TechWatch

Apple iPad international release Delayed: Pre-order May 10

2010-04-21T22:40:00.000+08:00

After announcing an international release of iPad for late April – Apple pushed it back due to unforeseen demand in North America. Now the pre-order for UK starts from May 10. No information on what other countries get lucky along with UK. We will know more details including a release date and pricing on may 10.

Whats your favorite Touchscreen phone?

2008-09-17T09:54:00.002+08:00

Touchscreen phones are finallymaking it big in 2008!They are easier to use that you would expect and one you are hooked, you wouldn't want to see a bulky QWERTY phone again! And there are lots of great options besides the much-loved iPhone.

Here are a few models, tell me which one is your favourite:

1. iPhone 3G

2. Samsung Omnia

3. HTC Touch Diamond

4. LG prada

5. Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1

6. Samsung Armani

7. LG KC910

Nano goes back to its orginal shape!

2008-09-17T09:33:00.002+08:00

What better way to start posting again than to talk about the new iPod Nano. The new fourth generation nano bears a strong resemblance to its original avtaar - with a longer body and a larger display. Its also the slimmest and lightest iPod ever. Love the ‘Shake to shuffle’ feature and the landscape option on screen. The new iPod nano works with the new iTunes 8 Genius feature, allowing customers to automatically create playlists while on-the-go with their iPod nano. Users can preview the playlist Genius creates, refresh the list to choose different songs and save Genius playlists to enjoy again later.

Now available in 8Gig and 16 Gig flavors, there are plenty of delicious shades to pick from: black, silver, pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.

Posting after a long hibernation

2008-09-17T09:24:00.002+08:00

This blog has been left in deep hibernating mode for way too long! What can I say except that I had been really busy! Hardly an excuse! And writing on technology is something i really enjoy. So, let me say this today : I am back! And I will be posting regularly!

Babble in, Skype out?

2006-09-06T15:06:00.000+08:00

Healthy competition is always good news for consumers. While I am a loyal Skype user, I couldn't resist the temptation to check out another VoIP service called Babble, Launched by a UK company, Babble undercuts the already inexpensive prices of rival service Skype. As well as being able to dial out through Babble, you can also receive calls by purchasing a "real" phone number from them. It also gives your 30 free minutes of calls per day for calling landlines in nearly 25 major destinations around the world.

As advertised, Babble does require ISDN/broadband connections to work and will not operate on even the fastest dial-up connection. Registration is free, the software download is free and there is no obligation to subscribe whatsoever. Voicemail and instant messaging are also free. It doesn't, however, have some of the more sophisticated Skype features like video and conference calling.

So why am I flirting with Babble? Because Babble uses an industry-wide standard called SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), and it may be able to work (not tried yet) on Nokia N80 which has just become SIP compliant.

Philips launch PC free Skype DECT phone

2006-09-06T14:09:00.000+08:00

If you have been waiting for the launch of Wi-Fi Skype phones from Netgear and Belkin – there is something more interesting on the horizon. Philips has introduced a new internet DECT phone that doesn’t need a Wi-Fi network or connection to PC. The VOIP841 plugs straight into your normal land-line connection as well as your ethernet broadband connection. This means you're able to make calls on both Skype and your traditional house phone. So if you dont have wireless network at home, or you are not tech savy enough to play around with your Wi-Fi network, then this phone is for you. It’s expected to be on shelves before Christmas but there's no news on the pricing.

Creative introduces Vision: W

2006-08-31T14:45:00.000+08:00

The newest member of the Creative Zen family makes a debut - the Creative Zen Vision: W. Upping the ante to a 4.3-inch 16:9 widescreen, 480 x 272 resolution display, the W is said to take on just about every video format out there, including MPEGs, AVIs, and DivX too. In both 30GB and 60GB capacities, the Zen Vision W features FM radio with 32 station presets, voice recorder, and syncs with Microsoft Outlook contacts, calendar & tasks.

The Creative ZEN Vision W (30GB) premiered at COMEX 2006 for S$649. The 60GB model will be available in end September 2006 for S$749. Its definitely pricey for a device that cannot record video. Archos can breathe easy for now!

Buying a Home Theater PC?

2006-08-25T22:07:00.002+08:00

If you are thinking of buying or building your home theater pc (HTPC), check out this handy guide, by yours truely, featured in the July 2006 issue of Man's World.

Sony Ercisson Z610 - now you see me, now you don't

2006-08-24T16:55:00.000+08:00

Sony Ericsson recently unveiled the Z610 as the "shimmering ‘mirror’ clamshell with hidden depths". Darn, copywriters!! Where do they come up with such fancy words! But the phone is definitely far better than its description. This lustrous, mirror-like stylish clamshell boasts a 2 megapixel digital camera and a media player that supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, and eAAC+ music formats, as well as Bluetooth A2DP stereo headphones. There's an added bonus in the form of the ‘Picture Blog’ application, which lets you blog photos instantly and there's a slot for expandable memory for all your photos and media files.

The "hidden" external display is probably the most coolest things about this phone. When a call or SMS is received, the hidden external display, that uses OLED technology, illuminates, giving the effect that the caller-ID information is floating on the face of the phone itself.

The Sony Ericsson Z610 will become available in Q3 2006 in 3 flavors: black, pink and blue.

Pink, Gorgeous Pink!

2006-08-15T14:53:00.000+08:00

First Samsung gave us the very sexy and very red Q30 notebook. We loved it! Well, all that lovin wasn't enough for Samsung - they had to make us swoon some more. So here it is -Samsung’s diminutive Q40 in a beautiful new color - pink. Yeah, I know - I am not a big fan of gadgetmakers coloring their toys pink to get more women to buy them. But this really is a cutesy pink. Very unlike the shocking pink RAZR. And, pink or not, the Q40 is a talented little notebook. It boasts an Intel Core Solo U1400 (1.2-GHz) processor, 512MB DDR2 RAM, 60GB HDD, an external DVD burner, and a 12.1-inch widescreen display. Despite weighing just 1.2 kg, it still includes two USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire port, Wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity. Oh yes, its just 21 mm thick! Beat that!

Now the bad news, its available in just UK for now. For more info, check out PCWORLD.

Geek Girls or Sexy Sirens?

2006-08-08T16:11:00.000+08:00

A few women in Australia figured out that the best way to encourage young women to consider a computing career is to put together a racy calender. This calender is the brainchild of IT professional Sonja Bernhardt who says "the method in the madness is to get to a broader audience so that people can see that it's not nerds in the IT industry. They are full bodied, fully intelligent, fully socialised women who absolutely love what they do."

The IT Screen Goddesses Calendar 2006-2007, featuring female IT professionals posing as film icons, will be released in Queensland, Australia, at Movie World on Aug. 11. The calendar includes recreations of sexy females in their famous roles, such as Uma Thurman in "Pulp Fiction," Nicole Kidman in "Moulin Rouge" and a nearly naked Mena Suvari in rose petals from "American Beauty." The models are from all mainland Australian states as well as South Africa, Finland and Sri Lanka. Each month includes a biography of the woman featured that month, as well as a significant date in technology history, covering leading technology women.

However not everyone's really happy with the calender with a lot of criticism being fired their way. The opponents of the idea say that the message being sent is that being smart is no longer enough to succeed - you also have to be sexy.

Well, we think Ms Sonya's gimmick will definitely sell a lot of calendars. But if she thinks that this will be an incentive for girls to follow a career - she's totally wrong. Lots of doctors posing in Playboy will not make more girls want to pursue medicine! If only career choices were made the way these women think, then Hugh Hefner would be a much richer man!

Phone Accessories makers target Women

2006-07-31T15:38:00.000+08:00

Businessweek has an interesting article on how Plantronics is aiming iconic products at bluetooth users and women. They want to push design for women's headsets beyond the strategy of painting a device pink. This Plantronics concept headset, for example, is fashioned to look and feel like jewelry. The ear buds can be worn like a pendant when not in use, and the necklace features a mike. Now, only if Plantronics would get Tiffany to design it, we would definitely get one for ourselves.

The RAZR family grows

2006-07-26T11:13:00.000+08:00

Motorola is growing the handset family of its hot-selling RAZR. The new models include an even thinner phone monikered KRZR (pronounced 'craze-er'), and a sliding phone called RIZR, both targeted at the emerging markets. Both phones will be available towards the end of the year.

KRZR features a glass surface on top and brushed magnesium on the bottom, and is equipped with up to 1GB of removable memory and a 2-megapixel camera with an 8X zoom lens. The CDMA version of the phone, KRZR K1m, will feature high-speed EV-DO (evolution-data optimised) capability, and will include a dedicated keys on the outside of the phone for controlling an integrated music player.

Motorola's first GSM slider, the RIZR (right image) handset features a 2-megapixel camera, music capability, stereo Bluetooth, 20MB of internal memory, external touch-sensitive music player controls and a micro SD slot that can hold 2GB memory cards.

A follow up to their wildly successful V3x phone, the new MotoRAZR MAXX is one of the smallest 3g phones and features two-way Video Calling, a 2 megapixel camera, 50MB of internal memory, Bluetooth connectivity, music playback functions, and a microSD memory card slot.

Microsoft's media player is called Zune

2006-07-24T12:37:00.000+08:00

After weeks of speculation that Microsoft was planning an iPod-killer, the software giant finally confirmed that company will, later this year, launch Zune, an umbrella brand for "a family of hardware and software products". The first implementation of this will be the portable music player and digital music service that will take iPod-iTunes offering head-on. The hard-drive based wireless player will be shown off at the end of the month with a launch planned before christmas season.

Nano Slayer from Creative

2006-07-10T15:07:00.000+08:00

We love this cute little offering from Creative. Slightly shorter but a tad thicker than Nano, the Creative Zen V and the Zen V Plus will hit the market in July and August 2006. Available in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB capacities, the V's smallish size and 1.5-inch, photo-capable OLED could cut significantly into Apple's slice of the flash-based MP3 player pie.

The Creative Zen V Plus throws in video playback and an FM tuner with rest of the Zen V features to make it a very compelling offering indeed.

Both models come in various color combinations on black and white base. And yes, there's a reason for color - the players are color coded for memory. Orange for 1GB, green for 2GB and blue for 4GB.

Sandisk Sansa e series

2006-07-10T14:50:00.000+08:00

If you thought Sandisk only made memory, this will come as a surprise. Sandisk has been trying to capture a bit of the MP3 player market and its lastest launch of the flagship e200 series is making news everywhere. The small and sleek e200 measures 3.5 by 1.7 by 0.5 inches and has a maximum capacity of 6GB ($300). It boasts an excellent 220x176, 1.8-inch color screen, as well as a durable titanium back cover and a user-removable rechargeable battery. The e200 also comes in 4GB and 2GB versions, but its 6GB version is making waves, as it's the highest-capacity flash-based player in the world. Other nice features include a MicroSD expansion slot, slide-show functionality, an FM tuner with FM recording, and compatibility with WMA subscription services.

This Nano-lookalike will set you back by $279.99 if you buy the 6GB flavor.

I am Back

2006-07-10T14:44:00.000+08:00

Hello,

I am back from a long hiatus from blogging. Its been crazy few months and spare time was at a huge premium. Well, now that things are a bit settled on all fronts - you will see more regular updates.

Cheers

Sony Ericsson delights

2006-03-02T16:58:00.000+08:00

The Sony Ericsson phone carnival is here and there are plenty of goodies for everyone. At the 3GSM World Congress 2006 in Barcelona, SE announced several new mobile phones. Here's a lowdown on the new babies:

Sony Ericsson W950i
This one could be the phone of the year! Billed as the Walkman Phone, the Sony Ericsson W950 comes with 4GB of storage and a touch screen for simple navigation through music genres, playlists, individual songs or albums. We would have been happy with this but Sony Eric’s also squeezed in 3G, Bluetooth and – the knockout tech punch – the new version of the smartphone operating system, UIQ. Okie, we are crazy already!

Sony Ericsson K790 and K800
First we saw the "Walkman" range of Sony Ericsson phones, and now Sony Ericsson present the "Cybershot" range, using another Sony sub-brand to apply to this new range of 3.2 megapixel camera phones. The K790 and K800 are, respectively, tri-band GPRS and 3G versions of the same phone, capable of taking 3.2MP photos and offering all the Bluetooth 2.0, web browsing, music playback and FM radio talents of the formidable K750i. Another big feature is the ability to directly send your photos to a blog, thanks to Sony Eric’s partnership with Google. Once you’ve taken a snap, you can go to straight to a drop down menu, select ‘blog this’, add text and then post it directly to a Blogger page.

Sony Ericsson W300
The Walkman party is now rocking with the introduction of a seventh member: the budget W300. It’s the first clamshell Walkman mobile, and is on the lower end of the range with a basic VGA camera, Bluetooth and FM radio. The internal memory is yet to be confirmed, but it will ship with a 256MB Memory Stick Micro card.

Other Models: There's a new entry-level option - the K310, which offers a VGA camera and basic 65k colour screen. The Z530 is basically the W300 without Walkman software. If you need a better camera, check out the K510 which sports a 1.3MP camera, Bluetooth, 262k display and a basic push e-mail service.

Fujitsu-Siemens T800 Smartphone

2006-02-03T23:48:00.000+08:00

This summer will be great for smartphone lovers. Among other launches, Fujitsu Siemens has also announced the LOOX T800 series. The series will comprise two virtually identical models, with one main difference – the T810 has a VGA camera where T830 sports an impressive 2MP cam. Other specs include Intel XScale 416MHz processor, 64MB RAM, 128MB ROM, a 240 x 240 display, GSM and UMTS support, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, integrated GPS, an SDIO/SD/MMC slot, a thumb-board, and of course, Windows Mobile 5.0. Both phones should hit the markets in June, roughly the same time as Nokia’s much-anticipated N80, and prices are yet to be announced.

More on DVD format wars

2006-01-26T13:00:00.000+08:00

The video format wars kicked into high gear when the companies backing HD-DVD said that nearly 200 titles would be available for the format by the end of the year. Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios, HBO Video, New Line Entertainment and Warner Home Video announced movies such as Million Dollar Baby, Harry Potter 4: The Goblet of Fire, Blazing Saddles, Batman Begins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Dukes of Hazzard. The Matrix, Twister and Terminator 3: Rise of The Machines, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow would come out this year on HD-DVD discs. Blu-ray discs will hit the market later this year while HD-DVD discs will be available from March 2006.

One of the chief advantages of the format, as compared with the Blu-ray format supported by Sony and others, is that it is compatible with existing DVDs. So you can buy a HD-DVD player and use it to play existing DVDs too. Some companies will produce dual-sided discs that will contain an ordinary DVD movie and an HD-DVD version. Makes sense to go for the format if you have made a significant investment in DVD libraries. Unless your player can play DVD, HD-DVD as well as Blu-ray. That will be ideal, won't it?

Another Nano rival?

2006-01-22T14:06:00.000+08:00

Cowon makes great sounding MP3 players and thats probably the reason they have survived in the highly competitive MP3 player market. Yesterday Cowon announced an iPod Nano challenger that can play video too. The iAudio A6 will play your compressed MP4s on its 1.3in, 260,000 colour OLED display and claims to offer the world’s first 0.85in hard disk. Unfortunately other details are sketchy at the moment, but its expected to go on sale in April

Days of Analog TV are over

2006-01-22T13:13:00.000+08:00

Panasonic has become the first major TV manufacturer to put an end to its analogue manufacturing. Matsushita Electronic, of which Panny is the brand name, will stop developing analogue from next month and will focus all tis resources on the digital market. Engadget reports, "What makes the timing particularly interesting is the fact that Panasonic still has a somewhat thriving analog business; according to reports, 30% of the company's TV sales in its home market are analog. However, margins are likely much lower on those sets than on digital ones, and it looks like Panny has decided to call it quits before that percentage declines even further".

Recently in the photography world, Kodak, Nikon and Minolta have all announced cuts in analog production to put more research and development into digital formats. Sign of times to come!

More competition for iPod

2006-01-18T13:52:00.000+08:00

Creative recently announced the launch of ZenCast, the new application from Creative for accessing, creating and transferring thousands of audio and video blogs for select Creative Zen MP3 players. The ZenCast home page reveals different channels with subjects ranging from world affairs to tech gadgets to entertainment. To get in on the ZenCast act, you’ll need to own either a Creative Zen Vision or Zen Vision: M (above). If that’s you, go here and download the ZenCast Organiser. The Organiser integrates podcasts and video blogs with your player, so if you’ve got a Zen it’ll be a bit slicker than using the usual shareware. There's plenty of content from Yahoo! Music Unlimited, Soundbuzz, DIRECTV 2Go, CNET, ESPN, RocketBoom and the Singapore Straits Times and other digital broadcast companies. And yes, you can create and post your own show too!

Wired: 50 best Robots Ever

2006-01-10T22:31:00.000+08:00

Wired does it again! Another fun issue with Albert Hubo on the cover as posterboy for a story on "The 50 Best Bots Ever." While I was surprised to see movie bots like R2D2 on the list (its clearly not real-robots-only list), the title of Top Bot, unsurprisingly, goes to one of the most sophisticated autonomous machines of all time, Stanford's DARPA challenge-winning VW Toureg named Stanley.

STANLEY is the Stanford Racing Team's autonomous vehicle, a modified Volkswagen Touareg that can scan any terrain and pick out a drivable course to a preset destination. Cup holders optional.

For the whole list of 50 robots go here.

CES 2006

2006-01-06T11:42:00.000+08:00

Its here! CES 2006 - the biggest consumer electronics show in the world. While all the geeky bloggers from Engadget etc. and teams of top editors from CNet etc. hit Vegas for up-to-the-minute coverage right from the show floor, I will bring you the "Best of CES" after the show ends. Here are the links for live reports from CES.

http://ces.cnet.com/
http://ces2006.engadget.com/

Kodak's dual lens camera

2006-01-04T22:42:00.000+08:00

Kodak has launched a new camera, Easyshare V570, that will feature two lenses rather than just the one, at CES in Las Vegas this year. Billed as the world’s first dual lens digital still camera, the Kodak EasyShare V570 comes with 2 lenses - one is a 23mm wide-angle affair, while the other handles 39-117mm, 3x optical zoom shots. This means it can use both lenses together to get 5x zoom, while retaining its slim form. Besides being the world's first dual lens digital, it largely inherits the features of the previous Easyshare models –5 MP resolution, and has a 2.5in LCD with 32MB internal memory and SD slot. . Users will be able to access both lenses via the zoom key. It should hit stores later this month with a retail price of US$399.

Top 50 Greatest Gadgets of last 50 years

2006-01-04T19:31:00.000+08:00

PC World magazine, last week, posted its list of the top 50 greatest gadgets of the last 50 years. While the top spot went to the Sony Walkman, Apple's iPod nabbed second place. I am not surprised to see alot of Sony babies out there! Here's the full story. How many of these gadgets have you owned before?

Coolest Gadgets of 2006 Exposed!

2006-01-01T11:30:00.000+08:00

Digital Camera with wi-fi, cell phones that are iPod killers, PDA phones smarter than ever, fully loaded portable media players, and cool gaming consoles are just some of the gadgets that will make 2006 a very exciting year for both gadget-newbies and hardcore technophiles. Pick up January's Man's World issue to get the lowdown on what to expect during the coming year.

LG and Casio's waterproof mobile

2005-12-23T12:06:00.000+08:00

The third largest Korean mobile service provider LG Telecom has announced the release of a new phone CanU 502S made by Casio. According to LG, the CanU 502S is that country's first waterproof mobile handset. The clamshell phone has a compass with a built-in direction sensor; a stopwatch; an MP3 player; and a 1.3-megapixel camera. Looking a part of your scuba gear, the phone is all sealed up in rubber, including all the jacks. All of the external ports like the audio and batteries port can also be sealed up. For the less adventurous, you can at least feel better about chatting on your shiny green or orange phone while struggling your way through heavy rainfall. The only bad news is that it's still CDMA-only, I wish they would come up with a GSm version soon.

Priced at 550,000 won (around $545).

Taking a Break

2005-12-07T12:18:00.000+08:00

I'll be on vacation, sans my tech pets, for a week. I'll resume posting later next week. Till then, cya people.

Dating comes to iPod

2005-12-05T17:48:00.000+08:00

Well, since its about iPod, its technically a gadget news. PodDater.com is a new service that brings video dating to iPod. The Web site, which launched last month, allows users to post online video profiles and search profiles to find potential matches who interest them. Once matches are found, you can click on the Play link to watch the video in your browser, or download the video to your iPod. The next time you connect your iPod and sync it, the video is copied to your iPod. The service is free and allows searching by tag, gender and zip code. Am sure video profiles are more engaging than the average online photo and profile text. I’ll be interested to see how PodDater fares over given that there are over 21 million iPods roaming around.

Skype has video now

2005-12-01T16:58:00.000+08:00

Video was the next obvious thing to add to Skype, so it's no surprise that the Internet telephony company has gone ahead and added it in Skype 2.0, launched today. Skype 2.0 beta is only available for Windows and, while it will work in audio mode on other windoews versions, needs XP to offer video chats (Skype is hinting that, as with previous versions of Skype, it will eventually be available on Mac and Linux). So far, video chats are only for two parties, and cannot be extended to conference calls - but if rumours are to be believed, this one is clearly on Skype's checklist for future.

In addition to video calling, Skype 2 also adds call management tools, including one-click access to key features and options; the ability to let your contacts see your mood, via emoticons; and the ability to see what time it is where your contact is, so that you don't call at an inappropriate time. Skype 2 also adds the ability to look up contacts in real-time by typing a name into the dialing field, and a Skype toolbar for Microsoft Outlook, which you can download here.

Skype 2 is available for download here.

Mother of all Bling-Blings

2005-11-30T15:17:00.000+08:00

Dear God! What was LG thinking when they came up with this one? First, LG Electronics launched the LG LH-C643 home theatre system with 24 carat gold-plates exteriors. And now the 71-inch gold plasma tv to go with it. The monster TV made a debut in Dubai last month. Given the Middle Eastern fondness for gold, LG is hoping that this bling bling monstrosity of a tv will sell there. Only 1,000 sets of the Royal Gold 71-inch plasma are supposed to be manufactured and each one has an individual gold number plate. Can you beat that, Samsung?

Best of 2005

2005-11-24T10:13:00.000+08:00

Which gadgets ruled the roost in 2005? Yours truely rounded up the greatest gear for work and play, then narrowed down the list to the top 15 devices. Pick up December's Man's World issue to drool over the top 15 lovelies. And if you would like to share your favourite gadget of 2005 on this blog, email me.

A Tribute to Wired Magazine

2005-11-21T22:09:00.000+08:00

The 40 greatest US magazine covers of the last 40 years were unveiled on 17 October at the American Magazine Conference (AMC) 2005 where Rolling Stone’s January 22, 1981 cover of John Lennon and Yoko Ono was named the top magazine cover. But I was disappointed to see that Wired Magazine got the 33rd spot. Wired has created some of the most interesting and memorable covers I have ever seen. I love the magazine. Wired is the most striking media creation of our generation. Wired's everything that other magazines are not - crammed with the most surprising and resonant stories about the people, companies, technologies, and ideas that are transforming our lives.

Here's the cover that made it to the Top 40 list.

Wired – June 1997 – Apple symbol covered in barbed wire: “Pray”

And some other great covers that didnt make it to the list.

Alternative to a Media Center PC

2005-11-17T12:06:00.000+08:00

For those of you who dont have budget for a media center pc, here's some good news. iOmega has launched the new Iomega ScreenPlay Multimedia Drive, a portable hard drive with built-in multimedia playback capability that makes it a digital media jukebox for photos, songs and video files that can be used with virtually any television or audio-video system in the world. Like a Media Center PC, the 200 and 300GB pair play videos, photos and music. Format support is respectable, - on the movie front, you can play MP1, 2 and 4 including your DivX flicks and the raw VOB files created when you rip a DVD to a computer's hard drive. For music you get MP3, WMA, WAV and Ogg playback, though no AAC. The other stuff you'd expect includes a remote, FireWire and USB, plus S-Video for plugging into your tv. Both are on sale now with the 200GB available £220 and the 300GB selling at £240. Can it also record tv shows? No, its just a player.

Motorola L6 launched in India

2005-11-17T09:47:00.000+08:00

In a world premiere from India (a first for the company) Motorola has launched the newest MOTO -- the highly anticipated Motorola L6 mobile handset. Following its launch in India, the Motorola L6 will roll out in other markets in due course through a series of announcements. Meanwhile, across India, the Motorola L6 is on sale starting today. The ultra-slim Motorola L6 is the candy-bar version Motorola RAZR - the super-slim clamshell beauty. Measuring just 10.9mm and weighing just 86 grams, the chiseled and sleek Motorola L6 handset looks fantastic and packs a significant feature set, including an integrated VGA camera (with 4X zoom) for video recording, Bluetooth connectivity and a digital audio player. Its priced at Rs.8,495 (USD 185) for the Indian market.

Sony Ericsson's new Budget Phones

2005-11-14T11:46:00.000+08:00

Sony Ericsson today launched three budget phones for the budget-conscious consumers. The J220, J230 and Z300 are all entry-level phones, so dont expect a camera, MP3 player or e-mail functionality. The J220 and J230 have a 128x128 pixel, 65k display, 500-capacity phone book and a 280 hour stand-by battery. The J230 is a little more generous with an FM radio. The Z300 is a more feminine variation on the same theme, with the same display and features plus personalisation options with Style-Up covers. For a touch of femininity, the included Crystal Decor pack consists of stick-on crystals (cheap bling bling!) which are better left unused.

The J220 and J230 will be available in Q1 2006, while the Z300 will be out before Christmas. There's no pricing info as yet.

Motorola's New RAZRs

2005-11-09T12:13:00.000+08:00

Motorola announced today that it plans to add four new RAZR phones to its lineup, including versions available in pink and blue, the first RAZR for CDMA networks, and an update to the original V3 phone that will include iTunes in some markets. The RAZR has proven to be a huge success story for the company, with sales expected to top 10 million units worldwide before the end of this year. "We wanted to evolve the Motorola RAZR without compromising the integrity and philosophy of the original design," corporate vice president of marketing Leslie Dance said.

This announcement brings the total number of RAZR handsets announced so far to seven, with four color renditions available from the original model. According to Motorola representatives, the four new RAZRs will be sold in stores later this year and early 2006.

Motorola RAZR V3i
This is the iTunes RAZR and will include a better 1.23-megapixel camera, as well as expandable memory capabilities. Also, the phone will now carry a spun metal look, as opposed to the original brushed metal used for the original RAZR phones. The V3i will include the iTunes music software first introduced on the ROKR. However, Motorola said that the feature would not be available in all regions and would be carrier dependent. If iTunes was not preinstalled, Motorola's own Digital Music Player would be included in its place.

Motorola RAZR V3c
The RAZR V3c will be the lineup's first CDMA model. The phone will support high-speed EV-DO networks and include a 1.3-megapixel camera alongside Bluetooth and an MP3 player.

Motorola RAZR in Pink and Blue
The new pink and blue RAZRs, targeted at the fashion forward consumers, will carry a similar feature set to the traditional RAZR V3 phone. According to Motorola, the blue design will likely have more widespread launch; the pink model is expected to have limited availability in most markets. CNET Asia confirms that both pink and blue versions will be available in Singapore.

Nokia expands N-series

2005-11-03T17:26:00.000+08:00

Nokia has unveiled three new mobile multimedia devices at a special conference in Barcelona. The N71, N80 and N92 are the latest products in Nokia's up-market N-series range. All three phones are expected to be available in the first half of next year with price tags ranging from 400 euros to 600 euros.

Nokia N92
Of the three multimedia phones announced, Nokia is clearly hyping one particular handset, the N92. Touted by the company as the world's first mobile device with built-in DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld) receiver, the terminal can be used to watch and record live TV on-the-go. DVB-H handsets, in the future, will be able to receive as many as fifty TV channels. It is set to launch in Italy in time for the 2006 World Cup with other European countries following later in the year. The handset can also record TV programmes on to an SD card and deliver an on-screen electronic programme guide. In addition, it offers a 320 x 240 (16 million color) display, 2 megapixel camera, onboard 802.11g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB 2.0 and 90MB of storage.

Nokia N71
The music centric N71 offers an in-box audio adaptor to give users stereo FM radio access through standard headphones and has an integrated digital music and video player.
In addition, the 3G handset has a slot for a miniSD card to extend storage capacity up to 2GB, and comes with 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, 5-band equaliser and support for MP3, AAC and WMA formats.

Nokia N80
Completing the line up is the Nokia N80, a slider 3G handset with a 3 Megapixel camera and the first mobile phone to feature Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) so that it can network wirelessly with any device in the home. With this technology, users can view stored images wirelessly via a home television set, print wirelessly to compatible computers and listen to supported music files through their home audio system.

Sony's new Slim Cam

2005-11-02T16:45:00.000+08:00

Sony's latest addition to its ultra-slim digital camera line, the Cybershot DSC-T9 is the first in this category to offer both optical image stabilization and high light sensitivity. What it basically means is the that the new six-megapixel DSC-T9 delivers more detailed images with significantly less blur and graininess than typical point-and-shoot cameras. Optical image stabilization reduces image blur from hand movement, while high light sensitivity helps to lessen blurriness resulting from low-light conditions. Other features include a 3x Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar optical zoom lens, MPEG movie recording, a superb 2.5" LCD screen and an updated software. The Cyber-shot DSC-T9 camera will be available in January for about $450 online at http://www.sonystyle.com

i-mode comes to Singapore

2005-10-27T15:57:00.000+08:00

i-Mode's here, finally! After almost six years since its introduction in Japan, the much-talked-about i-mode service is being offered exclusively through local mobile service provider StarHub, which recently invited selected users to participate in the pre-launch trials. Under the DoCoMo-StarHub agreement, StarHub will offer i-mode services over both its 2.5G and 3G networks with DoCoMo providing its expertise in patents, branding, marketing, knowledge and technology. As part of the registration process, customers have to purchase a phone at a special price and sign up for a mobile plan with mobile operator. In return, they will enjoy free subscription to data services as well as other benefits up till the end of 2005. There is no information on the cost or details of the i-mode subscription plans 2006- onwards.

And if you have just returned from Mars and missed out on the whole i-Mode revolution, find out more about i-mode here.

Toshiba adds to its Gigabeat line

2005-10-25T15:06:00.000+08:00

Toshiba is rolling out 20GB and 60GB gigabeat players to keep their pretty pretty 30GB gigabeat X30 company. Predictable titled X20 and X60, the players come with pretty much standard specs of the gigabeat line (a 240 x 320, 2.4-inch screen, displays JPEG photos besides playing MP3s and WMAs) but are about 20% smaller than their F-series predecessors. The Gigabeat X20 comes in Piano Black, Pure White, and Crimson Red. The X60 comes only in black. The new models will go on sale in Japan in November.

But, in the days of iPod Video, why no video support, lah?

Nokia's L'Amour Collection

2005-10-21T16:28:00.000+08:00

Like I said in some of my previous posts, this is the year of fashion phones. Nokia has introduced a collection of three trend-inspired mobile phones, the Nokia 7360, Nokia 7370 and Nokia 7380. According to a Nokia press release, "each model in the L'Amour Collection offers a beautiful mix of contrasts - infusing cultural and ethnic influences with luxurious touches of the unexpected. Hints of vintage and craftsmanship, are fused with natural materials, colors and patterns, all carefully crafted and layered with a passion for detail." Sounds like alot of fashion speak.
According to Nokia, the new phones (candy-bar 7360, swivel 7370 and thumbdrive-shaped 7380)will be available in Q1, 2006.

The Nokia 7380 features a design very similar to that of the lipstick-shaped 7280, the same scrollwheel and no keypad, and the display becomes a mirror in standby mode. New features include a 2-megapixel camera, an MP3 player, and voice commands.

Expected Price: 500 euros.

The compact Nokia 7370 "swivels" open to reveal a hidden keypad and includes a 1.3-megapixel camera, color screen and stereo speakers. The Nokia 7370 is available in two color schemes, coffee brown and warm amber, with each model offering a distinct set of graphics, screensavers and even dedicated camera keys.
Expected Price: 300 euros.

The basic users can go for candy bar Nokia 7360 which will sport a VGA camera and stereo FM radio. 7360 will also available in the two signature L'Amour Collection color schemes, coffee brown and warm amber.

Expected Price: 200 euros.

Fujitsu LifeBook P7120

2005-10-21T15:50:00.000+08:00

Five years back, when I was looking to buy a new notebook, the Fujitsu's LifeBook P Series caught my attention. It was one of the smallest two-spindle notebooks and one of the first to feature the Transmeta Crusoe processor. My love affair with sub-notebooks started then and now I can not imagine lugging around a huge laptop. Thank you HP and Dell, but I prefer my tiny tech. And Fujitsu made my day by the launching the new LifeBook P7120 notebook – the new flag-bearer of the P series.

This compact personal companion retains all the multimedia features of its predecessor, except that it flaunts an even slimmer silhouette with an extensive battery life, and a weight of only 1.38kg. It features a 10.6-inch, widescreen SXGA display, a lightweight titanium and aluminum case, optical drive, and an optional extra battery pack that’ll let you squeeze nearly 10 hours out of your battery. A big plus is the biometric fingerprint sensor and Trusted Module Platform (TPM) security chip - mobile professionals will love it. Connectivity options include three conveniently placed USB 2.0 ports, an IEEE 1394 port, S-Video port, audio in and out jacks, modem access, bluetooth and networking.

Quick Specs: Pentium M ULV processor 753 1.2GHz; 512MB RAM; 60GB HDD; 10.6-inch widescreen LCD; integrated graphics; DVD DL writer; 7.8 hours battery life

Nokia unveils new E series

2005-10-13T21:31:00.000+08:00

Nokia announced three new smart phones squarely aimed at business users. The brand-new E series consists of the Nokia E60, the Nokia E61, and the Nokia E70. All three models run on Symbian OS 9.1 and support a number of corporate mobile e-mail solutions, including GoodLink, BlackBerry Connect, and Nokia Business Center. Plus, they feature some advanced voice services, such as Voice over IP (VoIP) and push-to-talk capabilities. The trio is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2006.

The Nokia E60 sports a classic candy bar shape and offers you a host of voice options--speakerphone, conference calling, push-to-talk, and VoIP.

The Nokia E61, branded as 'built for mobile e-mail' is armed with a full QWERTY keyboard and push e-mail clients (BlackBerry Connect, GoodLink, Nokia Business Center, Seven Mobile Mail, Seven Always-On Mail, and Visto Mobile) with support for attachments like PDF and an editing function. There's also Bluetooth, USB and Wi-fi connectivity.

Much like the Nokia 6820, the candy bar-style E70 opens up to reveal a full keyboard so that you can message till the cows come home. The smart phone features many of the same voice and productivity functions of its other two siblings. Along with the full QWERTY keyboard, these include push e-mail, a healthy 75MB internal memory, a hot-swapping miniSD slot and a 2megapixel camera.

Available in the first quarter of 2006 worldwide, these models will be priced between €350 and €450.

Video iPod is here

2005-10-13T16:32:00.000+08:00

It was more or less expected. I dont know if this will really get you excited, but the video-playing iPod is here. At an invite-only event held at the California Theater in San Jose, Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs showed off the new iPod, which will be offered as a 30GB model for $299 and a 60GB version for $399. The 30GB device will also be 30 percent thinner than Apple's current iPod models, while the 60GB version will be 12 percent thinner. Both models feature a 2.5-inch 320x240 pixel display with realtime decoding of MPEG 4 and H.264 video. It only has 260,000 colours but it does have video output to connect to TV.

Apple also announced the immediate availability of iTunes 6, only a few weeks after the arrival of iTunes 5. This version works hand in hand with the new video iPod by offering 2000 music videos ( I thought music videos were for promotion of songs, well thanks to Apple, record companies will laugh all the way to bank), 6 short films from Pixar, and popular ABC TV shows Desperate Housewives, Lost, and Night Stalker, as well as Disney Channel favorites That's So Raven and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Before you get too happy about catching up on latest episodes of Lost, television shows are available in the US only, and video availability varies by country. The iTunes new version also allows users to "gift" iTunes purchases to others, and allows customer reviews and ratings of music- Amazon-style.

So is iPod video the next best thing? I dont know. There certainly are some drawbacks.

The screen is too small compared to other portable video players like Archos AV 700. But then Apple is clearly not positioning it as a video player but just an iPod which can also play video. Whatever that means!
The 2 hour video battery on the 30GB model is poor, but again Apple says that this a player designed for short video bursts, not full movie-viewing.
The video content available on Apple Store can be downloaded only at a size that fits the iPod's screen. This means it will look ridiculously bad on TV. Why would anyone buy an iPod-only content and pay so much for it?

But $299 for 30GB and $399 for 60GB model, with all its flaws, is extremely good value. And then its an iPod, so its going to get sold anyway. Now all I have to do is to wait for it to hit our shores so we can experience the new iPod firsthand.

Till then, enjoy the new iPod ads.

Sony Ericsson upgrades P910i

2005-10-12T21:02:00.000+08:00

After months of rumors, Sony Ericsson has finally announced their P990 Symbian smartphone. Packing both UMTS (3G) and WiFi in addition to a 2 megapixel digital camera and a host of other features the P990 looks like it will be a flagship phone for the Symbian camp. Web browsing is accomplished in landscape mode on the 2.8-inch QVGA screen using the new Opera 8 browser and is prepared for all major push e-mail clients. Other neat new touches include two cams for video-calling, charging via USB, an FM radio and MP3 playback. Another big change is the QWERTY keypad's new location on the main unit of the phone. On the current P910i it's on the flip and not the easiest to use. The unit ships with 80MB free memory and a 64MB Memory Stick Pro DUO card in the box. P990 is expected to be launched in Europe and Asia in Q1 2006.

Think Pink?

2005-10-09T11:45:00.000+08:00

What's the best colour for a girl's gadget? Most consumer electronics companies seem to think, Why, pink of course! Hello!! You may think it's cute, we think its silly. Unless its iPod we are talking about! We will forgive Apple even if they came up with a diamond-encrusted iPod. But others, who simply color their gadgets pink and put mirrors on the cellphone, for you’ll never guess which marketing segment, spare us the patronising!

I still have some energy left, so lets rip some gadgets that play on the gender sterotypes.

Samsung goes bling bling
With this new incarnation of the E800, Samsung's gone way over the top for ladies' phones. The hot pink color, the obnoxiously faux bling bling, a phone charm with crystals dangling - it has left no stone unturned to be the most annoying piece of cellphone I have ever seen! Urgh!!

Betsey Johnson Samsung E315
I may be treading on dangerous ground with this one. To break it simply, I hate this phone! I am no fan of Betsey Johnson either( Paris Hilton is her muse, so u can imagine what we are talking about here). Samsung has been trying too hard to reach out to women by getting fashion icons and designers to create fashion phones. And yes, it comes with a Matching Rose Bag, a Keepsake Box and some Betsey-designed Screensavers. But I'd give her some credit for staying away from bling bling and other excesses. And I am thankful that this pink phone is unlikely to go anywhere outside US.

Motorola V220 gets washed in pink
A well-pricd handset with very standard features and not so stellar performance gets coloured in pink. Is Motorola hoping to sell an average phone to women by just coloring it pink? Tch! Tch! We still forgive Motorola 'cause V220 is better of the pink lot with sombre appearance and an affable shade of pink.

Baby Phat i833 phone by Motorola
“I designed this phone for the woman who, like me, loves pink, loves diamonds, and wants to make a fashion statement,” said Kimora Lee Simmons, founder and creative director of Baby Phat. Kimora is the New Queen of Conspicuous Consumption and i833 is clearly something only she and her celebrity friends would be seen carrying. Sporting 0.4 karats of diamonds and a quilted pink look, it manages to look ORDINARY! And it sells for USD 700!

Hello Kitty Empire!

Despite its popularity in Japan, I think Hello Kitty is a clear example of branding gone out of control! You can even get a Hello Kitty car and Hello Kitty Fire extinguisher! Nokia clearly didnt want to be left behind! Last year they came up with a Hello Kitty cellphone. So what if Gwen Stefani bought it! That doesnt change the fact that at best, it looks like a toyphone you would see on a 7 year old girl!

Pinktooth
This one's hilarious! Motorola makes a pink colored bluetooth headset. And goes ahead and names it Pinktooth! WTF were they thinking?? And if that wasn't enough to make women buy the headset, Motorola put some fancy boho scarves in the box with the pink headset.

Gmini 402cc Launched

2005-10-06T11:53:00.000+08:00

Archos has officially confirmed the launch of Gmini-402cc - that's the Gmini 402 media player with camcorder functionality and a 1.3MP photo camera built-inside. Take it with you to capture up to 50 hours of personal videos or enjoy your favorite songs on the go.

There are five main features that make this product standout: Video and Stills capture, video playback, photo wallet, music playback and portable gaming.

Camcorder - Record your personal videos in MPEG 4 format directly to your Gmini 402 Camcorder 20 GB capacity.With DSC function, your Gmini 402 Camcorder can be used as a still camera allowing you to take photos with maximum resolution of 1.2 mega pixels.

Video and audio playback - The Gmini 402 would let you play DivX and MPEG4 video formats and MP3, WAV, WMA and DRM WMA audio formats exclusively. The 402 deliver 80 hours of video playback time with a connectivity option to connect to the TV to view movies and music videos. Similarly, you can record and listen to nearly 10,000 songs due to the center’s onboard 20 GB storage capacity.

Photo Wallet transforms the Gmini 402cc into a portable hard drive for your digital camera; you’ll be able to directly connect the camera or your PC to the 402cc and start transferring images instantly.

Gaming - Play popular Mophun games directly on the Gmini 402 Camcorder or on a TV. Demo games are included in the Gmini 402 Camcorder and you can purchase games on the ARCHOS Web site.

No "official" price has been given yet but just a watch out. Gmimi 402 camcorder offers no video recording and no built-in speakers.

Sony's New Digicam with a Touch Screen

2005-10-05T12:17:00.000+08:00

Sony has announced the Cyber-shot DSC-N1, an 8.1-megapixel ultracompact that will be the first Sony digital camera to include a touch screen. Sony is marketing the camera as one that's not just for shooting, but for sharing and showing. And though it doesn't include WiFi capabilities like recent cameras from Nikon and Kodak, it does look very easy to use, thanks to its PDA like interface.

About the size of a deck of playing cards, DSC-N1 is an 8-megapixel camera features 3X optical zoom and a whopping 3.0" LCD display thats rare for camera this size. Enabling new methods of interaction, users will be able to carry out functions such as selection the target of a spot autofocus by tapping the screen; navigating the menu of the camera; and controlling playback, forward and reverse functions by touching the screen. Also, the screen includes an anti-reflection layer for improved visibility outdoors.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-N1 digital camera will cost USD 500, and availability is slated for mid-November in US. No announcements have been made about its availability in Singapore.

HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray - the battle gets interesting!

2005-10-04T11:19:00.000+08:00

Microsoft and Intel last week tried to swing the computing, consumer electronics and entertainment industry toward HD-DVD in a format war. In case you're new to the whole next-generation DVD discussion, Blu-ray and HD-DVD are two competing high-capacity disc technologies backed by various consumer electronics and computer manufacturers. Leading the Blu-ray team is Sony, backed by companies like Apple, Hewlett-Packard, and Dell, along with several movie studios: MGM, Sony Pictures, Walt Disney, and 20th Century Fox. On the HD-DVD side is Toshiba, the originator of the HD-DVD format, allied with Microsoft, Intel, and a host of movie studios including Warner Brothers, New Line Cinema,Viacom, NBC Universal, and Paramount.

What are HD-DVD and Blu-Ray disc?

Today's conventional DVDs can hold 4.7GB of information, but many want a higher-capacity successor to accommodate the larger data demands of high-definition video. Both of the new formats, HD-DVD and Blu-ray, are based on blue lasers. Blue light has a shorter wavelength than the red light used in CD and DVD systems, allowing the laser beam to make a smaller spot on the disc surface. With each bit of data taking up less space on the disc, more data can be stored on a 4.7-inch disc.

As a result, discs can hold between 15GB and 30GB of data, depending on the variant of the format used, compared to current DVDs that can hold between 4.7GB and 9.4GB of data. That extra space is important if discs of the same size as DVDs are to be used to distribute movies and other content in quality comparable to high-definition television.

What are the differences between Blu-ray and HD-DVD?

Each next-generation DVD format comes in single-layer and dual-layer formats. For HD-DVD, that means capacities of 15GB and 30GB; for Blu-ray, it's 25GB and 50GB. What Blu-ray appears to have over HD-DVD is that it offers 30 percent more capacity and is designed for recording high-def video. But it will be more costly to produce than HD-DVD media. However, Blu-ray players and discs will likely follow the traditional price curve of consumer electronics. Prices should fall rapidly if the technology is widely adopted.

Finally, who wins the format war will be determined by Hollywood movie studios--not consumers. But there's plenty of time before we see some clear picture. Till then catch hold of your good-old Star Wars DVD and pretend thats the only war worth watching!

Rumours of iPod Nano recall

2005-10-04T11:12:00.000+08:00

Amid rumours that iPod Nano may be recalled, Apple Computer is acknowledging a flaw in its new iPod nano music player, offering to replace for free models that shipped with a defective screen that is prone to cracking.A company representative said that the issue was a manufacturing, rather than a design problem, and said it affected less than one-tenth of 1 percent of all the nanos that have shipped so far. So if you happen to encounter a defective nano screen, Apple will do a one-for-one replacement.

Palm and Microsoft join hands!

2005-09-29T11:28:00.000+08:00

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?

Nokia unveils 3250 - the music phone

2005-09-26T23:44:00.000+08:00

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.

Flash MP3 Players Pack a Punch

2005-09-26T22:25:00.000+08:00

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.

Price: USD 249

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.

Price: USD 250

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.

Xbox 360 Ships November 22

2005-09-22T12:07:00.000+08:00

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?

Thinner than Motorola RAZR?

2005-09-22T11:48:00.000+08:00

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!

Gameboy Micro Unveiled

2005-09-22T11:11:00.000+08:00

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's new Avataar

2005-09-21T22:54:00.000+08:00

iPod Nano
Apple's back onmy list, with the gorgeous new iPod Nano which is thinner than a pencil and sexier than any other MP3 Player ever. According to Apple, it is one-third the size of the now-discontinued iPod mini the Nano is replacing. It's the largest-capacity flash player (4 GB) we've seen, has a color screen and it can store music, games, photos and a calendar. It also has a "screen lock" feature that allows no one except the user to access content. Like all iPods, the Nano supports two codecs AAC, MP3, AIFF, WAV, Apple Lossless and Audible. Fans of the rainbow-coloured Mini range will be disappointed to hear that the Nano only comes in black and white. Atleast for now!

Will ROKR rock?

2005-09-21T22:44:00.000+08:00

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.

The Fashion Phone Craze

2005-09-15T11:07:00.000+08:00

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.

Motorola V3 Razr

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 7260

One 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 E530

I 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 Phone

What 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 E720

I 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!

All About Podcasting

2005-09-07T12:02:00.000+08:00

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.

Creative Fest in Singapore

2005-09-07T10:36:00.000+08:00

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

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!

Creative Zen MicroPhoto

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!

Laptops go on a Fashion Quest

2005-09-02T12:12:00.000+08:00

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 X30
Stunning! 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:532
Eye-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 3400
With 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!

iPod Killers

2005-08-29T15:47:00.000+08:00

Who am I kidding? I love iPod. But the battle in the MP3 Player space is heating up! And there are some gorgeous assassins out there looking to take down iPod. Wil they, wont they? Dunno, but the battle is just starting.

iAudio X5
The Cowon IAudio X5 is a class act - from its stylish black case to its bright color screen. The 30GB, iPod-size X5 has everything that ipod does--including music playback, a photo viewer, and on-the-fly playlists. And then it shames iPod with features like video playback, an FM radio, voice and line-in recording, and even the ability to read and save images directly from a digital camera without an adapter.

Sony NW-HD5
Sony may have a winner at hand. The Network Walkman NW-HD5 has several features that set it apart from Apple's IPod. For example, the NW-HD5 runs on a removable and rechargeable battery that supports up to 40 hours of playback. Wicked, huh! Also, the player has a built-in USB connector and power jack, so no dock or adapter is required. Available in silver, black, or red, HD5 will win you over with simple interface, small form factor and great sound.

Philips GoGear HDD6330
Sleekly designed with glossy black body, photo-friendly color screen, and blue-backlit touch-sensitive interface - GoGear HDD6330 could give ipod a solid competition. This 30GB HDD player is fully decked out with features, including an FM tuner, voice recording, JPEG viewing with thumbnail previews, ID3 tag and album art support, voice/FM/line-in recording capabilities in WAV format at up to 192Kbps and compatibility with MP3 as well as both purchased and subscription-based WMA files.

Philips Active PSA612
The 4GB microdrive-based Active Range PSA612 is an exercise-friendly MP3 player from Philips. And no, its not in tie-up with Nike. Still, its miniml design and space-age shape is stunning. The player is MP3 and WMA DRM 9.0 compatible, includes an FM tuner, and features an integrated stopwatch that allows users to measure their progress and receive on-demand voice feedback via the headphones.

iRiver T10

This very futuristic and sporty looking player from iRiver comes with an armband and sturdy carabineer-like ring making it the ideal for use while you exercise. The iRiver T10 comes in three colors each with a different storage configuration: 256MB Lime Green, 512MB Cherry Red and 1GB Orange Yellow. The slightly bent design features a large metal clip to connect the player to bags, belts or hang it around the neck. The iRiver T10 features include 1.1 inch 64k color LCD display, a cool 53 hours play-time, SRS, 10 equalizer settings, WMA, OGG and MP3 music format support, a clock function, FM-Tuner. iPod mini - watch out!

Jens of Sweden MP-400 Excentrique
For the ostentatious and those who want a unique instrument, something the all too popular iPod cannot offer. 1GB Jens of Sweden MP-400 Excentrique, the version of the new MP400 line that comes coated in 24-karat gold. built-in FM tuner, line-in recording, voice recorder, stylish and low-power OLED blue and orange screen. And they're about the size of your thumb and are meant to be worn around your neck. And yes, it plays OGG Vorbis too!

Limited Edition

2005-08-28T10:24:00.000+08:00

I really like the idea of limited edition gizmos. Gives you the opportunity to keep it individual and unique. So did you get your hands on these limited edition gizmos? Here are a few of my favourites:

Acer Ferrari 3400 Notebook
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!

B&W Maharishi Speakers

If you thought it was a bad idea for a serious audio company like B&W to tie up with street fashion label Maharishi, hold your thoughts. Take a look at these babies! Wrapped in the winter colour scheme of Maharishi’s trademark Bonsai Forest camo, the speakers feature Kevlar cones, Nautilus tube-loaded metal dome tweeters and internal bracing for reduced coloration. Confues? Well all this basically means that they sound good and they look good.

Panasonic’s X800 - Shu Uemura Edition

If you love fashion phones, you will simply fall for this one. Panasonic tied up with Japanese cosmetics artist Shu Uemura who's turned the X800 into a personal canvas for a limited-edition design confined to just 2,000 pieces, and to just the Taiwan and China markets.

"Aqua" PlayStation 2

The world's favourite console now comes in a cool, clean Aqua hue. Released with a range of accessories designed to complement the subtly-toned shade, the limited edition Aqua PlayStation 2 comes equipped with its own matching Aqua DUALSHOCK 2 controller. There's also the option to team it with the specially created limited edition Aqua official Memory Card and Vertical Stand, which are available to buy separately, to complete the stylish look.

2005-08-27T11:41:00.000+08:00

Trying to keep up with the newest tech toys? Look no further than "Get Gadgety". This blog will showcase the latest and greatest gear. So dive in, and discover some of the coolest gadgets out there.

Sony Walkman Bean

2005-08-20T23:41:00.000+08:00

Sony has introduced another flash-based player to its growing lineup of digital audio players: the Walkman Bean NW-E300 series. This cute bean-shaped player boasts a built-in retractable USB port, a single-line OLED display, a time and date feature, FM tuner, fast-charging li-ion battery and comes in four yummy flavors - Coconut White, Tropical Ice Blue, Black Licorice and Cotton Candy Pink. All models will be available in September and have retail prices of $129.95 and $179.95 for the 512MB and 1GB versions, respectively.

If you like your tech cute and colorful, this one is for you. If you are expecting value for money, look at Creative and MobiBlue flash players.