Archives for April 2007
The wait for Apple's iPhone continues
Damian Koh | Apr 11, 2007
The wait for the iPhone to reach Asian shores is like the song that never ends--nerve-wreaking. Fret not. A Swedish company, Neonode, has an offer that could possibly tide us over meanwhile.
Okay, so the Neonode N2 is expected to be available in only European markets this spring and summer, but that doesn't mean it won't come to us eventually. In fact, any time before 2008 (when the iPhone descends in Asia) would be great.
At a glance, the N2 has its sights aimed at the Cupertino company's iPhone with a 2-inch, 176 x 220-pixel optical touchscreen display complete with the fancy finger gesture user navigation. The Neonode N2 is also a quadband phone with a 2-megapixel autofocus camera, MP3 playing facilities, Bluetooth connection and a miniSD expansion card slot.
So what do we good people have to do now? Simple. Wait patiently.
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Mean, heavy-duty LG DVR
Philip Wong | Apr 11, 2007
Forget the dated black-and-silver color scheme. LG is almost close to rolling out the new RH-299H, a 400GB hard drive/DVD recorder in a refreshing all-round dark hue. Shade aside, this new-generation model is outfitted with a generous 400GB onboard storage space and Dual Layer support out-of-the-box. HD junkies may also be delighted to know that the recorder comes with 1080i-ready HDMI output for a no-fuss one-cable digital interface.
This LG also beats the Pioneer DVR-745H-S by a value-added HDMI-CEC function. Dubbed Simplink, it enables one-remote operation between compatible A/V boxes. Take mandate operations such as sound volume adjustments and channel switching without juggling between multiple remotes. A simple cheat, in our opinion, that does away the need for expensive multifunction remote controller. Well, sort of.
The RH-299H will be available in mid-April for S$1,299 (US$854.61).
More info hereEight-core Mac Pros arrive
Rich Brown | Apr 11, 2007
To the surprise of exactly no one, Apple has announced an update to its Mac Pro workstation PC, moving to eight CPU cores via two 3.0GHz quad-core Intel Xeon processors. This upgrade doubles the number of processing threads from Apple's available flagship desktop. Pricing for the eight-core model begins at S$4,388 (US$2,886.84), although you can still get a quad-core Mac Pro for less. And as usual, Apple is taking orders immediately, with its Web site listing a 24-hour shipping window.
If you'd like a preview of how an eight-core Mac might perform, check out this "unofficial" eight-core Apple post that we did at the end of last year. Intel had a older quad-core Xeon chip that was compatible with the Mac Pro's motherboard, so we swapped in two of them and ran a few multicore benchmarks. As you might suspect, eight cores are indeed better than four, provided you use software that will put all of the cores to work. The chips we tested were only 2.66GHz models, so expect the real eight-core Mac Pro and its 3.0GHz Xeons to perform even better.
Palm developing its own Linux-based platform
Erica Ogg, CNET News.com | Apr 11, 2007
| Editors' note:
Other news sources have reported that Palm will introduce products based on its Linux platform later this year. When contacted, Palm was unable to comment on whether these products would be available in the Asia-Pacific region.
|
At Palm's analyst and investor conference in New York Tuesday, CEO Ed Colligan announced that the company was investing in a new Linux-based platform for its line of Treo smart phones.
Colligan said the Linux platform "will build a new foundation for Palm" and give the company, users and developers more flexibility.
The platform has been in development for "a number of years", he said, but emphasized repeatedly that Palm is still committed to the Palm OS and will continue to ship products based on that platform.
Those were the only details provided.
Access purchased PalmSource, developer of the Palm OS in 2005, and last year licensed Palm OS back to Palm. Access then rebranded its version of the platform as Garnet OS and is developing its own Linux version of the platform.
This article was first published on Crave.
Samsung's bacteria-free home appliances
Juniper Foo | Apr 11, 2007
With Earth Day approaching, Samsung's WD6102 air wash washing machine makes a timely arrival in Singapore. At its recent Imagine Purer Living Roadshow, the media got to eyeball several of the company's latest silver nano home appliances, including a washer which in our opinion looks more art decor than humble device. As it name implies, it uses air rather than water to "wash" your laundry, in the process sterilizing and deodorizing fabric. But at S$2,499, only OCD users need apply. Samsung also showcased its Quatro Cooling system in a fridge (the RM25KGRS at an ouch-worthy S$5,499) where four individual compartments are controlled and cooled individually. We did like the sound of the Good'Sleep Mode, a feature in an airconditioner (AS18FAN, at a cool S$1,299) which maintains an optimal surrounding for comfortable sleep. Samsung claims, though, that the onboard Micro Plasma Ion technology can eliminate SARS-associated and flu viruses, just so you don't, ah, lose sleep over such unwanted visitors.
Get larger image here
Price: See above
Availability: Singapore electronics shops
Device: Silver nano home appliances
Specs: N.A.
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