Mozilla has stopped support for Firefox version 2. There will not be security update or technical support for the browser. Mozilla will of course pool all the resources for its version 3 browser. The security of web browser are pretty important. SO upgrade to version 3 if you have not or you are still on IE.
GATEWAY is making a comeback into the local notebook market. The manufacturer had been in the Singapore market a long time ago when I was in primary or lower secondary school. I even have the old Gateway sticker with on my 10 year old desktop. So you can guess that was how long ago.
The U.S notebook maker is re-entering the local market after a lengthy lay off though they have not made their appearance at the last IT show. What do I make of this? I think there are now one more brand that consumers couldn't recognize. And Gateway has much to do to change that fact.
Unlike fellow newcomers to the market, Gateway is not focus on the low-end models. Instead, you will find yourself looking at some fairly good specifications. Like this one. (LINK) It even comes with the price on the official website which is good because you will know if any shop are taking you as a fool and charge you higher.
Gateway currently has four models and are really for different purposes due to their form factor.
Western Digital has been THE brand for hard drives. The discussion of hard drives rarely goes without mentioning this US brand. For me, Western Digital drives are reliable as compared to the competitors. However, at the recent SITEX, I saw a new product from WD; promoted by Harvey Norman. Basically, it plays movies and music from your external hard drive. The following are my observation for this media player:
This device is so simple that it is only made up of a circuit board! (You can peek through the side of the gadget.) In my opinion, simple is more in this case. It is so simple to setup and hence should be preferred by those who didn't like complicated functions.
I saw the user interface and its quite classy in terms of design. All basic functions such as fast forward are included.
All in all, a great piece of work from WD. If you are still watching movies on your small monitor, make use of your LCD TV! The cost? S$179.90 (The device itself.)
PS: There is no support for rmvb...
Official Page (Check the playback formats)
Oh well, it is actually more than a month since I told myself to write more. I only succeed in extending my disappearance... So this time, I shall keep my nonsense and get straight down to business!
And here is the Pricelists.
It seems that the overall sentiment for this show is that prices are higher than it should be given the tightening of wallets these days. I agreed. Because I want to buy/subscribe the following
Ramblings aside, there are certain new gadgets on the show or I mean because I have been really busy to notice that they are already out before the show!
Hellooo! Its been a loooong time. 1 month to be exact. We are not dead. Specifically, I am not dead. More specifically, I survived the 1st month studying and working at the same time.
1 month may seem a short time but during this period, the CE (consumer electronic) market is pretty busy.
First, we have the iPhone. Certainly the most talked about phone ever. But the local iPhone price is ridiculous. And Nokia seems to have their very own "iPhone" as well.
Then we have the more recent Nintendo DSi. Camera, bigger screen and SD card slot.
And there is many others such as the new Dell Latitude that promises whopping 19 hour battery life. And Canon G10! A compact camera that actually takes RAW format images. Ok, it may not be a REAL compact camera. But its performance is definitely worth the size.
As for myself, witnessing the turmoil of new gadgets, I have to take some action. In comes ASUS m530w. My new PDA smartphone. So far so good. I hope more updates can come from this speed monster (416 mhz processor, very fast for a phone already!). More updates to the blog to come! I hope.
When I was flipping through the papers this morning, the Dell advertisement somehow pops up at me. I mean I saw something different; Dell Studio.
Officially released two months ago, I think it only hit the Singapore shores today. Unless it has been on the website only.
My thoughts:
10am - Wow! New Dell notebook. Hmm, S$2K leh...
10.15am - (Checked the specifications online) Hmm...
10.16am - Eh... Not Centrino 2. So still using the old chipset.
10.17am - But the design looks nice la. Something like HP ones. And Studio comes in many colours.
10.18am - Only comes is 15.4" and 17". So they are more like desktop replacement.
10.19am - I think they are the "prettiest" Dell. Even nicer than XPS I think.
10.20am - Wah! Can ask for Blu-ray drive. Also can have ATI HD3450. HDMI port included as well.
10.21am - Looks good Dell. Maybe they should consider making Studio smaller into portables too.
Have you ever wonder why web page printouts always comes with a truncated URL at the footer of the page? For me, it makes the print out look unprofessional. I mean surely the reader of the printout would want to know where the page came from.
The solution is straightforward. Just reduce the font size of the URL by adjusting the fonts through the Internet Explorer.
And if the URL is still too long, give them a separate line.
PS: Credit to Kenny for the image.
It is exactly one year since the launch of LG Viewty. At its launch, LG's marketing team banked heavily on its 5 megapixels camera and the ability to take videos at 120fps. I know it is not "the phone" at the moment but but but... Come on! Just see what I have to say!
The Form Factor:
On the first look, Viewty might look bulky. But it is really manageable. At the minimum it will fit your jeans' pocket. Then there is the opposite side of the display where it looks so much like a digital camera. Well, almost, as Viewty did not come with a lens cover. Fingerprint is not an issue with Viewty.
And Viewty's stylus actually look like a lipstick. The fact that it comes in pink only adds to the image of Viewty being a ladies' phone.
3" Touchscreen:
LG may have thought that " since we have bundled a stylus, let's make the screen less sensitive" Hence, the screen is really not very sensitive when you use your fingers to operate it. In short, you need to use a little more force than when you use a stylus.
One incident that typifies LG is when I had trouble scrolling the menu. There is a scroll-bar by the side of some menus while other menus do not have a scroll-bar. In the end, I found out one has to hold-and-drag in order to scroll those menus without a scroll bar.
Meanwhile, Viewty do have a few types of on screen keyboard for your usage. I would say one would not be put off by the messaging system.
5MP Camera:
In comparison to other 5 megapixels camera-phone's images, Viewty would not lose the race. Neither will it win. Check out the sample photo I took with Viewty. Start-up time is pretty quick and the viewer fills up the entire display.
Autofocus is not too bad but it is still not comparable with a full-blown digital camera. Marco mode is not too disappointing.
Viewty is outstanding when taking videos. Certainly one of the best I have seen. Seemingly smooth video. At 120fps it can even afford slow motion playback.
Applications:
The menus are all packed neatly. You get four tabs consisting of Multimedia, Settings etc.
There is pretty much limited stuff you can do with Viewty. It takes Java applications and that is about it. It packs standard features such as alarm, calender and a few games. Nothing too outstanding. Also, its document viewer cannot be upgraded to edit files. I think it is LG's own programme hence the limitation.
Micro SD Slot:
The Micro SD Slot deserves a special mention for being incredibly diffcult to take out the card. There is no spring to assist the whole process.
Conclusion: Viewty is for the ladies. Viewty is for anyone those wants a pretty, non-fussy phone that takes excellent video. Nothing so bad that it will put off potential buyer, still a good option if you would like to own a 5 megapixels phone today if you still can find one today!
Do you know the exact model of your iPod or where is it made in? Well, its time you find out! Check out portatronix; a german website that offers to tell you information about your iPod. No worries. It comes in English as well.
The fact that HTC stands for High Tech Computers never fails to amaze me. So it proves that having a stylo mylo name is not the most important part of a business. The product is.
Which brings me to "The Singapore Gadget Talk Show" first hands-on gadget review. For this very first piece, I found a friend who is a first time user of the Windows Mobile operating system. His previous is a Sony Ericsson. The gadget in question now is HTC Touch.
How does it feel to have used HTC Touch, a Windows Mobile device, for the first time?
Overall, I think there is not a lot of differences if you are not using office application such as Outlook. The biggest difference would be the navigation. Using the phone as if it is a Windows PC took me some time to get used to it.
In fact the biggest difference is a normal user (one that only expects functions such as Bluetooth and audio player) would find a Windows Mobile device much more complicated and not as straightforward as he/she would expect of a mobilephone.
So what is so impressive about HTC Touch?
On the whole, it boasts style and stability as a Pocket PC. Nothing fantastic but then again these are the two most important qualities mobile phones should have.
So with 2 months of usage, what are some issues that you would want to question the engineers about?
Under the sun is terrible. If you are on the street with our Singapore's glaring sun, you basically see nothing on the screen! Reading a SMS becomes a two-handed job when this happens as you would need to cover the screen to reduce the glare.
The other issue I think most would want to consider is the HTC's FLO technology which in my opinion does not speed up navigation.
Also, there no 3G connection. What can I say? I had to make do with 2.5G and Wi-Fi.
Any comments in terms of the touch interface?
Its good. No multi-touch capability is cool with me. But using the stylus is recommended. Especially for guys. Some icons or links are too small for fingers.
Right. How about the image quality?
Nothing fantastic. Its a 2 mega-pixels camera anyway. And it does not have a lens cover. Videos disappoints but I don't use and don't care!
The large weather icon is rather eye-catching.
The weather function is very useful. The tricky part is where the preset connection is set to GPRS. Hence user may accidentally connect through the GPRS and hence, pay the cost.
One last word on your phone?
I still think its a beauty despite its being an old model. But of course it is surpassed by Touch Cruise and more recently the Diamond. Honestly, I might be even trading it in for the iPhone!
- Chalkboard Updated: 2th August 2008 -
ADS IN PAPERS
Juzz1@Audio House (2 Aug 08 / TODAY)
- Details -
Carrefour - Acer & Lenovo (28 Jul 08 / TODAY)
- Acer Aspire One -
- Lenovo Y310 Ideapad -
Axioo (25 Jul 08 / TODAY) - Promo. ends 27 Jul 08 - Details of Promotion - - TVR052C - - CMPC & TVR812P - - TVS812P - - TEN812P & TSJ816P - - TEC0262 & TSJ2252 -
RETAILERS
- mc.2: One of bigger retailer. Ask for freebies. -
- p.a mart: Great details with images. Must see if you are still searching. -
- VR Zone: The Tech forum has the price lists of various notebooks retailers. Might be a bit messy. -
BUY ONLINE
- Sager: An U.S brand. Reselling locally by Cube Marketing. Reown for high-performance notebooks. And it is customizable; you can choose your own parts! -
FOR STUDENTS ONLY
If you are still confused over whether to buy in your school or the IT show, you should be reminded that most schools have subsidized prices as well as free school's IT support. And no need to squeeze in the crowds!
*Polytechnics seem to share the same prices but there are more information about the respective notebook ownership programme, so I have put up the various links.
- NUS: Includes Lenovo T400!!! -
- NTU: Only offer 3 brands? -
- SMU -
- NP -
- TP -
- SP -
- NYP -
- RP -
- End of Chalkboard -
Benq has been starting to make their mark too. S33 Joybook looks trendy but could prove to a workhorse as well. But for me they are facing the problem of being the late player in the local market.
Acer had two sets there. But I think I left out the other notebook accidentally. There is no one around for Acer as well.
Finally we have the HP Pavilion DV4 notebook. As usual, looks very cool and premium. Perhaps the best looking on the field. In fact its quite similar to the MiniNote.
Fujitsu impressed me with its preparation of their latest notebook T5010 which they had the technical specifications ready together with the pricing! And it is the only tablet around on that day.
All in all we learnt a great deal and from now on we see how Intel Centrino 2 can improve our efficiency at work or entertainment. Moving to other matters for now!
The moment we step into the conference room, we were greeted by the sight of the latest Intel Centrino 2 notebooks from the various vendors. We even managed to talk to some of the managers. And of course I had to "bring" them back in my camera.
First up, Lenovo. T400 and T500 on the show. Both comes with majority of the new features from the new chipset such as switchable graphics. Solid State Drive is a surprise for me. While there is a major change in the heart of the notebook, the exterior remains the rock solid feel.
We also managed to talk to Mr Derrick Koh (Lenovo's Communications Manager) who gave us a brief idea on the latest models out of the China notebook maker in the local market. Apparently, T400 and T500 aren't the only ones. Expect a series overhaul before the next IT show.
NEC S3500 is of course the brother of the S3300 that sold so well at the last PC Show. I asked the manager and he said NEC wanted to make an impact as its brand name is somewhat not as strong in Singapore despite being the number vendor in Japan.
There is an interesting fact about S3500; 4-cell battery. While it kept the weight down, it also reduces the battery to an average 2 hour 30 minutes according to Mr Tan, the regional manager for NEC. Not that most notebooks with 6-cell's are able to beat the 2.5 hours mark.
I was quite surprised to see Axioo there. Its a pity though as I did not see anyone responsible for the set there. Not a brochure around either. But still it does not take anything away from the fact the local brand did come up with this rather youthful notebook.
Benq has been starting to make their mark too. S33 Joybook is a pretty standard notebook that looks trendy enough to attract the tertiary students. Its a 13.3" so 2kg is just about the weight.
ASUS, Acer, Toshiba and Fujitsu to come in the final installment.
In the 3rd installment of the series, I will be looking at WiMax which Intel went a "long way" to demonstrate. In fact, we travelled about 15 mins away from the port. Qmax is the company in partnership with Intel to show us WiMax in action.
WiMax is a telecommunications technology that somehow work like a home broadband (ethernet cable) and Wi-Fi (router) combined. While there are lots of details to be discussed, I think the most important part we should know it could a solution to the last mile connectivity meaning to say we could get portable home broadband connection. In numerical terms, its known as 4G as compared to our current 3.5G with the mobile phones. Pardon me if I didn't explain this part well!
On the yacht, Mr Alex Tan, from Qmax showed us the WiMax connection with Creative's inPerson. It is a device allows easy and effective video conferencing. While it is on sale at the IT/PC shows before, its largely useful for businesses. And the unit in the picture actually comes with WiMax connection. Unlike the units on sale which comes with Wi-Fi. Check out inPerson.
The video conservation with the pretty Qmax staff ran very smoothly. No distortion throughout the 5 mins trial. The piped images looks brilliant as well.
We are actually on WISEPORT, Wireless Broadband Access for the SeaPort.
Next up, actual internet connection in the middle of the sea! You can also see the WiMax device plug on to the laptop which comes in Intel Centrino 2.
Overall, the connection speed was great and I able to blog via twitter. Youtube was delivered in time as well. However, the connection is already up by the time we were there so I would wonder if the intial connection is easy to setup. Still all-in-all a wonderful experience to be able to try it the first time.
Again, I think for the average consumer, its another sight of the technology in the near future. Probably by the time my wireless-G router would be in the bin.
And in the final post, I will post up all the latest laptops at the conference!
With the basic information in place, its time to look presentation done by Debjani Ghosh, Intel's Southeast Asia Director. Right at the start, we were introduced to how Intel believes their hardwares would fit into the market. And surely Intel is can't go wrong when it zero in on the social commerce, lots of digital content and Eco Awareness.
Ms Debjani did not give a great deal of time to talk about the processors that used in the "Montevina" platform since they were introduced some time back. Codenamed "Penryn", those processors are made of the 8000 and 9000 series based on the 45nm structure. However, she did show us the difference in performances of the various generations of Intel processors.
The star of the platform is none or than the chipset which is first release at the press conference. Intel claimed that the Mobile Intel 45 Express Chipset:
Then came the news that the "Montevina" platform allows switching of Integrated Graphics or Discrete Graphics. This feature goes a long way in saving battery life as well as being environment friendly.
And of course the last dish on the plate belongs to the latest Intel WiFi Link 5000 Series. More specifically, the 5350 model will have WiMax On-board which see us testing on the yacht!
So what does the latest "Montevina" mean for average consumers now?
As Technology always is, the latest might not be suitable for everyone in terms of the price. Laptops with this latest Centrino will surely command a slight premium. No need to rush out to get them but do know that the existing standards have been up.
On the other hand existing platform's laptops are likely to get a price cut.
All right this special post of the series goes out to Kenny! As well as those who need a background of the Centrino to understand why am I making a fuss out of the Intel Press Conference.
What is Intel Centrino?
First of all, Intel Centrino is not a processor. And you will not find a Centrino tag on a desktop, its only for laptops. Essentially, it is a "standard".
Like a student taking the GCE 'O' Level examination. Once
the student met all the passing marks of the various subjects, he/she would be given the 'O' Level certificate. Its the same kind of relationship between a laptop and Intel Centrino. If a laptop is able to be built out of the hardware certified by Intel, the laptop would get the Intel Centrino tag.
Then what makes Intel Centrino?
Basically, there are three parts of the laptops to look at when deciding if it meets the "standards" set by Intel; Processor, Chipset and Wireless Module (a.k.a wireless card).
Wikipedia has all the requirement of the various Intel Centrino generation.
Why Intel Centrino?
Well, it meant for consumers and businesses to better select their laptops. According to Intel, laptops with the Centrino tag shoud deliver a better system performance, longer lasting battery life and a certain level of wireless standards.
And what is codename?
Well Intel likes to name their projects. That is it.
Kenny! Tell me what you think in the Cbox.
A tech tibits blog by a Singaporean. The blogger is a honest man that shares genuinely what he have experienced. His current favourite phone as of 9th August 2016 is Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
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