INFO SQUEEZE - Technology, Economy, Business: July 2009

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Apple TV now becoming Popular

Apple TV could evolve into a gizmo making our TVs talk to the Internet in a creative way. The original Apple TV, released in the spring of 2007, excelled at just one thing: displaying on a big-screen TV the movies and video that you downloaded from the Net. A year later, Apple (AAPL) released a new, free version of Apple TV software that lets users rent movies. It lets users watch programming purchased from iTunes or downloaded off Google's (GOOG) YouTube, but Apple TV remains a work in progress. If you manage to install a piece of open-source software called Boxee, it gives you access to pretty much any kind of video available on the Internet.

Mobile TVs become Universal Now

Engineers have managed to squeeze a TV tuner into all sorts of mobile gadgets, including laptops, personal media players, and cell phones. The popularity of mobile TVs in Japan and Korea was demonstrated on Mar. 24 when national baseball teams from the two neighbors played at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles in the final of the World Baseball Classic championship. Many young office workers who were out in early afternoon squinted at the tiny screens of their cell phones as they tried to catch the final minutes of the game through mobile TVs. These days TVs are a standard feature of high-end phones in Japan and Korea.

Giorgio Armani now selling Luxury Brand Television as well

Recent years have seen a round of partnerships between luxury fashion houses and mobile phone makers. Now Giorgio Armani has become the first luxury brand designer to roll out a TV with a major electronic company. Samsung and Armani have jointly developed an ultra-premium designer TV to appeal to prestige-seeking consumers. Introduced in 46-in. and 52-in. models last summer, the TV is designed to blend seamlessly with the highest standards set by Armani's own high-end furniture line. Fewer than 1,000 sets have been sold so far.

Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) TV

A few years ago companies were talking about organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs as the next big thing. Certainly their excellent picture quality and energy efficiency is superior to LCD display, and Sony Chief Executive Howard Stringer has been boasting his company's 11-in. OLED TV as a major milestone in the industry. But with the small OLED TV costing much higher than the price of a decent 40-in. LCD TV, the technology is unlikely to take over living rooms at most households in the near future.

Greener HD TVs, using Semiconductor-based Light-Emitting diodes (LEDs)

The push to produce green televisions is starting to take off. Samsung, Sony, Vizio, and LG are rolling out TVs that consume less energy. The makers have begun to use semiconductor-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as the primary light source for LCD TVs, replacing traditional fluorescent lamps, to cut power consumption by more than 40%. LEDs are also mercury-free, making them more eco-friendly.

Plasma Technology's Waning Popularity

Generally, plasma sets display richer, more movie-like images than LCD TVs, and there are a segment of consumers who look for this technology when they buy a new set. But plasma is increasingly looking like a niche technology after losing a battle with LCD for growth. Unable to offer full HD picture quality for smaller TV sets, the plasma camp is targeting TVs with 50-in. or bigger screens.

TV Manufacturers Experimenting with 3D View TV

Consumer electronics makers have begun rolling out a new generation of prototype TVs offering 3D experience without irritatingly unsightly glasses. Unlike previous prototype 3D televisions, which have provided only modest picture quality, Mitsubishi, LG, and Philips (PHG) have all showcased a new generation of screens that offer pictures of fairly impressive clarity. Objects appear at a slightly different angle to each eye and the brain works out the difference in the two views to perceive the information into a 3D image. Partly because of the lack of content, though, ordinary viewers won't need a 3D TV for quite a while.

Hitachi Arm & Hands Built-in Sensor TV

Those who often struggle to find a TV remote may be pleased to know some makers are working on new ways to control the set. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, Hitachi (HIT) showed off a new set letting users wave their hands in front of the TV to turn it on. It has a built-in sensor that creates a 3D map of what's in front of it to use hands and arms to move through menu functions.

LG Internet Enabled Television

TV Widgets aren't the only initiative adopted by TV makers to let viewers tap the Internet. A big trend for TV manufacturers this year is building broadband ports in new sets, eliminating the need for an external set-top box to deliver content. In an example of changing the way consumers get their movies, LG has introduced a Web-connected set that lets users view movies streaming from Netflix (NFLX).

Yahoo Introduces Internet TV Software called TV Widgets

Yahoo! (YHOO) and Intel (INTC) have developed software, called TV Widgets, allowing users to call up popular Web pages right alongside programs they are watching. Working with TV makers Samsung, Sony, LG, and Vizio, this Web pioneer now wants to break ground in bringing Internet content to TVs. With many consumers eager to enjoy several media in a single gadget or appliance, TV Widgets could help them handle multitasking with greater ease.

Vizio at high in terms of Price

As the global downturn forces consumers to tighten their belts and seek bargains, so-called value brands that focus on low prices are grabbing more attention from American consumers. Vizio, which relies on Taiwan's Amtran Technology for TV manufacturing to keep its overhead costs down, has overtaken Sony (SNE) as the No. 2 flat panel TV brand in the U.S. Vizio accounted for 14.3% of U.S. flat TV shipments in the last quarter of 2008, against Sony's 13.5%. Samsung retained its place as the top-selling brand, with a 20.2% share.

Cell Phones will be out bcoz Wearable Gizmos are coming soon

The Symbian Foundation's Lee Williams said that Within three to four years communicating devices i.e., Wearable Gizmos are coming that will fit in your glasses or your ear.

You don't know what to get a netbook, a smartphone, ultramobile PC or some other mobile gadgets? This thing will not hurt you for much longer.

According to Lee Williams, Director of Mobile OS organization the Symbian Foundation, hardware roadmaps are heading in a new direction altogather - and in the not-too-distant-future too.

"The types of products I'm seeing are interesting because they're not netbooks and they're not what anybody would call a smartphone," he told silicon.com.

So what is this vision of mobile's future? Not hardware that can be held or carried, says Williams, but "wearable" devices – which could be brought to market in as few as three or four years' time.

Why might such a gadget be desirable? Because current mobile hardware has serious limitations in Williams' view – from battery issues on smartphones to having to cut the umbilical cord of "presence" when you close a netbook's lid. But, more importantly, because consumers care about services not hardware, according to Williams.

"Consumers are looking at this category of products today entirely as service-delivery vehicles," he said. "So 'do you connect me with my friends via my social networking services?', 'do you connect me with and give me presence on several different networks or groups or communities at any one point in time?'. 'Can I seamlessly connect with my work circle versus my social circle versus my other life all through these products?'."

"These are all service delivery requests, I would say, and so the software is again the key," he added.

"It's becoming obvious by the day that the value proposition in the supply chain for mobile products and services is changing at a rate that I think everybody underestimates – meaning these types of wearable products, these concierge services, the irrelevance of it being a phone versus a netbook or whatever it may be is all really right around the corner not something that's going to come to fruition a decade from now," Williams continued.

"Fast forward three or four or five years and… you probably just have a bead in your ear or your glasses Bluetooth into a node you have in your pocket. When you go out at night you take your glasses off and [the bead] sits in a bracelet you wear and these are the things you'll do to communicate with your friends and family and let others know you have a heartbeat in your social circles and services," he said.

Whatever devices lie in the future, there can be little doubt a lot of change is afoot in mobile right now. Writing in a research report entitled The "Smartphone" Is Dead: Long Live Smart Phones And Smart Gadgets, Forrester principal analyst Ian Fogg said: "We're transitioning from a world with arbitrary industry categories to one where we just have intelligent phones, not 'voice phones', 'smartphones' and 'featurephones'... Consumers don't understand any of these definitions. Instead, they look for the handset brand or, increasingly, the internet brands with which the handset is compatible, such as eBay, Facebook, Flickr, Google, MySpace, or Yahoo!."

The report adds: "Mobile phones are conflicting and competing with adjacent markets and devices. In the short term, no category will be killed by the mobile ecosystem in the way that PDAs were in the early 2000s but all players in these markets must revise their consumer strategies."

Jabra BT8010 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

Jabra recently introduced a new Bluetooth 2.0 headset, the Jabra BT8010, which comes with pretty much everything you would want for a Bluetooth headset. The BT8010 features supports for A2DP and AVRCP, the new Jog Wheel rotating control, and a supplementary earphone which allows you to enjoy dual channel stereo sound while listening to music on your mobile device.

Jabra BT8010 comes with four preset equalizer modes, namely Jazz, Rock, Pop and Classic, you can select either mode by rotating the Jog Wheel. Besides, you can also set up your own custom equalizer modes to suit your personal need.

If you have two or more Bluetooth compliant devices, you can pair BT8010 with your devices at the same time, it can even display two connected devices on its OLED display. The OLED display also displays battery life and audio mode (call or music).

BT8010 also features DSP digital noise reduction function, which effectively reduce noise that comes from around you and improve call quality. Other functions include incoming call display, vibrator, number redial and synchronization with a computer to store up to 30 phone numbers. It provides up to 10 hours talk time, 300 hours standby time and 6 hours music playing time.
BT8010 measures 63×26 x 12 mm in dimensions and weighs 23 g (37 g including the supplementary earphone). This bluetooth headset is up for sale at Amazon for US$129.95.

Friday, July 10, 2009

FUJIFILM LAUNCHES INSTAX 200 INSTANT FILM PHOTO CONTEST ON FACEBOOK

FUJIFILM U.S.A., Inc. today announced the launch of its Fujifilm Instax Superhero Photo Contest which is being hosted on the popular social networking site, Facebook. Photographers from amateur to professional level can submit up to three Instax 200 instant photos reflective of the superhero theme. Photos must be taken with a Fujifilm Instax 200 camera, scanned and posted on the Fujifilm Instax Facebook Page.

“Since Fujifilm announced the availability of the Instax 200 Instant Camera System to the United States late last year, we have had an overwhelmingly positive response from instant film enthusiasts,” said Kayce Baker, director of trade marketing, Imaging Division, FUJIFILM U.S.A, Inc. “With the increased popularity of photo sharing on social networking sites, we thought it made perfect sense to host the contest on Facebook, making it convenient and easy for contestants to participate and post their photos, and for judges and fans to view them.”

“Fans” of Fujifilm Instax on Facebook will be able to cast their votes for their favorite photo until the competition is narrowed down to five finalists. Then, a panel of pro photographer judges will select the winning Instax superhero-themed photo.

Open now through June 30, photographers interested in entering the Fujifilm Instax Superhero Photo Contest should go to the Fujifilm Instax Page on Facebook for complete contest details:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/FUJIFILM-INSTAX/57745633567.

FUJIFILM FINEPIX F200EXR DIGITAL CAMERA RECEIVES DIMA 2009 INNOVATIVE PRODUCT AWARD

FUJIFILM U.S.A., Inc. announced that the Digital Imaging Marketing Association (DIMA) has named Fujifilm’s new FinePix F200EXR digital camera a 2009 Innovative Digital Product Award winner. Announcement was made at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) trade show and convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The DIMA Innovative Digital Product Award recognizes products or services that are technologically innovative or first of their kind.

“DIMA’s recognition of the FinePix F200EXR underscores Fujifilm's commitment to creating unique products and rich new technologies that meet the evolving imaging needs of today's customers,” said Ron Gazzola, vice president, Electronic Imaging Division, Fujifilm U.S.A., Inc.

As Fujifilm’s most advanced compact digital camera to date, the FinePix F200EXR is the world's first production point-and-shoot digital camera to offer Fujifilm’s new Super CCD EXR sensor. The FinePix F200EXR’s sensor and color array generates high quality vivid images with its three selectable sensor modes such as Fine Capture Mode for high resolution, Pixel Fusion Mode for high sensitivity and low noise with ISO up to 12800, and Dual Capture Mode for wide dynamic range up to 800%. The FinePix F200EXR also features an EXR Auto Mode, combining automatic scene recognition with automatic sensor mode selection.

In addition to the new Super CCD EXR sensor, the F200EXR has 12-MegaPixels, a powerful Fujinon 5.0x wide angle optical zoom lens and a large 3.0" high-resolution LCD and offers the most advanced technologies available, including Dual Image Stabilization, Face Detection 3.0, and ISO settings of up to an unprecedented ISO 12800. This combination of features allow consumers to capture any shot, any place and at any time with the lowest noise signature to date.

Fujifilm will be showcasing its full portfolio of imaging technologies and services at PMA 2009 Booth F130. For more information, go to www.fujifilmusa.com/pma.

Fujifilm developed EXCLEAR, a new Transparent Conductive Film based on Silver-Halide Photographic Technologies

FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Shigetaka Komori; hereafter, Fujifilm) has developed a new transparent conductive film "EXCLEAR" for use in displays and touch-panels, offering a high level of transmittance, flexible performance and a wide range of sheet resistance, incorporating silver halide photographic technologies. Fujifilm has started distributing samples in a lead-up to its commercial launch scheduled for this autumn.

Transparent conductive films are highly functional materials, and essential in displays and touch-panels as a transparent electrode. With its application expanding, e.g. electronic paper, organic EL light emitting elements and displays, the demand is growing for transparent conductive films that are lightweight or highly flexible. In FY2013, the market is expected to be worth 30 billion to 40 billion yen (According to Estimation based on market projection data cited in a report by Yano Research Institute).

Currently, ITO (indium tin oxide) films are generally used for transparent conductive films. However, they are easy to crack when flexed, and have a limited range of sheet resistance, thereby sometimes failing to achieve desired performance, and posing various challenges that may hinder future growth. In addition, since indium is a rare metal, there are concerns for its eventual depletion or skyrocketing of prices.

“EXCLEAR”, developed by Fujifilm, incorporates findings from functional material research, precision thin coating technology and image-processing technology conducted over many years for the development of photographic films and flat-panel display materials. Fine-pitch silver patterns and transparent conductive materials are placed on a clear PET (polyethylene terephthalate) substrate to achieve a high level of transmittance, flexible performance and a wider range of sheet resistance.

Features:

The precision digital exposure technology is used to carry out patterning of silver lines of various thickness and density over a substrate coated with highly light sensitive silver halide materials This silver patterning has enabled broader sheet resistance ranging from ultra-low (0.2Ω/☐) to high (several thousand Ω/☐) with the combination of inorganic / organic transparent conductive materials.

Combining flexibility-controlled silver halide and transparent conductive materials on a film has achieved advanced flexible performance.

This film demonstrates a high transmittance of 80% or above, which is equivalent to that of the ITO-based transparent conductive film.

Since the film can be supplied in a roll, it lends itself to volume production and addition of composite functions.

Taking advantage of these properties, the film will be deployed in a wide range of areas, e.g. as an alternative to ITO-based films currently used on various displays and flat light sources, or as a transparent conductive film for products that require flexible performance (touch-panels, electronic paper) and high conductivity (solar cells).Fujifilm will continue to apply proprietary technologies to pursue R&D of highly functional materials, and provide products and technologies that make a significant contribution to enhance the quality of life of people.

Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-Ray Disc Player Test & Review

This Blu-ray Disc player produces solid images, but its audio quality is lacking.

What a difference a firmware update makes. When it first launched last year, Samsung's BD-P1000 ($800 as of 2/20/07) displayed soft images--a result of Samsung's choice to enable noise reduction by default. The player we tested fixed this issue, though, and performed like a whole new machine. Bolstered with the most recent firmware available as of our testing, the BD-P1000 produced fine images, with good detail and color balance.

Upgrading the firmware can be a tricky process, though. The unit lacks an ethernet connection, so when an update becomes available, you'll have to order a disc from Samsung or download the update from Samsung's Web site and burn your own CD-R. As we experienced with Philips's BDP9000, we had to use Nero's Ultra Edition disc-burning software to get the player to recognize the disc; other burning apps didn't work in our experience.

The Samsung closely resembles Philips's BDP9000: The two have identical back panels and similar functions and features, including the same memory card slots and limited audio support (just Dolby Digital 5.1-channel decoding, and choice of PCM or bitstream output). Both units looked and sounded alike, too. They offered the same, reasonably pristine images and the same muddied sound.

The differences between the two units lie in the interfaces. They offer the same setup menu options (the options are even worded identically); however, Samsung gives its menus a smaller, more concise design, sometimes with transparent overlays, and always with a more three-dimensional effect than the Philips model does. Neither approach holds a practical advantage, though in certain circumstances the Samsung's transparency disrupts your movie playback experience less (for example, if you invoke certain menus, such as the disc-info option, during playback).

The Samsung's front panel improves greatly over the Philips's. The power button is large and easy to find. The eject button is small but responsive. At the right is a four-way navigation pad, for handling basic controls like play, pause, forward, and back. A flap conceals only the memory card slots (for CompactFlash, Memory Stick, and Secure Digital media), which, as with the Philips BDP9000, allow you to play music or look at photos.

Samsung's BD-P1000 produced great images in our tests. It performed nearly identically to the Philips model, excelling in tests for detail, brightness and contrast, and color quality. In overall high-definition video quality, the two players fell just a shade behind our top video performers, the Sony BDP-S1 and the Pioneer Elite BDP-HD1. In Mission: Impossible III, the Vatican's hallways had depth, and shadow detail was sharp in the black-and-white Good Night and Good Luck.

When we used the BD-P1000's built-in audio decoder, audio playback was a bit muddy compared to our best audio performer, the Sony BDP-S1. You might get better results outputting audio to your audio/video receiver via bitstream.

The player's remote control leaves plenty to be desired. The navigation circle sits near the bottom of the remote, making it difficult to reach--at least with my fingers. The menu buttons also sit too near the bottom, in addition to being small and hard to find. Some of the buttons glow in the dark, which would have been a nice touch if not for the fact that the five buttons that do glow in the dark control the TV, and not disc playback.

Like the Philips BDP9000, the Samsung lets you create bookmarks. You can create up to ten by pressing a button; retrieving the bookmarks is similarly simple. Once you eject the disc, however, the bookmarks disappear, unlike with HD DVD players, which can retain bookmarks thanks to the format's requirement that all players have built-in storage.

Samsung's manual is smaller than most, primarily because it isn't a multilingual tome. The manual is well-organized, with explanations that the average person can understand.

With its great image quality, midrange features, and (just) below-average price, the Samsung BD-P1000 offers an overall strong value.

Pioneer Elite BDP-HD1 Test & Review

High-end Blu-ray Disc player boasts a great warranty and excellent audio and video quality; plus, it can share video over a home network.

Until you've watched a well-transferred Blu-ray Disc movie on a player such as the Pioneer BDP-HD1 ($1500 as of 2/2007), you don't know how good your home theater's video can look. On a 50-inch Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1 plasma TV, every detail was pleasingly sharp, and colors were spot-on.

Pioneer's Elite BDP-HD1 tied with Sony's BDP-S1 for first place in overall image quality: Each scored in the top two for image detail, color quality, and brightness and contrast in high-definition and standard-definition tests. The edge held by these players was particularly evident in the movie Rumor Has It; there, in one of our test chapters, Kevin Costner's facial detail was distinct. In the The Phantom of the Opera, we saw fine details in the background of the stage, and nice depth in a crowd scene.

Other standout examples: In Mission: Impossible III, when the camera pulled back in the Vatican, hallways and staircases felt three-dimensional, and the cobblestones out front rendered clearly. Shadow detail in the black-and-white Good Night and Good Luck was so sharp we could see costume details on the characters who were situated in the shadows.

The BDP-HD1's sound quality also amazed us, at least with The Last Waltz's uncompressed Linear PCM track. It caught every nuance of every instrument played. I doubt that those who attended the actual concert heard it any better.

You won't find such pleasure listening to the Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio track offered on some Blu-ray discs, however. The BDP-HD1 doesn't support these formats; instead it downsamples the audio to their core streams. To be fair, so do the Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, and Sony Blu-ray players we reviewed in the "High-Def Video Superguide"; but on a premium player like the Pioneer, this omission is surprising nonetheless.

You'll need some patience to enjoy the BDP-HD1: The unit responds to commands the way a five-year-old PC running Windows Vista would. Hit the eject button while the power is off, and you'll have to wait more than a minute before the player is sufficiently awake to open the tray. Hit pause while watching a movie, and you'll experience a noticeable lag before the Pioneer responds. During one annoying incident, I wasn't sure if I'd ever get the tray open so that I could remove a disc.

This is the only Blu-ray player we tested (other than the multifunctional PlayStation 3 game console) that has an ethernet port. The player also has a built-in digital media adapter, so you can share media over a home network (we did not test this feature). If you were to add a media adapter separately--say, D-Link's DSM-510 High-Definition Media Player--it could cost about $225. To use the player over a home network, you'll need the right equipment: a Windows XP or Vista computer with Windows Media Connect, and a DLNA-compatible digital media server.

Pioneer's remote felt comfortable in my hand, thanks to well-placed grooves along its back, and most of the buttons are easy to reach. Furthermore, the unit has a plethora of controls on its front panel--convenient in the event that you misplace the remote.

Pioneer, unfortunately, does not allow the unit to communicate over the Internet for firmware updates; you'll have to request a disc from the company or create your own installation disc by downloading the update via the company's Web site. The player does come with clearly written documentation--including a decent trouble-shooting section. Plus, it offers one benefit that none of the other players has--a two-year warranty (for parts as well). That's double the typical warranty period, and some players only offer 90 days on parts.

Because the Pioneer's video quality was on a par with that of the cheaper Sony BDP-S1, if you buy this unit, you're choosing it for its extras: its pleasing industrial design, long warranty, and integrated digital media adapter.

Panasonic DMP-BD10 Test & Review

Pricey Blu-ray Disc player looks pretty on the surface, but it has a mediocre functional design and middling image quality.

This expensive Blu-ray Disc player looks pretty on the surface, but it has a mediocre functional design and middling image quality.

Panasonic's pricey DMP-BD10 ($1300 (as of 2/20/07) is the second most expensive model we've tested. And for its above-average cost, you don't get anything extra, as you do with the $1500 Pioneer Elite BDP-HD1, one of the top-performing players in our "High-Def Video Superguide" (that model streams media across a home network).

Overall, our PC World Test Center evaluation found the DMP-BD10 to be a capable player, producing sharp detail and depth. Its color rendering, however, was iffy: In some test scenes, images appeared fine; in others, Caucasian skin tones had a decidedly red tint (using default settings). The skin tone issue was less apparent in The Phantom of the Operathan it was in scenes from Rumor Has It, where we felt that Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Costner both needed to stay out of the sun.

Image quality wasn't the only issue I had with this player. Though it looks sleek, and a flap on the front panel hides unsightly buttons, Panasonic took this flap idea too far, concealing everything but the power button. Even the tray and eject button are concealed; you must lower the flap every time you want to use the machine.

The remote control is a mixed bag. Among its strengths: It has an easy-to-use, unusual combination navigation pad and dial; and the buttons are large and easy to see. Unfortunately, many of the remote's buttons are concealed under--you guessed it--a flap. Even something as basic as selecting a number requires opening the flap. The remote feels cheaply made, as if you could squash it in your hand. Plus, it lacks an eject button.

The DMP-BD10 does have some noteworthy attributes. Our test unit was reasonably responsive: It took just under 16 seconds to power it up and open its tray. By comparison, some of its competitors took over a minute.

Panasonic also did a good job with its Easy Setup on-screen menus and its thorough documentation. The accompanying instruction is clear, well-organized, and thorough.

The player's built-in audio decoding is a step above that of some of the other Blu-ray players: The unit can decode Dolby Digital Plus 5.1-channel audio--the only Blu-ray player in our roundup to do so. Panasonic says it intends to release a firmware update so that the player can decode Dolby TrueHD 7.1 and DTS-HD Audio as well (the player should output those formats as uncompressed PCM). In our audio tests, the player was average: It fell somewhere in between the top performers - the Sony BDP-S1 and the Pioneer Elite BDP-HD1--and the Samsung BD-P1000 and the Philips BDP9000, whose audio was rather cloudy.

To perform a firmware upgrade, you'll need to get a disc from Panasonic, or download the firmware from Panasonic's Web site and burn it to CD-R.

Unfortunately, the DMP-BD10's steep price outweighs its abilities. You shouldn't have to pay $1300--$411 above the average price of players we've tested--just to get good documentation and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1-channel audio.

Philips BDP9000 Tests & Review

This Blu-ray Disc player offers good design and image quality, but don't expect much from the documentation.

As in a Hollywood movie that adheres too closely to a formula, nothing really stands out about Philips's BDP9000 ($800 as of 2/20/07). It's a basic black box--reasonably, but not exceptionally, well-designed in both looks and function. The images it sends to your TV look good, but not fantastic. It does have some nice features, though, such as memory card slots for viewing pictures and listening to audio.

Based on its appearance, design, and performance, this model appears to be the twin of Samsung's BD-P1000, our top-ranked player in our "High-Def Video Superguide" roundup (neither company would confirm this). The two players have similar response times, and output images of about the same quality, and their sound quality is indistinguishable. They offer the same on-screen menu options--albeit with different menus, fonts, and colors. Though they look like different machines from the front, their back panels are identical.

The BDP9000's on-screen menus and messages have a pleasing look, with nicely legible lettering and an easy-to-navigate splash screen. Unfortunately, neither the on-screen information display nor the front panel of the player itself shows you the movie's chapter number.

The front panel looks stylish, though the thin, metallic power and eject buttons are annoying to press and don't give much tactile feedback. The other controls are hidden beneath a front panel, which also conceals the two memory card slots (for CompactFlash, Memory Stick, and Secure Digital cards) that let you listen to music and view photographs.

Like Samsung's BD-P1000, the Philips BDP9000 produced great images, trailing just a shade behind the top video-test performers, the Sony BDP-S1 and the Pioneer Elite BDP-HD1. In Mission: Impossible III, hallways felt three-dimensional; and in the black-and-white Good Night and Good Luck, shadow detail was rich.

The remote control is long and hefty. It felt comfortable and sturdy in my hand, and I found its many buttons well-arranged and convenient to use.

The Philips BDP9000's built-in audio decoding support is poor. It outputs only Linear PCM and Dolby Digital 5.1, and it doesn't support the newer lossless codecs, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio (those are reduced to their core Dolby Digital or DTS audio streams). In our tests, the unit's audio sounded muddy compared with that of our best performer, the Sony BDP-S1. You might get better results by outputting audio via bitstream to your audio/video receiver instead.

The Philips BDP9000 lets you create up to ten bookmarks by pressing a button; retrieving the bookmarks is similarly simple. Once you eject the disc, however, the bookmarks are expunged; HD DVD players, by contrast, can retain bookmarks, since the format requires the players to have built-in storage.

The Philips falters when it comes to support documentation. At first glance it looks like any other TV accessory instruction book, but it's not much help if you need detailed information. When you're setting up your audio options, for instance, the Philips (like most of these players) asks if you want the audio output to your amplifier as PCM or bitstream. What does that mean? According to the manual, the first option means that "the format of the digital audio signal is PCM," and the second option means "the format of the digital audio signal is bitstream." What the manual doesn't explain is that bitstream output requires an external device such as a compatible audio receiver to decode the output; with PCM output, the audio is decoded in the player and sent to your receiver for amplification, relieving the latter device of decoding responsibilities.

Another issue is that self-administered firmware updates can be tricky. We had to use Nero's Nero Ultra Edition disc-burning software--as recommended by the firmware's readme text file--to get the player to recognize the firmware disc. We were unable to use other burning software to accomplish this task; if you don't already have Nero's software, you may have buy it to perform a firmware update.

In spite of its quirks, the Philips model is a good all-around player, though you'll want to rely on your audio receiver and not the player to handle audio decoding.

Microsoft Xbox 360 and HD DVD Player Full of Flaws

This inexpensive HD DVD option for Xbox game console owners provides weak image quality and only minimal audio options.

Our PCW Rating for this product reflects its performance, price, features, and design as an HD DVD player, not as a gaming machine. For more on the Xbox 360 as a game console, see GamePro.

Microsoft's $400 Xbox 360 game console comes with a built-in DVD drive. For an additional $200 (as of 2/20/07), Microsoft offers the external HD DVD Player to hook up to the console. This $600 combination is a bargain-priced starting point for Xbox 360 owners who want to begin watching high-def movies; however, the combo has some significant drawbacks.

The HD DVD Player is easy enough to set up: You connect it to the Xbox via a USB 2.0 cable, and then install the included Xbox drivers. At the back of the Xbox unit, you'll find two USB ports, for attaching additional Xbox peripherals such as the Wi-Fi adapter or the Xbox Live Vision Camera. The Xbox's on-screen display for viewing disc playback information looks elegant; and the unit's response time when navigating a disc was better than that of the stand-alone players.

Using the two-device combo is a kludgy way to play movies, though. The elongated, Windows Media Center-like remote that comes with the HD DVD Player has an eject button, which controls the Xbox's DVD drive tray, but not the HD DVD Player's tray. To open the HD DVD Player itself, you must manually press the button on its front.

Video output quality is another big flaw that detracts from the device's merit as a home theater player. All of the stand-alone high-definition video players tested for our "High-Def Video Superguide" can attach to your television and amplifier via an HDMI connection, which lets you watch hi-def movies at their fullest quality. The Xbox doesn't offer anything better than analog component video, which produces a decent, but not stellar high-definition image.

In the PC World Test Center's tests, this omission of HDMI impacted image quality, as seen on the 50-inch Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1 televisions the Test Center used. High-definition and standard-definition images on the Xbox showed a softness and lack of depth and detail when compared to images the other players output via HDMI.

Viewed over component video--a $40 extra-cost option for the Xbox 360 core system, but included with the hard drive-enabled model I tested--the Xbox's HD DVD output is limited to 1080i (it can display 1080p, but only via a VGA connection). Occasionally, the Xbox's output would slap us in the face with an ugly interlacing artifact. A brick wall in chapter 7 of Mission: Impossible 3, for example, looked especially annoying, vibrating in a way that brick walls most certainly shouldn't.

Video output was badly overscanned, meaning that movies were slightly cut off at the sides of the screen. And when I popped in a wide-screen standard-definition DVD, the image looked squeezed.

The Xbox is also lacking in its audio support. Microsoft says the player can decode a variety of audio formats--Linear PCM, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution, DTS Digital Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Plus--and it outputs audio only as Dolby Digital or PCM.

Based on our tests, if you don't already own an Xbox, you have no earthly reason to buy these two boxes just for next-generation video playback. A stand-alone HD DVD player (such as the inexpensive $500 Toshiba HD-A2) will give you better picture and sound, without the hassle of running two gadgets to do the job of one.

Sony PlayStation 3 (80GB) Blu-ray Disc Player

From the outset, Sony has billed the PlayStation 3 as more than just another game console. And this machine lives up to its promise: It's one of the most capable Blu-ray Disc players available today. The 80GB PS3 ($400) has built-in gigabit Ethernet and supports BD-Live content that can be delivered via the Internet. It also supports Blu-ray Bonus View, for playing back picture-in-picture content.

In our jury evaluation of image quality, the PS3 was less impressive than it was when we judged it last year. Several dedicated Blu-ray players bested it this time, rendering sharper images with superior color and contrast. In particular, images from the PS3 seem especially bright compared with those of the best dedicated players out today.

Nevertheless, the PS3 remains quite a deal if you want to play high-def Blu-ray movies and you aren't wedded to buying a stand-alone, home-theater-style device. You get a versatile, reasonably priced Blu-ray Disc player that can handle all of the latest Bonus View and BD-Live content. Plus, you can use the machine to play games, browse pictures and surf the Web, too.

Sherwood BDP-5003 Blu-ray Disc Player

The Sherwood BDP-5003 is priced at $250, and not surprisingly it's a stripped-down, feature-free model. It lacks BD-Live and native Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio support. Of course, such omissions might be forgiven if the unit could deliver outstanding images for such a reasonable price.

The Sherwood's images aren't outstanding, but they are acceptable -- most of the time. The player gave its worst performance on regular DVDs, where it had to upconvert the image. It did better with Blu-ray Discs; altogether, we gave the BDP-5003 mostly Good scores for Blu-ray Disc image quality, with a few Very Goods and Fairs.

If you're shopping on a tight budget, Sherwood's BDP-5003 is worth considering. But if you want more features and better image quality, we'd suggest looking elsewhere.

Panasonic DMP-BD55K Blu-ray Disc Player

At $400, the Panasonic DMP-BD55K is expensive. But its superb image quality, excellent design and wide feature set make the DMP-BD55K a tempting choice for shoppers with deep enough pockets.

In the PC World Test Center, the DMP-BD55K did not receive a single grade of less than Very Good from any of our judges. Jurors' notes were filled with praise. Unlike less-expensive models, the DMP-BD55K had no issues with upscaling standard-definition DVDs to 1080p -- in fact, the DMP-BD55K bested all comers we've tested in its handling of DVDs.

Packed with features, the DMP-BD55K can play DivX files, AVCHD movies and other media formats. An SD Card slot sits in front; you can use the card slot to view photos.This BD-Live player has an Ethernet port in the back, but no built-in memory: You have to bring your own memory in the form of an SD Card, annoying considering the otherwise premium qualities of this player.

If you're willing to pay a lot for a Blu-ray player, you deserve one as good as the Panasonic DMP-BD55K.

Sharp Aquos BD-HP50U Blu-ray Disc Player

The Sharp Aquos BD-HP50U ($290) may be the more expensive model in Sharp's Blu-ray Disc player lineup, but this model didn't impress us.

Pop a disc into the player, and you'll have to wait nearly three minutes before it starts playing. You can pass part of the time wondering who designed the ugly, white-on-black "READING THE DISC" message on your TV screen. The sluggishness doesn't go away when the movie starts. Skipping a chapter takes about five seconds. By comparison, most players do the same in less than two seconds -- and that three-second difference feels like an eternity.

Another issue: The BD-HP50U doesn't upconvert standard DVDs very well. Movies looked overly contrasty and disappointing overall. The BD-HP50U performed better with Blu-ray Discs; judges' grades for the Blu-ray tests were mostly Goods and Very Goods, with a few Fairs and Superbs.

You'd expect a player in this price range to have plenty of extras, but you'd be disappointed. It has no Ethernet port, and therefore no BD-Live (though it does support picture-in-picture Bonus View content). The Sharp Aquos BD-HP50U costs 1.5 times the price of the Insignia NS-2BRDVD, but you don't gain anything that makes this model worth the premium bucks.

Memorex MVBD2510 Blu-ray Disc Player

At an estimated street price of $175, the Memorex MVBD2510 is the least expensive Blu-ray player we've seen thus far. But a poorly designed remote, uncommunicative menus and acceptable but unexceptional image quality are the prices you pay for saving money.

Like the Insignia NS-2BRDVD, the Memorex did a better job displaying images from Blu-ray Discs than from standard-definition DVDs; but while the Memorex outperformed the Insignia on standard-def DVD, its results with Blu-ray Discs were more mixed.

The remote's flat shape looks cool -- in use it's anything but. The tiny buttons are all poorly placed, with some important ones (Popup Menu, for instance) far from the midpoint, where your thumb is most likely to rest. Buttons like Play and Pause are identified by spelled-out names (in a small font), rather than by the common symbols everyone is used to seeing.

You expect a no-frills player for $175, and that's what you get with the Memorex MVBD2510. You'll need to spend more money if you want better image quality or a more full-featured player.

Insignia NS-2BRDVD Blu-Ray Disc Player

The Insignia NS-2BRDVD, Best Buy’s house-brand Blu-ray Disc player, is a bargain in almost all respects. Priced at $230, this model serves up a winning combination of sharp, well-balanced high-definition images and solid industrial design. The Insignia’s sole failing lies in its inadequate upconversion of standard-definition DVDs.Our image-quality tests start with standard DVDs, and that's where the NS-2BRDVD outright bombed. It had issues upconverting standard-defintion video to 1080p: Scenes looked dull and muddy, with a distinct lack of detail.

In contrast, when we moved on to viewing Blu-ray discs, at their native 1080p resolution, the NS-2BRDVD performed superbly. Our judges awarded it grades of Very Good and Superior. If you're looking for a bargain in a Blu-ray player, the Insignia NS-2BRDVD is the best you can buy -- but only if you’re willing to rely on another source for upscaling your standard-definition DVDs.

Sharp Aquos BD-HP21U Blu-ray Disc Player

The Sharp BD-HP21U packs lots of metal -- literally. It's large and heavy, so much so that you could mistake it for an old Laserdisc player. In the end, the fairly low price ($220) gets you a Blu-ray player with only hit-and-miss image quality.

PC World Test Center judges found extremes of good and bad in viewing our suite of test discs. The Sharp wasn't always, well, sharp. And some images appeared dull and flat.

As you'd expect for its price, the BD-HP21U isn't heavy on extra features. The player supports Blu-ray Profile 1.1 (which all players at this point must support, at minimum), but not the fancier features contained in Profile 2.0 (such as BD-Live for accessing supplemental content via the Internet). Notably, it natively supports Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus audio, converting those high-end soundtracks to standard PCM for amplifiers that don't support them.

Unlike its first-generation player, the Sharp BD-HP20U, Sharp's second-generation model just doesn't impress. The Sharp BD-HP21U does its job without frills, and without oomph.

Sony BDP-S350 Blu-ray Disc Player

Any way you look at it, the $300 Sony BDP-S350 is an excellent Blu-ray player. It's well-designed and easy to use. It supports high-end Blu-ray features such as BD-Live. And it produces good-looking images.

The judges in our PC World Test Center evaluation graded the BDP-S350 with a mixture of Good and Very Good scores, with the Very Goods seeing a slight edge.

So far this is the cheapest player we've seen with BD-Live, which lets you access supplemental content on some discs via the Internet. Like all BD-Live players, the BDP-S350 has USB and Ethernet ports. But in this case the ports are limited to their BD-Live capabilities (and firmware updating via Ethernet). The USB port is mounted on the back, a bit of an inconvenience considering you have to bring your own USB drive to use the BD-Live functions.

You can find cheaper Blu-ray players on the market, but the Sony BDP-S350 is a strong bet. This model delivers a solid all-around package, and it does so at a price that won't break your wallet.

LG Electronics BD300 Blu-ray Disc Player

The LG BD300 is a feature-packed Blu-ray player, with BD-Live, a USB port for viewing multimedia, and Netflix on-demand streaming. For $350, though, we expected better-looking images.

Like the Samsung BD-P2500, this player is one of the few that can handle Netflix's streaming video. But while the Netflix functionality is a cool idea, it isn't a foolproof approach to viewing movies. The main point to consider: You buy a Blu-ray player to get the best possible images in home video. A Netflix stream hardly qualifies. Think of Netflix downloads as a quick convenience, not a proper home-theater experience.

Physical discs -- DVDs as well as Blu-rays -- looked much better. In the PC World Test Center's evaluation, our judges tended to score the BD300's image output as Good or Very Good, but we noticed some issues, such as too much contrast. And the BD300 was at its worst when converting standard DVDs to 1080p. Colors appeared lifeless, and the images failed to pop.

If the price were a little lower, or the image quality more consistent, the LG BD300 would be a knockout. As it stands, it's a solid player, and for now it remains one of your few choices if you're determined to have your Blu-ray and your Netflix, too.

Samsung BD-P2500 Blu-ray Disc Player

When you first turn on the Samsung BD-P2500, you see a low-resolution, jagged Samsung logo. That's pretty disappointing for a $350 Blu-ray player. Fortunately, it's one of the few disappointments with this model.

Our PC World Test Center judges found the Samsung's image quality simply amazing. The grades we gave it contained a few Goods, many Very Goods and a lot of Superiors -- unusual for our discriminating judges. The BD-P2500 also supports BD-Live for accessing supplemental disc content via the Web. This feature requires an Ethernet connection as well as your own USB drive. Regrettably, this model's USB port is inconveniently situated in the back.

The BD-P2500 is one of two Blu-ray players we've tested that can stream video via the Internet directly from Netflix. Armed with an Ethernet connection and a Netflix account, you use a PC to queue up 480p and 720p video streams; those streams are then available to you via the Netflix option on the player. But you can forget about the BD-P2550's great image quality when you stream from Netflix. A standard-def stream looked extremely blotchy, and even an HD stream didn't measure up to the best that standard-def discs -- let alone high-def ones -- can offer.

Still, the Samsung BD-P2500 is an excellent machine. You get what you pay for. In a Blu-ray player, a great-looking image can outweigh shortcomings and a high price.

Upcoming Cell Phones

This summer, consumers will be clamoring for the latest cell phones to hit the market: the iPhone 3G S and Palm Pre. Jam-packed with features, both devices are more like computers than the mobile phone Zack Morris used to use. What will the next great leaps in cell phone technology be? Recent developments point the way …

How about a cell phone that never dies? The Nokia Research Centre in Cambridge, UK has developed a prototype of a cell phone that would convert electromagnetic waves—emitted from nearby TV and radio antennas, wifi hotspots, and other sources—into power used to continually charge the battery in standby mode. The researchers involved with the project say their current prototype generates 5 milliwatts of power—the same output as a laser pointer. In three to four years time, the researchers expect to develop a phone that harvests enough energy to produce 50 milliwatts of power, about half what’s needed for current MP3 enabled phones.

Forget keyboards or touch screens; engineers at Duke University in Durham, NC have created a technology that allows people to write messages or draw pictures simply by waving their cell phone. Their program uses accelerometers built into the phone in order to determine the direction of the movement, and translates that into an image or word. They expect a program to be available for download within the next few months. You can see it in action here.

Want about a better view? At Japan’s JPCA electronics show this year, telecommunications company NTT showcased a phone containing a piece of digital paper that pulls out to display things like newspapers and magazines that are hard to read on current cell phone screens. The company is hoping to produce a lower cost, more efficient version by 2015.

Could cell phone GPS navigation get any better? Dutch company SPRX Mobile thinks so. They’ve developed an “augmented reality” program called Layar that uses a cell phone’s built-in compass, GPS and camera to display information about whatever you point your phone at. The information is overlaid on the image provided by your cell phone’s camera. Layar will be available this month in the Netherlands for Android phones and the company plans to launch their application in the US, Germany, and the UK sometime later this year for the iPhone 3G S. You can see a video of how it works here.

Then there’s a beautiful concept developed by Ukrainian designer Alexander Mukomelov. His “Mobile Script” phone also employs a pull out screen—at 9.5” diagonal, as large as some laptops—and he envisions a nano-material covering the phone that can convert sunlight to energy. The technology may not be there yet, but if the rate of cell phone innovation is any indicator, the future may be here sooner than we think.

Keep your Friends in contact through Google Profile

Google introduces Google Profiles. Now the user can create their own profile on Google and this will let their friends to search the profile with their name through Google search Engine. Your profile may have online photos, links to other blogs or profiles, ways for people to contact you, and you can restrict your contact information like your address and phone number to only the people and groups you choose.

When creating a profile, you have the option to use your Gmail username as a your profile URL (profiles.google.com/yourusername), so it's easier to remember and share. One example:

http://profiles.google.com/felicia.day

If you want people to be able to contact you, but don't want to reveal your email address to the world, you can hide your username and use a 24 digit number instead. Turn on the 'Send a message' feature, and anyone with a Google Account can send you a message through your profile, without having your email address revealed to them.

Don't have a profile? Go to www.google.com/profiles to get started.

Be the Gmail Ninja

If you got 100 new messages, how long would it take you to get through them all? An hour? Five minutes? How would you find the important ones, reply to the ones that require an immediate reply, and mark the ones that you needed to take care of later? Would you use stars, filters, keyboard shortcuts, labels? What about Gmail Labs like tasks or canned responses?

Everybody has their own system for managing email, but some are definitely more efficient than others. Even if you only get a few messages a day, there are probably some simple things you can do to make it easier to get through your inbox and maybe even have a little fun along the way. We know time is valuable, so we asked lots of Googlers for their tips and tricks on how they make the most of Gmail, and we combined the best of these into a guide at www.gmail.com/tips, cheekily entitled "Become a Gmail Ninja." The tips are categorized into ninja belts (white, green, black and master ) based on how much mail you get each day.

For a handy reference that you can pin to your wall or keep on your desk, we even made a printable version of the guide where all the tips fit on one page front and back. And for the first 1024 of you who want them, we'll send a limited-edition, laminated guide for free. Just fill out this form with your address. Sorry, we can only ship to addresses in the US. If you're not one of the lucky 1024, you can still buy a laminated guide at http://www.barcharts.com/.

If you're already a Gmail ninja and have your own tips you'd like to share, let us know and we'll add the best ones to the online guide. *Our lawyers asked us to make sure it was clear that your contact information won't be maintained longer than necessary to send you the laminated guide and that this offer is "void where prohibited and only while supplies last." Update (11:59am): Well, that was fast. We've run out of the free laminated guides, but if you weren't part of the first 1024 people to sign up, you can still can buy them for $1.25 at www.barcharts.com/gmail.

Gmail leaves Beta, launches "Back to Beta" Labs Feature

We get asked all the time why Google keeps its products in beta for so long. And Gmail, five years after launch, is consistently a subject of this questioning, even of jokes.

Some people thought that once we opened sign-ups, Gmail should have come out of beta.

Others said that once we integrated chat, developed new anti-spam technology, expanded to 53 languages, shipped a mobile app, added group chat, launched an iPhone UI, added a vacation autoresponder, launched Gmail Labs, subsequently modified the vacation autoresponder with a Gmail Lab, launched 48 other Labs, launched video chat, enabled open protocols and APIs (POP, auto-forwarding, IMAP, and the Contacts Data API), let you POP mail in from other accounts, added a delete button, rearchitected our entire javascript code base, and added key functionality to get large companies, startups, universities, and many other organizations (in addition to Google itself) running on Gmail, we should have come out of beta.

Some people think we should wait until we launch .

Others say that, over the last five years, a beta culture has grown around web apps, such that the very meaning of "beta" is debatable. And rather than the packaged, stagnant software of decades past, we're moving to a world of rapid developmental cycles where products like Gmail continue to change indefinitely.

The end result (many visible and invisible changes later) is that today, beta is a thing of the past. Not just for Gmail, but for all of Google Apps — Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and Talk.

However, we realize that after five years, this leaves some of you wrestling with some tough questions. How will you ever get used to using Gmail without that familiar grey "BETA" text greeting you when you log in everyday? What example will you cite the next time you make an internet joke about perpetual betas? Don't despair... for those of you long-time Gmail-ers who might feel some separation anxiety, we've got a solution. Just go to Settings, click on Labs, turn on "Back to Beta," and it'll be like Gmail never left beta at all.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Sony entered in Netbook Business with VAIO W Division

Sony did take a stand against manufacturing netbooks simply because the profit margin was so low, and with the company’s notorious reputation of pricing their goods beyond the average figure, consumers who are looking for a cheap and yet decently equipped netbook will most probably pick one from Dell, HP, Asus, Acer, Gateway and numerous other players in the game. In fact, when Sony unveiled the VAIO P at CES earlier this year, they went so far as to inform everyone not to call it a netbook. Well, guess the Japanese company will have to eat their own words this time round as they attempt to make some headway into the netbook crowd with its newest VAIO W Series.

In typical Sony fashion, the VAIO W will feature an ultra-portable design, making it perfect for use as a secondary computing device that is lightweight enough to be carried with you halfway around the globe without having to break your back while you’re at it. There are three colors to choose from - berry pink, sugar white and cocoa brown, where the exterior hue is subtle while the touchpad is lined with a splash of brightness. According to Mike Abary, senior vice president of the VAIO business group at Sony, “The W Series lets you quickly look something up online whether searching for a recipe in the kitchen or relaxing on your recliner - there’s no need to trudge upstairs to your office. And it’s sturdy enough for the kids to use, making it perfect for every member of the family.”

Features of the W Series include a high-resolution, 1366 x 768, LED backlit 10.1″ ultra-wide display, an isolated keyboard with springy and responsive keys, integrated webcam and microphone, a 160GB hard drive, Bluetooth connectivity, a touchpad and mouse keys to make you feel more at home, and is ENERGY STAR 5.0 compliant as well as EPEAT Gold registered to denote Sony’s effort in helping keep its products green and clean. Prices of this Windows XP Home-powered netbook start from $500 upwards.

Sony 12 Megapixel Handycam with High Definition Video and Maximum Storage

Sony’s line of Handycam camcorders hark back to the days where optical discs and abundant flash memory were not even available to the masses, and these Handycams can be said to be huge and unwieldy, but that’s the price to pay if you want to preserve your favorite memories in video format. Well, thanks to the advancement of technology over the years, video recorders have become smaller and smaller and yet are more capable than their predecessors. All those factors have resulted in Sony releasing its new HDR-CX520V and HDR-CX500V Handycam camcorders that are more than able to capture full 1,920 x 1,080 high-definition video and up to 12-megapixel stills, storing those on a 64GB or 32GB internal flash memory (depending on the model, of course), which more or less translates to around 25 hours of HD video in LP mode.

Both the HDR-CX520V and HDR-CX500V camcorders will feature 60p output, where your content are automatically converted to 60 progressive frames per second when connected to a compatible high-definition television (obviously, Sony will tell you to use their Bravia line). In addition, avid video enthusiasts will find the Optical SteadyShot with Active Mode feature useful as it comes with a moveable lens element to shift with greater range of motion during camera shake. Along with that you get 3-Way Shake Canceling that will help reduce hand shake in three directions, and these include both vertical and horizontal shake that relies on optical image stabilization while the third uses electronic image stabilization to facilitate corrections for lateral-roll shake.

Inside you will find Sony’s powerful BIONZ imaging processor that boasts a Face Touch function, letting users choose the person’s face to be prioritized by the camcorder when shooting a sea of people. Perfect for loverboys who want to impress their girl who is posing in a crowd. Apart from that, with new technology that can down-convert from AVCHD to MPEG2, Sony does away with the need for a computer, making it a snap to create simple DVDs using the optional DVDirect Express (VRD-P1) DVD writer. Expect to pick up the HDR-CX500V and HDR-CX520V sometime this September for approximately $1,100 and $1,300, respectively.

A-DATA 64GB XPG Xupreme Flash Drive

A-DATA has come up with its latest 64GB XPG Xupreme flash drive that boasts to be the first flash drive in the market that will be compatible with the yet-unreleased Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit). It comes covered with an elegant dark grey aluminum color, offering a high-performance USB flash drive that has been packaged into an unassuming yet stylish design as part of the XPG product line. It is capable of supporting up to 30MB/s (200X) read speed. Apart from that, it has also been certified for Windows Vista and is Windows ReadyBoost compatible, giving Vista users another reason to smile about.

Sony Camera will now Capture Your Smile Automatically

Face detection has become a common feature in modern digital cameras, Sony took one step ahead and developed the first camera with smile detection, the DSC-T300, and proudly announced it today.

The main attraction of this camera is certainly Sony’s new smile detection technology. So how does this new feature work? When the camera is set to smile detection mode, a user can select one out of the three preset smile detection levels (i.e. smile, grin, and great grin). After the shutter button is pressed, the camera will detect the target’s face and shoot the photo automatically once the chosen smile level is reached. Sounds cool to me, with this great feature I’ll never miss the smiles while shooting photos :)

Besides the smile detection feature, Sony also implemented the newly developed iSCN “random scene recognition” feature. iSCN’s main goal is to minimize exposure failure in five modes: night scene portrait, night scene, night scene with tripod, backlit portrait and backlit.

Sony DSC-T300, which comes in three color options: gray, red and black, features 5x optical zoom with 10.1 mega-pixel resolution, 3.5” LCD, ±2.0EV with 1/3 increment, ISO range from 80 to 3200, and 15 MB internal memory with a 128 MB Memory Stick Duo included. This new model will be available from March 7th onwards

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Amazing New Mobile Gadgets

Good things come in small packages -- and technology innovators are creating all kinds of them for people on the go. Some of these intriguing mobile gizmos, including a connected GPS unit, external iPhone speakers, a Bluetooth headset, and a gadget charger, are fairly mainstream. The others, well, not so much.

Livespeakr

It isn't a party if you're the only one who can hear the music. Plug your iPhone or iPod into the Digital Group Audio's Livespeakr dock, and you can rock the entire room. Set the 15-watt speakers on the side of your player Dumbo style (pictured top left), turn them 90 degrees for widescreen (bottom), or slide them partially behind the unit for easier portability (top right). DGA claims that the Livespeakr has a battery life of 14 to 16 hours and is shielded against radio frequency/GSM interference, so you can use it as a speakerphone. The 13-ounce dock works with the original iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPod Touch, iPod Touch 2G, and iPod Classic. Available in black or white.

Savi Go

Plantronics' Savi Go gives you one headset to rule them all. Plug the Savi's Bluetooth dongle into your USB port, and you can use it with virtually any PC-based softphone, including Skype, Google Talk, or Microsoft Office Communicator. Then pair it with your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone and switch between the two with a touch of a button -- no more scrambling to swap headsets when the other one jingles. You can roam up to 200 feet from your desk without dropping a call, and you can enjoy stereo sound via the Savi's support for A2DP. That's what we call a true Lord of the Rings.

SmartSwipe

The next time you buy something online with your credit card number, don't type it, swipe it. NetSecure's desktop device lets you shop online while bypassing keyloggers or other malware that could sneak onto your PC. Just download the SmartSwipe software, plug the mouse-size card reader into a USB port, click the SmartSwipe button inside Internet Explorer when you're ready to make a purchase, and swipe your plastic. SmartSwipe uses Dynamic SSL to encrypt your card data before it reaches your PC, and then inserts the information into the proper fields in the site's shopping cart. SmartSwipe works with thousands of e-tailers from Amazon to Zappos, and functions in Internet Explorer 6 or 7; support for IE8 and Firefox is in the works.

TomTom Go 740 Live

Why ditch your Internet connection when you slip behind the wheel? TomTom's first connected GPS device gives you a real-time, two-way data stream that allows you to reroute your way around traffic snarls and fender benders, avoid stormy weather, find the cheapest gas station, or locate cheap eats and other services on the fly via Google Local Search. It can even tell you the best lane to drive in when approaching a complicated cloverleaf. The purchase price includes three months' worth of Live service; it costs $10 a month thereafter.

iBAC AlcometerOut having a good time with your BFFs? Before you put pedal to the metal, breathe into this. Alcosystems' thumb-drive-size breathalyzer measures your blood alcohol content and transmits the data to your cell phone via Bluetooth. Enter physical characteristics, such as your weight, into the phone application, and it tells you how long to wait before you're sober again. The iBAC software will work with smartphones running Symbian, iPhone OS, Windows Mobile, and Java ME (but not Android -- yet). Don't drive home without it.

iGo Green Laptop chargerMany gadgets, one charger, less power -- it sounds like a dream come true. iGo plans to make that dream a reality later this year with its Green Laptop universal charger, which consumes 80 percent less power on standby than conventional AC bricks and automatically shuts down when the attached device is topped up. The iGo brick will work with most popular laptops, cell phones, media players, GPS devices, handheld gaming consoles, and so on (some 3000 devices in all), with the help of custom Power Tips available for around $10 apiece. The Green Laptop charger will be available in two versions: one that plugs into a standard wall outlet, and another that's designed for cars and planes. Your friends will be green with envy.

Luxus LX-ProScope HRIt may be the size and shape of a travel hair dryer, but the Luxus LX-ProScope HR is really a portable microscope that can magnify objects up to 400X. It even captures still images and QuickTime videos that you can watch on your PC. The Luxus LX-ProScope HR is good for medical professionals, hair care specialists, jewelers, students, stamp collectors, law enforcement agents -- anyone who needs to get up close and personal with objects barely visible to the naked eye. Luxus even sells a full crime-scene investigation kit with multiple lenses and a carrying case for $950. Now you too can play CSI at home -- but it's strictly BYOC (bring your own corpse).

DXG-125VYou climb the highest mountains, you swim the deepest oceans -- or maybe you just lie on the couch thinking about it. Wouldn't it be nice to capture those moments in high-def so you can show off to your friends? The all-terrain splash- and weather-resistant DXG-125V fits in the palm of your hand yet records 720p video at 30 frames per second. The internal 128MB RAM lets you record a shade over 2 minutes in HD, but you can add up to 8GB via an SD Card. If you get tired of watching your feats on the DXG's 2-inch LCD, an HDMI slot lets you display videos on a big-screen TV. Best of all, at $100 this device costs significantly less than a plane ticket to Nepal.

YUBZ Talk MobileTired of yakking into a piece of electronics barely larger than a Zippo cigarette lighter? YUBZ ("Why You Busy?") lets you talk into a real, honest-to-goodness receiver, just like the kind you had when there was only one phone company (and no cell phones). Adapters let you connect the YUBZ Talk Mobile to most brands of cell phone, including the iPhone; buttons on the handset let you pick up calls and control volume. Add a $20 VoIP adapter, and you can use the YUBZ with your laptop and with softphones like Skype. But it's not all about retro hipness: The YUBZ also puts out 95 percent less radiation than many mobile phones do, allowing you to go without the glow. Available in five Starburst-like colors.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

About This Blog

© Blogger templates The Professional Template by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP