Archives for March 2007
Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC coming soon 
Darius Chang | Mar 14, 2007
| Editors' note : Turns out the latest iteration of Samsung's UMPC did not warrant a new model number. Instead, the Q2 UMPC previously reported has been confirmed by CNET UK to be Samsung Q1 Ultra. The headline and article has been amended to reflect this change. |
An update to its affordable ultra mobile portable computer (UMPC), the Samsung Q1 Ultra is the company's second attempt at the UMPC market. We have more details on the new features of this portable.
The new version is has an Intel-based chipset with 1GB memory, 60GB to 80GB harddisk and a 7-inch display. The touch screen has a maximum brightness of 300cd/m2 and a resolution of up to 1,024 x 600 pixels. Unsurprisingly, the ubiquitous Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radio are present together with a fingerprint sensor and dual cameras. The Q1 Ultra UMPC's selling points are mainly its 3.5G HSDPA (High Speed Download Packet Access) slot, optional GPS radio, mobile TV chip (Korea units only) and built-in QWERTY keyboard. Running on Windows Vista, it has a claimed battery life of 3.5 hours. The first units are expected to hit retail stores in May for around US$1,580 (S$2,417.40). Click here for a larger image of this ultra-mobile portable.
Candy Floss Maker
Juniper Foo | Mar 14, 2007
If you fancy playing the strange Willy Wonka, churning out candy galore for your mates on the next sugar rush outing, this Candy Floss Maker is a more fun carnival take than the countertop version. Oompa Loompa, cavities be damned.
See larger image here
Price: US$62.91
Availability: At Boys Stuff
Device: Candy floss machine
Specs: N.A.
Creative dieting
John Chan | Mar 13, 2007
In a very long press release, Creative revealed slimmer versions of its Zen Vision:M and Zen Vision W players. This was found by AV Watch on Creative's Japan site, and also came with side profile comparison shots of the two video players. The reduced thickness is 19mm (from 22.1mm) for the Vision: M and 22mm (from 26.4mm) for the Vision W, down about 15 percent each. Still not the slimmest video players around, but every little millimeter helps.
Read more gizmos here | via dapreview
MacBook gets hot Down Under
Darius Chang | Mar 13, 2007
A MacBook in Australia must have missed the memo by Apple that the latest battery recall was an issue of performance, not safety, as it burst into flames in the middle of the night.
According to Australia MacTalk forum, user mattyb's MacBook battery had a meltdown while charging in sleep mode. Before its flaming death, a hissing sound was heard and smoke started spewing from the notebook. According to the owner, even before the incident the portable's power cell was behaving strangely, having poor charge capacity with the battery symbol showing an X occasionally.
Fortunately for him, while the MacBook was still under warranty, Apple Australia compensated his property damage and replaced his melted notebook with a more expensive MacBook Pro model. Investigations are still ongoing with regards to this issue.
It's high time to ditch the video tapes
Philip Wong | Mar 13, 2007
Own up, folks! How many of you are still stuck with a VHS recorder or Hi-8 camcorder? Let alone a massive videotape collection of special moments and classic serials that are close to your heart? I do, and archiving those footages onto optical disc can be a nerve-whacking experience on PCs and conventional DVRs. It's certainly not for the faint-hearted and impatient.
In comes Sony's DVDirect VRD-MC3 recorder, a specialized DVD burner designed to address the ease-of-use shortfall of current offerings. The shoebox-sized gadget accepts most recordable formats including DVD+R Dual Layer and comes with a 2.5-inch color screen. The latter, unfortunately, does not display real-time recording but rather simple instructions to complement the onboard controls: Record, Stop, Return and four-way navigation.
The box can handle just about any camcorder in the market ranging from the 1980s' 8-millimeter shooters to the current harddrive and HD variants with its comprehensive connectivity options. For the old-timers, there are the composite and S-video sockets, while a FireWire jack handles digital models. There's even a multislot reader for popular memory cards to churn out slideshows complete with background music of your choice.
Archival on the whole is a simple play-and-record exercise with menu thumbnails, titles and chaptering automatically managed by the system. As a bonus, you can also hook up the DVDirect to your PC and use it as a regular DVD burner. The DVDirect VRD-MC3 is now available in Australia and New Zealand for A$399 and NZ$599.95, respectively. Pricing and availability for the rest of Asia were not available at press time.
More images of the Sony DVDirect VRD-MC3:
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