Archives for April 2007
LG gets "touchy" with new patents
Damian Koh | Apr 27, 2007
If you're still not convinced that touchscreen mobiles are the future, you better start psyching yourself to embrace the new technology.
According to a report by Unwired View, LG has recently filed two patents that seem to signify its Prada phone is just the start of a series of touchscreen mobile devices. The first of the patents talks about a handset with a pair of touch panels that work either independently or as one screen split into two. If you cannot imagine this, just picture the Nintendo DS Lite look and feel on your mobile phone.
The second patent describes "dynamic icons that are able to move in reaction to user actions or functions to be performed". While this sounds more interesting, we're not too sure about the usefulness of menu icons moving randomly on a screen when we have to jostle with the rush hour crowd on the commute while trying to maintain a grip on the overhead handle bar.
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Picture credit: Unwired View
Sony PlayStation Eye
John Chan | Apr 27, 2007
The PlayStation Eye is a new accessory for the Sony PlayStation 3, and allows gamers to do voice and video chat using their gaming console.
Announced in the US, Sony gives an impressive list of features and specification for this souped-up Webcam. One of these features is its ability to record 320 x 240 video at 120fps and 640 x 480 video at 60fps. It also has a four-microphone array, which is supposed to incorporate "multidirectional voice location tracking, enhanced echo canceling and background noise suppression" features.
One thing it won't do is record in 1080p, so don't expect to see your own recorded videos in full HD. Also, for it to be any fun, game developers will have to get their games to make use of it, too. The PlayStation Eye is scheduled for a summer US release. Price and availability in the Asia-Pacific region have yet to be announced.
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Pirated Centrino notebooks?
Darius Chang | Apr 27, 2007
If you think that only software can be forged, think again. It seems there could be a run of fake Centrino systems floating around in the second-hand market, thanks to a "budding entrepreneur".
According to local reports, an online auctioneer using the nick " woofeoinke" has been selling Intel Centrino and Centrino Duo logo stickers for the past four months. The Centrino branding requires that three essential components--processor, wireless card and mainboard--must come from Intel. Notebooks with this badge of approval may fetch a higher price on the open market.
For the unsuspecting, this may translate to paying hundreds more for a fake Centrino notebook, though it may still function similarly if it has a wireless card installed. Things get iffy if a single-core laptop gets slapped with a Centrino Duo sticker, as the latter is supposed to be proof of a dual-core chip inside.
All auctions by the user have since been closed. However, for those in the market for a used notebook, they should take 3 minutes and check the authenticity of the Centrino badge with the following steps.
1. Right-click Computer in the start menu and select Properties
2. Check to see if the processor is an Intel chip
3. Select the Hardware tab
4. Click Device Manager
5. Expand System Devices and make sure it's an Intel mainboard
6. Choose Network Adapters and ensure that the wireless module is from Intel
Images:
Centrino logo | Centrino Duo logo
New Olympus dSLRs finally hit the streets in Asia
Edvarcl Heng | Apr 27, 2007
Held at DXO at the Esplanade, the launch of the new cameras saw Olympus spokespersons demonstrating the abilities and features of the E-510 and the E-410 to an avid crowd. As probably the only dSLRs that do not require the photographer to keep his eye on the eyepiece for every picture, the ability to frame shots on an LCD screen must be a great boon to the work of photographers when shooting difficult angles. To illustrate this, Olympus invited two Singapore-based photographers, Kim Lau and Kerstin Duell, to share their views on their experience with the new cameras.
The E-410 is now available in Asia and in Singapore, it will be retailing at the price of S$1,299 with a 2GB CF card bundled in. The E-510 will be launched in Asia by end May.
Read specs here
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More than meets the ear?
John Chan | Apr 27, 2007
New from Takara Tomy is the product strangely named Transformers Music Label Frenzy and Rumble. These headphones are robots in disguise, able to transform into a Decepticon robot.
Yes, we noticed that it is a Decepticon, but we have no idea if this robot is related to the faction's famous cassette robot, Soundwave. It will be available in Japan from July, and will cost about US$35 (S$53).
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