed up, though.
Auto set-up is a doddle, and the HXD995 should prove simple to use for novices, while enthusiasts will appreciate the multitude of menu adjustments. The best of both worlds, then.
Top quality recorder
DVDs appear texturally-rich and benefit from stunning yet natural colours.
With the appropriate mode, recordings are as good as the source allows – our Tech Labs frequency response measurement for the Sony's XP mode shows a mere 0.04dB drop at 4MHz. The lower settings are fairly mediocre, but that's par for the course.
Oh, and the interactive 'red-dot', if present, ends up being recorded, which could confuse old grannies.This is an excellent recorder from a brand at the top of its game.
My only complaint about the Sony RDR-HXD995 is that digital TV dropouts were more frequent than expected. Maybe a sample problem, or could a lack of sensitivity be to blame?

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BENQ dished out 10 models of G-series 16:9 monitors

Most monitor-makers are already headed toward the low cost 16:9 TN panel displays, why not BenQ? The manufacturer has quietly announced new G series monitors on their global site, dished out a sum of 10 LCDs, ranged from 15.5-inch to 24-inch with a variety of resolutions to choose from.
The G Series offers five 720p (20” G2020HD/HDA, 18.5” G920HD/HDA, and 15.6” G610HDA) and five 1080p (24” G2411HD/HDA, 23.6” G2410HD, or 21.5” G2220HD/HAD)
models. All models come standard with an exclusive image enhancement engine, Senseye+photo feature, and optimized preset modes to display Standard, Dynamic, Photo and Movie pictures. Dynamic contrast rating boasts from 10,000:1 to 40,000:1 with ultra fast panel response rate from 2ms (GTG) to 5ms.
The top of the line G2410HD and G2411HD/HAD incorporated AMA Technology (Advanced Motion Accelerator) to increase brightness and panels response time. The lower end G920HD/HDA and G610HDA are eco-friendly units boast a dual-lamp design that emits a bright 300 nits and 250 nits, while cutting down energy usage as well as CO2 and mercury emissions.
BenQ’s G Series will be first available in China by the end of January, with worldwide introduction later this year. No pricing information is available at the moment.

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Dilithium added Live TV and VoD supports for Blackberry

Research in Motion’s popular line of Blackberry devices do not have any soft of TV tuner incorporated, but the subscribers will be able to browser, view live Tv and VOD content steaming with the added support of Dilithium Content Adapter (DCA). Basically, it’s much like mobile entertainment services such as SlingBox media and Tivo mobile apps on RIM phones you probably have heard. The different, according to Dilithium, unlike most devices that allow only browsing DVR content and scheduling, the DCA is the only product on the market that supports Live TV and VoD streaming.
Dilithium network claimed their DCA requires no addition software installed, and permits on the fly video services via EDGE, WiFi, or 3G networks, depend of the capability of the handhelds. It supports a wide range of mobile devices from Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson and the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch.
The tuning device support advanced video codecs from H.263, H.264, MPEG4, MPEG2, MJPEG, and popular audio codec’s though RTSP, HTTP; which includes the progressive download media streaming formats.
PETALUMA, Calif. –(Business Wire)– Jan 20, 2009 Dilithium, the global leader in high-quality multimedia delivery over mobile and broadband networks, announced the availability of live video and Video on Demand (VoD) streaming support for Blackberry handsets utilizing the Dilithium Content Adapter (DCA).
The DCA is the only product on the market that supports Live and VoD streaming for a wide range of mobile devices, including Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson and the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. The DCA solution is an infrastructure offering that can be deployed by operators and service providers enabling their customers to access live or on demand video content through the standard players and handset browsers.
DCA supports the most live and pre-recorded video formats and performs on-the-fly and on-demand transport, media formatting, and codec and bitrate adaptation. Customers do not need to install a special application on their handset, and can access the video services via EDGE, WiFi, or 3G networks, depending on the Blackberry model.
The DCA live and VoD media adaption capabilities are based on Dilithium’s patent-pending technologies and architecture that delivers best quality on-the-fly media adaptation. It supports the widest range of phones and devices through RTSP, HTTP (including progressive download), and MPEG2/H.264 TS. It supports codecs such as, H.263, H.264, MPEG4, MPEG2, MJPEG, and popular audio codecs. The DCA features a PHP-based high level API that offers easy integration in operator and service provider frameworks and workflows. DCA has the most advanced built-in caching feature allowing significant reduction in unnecessary adaptation while providing support for ad-insertion.

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Kingston now offering rebranded Intel solid-state drives

Kingston Technology currently has new solid-state drives (SSD) coming to store shelves for those of you who like a little more to choose from. The company has just announced two new enterprise-oriented SSD product lines, one being the E series and the other the M series.
The 32GB E series is designed with an enterprise server environment in mind, offering read and write speeds of 250MB/s and 170MB/s. The 80GB SSDNow M series on the other hand is geared more towards the mobile professional with read and write speeds of up to 250MB/s and 70MB/s. Both of these drives are rebranded versions of the existing Intel high-performance SSDs. Kingston hopes to speed up the acceptance of solid-state drives in the year 2009.
In order for the adoption of such technology the pricing has to come down. The Kingston 32GB SSDNow E series and 80GB SSDNow series are priced at £680.56 and £499.08. Maybe in a few months we will be seeing a price drop on such drives.

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Intel drops prices on processors with little notice

Intel has taken the time to drop the prices for their Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Duo and Pentium processors, all while not drawing too much attention to the change. This makes some of the Core 2 Quad processors a considerate amount cheaper than before. See below for full price changes.
For some reason the Core 2 Quads Q9650, Q8300 and Q9400 have had their prices dropped more drastically than the others. The Q9400 and Q8300 processors are still in direct competition with the newest additions to AMD’s line. This gives AMD little choice but to cut the prices on the Phenom II line in order to compete. The Core 2 Duo E7500 has a higher clock speed than the E7400 whose spot it took at the $133 price point.
As a leading name such as Intel drops their prices it will force their competitors to soon follow suit, thus dropping the overall price for these products. I would say this is the time to snag one, as you will soon be after the newest and greatest thing at an even higher price in coming months. It appears that Intel did not want such pricing to be shouted from the hilltops.

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ASUS announces new F70 and F50 range of media notebooks

ASUS has just announced the new F50 and F70 range of notebooks designed to bring users a range of multimedia features as well as extensive multitasking capabilities. The F50GX offers great graphics with the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M G dedicated graphics chipset. The F70Sl offers users an astounding 1TB of storage space allowing users to do more on the go.
The F50GX runs Windows Vista with a build in 1.3-megapixel integrated webcam and Bluetooth support. For entertainment purposes you can choose between a 16-inch (1366 x 768) or 15.6-inch (1366 x 768) HD panel to watch great Blu-ray movies in HD. The F50Z has an AMD M780G with DDR2 800 up to 4GB of RAM and also includes a built-in Blu-ray player. The F70SL on the other hand has a SIS 671 DX + SiS 968 chipset running Windows Vista Home Basic or Premium. Unlike the previous models, the F70SL has a 17.3-inch HD+ (1600 x 900) LCD display with no Blu-ray player.
This new line of notebooks being offered by ASUS seem powerful enough to handle great movies on the go, but there is no mention as to what the battery life is like. There was also no information on suggestive pricing. Definitely geared to catch your attention, I sure can’t wait to get my hands on one of these notebooks.

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Intel set to launch 5-series chipsets in First Quarter of 2010

News originated from several Taiwanese mobo makers: Intel is prepping several more mainstream chipsets to support its 45nm Lynnfield and Havendale processors. In addition to the forthcoming Intel P55 Express chipset, codenamed Ibex Peak and expecting to be launched at Q3 this year, Intel will release four more mainstream chipsets – H57, P57, Q57 and H55, in the first quarter of 2010.
Report is saying a revamped version of current Intel’s Turbo Memory technology, Braidwood, will be featuring in a much high-end series of the H57, P57 and Q57 chipsets. A power efficient technology sports a dedicated NVRAM controller for SSD-like read and write speeds, and promises to decrease storage usage by moving frequently accessed data over to flash memory.
According to a chart complied by HKEPC Hardware, new chipsets will feature 14 USB 2.0 slots, 8 PCI-E x1 slots, 6 SATA ports with RAID features, and up to 4 legacy PCI slots. The exception is the entry-level H55 of up to 12 USB 2.0 and 6 PCI-E x1 slots. Additionally, videos connectivity is now natively supported HDMI, DVI, and DisplayPort.

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Fujitsu F-01A mobile phone enables fingerprint sensor security

We reported the feature-rich Fujitsu F-01A with its waterproof functionality not too long ago, but few details were revealed on the supposingly a breakthrough security feature utilizing fingerprint biometrics. The cat is out of the bag today; the manufacturer has spilled out the technology behind the fingerprint mobile phones.
The Fujitsu F-01A is the first docomo PRIME series phone to use the integrated fingerprint security. Beneath its waterproof casing is a revolutionary AuthenTec’s AES1711 fingerprint sensor that works in conjunction with AuthenTec’s TouchStone packaging and TrueNav technology for touchpad-like navigational control. When enables, the phone will lock protection on its stored files and personal information. Also, the TouchStone technology extends beyond normal usage when it comes to durability, the sensor is said to have tripled coated for protection.
No word on pricing just yet, and we don’t know when Fujitsu will make its launch for US market, but The F-01A is available now in Japan through NTT DoComo.

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Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200S, Q9400S & Q9550S with new 65W TDP

While the news yesterday that Intel are dropping prices on several of their processors caught the attention of cash-strapped PC buyers and builders, the silicon company also had some news for those wanting high performance in small enclosures. The latest Core 2 Quad range CPUs have now dropped from 95W TDP (thermal design power) to 65W TDP, meaning less power consumption and less cooling required.
Three processors from the Core 2 Quad range now meet the 65W TDP target: the Q8200S, the Q9400S and the Q9550S. These run at 2.33GHz, 2.66GHz and 2.83GHz respectively, with the Q8200S having 4MB of L2 cache, the Q9400S having 6MB and the Q9550S having 12MB. All have a 1,333MHz FSB speed, and are built on 45nm processes.
No pricing has been announced for the three new processors. Yesterday, Intel dropped the prices of the Core 2 Quads Q9650, Q8300 and Q9400 more drastically than the other reduced chips; this could be in recognition of their new, more economical counterparts.

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Tokyoflash Kisai Keisan: numerically-challenged should not apply

Tokyoflash have debuted a new timepiece, the Kisai Keisan, and as usual it’s pretty tricky to read. Constructed from high-grade aluminium with convex, magnifying lenses over a choice of red, green, orange or yellow LEDs, each watch is finished with a polished alumite coating.
To actually read off the time from the Kisai Keisan, you hit the button on the top right-hand side; that starts the LEDs blinking. A “T” or a “D” in the first column tells you whether you’re looking at the time or the date; you then add up any numbers in each column to give you the time, left to right.
It’s actually one of the easier Tokyoflash watches to decipher, although if your addition skills are lacking then perhaps not. The Tokyoflash Kisai Keisan is water resistant to 3ATM, has an auto-animation that triggers every twelve minutes, and weighs 80g. It’s available now, in black with either red or green LEDs, or silver with orange or yellow LEDs, priced at 23,900 Japanese yen ($255) with worldwide shipping included.

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UMID M1 gets 3G-free $924 pre-order price

We didn’t get a chance to catch up with UMID at CES this year, but their connectivity-heavy M1 MID made an appearance and was promised for a June release in the US. Price, though, hadn’t been decided, but was expected to be “not too expensive”; either the people at UMID aren’t familiar with what constitutes expensive, or Australian buyers are being swindled. The UMID M1 mobile internet device has gone up for pre-order at Justek, an Australia-based reseller, for a whopping AU$1399 ($924), with stock expected by February 27th.
That $924 doesn’t even get you all the connectivity goodies, either. 3G is listed as “optional”, as is the digital TV receiver, leaving just WiFi b/g and Bluetooth 2.0 as standard. No mention at all of the WiMAX and WiBro the M1 first flaunted, though admittedly they wouldn’t be much use in areas without the coverage, but then surely the price should come down to reflect that?
What you do get is an Intel Atom 1.3GHz Silverthorne CPU (also listed at 1,100MHz in the spec breakdown), 512MB of RAM, a 16GB SSD (listed at 8000MB in the breakdown) and Windows XP Home. Both a QWERTY keyboard and 4.8-inch touchscreen are there, with a 1.3-megapixel webcam and 17Wh battery. Frankly, given the price, the incongruities in spec listing and the fact that they’re using Pocketables’ images rather than their own, we’d avoid this particular pre-order deal.

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Globus portable workstation globe

As multifunctional furniture goes, designer Michiel van de Kley’s intent with Globus - to create a swivel chair and desk when open, and something that “evokes curiosity” when closed - certainly isn’t in keeping with the must-do-everything convergence ethos. However we’ll forgive it because it’s so darned lovely. A moulded plastic globe with a cast aluminum base on casters, the portable workstation automatically locks its wheels when opened, revealing a swivel chair and height-adjustable desk.
Going by some of the images in the gallery below, the Globus can be specified with different desk levels - that way you can play chess or pull out your computer keyboard. It’s intended both for office and home use, though at 1.4m wide and just over a meter high, you’ll need a fair amount of space to keep it, and has been developed by Lande Productie Schijndel BV in The Netherlands for Artifort and Gispen.
The Globus is, unlike many workstation concepts we see here at SlashGear, commercially available. You can have your pick of base and globe colors, together with a choice of seat fabrics. Sadly it’s price-on-application, which usually translates to “very expensive”.

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NTT DoCoMo F-03A: 3.2-inch touchscreen, global 3G and 5.2MP camera

After yesterday’s waterproof clamshell handset, today we have NTT DoCoMo’s latest slider, the PRIME series F-03A. Blessed with a 3.2-inch 480 x 960 touchscreen, a 5.2-megapixel autofocus camera with flash, both Japanese 7.2Mbps FOMA support and global 3G, the Fujitsu-made F-03A also supports Japan’s e-payment system, i-mode and streaming TV.
There’s also GPS and Bluetooth, together with USB 2.0 connectivity and automatic volume control via an ambient noise sensor; storage is courtesy of microSD cards. Navigation with the slide closed can be done with the F-03A’s on-screen scroll-wheel.
Despite the global 3G compatibility, don’t expect to see the F-03A on sale outside of Japan. It will be available to NTT DoCoMo subscribers there on January 24th, price TBA. Does anybody else think the front panel looks like an unbranded, button-free Nokia N97?

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