ToughBooks take a hit 
Darius Chang | Sep 05, 2006
| Editors' note: Panasonic Singapore has confirmed that only notebook units sold in Japan are affected by the recall. |
The image of lithium-ion notebook batteries seems to have taken a hit recently, with yet another recall of portable power cells by a laptop manufacturer.
Matsushita Electric Industrial, maker of the Panasonic ToughBook series (also known as Let’s Note in Japan), is recalling 6,000 pieces of its notebook batteries. According to the Japanese conglomerate, a small metal spring in the power cell may be dislodged if exposed to strong impact, resulting in a short circuit and possible overheating. This differs from the Sony battery recall, in which metal contamination of the cells used in Dell and Apple systems was the cause.
Matsushita’s recall affects notebooks manufactured between April and May 2005 and sold in Japan. We are awaiting word from Panasonic Singapore if units sold outside the Land of the Rising Sun are similarly affected.
Teclast introduces a new video-enabled MP3 player
Edvarcl Heng | Sep 05, 2006
In our recent visit to Beijing, we noticed that video-enabled MP3 players are a big thing in China, especially in Zhongguancun, a district in Beijing famed for its consumer electronics mega malls. Teclast, a China-based manufacturer of MP3 players, has recently introduced the TL-T29, a slim offering (73.5 x 42.1 x 9.8mm) that according to initial reports will be capable of displaying video on a 2-inch TFT screen. It has a rated audio playback time of 24 hours, comes in varying storage capacities (1, 2 and 4GB) and will have picture-viewing and FM functions.
Read more here
Record TV to your memory card
Darius Chang | Sep 05, 2006
With the growing popularity of portable multimedia players like video-capable MP3 players and PDA-phones, there is a myriad selection of software to convert your videos into handheld-friendly formats. Unfortunately, squeezing your favorite TV soap into such devices is a convoluted process which involves being intimately familiar with TV tuner hardware and various recording formats.
At the recent IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung) consumer electronics show in Berlin, Germany, SanDisk debuted the V-Mate Video Memory Card Recorder. Hooking directly to analog sources like TV and other playback equipment, this device can record straight to most memory cards in compressed MP4 format. Supported media include SD/MMC, miniSD, TransFlash, Memory Stick PRO, MemoryStick Duo and Memory Stick PRO Duo flash memory formats. The provided software can then be used to convert the captured file into several popular portable formats, with video sizes up to 640 x 480-pixel resolution (suitable for conventional TV playback).
The V-Mate Video Memory Card Recorder will be available from October 2006 for US$129.99 (S$203.92).
SanDisk facing MP3 licensing disputes
Edvarcl Heng | Sep 05, 2006
Who would have thought MP3 playback would cost a pretty penny? At the recently concluded IFA consumer electronics show held in Berlin, German officials took the opportunity to pay the SanDisk booth a visit and removed most of its new MP3 players. The reason? According to BBC, Italian patents company Sisvel had alleged in a lawsuit that SanDisk had not purchased MP3 licenses for its new breed of MP3 players.
Don't fret, SanDisk. You are not the only one to suffer the wrath of patent-wielding owners. Learn from your MP3 manufacturer compatriot, Creative. US$100 million is not too tough a sum, no?
Read more here
miFlower
Juniper Foo | Sep 05, 2006
We've got more waving, flapping, whirling widgets on our desktop than we'd like. So what's one more? This posy even tries to outbloom its rivals by responding to music with glowing LED patterns for some mood lighting. Play Michael Buble, and it'll bob gently. Hit the groove with Metallica, and this MP3 companion will rock and roll. When not jiving, the LCD display doubles as a clock. Perhaps where the miFlower fails to blossom is the lack of a eco-friendly solar panel to power it. That said, the musically sensitive miFlower isn't unique. If you prefer bowwows over botany, check out the smarter iDog Musical Companion which even responds to pats and taps.
See upclose
Via coolest-gadgets.com
Price: US$24.95
Availability: at Discovery Channel Store
Device: MP3 motion companion
Basic specs: Built-in speaker, glowing LED patterns, six LEDs in petals, animated LCD display, clock display, light sensor, On/Off and Play buttons, 5 x 9 x 4 inches, 1.12lbs
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