HK

Harman Kardon is still relatively new to the GPS game, but it looks to be increasing its presence in a fairly big way today, introducing three new units in its "Guide + Play" series. Those include the low-end GPS-310 model (a follow-up to the GPS-300), the slightly more capable GPS-510, and the top-end GPS-810. Each of those pack a 4-inch widescreen display (or 4.3-inches on the GPS-810), along with text-to-speech functionality, 2GB of internal memory and, of course, all the usual GPS and PMP features you'd expect from a device dubbed "Guide + Play." The GPS-510 ups things a bit with real-time traffic info, additional video options, and support for SDHC cards, while the GPS 810 tops things off with a wireless rotary controller (seen above), an FM transmitter, and built-in Bluetooth for hands-free calling. Look for the whole lot to be available next month, with the GPS-310, 510 and 810 setting you back $350, $450, and $600, respectively.

PS3

It's been revealed that the new 40GB PlayStation 3 features more than just a cut down hard disk drive. Sony has also thought to stick the 65nm version of the Cell inside the new console, reducing the power usage down to around 135 Watts (down from 200 Watts.) That means the console also runs cooler and quieter, which is always a plus for a device that usually resides in the living room. Sony also jiggled around a few other components by making the heat pipe smaller, swapping out the motherboard for a new version, and added a button battery to keep time when the system is off. Looks like potential PS3 purchasers will be looking forward to a less noticeable din then.

Keyport

Those actually looking forward to snapping up the oh-so-capable Keyport keyholder can commence celebrating, as the firm has just announced that sales have begun and that the first batch will ship out worldwide next month. Interestingly, it looks like you'll have to inquire yourself if seeking more details about general pricing and specifications, but we are told that a Limited Edition Keyport Slide will soon be available to those select individuals on the "reserve list" for a staggering $295. And that's not even including the $75 shipping fee for those outside of America (saywha?) plus applicable duties / taxes. We'll be sticking with the oval, thanks.

Lenovo

Lenovo's first US consumer-oriented laptops might have hit yesterday, but the company isn't about to ignore its core office users -- say hello to the Death Star prop-looking 3000 tower. The unit gets its distinctive mug from the integration of a couple nifty power-management features, including a "Power Dial" that allows users to adjust energy usage and system performance and a "Breathing" LED that changes color and brightness based on power usage. All models rock gigabit Ethernet and Intel X3100 graphics, but buyers can choose configs ranging from an E2140 Intel Core Duo with 2GB of RAM and a 320GB disk for $589 to a Q6600 Core 2 Quad with 3GB of RAM and a 500GB disk for $1,129. The systems are available now, for all you aspiring Star Wars set designers out there.

Microsoft

You can't run around launching fancy new music players these days without a secondary offensive of cases and car chargers following close behind, and Microsoft's new Zunes have a veritable cavalry behind them. In addition to the official accessories we've already heard about from J Allard and crew, the company's lined up a number of third-party manufacturers to crank out 60 different Zune-friendly products, including Polk, Belkin, DLO, Monster, Altec Lansing, Targus, iHome, Memorex and Griffin. Microsoft's new pals will be releasing everything from speaker docks to RCA cables, so it looks like you'll be able to build a happy little home for that new Zune of yours when it launches next month.

Panasonic

Panasonic's new DMP-BD30 Blu-ray player serves up those HD discs extra fancy, being the first player to meet the requirements for BD-Video Final Standard Profile 1.1. That means a secondary video decoder for picture in picture (such as director's commentary), and an extra audio decoder for working in sound from that second source or from interactive features. Other features of the $500 player include Deep Color Compatibility, HDMI 1.3B, 1080 / 24p playback, and an SD card slot that can play back 1080p AVCHD video from SD cards. We're not exactly sure when the DMP-BD30 is hitting the streets, but it seems poised to steal the delayed Samsung BD-UP5000's thunder.

Pioneer

Apparently this rig was at CEATEC and we missed it, but Pioneer is showing off a triple-screened 3D gesture controller for cars at the Tokyo Motor Show, and it looks pretty amazing. The left screen shows GPS, while the far right screen shows potential overlays -- selecting an icon from the right screen allows you to "grab" it from the middle holographic section and put it on the left GPS screen. It sounds crazy and potentially distracting, but it's got that KITT vibe we love so much, and it's interesting to see gesture and 3D come together like this. Check the read link for lots more pics of this thing in action.

Sandisk

Entering the market with smaller dimensions and a lower price than television bridge products such as Apple TV and the Xbox 360, SanDisk's TakeTV is unconcerned with DHCP, WPA, SSIDs and several alphabetical dalliances of IEEE 802.11. In fact, it eschews any kind of direct home network connection, returning to that tried-and-trod transfer known as "sneakernet." Using portable physical media as a liaison between devices goes back at least to the early days of the floppy disk and was revived a few years ago by the USB flash drive.

TakeTV is a certified DivX device and also supports XVID and MPEG-4. Videos shot with a Flip Video camcorder played back perfectly. However, the popular Windows and Mac formats of WMV and H.264 are not yet supported; Apple's Leopard instructional video was not recognized.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Apple and Sony, like peas in an iPod

AppleSony

Funny huh? We knew something was a tad too familiar with those Sony DSC-T2 Cyber-shot cameras announced yesterday. Those pictures are official, un-doctored press shots from both Apple and Sony. The former (and we mean former) comes courtesy of archive.org since it's been supplanted by Apple's new nano. Of course, Apple's no saint in these matters either. Flattery at its finest, eh? Sony, like.no.other.

Dlink4500

D-Link's DGL-4500 Xtreme N Gaming Router has followed a somewhat typical route to availability, as it was first spotted in the FCC's lair and then admired up close in the wild. Now, the time has come at long last for the unit to find its way into the loving arms of consumers. The 802.11a/b/g/n router -- which features four gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, a USB connector, three detachable antennas and that svelte OLED display -- can be picked up now for $239.99 direct from D-Link.

LG Viewty

You've waited oh-so-patiently for LG's Viewty to land, and you've even tried to subdue your anxiety by combing over a glowing review, so feel free to cut loose now that the KU990 is finally available. Yep, starting today users can snatch up the mobile in "major European countries" for a still unannounced price, but we're willing to bet you'll pony up for all the joy that touchscreen, five-megapixel camera, DivX support, TV out and HSDPA will bring. Unfortunately, LG fails to mention any specific carriers in its release, but we'd assume Vodafone (and potentially Orange in the not-too-distant future) will be picking it up in their respective regions.

Yamaha

On one hand, the designs of Yamaha's latest devices could have easily been ripped straight from last century, but in another sense, there's a certain level of attractiveness that comes with brushed aluminum AV components sporting retro-inspired buttons / knobs. Nevertheless, the CD-S2000 SACD / CD player (which arrives in silver or black motifs) plays nice with MP3 / WMA files and sports analog, optical / coaxial digital and XLR audio outputs. As for the A-S2000, it's available in the same two hues and can crank out up to 190-watts x 2 at 4-ohms or 120-watts x 2 at 8-ohms. Apparently marketed towards the high-end crowd, neither of these December-bound units come cheap, as the CD-S2000 will demand ¥208,950 ($1,824) while the A-S2000 rings up at an equally staggering ¥176,400 ($1,540).

lifesize

The corporate videoconferencing market has taken some baby steps towards HD resolutions, but a company called LifeSize is trying to jump the rest of the pack with an array of 720p devices that sell for much lower prices than anything else we've seen. The company's basic solution, the $5,999 LifeSize Express, comes with a microphone, remote, and 720p camera, and features HDMI input and output to pipe additional content over a 1.5mbps connection. Stepping up, the LifeSize Team MP and LifeSize Room add support for more than two participants, with the $8,999 Team MP supporting 4-point single camera communications over a 2.5mbps connection and the Room bumping the specs to 6 points with two cameras and two screens each over 5mbps. Linking two MPs and a Room together in what LifeSize bundles as a turnkey telepresence solution will set you back around $40K, which sounds steep until you compare it to competing $200K SD-res systems on the market. All these are shipping now, according to the company.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Citizen's Watch with Bluetooth

Citizen

The new citizen with bluetooth is to link with your mobile moreover, they all boast a battery life of up to five days with BT turned on. Furthermore, the units are water-resistant and feature a color LCD, phone battery meter, caller ID, signal display, call history list and email viewer.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Apple's waiting on Intel's Penryn

Mac PRO

Apple's desktop warrior Mac Pro doesn't get half the play of Apple's laptops and iMac in the rumor mill, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of pent up love for the beastly machine. AppleInsider is reporting that Apple has a revision ready with a significant overhaul of the internals. Apparently what's holding things up is Intel's 45nm Penryn chips, which should be available around the middle of November. Of course, rumors had the Mac Pro in quite similar shape last year, with Apple holding up production for upcoming Clovertown chips.

Those arrived right on time, but Apple held up the 8-core Mac for five months in anticipation of Creative Suite 3. The theories this time around are that now that demand is raging for pro machines thanks to Adobe's quite successful product, Apple's going to try to get a new high-end machine -- which could be up to 45 percent faster -- out the door as soon as possible. Rumored specs top out at dual quad-core Xeon "Harpertown" chips running up to 3.2GHz with 1600MHz bus and 12MB of L2 cache, which would be 8 cores of thunder indeed. Who knows if Intel can be shipping enough of those by the end of this year to warrant a Mac Pro release, but it seems like however it goes down, professionals are going to have a new and pricey toy from Apple before too terribly long.

Fujitsu



There's nothing here to get too excited about, but Fujitsu has a solid sub-$900 unit on its hands in the LifeBook A6110. The 15.4-inch laptop includes all the traditionals, like an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Intel 802.11n WiFi, a built-in webcam, SD card slot, FireWire and a DVD burner. What is almost exciting is the inclusion of both ExpressCard and PC Card expansion slots, but the disappointment of Intel X3100 integrated graphics in this form factor kind of negates that -- though you still can't really grumble about the $849 (after a $50 rebate) pricetag. The A6110 should be available now.

IPODCLASSIC

The tubes are buzzing this morning with reports that the recent iPod classic 1.0.2 update has a nasty bug in it that causes the drive to constantly spin -- a glitch that's a little more troubling than those freezing issues we heard about, since bumping a spinning platter is a sure way to kill your drive dead. Most users see the problem manifest as the battery draining much more quickly than it should, and it seems to be particularly a problem when using CoverFlow, but others say it's totally random and that replacement iPods with 1.0.2 loaded don't exhibit any symptoms. In any event, iPod Classic owners who haven't updated should probably hold off, and those who have should see how their devices are holding up.

Ford

It's October, which inevitably means that we'll be seeing a healthy dose of gadgets in pink as manufacturers look to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This particular device, however, means a touch more to the cause than most, as both Ford and Microsoft are teaming up to donate "100-percent of the purchase price" to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Granted, this 30GB Zune is one of those first-generation models, and while we're not told exactly how many were produced, it is being marketed as a limited edition piece. So for those more concerned with the cause, infatuated with pink and absolutely cool with not receiving a second-gen Zune (any takers?), you can grab one now for $249.99.

While we're not going to complain about the launch of the cheaper 40GB PS3, we are still kind of miffed that it isn't backwards-compatible with our huge library of PS2 games -- especially since newer PS3s retain compatibility through software emulation and not specialized hardware like earlier models. Not to worry though, because Sony Computer Entertainment America CEO Jack "Daniels" Tretton is here to dazzle you with mathematics: according to Jackie, the consumer actually benefits from Sony's move to cut emulation, because now you have the opportunity to buy both a $399 PS3 and a $129 PS2, for a grand total of $528, which is -- wait for it -- less than the original 60GB PS3's price of $600! Of course, what Mr. T here is forgetting is that most people would prefer a single, $399 PS3 with backwards compatibility (and rumble, for good measure), but really, once you get spinning that fast it's awfully hard to stop.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Chumby

chumby

At this point the only surprise left with the Chumby always-on widget box was when it was going to finally go on sale -- we've seen the specs, gone hands-on, seen the retail unit, and generally gone gaga for widgets with this thing -- so we're pleased to report that the Chumby store is now taking orders for the box, in your choice of white, latte (pictured) and black. $179 gets you the box, but it's how developers and users use this thing that'll really be the story. No concrete word on a ship date, but since "insiders" have been playing with these since last month, we're betting it'll be soon.

Rcard

It's been two years since we first heard about the rCard, but it looks like flash prices have finally fallen enough to make the 1GB "digital business card" actually kind of affordable outside of specialty applications. For about $40, you're looking at a 2 x 3.6 x .17-inch card with a 2-inch screen, two control buttons, a USB port, and a battery that can run for "two hours continuously." That's probably overkill for a basic business card, but CEO IQ says the device is targeted at other uses, like club passes, rewards programs, and, of course, "the ultimate college campus craze." In other news, the marketing department at CEO IQ has apparently never set foot on a college campus. Check the website for the complete hyperbolic video, which touts the rCard as "the most highly anticipated innovation of the decade."

Denon

Denon cares about you, movie-buff, and you need only look at the company's two latest Blu-ray player offerings to realize that. Enter the DVD-3800BD and DVD-2500BT, the former supports 1080p, 12-bit DAC at 297MHz, the exciting acronyms of D.D.S.C-HD (or Dynamic Discrete Surround Circuit-HD), and D.P.I.C. (Denon Pixel Image Correction), plus HDMI, RCA / BNC, and RS-232C connectivity. The latter is a slightly more stripped-down version which axes some of the capital-letter feature flourishes. Both players will be available in Japan in January of 2008, priced at ¥336,000 for the DVD-3800BD, and ¥231,000 for the DVD-2500BT.

Panasonic

For those out there who still believe that 5.1-channels of audio can be wrapped around your two ears in a single set of cans, say hello to Panasonic's RP-WF5500. These 'phones feature 40-millimeter drivers, around six hours of playback on a full charge, a range of about 30-meters and weigh in at 0.56-pounds. Additionally, you'll find a pair of optical digital audio inputs, a single analog audio input, one optical audio output and a bass boost function for crankin' up the low-lows. No sign of a price just yet, but word on the street has 'em going on sale in Japan late next month.

ATI WONDER

Those looking for a fresh way to capture OTA signals on their computer need to look AMD's way, as the firm is kicking out three new ATI TV Wonder devices today. Up first is the TV Wonder 650 Combo USB, which includes two TV tuners to pick up OTA HDTV signals / ClearQAM programming, analog TV and FM broadcasts. For those with desktops, the TV Wonder 600 PCI or TV Wonder 600 PCI Express should fit the bill quite nicely, as they offer up the same features as their USB sibling in less portable forms. Notably, all three units come bundled with Catalyst Media Center software, which enables the devices to quickly convert (read: "with two mouse clicks") recorded programming to formats suitable for use on the iPod, Zune, PSP, iPhone, Palm Treo, etc. Price wise, the 650 Combo USB will demand $149, while the other two (pictured after the jump) will run you just $99 apiece.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Sony Ericsson's new K630i

Sonyk630i

Sony Ericsson today announces the K630i, a stylish all-rounder fully packed with all the features needed for managing work life as well as your favourite pictures, video and music. Available in two colours – Havana Gold and Quick Black – the new Sony Ericsson K630i keeps you in control, fully informed and entertained at all times. Powered by turbo 3G (HSDPA) and weighing in at only 97 grams, the K630 delivers a PC-like Web surfing experience in a pocket-sized frame.

Logitech

Multimedia speakers for the PC have come a long way since the first Sound Blaster equipped the PC with the means of blasting out MIDI music and 8 bit sound bites. From micro mono tweeters to 7.1 surround systems you would think there is no way else to improve the basic multimedia speakers. Well that’s where you’re wrong cause you see, Logitech has came up with a brilliant idea of fitting out their latest multimedia speakers with touch sensor buttons and a cool amber coloured LCD panel. Introducing the Z-10 Interactive 2.0 Speaker System. What’s so cool about a LCD on a speaker you say? Well not only does it show the Volume, Bass or Treble’s level setting , but it actually interacts with your PC via a USB cable.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Asus introduces trio of new LCD monitors

Asus

Not content with launching just a single LCD, Asus has decided to loose three new ones on us at all once. Up first is the 19-inch VW198, which features a WSXGA+ (1,680 x 1,050) resolution, 300 cd/m2 brightness, a 3,000:1 contrast ratio, five-millisecond response time, built-in one-watt stereo speakers and VGA / DVI ports to boot. For those who just like bigger panels, the firm is also introducing the 20-inch VW202 and 22-inch VW222 series, both of which sport the same resolution and brightness but offer up a 2,000:1 contrast ratio. Unfortunately, no details on pricing were disclosed, but the trio ought to hit shelves in the not-too-distant future.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Samsung's musicphone

Samsung Musicphone

Samsung just got busy with a trio of MP3, AAC, AAC+, e-AAC+, WMA, and WMDRM supporting musicphones: the dual-sliding SGH-i450, slim SGH-F330 with HSDPA, and SGH-F210 swivel stick. Most impressive is the €360/$508 Symbian i450 with Touch Wheel music navigation pictured above. Slide 'er up and you're holding an S60 3rd Edition smartphone with 3.6Mbps HSDPA data beneath a 2.4-inch LCD. Slide 'er down to expose metallic speakers with a B&O ICEpower amplifier and Samsung music UI for controlling the tunes stored in its 35MB of internal memory or up to 4GB on microSD expansion.

Sure, Bluetooth A2DP stereo audio, 3.5-mm headphone jack, and FM radio as well. The €260/$367 F330 features the physical music controls of the F300 while packing 3.6Mbp HSDPA, a 2 megapixel camera, and up to 2GB of microSD expansion in a slider measuring just 13.5-mm thin. The F210 then, is a GSM version of the U470 already nabbed by Verizon as the Juke. It offers up to 20-hours of audio playback from the included 1GB storage or microSD expansion -- we hear it makes phone calls too.

Envision

Envision's latest duo of LCD HDTVs aren't apt floor anyone with cutting edge extras, but they do manage to pack enough features to satisfy a large chunk of those scouting a new 32-incher. Up first is the L32W661, which features a 1,366 x 768 resolution, 1,200:1 contrast ratio, eight-millisecond response time, 500 cd/m2 brightness, 178-degree viewing angles and an integrated NTSC / ATSC tuner that supports Clear QAM. Furthermore, the set boasts built-in 16-watt speakers, two HDMI sockets, a pair of component / S-Video / composite jacks and a S/PDIF audio output. For those only needing a single HDMI port, the L32W698 (shown after the break) is available for the same price, but it sports a debatably sexier frame.

Gold Macbook pro

For Apple owners, there's one consistent event that can make their shiny new device seem dull and boring: the replacement of their specific device with a new one from Apple. Now there's a new Apple gadget on the block that literally makes every other Apple device look dull. A company called Computer Choppers has put together a Gold-plated MacBook Pro, with an appropriately diamond studded Apple logo.

HP IPAQ

I know that you're all on pins and needles right now waiting to find out when you can get your hands on those new HP PDAs, the iPAQ 110 and 210, and how much it will cost you when you do. Well, you're in luck, because the company has just added shipping dates and pricing to its website, thus making your Fall plans a little bit easier. If you'll recall, both WiFi equipped, Windows Mobile 6 devices feature color TFT touchscreens, Marvell PXA310 624 Mhz processors, and Bluetooth 2.0. The devices will be shipping on October 8th, with the 110 selling for $299, and the 210 for $399.

Sharp

In October 2006, Sharp's 4.3-inch SP700 full-screen, touch-sensitive media player was considered quite the looker. Funny how brickley this chunker can appear just one year later at its time of release. Still, those students looking for a decent list of supported codecs -- DivX, MPEG-1/2/4, WMV7/8/9, H.264, OGG, MP3, WAV, and WMA to name a few -- along with a T-DMB television receiver and full suite of electronic dictionaries should still feel a slight tickle to their scholarly fancy. The Windows CE 5.0 device rides atop a 30GB disk and offers SD/MMC expansion and USB Host capabilities for quick, PC-less transfer of data directly to the device.

Onda's vx838

We've got another PMP from the East for you today: Onda's vx838 has been popping up on foreign language sites over the last few weeks. It has a relatively impressive 1.8-inch screen considering the old-Nano esque form factor, but there's nothing else to get excited about: this is just another 2GB MP3/MP4 player that probably won't hit the states anytime soon.

Philips SHD9100

Philips trotted out its SHD9100 wireless headphones back at IFA in August (where we got to check 'em out first hand), but it looks like the company has just now made the cans available to the general public -- in the U.K., at least. According to Pocket-lint, those in the neighborhood should be able to pick them up now for £170, or about $345. Somewhat curiously, Pocket-lint is also reporting that the cans boast a 50-millimeter speaker driver, and not a 40-mm one as we had heard before, as well as a 30 meter range, as opposed to the 40 meters we last heard about. Otherwise, the phones look to be unchanged, with the same promised six hours of listening time and untold levels comfort and sound quality, which we're guessing you'll want to check out for yourself before dropping all those pounds.

ViaM

Remember the cutesy X-970 from way back in March? If not, there's no need to panic, as ViaMichelin is just now getting around to releasing this thing en masse. Available now, the 3.5-inch X-970 features Bluetooth, text-to-speech, real-time traffic capability, a three-watt internal speaker and Michelin Green Guide content, which describes "thousands of attractions across the US and Canada." If this sounds like your kind of navigator, you can grab one now for $399. Click on through for a few more looks.

Renault

How appropriate that a car not much bigger than a cellphone (okay, that's an exaggeration, but this thing's pretty tiny) would get slapped with Nokia branding, right? Sadly, the integration between the automotive and cellular worlds isn't particularly tight here; Renault hooks up proud new owners of Twingo Nokia special editions with Nokia 6110 Navigators -- perfect for use with the integrated Bluetooth -- but that's about it. There's some sort of "Nokia tech-themed" decal stuck on the Twingo's B-pillar, too, but we're pretty sure that thing would have to get removed right quick if we found ourselves with one of these in the garage.

XM

We'll admit, the XM XpressRC sure looked mighty nice from a distance, and judging by CNETs take on it, it's equally fine up close. Quite frankly, this device was hailed as a notch above the alternatives, boasting a full-color display "that not only jumped out at you with its beauty, but could be easily read and understood while driving." Granted, not everything was entirely peachy, as the reviewer took issue with the knob's design and the small power button -- both grumbles that could certainly be overlooked. Additionally, the unit's ability to pause / rewind up to an hour of programming was very appreciated, and the other small bonuses (i.e. SongSaver) filled out the feature set quite nicely. All in all, this little gizmo was seen as "the way to go" if you've been scouting a device of this nature, but the $170 pricetag could still be a hindrance.

Skycaddie

SkyCaddie's SG5 Pro definitely isn't the first of its kind, but this programmable GPS range finder provides instant relief when your caddy calls in sick. Specs wise, you'll find a 220 x 176 resolution color screen, automatic backlighting, 14-hours of battery life, a mini-USB port, four-way scroll pad and a water-resistant enclosure. Additionally, this unit includes SkyGolf's patented IntelliGreen technology, which enables golfers to "measure the full depth and shape of the green from any angle of approach and shows distances for all targets and hazards" on any of the courses in the 16,000+ course library. We really hope you didn't expect this thing to run ya cheap, however, as you'll be forking out $429.95 for the pocketable convenience.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

"Why i want to eat at Friday's"

TGIF

I always have this craving for Friday's to dine in all the time, don't ask me why. Just that when i see the logo TGIF i can't resist myself to enter into Friday for a meal, it's like the magnetic force is so strong that you can't resist the force but to give in.

Of course my favorite is...... the Jack Daniel Spare Ribs the picture tell's it all....
Jack Daniels Spare Ribs

I can't wait , i can't wait.... The mouthwatering Jack Daniel's sauce gives you an unforgettable flavor,a savory blend of smokey maple it's so juicy and you can taste it right now! slurpp.... Let's go!!!

Fire Grilled

macbook

I have been wanting to get myself a Mac laptop, have been surfing through the net, tossing and turning to search for a good deal on a Mac, till my friend introduce me to this site. I am overwhelmed by the selection of Mac laptop’s they have. Here you can find a fair bit of Mac notebooks, whether it’s the MacBook or MacBook Pro, they even sell the G4 which I am currently using one. Ya I might want to get myself the 15 inch MacBook Pro.

Here it is, a review of Apple's new 15-inch MacBook Pro. You know, Santa Rosa platform, LED backlighting, and new nVidia 8600M GT graphics. Well, to start with, the "screen is without a doubt the best I've ever seen on a laptop, and better than a lot of desktop monitors. The MBP also came away with "impressive scores" whether running OS X or 32-bit Vista via Boot Camp. The new nVidia GPU smoked the old ATI X1600-based MBP by a factor of three in 3DMark06 tests -- well above the 57% increase claimed by Apple. During normal usage at 50% brightness (which is not very bright as we've seen), the battery eeked-out about 4-hours which dropped to 3-hours after dialing up the brightness to 100%. The only real nit is the weight, which at 5.4-pounds (2.45-kgs) is becoming rather pathetic by modern standards yet remains the smallest offering in Apple's pro laptop lineup. Check this out!

Monday, October 1, 2007

New Palm PDA phone

Palm Centro

Remember the Palm devices? Well some of you might remember them and it wasn't that long ago that the Palm Treo 680 was released. Well, what most people might think is a dying brand is still breathing and they've launched their latest Palm PDA phone called the Palm Centro.With voice, text, IM, email, web, contact and calendar capabilities, a full-color touch screen and full keyboard, Centro brings Palm simplicity and organization to customers who want to stay connected with co-workers, friends and family. With a new compact design, Centro is the smallest and lightest Palm phone to date. Centro has a modern, stylish look that feels comfortable in the hand, pocket or evening purse.

Sony Drive

It's here friends, Sony's Drive teaser is none other than their 3-mm thin, 1,000,000:1 OLED TV, just announced official with a December 1st Japanese retail date. The 11-inch SonyDrive XEL-1 set features a 960 x 540 pixel resolution, terrestrial digital tuner, 2x 1W speaker, and HDMI, USB, and Ethernet jacks in a package measuring 287 x 140 x 253-mm and 2-kg (3.3-pounds). How much? Well, ¥200,000 or about $1,740 -- That's about $160 per inch of OLED. Rich indeed, but so it goes for first generation technology.

Microsoft mous

We know, Microsoft's resurrection of the SideWinder brought back fond memories for most us of, but with all the alternatives already out there in the gaming mouse niche, it's going to take a bit more than fuzzy feelings to get our $80. Thankfully, the folks over at I4U News spent some quality time with the new SideWinder mouse, and after realizing that it looks a bit gentler in person, they proceeded to crank through hours of gaming to see how it fared. Notably, the LCD screen was dubbed "actually useful," the 2,000dpi was said to be "plenty of sensitivity," and the thumb buttons were deemed "perfect from a tactile feedback perspective." Still, reviewers found more hype than substance in the Quick Turn button, and while the scroll wheel seemed "great for gaming," it wasn't as friendly during everyday tasks. Nevertheless, the crew awarded the revived critter a very generous nine out of ten stars, but if you've still got your doubts, hit the read link and check out the full skinny.