Gaming blogs

Virgin Broadband have are now the UK’s fastest broadband supplier from according to broadband analysts at broadband.co.uk, having overtaken O2 broadband in the latest analysis..

According to broadband.co.uk, the average download speed for a Virgin user is now 6.13Mbps as compared to 5.32Mbps for O2.

The results were calculated from thousands of broadband speed tests taken on the broadband.co.uk during September 2008 by ordinary broadband users UK wide.

For full details including speed test results for individual suppliers please see the full results pdf.

Alienware® the leading manufacturer of high-performance notebook, desktop and professional systems offer up a tasty feast this Christmas with the very latest in PC gaming. The Area-51 m15x and Area-51 desktops are the ultimate Christmas ‘must have’ in raw gaming power not to mention heaps of style and the very latest in cutting edge technology. Alienware serves up more tasty trimmings than a full on Christmas lunch and packs more punch than a brandy fuelled Christmas pud.

Bored of small gifts? Fancy unwrapping a real present that truly means business? Want to escape your relatives for a few hours and immerse yourself in your favourite PC video game? Alienware has a range of gaming systems that give you more oomph than a glass of bucks fizz!

How about the extremely affordable and mega powerful Area-51® m15x notebook, already a favourite of gamers and entertainment enthusiasts. Armed with a range of Intel® Core TM 2 Duo or Core 2 Extreme mobile processors including the new 45nm Intel® Core TM 2 Extreme X9000 and the world’s fastest notebook GPU, the NVIDIA® GeForce® 8800M GTX all fully primed for the new wave of DirectX® 10-fuelled games. Blow your friends and relatives away with the amazing AlienFX® lighting and the AlienFusion power management system. Completely customise the look and feel of your laptop lighting, change the keyboard lighting at the touch of a button - very TRON!

www.alienware.co.uk/m15x

For those that want the absolute in ultimate Christmas platters then the range of Area-51 desktops will fatten up any thin and spindly Christmas tree and give Santa a headache when it comes to pushing it down the chimney. Alienware’s award-winning advanced line of desktops including the Alienware Area-51® , Area-51 ALX and Aurora now feature the ATI RadeonTM HD 4870 X2 graphics card. It’s the world’s most powerful graphics card and offers the ultimate in HD gaming and multimedia entertainment. The ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 features 2.4 teraflops of graphics power, 1,600 stream processing units, 2GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory and more for uncanny performance in PC gaming and high definition video playback.

www.alienware.co.uk/Intro_pages/ati_4800.aspx

Visit www.alienware.co.uk and start building your Christmas list, and they also have AlienFinance which gives you the opportunity to spread the cost of the products you want now, over a time-frame that suits you. http://www.alienware.co.uk/sub_pages/financing_options.aspx

Baglite is a unique new solar-powered, eco-friendly lighting product worn over the shoulders and fitting over any backpack or bag will be keeping cyclists safe on the roads and protecting commuters and children as they walk to and from school this winter.

This latest eco-friendly lighting product from award-winning, safety lighting specialist Pedalite, is launching at Amercia’s biggest bike show Interbike in Las Vegas today. The product will be available in all good bike shops in time for Christmas priced at around £23.

The Baglite has the following key features:

• Unique 360 degree floodlight module
• Multiple superbright LEDs per module light which floods across the lens as well as directional
• Constant or flashing modes
• Maintenance free - fit and forget
• Fits all sizes of rucksacks and backpacks
• Allows easy access to bags while fitted
• Lightweight and comfortable
• Weather and impact resistant
• Powered by stored natural and artificial light energy
• No batteries or mains charging required
• Hi visibility reflective strips
• 3+ hours of flashing light from a full charge
• Unique, patented, technology to help you put safety first

Slotting over any size bag or rucksack, Baglite provides super-bright lighting that illuminates people and their bags with no need for batteries. Using a new unique 360 degree floodlight module there is a single red floodlight at the back and two white floodlights at the front attached to straps that fit to the straps of a backpack. The lights shine at every angle so cyclists and children wearing Baglites will be seen clearly by motorists any time day or night from 1km away. The lights can be turned on and off and set to different modes -flashing, constant or off.

Baglite provides light that shines out brightly from a position on the body that creates high visibility for motorists and also solves the problem of people not being seen from the side, the major cause of accidents involving cyclists in the UK. According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, more than 75 per cent of accidents involving bicycles in the UK are at road junctions where cycles need to be seen from the side.

As the mornings and evenings draw in, Baglite is particularly useful for schoolchildren walking to school, commuters walking to the station or to work and its durability even allows for hikers to stay illuminated without worrying about batteries running out or finding an electricity charging point.

With over 600 million batteries (22,000 tonnes) disposed of by UK consumers (source DEFRA) every year, Baglite is an eco-friendly product that charges both in direct sunlight and in artificial light - at the office or school or just popped on the windowsill for a few hours at home. It provides over three hours of flashing light from a full charge and provides super bright lights to create strong visibility to road users. The saving on batteries alone means that Baglite enjoys a cost payback as well as helping protect the environment.

The lightweight lights are weather and impact resistant. Simple to fit and so comfortable to wear that you don’t know you have them on. They require no maintenance and ensure that commuters and school children are cyclists can ride secure in the knowledge that they, and not just their bikes, are clearly visible at all times.

Tony Doyle, a former World Champion Cyclist says, “Baglite is another really clever invention from Pedalite. The fact that it is solar powered and charges in natural and artificial light means there is no need for people to worry about batteries. It is great design which will help keep cyclists safer on the roads and ensure that children walking to and from school can be seen at pedestrian crossings. I think it will prove a hit with people this Christmas.”

Simon Theobald, Managing Director of Pedalite, “We think Baglite will appeal to cyclists and parents of children walking to and from school because it is practical, clever, environmentally friendly and most of all, it provides hassle-free bright lighting that could save lives. The energy harvesting technologies that have made Pedalite a worldwide leader in battery free cycle lighting have been able to be used to create this unique lighting product for use by everyone”

Baglite’s battery free ‘green’ credentials will appeal to those of us who are environmentally conscious and even Pedalite’s packaging avoids any unnecessary plastic and is made from recycled cardboard.

Baglite is distributed in the UK by the leading cycle manufacturer and distributor, Raleigh and will be in all good bike stores in time for Christmas from £23.

Movea, Inc., the leader in motion-sensing technology for business communications, home entertainment and mobile computing, today launched the new Gyration Air Mouse with MotionSense technology in the UK. The compact, wireless mouse was created with the mobile professional in mind, and is designed to work in the air or on a flat surface like a desktop.

Movea’s MotionSense technology provides precise in-air motion tracking, so users can control the mouse cursor intuitively and with ease, whether delivering a PowerPointTM presentation or watching online videos. Precision motion sensors guarantee faithful responses to natural hand movements whether in the boardroom, the living room or a cramped space, such as a seat on an airplane or train. A simple flick of the wrist will command presentations, enhanced with Movea’s GyroToolsTM presentation effects, or control multimedia entertainment on a laptop, allowing users to change the volume or skip a song on iTunesTM, or flip a TV channel on SlingboxTM.

Weighing less than four ounces, the Air Mouse is compact enough to fit in a messenger bag, briefcase or purse, and versatile enough to be integrated with a PC or laptop from wherever a user wants to work or enjoy digital entertainment. With a sleek, ergonomic design, the Air Mouse works very comfortably for left- or right-handed consumers.

“The market for notebooks is transforming, as more people are buying them equipped with wide screens and media features, and using them not only for traditional business applications but also for entertainment access,” said Greg Smith, Vice President for Marketing at Movea Inc. “The Air-Mouse was designed with such people in mind, providing mobile workers and entertainment buffs the freedom to control their PCs whether they’re at home or on the road.”

Using a proprietary radio frequency (RF) technology, the in-air controls are effective up to 100 feet and work through walls. The Air Mouse includes a laser sensor for precise desktop tracking, making it ideal for working at a desk or other flat surface. The RF USB dongle stores conveniently inside the mouse, which comes with an elegant travel case and, due to its small size, easily packs into the smallest of handbags.

The device will be available for purchase in the UK from October 2008 with a recommended retail price of £69.99. For more information on this and the family of Gyration motion-sensing products, visit www.gyration.com

Form follows function with the arrival of the ASUS N Series notebook range, which epitomize style and productivity through smart technologies and innovative product design. Each N Series notebook comes with ground-breaking technological developments including the highly-efficient Super Hybrid Engine (SHE) that automatically allocates power, preserving battery life up to 35%*; the Express Gate operating system that allows users to access their most commonly-used programs in 8 seconds or less*; and the SmartLogon facial recognition system that recognizes users’ facial features and logs them on without requiring any manual key input.

Comprising of four models, the N Series smart technology caters to, and meets the tech-conscious user needs, with each notebook representing the pinnacle of mobile computing within its category.

The ASUS N Series Range

N10: Designed for optimized mobility, the ASUS N10 is perfect for individuals constantly on the move. Sporting a 10.2″ screen, the N10 delivers a multi-sensory experience with an NVIDIA GeForce 9300M graphics card and an Intel Atom processor.

N20: Built for heavy usage, the ASUS N20 comes with a 12.1″ screen and up to 12 hours* of battery life. Equipped with an Altec Lansing sound system that provides excellent sound clarity, plus a highly efficient eSATA hard disk drive housed in a dust and moisture-resistant enclosure, the N20 is a versatile road performer for business and personal entertainment.

N80: Designed with business executives and professionals in mind, the ASUS N80 comes with a 14.1″ display powered by a standalone NVIDIA GeForce 9 Series graphics card, and up to 1 GB of VRAM, complemented by Dolby Surround decoding to deliver impressive sound quality that is sure to impress in any business or personal situation.

N50: The ASUS N50 is truly the pinnacle of mobile computing, designed for intuitive control and user-friendliness. A row of backlit touch-sensitive buttons located at the top of the keyboard serve as a natural and convenient point of control for instant multimedia enjoyment. Another unique feature of the N50 is its built-in Air Ionizer that not only helps clean the air around the user of allergens and germs, but also promotes air-flow and circulation.

Smart Looks - Cutting-edge Style

During the design of the N Series notebook range, ASUS utilized cutting-edge technologies, particularly in the use of In-Mold Roller Technology which creates a scratch-resistant panel capable of retaining its high quality sheen even after prolonged use. Inspired by modernist art-deco the streamline N Series notebooks exterior delivers performance with style.

Smart Technology - Super Hybrid Engine

ASUS understands that one of the primary concerns of notebook computing has always been battery life. In response to the need for greater energy efficiency, the ASUS N Series notebooks feature the Super Hybrid Engine (SHE) which consists of the Power4 Gear Hybrid application and the Energy Processing Unit (EPU). Power4 Gear Hybrid facilitates the deployment and usage of power according to the users’ preferences in relation to the specific tasks that they need to perform, while the
EPU accurately detects the users’ power requirements and makes the necessary power adjustments. The combined energy saving effects of the SHE results in an extension of battery life of up to 35%*.

Smart Technology - Smart Bootups in 8 Seconds and Fast Internet Connectivity with Express Gate

N Series notebooks also reduce bootup times significantly with ASUS Express Gate. Express Gate allows users to boot up in 8 seconds*, granting them instantaneous access to a built-in operating system that runs commonly-used applications such as SkypeTM, a music player, an email client and an Internet browser.

Smart Technology - Quick Logons through Facial Recognition

Continuing with the tradition of breaking computer norms, ASUS introduces a whole new way for users to logon to their computers: facial recognition. The SmartLogon system detects the user’s face and logs on without any intervention from the user. This system is designed to learn the variations of the user’s facial features, and is capable of performing in different lighting conditions.

BroadbandChoices.co.uk, have just published their latest 6-monthly survey to find out what the UK’s broadband users view of the services and costs of their internet providers.

Over 4,200 households were asked to rank their ISP across 6 categories:

• Quality & Stability of Your Home Internet Service
• Download Time of Files & Web Pages
• The Clarity of Pricing & Billing
• After Sales Support
• Good Value for Money
• Speed of Service Activation

Sky was voted the best provider overall, gaining the top spot in every category and it appears that the satisfaction gap is increasing amongst the major players.

In particular, the low scores seen for after sales support, when compared to other
categories, demonstrates that customers feel neglected after they have signed on the dotted line.”

Olympus’s FE-340 is used as the mid-range model of Olympus’s entry level FE series of the digital cameras. The FE-340 boasts a 5x optical zoom, an 8 megapixel resolution sported with a 2.7 inch LCD mounted at the back of the camera. The camera also looks elegant with its slim and sturdy metal body. The FE-340 has started catching eyes with the looks, the specifications and also its great price tag of $155. The following are some of the specifications of the FE-340:

Visual Styling: The camera was launched with the ‘Entry Level’ status and was supposed to be cheap. But in the case of the camera, except for the price tag, there is nothing about the camera that looks cheap. The metallic body is quite strong and well-built and what’s more, it’s not even heavy. The camera is truly a super compact model.

The FE-340 is equipped with a 2.7 inch LCD display that lets you to be precise in your picturisation and also lets you to review your shots. Also there is no optical viewfinder in the camera. The capture button is very well located and so is the zoom control. Then there is the mode dial which can be easily accessed as it is located on the back of the camera. It is a five-way control pad.

Features: The FE-340 is an auto-exposure only camera which is well equipped with auto programs and preset modes. The capturing modes are selected with the help of the five-way control pad that is located besides the LCD screen. The following are the options that are offered by the FE-340:

Auto: This mode sets your camera to fully automatic mode.
Program: This option helps you to adjust the white balance and
ISO.
Movie: This option lets you to set several frame rates and sizes of
the frames. Also allows you to optically zoom while
recording videos.
Digital Image Stabilization: This option helps you to boost the
shutter speeds and capture sharper
images.
Scene: You have an option to select from 15 presets that includes
Portraits, Landscapes and so on.

Performance: The FE-340 is perfected to be on par with other cameras in its class. You have to get a focus lock before you press the capture button to get the snap. You can anticipate a shutter delay of around 0.5 seconds. If you don’t get a focus lock first then you can expect a lag of 1 second. The flash needs around 5 seconds to recharge in between the shots.
When the camera is turned on, the lens extends in the front of the body, similar to Nikon. Conversely, when the camera is turned off, the lens goes back in the body like its hiding space. The camera also has an in-built cover for the lens. The focal range covered by the lens is around 35mm of the 36-180mm. The battery, it is claimed, can help you capture around 240 captures. But the real capacity of the camera is to help you capture around 150 shots.

Canon has embedded substance over style while designing the PowerShot A590 IS, thus making it a great camera. Though the chunky looks of 8-megapixel shooter appear bland against the style-minded, ultraslim, colourful cameras, it holds impressive insides resulting to produce some of the finest photos that you will shoot for less than $200. The practical, chunky design offers the A590 IS an easy to handle and functional feel at the cost of aesthetics. A large protrusion holds the two AA batteries of the camera on the right side of body as well as offers steady grip. Moreover, the 2.5 inch LCD display gives sufficient space for optical viewfinder, several large and responsive buttons and convenient sliding mode key. Even if your A590 IS does not fit in your camera and will not attract looks and gasps from your friends, the PowerShot feels just comfortable to use.

Features and configuration

As compared to former PowerShot A- cameras, the A590 IS comes with a large flexible, bright lens. The f/2.6-to-f/5.5, 35-to-140mm equivalent lens offers a little longer ability and wider aperture in contrast to the 3x, f/2.8 lenses that can be seen in many compact cameras. This camera also incorporates the Canon’s Optical Image Stabilization system, that intelligently shifts lens elements in order to reduce image shake. The A590 ID also supports conversion lenses accompanied with an optional adapter which fits to the base of original lens. Sadly, the adapter will cost you anywhere around $25 and the conversion lens for $100 or even more, thus adding accessories for your A590 IS will telephoto and/or wide conversion lenses will cost you nearly the cost of your camera itself. Professional photographers will value the camera’s myriad options and controls. Similar to other PowerShot A-series cameras, it has functions like full manual exposure, shutter priority, and aperture priority control modes. Obviously, if you do not wish to use any of the above features, you can still capture them in automatic mode, also with camera’s various scene presets. In addition to it, the camera offers an innovative “Easy” mode that further automates and simplifies the interface.

Performance

Only shot-to-shot speed hinders the speed of A590 IS, else offers a very quick performance. The camera can capture a new image in every 2.3 seconds without flash, whereas with flash it takes 5.2 seconds. The shutter performs fairly for high contrast target with 0.45 seconds and 0.7 seconds for low contrast target. Irrespective of broad sunny light or low light, the camera grabs a shot quickly. The A590 IS does a great job with automatic white balance and also performs well of neutralizing colours captured under incandescent light. The tungsten setting does a wonderful job with neutralizing the hot lights coming from yellow tungsten. Overall, the camera delivers very stunning images and you can avail usable prints for ISO 800 that makes it impressive in its class. Whether you are looking for a flexible, inexpensive camera or secondary shooter while you do not want to consider your SLR, the A690 IS is simply a great choice.

The Football Popcorn Maker, to be launched at the end of November is one of the latest gadgets from Giles & Posner, food entertainment at its best! Amaze your family and friends with the exceptional experience of the Football Popcorn Maker, fun for everyone, as a treat, or to enhance the enjoyment of watching a football match in the comfort of your own home.

Delight your guests with endless amounts of fresh popcorn from the themed football Popcorn Maker. Thanks to Giles & Posner, the company that brought you the chocolate fountain; children of all ages will want to get involved, from ages 5 to 65. Fun to look at and exciting to use; the Football shaped hot-air Popcorn Maker opens up to reveal the hopper/heater and the themed lid doubles as a bowl for your fluffy fresh popcorn.

It’s so straightforward yet enjoyable to use, see it transform the kernels into bowls full of fresh popcorn. From less than 8p per bowl of popcorn, the Football Popcorn Maker gives you more fun for your money. It’s easy to operate, just use the spoon provided to measure the quantity of popcorn kernels required and pour it into the central chamber. Switch on the power and watch in amazement as fresh popcorn is blown out through the opening of the clear cover and into your own football themed bowl.

Using hot-air instead of oil means that it’s a much healthier option than popcorn makers that require oil and it pops up to 80g of kernels in less than 3 minutes! Once popped you can add salt, sugar, or chili flavoring to your popcorn for more adventurous tastes! There is a built in butter tray which sits over the popcorn, the heat from the hopper/heater melting it, so that you can pour it over your popcorn as you desire.

The Football Popcorn Maker is versatile; it can be used for events or fun times with family or friends indoors or outdoors. It’s easy to clean, maintain, with a detachable, dishwasher proof bowl. Best of all it’s simple to use, and comes complete with a fool proof user guide, and instructions for use.

• Capacity of 80-100g kernels
• Runs for 3 to 3.5 minutes per cycle and a maximum of 3 consecutive cycles.

The Football Popcorn Maker is just one of the new innovative food entertainment products from the Art In Party Range from Giles & Posner; products that are ideal as a gift or party piece. To see other products in the range, to buy online or to find a stockist near you please check out www.gilesandposner.com.

Whistle while you work with the latest Intempo portable DAB/FM radio! The WorkMate is rugged and reliable with a splash-proof rubberised finish, making it the perfect DIY radio. Available in pure black with zest orange accents, WorkMate will be on sale in October from Amazon retailing at £39.99.

WorkMate brings touch and feel back to radio with its tactile but tough rubber casing. Powered by mains or four AA batteries, WorkMate will automatically scan and tune plus there is the option to save up to 20 of your favourite radio stations.

“WorkMate will be at home alongside your tool kit for all those DIY jobs or perfect for any outside sport, such as boating or fishing. It’s the perfect gift for dads and granddads so they can tune into talkSPORT while washing the car or gardening,” said Katie Richards, Marketing Manager at Intempo.

“WorkMate shouldn’t be confined to the shed though! Intempo has made sure that WorkMate hits the high notes in design, making it ideal for use indoors as a portable DAB,” added Katie.

There are now over seven million DAB radios in the UK, with annual sales topping two million. More than a quarter of British homes own a digital radio and currently 90% of the UK population can tune into digital stations which account for almost a fifth of radio listening.

Click here for more information.

If you have observed at sideline of any big sporting event as well as looked a throng of enormous white lenses, then you know the dominance of Canon in sporting world. part of the credit goes to the 1D range of SLR bodies that is in the form of new EOS-1D Mark III will surely continue to be supreme among news photographers, sports shooters, paparazzi and everyone who wish to capture rapid bursts of high-megapixel pictures. This innovative SLR gives a feeling of machine gun held in hand while operating its Continuous Shooting mode, which will enable you to shoot 10-meagapixel JPEG images with an average of 9.9 frames/ second. The EOS-1D comes with a price tag of 2,900 pounds. Moreover, the camera produces amazingly low noise, vast custom-function menu and high-end built quality being one of the hottest cameras to create a blast in the market this year.

Design

At the first look, the 1D Mark III does not give a different feel other than its predecessor; EOS-1D Mark II N. the camera still possesses an integrated vertical grip, and duplicates control a shutter buttons, so that you do not loose its functionality while changing grips. But a noticeable change can be seen as you turn around the Mark III, especially due to inclusion of 3 inch (76mm) LCD. This made Canon to shift some keys around for compensating for the point that LCD now expands towards the left edge of camera. Info and Menu buttons have moved above the display, whereas the playback buttons have dropped below it. Also, the Select key seen in Mark II N has become outdated, thanks to the Set button of Mark III that is fitted in the middle of huge scroll wheel, much similar to the scroll wheels seen in 5D and EOS 30D. Other added feature adopted from the smaller models is little joystick controller that allows you to navigate between different menus with other things.

Other features

There is no dedicated button for white balance that can be disappointing, but can be controlled from Function button. Since, Mark II N used key combinations for ISO, drive mode and bracketing that has been split in 1D Mark III. The ISO button has moved behind its own key to the immediate behind of shutter button that proves to be extremely convenient and useful than its old configuration. The AF button doubles up the Drive mode, by splitting the large wheel behind the camera and small scroll wheel on the shutter’s back. No changes have been made in the flash and metering compensation feature and are same as found in Mark II N. an innovative viewfinder has been added b7y Canon that delivers the magnification from 0.72x to 0.76x and viewing angle from 28.2 to 30 degrees, and the same 20mm eye point as well as claimed 100 % coverage has been maintained. The viewfinder is bright and nice and offers pleasure for manual focus.

Specifications

The camera embeds newly designed 10.1 megapixel CMOS censor, the sensor being APS-H size (28.1 x 18.7mm) that offers Mark III, focal-length multiplier of 1.3 xs, meaning that with 50mm lens, you can access a field view similar to 65mm lens.

The company NZXT is well known for its PC cases. The company is seems that they are expending into the tangential business with their new gaming mouse the dubbed Avatar. This new NZXT Avatar has a number of similarities to the previous Razer gaming mouse but it again seems that NZXT has not duplicated their Avatar from the Razr.

The Design

The new Avatar gaming mouse is also called as a lean mouse. It is designed of the special symmetrical shape with round and clean curves. This basically means that the left and right handed gamers can easily use this Avatar without any problem. At the side of the mouse it is lined with rubber surface whereas the rest of the mouse if made of high quality plastic with excellent texture. Apart from this the overall mouse quality can be compared to the Razer and also with the other big company called Mice. This mouse has certainly been an excellent start for NZXT.

The font part of the mouse holds the normal two buttons which are the outer shell of the avatar. The wheel of the mouse is made of rubber as sit also includes two additional buttons below it. These buttons are generally used to increase or decrease the DPE settings. Both the sides of the mouse are identical with a large silver button on every side. The left buttons of the mouse functions as the back buttons whereas the right buttons hold the forward functionality. This help you quickly surf the internet without having to move the mouse. The bottom of the gaming mouse is a bit shiny which does take any scratches easily. The mouse also includes three glide pads towards the end of the mouse. The mouse is also of an appropriate size and weight to easily carry the gaming mouse across the game surface.

The Package and Features

The company has been fitting in a number of thoughts into their device and almost everyone has seen it at different shows before. The features of the mouse include a 2600 DPI optical sensor with the best range of exterior compatibility. The mouse is adjustable from 2600, 1600, 1300 and 800 DPI. You can instantly switch with your hardware developed DPE switch not having to deal with software compatibility. There is also the firm rubber grip that avoids slipping during extreme game play. There are seven programmable keys that let the user to customize MMORPG, RTS, FPS games. the avatar gaming mouse sports a ergonomic ambidextrous design which is flexible for both the right and left hand users. The LED DPE indicator is designed for better feedback and usage. It is a 5.MP per second with the maximum frame rate of nearly 6469 frames and the gaming mouse offers accurate sniping and smooth fragging. You can easily slide it easily and smoothly on any surface with the normal high quality teflon feet. NZXT has packed this Avatar gaming mouse in a very compact and black box that includes all the features. You can find the list of features in different languages at the rare of the box

if you are already familiar with the previous iRiver Clix and the iRiver Clix 2 then you would be glad to know about its successor the iRiver Lplayer. Most of the people would even think that this cute little iRiver Lplayer is similar to the Clix as it features the same D-Click interface design. Although the official Clix successor was the iRiver Spinn these two features are the main reasons that iRiver fans are so excited about the player. This new iRiver Lplayer is currently available on sale in 8 GB and 4 GB versions.

The Design

The new iRiver Lplayer is designed with the same iRiver D-Click interface which means that instead of the navigation buttons you should physically press the screen left, right, down or up to navigate through menus. It is extremely an instinctive design which had won tons of fans for iRiver with it demonstrated it with Clix. The Lplayer gives a solid feel which is not very overly weighty. It is in fact more rugged feeling compared to Clix and most of the fans are pleased. Additionally the normal mini-USB socket has also perfectly replaced the USB cables to make an extra added benefit. Apart from this iRiver has also added an elegant 320×240 pixel screen to the Lplayer with a super pixel density inside the 2 inch construction. The AMOLED or 16:9 resolution will give the player a one up step over the 3rd generation iPod nano with brilliant menus and video quality.

The Features

Inside the iRiver Lplayer is support for a decent array of music formats that include MP3, OGG, WMA, ASF and FLAC but not WAV. You will also find that the player does not support audible audiobooks. The fans of podcast can easily install the read podcst application for automatically syncing different podcasts. Videos and photos are also supported by the player but the process that is required to get them on the player similar to several other portable players is clunky. WMV9, XviD and MPEG-4 videos are easily supported with specific resolutions and bit rates but the Windows Media Player would infrequently be able to handle conversion process. The windows media player 11 will easily manage to sync and convert one video from six.

iRiver has also included their iRiver Plus 3 media management PC software which makes video syncing and conversion pretty easy. Luckily nearly 7 out of 10 videos that you select to convert and transfer into the Lplayer will be successfully synced. Apart from this the iRiver Lplayer also includes an FM radio and you can also record broadcasts to the memory of Lplayer. There is also the internal microphone which lets you record voice which is a pretty sharp microphone as it lets you choose from three WMA quality setting. The player is sensitive and can produce outstanding recordings and is ideal for single person interviews. The battery life of the player is underwhelming at just 12 hours for audio and nearly three hours when playing videos.

The A3 from Cowon is very much similar to the Q5W which is an extremely competent portable media player that comes with windows CE 5.0 and WiFi. The Cowon A3 being very similar to the Q5W it is still a much different player and it costs at different prices that depend on its storage capacity. The Cowon A3 is available in 30 GB and 40GB but the interesting part is that the core functionality of the device is more from an expensive sibling. With the hard disc capacity of 30 GB and 60 GB that costs much more than the price including the dual core processing chip with supportive high definition video the Cowon A3 has the potential to become the most advanced handheld media system in the world.

The Design

There is a 4 inch screen with around 800×480 pixel resolution that takes up the most part of the glossy face of the device. Towards the right side of the device is a tiny navigation joystick and apart from the back buttons function for all other buttons depend on what mode the player is used. Although this a great function to keep things simple it however does not make up for the tiny joystick. The system is very chunky, rugged and perfectly built not any less attractive compared to the Q5W. Component outputs and inputs and the USB port composite are behind the small flap at the left side under the 3.5mm headphone socket. Similar to Q5W this device also does not include a kickstand to support the player up during hands free movie watching.

Features

The Cowon A3 supports H.264, Xvid, DivX, MPEG-4, WMV, VOB and MKV among the few audio formats and the media player is a seriously adaptable video player. The VOB format means that you can just drag your media files of any ordinary DVD in the hard disk of the player and it would play perfectly without any transcoding and DVD ripping needed. This property is itself an amazing feature and you also have the option to record video from any video source. This is again the same for you audio files as you can not only record live FM but can also listen to it later on and there are also options to record stereo audio in FLAC and MP3. the player would play most inclusive list of formats that you might know that include, Lossless, WMA, MP3, Apple Lossless, OGG, FLAC, WMA, ACC, WAV, and Monkey’s Audio. The Cowon A3 also supports images which are of nearly 15 megapixels in resolution along with zoom controls.

The Cowon A3 player also includes a 10 band equalizer to play your audio with along with adjustable playback speed and it also supports multiple audio tracks. All this media is simply managed by the drag and drop file process with OS X and Windows through the mini USB. All the cables that you might require are included in the box which also includes composite and component video leads.

Sony has announced its HD camcorder and boasts of being the smallest camcorder in the world. The new model has been named as Sony HDR-TG1 and is capable of recording video in complete HD resolution precisely in 1080i but not in 1080p. The camcorder is scheduled to launch in coming June and the expected price is around $900. The new innovative pocket fit Sony HDR-TG1 Handycam camcorder’s lightweight capability that will impress vacationers that who prefer traveling light.

This miniature camcorder weighs only 10 ounces and possesses an ultra portable body having dimensions as 1.3 inches wide x 4.7 inches tall x 2.5 inches deep. This HD camcorder is fully loaded with all the advanced features and that can efficiently record 1920 by 1080 HD video as well as 4 megapixel digital images directly in your Sony Memory PRO Duo/ PRO Duo Mark 2 media cards. The cameras full recording and size capability proves it the smallest HD camcorder in the world having all the features.

In addition to the bonus for every traveler is camcorder’s robust titanium body and finest hard coating making it fashionable and highly resistant to scratches. The camera is provided with PRO Duo Mark2 media card of 4 GB so that you can start using it immediately and you need not have to cerate extra space in your bag for extra tapes and discs.

Facts that will make you a proud owner

Sony was first to come up with a travel sized handycam with technology of 8mm during the 1980’s which revolutionized electronic and travel industries. The Sony HDR-TG1 is the modest example of the expert miniaturization and advanced imaging skills with features such as face detection.

Face Detection feature for optimum results

The face detection technology that is incorporated by the new model satisfies both purposes that are capturing still images as well as video recording. This feature and technology is also found in Sony Cyber-shot digital cameras. The camera can recognize upto 8 faces in the LCD touch screen display of camcorder that is of 2.7 inches. The camcorder automatically adjusts the exposure, focus, color control making skin tones to appear look natural and also when images are captured and a flash control. The camcorder even allocates extra encoding bits for a detected face when the encoding process is pursued in order to deliver the best quality image when people are kept as subjects.

High sophistication

The Sony HDR-TG1 features sophisticated audio as well as video technologies with intuitive, simple operation. It is powered with superior quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens of strong 10x zoom and a Clear Vid CMOS sensor complemented with Exmor extracted technology crafted to minimize image noise. The processing engine, BIONZ integrated in the camera features to reduce noise reduction capability to add to its fast processing speeds. This device powers the camcorders dynamic range optimization attribute that automatically compensates the under or over exposed regions in the images. All these technologies combine to deliver high-resolution photos and video with rich details and natural color reproduction.

General Idea

Motorola Qwerty Smart Phone introduced by Motorola is one of the latest smart phones which is available in the market. With this latest Motorola smart phone you can easily check the weather, news, stocks, email, make a call or find any direction in the town. Whoever has used windows mobile previously will be surprised with this smart phone amazing features. It is almost similar to having a complete desktop on your finger tips. Receiving your emails from your Microsoft exchange server cannot be as easier as receiving them on this latest Motorola smart phone. With this smart phone from Motorola you can have loads of information from the internet right at your finger tips. Certainly, this smart phones comes with a camera, you can view images, plays audio and video files, connects to your Personal Computer and even sends text messages.

Ultra-thin Feel and Look

This latest Motorola smart phone is almost 50 percent thinner compared to some of the other phones. It is even lightweight and normally features internal antenna, thumbwheel for single-hands control, QWERTY keyboard and electro-luminescent keys. This smart phone even provides every user with the chance of balancing play and work through extra features like capabilities of web surfing, MP3 and video capabilities, Bluetooth accessories such as RAZRWIRE, 1.3 mega pixels camera and vibrant and large colorful screen.

The Vital Voice Experience

Motorola has introduced a smart phone that delivers one of the best experiences you can receive on a QWERT smart phone. It features a high quality speakerphone, Bluetooth functionality and voice activated dialing that allows hands-free multi-tasking for the present generation’s busy work environment. With this latest Motorola QWERTY smart phone, mobile experts can be very much confident as they can be more creative by receiving a better quality handset and even experience some of the stylish and innovative features. Motorola QWERTY smart phone is the first handset that runs on Window’s Mobile software that delivers cost-effective and scalable mobile messaging support.

Key Features

 One of the first and foremost electronic devices that runs on Microsoft Window’s Mobile 5.0 Software. It is optimized for a variety of 3rd party email solutions which allows broad set of business email capabilities.
 One of the thinnest QWERTY smart phones in the world.
 Complete ergonomic QWERTY keyboard with thumb wheel and five way navigation button.
 Capacity of capturing video clips and playback music.
 Connectivity through mini-USB, IrDA and Bluetooth and well-matched with Motorola H700, H600, H5, HT820, H500 Bluetooth wireless headsets.
 Multi Media Messaging or MMS.
 Dual Stereo Quality Speakers.
 Image formats are supported with PNG, BMP, WBMP, JPEG, GIF89a and GIF87a.
 Video formats are supported with WMV, AAC, GSM-AMR, MPEG-4 and H263.
 Audio formats are supported with WAX, WMA, WAV, AAC, MP3, MIDI, QCELP and iMelody.
 Advanced speaker phones and speech recognition.
 1.3 mega pixels camera along with photo lighting.
 High resolution large display with 320 x 240 pixels.
 PIM functionality along with picture caller identification.
 Mini–SD detachable slot for memory card.

The Nikon COOLPIX S560 is fully loaded with advanced functions, stylish elegance and high performance that make capturing smiles a joy. The new stylish camera enables capturing images beautifully and consistently with the digital image processing concept, EXPEED and NIKKOR lens of special moments. The camera is the smallest body in its class, making no compromise in delivering high performance and offering advanced functions.

The COOLPIX S560 delivers strong 10 megapixels of high performance and sharp resolution, subtle tones and high performance with improved compositional freedom and optimized processing system if NIKKOR lens up to 5 xs zoom. With four wide elements the high quality lens efficiently covers capturing images from normal to super-telephoto focal pictures plus allowing macro shooting ability from as close to 4 inches or 10 cm to a subject.

The special features for COOLPIX S560 make capturing beautiful portraits simpler and authentically record the valuable smiles of your loved ones. Activating Smile Mode automatically opens the shutter when the chosen subject smiles, allowing to faithfully recording valuable smiles in brief instants that appear. The Smile Indicator can be activated through Portrait mode and displays a gauge which tends to change as smile is detected. The Blink Warning function displays a message immediately as it detects the blinking of the subject; offers instant magnified visual confirmation and provided the image to be shot again immediately to obtain the desired result.

Physical features

The unbeatable quality stretches to the built and external treatments of COOLPIX S560. the physical features include exceptional contrast of elegant curves and beautifully sculpted on the paths of Nikon’s stylish pattern and also the large controls as well as comfortable thumb rest which offers a comfortable fit and easy operation. The COOLPIX S560 camera will be available in a wide range of colours like Pink, Blue, Red, Warm Silver and Black*2. However, the availability of colour may vary from region to region.

Uncompromising quality extends to the build and exterior treatments of the COOLPIX S560. Features include the distinctive contrast of beautiful curves and artistically sculpted lines of Nikon’s stylish design, as well as large controls and a comfortable thumb rest that provide a great fit and simplify operation. The COOLPIX S560 will be available in a choice of Warm Silver, Blue, Pink, Red, and Black*2.
Highlights of Nikon COOLPIX S560

The COOLPIX offers an optimized and automated operating mode that automatically detects the scenic modes appropriate to the situation. The VR image stabilizer compensates the shaky effects of the camera resulting to give you sharper and stable images. The ISO 3200 ability offers extended shooting range providing clear, sharp images even in moving subjects and low light conditions. The new image processing system offers noise minimization while shooting on high ISO settings. The large LCD monitor of 2.7 inch offers quality menu operation and viewing ability.

System requirements

Operating system: Windows: the camera is compatible with Windows XP Home, Windows Vista (32 bit) Edition/Professional in-built models.
Macintosh: Mac OS X version 10.3.9, 10.4.11, 10.5.2. Note that you will require CD-ROM drive for installing the software and built-in USB docks are supported too.

The portable navigation range from Acer slots in both standalone navigation device and Windows Mobile Pocket PCs with in built GPS. There are basically three models of the p600 series which all are available with maps courtesy of Navteq with a version of ALK CoPolit 6 software. These models differ in whether they include the Bluetooth, live traffic information and the version of the software they run. Two high end devices are designed with CoPilop Premium whereas the p610 is not and it also does not have Bluetooth and live traffic data feature.

Design

Similar to most of its competitors this Acer p610 portable navigator is designed with a wide screen format which makes the device a pretty large kit. The device technically measured 23mm high, 81mm deep and 116mm wide with 4 inch screen that offers 480×272 pixels resolution. There is a soft case provided that protects the screen if you need to place it in the bag. The black and grey styling around the case is unobtrusive and tidy. The device includes just three buttons on its face and under the screen which are all thin and long that makes it easy to find and press them. You have the center button marked as ‘navi’ that starts up the navigation software or would take you to the main menu of the screen. The other buttons are volume control buttons.

The Acer p610 portable navigator system would perfectly fit into your car with a very strong mounting system. This lets it move both horizontally and vertically to bring it to the best viewing position. The device is also easy to remove and it also feels very compact when mounted. Apart from the soft case and vehicle mount kit it is also available with brief getting started guides, car charger and several CDs which include full manual, CoPilot install disc and PC software.

Performance and features

The Acer p610 portable navigator is available with in built maps of Ireland and UK. However if you need Europe wide coverage then you can prefer having the high end P660 and p630 models. The device is powered through the 400MHz processor with its mapping data derived from Navteq. There is the GPS module in standard SiRFstar III whereas the presence of ActiveSync is on one of the CDs provided which show the core software for Windows CE. The portable navigation system does much more that to navigate you as it is also designed to play audio files in WMA, MP3 and WAV formats and also displays PNG, JPEG, GIF and BMP images.

The device would pause the music so that you receive spoken instructions and would again resume the music. There is also a contacts manager in the devi9ce along with the presence of Windows CE and ActiveSync on the CD and it would synchronies with your outlook contacts through the device. The maps and the other data that are required to run the navigation software are available on the 256MB SD card. There is also s82MB of free memory on the card that can be used to store your music and picture files.

Sony has announced its HD camcorder and boasts of being the smallest camcorder in the world. The new model has been named as Sony HDR-TG1 and is capable of recording video in complete HD resolution precisely in 1080i but not in 1080p. The camcorder is scheduled to launch in coming June and the expected price is around $900. The new innovative pocket fit Sony HDR-TG1 Handycam camcorder’s lightweight capability that will impress vacationers that who prefer traveling light.

This miniature camcorder weighs only 10 ounces and possesses an ultra portable body having dimensions as 1.3 inches wide x 4.7 inches tall x 2.5 inches deep. This HD camcorder is fully loaded with all the advanced features and that can efficiently record 1920 by 1080 HD video as well as 4 megapixel digital images directly in your Sony Memory PRO Duo/ PRO Duo Mark 2 media cards. The cameras full recording and size capability proves it the smallest HD camcorder in the world having all the features.

In addition to the bonus for every traveler is camcorder’s robust titanium body and finest hard coating making it fashionable and highly resistant to scratches. The camera is provided with PRO Duo Mark2 media card of 4 GB so that you can start using it immediately and you need not have to cerate extra space in your bag for extra tapes and discs.

Facts that will make you a proud owner

Sony was first to come up with a travel sized handycam with technology of 8mm during the 1980’s which revolutionized electronic and travel industries. The Sony HDR-TG1 is the modest example of the expert miniaturization and advanced imaging skills with features such as face detection.

Face Detection feature for optimum results

The face detection technology that is incorporated by the new model satisfies both purposes that are capturing still images as well as video recording. This feature and technology is also found in Sony Cyber-shot digital cameras. The camera can recognize upto 8 faces in the LCD touch screen display of camcorder that is of 2.7 inches. The camcorder automatically adjusts the exposure, focus, color control making skin tones to appear look natural and also when images are captured and a flash control. The camcorder even allocates extra encoding bits for a detected face when the encoding process is pursued in order to deliver the best quality image when people are kept as subjects.

High sophistication

The Sony HDR-TG1 features sophisticated audio as well as video technologies with intuitive, simple operation. It is powered with superior quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens of strong 10x zoom and a Clear Vid CMOS sensor complemented with Exmor extracted technology crafted to minimize image noise. The processing engine, BIONZ integrated in the camera features to reduce noise reduction capability to add to its fast processing speeds. This device powers the camcorders dynamic range optimization attribute that automatically compensates the under or over exposed regions in the images. All these technologies combine to deliver high-resolution photos and video with rich details and natural color reproduction.

The new Kodak EasyShare M1073 IS is an excellent 10.2 megapixel point and shoot camera. Although you must have come across a number of outstanding cameras from Kodak during the recent months the new Kodak M1073 IS does not inspire the same type of design at yoru first look. The Kodak EasyShare M1073 IS has already been out in the market that can be owned for nearly £199.

The Design

The Kodak EasyShare M1073 IS is available in a choice of pink, black, red or silver colour and is a very clearly styled camera with boxy front and a small gold and silver lens ring. One of the best things is that the flash is positioned perfectly away from the lens that decreased on red-eye. Behind the device is a small model wheel that does not get around in any direction which is crushed silver clickpad. There is also a decent sized screen of about 69mm. you will also find dedicated buttons for playback, menu, flash, sharing and to delete. This lets the images to add to email address and share or even to easily print. There is also the charge plug including a USB connection which means that you can use the same cable to charge and transfer the pictures.

Features

The Kodak EasyShare M1073 IS is designed with 3x optical zoom including a 35mm equivalent focal length which is around 32 to 96mm and at the middle of the compact device in wide angles terms. Digital blur reduction and optical image stabilization are also included in this basic snapper device. There is a sticker at the front which trumpets high definition stills, however the HD is considerably smaller that the 10 megapixel. The digital camera would just shoot 640×480 pixelof VGA video at nearly 15 different frames every second with mono sound and without camera editing. You also have the option to print the contact sheet like frames in your video. Some other features include face detection including the option to combine three shots into one through the panorama stitch mode. You can also tag the images with sound clips or with text tags that you can also select from the generic presets. Most of the people will like the transparent menu feature but it would be more useful when the menus could actually preview the effect which is changed through the scroll options. The menus are very short and a maximum of 8 menus shoot up with nearly 13 menu options in the settings menu.

The Kodak EasyShare M1073 IS is a bit slower when started as it takes around 4 to 5 seconds to take the first image. The burst mode is rather very quick which takes four images in just two seconds. The screen of the device goes black when shooting which is rather not beneficial swhen you track the action like a sports shot. However you will not find any problem with the vignetting, barrel distortion and the excessive purple fringing. The capturing of image is pretty fine but after a little control over the exposure and you should also find out the automatic settings of the device.