Samsung to launch LED-lit monitor

In an upcoming event next Wednesday, Samsung will be announcing a slew of monitors to the local market. In the furor, two units will stand out: The Samsung SyncMaster XL20 and Samsung SyncMaster 225MW.

The SyncMaster XL20 is one of the few displays to use the enviromentally friendly and power-saving LED backlights instead of the conventional cold cathode fluorescent lamp (the first was the NEC MultiSync LCD2180WGLED). Other advantages of LED technology include a purer white reproduction as well as a perfectly even illumination.

The 20-inch LCD has a highly adjustable stand which not only tilts, raises and lowers, but can also rotate to full portait mode. There is a USB hub to sweeten the deal, but some users who prefer HDMI may find its two DVI inputs a deal-breaker. Aimed at the professional graphics designer, it retails in the US for US$1,999. Hopefully, when the product hits Asia stores, there will be a price drop.

Halo 3 fanatics threaten writer

Just when we thought Apple fans were the most obsessive in the world, it turns out that Halo fanboys pwn them as anything to do with Halo 3 is considered a sacred object. A recent video by Gizmodo writer, Brian Lam, drew more flak than a war zone. The issue wasn't so much that Microsoft spent hundreds giving them free Halo 3 swag, but that the writer did a clip where he nonchalantly threw the freebies around.

Where is the respect? Halo 3 fanboys gave him the proverbial finger in a long list of comments (which hit 109 at last count) for not thanking Microsoft on his knees for the honor of touching Master Chief's memorabilia. One reader, Sinamos, even told Brian point-blank to be grateful or face a snowy death.

CNET Asia did not get such love from Microsoft, and hence probably avoided being lynched by hordes of angry Asian Halo fans. Nonetheless, we understand how some make gaming their lives, but to threaten a writer just for that? Time to turn off the Xbox 360 and get a real life.

New Logitech gaming mouse and keyboard

When we reviewed the original G15 gaming keyboard early last year, we were quite impressed with the vast array of programmable buttons and the innovative LCD GamePanel. However, we had doubts on the usefulness of the latter as it required gaming titles to write code to use the GamePanel.

The new G15 gaming keyboard did away with the flip panel and embeds the display above the keys instead. Otherwise, gaming support has increased and now World of WarCraft, Battlefield 2142 and Quake Wars are able to utilize the panel for vital stats. Frankly, at S$169 (US$121.63), it's still a little pricey if only three mainstream games makes use of this feature. It will be available in Asia come mid-October.

At the same time, Logitech has announced the arrival of the G9 Laser Mouse. As a gaming mouse, it has all the usual features we expect such as on-the-fly resolution adjustment, weight cartridge, LED indicators and 3,200dpi sensor. What's special? The interchangeable top cover and MicroGear Precision scroll wheel. There are two covers bundled with the mouse: A conventional smooth material and a rough-textured grip which can be changed easily with a press of a button. The MicroGear Precision scroll wheel switches between normal click-to-click and free wheeling modes to make scrolling documents faster. It is already in stores and goes for a rather hefty S$169 (US$121.63).

Downgrade your Vista to XP

Ever since Vista machines have been popping up in stores, we have had users perpetually asking how they can downgrade their Vista machines back to Windows XP. For some brands like Dell, consumers can choose at the point of sale to preinstall XP. For others, they have had to buy an XP license while hunting for the proper drivers.

According to a recent News.com article, there are some in the second group may have wasted their money. Turns out that if one had actually read the license terms--which we dare say 99 percent of users don't--OEM versions of Vista Business and Ultimate Editions can be downgraded to XP without additional cost.

When contacted, Microsoft told CNET Asia that owners of these versions need only call the customer support center, cite the Vista serial number and get an activation code for Windows XP Professional, XP Professional x64 or XP Tablet PC Edition. So even if the notebook does not come bundled with an XP CD, you can use an older disc from a previous machine and put in the new activation code. Vendors who buy into this program will bundle their system with both Windows XP and Vista recovery discs.

When contacted, Dell mentioned that it already has this program in place for its Asia consumers, while ASUS and Toshiba will be participating in this program at a later date.

Body Limited

Aiyayah. True to type, our largely male-dominated CNET Asia review team went gaga over this body beautiful mouse from rodent-friendly store Pat Says Now. The singles drooled, the married ones (pretendingly) evinced disgust. Well, whatever lights their fire. But this one deserves a spot in Crave Asia for its sensual, fearlessly feminine take on an otherwise boring PC peripheral.


Price: 30 euros for Asia customers (US$42)
Availability: At Pat Says Now
Device: Limited-edition optical mouse
Specs: Two-button optical mouse, USB with PS/2-Plug (suitable for PC and Mac), 800dpi, 3-year warranty, compatible with Win 95/98/2000/ME/XP/NT/Vista, Mac OS X, Linux

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