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June 2005
Monthly Archive
Posted by flung in Uncategorized30 Jun 2005 09:06 pm
Posted by flung in Uncategorized30 Jun 2005 06:49 pm
Sling Media Slingbox Personal Broadcaster
PC World reviews the new Slingbox Personal Broadcaster. What exactly is the Slingbox? Here’s a quote from the product website:
“Slingbox is a compact and elegantly designed, state-of-the-art electronic device that connects to the back of your TV. It redirects, or “placeshifts,†the TV signal from your cable box, satellite receiver, or digital video recorder (DVR) to your computer or laptop of choice, no matter your location — so long as you have a high-speed Internet connection. This utterly unique device will transform the way you watch TV. Whether you want to watch your soaps in the laundry room, or catch the big game during a conference call, or watch your local news from China, the power is now in your hands.”
In other words - the Slingbox connects to a video source and lets you watch this video source from any network connected location - where at home or on the internet. You’ll have to install Slingbox software for Windows but once you do, you’ll have access to the device (assuming your router also supports Universal Plug and Play).
Sounds like a good idea right? Well PC World’s verdict is as follows:
The Slingbox Personal Broadcaster has its uses, but its image quality may be disappointing unless you have a high-bandwidth connection.
So it looks like video quality is still somewhat iffy. Plus - the software viewer doesn’t act like a DVR - you can’t record video streams or pause the video stream etc. However, it’s still a very interesting idea and I hope to see more of this device in the near future.
[Product page]
Posted by flung in Uncategorized30 Jun 2005 06:42 pm
The drive capacities keep on going up. Edge Tech has announced that their new Edge 4GB DiskGO! USB flash key is now available for purchase. This USB key stores a whopping 4GB of data using flash memory - WOW! With the increasing need to transfer large media files, this 4GB key might just end up in my place soon.
[Check it out]
Posted by flung in Uncategorized30 Jun 2005 06:39 pm
There’s a new iPod mini lookalike out and it’s the Creative Zen Sleek MP3 player. However, unlike the mini and it’s 6GB limit, the new Zen Sleek comes in a 20GB package. They get smaller and store more! The new Zen features:
* Smooth aluminium design
* 20GB hard disk
* Vertical touchpad with LED backlight
* Large blue backlit display
* FM tuner with 32 presets and direct recording, to capture memorable broadcasts.
* Built in microphone
* Equalizer
Not too bad.. but it’s still not an iPod by any means. We’ll see how this one fares once the reviews come out.
[Check it out]
Posted by flung in Uncategorized30 Jun 2005 06:35 pm
Not your typical looking USB key - the Imation USB Micro Hard Drive houses a tiny hard drive in a chassis that looks like a padlock. The keys come in 2 or 4GB configurations and offer Magnetic Data Encoding and Error Correction data protection features, as well as 128 bit encryption security. The chassis is also rather tough - being able to withstand up to 100Gs in shock.
[Check it out]
Posted by flung in Uncategorized30 Jun 2005 06:31 pm
Gateway introduces three dual core Media Center PCs
Yes - it’s just summer time but it’s back to school time for some retailers. Gateway has announced three new Media Center Edition systems using the latest Intel dual core processors - The 840GM, the 835GM, and the 831GM.
The 840GM:
“This powerful desktop PC is outfitted with cutting-edge technology to take on graphically intensive applications. At the heart of the machine is an Intel® Pentium® D 830 dual core processor with 1GB DDR2 SDRAM (533MHz) for swiftly managing both 32-bit applications and future 64-bit software. The dual core technology makes it possible to run two intensive applications at once without degrading performance. Offered for the first time, Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950 integrated graphics with full DirectX(TM) 9 support provides vibrant graphics playback to bring gaming, digital video and other multimedia to life. Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950 offers up to a 2x increase in 3D performance over Intel’s previous generation GMA 900.”
The 835GM:
“With a foundation of an Intel® Pentium® D 820 (2.8GHz) dual core processor, an Intel 945G chipset and 1 GB DDR2 (533MHz), this PC is powerful enough to handle power hungry games and other applications simultaneously. It boasts a 250GB SATA hard drive(3) (7200RPM with 8MB cache) for storing data and a double layer 16X DVD+/-RW multi-format drive and DVD-ROM for housing and retrieving data, photos and videos. Intel® GMA 950 graphics with DirectX(TM) 9 support enhances the visual images with vivid color and clarity.”
The 831GM:
“Providing ample room for storage and easy file back-up, this PC boasts a 250GB SATA hard drive(3), double layer 16X DVD+/-RW multi-format optical drive and a DVD-ROM. Intel® GMA 900 Graphics with DirectX(TM) 9 support and Intel® High Definition Audio supporting up to a 5.1 speaker configuration will please multimedia enthusiasts. The Gateway 831GM desktop PC comes with Microsoft® Windows® Media Center 2005, three IEEE 1394 ports, seven USB 2.0 ports and 10/100 Mbps Ethernet LAN. A PCI Express x16 slot is available for any future graphic card upgrade. The Gateway 831GM will be available at leading retailers on July 3 at a suggested retail price of $699.99.”
Posted by flung in Uncategorized30 Jun 2005 04:42 pm
Now this is an innovative project - The Sunlight Table. You take a bundle of fiber optic cables, connect them to a desk and have the end points come through the desk just enough to show light from the cables. The other end of the mass of cables is connected to the outside world where it takes in natural sunlight. The end result? Natural light and shade is fed from the outside world right up to you from the desktop. Pretty nifty.
[Check it out]
Posted by flung in Uncategorized30 Jun 2005 04:36 pm
Do you need a truly portable speaker for when you’re on the road? Check out the Interlink GoSpeak! speaker system. This speaker system uses NXT Technology’s SurfaceSound flat panel drivers to produce good enough sound suitable for speech (but not for music). The entire unit weighs only 4.8 lbs so it’ll be easy to carry it on the road. Because the GoSpeak! system is targeted for speech, it’s a good solution for people giving presentations. Here’s PC Mag’s verdict:
GoSpeak! is a ruggedly built portable PA system that’s optimized for speech, rather than music. Its no-hassle setup, reasonable volume levels, and over-the-shoulder portability make it a great choice for lectures and presentations in small to medium-size venues.
Posted by flung in Uncategorized30 Jun 2005 04:30 pm
BIOS Mag reviews the current top model of the IBM T series - the IBM ThinkPad T43p. The T series includes features like:
* Intel Pentium M Processor
* Fingerprint Reader
* Embedded Security Subsystem 2.0
* 14.1 ” LCD screen
General performance of the ThinkPad T43p was excellent, reflected by a MobileMark 2002 score of 160. Graphics and multimedia tasks were handled slightly less proficiently, but the system isn’t designed for running the latest 3D games.
A blurb from the review:
Posted by flung in Uncategorized30 Jun 2005 04:18 pm
New Sanyo MM-8300 phones for Sprint PCS
Sprint PCS is now selling the new Sanyo MM-8300 for all PCS subscribers. Nothing too special about this phone except that you can change the color plates on the phone.
[Check it out]
