Archives for September 2007
Philips' Ambilight is back and better
Philip Wong | Sep 14, 2007
The Ambilight Flat TVs are back and for this year Philips is throwing out the old fluorescent lamp in favor of LEDs. This not only allows Ambilight to put out even better colors, but also minimizes the bulk of related assembly, enabling the Dutch company to roll out sleeker flat panels equipped with this auxiliary offscreen backlighting. Making their pilot entry are the 9532-series comprising a 42- and 47-incher. These are equipped with the new Perfect Pixel HD video-enhancement engine and 100Hz Clear LCD frame-rate doubling function.
Also released recently is the affordable 1080p 7422/7432-series, including one of the first branded 37-inch true full-HD TVs. Unlike the above, these have two instead of three HDMI and will ship with the Pixel Plus HD engine. These are now available in Singapore from S$2,999 (US$2,006.96), while the flagships are going from S$4,999 (US$3,345.38). Pricing and availability for the rest of Asia were pending confirmation at press time.
Microsoft sneaks 1GB of memory into new laptop mouse
Dan Ackerman | Sep 14, 2007
Microsoft has a handful of new laptop mice the company wants you to know. And while Microsoft isn't usually the first brand name that springs to mind when you think of computer hardware (software's another story), a few of the promised features look interesting enough to check out.
The S$158 (US$105.74) Microsoft Mobile Memory Mouse 8000 calls itself the world's "first rechargeable notebook mouse with 1GB of flash memory built right into the transceiver", which we suppose is technically true since the only other mouse we can think of that includes flash memory in the receiver runs off of AA batteries.
Still, having some onboard storage space on the USB receiver is an idea we're fond of, and it's especially good for taking PowerPoint files and presentations along on the road. Also cool is the little switch on the bottom of the mouse that switches between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless modes. The Memory Mouse will be available in October in Asia.
Two other new MS mice are also shown. The Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 can obviously operate without the need for a USB receiver, thanks to the built-in Bluetooth technology found in most (but not all) laptops today. Look for it in October in Asia-Pacific stores, for S$79.90 (US$53.47).
Slightly more pedestrian is the Wireless Notebook Laser Mouse 7000, which has a snap-in USB receiver that easily stores in the bottom of the mouse itself--handy for traveling. Even though it's small in size, we like the ergonomic design, curved to fit our hand--as most portable laptop mice tend to be small, flat, and not very comfortable for extended use. It will be in Asia available for S$158 (US$105.74) later in September.
This post originally appeared in CNET Crave.
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Apple schedules London press event, iPhones expected
Tom Krazit | Sep 14, 2007
Apple will take its keynote show on the road to London next week, with speculation mostly centered on the carriers for a European iPhone.
The company sent out invitations to a Tuesday press conference, but didn't specify the topic. "Mum is no longer the word" was the tagline attached to this invitation, stirring up talk across the pond that Apple is ready to announce its plans for European iPhone sales. The company has previously said that it wants to start selling iPhones in Europe by the end of the year.
The Times Online reported that Peter Erskine, CEO of wireless carrier O2, didn't quite confirm that his company was about to start carrying the iPhone. However, he told reporters that Apple's insistence on receiving a share of the carrier revenue from calls made with the iPhone--as Apple does with AT&T--is actually a good thing for the wireless industry, apparently practicing for calls with his shareholders later this year.
Previous reports had indicated that O2 would be the UK carrier of the iPhone, but O2 representatives would not comment on Thursday to The Times Online. The Financial Times had also reported that Apple had chosen T-Mobile's network in Germany and Orange's network in France, but it's not clear whether Tuesday's event will be just about the Brits.
Apple's forays into Europe will be very interesting, given the quality and quantity of mobile phones in that market. It's likely to produce the first 3G-based iPhone, and it's likely to be a much tougher go for Apple amid stronger competition and choosy shoppers. The company plans to enter the Asian market--also way ahead of the US mobile phone industry--in 2008.
This story first appeared on CNET News.com.
Camera falls victim to Hello Kitty
Mike Yamamoto, CNET.com | Sep 13, 2007
Usually the gadgets we see that have been conquered by the Sanrio empire are of dubious quality, though that obviously matters not to its loyal subjects. But Hello Kitty Hell, the spiritual leader of The Resistance, has come across a new item that has gotten some early nods from a few consumers.
Fujifilm's FinePix Z5 which has received a few high marks in reader reviews, is the latest victim of Hello Kitty subjugation, festooned with Swarovski crystals, a gold emblem and, of course, the trademark Pepto-Bismol pink. All this for US$500 on the Japanese market.
This is clearly a step up from the last Kitty-cam we saw. Our guess is that the empire needed new cameras to record our demise.
Via Crave
The TyTN II arrives in Asia
John Chan | Sep 13, 2007
It's no secret the HTC TyTN II will come to Asia Pacific soon--it's just a question of when. So today, about two weeks after its European debut, we finally received information about its availability. This successor to the Dopod 838 Pro will go on sale in October at a retail price of S$1,348.
Specific launch dates in individual countries will vary, so you may see it in stores anytime from early to late October. The company also revealed that additional software like BlackBerry Connect, a business card scanner and MapKing R12 for navigation will be included out of the box.
The HTC TyTN II is a Windows Mobile 6 PDA-phone with a slide-out keyboard. It comes with features like HSDPA connectivity, Wi-Fi and GPS navigation. To find out more about the TyTN II, check out our video and first take here.
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