New Reviews for 2008 (Preview)

I'll be reviewing these products shortly!

Currently Testing them...

IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad T61p
Sony Vaio Desktop Replacement Laptop
Belkin N1 Vision Wi-Fi Router
Sony Ericsson P990i
Sony Ericsson K530i
LG U990
Microsoft Blue tooth Mouse

Logitech's MX Air Mouse

Logitech unveiled its MX Air Mouse this morning, a laser mouse that works on the desk and in the air.

The Air MX uses Freespace motion control technology, which interprets how you move the mouse regardless of where you point it ensuring accurate and responsive navigation at a range of up to 30 feet.

The mouse also sports gesture-based commands. Logitech gives the example of changing the volume by holding the volume button while making a circular motion to the right or left to increase or decrease volume. There's also a few orange back lighted media control buttons on the new mouse which will come handy to Windows Media Center users.

Priced at $150 the MX Air Mouse is definitely not aimed at the mass market, nevertheless it makes a cool addition for home theater PC owners. Logitech’s new mouse is set to hit retail shelves in August.

Samsung Digimax V700 [Review]

This is a mediocre camera in a number of ways, and the problems with the auto exposure should probably have kept it off the shelves altogether.

Daylight picture quality was good.

Troubling auto exposure inconsistencies. Slow performance. Some shutter lag.

Samsung Electronics
http://www.samsung.com

Type: Compact

Mega pixels: 7.1

Maximum Resolution: 3072 x 2304 pixels

Storage Capacity: 32 MB

Included Memory: Media Card

Media Format: Secure Digital

Battery Type Supported: Lithium ION

Included Batteries: Yes

Interface: USB 2.0

Video Record and Playback: Yes

35-mm Equivalent (Wide): 38

35-mm Equivalent (Telephoto): 114

Creative Zen Nano Plus [Review]

The Zen Nano Plus is a good choice if you're looking for a versatile, tiny player to take to the gym or on your commute.

Tiny. Easy to use. Plenty of playback and recording modes. Good overall sound and loudness.

Most EQ options muddy the music. Included ear buds are huge.

Creative Labs Inc
http://us.creative.com

Player Type: Flash MP3 Player

Radio: Yes

Recording, Voice: Yes

Recording, Line In: Yes

Audio Battery Life: 18 Hr

Storage Capacity: 1 GB

Dimensions: 1.23 x 2.58 x 0.51 inches

Weight: 1.2 oz

Sony NW-E005F Walkman [Review]

The NW-E005F is tiny and feather-light, has a built-in FM tuner, and supports lots of audio formats, but I'm not crazy about its buttons, interface, or annoying audio shortcomings.

Very small and light. Good-quality ear buds included. Long battery life. Fast charging time. Integrated USB plug.

Audio glitch makes some music sound distorted and grainy. Button layout and size can cause difficult navigation for some users. No Plays For Sure support. No on-device play list creating or editing.

Sony Corporation
http://www.sony.com

Player Type: Flash MP3 Player

Radio: Yes

Recording, Voice: No

Recording, Line In: No

Audio Battery Life: 28 Hr

Storage Capacity: 2 GB

Dimensions: 3.1 x 0.8 x 0.4 inches

Weight: 0.8 oz

Video Recording: No

Sony Ericsson Bluetooth watch controls your music

Just because you have a little bit of geek in you doesn't mean that you need to look the part. Sony Ericsson knows that you love their Walkman phones, but they also realize that you don't want to have to whip it out each time you want to change the track. That's why the cell phone maker has unveiled the new MBW-100 Bluetooth wristwatch. It looks like any other fashionable analog watch, but it packs in a couple of extra features: it'll do caller ID and it will control your music. This way, your cell phone can stay in your pocket while you play, pause, or advance to the next track.

Dell 2007 WFP 20.1" [ Review]

Build Quality
I have to say this is superb, compared to my 2 previous TFT Screens and the Samsung 940BW, as well as the Sony TFT, this is very nicely built, my old Dell PC had a 17" Dell TFT which had similar build qualities too - Dell wins here.

OSD
The OSD is nice, I got to grips with it very quickly, it provides a fair amount of control from colour to PiP sources and whatnot. Lots to sift through. It's also movable and transparent so looks nice and does not distract.

Default Brightness / Colour
This is where I was most surprised, the default brightness is at 50, there is no contrast setting when using DVI and the colour mode (once reset) was at "PC Normal" - I found these settings to be instantly usable and photos were immediately more "real" compared to the other screens I have seen the same photos on. The screen is bright yet not too bright, details are clear and using windows in general is neutral and easy on the eyes - it reminds me allot of my friends NEC 20WGX2 except minus the opticlear coating.

I used only the desktop profile mode in the OSD as I am not a fan of "special" modes.

Performance

I played the new Casino Royale trailer windowed and full screen - again no bad things here.

Viewing angles were also very good, if you look at it form a above diagonal angle there is some colour shift, well not like TN panels but hard to describe, can I call it the "IPS effect" ? hehe. I doubt anyone watches movies diagonally anyway so it's a non issue this smile.gif

One thing during video playback to note though, the IPS panel "twinkling" is noticeable if you look for it, otherwise you are too busy enjoying what you are watching.

I also played some HL2 and was equally impressed, blacks were black and dark areas were very dark, just how they should be but not so dark that you can't see anything!

Pixel Mapping / Aspect ratios
This worked perfectly, you do have to set it each time you load a low res game though but I don't play anything below native res so it's not an issue.
Picture in Picture
I hooked up my DV camcorder to the Composite in socket to see what the quality was like and to test out PiP - Composite is ass quality compared to svideo but it showed PiP works well and just as you'd expect.

Backlight Bleed
There is no visible backlight bleeding, the screen seems to be uniform throughout, perhaps the lower right area is a "little" darker than the rest of the screen space but you won't notice it unless you look for it.

Dell XPS M1210 [ Review]

Dell XPS M1210

This entertainment-oriented ultraportable uses Intel's latest Core 2 Duo processor.

Packed with the latest mobile technology and Intel's latest processor, the Core 2 Duo, the XPS M1210 is Dell's latest ultraportable entertainment notebook--and a good choice for anyone who needs to work on the go.

The test unit, equipped with a 2-GHz Core 2 Duo T7200 processor and 1GB of DDR2-667 SDRAM, produced a WorldBench 5 score of 102, a result that's 5 percent better than the mark of 97 earned by the average XP Media Center Edition notebook with the same-speed equivalent of the previous-generation Core Duo CPU. And our test machine's solid battery life should give you ample time to spend an afternoon telecommuting at the local coffee shop or watching an in-flight DVD: The M1210 lasted 4 hours, 23 minutes on a nine-cell battery.

Dell calls the top-of-the-line configuration that we tested the "Mobile Media Guru." In addition to a 120GB 5400-rpm hard drive and a double-layer DVD burner, it offer bonus A/V features: an integrated 1.3-megapixel swivel Webcam with dedicated shutter button and directional microphone, one pair of noise-isolation earbuds, Skype VOIP videoconferencing software, and a built-in mobile-broadband antenna. Also included, Bluetooth short-range wireless communications and a dedicated nVidia GeForce Go 7400 video card with 256MB of memory.

The M1210's design helps it stand out from other small notebooks. The 5-pound unit has a bright, 12.1-inch wide-aspect screen and a full-size keyboard, plus a touchpad with a scroll zone and big, cushy mouse buttons. The external battery gauge, which lets you see how much power you have left without having to turn on the notebook, is one of many thoughtful conveniences.

Movies and media are just one touch away via the keyboard's MediaDirect button, which launches a menu for playing DVDs, MP3s, and photo slide shows without first starting Windows. To control volume and tracks, you have your choice of using the mouse or seven media buttons located on the front of the notebook. The speakers are nothing to write home about, but dual headphone jacks let two people at once enjoy good stereo sound in private.

The notebook's full complement of connections includes four USB ports, a FireWire port, and a three-in-one memory card slot tucked beneath the optical drive--an unusual but adequately convenient spot. One of the notebook's coolest features, the Wi-Fi Catcher switch with LED, lets you search for a wireless signal--Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or WWAN--before turning on the unit, saving time and battery life.

Storage and memory are both user upgradable, with the hard drive and one of the DIMM slots located in separate bottom compartments. The second memory slot is harder to reach than most that are located beneath the keyboard; its location requires disconnecting the cable and a few other extra steps, but the process is doable. The only other small design faux pas is the ExpressCard slot's old-fashioned eject stick. Like most, it is maddeningly difficult to store.

As one of Dell's "luxury" consumer notebooks, the M1210 comes with a rare full printed user manual, which is thick with attractive illustrations. Microsoft Works 8 rounds out the offering.

With its bevy of entertainment features and bonuses, the lightweight Dell XPS M1210 will keep you both entertained and productive when on the road.

Pros

• Includes a Webcam
• Ports are conveniently laid out

Cons

• Subpar sound
  

Spec:
CPU: 2-GHz Core 2 Duo T7200 • Display Size (inches): 12.1 • Wide Screen: Yes • Total HD Size (GB): 120 • Min. Weight (lbs.): 5

Sony Ericsson W900i [Review]

Sony Ericsson W900i Specs:

* Dimensions: 4.2 in. (width)* × 1.9 in. (length) × 0.9 in. (depth)
* Weight: 5.2 oz.
* Screen Type/Size: TFT, 256K colors / 240 x 320 pixels, 1.2 x 1.7 in.
* GSM Coverage: Tri-band (900, 1800 and 1900 MHz bands) [should work in most parts of NA, EU and Asia]
* features GPRS, Bluetooth 2.0 and USB 2.0
*when closed (6.4 in. when opened)

Remember that this is an unlocked GSM phone! As such, it requires a GSM provider to use (such as Cingular.) For those of you in the USA, Verizon is not GSM based!

Packaging
The W900i comes in a large plastic box, nicely displaying the phone and the included remote. The box itself plays on the orange Walkman theme, and while nothing special, it's certainly nice to look at. The packaging includes, specifically, the W900i, the remote, instruction manuals, Disc2Phone software, and the usual yada-yada warranty and legal info.

First Impressions
When the mobile phone arrived via UPS, I took one look at it and wondered if I made a mistake. The phone seems to be very large, and appears like it might be heavy. But, as I've learned time and time again, you can't judge a book by its cover. It only looks big and heavy. Once you hold it, it's actually quite comfortable, and not all that heavy. The physical dimensions of the gadget are 4.2 in. (width)* × 1.9 in. (length) × 0.9 in. (depth), and it weighs 5.2 oz. *when closed (6.4 in. when opened) See? That's not so bad. One thing that strikes me as ironic is how much this phone stands out against other phones such as the Motorola RAZR, SLVR, etc. While the current trend seems to be making phones that are small and thin, the W900i is unique in that it isn't at all small and thin, but still has a great ergonomic design.

One thing that I was rather skeptical from initially holding the phone was the way you have to access the keypad. Unlike nearly every other Wxxx series phone, which is "candy bar" style, the W900i uses a "jack knife" form factor, or a design where you must swivel the keypad into position. Think of it like an inverted slider. I was skeptical not because of the design, but of the design integration. In the past, I've seen slider phones literally wear out. But fortunately, my first impression of the swivel action was favorable. Sony Ericsson did a great job of making the connection nice and tight. It's very easy to swing out the keypad whenever you need it. In fact, the W900i is semi-automatic in this regard, and you can actually swing out the keypad really quick, like a sheath knife. However, it's hard to do that when closing the keypad. You usually have to use two hands. Don't ask why. Now that I've played with this type of form factor for a while, I must say it's a pretty cool idea. It protects the keypad, unlike a candy bar style, but does so at the compromise of adding thickness to the unit.

Sony Ericsson OS
The W900i marks my first experience with a Sony Ericsson phone. Luckily, it wasn't too difficult to get the hang of it. Like my old Nokia, much of the OS is a GUI, driven by large, colorful icons that make it very clear what each button press will do. I found the hardest part of adopting to Sony Ericsson wasn't the OS, but the buttons on the phone themselves. Since every manufacturer uses their own lingo and commands, it took me a while to figure out how to actually call someone. But once I did, using the phone that second time was a breeze. To date, I still haven't played around with every little setting, but I have figured out the basics, like operating the digital camera, using the Walkman, etc.

Build Quality
Phone Materials
The phone itself feels very solid. Nothing creaks or moans whatsoever. As I noted earlier, the swinging hinge is very sturdy, and you needn't worry about it breaking off. However, like in the Sony Ericsson K750i, the Memory Stick Duo Pro slot is still a bit of an issue. When you initially open it, it will hardly move. You have to tug at it pretty hard before it will breakaway, giving you access to the port. Don't worry if it sounds like it's breaking the first time you open the flap; it's normal for it to bend. Other than that, the construction is great. The phone is made out of plastic, but it feels like a high quality plastic, almost metallic. This is a phone that can definately take a beating. Of course, as I've already stated, such quality produces a thick unit, though at 0.9 in. in thickness, it's only 0.2 inches thicker than the W810. So, you really won't be able to feel much of a difference. It will still fit in your pocket.

Calling Volume
But what about the sound quality? After all, a mobile phone may have lots of things built into it, but it's still a phone at heart, so good sound quality means everything. Fortunately, I have no real complaints here. I could hear the person on the other end of the line very well, and the phone has a large enough speaker so that I can hear my phone ring even in a loud area, like a shopping mall. You can also plug in a pair of earbuds (included with the phone) for better sound isolation, or hands-free operation. And like most phones, there is also a loudspeaker option.

Phone Apps
Digital Camera
The W900i has a built-in 2.0 megapixel digital camera. I've never had a camera phone before this one, so it'd be biased to say this is the best camera phone I've ever owned. However, I have played with a Motorola RAZR in the past, and the built-in VGA camera on that model doesn't touch the quality that you can get with this megapixel camera. Like the other Walkman phones, the camera features auto-focus technology, which is a welcome addition. One downside is that the camera lens isn't protected anymore by a lens cover, which was present on the K750i. However, the camera lens is now recessed into the back of the phone, so it still protected to a slight degree.

Digital Video Recorder
The W900i can also record video feeds. While the digital camera is very good, the same cannot be said for the video feeds. They are of fairly low quality, as the resolution is not as sharp as the still photos. (I believe video feeds are limited to 600×800 VGA.) While the quality can be labeled as "decent," the W900i cannot replace a dedicated digital video recorder. Speaking of video feeds, there is actually a second, smaller VGA camera on the front of the phone, which is designed to record yourself in video conversations, which are (obviously) supported by the W900i. Again, the same low quality restrictions apply, so this also can't replace a dedicated video phone. Think of it more as a novelty or a bonus than a true feature.

Walkman
This is the selling point of the entire Wxxx series. The integrated Walkman on this phone is great! You have one-touch access to it, and you can also run the phone solely as a MP3 player, freeing up battery life. New to the W900i are two things, though. First, you can now operate the Walkman without ever touching the phone itself. It can all be controlled from the included remote. Secondly, you can now downloads songs wirelessly, with a new service from Sony Ericsson. Personally, I don't use it, but at least the option is there. I would imagine that future phones in the Wxxx series will include this service, as well.

The W900i comes standard with 470 MB of internal memory. This is quite generous for a phone, and allows you to hold a modest amount of songs. The phone does allow for memory expansion, though, by means of Memory Stick Duo PRO. Sony Ericsson claims the phone can be expanded up to 2 GB, although some speculate that claim was made before 4 GB memory sticks became available. Theoretically, there may be no limit to how much memory can be added externally.

FM Radio
Strangely, the radio on the W900i is a step backward from the radio on the W810i. While there is nothing wrong with the radio being controlled from the remote, it still should have been built into the phone itself, like with the W810i. After all, not everyone may want to use the remote. Another issue is that the radio no longer sports RDS, like it did on the W810i. All the remote displays is basic information, like the radio station. You have no way of knowing what song is playing, etc. It's certainly something I can live without, but it's just annoying that the W900i, which is supposed to take the Wxxx series to new heights, downgrades an important selling point.

Web Browser
The W900i features a small web browser that is similar to the one found on the PlayStation Portable. I don't really find it all that useful, when I can just log onto the PC or use a laptop, but it's there for those who need it. There is a full screen option, as well as "Smart Fit," just like on the PSP.

Conclusion
The Sony Ericsson W900i is arguably one of the best phones on the market right now. While it isn't quad-band and lacks EDGE, it still manages to pack in a little something for everyone. You have a great phone, a good digital camera, a great MP3 player, an optional FM radio, a web browser, a video camera, address book... the list goes on and on. For all the things that it does, this is why I felt it was worth the $680. Hopefully this phone will become mainstream throughout North America, which would warrant a major price drop. While I do recommend this phone to anyone, some people may hate jack knife phones with a passion. In that case, I would recommend the W810 over the W900. Otherwise, this is one great phone!

Pros:

• 2.0 megapixel digital camera (with auto-focus)
• Fully featured Walkman
• 470 MB of internal memory
• Can be expanded to 2 GB of external memory

Cons:

• Tri-band; (W810i is a cheaper model and is quad-band); (tri-band also means this phone won't work in Latin America, which is almost exclusively 850 MHz)
• No EDGE; (within the USA, EDGE allows you to browse the web at high speeds)
• Thick and heavy (for some people)

Intel: Malicious Software and Viruses Can Be a Thing of the Past!

Intel's Trusted Execution Technology encrypts everything

Viruses, malicious code, spyware and other security threats may become a past worry says Intel. According to Intel, its R&D team is hard at work on a technology called Trusted Execution Technology -- previously called LaGrande. Abbreviated as TXT, Intel's Trusted Execution Technology will use hardware keys and subsystems to control what part of a computer's resources can be accessed and who or what will be granted or denied access.

Going beyond the NX bit, or the Non-execution bit that is currently enabled inside recent processors from both AMD and Intel, TXT will bring a whole new dimension of security to PCs. In fact, TXT will also be able to work in a virtualized environment on systems with Intel's VT technology. Guest operating systems will be able to take advantage of features on a TXT-enabled platform.

Starting from the use of more advanced Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chips and adding new hardware extensions to both processors and chipsets, TXT can perform the following:

Protected Execution: This feature allows an application that has the ability to execute in an isolated environment, to be shielded from other software running on the same platform. No other software may monitor or compromise the data or the application in the protected environment. Plus, each application running in PE mode has its own physically dedicated resources from both the processor and system chipset.

Sealed Storage: The new advanced TPM chips are able to store and encrypt keys in hardware. Only the same system that the TPM is integrated into can decrypt the keys. Any attempts at copying data out of the TPM will result in scrambling.

Protected Input: Intel is developing mechanisms that will prevent unauthorized monitoring of human input devices such as mouse clicks and keyboard strokes. Not only will traditional input devices be encrypted, but data traversing the USB bus will also be encrypted too.

Protected Graphics: applications that are running in the PE environment will have its graphics path encrypted. Data being sent to a graphics card's frame buffer from an application will be encrypted and cannot be observed by unauthorized code. For example, a particular notice box popping up can be encrypted, while other windows remain unprotected.

Protected Launch: this part of TXT will control and protect critical parts of the operating system and other system related components from being compromised during launch. OS kernel components for example are protected during and after launch.

According to Intel:

The hardware-rooted security enables the ability to increase the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive information from software-based attacks, protect sensitive information without compromising the usability of a platform, and deliver increased security in platform-level solutions through measurement and protection capabilities. It provides a general-purpose, safer computing environment capable of running a wide variety of operating systems.

Intel will also provide a mechanism called Attestation for TXT, which is a self-monitoring component that ensures that the TXT system was enabled properly. Attestation will provide monitoring, as well as applications running in protected space.

Processors will have split execution spaces called partitions, similar to the concept of partitions on a hard drive. These partitions can be labeled as protected or non-protected. Standard partitions, those that are not protected, are now referred to as "legacy" partitions. A TXT-enabled processor will be able to have both a legacy and protected partition coexist together. Chipsets will also be designed with TXT technology. According to Intel, every part of a TXT-enabled platform will have the technology built in so that every pathway that is traversed by data will be able to offer a high level of security. With TXT, Intel is taking a no-compromise approach to securing data. All components of a system will be protected:

* Processor execution memory
* Processor event handling
* System memory
* Memory and chipset paths
* Storage subsystems
* Human input devices
* Graphics output

Currently close to being finished, Intel will demonstrate the first working implementations of TXT technology sometime in 2007 on Intel vPro platforms. The technology will make an appearance in business platforms first, before making a showing on consumer desktops. Major OEMs have begun sampling TXT-based platforms from Intel already this year.