Samsung 8500 Series Local-Dimming LED TVs Have a Sweet Base

Source: Matt Buchanan, (Gizmodo)

Yeah, the 8500 series is Samsung's first set of LED-backlit LCDs with local dimming this year and has the Yahoo widget engine for streaming video, but all I really care about is that awesome looking blue stick holding it up.
I mean just look at it. It's from the future or something .
The obviously 1080p set is using white LEDs, along with local dimming, unlike say, Sony's which use tri-color LEDs for better color. You can cue up the usual so-great-they're-meaningless measurements you get with LEDs though: 7,000,000: 1 contrast ratio, 2ms, Auto Motion Plus frame interpolation, and an Ultra Clear Panel that "works to improve image clarity and brightness regardless of a room's ambient lighting." But it is only 1.6 inches thick.
There are two models, the 46-inch class (45.9 inches) set for $3600, and the 55-inch class (54.6 inches) for $4500, both out in September.

SAMSUNG INTRODUCES STYLISH NEW LED HDTV THAT DELIVERS EXCELLENT PICTURE QUALITY, CONNECTIVITY AND INTERACTIVE FEATURES
Joining Samsung's Award-winning LED TV Line, 8500 Series Offers Consumers Supreme HD Experience

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J. – July 30, 2009 – Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today unveiled the flagship model of its expanded LED HDTV lineup with the all-new 8500 Series. The new HDTVs combine the award-winning picture quality and thinness of Samsung's previous LED HDTVs, with the latest networking and interactive features, to provide an ideal option to all TV connoisseurs.
"For consumers who are looking for the ultimate HD centerpiece and high-level performance in their home theater, the Samsung 8500 Series delivers break-through quality and design," said John Revie, senior vice president of Visual Display Marketing, Samsung Electronics America.

"The 8500 Series underscores Samsung's dedication to providing a full range of HDTVs that not only achieve the highest levels of picture quality, but also provide unique and immersive entertainment experiences through our Medi@2.0ä suite."
Samsung 8500 LED HDTV Series Pricing and Availability- Price: 46-inch class: $3,599.99 / 55-inch class: $4,499.99- Availability: September 2009

Picture Quality and ControlWith Samsung's innovative use of white LEDs as a backlight source, the 8500 Series is capable of a stunning 7,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio for extreme detail and image depth. Its Wide Color Enhancer Pro ensures that colors are consistently vibrant, while Samsung's Ultra Clear Panel works to improve image clarity and brightness regardless of a room's ambient lighting. The 8500 Series is also compliant with the latest Energy Star® v3.0 ratings, and includes an optimized energy savings mode that adjusts the backlight and picture quality, without sacrificing the overall viewing experience. Additionally, its "Natural" mode optimizes picture settings to model the brightness advantage of LCD displays and the cinema-like richness of plasma displays with any content.

The 8500 Series incorporates an ultra-quick 2ms panel response time, combined with Samsung's latest version of its Auto Motion Plus™ frame interpolation technology that has a true 240Hz refresh rate to significantly improve playback of fast-paced content. Going beyond the three standard Auto Motion Plus™ presets, users can also separately adjust the levels of judder and motion blur reduction for superior picture control.

Connectivity and ContentThe new 8500 Series features Samsung's Medi@2.0ä suite, allowing users to access content from more sources than ever before. The Internet@TV - Content Service, developed in association with Yahoo!, provides onscreen access to popular web-based content from Yahoo! (Flickr, Video, News, Weather, and Finance), USA Today (Sports), Twitter, YouTube, and others. The widgets-based interface and scrollbar are activated with the push of a button, and run along the bottom of the screen for easy browsing of the latest programs and content available.

Even after purchase, consumers will be able to use a growing library of widgets, as the widget development kit is available for other content providers to develop new offerings. Samsung's Medi@2.0ä suite provides wired and wireless DLNA compatibility to enjoy photos, music and videos from a networked PC right on the television. Pre-loaded photos, artwork, games, and recipes are also included for entertaining, and two USB 2.0 connections can be used for playing a plethora of video, photo, and audio files from portable devices, including external hard memory.
Designed to Stand OutMeasuring at just 1.6 inches deep and featuring Samsung's Touch of Color™ (ToC™) bezel, the 8500 Series provides consumers with style and flexibility in an HDTV. Additionally, both the 46-inch and 55-inch models come with a built-in tuner and an array of multimedia connections. Samsung's innovative, ultra-slim wall-mount solution (sold separately) makes installation akin to hanging a picture frame, by reducing the gap between the TV and the wall to a mere 0.6 inches – a major improvement over traditional mounting systems.
Samsung Electronics America's press releases, video content and product images are available at www.samsung.com/newsroom.

2TB Time Capsule Arrives for $500, 1TB Drops to $300

Source: Mark Wilson (Gizmodo)

Apple has just announced a new, 2TB Time Capsule that's available today for $500 (the former price of the 1TB). So the 1TB drops to $300 (the former price of the 500GB).

First LG Chocolate BL40 Official Shots Don't Surprise, Still Stun

Short of price, release date and carrier(s), there's not a whole lot that hasn't been leaked about LG's comically long next generation Chocolate, the BL40. But somehow, these first official shots are still enticing. I mean, look at it.




Shock and mystery, I suppose, are at the core of the BL40's appeal, at least until someone actually gets to try one. For everything we do know, and can see reconfirmed here—the featurephone OS, the 5-megapixel camera, the 21:9 screen, the forward-facing videocalling sensor—there's a less tangible thing that we don't: How does it feel in your pocket? Your hand? How well does browsing work? How does this phone deal with video that's not encoded for silly-wide display? And until we find out that LG hasn't discovered clever and/or magical solutions to these potential issues, ogling is the order of the day.

Source: John Herrman (Gizmodo)

Sony X-Series Walkman Review: Why, Sony? Why?

The Sony Walkman X-series is Sony's premium flash-based portable media player, packing Wi-Fi, noise-cancellation, a redesigned UI and a gorgeous OLED touchscreen. But can it compete with the reigning champ, the iPod Touch? In a word, no.
That's not to say it isn't an impressive player in its own right. It handily beats the Samsung P3 and the Cowon S9, but I'm left wondering who would pick this up instead of a Touch. But if Sony were to stick this UI into one of their Sony Ericsson Walkman musicphones, they might have something powerful indeed.

Physical
The X-series is a very sleek player, similar in size to the Samsung P3 and significantly narrower and shorter than the iPod Touch, though ever so slightly thicker. It's designed with an unusual aesthetic: The sides of the player are this odd sort of rough, glittery metal, similar to unfinished granite, and the back and front bezel are black glass with little shiny sparkles in them, like a granite countertop. It's a nice-looking player, certainly, and it feels very solid in the hand. I just don't totally get the granite thing—it's not spectacularly eye-catching.



On the front of the X-series is the screen, an unbelievably responsive 3-inch OLED capacitive touchscreen, and a large "Home" button underneath the screen, much like the iPod Touch. The screen is crystal clear, the sharpest picture I've ever seen on a PMP—it lives up to the promise of OLED. Viewing angles are limitless, and touch response is great, without any lag at all. Unfortunately, that glass front and back are awful fingerprint magnets, though being glass, it does seem to resist scratching fairly well.

The right side hosts the noise cancellation switch and a surprisingly cheap-feeling volume rocker. The top has the headphone jack and the pleasantly firm play/pause, track forward and back buttons, while the bottom edge is home to the proprietary USB jack. Interestingly, the hold button is a giant semicircle switch on the back of the player—it seems weird, but I actually love how easy it is to reach and how solid it feels. The numerous hardware buttons make it a very nice player to control in the pocket, despite mostly being touch-based player.

The X-series is one of the only PMPs with built-in noise canceling, but it only works with the included earbuds. Fortunately, said earbuds are excellent for freebies, and the noise cancellation worked perfectly on my noisy Chinatown bus ride between Philly and New York City. Noise canceling does slaughter the battery life, though, draining it twice as fast as regular playback. When you're trying to drown out the kind of crazies who take the Chinatown bus, you'll be glad it's there.

Audio quality is a hallmark of Sony's PMP line, and the X-series does, in fact, sound great. It includes a customizable five-band equalizer for audio dorks and some nice sound enhancers like DSEE. On the other hand, you're limited to the lossy codecs Sony supports (MP3, WMA, WMA-DRM, AAC), so it may not be a good choice for serious audiophiles.

User Interface

The home screen has a familiar grid of icons, including Music, Movies, Photos, Podcasts and some more intriguing Wi-Fi-based apps like Slacker, YouTube and Browser. Navigating through lists of artists, songs and albums is very similar to the iPod Touch style with a grab-and-flick interface, though a fast flick leads the list to cycle through a lot faster than the touch, almost like there's less virtual friction, and we'd say it feels just a hair less exact.
At the bottom of the Now Playing screen, there are four icons I've decided to term Back, Navigate, Web, and Options. The icons themselves aren't very literal: The Back icon is a bulleted list, and Navigate is a magnifying glass, so it's slightly confusing at first. But once you touch it, it becomes very clear what each button does, and I had no problems after that.
The "Navigate" button is great: It'll bring up a list containing Artist, Album, Songs, etc that'll let you jump right to that list without having to hit the Back button four times. The iPod Touch doesn't have anything like it, and now I wish it does. The Web button is also really cool: It brings up a screen that'll let you search the track name, artist, or album with Yahoo or YouTube. The Yahoo search brings up hits like Wikipedia and AllMusic, and the YouTube search immediately brings up a ton of music videos, live concert footage and more to watch on the player. Pretty cool stuff. Oddly, the X-series will prompt you to re-connect to a wireless signal every time you try to do one of these searches, and though it remembers your password, it's still annoying.
The X-series also includes an FM radio, and it's worth mentioning because it's one of the stronger FM tuners we've seen in a PMP. It's not like it'll change the way you think about radio, but it does as good a job as you could ask.

Web Apps

The YouTube app is really great, quite similar to that of the iPod touch or iPhone except with a classy sheer black skin to match the X-series' aesthetic. Videos load quickly and are very clear and watchable, provided you've got a solid Wi-Fi connection.
Slacker is another hit for the X-series, giving access to either the free or paid versions of the Pandora-like service with the same skin as the rest of the UI. It's super fast to load and sound quality is excellent.

Unfortunately, Sony's only two for three on the web app front, and the most exciting of its new features is a major fail: Its internet browser—NetFront-based, like PSP and Sony Ericsson—is completely unusable garbage. All text entry is done via an infuriating T9 interface (why not just rotate to a landscape QWERTY? There's plenty of room!) that's inexact and totally unhelpful. It requires you to type in "http://www." before every URL. Even if you've got the patience to sit there for ten minutes to type "http://www.gizmodo.com/", the browser can only manage those dinky mobile sites without totally freaking out. Browsing full sites is an exercise in futility, as the two zoom buttons don't always work, you can't navigate before a site has fully loaded and tapping links is inexact and frustrating. Basically, it's worthless as a web browser, which is a huge disappointment. This image pretty much sums up the X-series web browsing experience



Desktop Software

The X-series has both a MTP (Windows-only) and a UMS (shows up as a drive, compatible with Mac and Linux as well), though UMS must be switched on before each connection. That means it'll work with most any media player, save iTunes. Sony's "Media Manager" software is included, but it's pretty awful, very archaic and difficult to use, and won't convert video unless you pay for the "Pro" upgrade. That last part is a real killer for the X-series' video capabilities.
Speaking of video conversion, you'll be doing a lot of it, since the X-series only supports a few video codecs and none of the common pirate formats (Matroska, XviD) are included, unlike the pirate-friendly Samsung P3. I used Cucusoft and was able to get a few MPEG-4 videos onto the player, but your average user will definitely have trouble figuring it out. None of the WMVs I tried would work, and I never was able to get a great-quality video on to test out what the OLED screen can really do. iSquint for Mac does work, but the quality, while totally watchable, is disappointing: On an OLED screen like this, you want to be blown away by video quality, and I wasn't.

Audio codec support is disappointing too, considering the X-series' stellar audio performance: The only lossless format is WAV, which nobody will use due to its massive file size. Besides the preferred lossless formats, more niche codecs like OGG aren't supported either. The player has incredible capabilities, yet Sony cripples it by limiting its compatibility—they could have courted the audiophile market, but 320kbps mp3 files can only sound so good.



Price and Conclusion

The X-series, according to Sony, is a premium gadget and thus commands premium prices—coincidentally the same prices as the iPod Touch. The 16GB version costs $300, with the 32GB going for $400. The difference is that the iPod Touch comes with a massive App Store for boatloads of new features, not to mention an accelerometer, a web browser that won't make you long for the days of WAP, tons of accessories, and software that actually works. The X-series just can't compete with that.

The X-series is a really solid player: The form factor is nice, the screen is incredible, sound and video quality are as high as these things get, and it comes with built-in noise canceling. If it were $50 cheaper, I'd have no hesitation about recommending it over the Samsung P3 and Cowon S9, but if you're spending at that level, you'd be buying the wrong machine if you chose the Sony.
On the other hand, we do see a successful future if Sony put a phone version of this up against Nokia's XpressMusic. It could never be a smartphone, not in this shape, but it could be a great music-based dumphone.

Sony understands that PMPs can't just be PMPs anymore: basic iPods aren't selling like they used to, and the Touch is part of a mobile computing platform. But to just stuff in some Wi-Fi features without thinking about software expandability or even a usable browser—that's not going to cut it these days. Sadly, despite all the things the X-series does right, it's emblematic of Sony's current slide into muddled mediocrity.


(+) Beautiful and responsive OLED touchscreen

(+)Great size

(+)Nice extra features like noise canceling and YouTube

(+)Excellent sound quality

(=)UI is sometimes unclear, but has more options than iPod Touch

(=)Battery life is above average but not thrilling

(-)Web browser is complete garbage

(-)Frustrating T9 text entry system

(-)Limited audio and video codec support, and video conversion is a pain
Too expensive

Source: Dan Nosowitz, (Gizmodo)

Nokia N86 arrives in Malaysia

Source: Wern Shern (Lowyat.net)

Earlier today, we stopped by the Islamic Arts Museum for the launch of the new Nokia N86 8MP. This launch comes barely a day after Nokia Malaysia released two new models to the local market - the business centric E52 and the 5739 Xpress Music - and should keep all hardcore Malaysian Nokia fans satisfied till the Finnish phone makers release their next batch of mobiles in about two months time.The Nokia N86 was built with a strong emphasis put on photography, so much so that this 8MP camera phone has even been bestowed (according to the press release) with the title of Nokia’s best mobile imaging device. But if that’s not enough recognition for you, then the TIPA Award for Best Mobile Imaging Device in 2009 that’s tucked comfortably in the N86’s belt should do the trick.

Understanding that a high megapixel count alone does not ensure quality photos, Nokia has enlisted the use of a wide-angle Carl Zeiss Tessar lens along with some noticeable changes to the camera software. Users can now take ultra-wide panorama shots (click on the image below for full sized view) with just one simple step, as well as take sharp pictures of fast-movie targets thanks to a fast mechanical shutter and Automatic Motion Blur Reduction.

The N86 also comes with some subtle touches to its finish that make it look more upscale, such as the use of a hardened-glass 2.6-inch OLED display, sleek metal trim around the bezel, and a handy (and programmable) kick stand at the back of the phone. N-Gage gaming capabilities, A-GPS with geotagging features, HSDPA connectivity, 802.11b/g connectivity, and a 3.5mm stereo headphone plug round off an impressive roster of functions on the N86.Available in two colors - black and white - the N86 retails for RM1880. The full feature list of the Nokia N86 8MP is available here: http://tinyurl.com/l4jvhp. More pictures from today's event are available after the jump.

Ipoh Touch Killer

Source: Huei (Lowyat.net)


There are tons of of ‘iPhone killers’ on the market - we’ve seen other vendors making similar interfaces and trying to be better - but Creative is trying to kill the iPod Touch instead with the recently revealed Creative Zii Egg Plaszma. An Android-powered device with a 3.5” display, the Zii Egg comes with an internal memory of 32GB and is expandable to 64GB with a SDHC memory card. With GPS and Wi-Fi, it also supports Flash Lite, and it can play 1080p format videos. Priced at USD$199 without tying customers up to with any particular telco (since it's not a phone), the Zii Egg isn't available in the US yet. I wonder when or if they’ll ever bring it in to Malaysia. The design isn't very appealing though, and they should probably work on that before trying to compete with Apple.

Microsoft and Yahoo challenge Google: Bing it on

Source: The Star Online


SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Microsoft finally persuaded Yahoo to surrender control of the Internet's second most popular search engine and join it in a daunting battle - taking on the overwhelming dominance of Google in the online advertising market.
A 10-year deal announced Wednesday gives Microsoft its best shot yet to show its new search technology, Bing, is as good as or better than Google's. Microsoft also hopes to use Yahoo to divert sales from Google, which generates more than $20 billion a year from ads.
Gaining access to Yahoo's audience would instantly more than triple Bing's U.S. market share to 28 percent.
That's still a far cry from the remarkable 65 percent of U.S. searches handled by Google, according to the research firm comScore Inc.
By joining forces, Microsoft and Yahoo are betting they will be able to focus on their respective strengths.
By turning over responsibility for search technology to Microsoft, Yahoo can concentrate on sales of billboard-style advertising on the Web - and figuring out how to keep luring traffic to its Web sites, which already attract more than 570 million people worldwide every month.
While the agreement shapes up as a potential boon for Microsoft, it was greeted in the stock market as a letdown for Yahoo.
Just 14 months ago, Microsoft dangled $9 billion in front of Yahoo in an attempt to forge a search advertising partnership, only to be rebuffed. Yahoo had also turned down Microsoft's $47.5 billion bid to buy the entire company.
Yahoo has been struggling so badly since then that Microsoft isn't paying any money in advance.
Instead, it will give Yahoo 88 percent of the search ad sales made on its Web site, above the usual commission of 70 to 80 percent.
By spending less on its own search technology, Yahoo expects to boost its annual operating profit by about $500 million - but not until 2012, when the two companies expect to have all the pieces of a complex technological puzzle in place.
"I think a lot of people are kind of looking at the numbers and seeing a lot of question marks where they expected to see exclamation points," said Scott Kessler, a Standard & Poor's equity analyst.
Yahoo Inc. shares plunged $2.08, or 12 percent, to $15.14 as investors expressed disappointment over the absence of an immediate windfall. Microsoft Corp. shares gained 33 cents to $23.80 while Google Inc. shares shed $3.61 to $436.24.
It took Carol Bartz, Yahoo's chief executive, just six months to strike a deal with Microsoft - something that neither of her predecessors, Terry Semel and Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang, seemed interested in doing.
"This move makes up for a lot of the stupid mistakes made by the preceding administration," said technology analyst Rob Enderle, who thinks Yahoo will be able to devote more energy to developing services to compete with online hangouts like Facebook.
Shortly after her arrival, Bartz made it clear she was willing to farm out Yahoo's search engine for "boatloads of money" as long as she thought the company would still get adequate information about its users' interests.
Bartz predicted the deal will enrich the company over the long run.
"This agreement comes with boatloads of value for Yahoo, our users, and the industry," Bartz said.
Yahoo will have limited access to the data on users' searches, which yield insights that can be used to pick out ads more likely to pique a person's interest.
The value of that information is why Microsoft wants to process more search requests.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer could barely contain his excitement as he gushed about finally getting Yahoo on his side - something he has been trying to do for at least three years.
"I am very enthusiastic," Ballmer said in an interview.
"This is what I have basically been saying for the past 18 months: The world will be better served for consumers, advertisers and publishers, and there will be more competition for Google, if we can somehow figure out how to get Microsoft and Yahoo together in search."
Antitrust regulators plan to review the agreement to make sure it doesn't lessen competition or compromise the privacy of people who use the search engines.
Google tried to stop Yahoo from falling into Microsoft's camp. Last year it formed its own proposed search advertising deal with Yahoo, only to be forced to retreat after U.S. antitrust officials threatened to sue.
Microsoft helped spearhead the campaign against a Google-Yahoo partnership. Now many people, including Ballmer, expect Google to try to turn the tables on Microsoft by opposing its Yahoo deal.
"There has traditionally been a lot of competition online, and our experience is that competition brings about great things for users," Google spokesman Adam Kovacevich said. "We're interested to learn more about the deal."
Advertisers will probably support Microsoft because a stronger player in the search market should protect them from potential abuses by Google, said Kevin Lee, CEO of online marketing specialist Didit Inc.
"If there's only one choice in search, that's just an uncomfortable position to be in," Lee said.
Like Yahoo, Microsoft has invested billions in search technology during the past decade. Yet it remained a distant third in market share while its online losses piled up.
Microsoft is counting on Bing, unveiled last month, to turn things around.
Bing has been getting mostly positive reviews and picking up slightly more traffic with the help of a $100 million marketing campaign. Analysts believe the successful debut pushed Microsoft to reopen negotiations so it could expose its search engine improvements to a wider audience.
While Microsoft and Yahoo await government approval of their partnership, there is no doubt Google will try to increase its lead by upgrading its own search engine, said Danny Sullivan, editor of the online newsletter SearchEngineLand.
Already, Google is going after Microsoft's bread-and-butter business of software for personal computers. It's working on a free operating system for inexpensive PCs, a move that could threaten Microsoft's Windows.
"Google is very paranoid about Microsoft," Sullivan said. "They are always trying to figure out what kind of 'evil' thing Microsoft is going to do next."

Kodak Zi8 Wallops Flip With 1080p, Image Stabilizer and SD Slot

Source: Wilson Rothman (Gizmodo)

Kodak's almost-glimpsed product tease was indeed a new pocket cam, potentially their best yet. Launching with an MSRP of $180, it will overpower the Flip Ultra HD with 1080p recording, an electronic image stabilizer, SDHC card slot and other enhancements.
The list of improvements continues: The Zi8 will shoot 5-megapixel stills, track faces of subjects and, according to Kodak, "see more details and accurate colors in low light." Now that's something we're looking forward to, especially since low light seems to be the biggest bane of these Flip-class cameras.
The Flip UltraHD, which sells for the same amount, only shoots 720p, has no removable storage, and only earned qualified praise from us.
By contrast, one big reason to have high hopes for the Zi8 is that we already loved its predecessor, the Zi6, though we weren't terribly impressed with its cheaper weatherproof sibling, the Zx1. [Kodak]

Press Release:

KODAK Zi8 Pocket Video Camera brings sleek style and high-performance to pocket video
Easily shoot and share high-quality 1080p HD video
Rochester, NY, July 29, 2009 - Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE:EK) today announced an exciting new addition to its popular line of Digital Video Cameras – the KODAK Zi8 Pocket Video Camera, featuring a sleek design, high-quality full 1080p High Definition video capture, and built-in electronic image stabilization.

"Images and video have tremendous power to help us stay connected to family and friends," says Phil Scott, Worldwide Director of Marketing, Digital Capture and Devices and Vice President, Consumer Digital Group. "The KODAK Zi8 Pocket Video Camera makes it easy to spontaneously capture HD video – of heartwarming moments, of ‘can you believe that?' moments, and of just plain laugh-out-loud moments – and then quickly and easily share them."

The slim and stylish KODAK Zi8 Pocket Video Camera is designed to meet these needs at the touch of a button — no lens cap, dials to turn or settings to adjust. The new camera's range of advanced features includes:

• Full HD 1080p video capture wherever you go;

• Built-in electronic image stabilization for sharper videos and reduced blurring;• Vivid 2.5" color LCD;

• Flexible swing-out USB arm for fast uploading, sharing, and charging;

• 5 MP 16:9 widescreen HD still pictures;

• Easy upload to Facebook and YouTube;• Compatible with PC and Mac operating systems;• Record up to 10 hours of HD video* with the expandable SD/SDHC card slot that can hold up to 32 GB;

• Capture family and friends in their best light with smart face tracking technology;• See more details and accurate colors in low light;• External microphone jack;• In-box HDMI cable;• Record from a distance or playback on your TV conveniently with optional KODAK Pocket Video remote control;

• Grab attention and define your style with the ultra compact design, stunning looks, and a range of colors.Uploading to Facebook and YouTubeThe KODAK Zi8 Pocket Video Camera provides one-button upload to Facebook, the premiere social networking and sharing website. Content can also be quickly and easily uploaded to YouTube, the world's most popular online video community. The built-in software on the camera allows seamless upload of your video and pictures from the same desktop interface used for video editing and movie creation.AccessoriesA range of accessories are available for the KODAK Zi8 Pocket Video Camera, including:

• KODAK SDHC Memory Cards, available in 4, 8, and 16GB capacities customized for optimal video capture;

• KODAK Pocket Video Remote control;• KODAK KLIC-7004 Lithium Ion batteries;• KODAK Flexi-tripod;

• KODAK Adventure Mount for helmet, handlebars and more;• KODAK cases, camera bags and neck straps.Pricing and AvailabilityThe KODAK Zi8 Pocket Video Camera will be available in aqua, raspberry and black** from September, 2009, and retail for US$179.95 MSRP.*Record approximately 20 minutes per 1GB at HD 30fps.** Color availability may vary.

The Many Problems With Apple's Tablet

Source: Adam Frucci (Gizmodo)




Everyone has their panties in a twist over rumors of this upcoming Apple Tablet, but has anyone actually stopped to think about how Apple's going to address all the potential issues? Because there are quite a few.

Think about it: the rumors are of essentially a gigantic iPod Touch with a 3G connection. It's a web tablet, right? But we live in a time where $300 netbooks are the norm. Are people going to really be willing to part with $800 for a gussied-up netbook with a touchscreen and Apple design?

Sure, fanboys will drop money on anything that Apple puts out, but what features are people expecting this to have to make it worth the scratch?

eBook Reader—People are saying Apple is taking aim at the Kindle with this. But this won't deliver anything that a laptop doesn't other than making it easier to hold like a book. But it still has an LCD screen, which people don't like reading books on as much as eInk or paper. And it'll definitely cost way more than the Kindle.

Web Surfing — You can do this on a netbook for a fraction of the price.

iTunes Album Art — This is little more than an added bonus, not a selling point for a piece of hardware.

Gaming — Sure, gaming on the iPhone can be annoying because your fingers get in the way. But do you know what's more annoying? Using a touchscreen for gaming in the first place. Gaming on the iPhone is annoying because it's a touchscreen, not because it's a small touchscreen.

And there are serious issues with the entire idea of a tablet platform.

Typing—How do people envision typing on this thing? Are you going to lie it flat on your desk? Flat on your lap? And how is typing going to work on a flat surface? You won't be using your thumbs like on the iPhone. There's a reason laptops are designed the way they are with the screen at an angle to the keyboard.

Apps—Is this going to run a modified version of the iPod Touch OS or a gimped version of OS X? If it's just a big iPod Touch, we're looking at apps designed for a totally different resolution and control scheme that will then be made to work on this. How is that worth it? Is there going to be a new category in the App Store for this device, making you buy your apps over again for this new format? In what way will it straddle the line between MacBook and iPod Touch?

Performance—The iPhone is not the fastest way to surf the web, but we're OK with that because it's a phone. The tablet will be closer to a laptop, and we'll expect laptop speeds out of it. No dice. It's going to have the power of a netbook, but with less space to stuff components due to its lack of a keyboard. There's no way this will perform at a high level without it costing as much as a MacBook Pro.

There's just nothing to justify what will probably be a $700-$800 device here. Sure, it'll be slick. It looks like something from Star Trek and when it's announced, we'll all want one. The idea of lying on the couch and dicking around on the internet on a beautiful, thin slab is appealing.

But like the MacBook Air when it was first announced, after the lust wears off we'll be looking at a middle-of-the-road computer in fancy packaging that costs twice as much as comparable devices.

And the last time I checked, the economy isn't doing so hot. So really, unless Apple has an ace up their sleeve and is going to either give this some functionality we haven't thought of yet or is going to sell it for under $500, I can't imagine the demand being all that high for it.

But hell, maybe I'm underestimating the value of design. Will this thing be sexy enough to justify spending a whole lot of money on something that, functionally speaking, won't do all that much that's special?

Apple Tablet Probability Meter: 80% Chance, 4 Months Away

Source: Jesus Diaz (Gizmodo)


We have been tracking the Apple Tablet for longer than I want to remember. Here's an update on the probability of it happening at all, and when we think it will launch if it does.

As far as I'm concerned, I've wanted a son of Newton since Jobs cancelled it, and I've been gagging for it since the iPhone. The latest solid rumor came from the Financial Times, which claimed that the entertainment industry "is hoping that Apple, which revolutionized the markets for music players and phones, can do it again with the new device." Suggesting it will be more giant iPod touch (good—as the iPod touch could scale up into new form factors) than pure Mac OS X Tablet (bad—as pure Mac OS X will be hard to scale down). A project with the music industry—codenamed Cocktail—will be announced in September, according to this source. The same sources point that "the device could be launched alongside the new content deals." The new content will also include books, which will put the device in direct competition against Amazon's Kindle.

The Financial Times article is vague about this, however, mentioning Apple "racing" to have the tablet available for the holiday shopping season. That may mean an announcement in September, followed by availability after Thanksgiving. That's four months away. Another article—this time from the China Times—points at an October release, which puts the thingamajig only three months away. And yet another Chinese paper claims a September or October release. Apple Insider claims that it will be available in 2010.

I'm personally inclined to trust the Financial Times rumor. Not only because of them being so adamant about their multiple sources, but because the timing makes a lot more sense than the other options. It also makes sense to announce it in this entertainment event, which will most probably include announcements for the updated nano and touch—minor updates for already-established products that only add cameras, confirmed by a myriad of new cases from China.

The big bang, however, could be the newest member of the iPod/iPhone family: The Apple Tablet. Like the iPhone—which was originally announced alongside other products during a MacWorld keynote—the Tablet won't cannibalize any existing product sales, so it makes sense to drum up the hype like they did with the iPhone, building excitement for the shopping season.

Matt, on the other hand, thinks that the device could be announced on an event on its own. His rationale is that it's too important to be released alongside other products. To me it makes more sense to tell the public that, while big—literally and metaphorically speaking—this is "another iPod", and the third model of a new family of iPhone OS-based products—a potential family which, incidentally, has been hinted by Jobs and the rest of the Apple executive team.

Whenever it is actually announced, however, the general consensus is that the tablet exists—even John Gruber is certain about it, and he rarely fails. The question now is when. According to our Apple Tablet Probability Meter, you're 80% likely to be able to buy one in four months.

More Excitements from Nokia

Source: Huei (Lowyat.net)




Stop complaining about poor battery life already because the Nokia E52 is now commercially available in Malaysia. Packed with a BP-4L 1500 mAh battery, it offers a standby time of up to 672 hours – that’s almost an entire month! This latest addition in Nokia’s Eseries portfolio comes with an upgraded Email facility that works perfectly with Nokia Messaging service. For a price of RM1,295, the E52 offers a 3.2MP camera with autofocus and LED flash, assisted GPS with Nokia Maps, and a MicroSD card which supports up to 16GB.

Nokia also released their first XpressMusic phone with a QWERTY keyboard – the Nokia 5730. With an improved Home Screen, the 5730 provides access to music, people, games, email and calendar while the improved contacts bar can fit up to 20 contacts. It is also an ideal gaming device as it is compatible with Nokia N-Gage games, granting it a direct access to the N-Gage Arena community. It is packed with a 3.2MP camera, Wi-Fi enable as well as supports HSDPA connectivity. The Nokia 5730 is available in any Nokia store in Malaysia at a RRP of RM1,350.

For full technical specifications of the Nokia E52, check out the Nokia website at
http://www.nokia.com/NOKIA_COM_1/Press/Materials/White_Papers/pdf_files/data_sheets_2009/Nokia_E52_Datasheet.pdf

For full technical specifications of Nokia 5730, refer to Nokia website at
http://www.nokia.com/NOKIA_COM_1/Press/Materials/White_Papers/pdf_files/data_sheets_2009/Nokia_5730_XpressMusic_data_sheet.pdf

Samsung LED LCD UN46B7000 HDTV Lightning Review: Avoid!

Source: Brian Lam (Gizmodo)


Generally, I love LED LCDs. The UN46B7000 is Samsung's set with 120Hz refresh and internet widgets. It's not backlit, like the XBR8, but sidelit, and is as thin as two of your fingers. You should avoid buying this set.

The Price: $3000

The Verdict: The problem is that this set dims the sidelights whenever the program material gets dark, and it does it in the most ungraceful way ever. Check out the menu that I popped on screen, merely to show you what happens to white material on screen when the backlight is dimmed to increase black level.

So, if there's a scene in a movie where there's a moonlit night, the lighting in this set would crank everything down, including the moon itself. Backlit LED tvs can turn off individual lights to increase blacks, yet keep LEDs lit in the area around the on screen moon; this set idiotically turns everything off. (*Some other sets do this for energy savings, but there's always a way to set the backlight to a consistent brightness level.)

I didn't even benchmark the set after this, as there was no need for me to measure other features when the set had such a glaring problem, which Samsung claims is not a bug. Oddly, many technical reviewers glossed over this fact, giving this set editor choice awards while brushing away the issue.

My impressions of the rest of the set are here, however:
• The TV's colors are inflated like a lot of LCDs but the picture and motion handling are pretty damn comparable to any modern late model LCD.

• There are no buttons on the set, so if you lose your remote, you're fucked.

• The TV is about 1.2 inches thick, and all the ports are tucked nicely away on the side. But because the case is so thin, the speakers sound terribly thin. Worse than on an old 22 inch TV I have in the back of the house.

• The case's translucent edges are among the best designed cases of any modern gadget, in my opinion.

• The internet widgets and content take a long minute to boot up and include Flickr, twitter and weather apps. They aren't worth the $150-$200 over the 6000 series which eliminate these extras. There's a media streamer (which I didn't test) recipes, simple video games, exercises, art and animated children's songs, like this really freaky one about having the munchies.

Off axis viewing isn't great, but isn't bad.
• If you have noise reduction on on this set, it will strip the grain from movies, practically, making everything look like it was shot on a cheap digital camcorder. Turn it off.

• It's worth repeating that this set is generally gorgeous.

• Like all LED sets, they're energy efficient. But again, there's no localized dimming with this set, which is side, not backlit.

The good news is that Samsung can fix this dimming issue by firmware. The bad news is that I haven't heard they even believe its an issue yet. I've never been so irritated by such a beautiful TV and recommend you steer clear.

(+)A nice picture


(+)Super thin


(-) Dimming sidelight issues.


(-) Sounds thin


(-)Expensive

Samsung's 1GHz Chip May Come To Next Gen iPhone and Pre

Source: Rosa Golijan (Gizmodo)& William Hook

Samsung and Intrinsity have announced one of the fastest low-power chip designs to date and are hinting that we may soon see iPhones and Pres running at a brisk 1GHz.

Code-named "Hummingbird," this new chip is designed with smartphones in mind as it balances power consumption and high clock speeds. The best part is that hints are flying about how easily this processor could be adjusted for the Apple of our eyes:

Samsung could drop Hummingbird into the existing S5PC100 design with few or no changes," Halfhill said in response to an e-mail query, referring to the S5PC100 processor now used in the iPhone 3GS. "Bingo! A next-gen iPhone that could run at speeds up to 1.0GHz," he said.

Will we soon be playing with iPhones and Pres running 1 GHz? Or will they be limited by design? I just know that my heart rate matches a hummingbird's at the thought of a 3G S(uper) S(peedy). [CNET]

Withings WiFi Body Scale Transmits Your Shame To The Internet, iPhone

Source: Sean Fallon (Gizmodo)



The Withings scale backs up its high-tech look with high-tech WiFi functionality—wisking your weight and body fat measurements to a web dashboard that can be accessed via a free iPhone app.
The point, of course, is to track your measurements over time to help motivate you to achieve your fitness goals. It even compares your measurements to "ideal" values as an added incentive. If you are serious about getting fit, keeping a record of your progress is always a good idea—although at $183, only serious food and gadget junkies need apply.

Too Many Friends gives Bill Gates a Headache

Source: Mashable.Com & Lowyat.net

While most people are randomly adding friends they don’t even know on Facebook, Bill Gates is running away from it. Recently, Bill Gates confessed at a gathering that Facebook was just creating too much trouble for him so he just stopped using it altogether. He even commented that Facebook could be a “waste of time”. It is not surprising that some people just dislike the idea of Facebook, but coming from the founder of Microsoft saying that it’s too hard to keep up with the number of people adding him, is just downright weird!

Affordable Processors from AMD

Source: Huei (Lowyat.net)

Despite how the notebook PC market is soaring above the demand for desktop PCs, the need of a big machine with high performance and even higher reliability still exists – while your notebook is around traveling with you, it’s always nice to have a desktop at home to do all the other things such as downloads, playing games and even sharing of multimedia contents. Recently, AMD announced the latest AMD Athlon II X2 dual-core 245 and 240 processors, affordable and powerful processors to handle today’s popular mainstream applications.

For less than USD $67 (approximately RM250), the new processors perfectly compliments with AMD chipsets to deliver a vivid visual experience, smooth multitasking, exceptional digital media performance, and it is energy efficient too. Find out more about these processors from AMD bloggers for home and for play at AMD for Home and AMD for Play.

Sony Jumps into Sharp LCD Manufacturing Venture

Source: Dailytech.Com



Sony will spend $1.1 billion on the venture

Sony and Sharp are two of the larger companies in the LCD and electronics business. The two firms have announced that Sony will likely invest about 100 billion yen, or roughly $1.1 billion into a joint LCD venture with Sharp.

Sony had announced last year, reports Reuters, that it would be taking a 34% stake in a joint venture with Sharp to manage a Sharp LCD manufacturing facility. The facility in question cost Sharp 380 billion yen and is located in the Japanese city of Sakai.

Reuters reports that Sony and Sharp have not yet come to an agreement on the percentage of the stake and the investment split. Shares in both companies rose on the news with Sony up 2.2% and Sharp up 2.7%.

Final plans for the venture are expected to be complete by the end of July. Sony's initial investment is pegged at about 50 to 60 billion yen, but will eventually climb to over 100 billion yen. The deal benefits both firms differently. Sony will get a steady supply of LCD panels and Sharp gets a partner to help with the costs of the plant.

Sharp previously announced that it would be starting operating at the plant in October to provide screens for the LCD market as demand is starting to build. The facility is the first to use 10th generation glass substrates that are larger and reduce production costs.

Altec Lansing FX3021

Source: AltecLansing.Com


expressionist™ PLUS
Compact speaker system for computers & MP3 players with powerful, deep, rich sound
The Expressionist™ Plus music system is a serious performer in a small package. The stylish, adjustable satellites deliver pure, distinct full-spectrum sound from precision-engineered 2” speakers and the 5.25” space-saving desktop subwoofer fills your space with deep bass. Tuck the compact subwoofer under your desk or on your desktop. Set-up is a snap, so enjoy terrific sound from your computer, CD, DVD, or MP3 player right out of the box.

# Audio Alignment™
Drivers, enclosure and electronics are balanced for optimum sound.

# Crystal-clear Sound
Precision-engineered 2” speaker drivers delivers pure, distinct full-spectrum audio. [Intl: 50 mm].

# Convenient design
Adjustable base lets you direct the sound straight to your ears.

# Desktop Subwoofer
Feel exceptional bass from a down-firing, long-throw 5.25” woofer. [Intl: 135 mm].

# Built-in controls
Power and volume are at your fingertips.

# AUX IN Jack
For connecting portable CD, DVD, and MP3 players.

Microsoft Gives Europeans Choice of Browser Instead of None by Default

Source: Rosa Golijan (Gizmodo)

Microsoft's newest attempt to appease the EU is to create a system in which end users can choose their browsers. (Imagine that! Choice!) This is a change from Microsoft's previous offer to remove Internet Explorer completely from Windows 7.

It was decided that Microsoft's "Hey! We'll just leave all browsers out completely!" would result in headaches for some consumers who would struggle to download any browser without being able to use Internet Explorer to do so. The new approach is to sell Windows PCs with Internet Explorer as the default browser, but to present users with a "ballot screen" which allows them to select and "easily install competing browsers from the Web." That's not all though:

In addition, (computer makers) would be able to install competing Web browsers, set those as default and disable Internet Explorer should they so wish. The Commission welcomes this proposal, and will now investigate its practical effectiveness in terms of ensuring genuine consumer choice.

There's a catch of sorts in that there aren't any specifics on how competing browsers will be selected for the "ballot", so the jury's still out on just how accommodating Microsoft is really being. [CNET]

Apple iPod Touch with Camera and Microphone

Source: Huei (Lowyat.net)


According to rumors, Apple will be coming out with a new generation of iPod Touch, this time, equipped with a camera and microphone. If you are one of those who do not wish to pay too much or get tied to a telco for too long, this may be the perfect iPhone alternative. With Wi-Fi on board, the only thing that will set it apart from the iPhone if the rumors are true, will be the inability to make calls – we can live with that, afterall, most of the funs found in iPhone comes from the thousands of applications available. There are no rumors though about which processor Apple is going to use for this new product, lets just hope that it’ll share the same one as the iPhone 3GS.

Canon develops new Hybrid Image Stabilizer technology

by Wern Shen (Lowyat.net)

Shaky hands are the bane of all (amateur) photographers, but with the help of image stabilization, the effects can be effectively minimized. However, camera producers Canon don't seem content with the current technology level of today's image stabilizers and have developed an enhanced hybrid image stabilizer that not only compensates for angle camera shake, but also helps to reduce the adverse effects of shift camera shake too.

From the press release:

The Hybrid IS is the answer to camera users’ woes with several different preventative methods and corrective procedures. It compensates for errors caused by camera shake, which occurs when a camera moves while its shutter is open and its image sensor is exposed to light.

The new Hybrid IS technology incorporates an angular velocity sensor that detects the extent of angle-based shaking and is found in all previous optical image stabilizer mechanisms, as well as a new acceleration sensor that determines the amount of shift-based camera shake. Hybrid IS also employs a newly developed algorithm that synthesizes information from the two sensors to make optimal adjustments, thereby dramatically enhancing the effects of image stabilization during shooting, including macro shooting, which had proven difficult for conventional image stabilization technologies.


For more information on Canon's new Hybrid IS, visit read the full press release after the jump.


Canon Developes World’s First Image Stabilizer

Hybrid Image Stabilizer to compensate for two types of camera shake


KUALA LUMPUR, 22nd July 2009— Canon Marketing (Malaysia), a global leader in photographic and digital imaging solutions, announced today the development of Hybrid Image Stabilizer (IS), the world’s first* optical image stabilization technology that compensates for both angle camera shake and shift camera shake. The technology will be featured in interchangeable single lens reflex (SLR) camera lens planned for commercial release before the end of 2009.



The Hybrid IS is the answer to camera users’ woes with several different preventative methods and corrective procedures. It compensates for errors caused by camera shake, which occurs when a camera moves while its shutter is open and its image sensor is exposed to light.



History of Excellence

Canon began researching methods to compensate for camera shake in the 1980s, and in 1995 launched the EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, the world’s first interchangeable SLR camera lens to feature a mechanism that compensates for optical camera shake. Since then, the company has continued to produce a variety of interchangeable lenses with image stabilization capabilities, and boasts a total of 21 such lenses in its current product lineup.



Solution to Camera Shakes

Canon’s newly developed Hybrid IS technology optimally compensates for angle and shift camera shake. Sudden changes in camera angle can significantly alter images taken during standard shooting, whereas shift-based shaking, which occurs when a camera moves parallel to the imaging scene, is more pronounced in macro photography and other close-range shooting.



The new Hybrid IS technology incorporates an angular velocity sensor that detects the extent of angle-based shaking and is found in all previous optical image stabilizer mechanisms, as well as a new acceleration sensor that determines the amount of shift-based camera shake. Hybrid IS also employs a newly developed algorithm that synthesizes information from the two sensors to make optimal adjustments, thereby dramatically enhancing the effects of image stabilization during shooting, including macro shooting, which had proven difficult for conventional image stabilization technologies.



Canon is actively engaged in ongoing research and development of interchangeable SLR camera lenses incorporating Hybrid IS technology, and is aiming for the early commercialization and inclusion of the lenses in a wide range of products.

A Centrifuge Spin Cycle A Day Keeps the Muscle Loss Away...In Space

Source: Rosa Golijan (Gizmodo)

Experiments are showing that muscle loss caused by prolonged periods spent in zero gravity could be prevented (or at least lessened) by daily spins in a centrifuge. Just thinking about this makes me nauseous, so there goes being an astronaut.

Remember those "pillownauts"? Just like them, folks at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston are spending weeks at a time in bed, except they're also spending an hour each day being spun around in a centrifuge designed by NASA. The idea is that creating an effect that feels like standing against "a force two and half times that of gravity" will assist in restoring muscle synthesis (and thereby possibly preventing muscle loss).

While the study takes detailed measurements of protein synthesis and muscle breakdown, UTMB associate professor Douglas Paddon-Jones warns that it's not without flaws:

"[T]he rate of muscle protein synthesis alone does not necessarily predict changes in muscle function. But, he pointed out, it was still a strong indicator that a relatively brief intervention could have a positive effect in preventing zero-gravity muscle loss - one that might also be applied on Earth.

Paddon-Jones continues on to explain that joy rides in centrifuges aren't the end-all solution to the muscle loss issues in space, but at least the study also has potential for clinical applications for the immobile and elderly suffering down here. [Journal of Applied Physiology via Science Daily]

Loop-In Concept Allows Users To Surf on Sidewalks

By Don Nguyen (Gizmodo)

The Loop-In transportation concept hopes to combine the sensations of surfing and skating in to one device that users can use anywhere.

The outside wheels have the ability to maneuver on a wide variety of surfaces and rotate independently of the board. The designers expect their wheel/board setup will give users the feeling of "pushing on a wave continuously". Hopefully there are plans to manufacture the Loop-In soon, though I doubt it will be able to replicate the thrill of getting barreled.

iPhone 3G S, Now More Affordable

Source: Lowyat.net (Huei)

The new 16GB and 32GB iPhone 3GS is now available for order to new and existing Maxis customers – thank god we don’t have to wait another couple of months while the rest of the world is already enjoying these new toys. This time, the prices for these new models are much more affordable compared with the previous packages.

The iPhone 3GS comes with many new features that set it apart from its predecessor - aside from providing more storage capacity of up to 32GB of internal memory, it also comes with improved performance and upgraded 3D graphics; making it 2 times faster and more responsive than iPhone 3G. The iPhone 3GS now also allow users to send multimedia messages, an important feature that was missing previously.

If you’re curious, the 8GB iPhone 3G is still available for purchase at a recommended retail price of RM1990 (previously RM2540); subjected to vary according to the different packages available. For more details on pricing or to book your very own iPhone 3GS, log on to www.maxis.com.my/iphone3gs.

Shure SRH Over-the-Ear Headphones for People Who Don't Like Brain Tickling

Source: Jesus Diaz (Gizmodo)

I've tried in-ear headphones and I just can't stand them. That's why I walk around like an 80s DJ nowadays, with big over-the-ear muffs and Rick James t-shirt. That's why Shure wasn't on my list of potential headphones until today.

Shure has always been famous for their in-ear headphones, which to me feel like they are tickling my brain. Their new SRH line has three models. The ones above these lines are the top of the line $250 SRH840. According to Shure, they have 40mm neodymium dynamic drivers and are optimized "for studio recording and critical listening" with 102dB/mW sensitivity and 5 Hz - 25 kHz frequency range.

The $125 Shure SRH240 also has 40mm drivers, 105 dB sensitivity (1kHz), and a 10 Hz - 22 kHz frequency range. The bottom model—the $75 SRH240 only has a 20 Hz - 20 kHz range. [Shure via MacWorld]

German University Constructs Giant Planet-Saving Spherical Building

Source: Gizmodo

The Bibliosphere, an administration and student services buiding at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, is both an ecological and architectural achievement. It's incredibly environmentally-friendly, and did we mention it's a giant sphere?

The Bibliosphere is focused on sustainability, with natural lighting, ventilation, and using only renewable energy sources, and consumes an amazing 50% less than German regulations require—and we imagine German environmental laws are already much more strict than those here in the Land of the Free and the Home of the SUV. [Greeen Architects [sic] via PopSci]

Motorcycle Robot

Source: Gizmodo



If Sleepy Hollow was recast in 2009, it would star Flossie here. Wearing a robot motorcycle batsuit, he would stop at nothing to find his robot head.

This Isn't a Litter Box, It's a Router

Source : Gizmodo ( Matt Buchanan)


It's a $2000 router, actually. Oh sorry, an outdoor $2000 router.

That's because Ruckus Wireless's ZoneFlex 7762 uses dynamic beam forming and adaptive meshing with wireless N. Dynamic beam forming, you say? Why yes. Ruckus says that its dynamic beam-forming antennae automagically find the best way to shoot the internet waves, so it has 3-4x the performance of other outdoor routers. It's supposedly able to keep going 150Mbps of bandwidth going at 1,000 feet between meshed node.

Oh, and it has a built-in heater, in case it gets cold (down to -40 degrees) and there are no blankets. Perhaps more pressing though: Would you buy a router from a company called Ruckus Wireless? [Ruckus Wireless via Cnet]]

256 GB Thumb Drive from KINGSTON

Source: GizmodoHere's your cold, bitter, daily dose of hardware obsolescence: Just a month after passing the already-ridiculous 128GB barrier, Kingston has released the 256GB DataTraveler 300. It isn't available in the US, but if/when it is, it'll run around $900.

Lenovo's new netbook

Netbooks seem to be all the rage these days, and nothing makes us happier than receiving shiny new ones on our desks week after week. Having said that, we’ve gone through our fair share of hits and misses over the months, and have come to a simple conclusion - just because a machine weighs circa 1kg and is powered by an Atom processor, it doesn’t guarantee that the end result will be a winner.

A good netbook is more than that - apart from being portable, it should have a respectable battery life, it should be able to get you online anytime and anywhere, and it should be comfortable to use due to it’s relatively smaller than usual size.

Thankfully, we had the pleasure of reviewing a netbook from Lenovo that met all those criteria, and then some. It was a brand new device that came fresh from their engineering unit, and from the moment we laid our eyes (and grubby paws) on it, we knew it was going to be a hell of a ride.