Crysis on your UMPC soon?

If there was ever a word to strike fear into the hearts of gaming PCs today, surely it should be Crysis. This first-person shooter is not only the most visually spectacular title to date, it also brings most, if not all, gaming systems to their knees.

So when we heard H]Enthusiast claiming to have seen a low-power chipset running the resource-intensive game, we sat up and took notice. In a nutshell, the latest UMPC platform from VIA (codenamed Isaiah), competitor to Intel's Silverthorn UMPC processor, showcased its 1.8GHz single-core chip running Crysis. Granted, it's probably mated to a high-end graphics chipset. Nonetheless, for a chip with a small thermal envelope, such performance is impressive. Hopefully, it won't be too long before we can start testing UMPCs based on the Isaiah platform.

An average DVD player with a Samsung twist

How do you transform a plain vanilla DVD player into a fashion statement? Number one, strip it apart and slap on some "bling bling" on the skin. Number two, ditch the boring plastic buttons and go covert with touch-sensitive controls. When all else fails, there's always the cute and petite approach, a tried-and-proven formula which works wonders particularly for the ladies. If we have finally gotten your attention, check out the latest Samsung DVD-F1080 hawking all the above aesthetics-driven attributes.

Just for the record (as we clear our throat), this Korean player also upscales DVDs up to 1080p via HDMI and plays back most popular multimedia formats. These range from DivX to MP3, WMA, JPEG and MPEG-4 clips. This slim and portable kit should be available on shelves in the next couple of days for S$169 (US$124.26) each.

Cardboard iPod Boombox

Many years ago, portable music meant carrying a heavy cassette player on your shoulder along with all the heavy D-sized batteries that went into it. Even though most of us have converted to tiny MP3 players now, you can still relive the good old days with this iPod Boombox. Made mostly out of cardboard, these speakers let you slip in an iPod classic and produce sound that could be as crappy as your 20-year-old boombox. No matter, surely no one would get this for its sound quality--but rather for its novelty.

The iPod Boombox comes flat packed from Firebox at US$39 a set. Batteries are included, but you'll have to provide your own iPod.

Via The Red Ferret Journal

How to upgrade your iPod touch software (in Asia)

Ready for more bad news? Apple Singapore finally got back to us and confirmed that its AppleCare centers will not be offering any services for users in Asia to upgrade their iPod touch software. The only way to do so is still via the iTunes Store--currently available only in selected Asia-Pacific countries.

There's good news. Chiefly that there are other means of obtaining the software update, albeit with some inconvenience.

Since all you need is iTunes, you can ask a friend with a personal iTunes account to update the iPod touch for you. Alternatively, the more hassle-free way is to purchase an iTunes Gift Card with enough credits to pay for the software upgrade. Either way, it's definitely more tedious than a simple download through the Web. But if you really gotta have the new apps in your touch, guess it's worth the trouble of a roundabout solution.

While thinking of other ways to get my own iPod touch software upgraded, an idea struck me. What if a faulty iPod touch were to be sent in for servicing? We all know Apple's policy of replacement rather than repair. Would it mean that the replacement unit (hopefully new, not refurbished) will come with the updated software? Has any current iPod touch owner put this to the test? Share your experience and ideas here.

Make a latte anywhere, even without electricity

Impossible as it may seem, some claim that there are actually places on earth where a Starbucks is nowhere to be found. We think this urban legend, but there's a new product that lends credence to this theory.

Handpresso's Wild is a portable gadget that can make espresso while camping or anywhere else, even where there's no electricity, because it's operated with a hand pump. Gizmag says it does need hot water, though, so be sure to carry matches unless you're traveling with a Boy Scout in need of a caffeine fix. As for us, we'll stick with the BMW.

Via Crave CNET

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