Not as shocking as it would have been if there were'nt any rumours already! Longtime rivals Palm and Microsoft have teamed up to produce the first Windows Mobile-based Treo. During a press conference in San Francisco, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, along with Palm president and CEO Ed Colligan and Verizon president and CEO Denny Strigl, unveiled the Palm Treo running on Windows Mobile 5. Although the three companies didn't reveal too many details on the Windows Treo, it closely matches the comfortable look and feel of the current Treo handsets. But its Windows Mobile interface offers some interesting new features, including the ability to use SMS messaging to politely decline incoming calls and the ability to fast forward or rewind voice messages as you listen. This move has further widened the chasm between Palm's software and hardware business. Makes me wonder if this is the way to go, is Palm OS going to survive?Not as shocking as it would have been if there were'nt any rumours already! Longtime rivals Palm and Microsoft have teamed up to produce the first Windows Mobile-based Treo. During a press conference in San Francisco, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, along with Palm president and CEO Ed Colligan and Verizon president and CEO Denny Strigl, unveiled the Palm Treo running on Windows Mobile 5. Although the three companies didn't reveal too many details on the Windows Treo, it closely matches the comfortable look and feel of the current Treo handsets. But its Windows Mobile interface offers some interesting new features, including the ability to use SMS messaging to politely decline incoming calls and the ability to fast forward or rewind voice messages as you listen. This move has further widened the chasm between Palm's software and hardware business. Makes me wonder if this is the way to go, is Palm OS going to survive?
The Nokia 3250, Nokia's newest music phone, grabbed the spotlight of Nokia Trends, an electronic music festival that took place in Berlin, Germany this weekend. The new Nokia phone is the first under the maker's new XpressMusic brand that will identify mobile phones that are designed to listen to music. This unique design twists to transform a traditional phone keypad into dedicated music keys. The Nokia 3250 stores up to 1 Gigabyte (750 songs) of high quality music and offers 10 hours of music play. In addition, consumers can take advantage of the Nokia 3250's two-megapixel camera and smartphone capabilities. It comes with a built-in FM radio tuner and supports both the MP3, WMA, M4A and AAC digital media formats.The 1 Gb storage capacity gives Nokia a huge advantage over the Motorola Rokr, which caps off the number of songs that it will hold at 100. The Motorola device also doesn't support the WMA audio format that is used by many online music services including Yahoo Music, Napster and Rhapsody.
They're smaller, more affordable, and they don't skip a beat. As more flash players hit 2GB and above, they also get loaded with bells and whistles. We are talking FM player, in-line recording, color screen, video playback, and camera too. Here's a look at some flashy flash players:
Samsung YP-T7 (1GB)Samsung packs a lot of features into this ultracompact flash player, including 65,000-colour screen that can display JPEG photos, album art, an equalizer and song information; an alarm clock; a voice recorder; line-in recording, and an FM tuner. This matchbox-sized player weighs a very light 36 grams.
Price: USD 199
Apple iPod nano (4GB)The largest capacity flash player till date, the latest offering from Apple comes with a sharp color screen, the ability to display the album covers for the songs it's playing, and the ability to store a user's photos and display them in slide shows accompanied by music. No FM tuner and in-line recording.
iRiver U10 (2 GB)
The remarkable new iriver U10 features a display that doubles as the player's control panel. Users lightly tap the 2.2in colour display to choose tracks or change the volume. The player is compatible with MP3 and WMA audio files, as well as JPeg image and MPeg4 video formats. Other features include an FM tuner, a built-in microphone and an alarm.
Samsung YP-T8A (2GB)Is it a cellphone? Well I thought so, at first. This new flash medi player from Samsung is an eye-catching device with a noticeably large LCD display. The YP-T8 offers Samsung's standard set of audio features (SRS Wow 3D sound, FM tuner/recorder, voice recorder). On top of all of that, this thing can show photos on its color screen, and even play back MPEG video. And you can turn the device sideways for a perfect widescreen view.
Price: USD 300
Creative MuVo Vidz (1GB)The MuVo Vidz, available in either 512MB or 1GB, measures a diminutive 32 x 66 x 15.7mm and weighs in at 33g. Feature set is impressive - brilliant 65K-color OLED display; built-in FM radio; recording via both line-in and voice; four equalizer presets (classic, pop, rock and jazz) as well as a user-defined EQ; photo and video playback and USB 2.0 support.
Price: USD 200
Samsung YP-D1 (2GB)Samsung adds a 2-megapixel CMOS camera to its soon-to be launched flash MP3 player YP-D1. At 63g, the YP-D1 is slightly larger than its cousin, the YP-T8, though both adopt the same cellphone-like design. the YP-D1 comes with an MPEG-4/MJPEG video player, photo/text viewer, a USB hosting feature, seven-band equalizer, seven preset equalizers , 3D audio effects and even a tiny mono speaker.
Microsoft's next generation Xbox 360 games console would hit store shelves in North America on Nov. 22, in Europe on Dec. 2 and in Japan on Dec. 10. The company clearly wanted to take advantage of the holiday shopping rush just before and after Thanksgiving in the United States. Microsoft said the Xbox 360 would come in two flavors: a base model for $299 and a souped-up version with a 20GB hard drive and wireless controllers for $399. At launch Microsoft said up to 20 games would be ready and it expects that number of titles to swell to 40 by the end of 2005.So what makes it the next generation console?
The Xbox 360 features an IBM PowerPC-based CPU running at 3.2GHz and 512MB GDDR3 RAM, eight times as much as its predecessor. A customized ATI graphics processor features 48 pixel shader pipelines--enough to produce dazzling special effects that we haven't yet seen on consoles or PCs. Multichannel surround sound; support for up to four wireless controllers to cut down on cable clutter; works out of the box as a DVD player; 20 GB detachable nd upgradable Hard Disk drive; built-in Ethernet and support for the 802.11a, b, and g variants of Wi-Fi for multi-player gaming; and ability to serve as a Media Center Extender - Do I need to say more!
Bill, just one question. When is it going to hit the Asian Shores?
NEC L1 - the thinnest cellphone yet?
NEC has announced its superskinny clamshell which it claims is thinner than Motorola RAZR. This triband stunner is 11.9mm thin (even when it's closed) and has Bluetooth, GPRS, a 1.3 megapixel camera, MP3 playback and a 1.9" OLED display. Look out RAZR!
With the new Game Boy Micro, Nintendo has shrunk the Game Boy again. The new mobile-phone-size game console, has just launched in Japan on September 13 and in the US on September 19 for US$99. At 4 inches wide by 2 inches long by 0.7 inches tall, it's just a bit larger than an iPod mini and lighter than a Motorola Razr phone. Nintendo hopes that the Micro's exchangeable faceplates will attract the fashion conscious crowd. The Micro comes in two flavors: black and silver with a very retro feel. Flashier gamers can opt for the camouflage faceplate or one of the other interchangeable flaceplates that come with the device. The Micro plays every game in the Game Boy Advance library — roughly 700 games. The Micro features a 2-inch crystal-clear screen that appears sharper and more colorful than the Gameboy SP's larger screen. Unlike the SP, which requires a separate adapter for headphones, the Micro has a built-in jack.
Oh, and did I mention that this sleek stylish console is already flying off the shelves!
iPod Nano
Motorola ROKR E1
Finally its here – an iTunes phone! Extending the iPod/iTunes franchise into a new market, Apple and Motorola have launched the Rokr, a color-screen cell phone that can hold music downloaded from iTunes. Don’t get us wrong, it’s a good first effort from Motorola and Apple, but ROKR E1 does not live up to the hype. The Rokr E1 performs its primary functions--playing music and making calls and has one major advantage over other MP3-capable cell phones on the market: compatibility with iTunes, the world's most popular music download service. What I do not like is a software-imposed cap of 100 songs, lack of Bluetooth and a less than stellar design. So if you are looking for a decent phone that connects easily to iTunes, ROKR E1 is for you. Others, wait for the next big thing from Apple.
Sexy, quirky or simply uber-cool, Fashion Phones are expected to continue being a hot item in years to come. So if you prefer form just a little bit over substance, you would love these stunners that won't look out of place on a runway.
Vertu Ascent Motorsports Limited Edition
The world's fanciest phone company have just released their latest Limited Edition ‘The Vertu Ascent Motorsport Limited Edition.’ Inspired by the Porsche Michelin Supercup, the phone is the first ever to be made using Carbon Fibre, the material used by Team Vertu Supercup racing car.. The phone is a slick as ever and crafted from Liquid metal and petrol-resistant automotive leather. The Motorsport is so limited that only 997 handsets have been manufactured, each uniquely numbered from 001 - 997 that is lasered on its back. You need to shell out Euro 4,595 to own this slicker.
The graceful Motorola V3 is the thinnest clamshell in the market and is one of the most stunningly phones out there. Taking its design cues (and name) from razor blades, the slim, lightweight phone has been a hit with both mobilegeeks and the fashion-conscious. And if thats not enough, you can get the Razr now in a fabulous gun metal black color! Wait, there's more. Motorola has just released V3 in a limited Pink edition endorsed by Maria Sharapova. Not my kind a' shade but some fashionistas may love it!
Nokia 7260One of three handsets in Nokia's 'art deco' range, the 7260 has a striking design and a bevy of extras for the fashion-conscious. Featuring chrome and steel accents, this Art-Deco-meets-Industrial-Design concept is a favourite of fashion-minded crowd. And it ain't shoddy on features either. The tri-band phone comes with a VGA camera and FM radio tuner. And for those fashion hounds out there that are constantly flying back and forth between Paris, New York, and Milan to buy clothing, the 7260 features a clothes/shoe size converter. Additionally, the phone comes with a mobile wallet for storing confidential numbers and passwords.
Samsung E530I have to admit that this fashion clamshell from Samsung is rather sweet. Sure, it's available in all-girly shades - Oasis Blue, Chic White, Lavender Pink or Festival Orange, but dont' lets its girlphone exterior fool you. The E530 is well specified, with a megapixel camera, MP3 playback, Bluetooth, Java and 92MB of user memory. There's a 65K-colour OLED screen on the front and a 262K-colour TFT LCD inside.
More power to the girls with women-specific 'lifestyle' software that helps you choose the perfect fragrance, track your biorhythms, check your height/weight ratio and count the number of calories you've expended. You can also find out whats the best time to get pregnant, by using the coyly named 'Pink schedule' to chart your menstrual cycle. Tsk, however did women get pregnant before!
Ferrari V302SH PhoneWhat makes it so exclusive? Its Ferrari and its only available in Japan. Draped in Ferrari Red colors, the famous prancing horse graces the outer clamshell making this Sharp handset look SUAVE! Sharp has announced that the V302SH features actual Ferrari F1 driver and car graphics display screens for standby, menu, calling and messaging, and with actual Ferrari F1 engine sound effects, customers will feel as if they are in the world of Ferrari at the race track when using the V302SH. Vroom, Vroom!!
Samsung E720I love it, and I own it! This, very elegant handset appeals to both sexes and across a wide range of markets, from youth to executives. This stylish two-tone phone includes a superior MP3 player (which can be controlled directly from the front cover), a megapixel cameraa megapixel camera with a flash, video recording, Bluetooth and 88.5 MB of memory. No pinks for me, thank you! I love the classic, timeless design of this phone.
Siemens CL 75
What do women want? Siemens thinks - Soft contours and a cheerful floral motif on the cellphone. Thank god for small mercies, it’s not pink or embellished with Swarovski crystals but perhaps that’s because it was designed by women. So whats inside the chic(k) phone - a digital still / video camera, 11mb of memory, push & talk technology, instant messaging and (most importantly) a huge colour display which doubles as a mirror. And a PERFUME! That's right. A perfume. To celebrate the launch of the phone, Siemens teamed up with posh perfumerie Roja Dove to create the CL75 scent, a fragrance inspired by the handset. What can I say!
According to an internet survey conducted in May-July 2005, 23% of internet users have no idea what podcasting is. So if you are part of the 23% pie, here's your chance at learning about the biggest trend on the internet. Podcasting, at the moment, is essentially free to create and distribute, and is more-or-less censorship free, quite like the early days of amateur radio. If you've always wanted your own show, here's your chance. And if you are already a blogger, you can insert a podcast into your blog. If you simply want to listen, there is a huge amount of websites that offer their own podcasts; it is just a matter of finding which one you like.
Podcasting gets its hipster name from the Apple iPod, but it has no direct connection to Apple. You can get podcasts on any player, or just through your computer, if you are set up for it.
Podcasting began taking off last summer when Adam Curry, best known as a former veejay for MTV, the cable music channel, in collabaration with with RSS developer Dave Winer, developed a computer program called iPodder, which automatically downloads audio files posted on personal Web sites or blogs. Curry's show, The Daily Source Code, was the first ever podcast. It began in August 2004 as a proof of concept for iPodder. Its tagline: "Where developers and users party together." Since Curry launched his show, nearly 500,000 people have downloaded iPodder, and the number of available shows has gone from zero to more than 2,000. In November 2004, the BBC began podcasting a popular history show called In Our Time. As of last month, BBC Radio was averaging over 100,000 podcst download requests a week. This shows the growing popularity of podcasting.
Who is Podcasting and why?
In Education. Musselburgh Grammar School, Scotland began podcasting foreign language audio revision and homework, possibly becoming the first school in Europe to launch a regular podcast.
In Politics. In Singapore, where most broadcast media are controlled by the government, opposition Singapore Democratic Party leader Chee Soon Juan uses podcasting to distribute his messages.
In Religion. Podcasting is being used by many religious groups and churches.Warnbro Community Church, Perth, Western Australia podcasts talks and sermons from their church service.
In communication from space. One day before landing, STS -114 Mission Specialist Steve Robinson transmitted the first podcast from space.
In Internet Erotica. Best-selling erotica writer Violet Blue launched a podcast in January that she describes as a combination of sexy stories and "concrete, explicit, step-by-step sex instruction from a trained sex educator." Something that will never be aired on the radio.
And then there are movie review podcasts, gadget review podcasts, advocacy podcasts, comedy podcasts, and many entertainement podcasts from tradional broadcasters like BBC, NBC, ABC etc. Almost anything can be content: from bickerings of a couple to serious scientifc commentaries. Shows are broadcast daily, weekly, and at random; some last for three minutes and others can last for hours.
So How Does Podcasting Work?
The podcaster records a show as an audio file. Then, he encodes it with RSS and uploads it to a website/ blog so people could find it. The listener's podcast software checks RSS feeds at set intervals, downloading and adding new shows to a playlist. When the listener docks his portable player, it updates with the latest shows.
How can you get Podcasts?
To download podcasts to any MP3 player/ PDA/ laptop, start with the right software. I recommend ipodder and Odeo Syncr. These free PC/Mac/Linux programs let you subscribe to podcasts from their directory listing or you can add your own podcast listings. It periodically checks for new podcasts and downloads them. If you use iTunes, you'll find the latest shows waiting whenever you dock your iPod.
Podcasting gets its hipster name from the Apple iPod, but it has no direct connection to Apple. You can get podcasts on any player, or just through your computer, if you are set up for it.
Podcasting began taking off last summer when Adam Curry, best known as a former veejay for MTV, the cable music channel, in collabaration with with RSS developer Dave Winer, developed a computer program called iPodder, which automatically downloads audio files posted on personal Web sites or blogs. Curry's show, The Daily Source Code, was the first ever podcast. It began in August 2004 as a proof of concept for iPodder. Its tagline: "Where developers and users party together." Since Curry launched his show, nearly 500,000 people have downloaded iPodder, and the number of available shows has gone from zero to more than 2,000. In November 2004, the BBC began podcasting a popular history show called In Our Time. As of last month, BBC Radio was averaging over 100,000 podcst download requests a week. This shows the growing popularity of podcasting.
Who is Podcasting and why?
In Education. Musselburgh Grammar School, Scotland began podcasting foreign language audio revision and homework, possibly becoming the first school in Europe to launch a regular podcast.
In Politics. In Singapore, where most broadcast media are controlled by the government, opposition Singapore Democratic Party leader Chee Soon Juan uses podcasting to distribute his messages.
In Religion. Podcasting is being used by many religious groups and churches.Warnbro Community Church, Perth, Western Australia podcasts talks and sermons from their church service.
In communication from space. One day before landing, STS -114 Mission Specialist Steve Robinson transmitted the first podcast from space.
In Internet Erotica. Best-selling erotica writer Violet Blue launched a podcast in January that she describes as a combination of sexy stories and "concrete, explicit, step-by-step sex instruction from a trained sex educator." Something that will never be aired on the radio.
And then there are movie review podcasts, gadget review podcasts, advocacy podcasts, comedy podcasts, and many entertainement podcasts from tradional broadcasters like BBC, NBC, ABC etc. Almost anything can be content: from bickerings of a couple to serious scientifc commentaries. Shows are broadcast daily, weekly, and at random; some last for three minutes and others can last for hours.
So How Does Podcasting Work?
The podcaster records a show as an audio file. Then, he encodes it with RSS and uploads it to a website/ blog so people could find it. The listener's podcast software checks RSS feeds at set intervals, downloading and adding new shows to a playlist. When the listener docks his portable player, it updates with the latest shows.
How can you get Podcasts?
To download podcasts to any MP3 player/ PDA/ laptop, start with the right software. I recommend ipodder and Odeo Syncr. These free PC/Mac/Linux programs let you subscribe to podcasts from their directory listing or you can add your own podcast listings. It periodically checks for new podcasts and downloads them. If you use iTunes, you'll find the latest shows waiting whenever you dock your iPod.
If you are a Creative fan, then the place to be is Singapore. Comex 2005 is over and Creative Fest has began. The highlights of the Fest are :
Creative Zen Vision
Creative Zen Vision
This Portable Video Player has quite a bit to like about. Its centerpiece is the VGA 64,000-color, 3.7-inch screen, which displays photos as well as all types of video formats. This 30GB player also features FM radio, voice recording, built-in speaker, a removable lithium-polymer battery, and aCompactFlash Type I slot. Navigation is simple and intuitive. Also plays DiVX. No line-in audio or video recording option, though. If you dont need it, its a great buy!
The Creative Zen Micro Photo is the Zen Micro with a 262,000-color OLED screen and photo-display capabilities. The Zen Micro Photo has also undergone some hardware upgrades since it was announced and is now shipping with a 8GB hard drive. It also retains the FM tuner, voice and FM recording, and that spooky blue backlight, and the player is available in ten different colors.
Creative MuVo Vidz
The MuVo Vidz, available in either 512MB or 1GB, measures a diminutive 32 x 66 x 15.7mm and weighs in at 33g. Feature set is impressive - brilliant 65K-color OLED display; built-in FM radio; recording via both line-in and voice; four equalizer presets (classic, pop, rock and jazz) as well as a user-defined EQ; photo and video playback and USB 2.0 support. But no OGG Vorbis support! Wonder why they left just this one out!
The MuVo Vidz, available in either 512MB or 1GB, measures a diminutive 32 x 66 x 15.7mm and weighs in at 33g. Feature set is impressive - brilliant 65K-color OLED display; built-in FM radio; recording via both line-in and voice; four equalizer presets (classic, pop, rock and jazz) as well as a user-defined EQ; photo and video playback and USB 2.0 support. But no OGG Vorbis support! Wonder why they left just this one out!
Sometimes owning a notebook has nothing to do with specifications and performance but simple, old fashioned vanity. Here's my list of eye-candy notebooks!
Samsung X30Stunning! And Sizzling in Red! Thats Samsung X30 for you. Sporting a sleek and sexy red profile, this stylish notebook has plenty of substance! Q30 features a 12.1-inch wide-screen display, integrated Wi-Fi, Ethernet, FireWire, a CD-RW/DVD combo drive, and a memory-card reader. The 1.1GHz Pentium M, 512MB of RAM, and a 40GB hard drive does not make me too happy, but you can't get everything! Can you?
Sony X505
If you are looking for a laptop that will get you the looks, your search stops here! Oozing with charm, the Sony VAIO X505 is just about the slimmest, lightest notebook on the planet. The nickel-reinforced carbon fiber shell (the most advanced material ever used in a notebook) on the X505/P protects a specially condensed 1-GHz Pentium M processor, 20-gig hard drive, and 10.4-inch screen. Such advanced casing helps keep the machine's total weight under 2 pounds and its profile as thin as a finger. In order get the X505 down to six-tenths of an inch in thickness, Sony had to forego some features. Nevertheless, the VAIO X505 is about the sexiest laptop on the market.
Voodoo Envy n:532Eye-catching radical looks. Voodoo's hip Envy n:532 combines decent portability with enough power to run today's hottest games and plow through any other application. The notebook is available in ten different colors, and with 13 different tribal "tattoos," patterns placed on the exterior that range from "Hex" to "Wheel of Time" or "Phoenix." The Envy also boasts several top-notch components, such as Pentium M processor, a full gigabyte of high-speed RAM, a peppy 5,400-rpm 120GB hard drive and NVIDIA's GeForce Go 6600 GPU.
X2 Stylebook 4000
X2 has launched the StyleBook 4000, a new laptop series specifically marketed for women. The Stylebook 4000 comes in Piano White and Duotone Pink/White finishes and includes a faux-croc colour-coordinated portfolio bag - how lovely. Despite its girly looks, the StyleBook 4000 can be configured with top of the range specs including Intel's latest Pentium M processor, up to 1GB of DDR RAM, up to a 100GB HDD, 802.11b+g Wi-Fi, USB/ Firewire support and a DVD/CD-RW Dual-Layer optical drive. X2 takes hi-tech fashion one step further by launching an interactive Stylebook Visual Configurator. The Visual Configurator, featured at http://www.stylebook.com/, allows users to go online to personalize their notebooks by choosing colors and coordinating laptop bags offered in Microfiber, Faux Croc, Leather and Suede materials. Not only are the bags fashionable and stylish, they are also extremely functional with several pockets for storage such as separate makeup and mobile phone compartments, eliminating the hassle of the constant two bag shuffle. I'm not sure if women in general will patronise these chic(k) notebooks or find them barbie-ish, but atleast X2 is trying something different.
Acer Ferrari 3400With this series, Acer has proved that great looking notebooks aren't the sole province of Sony. Besides sporting the Ferrari red colour and the Prancing Horse logo, Acer's Ferrari 3400 notebook has 64-bit 3000+ processor, a 128MB ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics card, built-in 802.11g WiFi, Bluetooth, 512MB of RAM, a DVD+-RW drive, and a 15-inch display. Very Sexy. Very Ferrari!