Jumat, 19 September 2008

Samsung P520 Armani Phone

Armani Phone


There are two types of phone users: those that buy phones based on pure aesthetics alone and those that buy based on features and benefits. The Samsung-Armani Phone is an affordable piece of elegant technology that was recently launched in Asia. The phone retails for PHP 26,000.00 or roughly US$600 to $700 (the dollar has recently weakened against Peso currency. The “old” price would have been $500.00). Still not bad for a luxury / fashion phone. The Armani P520 is a credit card sized touch screen phone that hails of iPhone inspiration. It is one of Samsung’s few touchscreen phones that actually, as a technophile - would buy if it had 802.11g wireless Internet capabilities. But it doesn’t Nonetheless, the phone is still pretty decent offering more fashion for less the price.



Read on for full specs and photos.



Armani Phone Side


Samsung Armani Phone


Technical Specs:

Tri-band(900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

EDGE GPRS 10

87.5 X 54.5 X 9.9 mm / 85g

Talk time : Up to 4 hours

Stand-by : Up to 180 hours


60MB with MicroSD support

Bluetooth technology v 2.0 + EDR

USB 2.0

260K 2.6” TFT

Full Touch Screen

3.2 Megapixel (4x Digital Zoom)

Video Recording & Play (MPEG4, 3GP, H.263)

MP3, MIDI, AAC, AAC+




Mactomster iSync Plugins: Sony Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung sync!

iSync Leopard


I wrote about how Nokia now has a page with plugins for iSync. The list of phones is rather comprehensive but not complete. I happened to chance upon the Mactomster - a site that has released a series of iSync plugins for several phone brands and models. Here is the list from their website taken December 2007. These are brands ranging from Sony Ericsson, Samsung and Nokia. The site is a must visit for Mac users who need to make their phones work with iSync.



Here is the list:



Nokia iSync-PlugIns for 10.4 Tiger & 10.5 Leopard

N-Series: N75, N76, N77 , N81, N81 8GB, N82, N92, N93i, N95, N95 8GB

E-Series: E50, E51, E60, E61i, E65, E70, E90

Series40: 3109 Classic, 3110 Classic, 5200, 5300, 5310, 5610, 6085, 6125, 6151, 6233, 6234, 6288, 6300, 6301, 6500 Classic, 6500 Slide, 6555, 7373, 7390, 7500 Prism, 7900 Prism, 8600 Luna

Series60: 3250, 5500, 5700, 6110 Navigator, 6120 classic, 6290

Series80: 9300, 9500 Communicator



SonyEricsson iSync-PlugIns for 10.4 Tiger & 10.5 Leopard

K-Series: K320i, K510i, K530i, K550i, K630i, K770i, K810i, K850i

S-Series: S500i

T-Series: T650

V-Series: V630i, V640i

W-Series: W310i, W380i, W580i, W610i, W660i, W700i, W710i, W880i, W890i, W910i, W960i

Z-Series: Z310i, Z550i, Z710i


Samsung iSync-PlugIns for 10.4 Tiger & 10.5 Leopard


D-Serie: SGH-D520, SGH-D800, SGH-D820, SGH-D840, SGH-D900i

E-Serie: SGH-E250, SGH-E730, SGH-E900

F-Serie: SGH-F300

P-Serie: SGH-P300, SGH-P310,

X-Serie: SGH-X700, SGH-X830

Z-Serie: SGH-Z630


Price: €7,49 (including 19 % tax)



Motorola RAZR2 V9






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The Motorola RAZR2 V9 is Moto’s flagship product for the midyear. It’s got the perky improvements from the V8 including external music keys, video calling via HSDPA: the primary camera is utilized for video calls by closing the clamshell and the external display turns into the video feed. This is really smart!



Additional features include memory expansion up to 2GB with an internal memory count of 45MB.




  • Sleek, slim iconic RAZR design with clamshell form factor, metal and glass housing, internal antenna, tandem 2.2” and 2.0” 240×320 QVGA 262K color displays

  • Touch-sensitive external music keys

  • Integrated 2.0 megapixel camera, with 8x digital zoom

  • Connectivity featuring Micro USB, USB 2.0 Full Speed, USB mass storage and version 2.0 Bluetooth wireless technology with Enhanced Data Rate2

  • 3G High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) 3.6 Mbps wireless broadband connection and EDGE/GPRS class 10 & 12


  • 45MB of end user memory and support for up to 2GB of memory with an optional microSD card

  • Stereo Bluetooth wireless technology supporting A2DP and AVRCP profiles2

  • Video and audio streaming¹, capture and playback

  • Video telephony and See What I See capable¹

  • Messaging via MMS, email, SMS, MotoSync¹

  • Independent Voice Recognition



Dopod D810






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The Dopod D810 packs all the features a mobile warrior could wish for a full keyboard. Nonetheless, the D810 has a lot to write home about as it comes multiple connection methods to stay online.


I was able to get my hands on the more fashionable pearly white model that resembles a bar of soap. For a more fashion oriented review of the D810, you can hop over to The Gadgenista.




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I believe that Dopod has been rebranded into HTC, which was really the original OEM for this line. I don’t know exactly why this happened but the new HTC brand seems to be more powerful with the fish like logo.


img_9156.JPG


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The Quad band D810 comes with built in WiFi and HSDPA as well as Bluetooth connectivity. There are two cameras for your standard video calls via HSDPA / 3G with the main camera sporting 2 megapixels. It is quite rare for a Windows Mobile device to come with a very decent camera as more often than not, the pictures tend to be grainy despite the marketing claims of high quality and high megapixel count. You can check out photo samples from The Gadgenista.


According to CNET, the D810 also comes with a built in GPS chip that needs to be activated through a firmware update:



A GPS chip can be found in the D810 for navigation. Originally, when the device was first announced, the GPS feature was disabled. A later firmware upgrade then activated this feature, and all that is required is the GPS software. We tested the unit using MapKing and found that navigation was good. It generally took less than 30 seconds to get a GPS lock, and from there, the D810 did well to pinpoint location and traveling speed when navigating in a moving vehicle. Do note that no software or maps are included with the device, so factor the extra cost in if that is important for you. [CNET source]



img_9161.JPG


The D810 comes with 128MB of flash ROM and a miniSD expansion slot where you can store files. If you want to store music, the device reads WMA and MP3.


PROS

Feature packed with multiple connectivity options

Decent picture quality

Comes with a leather belt case


CONS

Stylus slot should have been placed on top of the device


View All

Sennheiser VMX Office: Meant for People Who Like to Yap at the Office

vmxoffice_240_product.jpgThe Sennheiser VMX Office is basically a base station with a wireless headset, with the promise of consolidating voice traffic from the PC, landline, and any Bluetooth-capable cell phone. The base station also serves as a charging dock for the headset; the latter also draws power from USB ports. Sennheiser promises a range of 35 meters for users, making the VMX Office potentially great for the uh… office. All this wireless action reminds us of Connie Nielsen in The Devil’s Advocate, yapping in Spanish seductively for Keanu Reeves’ benefit.


(sennheisercommunications.com)



Kamis, 18 September 2008

Color Schemes on Cellphones - why so drab?

I’ve always meant to write about this but I keep on forgetting as it seems to trivial. But in truth, it isn’t. A long time ago I wrote a piece about the “pink” in gadgets. And the recent unveiling of Apple’s colors of the rainbow + pink marketing campaign for the iPod brings to light how much detail Apple puts to color.


iPod is colorful. Why not cellphones...???



I’ve never seen mobile phones exhibit such vibrant colors. And yeah, even gadgets in general.


Many years ago a cult bag brand called Timbuk2 was founded. It’s core selling points were durability, practical use, and was made fit for messengers, hence the messenger bag design is what they’re most known for. But other than that, you’d notice that unlike their competing brand, Crumpler, Timbuk2 doesn’t go for the flashy, bright colors that their competitor stresses. The thesis behind the color reservation was so that their bags don’t stand out too much, subjecting it more to theft. Crumpler, and I’m sure other manufacturers see it another way and want to flaunt their bags.



There is no right or wrong with color schemes. My question now is why don’t cellphones have such daring color choices? Big companies like Nokia segregate their phone brands for the enterprise and “fun” markets and yet in the “fun” line we don’t see a lot of “fun” colors. Motorola tried this before with their RAZR line, but none of the colors really stood out. The new iPod colors are vivid. They are bright and eye catching. Hold one in arms and immediately, people will look. They stand out like a hot cover model on the front page of a magazine amidst other so-so covers on the rack.


I think it’s only a matter of time when we’ll start seeing bolder colors. The market seems to demand it with the kids finally growing up and wanting colorful choices out of the box, and we — we’re just getting older.




Dharma Tactical Mouse, A 3200 CPI Gaming Mousy

Dharma Tactical Mouse, A 3200 CPI Mousy


The Dharma Tactical 10-programmable-button mouse by Dharmapoint and Sigma A.P.O can reach a resolution of 3200 cpi.


The DRTCM02 provides an acceleration of 15G, a frame rate of 6,400 fps, a maximum speed of 40 ips, and an USB response of 125Hz-1000Hz.


Image: Dharmapoint | Via: Akihabaranews



Ah, BlackBerry Bold 9000


BlackBerry Bold


The BlackBerry Bold 9000 is perhaps on the most anticipated BlackBerry devices in the market. It will be available come Q4 of 2008 exclusively with AT&T.



OK let’s get these specs out of the way, mmkay:


GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA

Integrated Wi-Fi and GPS

Half-VGA (480×320 resolution) color LCD screen

Up to 5 hours GSM talk time, up to 13 days standby

Side-loading memory slot

1GB of on-board memory storage

624 MHz processor and 128 MB flash memory


Bluetooth® 2.0 capability with support for hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits, and other Bluetooth peripherals


This is one of those proof of concepts from RIM. I can almost hear the engineers say “OK we’ve come up with several of these BlackBerries for 2008 and we need to leave the year with a bang — so here it is - more of the same with slight tweaks here and there - how BOLD, how BEAUTIFUL!.”


This is how you make phones! Let’s not stray away from over the top designs and weird features. Sticking to what works, with a touch of elegance is by itself, Bold.




Rabu, 17 September 2008

MSI Wind Hacked to Run OS X

Check out the video below:





Full details on this forum thread. For some reason, installing Linux on Windows machines is no longer in vogue; the new flavor of the month (year?) is Apple’s OS. Could we have another Apple myth in the making, that OS X is the best operating system out there?




Flip Design BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 Unveiled


BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220


The new BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 was unveiled recently. Other than being the first BlackBerry to sport a clamshell design, the new 8220 Flip still pretty much has the same features of previous Pearl models including the SureType QWERTY hybrid. This move was, in my opinion, an aesthetic preserver as the new Flip phone would look fugly if it were wider (full QWERTY). The 8220 comes with a 2.0MP camera and connectivity options has included WiFi onto the roster, so it does make a better impression on the original BlackBerry Pearl.


Why a flip design? More importantly, why only now? Because they can.




Sony Ericsson TM506:Not quite out yet, still cool


Sony Ericsson TM506


More proof that Sony Ericsson is going the Nokia route. The new TM506 is by itself not a spectacular phone. It does deliver in terms of specs - 2MP camera, HSDPA, GPS, memory stick expansion with 35MB internal memory. These are the usual bells and whistles you’d find in a classic design. The phone isn’t out in the market yet, so what will make you fall in love with this candybar is its form factor. Sony Ericsson has been pushing their updated real estate for a while, going for a more suqare look than rounded “egg” shape for their phones (reminiscent of 2006-2007).




Ultimate Boot CD for Windows Version 3.20


UBCD4Win is a bootable recovery CD that contains software used for repairing, restoring, or diagnosing almost any computer problem. Our goal is to be the most complete and easy to use free computer diagnostic tool. Almost all software included in UBCD4Win are freeware utilities for Windows®. Some of the tools inlcuded are "free for personal use" copies so users need to respect these licenses.

A few of the tools included in UBCD4Win are paid for and licensed software owned by UBCD4win. On occasion we work with software companies/authors for permission to include their software in our download or have requested their software better support PE. Users can freely share copies of UBCD4Win with friends but selling UBCD4Win for a profit is not acceptable.

We have worked hard for many years helping people for free with this project, others should not make money from our hard work. If you are a dialup user having a hard time downloading UBCD4Win, please visit our ordering page. UBCD4Win is based on Bart's PE©. Bart's PE© builds a Windows® "pre-install" environment CD, basically a simple Windows® XP booted from CD. UBCD4Win includes network support and allows you the ability to modify NTFS volumes, recover deleted files, create new NTFS volumes, scan hard drives for viruses, etc. Our download includes almost everything you need to repair your system problems. This project has been put together to be the ultimate recovery cd and not a replacement OS (Operating System).

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Memorex’s New Look: What Do You Think?

Have you visted memorex.com lately? The site sports a new look and puts the brand’s new products front and center.


memorex-new-look.jpg


It’s obvious that selling recordable media is no longer that lucrative—if it ever was in the first place. Will Memorex’s new approach prove fruitful, or is it only delaying the inevitable?




Selasa, 16 September 2008

Rockstar Games announces free content for Midnight Club: LA

Midnight Club: LAI am a big fan of racing games and driving games, especially those that let you race on the street and do things you can’t do in real life without risking life, limb, and jail time. One of the coolest games this holiday season to meet this need is Midnight Club: Los Angeles.

Rockstar has announced that free download content will be coming for owners of the game. The DLC is called the South Central Upgrade Map and will include a new area of the city that is about 1/3 the size of the entire original map. The pack includes Exposition Park, USC campus, Crenshaw Plaza, and more.

Along with the new and free map will also be a pay update that adds new races, cars, and music along with character competitions to the new map. The new vehicles will include cars, SUVs and a new motorcycle. Pricing is unknown for the pay content and availability is set for early 2009 release.

Almeza MultiSet Professional 6.0.115

Want to create a WindowsXP installation disk that will automatically install the system without asking questions about username, product key, time and locale settings? At the same time your favorite applications are automatically installed, the necessary keys are entered into the registry, drivers are updated, new patches (service packs) from Microsoft are installed. It's possible and you can do it easily with Almeza MultiSet!
Almeza MultiSet will automatically install all the applications you require, either onto your original computer or onto a new one. It's an ideal solution for rebuilding your systems quickly!

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iPhone-Themed Cupcakes Look Yummy

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Check out these iPhone-themed cupcakes, which recently won some cupcake decorating contest. A little rough on the edges, but you can be forgiving when pastries are involved. Besides, they look so yummy, it’s to imagine competitors wishing they could eat Apple’s “significant” competition away. (laughingsquid.com)




WoW-Related Terrorist Plot is Sensationalism at its Finest

wow-terrorism.jpgWell, it’s hard to blame Wired for reporting on that rumored WoW terror plot. Slow news days are always a problem for any website, including this one. Here’s the money quote:


Toavs, for one, believes that spies will have to spend more time in virtual worlds like WoW, if they want to have a hope of keeping tabs on what goes on inside ‘em. Which means, some day soon, we might find secret agents in World of Warcraft, along with the druids and orcs and night elves.



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Sizing Up the 4G iPod nano

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The fourth-generation iPod nano brings Apple’s smaller portable player back to its form factor roots, albeit through a smaller and more feature-laden package. To wit:


The newest iPod nano is oh so slightly thinner than its predecessor, and the displays of both the 3G and 4G variants are actually the same, in terms of size and max brightness. Check out the pics and see for yourself (click on the thumbnails on top to see the bigger versions, and continue reading to see the rest of our gallery. Read More




Bill Gates & Jerry Seinfeld Create A New Family, Microsoft Second Multimillion Ad Attack




Can Bill Gates make ordinary folks laugh? I’m sure he can, maybe he can contemplate a comedian career since he has retired from Microsoft. The second installment of Bill Gates - Jerry Seinfeld Microsoft series of ads is sure funny.


Via: CrunchGear


Rock Band 2 Out On Microsoft Xbox 360, Feel The Rock & Punk




Although we have to wait till 19th October for Rock Band 2 Special Edition to come out, we are just excited that the Rock Band 2 video game for rhe Microsoft Xbox 360 is already out!


* Take your band on an online-enabled World Tour mode, record albums, tackle the addictive Set Challenges, or even compete against other bands, either in your living room or halfway across the world, in the Battle of the Bands mode. plus all of the modes you know and love from the first Rock Band game



* Compatible with ALL past and future downloadable content - even tracks you downloaded for Rock Band back in 2007 - so you can play a never-ending, face-melting set


* Has a tool that actually teaches you how to play the drums in real life - or you can just have fun jamming and playing along to songs like an animal in the Freestyle Drum mode


* Songs from - Abnormality, AC/DC, AFI, Alanis Morissette, Alice in Chains, Allman Brothers, Anarchy Club, Avenged Sevenfold, Bad Company, Bang Camaro, Beastie Boys, Beck, Bikini Kill, Billy Idol, Blondie, Bob Dylan, Bon Jovi, Breaking Wheel, Cheap Trick, Devo, Dinosaur Jr., Disturbed, Dream Theater, Duran Duran, Elvis Costello, Fleetwood Mac, Foo Fighters, Guns N’ Roses, Interpol, Jane’s Addiction, Jethro Tull, Jimmy Eat World, Joan Jett, Journey, Judas Priest, Kansas, L7, Lacuna Coil, Libyans


The special edition of Rock Band 2 includes 1 lead base guitar, drum kit, a microphone and of course, the video game. $59.99 for the game, $189.99 for your special edition.


Where To Buy:


Rock Band 2 Video Game {Amazon}



Rock Band 2 Special Edition {Amazon}


Evangelion Rei USB Memory, Expands Your Imagination

Evangelion Rei USB Memory, Expands Your Imagination


Think of Neon Genesis Evangelion and you think of Rei Ayanami. I think she’s cool, profound and I want a piece of her. A piece of 4GB Evangelion Rei USB Memory which is produced by Buffalo Japan, that is. With 5000 pieces going around, this kawaii storage can be regarded as a collectible. And we appreciate she’ll stays plugging in rather than flying around in our room. $54.25 for a pop.


Where To Buy:


GeekStuff4U


Image: Buffalo


Fresh Finger From Crime Scene, 1GB USB Flash Drive That Is

Fresh Finger From Crime Scene, 1GB USB Flash Drive That Is


This 1GB USB Flash Drive Finger from jasonscreations may be a tad morbid but it is just way too cool, creepy and flesh fresh. Perfect gift for Halloween or scare your girlfriend to death, erm, it’s your choice. $20 for a cut.



Where To Buy:


Etsy


Image: jasonscreations | Via: SlipperyBrick


The Olympus Stylus 850 is a Waterproof Gadget That Works

We recently came from the beach, and had a chance to try out the Olympus Stylus 850. It’s perfect for the sea and the sand, especially when the sun’s out, because of its sealed construction that makes it waterproof (up to 3 meters) and shockproof. And that means you can use it underwater!


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Senin, 15 September 2008

Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro gets upgrade

Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro gets upgrade


Here’s some serious upgrade power to MacBook Air’s older cousins, just in case you’d thought they’ve been sidelined. Just in case you don’t know, MacBook and MacBook Pro series have a built-in webcam.



The standard Apple MacBook upgrades include:


- 13-inch widescreen display.

- entry level model is a white MacBook with 2.1 GHz processor and 120 gigabytes of hard drive space but does not include built-in DVD burner.

- black variant has 250 GB capacity priced at 1,399 dollars but does not include built-in DVD burner.


The Apple MacBook Pro gets :


- Core 2 Duo processor up to 2.6 gigahertz of processing power

- up to 4 Gigabytes (GB) of 667 megahertz DDR2 SDRAM

- up to 300 GB of storage space

- Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT video card up to 512 MB of RAM.


This MacBook Pros price goes between 1,799 and 2,499 dollars.

via


image source



Session Initiation Protocol (SIP): Controlling Convergent Networks (McGraw-Hill Communication Series)


Build a next-generation telecommunications infrastructure

Consolidate divergent networks into one seamless, high-performance communications landscape using cutting-edge SIP technology, tools, and techniques. Session Initiation Protocol (SIP): Controlling Convergent Networks explains how to deliver Internet phone calls, IMs, video streams, and teleconferences across legacy, wireless, and wireline networks. Learn how to manage SIP sessions, build layers and proxies, interpret control codes, set up gateways, and comply with IETF and 3GPP standards. You'll also get details on using the latest methods, maximizing QoS, and implementing security measures.

* Initiate, modify, and terminate IETF-compliant SIP sessions
* Construct SIP messages, requests, proxies, functions, and layers
* Interconnect WiFi, WiMax, VoIP, and wireline networks
* Incorporate TDM and SS7 systems using media and signaling gateways
* Determine user locations with REGISTER and presence techniques
* Augment functionality using RFCs and packet cable extensions
* Prevent hijacking, tampering, DoS, DDoS, and BOTS attacks
* Implement reliable authentication, encryption, and intrusion detection policies

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Essential XUL Programming

A revolutionary new technology for the rapidly expanding world of e-commerce, XUL (XML User Interface Language) is an XML-based user interface language that gives Web developers control over all aspects of the Web interface.

Featuring two tutorials on programming with XUL, this book shows developers how to use basic XUL elements to build a sample interface for an e-commerce site, then goes on to explore more sophisticated applications by creating an information portal inside an application. Readers will find expert tips and advice on how to get started writing XUL code as well as how to extend it into Java and other non-Netscape interfaces.

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DJ eJay MixStation 3


DJ Mixstation 3 offers state-of-the-art mixing tools for the DJ who wants to work & mix at home. This easy to use software application lets you pick up and play - while including a host of professional features that real DJs use!

Product Features
* Automatic mixing engine & Sample engine allows you to record or load loops on the fly and play them in real time over your current mix
* Network Sychronization lets you run multiple windows of DJ Mixstation 3, to mix with as many decks as you can handle
* Add a world of effects quickly & easily with the new Effect Library
* Vinyl scratching — you can now use your webcam or mouse to scratch like on real vinyl
* Record directly to MP3 or WAV. or burn directly to CD

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Minggu, 14 September 2008

The Game Producer's Handbook

Get a behind-the-scenes view of what it takes to succeed in the game industry with this unique guide written specifically for producers. This book serves as an ideal reference for students who want to acquire the knowledge and skills to succeed in this burgeoning industry, and in the future of entertainment. For veterans in the game industry, this book includes several valuable lessons that can help enhance their professional skills.

Avoid the pitfalls behind some of the most common mistakes made in video game development. Get tips on how the financial aspects of a project govern a game producer's decisions. Learn what production techniques are used by top game developers. You'll even learn how to produce an excellent game soundtrack and will discover why the music is as important as the graphics. Excellence defines careers in the entertainment software industry. Use this one-of-a-kind guide to achieve that excellence.

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