New Electronics Reviews

PlayStation 3 Review

2009-01-23T16:29:00.000-08:00

Here is the best price we have found for the Playstation 3, on Amazon.com. The Playstation 3 comes in 40, 80, or 160 GB consoles. It comes with a Dualshock wireless controller, a playstation network membership for free, Internet ready Wi-Fi, and a built in Blu-Ray player. With the Blu-Ray player, you can play any Blu-Ray disk, CD, or DVD in high definition. The Playstation 3 is the best gaming console in my opinion.

Flip 60 Minute Video MinoHD Camcorder Review

2008-12-02T21:05:00.000-08:00

I now own a Flip Mino HD Camcorder. This is an excellent device if you like a compact and simple camcorder. It is easy to charge, high resolution, and packaged well when it arrives in the mail. In fact I could not believe how small it was. There is no need for a charging cord as it uses the USB port to charge.

The drawbacks of this device are that it is what it is. It is a small camcorder without a lens you can adjust. It does not have much to the controls, so you can pretty much just operate it like a VCR. It also is difficult to impress someone with if you want to have an impressive HD camcorder to film them with. It is a bit delicate, so keep it in the cloth bag they include with it.

All in all, the Flip MinoHD is a nice, well made, compact camcorder to use. Here is the best price for this device on Amazon.com.

Review of the Sony PlayStation 3

2007-10-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

The Sony PlayStation 3 is available in two versions. The version being reviewed here is the step-up deluxe model which features the brand new Cell processor, a built-in Blu-ray disc player, and HDMI video output. This PS3 model boasts of a 60GB hard drive, built-in Wi-Fi, a multi-format memory card reader and costing only $100 more than the baseline model.

At the heart of this pricey PlayStation 3 lies a powerful multicore CPU, jointly developed by Sony, Toshiba, and IBM, running at an incredible speed of 3.2 GHz. A Reality Synthesizer graphics engine, based on NVidia's G70 architecture, delivers the graphics. Working alongside these powerful chips are 256MB of high-performance XDR main memory and 256MB of GDDR3 video memory. All these specifications are surely going to impress the most hard-core PC gamer.

The best price for the Sony Playstation 3 is here on Amazon.com.

Strengths:

Glamorous design with quiet operation
All games in high-definition;
Plays high-def Blu-ray movies in addition to standard DVDs
Built-in Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth support for wireless controllers and accessories
Works with PS2 and PS1 titles;
Built-in memory card readers;
Online play is free
HDMI output with 1080p support
No external power supply

Drawbacks:

Priciest game console
Doesn't upscale DVDs to HD resolution;
No infrared port for non-Bluetooth universal remotes
HDMI cable not included

Specifications:

Processor: Multicore Cell Processor 3.2 GHz
Memory: 256MB XDR RDRAM
HDD Capacity: 60GB
Video RAM: 256MB GDDR3
Weight: 11 lbs or 176 ozs
Input Type: Gamepad
Media Support: BD-ROM, CD-ROM and DVD-ROM
Input/Output Connections: 4 USB Ports, HDMI Video output
Max Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Summary:

Sony's PlayStation 3 may be the most expensive next-gen game console, and its launch titles are not all that impressive, but by combining a great gaming platform, its posh design and horde of features, including a Blu-ray drive, powerful cell processor, make it hard to resist.

What is Blu-ray and How is it Different than DVD

2007-10-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

A Blu-ray Disc (BD) is the name of a next generation optical disc format for the storage of digital information including high definition (HD) video. This disc format has been jointly developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), which is a group of the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer and media manufacturers, that include Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony and TDK to name a few.

The format also has broad support from seven of the major eight movie studios such as Disney, Fox, Warner, Paramount, Sony, Lionsgate and MGM, as a successor to today's DVD format. Five of these major studios have agreed on releasing their movies exclusively in the Blu-ray format.

The format was developed to enable recording, rewriting and playback of HD video, as well as for storing large amounts of data. The format offers more than five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs and can hold up to 25GB on a single-layer disc and 50GB on a dual-layer disc.

Difference between Blu Ray and DVD

Blu-ray Disc represents an increase over DVD capacity by five to 10 times. This is due, among other reasons, to the usage of a blue laser rays instead of red laser rays used by DVDs. BD also has improved lens specifications compared to DVDs, allowing for a much smaller focus laser beam which enables the recording of much smaller and higher density pits on the disc.

In Blu-ray Discs there is less distortion because of the data layer being closer to the laser lens which is not a case in DVDs. This feature gives Blu-ray Disc significantly improved tolerances, more precision and ultra-high storage densities than DVDs.

Currently Blu-ray disc’s holds 25 gigabytes to 50 gigabytes of data with a maximum possible capacity of 200 gigabytes, while DVD’s or HD DVD’s hold 15 gigabytes to 30 gigabytes with a maximum of 60 gigabytes. A Blu-ray Disc can hold HD Video capacity of 5 hours while HD DVDs can hold only 3 hours of HD Video.

Blu-ray has found favor Blu-ray from many consumer electronics, computer companies and major movie studios while DVD has a few backing it namely Universal Pictures, Intel and Toshiba. There are a few companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Paramount and Warner Bros., who have pledged their support to both formats.

Here are the latest DVD's on Amazon.com

Click Here to Explore all of Amazon.com's Blu-Ray Movies and Products

Expert Review of the New Dell Vostro 1400 Notebook

2007-10-07T21:28:00.002-07:00

The Vostro 1400, part of a new Dell notebook line, is designed right from the base level to appeal to the specific needs of small-business customers. The Vostro 1400 weighing 2.45 kilograms has its power from a 2-GHz Core 2 Duo processor and 2GB of RAM, enabling the system to provide impressive performance. From tune-up and network-assistant tools to an easy online-backup solution using Dell DataSafe, using the Vostro 1400 is like having a 24X7 IT guy inside your system. Plus, you also get all of the multimedia amenities like a 2.0 megapixel webcam (optional), multimedia controls, 8-in-1 card reader that bogs down other brands. The notebook is very business looking and has some tough features which include a magnesium alloy chassis, spill proof keyboard, and shock resistant hard drive.

Pros:

Super quite Toshiba 120GB SATA-300 HD.
Very sturdy magnesium alloy case.
Dedicated nVidia 8400M GS
Excellent value at $599
Cheap additional battery at $59 for a 9 cell
The Dell Network Assistant utility allows to set up or repair your network, as well as share folders and printers from one screen
Using the Self Help Menu in Dell Support Center, you can run performance and virus scans
Free one year Automated PC TuneUp feature which automates all the small tasks you either forget or don't know how to do. This tool will remove unwanted and temporary files, enable automatic Windows updates, update your security settings, turn on your firewall, and perform regular maintenance chores.

Cons:

The Dell Vostro 1400 cannot be configured with WinXP.
Not all XP drivers are listed at support site,
The Vostro 1400 does not support Quickset in XP.
Media buttons above keyboard but not on the edge.
Blue LED indicators are too bright
No accessories bundled with the notebook

Specifications:

Core 2 Duo T5470 (1.6Ghz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
14.1” Wide Screen XGA LCD Display with TrueLife
1GB DDR2 667Mhz
128MB Nvidia Geforce 8400GS
120GB 5400RPM SATA
8x CD/DVD Burner w/ double layer DVD+ write capability
Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic
Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
Integrated 2.0 mega pixel web camera
Integrated High Definition Audtio
Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Wi-Fi Mini Card
85 WorkingHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Internal (2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate)
1 Year Limited Hardware Warranty with Mail-in Service
4 USB ports
ExpressCard/54
Memory Card reader

Summary

The Dell Vostro 1400 is an excellent choice for the price targeting the small business group. It offers a wide variety of special features and also provides impressive battery life for its size and price. The Vostro 1400 is tailor-made for its audience and worthy of its own sub-brand. It's a powerful laptop that's as easy to use as it is to maintain.

Deals of Interest

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Expert Review of the New Mac Mini

2007-10-07T21:28:00.001-07:00

As the lowest-cost personal computer ever sold by Apple, the Mini also represents a big change in Apple's business model. The Mac Mini, built in Taiwan to Apple's specifications, has the potential to boost Apple's business again, just as the iMac had done earlier in the 1990's. The New Mac Mini comes as a great offer with 1.83 GHz processor, 160 GB hard drive, CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive, modem and combination analog/digital video port, which enables to switch in many big, beautiful monitors through 32 MB of devoted video memory driven by an ATI Radeon 9200 chipset and the bundled software package. It is available in 2 configurations and the package consists of applications like Mail, Address Book and iCal along with the basic components.

Strengths:

Fast and Powerful Intel Core 2 Duo processor
Admirable Design, Compact, Lighter and not too noisy
Great Video-out options
Brilliant display feature
Contains useful applications
Fast enough for basic tasks
Reasonable Price

Drawbacks:

The basic price does not include keyboard, monitor, mouse, speakers
Inaccessible power button on the rear face of the unit
Difficulty in accessing the internals
Provided with only one FireWire 400 port
Toll free support for only 90 days

Specifications:

1.83GHz or 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor

Intel GMA 950 Graphics Processor

Apple Remote with Front Row

160GB Hard Drive

Up to 2GB memory

DVI connector, VGA adapter

Slot-loading Optical Drive

Analog and Digital audio

Built-in Gigabit Ethernet

Wireless 802.11g and Bluetooth 2.0

Expansion via USB and FireWire

iLife ’08, Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger

Summary:

Mac mini makes it easy and affordable to work with digital photos, movies, music, and the web, it all happens with the blazing speed of the Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Apple Mac Mini is a well designed, superbly useful option at a very attractive price. It is a great selection for a broad range of applications and requirement, but for its success amidst competition, Apple needs to deal with the two most noteworthy issues: inferior analog video output and the lack of FireWire 800 support. If your goal is saving space, the Mac Mini is a winner. If you'd rather get the best deal, there are better options like Dell and HP.

Great Deals

Emerson 32" LCD HDTV with Digital Tuner, LC320EM8

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TigerDirect's Liquidation Sale!

Save 30%-50% Off Select Clearance Items! Shop now and Save! (While Supplies Last)

Take advantage of online coupon savings at Office Depot.

Save 30% - 50% on Select Clearance Items at Office Depot! While Supplies Last!

Expert Review of the New Toshiba Portege R500 Notebook PC Series

2007-10-02T21:30:00.001-07:00

The Toshiba Portege R500 is the world’s thinnest notebook series and the first notebook to include a 7mm optical drive and a 12.1 inch widescreen with trans-reflective backlit LED screen. Toshiba claims that the Portege R500 has the world’s longest battery life amongst all other notebook class with a 12.1 inch widescreen.

The Toshiba Portege R500 is built with a 64-bit Intel Core 2 Duo U7600 ultra-low voltage processor with a clock speed of 1.20GHz, 2MB L2 cache, and 533MHz FSB. The ultra-portable R500 is based on Mobile Intel 945 GMS Express chipset with integrated 950 Chipset Graphic Media Accelerator to manage the 12.1 inch 1280×800 LED backlight display. The R500 supports up to 2GB of DDR2 system memory and comes with 120GB 5400rpm SATA hard disk drive and an ultra-thin 7mm optical drive as a DVD burner.

Features that make the R500 impressive:

Intel Wireless (802.11 a/g/n) WiFi Link
Light and thin 7mm 8x DVD drive
Gigabit Ethernet and Bluetooth
Battery life lasting for around 4 hours
Incredible start-up time
Secure Digital and PCMCIA card slot
VGA output
IEEE 1394 Firewire Port
Availability of Driver files and instruction manual for download at Toshiba’s website
Fingerprint reader
3 years standard Warranty

Drawbacks:

Absence of Mobile Broadband Antenna
Lacks a 56K Modem
Absence of Multifunction Card Reader
While running multiple applications the R500 tends to slow down.
No Webcam

Specifications:

Genuine Windows Vista Business (32-bit version)
Intel Core 2 Duo U7600 1.20GHz, 2MB L2, 533MHz FSB with 64-bit
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with 64MB
1024MB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM
One SD memory slot available
120GB (5400 RPM); Serial-ATA hard disk drive
7mm, 8x DVD drive supporting 9 formats
12.1 inch diagonal widescreen with high-brightness display
1280 x 800 (WXGA) Trans-reflective backlit LED
Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n)
Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR

Summary:

The performance of Toshiba Portege R500 is very positive, while there are some minor concerns with build quality, absence of mobile broadband yet the R500 is remarkably well built for such a small ultra-portable notebook. There is no doubt that one can expect the R500 to provide solid business performance.

The Current Status of Ultra-Mobile PCs

2007-09-30T21:47:00.001-07:00

The Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) is a fully functional computer running Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. The UMPC has all the functionality of Microsoft Windows XP Professional with additional functionality of the Tablet PC Future versions of the UMPC will run Windows Vista in continuation with the use of the Tablet PC features.

From a user point of view this means that there is no need of extra learning. The UMPC is portable, mobile and does anything that desktop, laptops and notebook PCs can do. Apart from accomplishing what many portable devices do today, everything you could do on large computers because it runs the full Windows XP operating system. Users work on the same operating system as well as use the same applications which were previously available only on desktop PCs, laptops and notebook computers. Beyond these features, the ultra-portable size; lower cost; inbuilt Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet Ports and support for technologies like GPS, makes the UMPC suitable to a wider range of compelling mobile PC experiences.

Some important features of the UMPC which is helping it in gradually capturing a sizeable share in the market are:

It is smaller and much lighter than traditional notebooks and laptops
It has multiple input methods, like a touch screen, stylus (write or select with a pen), input through speech, and optional Bluetooth or USB keyboard
It runs on Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 operating system
It has a competitive pricing
It has a 30 to 60 GB Hard disk drive
The Processor is either an Intel Celeron, Intel Pentium M or a VIA C7-M
It has some additional In-built features like GPS, Digital TV Tuner Card, fingerprint reader, Compact flash.

The benefits available to users are endless. Some of them are:

Connect and communicate easier, in more places, and in more scenarios.
Be productive anywhere and at any time.
Be entertained and informed wherever they go.
Experience more integrated digital entertainment experiences like music and gaming.
Sharing digital images
Mapping or following a GPS signal
Browsing the Web
Managing e-mail
Communicating in real time
Gaming
Listening to music
Controlling a television and other home electronics
Watching recorded movies and television
Watching and tracking sporting events, teams, and players
Managing finances
Managing food, recipe, and kitchen inventories
Taking notes
Conducting research
Managing schedules
Maintaining a To-Do list

Current Base Specification of a UMPC

While the exact specifications varies between Original Equipment Manufacturers’ (OEM), but the baseline specifications for UMPC are:

Screen size: 7 inches or smaller
Screen resolution: Minimum 800x480 resolution with 800x600 and 1024x600 available through video scaling technology
Weight: less than 2 lbs
Display Orientation: Landscape
Input methods: Touch screen (type or select with a finger), stylus (write or select with a pen) , hardware controls (navigate and select with buttons on the UMPC), add on Bluetooth or USB-based keyboard
Operating system: Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 (Very soon the OS on UMPC will be Windows Vista)
Network connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Ethernet
Battery life: 2.5 hours or more
Processor: Intel Celeron M, Intel Pentium M, or VIA C7-M
Storage: 30GB to 60GB hard drive
Some UMPCs may include additional built-in features such as GPS, a webcam, fingerprint reader, digital TV tuners, and compact flash and SD card readers.

Despite issues with a short battery life, In the near future Ultra-mobile PCs will eventually become essential and omnipresent as mobile phones are today.

Expert Review of the New HP Pavilion IQ770

2007-09-30T21:45:00.000-07:00

The new HP Pavilion TouchSmart IQ770 incorporates a PC, a 19 inch touch screen, a wireless keyboard and a mouse. The IQ770 is a HP’s new venture in home computing. The system is loaded with genuine Windows Vista Home Premium. The PC has an AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-52 dual-core processor, large and impressive 2GB of memory and a 320GB hard disk for storing lots of data, music, videos and digital photos. The HP IQ770 has a built-in DVD burner with LightScribe, a TV turner card and a built-in 1.3 megapixel camera.

The IQ770 runs the new Media Center Interface with the new HP SmartCenter front page. HP SmartCenter leverages the touchscreen, making the IQ770 a centralized information appliance. It displays information on the local weather, TV programs, music, games and many more. This is truly an all-in-one media center.

Pros:

Compatible with Windows Vista TouchScreen features
2GB of RAM
HP SmartCentre provides easy-to-use packages for day-to-day activites
Stylus and Voice recording capability
Nvidia Geforce Go 7600 graphics card with 256MB memory
Ships with Photosmart Touch editing software

Cons:

Wireless access point required, not included.
Fixed configuration, there are limitations on expandibility
No high density optical drive

Specifications:

Processor: AMD Turion 64 X 2 Dual Core TL52 with AMD LIVE! Technology

Memory: 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM

Hard Drive: 320 GB 7200 rpm SATA

OS: Windows Vista Home Premium

Network Communication: 802.11 a/b/g and Gigabit Ethernet

Monitor: 19” LCD Touch Enabled

TV Tuner: NTSC and HDTV Tuner

Sound: Integrated Audio with 6 speakers and 2 built-in 12W speakers

Optical Drive: Multi drive DVD Burner

Web Camera: 1.3 megapixel

Ports: 2 USB and 1 IEEE 1394

Media Card: 8-in-1 media card reader

Summary:

HP Pavilion TouchSmart IQ770 is a great all in one system and uses the new technologies in Windows Vista quite effectively. It is suitable for those looking for a home PC to organize family schedules, or to have some entertainment media served up in the kitchen or another small room.

Expert Review of the New Mac Pro

2007-09-30T21:41:00.000-07:00

The New Mac Pro is the world’s first 3.0GHz, 8-core Intel Xeon-based workstation. Based on Intel's 64-bit Xeon CPU, the Mac Pro has two dual-core processors. The new Mac Pro is the final Macintosh in Apple's line-up to make the shift from PowerPC processors to Intel processors. The standard configuration of the New Mac Pro consists of 2.66-GHz Xeon processors, 1GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, a single 16x SuperDrive and the Nvidia GeForce 7300 GT graphics card with 256MB of video RAM. The Mac Pro not only runs Mac OS X and OS X applications at absolutely blazing speeds, but also Windows XP via Apple’s Boot Camp, the Mac Pro makes a better Windows workstation than almost any other Windows desktop.

Pros:

Sleek, attractive and extremely quiet
Internal Components can be easily self-serviced including the DVD drives and PCI expansion slot
Well-built multi-core CPU performance
Provided with 4 SATA II drive inlet and faster PCI
Xeon-based PC Workstations or Quad G5 at affordable price
Ability to run Auto-CAD via Windows XP along with Mac OS X
Mac Pro accommodates up to four drives and 3 Terabyte of storage
Offers eight DIMM slots to fill up to 16GB of RAM
5 USB Ports, 2 each Firewire 400 and 800 port

Cons:

Standard GeForce 7300 GT video card underperforms in comparisons with PCs
Airport and Bluetooth come with extra cost
FB-DIMM memory is expensive
Design Applications like Adobe Photoshop and Sketch Pro are not indigenous for Intel Macs
Incompatible with "Classic" Mac applications and with a few PowerPC-based software and hardware
Lacks support for SLI or Crossfire

Specifications:

Processor: 3.0 Ghz, 4MB L2 Cache, 1333 MHz FSB
Memory: 1 GB, Expandable to Max 16 GB, 8 DIMM Slots
Hard Drive: 250 GB, Expandable to 3 TB
Optical Drive: 16x Superdrive
Network Connectivity: 2 Gigabit Ethernet Ports, 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.0
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT with 1 single link and 1 dual link DVI Port
Ports: 5 USB 2.0, 2 Firewire 400 and 2 Firewire 800
Weight: 42.4 lb
Audio: Digital in-and-out and Analog in-and-out
Software: Mac OS X 10.4.7, iLife 08, Comic Life, FileMaker 8.5, Omni Outliner

Summary:

Apple’s Mac Pro consists of really awesome hardware features which provides great performance at a reasonable price. Particularly for 3D design, there is requirement of special configuration options but otherwise the Mac Pro can be considered as a professional class PC. With the new Mac Pro your imaginations finally meets its match.

Expert Review of the New Apple MacBook Pro

2007-09-30T21:36:00.002-07:00

The new Apple MacBook Pro gets easily placed in the elite class of laptops, with its high-end performance, features and built on Intel’s new attempt of dominating the notebooks market segment with its Core 2 Duo processor. The MacBook Pro is available in two models of 15.4 inches and 17 inch, at a starting price tag of US$1,999. The solid and well-built similarity with its aluminum-clad precursor versions and its thin frame makes it easily stuffed onto smaller laptop bags. It is provided with the minimalist layout characteristic feature with single power button, a full-scale keyboard, a considerably sized touchpad with the only mouse button, stereo speakers and built-in iSight camera.

Strengths:

Classic and sleek design
Exceptional Software Package
New mercury-free, power-efficient LED-backlit display for better and brighter display
Wi-Fi 802.11n
Illuminated keyboard, scrollable Touch Pad and Slot Loading drive
Provides 4MB of Smart Cache, L2 cache that can be shared among the 2 cores
Equipped with a FireWire 800 port and can burn dual-layer DVDs
Stuffed with 2GB of RAM and an ultra speedy 256MB of video RAM

Drawbacks:

Although the MacBook Pro has a thin frame but is heavy to be carried often
Provided with only 2/3 USB 2.0 ports
No internal Modem option
Lacks Media Card Reader and other ports
No PC Card slot
Noisy Audio
Shorter Warranty period in comparison to price
Battery Life although increased would have been better
Doesn’t support classic MAC OS Software

Specifications of the two MacBook Pro Models:

	15.4 Inch MacBook Pro	17 inch MacBook Pro
Processor	2.2GHz or 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo	2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory	2 GB	2 GB
Hard Drive	Up to 200 GB	Up to 250 GB
Weight	5.4 Pounds	6.8 Pounds
USB Ports	2 - USB 2.0 Ports	3 – USB 2.0 Ports
Network Support	Gigabit Ethernet Wi-Fi 802.11n Bluetooth 2.0+EDR	Gigabit Ethernet Wi-Fi 802.11n Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
Optical Drive	8x double-layer-burning SuperDrive	8x double-layer-burning SuperDrive
Video Card	NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT	NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
Keyboard	Illuminated Keyboard	Illuminated Keyboard
TrackPad	Scrolling	Scrolling

Summary:

The MacBook Pro conveys ultimate fashion, comes with an exclusive set of features and software, 802.11n Wi-Fi delivers up to five times the performance and two times the range compared to the 802.11g standard.. But a few transitional performance concerns prevents it from being amongst the most powerful laptops. It is one of the most suited laptop for power users but doesn’t come cheap.

Review of the Nintendo Wii

2007-09-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

The Nintendo Wii is the most compact of all the Next-Gen gaming consoles. The Wii is easily the smallest and lightest of the new generation of game machines, measuring 1.75 x 6.25 x 8.5 inches (Height x Width x Breadth)

The Nintendo Wii is powered by the IBM PowerPC processor and includes 512MB of internal memory for storing saved games, downloaded Virtual Console titles, and other data. The system has an onboard standard digital card slot for additional storage.

The Nintendo Wii accepts only the Wii discs (full-size 12cm) and older GameCube discs (mini 8cm), without the need for an extra adapter. To play games the Wii uses a controller which looks more like a remote of a TV than a gamepad. The Wii has a sensor bar which is a wired receiver unit that allows the console to communicate wirelessly (via Bluetooth) with up to four Wii Remotes at a time within a radius of 30 feet.

The Wii’s online capabilities works through a series of pages called Wii Channels which take advantage of WiiConnect24’s always-on features. The default Wii channels are:

Weather forecast channel
News Channel
Message channel
Photo Channel
Avatar generating channel

There is also an Internet Channel is an Opera based Web browser for the Wii. The Internet Channel is currently available for free as a beta version, but when Opera releases the final version of the Internet Channel software, it will be available as a paid channel. URLs are entered via the Wii's onscreen keyboard, and favorite web pages can be stored in the browser's bookmarks.

The Nintendo Wii offers a surprise for sports fans. The system comes with Wii Sports, a simple but infectious sports game that lets users get a feel for the Wii's capabilities without investing in additional games.

Pros:

Excellent controller design, offering unique motion-sensitive playing options
Built-in Wi-Fi delivers free online services and gameplay
Compatible with all GameCube games and controllers
Built-in SD slot for storage and photo viewing
Includes Wii Sports game
Most affordable of all next-generation gaming systems
Allows to download games from older consoles

Cons:

Controller consumes a lot of batteries energy
Lacks advanced HD graphics and SRS effect found on other systems (Xbox 360 and PS3)
Requires a wired receiver unit to interface with wireless controllers
Can't play Music CDs or Movie DVDs

Specifications:

Processor: IBM PowerPC (RISC)
Memory: 512 MB
Weight: 3.84 lbs or 61.44 ozs
Input Type: Joystick
Media Support: Nintendo Wii disc, Nintendo GAMECUBE disc
Wireless Network: 802.11 b/g built-in adapter
Input/Output Connections: 4 pin USB type
Battery: AA (x 2)
Memory Card: Flash 512 MB

Summary:

The Nintendo Wii lacks the graphical capability and rich media features found in other game consoles like the Xbox 360 and the PS3, but the Nintendo Wii's affordable price, combination of unique controllers and prominence on fun game play makes this console hard to resist.

Nintendo Wii System: Fall Fun Bundle!
Includes Game System with Wii Sports and 4 Hot Games!
Buy.com Price: $418.88

Deals of Interest

Emerson 32" LCD HDTV with Digital Tuner, LC320EM8
$10 off $200 valid in our Computers, Software, Home Networking, Digital Cameras and Electronic Stores! exp 10/31/07

Top Brand HDTVs at Walmart.com from $384
TigerDirect's Liquidation Sale!
Save 30%-50% Off Select Clearance Items! Shop now and Save! (While Supplies Last)
Take advantage of online coupon savings at Office Depot.
Save 30% - 50% on Select Clearance Items at Office Depot! While Supplies Last!

Expert Review of Garmin Nuvi 680

2007-09-23T19:41:00.000-07:00

The Garmin Nuvi retains all the features that made the 660 the king of the hill before it, such as the ultra bright 4.3′ wide screen display, incredibly efficient bluetooth calling, and real time traffic conditions brought seamlessly into the navigation data. The Garmin Nuvi 680 GPS receiver has a bunch of new tricks up its sleeve that has already made it a must have unit for anyone looking to jump into the GPS market.

Tiger's Storefront

Most prominent of the new additions to its predecessor, is the integration and utility of MSN direct service built incredibly efficient into the experience. MSN Direct functionality brings the experience to new levels, with real up to the minute data displayed for you exact geographical location as determined by the super accurate tracking systems. Such features as gas prices, weather conditions, up to the second traffic conditions and local movie and entertainment information for areas right around your general area. The Nuvi 680 comes with a 1 year's subscription to MSN direct when you buy the unit, and will cost about $50 a year after that, or you can also pay a one time fee of $130 for Lifetime coverage.

MSN Direct Services available on the Garmin Nuvi 680 GPS unit are:

MSN Direct - Movies
The MSN Direct system will retrieve movie theater locations and what's playing at those theaters too, allowing you to search by movie or theater
MSN Direct – Weather
When you tap on the weather button you get a forecast for a city or town close to you.
MSN Direct - Gas Prices
MSN Direct covers about 100,000 gas stations across the country and the US has 121,000 gas stations. Cheaper prices come up Green and high prices come up Red.
MSN Direct Traffic
The Nuvi 680 uses MSN Direct Traffic. MSN Direct uses Traffic.com's data acquired by NAVTEQ, which relies on road sensors to gather information about traffic flow and anticipated delays along your route.
MSN Direct Signals
When the car is powered off, the MSN Direct receiver is working on battery power pulling down updated important data like movies, gas prices, traffic, weather.

Strengths:

White backlit screen is easy to read even in sunlight
Slim, portable design
Integrated FM transmitter
NAVTEQ Mapping Data
Mapping data is stored in memory rather than a hard disk, making the unit very lightweight and less susceptible to hard disk failure or damage from dropping.
Excellent performance from SiRF's Star III GPS chipset
Excellent routing engine
Fast boot/shutdown times
Bluetooth / Cell phone integration works well and is thoughtfully implemented with features like call waiting, pausing music during a call etc.
WebUpdater software makes updating the Nuvi 680’s internal software easy
Fast CPU performance
Good quality internal microphone works well for hand-free telephone.
Long battery life (up to 8 hours per charge)
Capability to add travel guides
Ability to route to latitude/longitude coordinates

Drawbacks:

Expensive
Manual selection of FM radio stations.
Weak FM transmitter. The unit needs to be very close to the car stereo for good performance
Limited MSN Direct coverage areas.
Can take up to 20 minutes to receive MSN-Direct data once you're in an MSN coverage area
Route exclusion feature not available
No multi-destination address optimizing
No physical volume control
No way to sort the address book alphabetically, the entries appear in order of closeness to your current position.
No MP3 playlist capability

Specifications:

3D View: Yes
Display Type: Touch
Hard Drive: No
Flash Memory Type: SD/MMC
Preloaded maps: Yes (North America)
Waterproof: No
Weight: 0.39 lb
Speakers: Built-in
Power: Adapter, Battery
Supports MP3: Yes
PC Interface: USB, Bluetooth Wireless Technology
Multi Segment Routing: No

Summary:

Garmin leads the market amongst all other GPS manufacturers with the introduction of real-time location-based services that go beyond traffic reports. The Garmin Nuvi 680 is a must have GPS unit for every long distance traveler. Having the MSN Direct Service onboard the Nuvi 680 is a great addition to an already excellent navigator.

External and Mini Hard Drives

2007-09-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

A hard drive is a storage device that holds the data of a computer. Every computer needs a hard drive to store its programs like the operating system, applications and data or information, and this drive is placed inside the system unit which also has the motherboard, CPU, RAM Modules and PCI Cards. However with the growth and computer being used in diverse fields, different needs, threats, and circumstances have risen, this makes it compulsory to have an additional external hard drive for your computer. External hard drives are becoming extremely popular day by day.

External Hard Drives

An external hard drive is usually found outside the main computer tower or the system unit, having its own enclosure. The enclosure is slightly larger than the hard drive itself, and sometimes contains a cooling fan. External hard drives are portable and allows the user to store information on a hard drive that is not placed inside the computer, but rests on a tabletop or surface near the computer. The external hard drive is connected to the computer via a high-speed interface cable. The interface cable allows the external hard drive to communicate with the computer so that data may be passed back and forth. The most common types of interfaces being used today are USB and Fire Wire.

An external hard drive is a useful storage device. It allows the user to back up or store important information off the main drive, which could be threatened by online or offline activities. External hard drives are large in size ranging from 40 gigabytes to 500 gigabytes and can be used to store sensitive documents, DVD Images, large music files, disk partition images, movies, and even a backup of the main hard drive which is inside. All these can all be kept secure and safe on an external hard drive. Even while the computer is on and running, the external drive can be turned off to keep it safe from online threats.

Another big advantage of using an external hard drive is that it is portable and operates as it detected by the operating system (Plug-and-Play device). Any computer with a USB or FireWire capability will recognize the external hard drive as a storage device, and assign it a drive letter. The drive can then be accessed like a normal internal hard drive. It takes a few seconds to transfer huge files back and forth from work computers to home computers, to a friend's computer, or between your desktop and laptop. Just plug in the interface cable to quickly reconstruct a working environment, making your favorite programs portable. One can easily transfer entire gigabytes of data in a short span.

An external hard drive is removable and allows multiple users to each have a separate hard drive with the respective user's applications and data. In this manner, multiple users each having their own drives can effectively share a single computer system. External hard drive solves the problem of connecting a drive to a computer without opening up the computers.

Mini Hard Drives

Although its hard to beat flash-based drives when it comes to portability, but Mini hard drives or USB hard drives are often a better value for a long term investment and where durability is a factor. Most of these drives cost less than $200 and weigh less than 3 ounces. These drives are so small that they can fit in the palms of your hand. Today mini hard drives are available with a storage capacity from 4 gigabytes to 12 gigabytes and is sufficient to backup you data, important files, digital movies, photos and sensitive data. Mini drives are gaining popularity because vendors are making every effort to protect the spinning hard disk and also these drives last longer than a lot of the plastic flash drives in the market. These drives are the perfect media to carry you data along with you wherever you go.

Deals of Interest

Emerson 32" LCD HDTV with Digital Tuner, LC320EM8
$10 off $200 valid in our Computers, Software, Home Networking, Digital Cameras and Electronic Stores! exp 10/31/07

Top Brand HDTVs at Walmart.com from $384
TigerDirect's Liquidation Sale!
Save 30%-50% Off Select Clearance Items! Shop now and Save! (While Supplies Last)
Take advantage of online coupon savings at Office Depot.
Save 30% - 50% on Select Clearance Items at Office Depot! While Supplies Last!

Sony KDL-40V2500 40" Bravia V-Series 1080p LCD HDTV

2007-09-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com Widgets

Sleek, slim and sophisticated design, crystal clear images, immense sound power and multimedia facilities; these are characteristics of today’s high definition televisions. These televisions are capable of processing digital signals and creating a ‘theatre-quality’ visual and acoustic experience. They however, will not be able to improve the quality of conventional analogue signals. So those channels may still look the same. There are quite a few manufacturers who compete in this niche segment of the television market like Vizio, Philips, and Sony. The products are priced higher than their conventional counterparts, naturally due to the host of features provided to the consumer.

Latest additon to Sony’s BRAVIA product line is the Sony KDL-40V2500. It is packed with all characteristics of the HDTV. It has a very sleek design and can be mounted on the wall or on a detachable swivel base. This pedestal allows for 30-degree swivel to the right and left, a forward tilt of 3 degrees and backward tilt of 8 degrees, enabling the product to be conveniently positioned. The speakers are located at the bottom of the TV, making the design highly compact.

This 40-inch TV has high-resolution LCD display, with Full HD supporting 1920 X 1080 pixel display, and 1080p content. It has a response time of 8 ms, with the screen content being refreshed once in 8 milli seconds; rendering blur-free high-action images in a life-like manner. Digital comb filters, wider screen aspect ratio and high contrast ratio gives the viewer a crisper wide screen images. In built stereo speakers with 20-watt output capacity, along with the Digital Dolby decoder, and TruSurround XT provide an amazing surround sound experience. This model can also be intergrated with other home theatre devices or even your personal computer through a HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) to provide a true multi media experience.

Apart from the technicalities, Sony KDL-40V2500 offers easy menu access using WEGA GATE feature. The widescreen aspect ratio enables the viewer to watch a normal picture in wide screen mode. Parental Control feature allows parents to rate channels and allow access to channels based on their rating. Additionally, the viewer has a facility to freeze an image in a second window for reference purpose, while the program can be viewed in the primary window.

As for the downside, 1080p ouput can be achieved only by using the HDMI and not from other components like gaming devices and DVD players. For those of you, used to the picture-in-picture mode, the feature is missing in this model. Inspite of the 8 ms response time cited, occasionally there is a blur on fast-moving images.

Also, there seems to be a problem with overscanning of television channels, you may not be able to watch your main program and a ticker from another channel at the same time. This may also be due to an incorrect setting.

This product, with its accessories (tabletop stand, coaxial cable, HD15-to-HD15 cable, remote control (with batteries), operating manual) comes with 1-year warranty on parts and labour and in-house service warranty. On the whole this model of BRAVIA, is worth the investment, offering a truly high-end television experience. Latest addition to BRAVIA series, "Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture" lives up to its name.

Deals of Interest

Emerson 32" LCD HDTV with Digital Tuner, LC320EM8
$10 off $200 valid in our Computers, Software, Home Networking, Digital Cameras and Electronic Stores! exp 10/31/07

Top Brand HDTVs at Walmart.com from $384
TigerDirect's Liquidation Sale!
Save 30%-50% Off Select Clearance Items! Shop now and Save! (While Supplies Last)
Take advantage of online coupon savings at Office Depot.
Save 30% - 50% on Select Clearance Items at Office Depot! While Supplies Last!

Review : Samsung LNT4042H 40" LCD HDTV

2007-09-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

With the Samsung LNT4042 40 inch LCD HDTV, you bring home a better viewing experience on a large screen. You’ll witness your TV programming with greater impact, movies with more depth, and games with more intensity. The unit has a LCD native resolution of 1,366x768 supporting up to 720p HDTV and comes in a glossy black case with speakers mounted to the sides. The Samsung 40 inch LCD TV also includes a couple of extra features which are usually skipped by other entry level LCD sets like picture-in-picture and a swivel stand. The real nice part of this LCD model is that it comes at an extremely affordable price tag for a top-brand in the industry.

In addition, the 40-inch comes with three HDMI inputs instead of the usual two HDMI inputs found on most cheap LCD TVs. Some other important specs include a high contrast ratio of 7000:1 and a wide angle of view of up to 178/178. This has been made possible with the use of S-PVA (Super Patterned Vertical Alignment), which divides each sub-pixel into two segments per color for a more refined consistency in colors, contrast, and brightness at the wider viewing angles.

Strengths:

Fabulous picture quality and sound
Beautiful HD resolution.
A strong swivel base
Ease of programming.
Good color depth and clarity of display
Rich in features
Good channel response time
Easy upgradeable firmware
Variety of Input options

Weaknesses:

It has only a one year warranty

Specifications:

720p (1366 x 768) resolution
NTSC/ATSC/QAM tuner built in
Widescreen (16:9)
7000:1 contrast ratio
3 HDMI inputs
SRS TruSurround
Side A/V Inputs
PC Compatible
VESA Compatible
VChip System

Summary:

This is one of the best 720p HDTV in terms of the picture quality, reliability, and design. Samsung's attention to precision is totally evident. This is an amazing and impressing TV with the many modern and up to the mark features. Indeed a TV for someone who trust’s in quality and reliability.

The future of computing, and what is the latest and greatest currently with computers

2007-09-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

Taking into consideration the rapid rate of change in computer and related technologies today, what is in store for us in the future? Several new computer designs are currently being researched by leading PC manufacturers. Some of these designs have yielded promising test results, and possibly will lead to new types of computer architecture some of which are listed below.

Quantum Computing Model: It is based on reading the alignments of individual atoms in a magnetic field. They aren't limited by the binary nature of the classical physical world of bits, however they depend on observing the state an atom or quantum bits that might represent a one or a zero, for reasons that atoms change energy states very quickly, much quickly than even the fastest computer processors.
Molecular Computing Model: On this architecture researchers are trying to create tiny circuits out of single molecules instead of the current transistors we are using. Its effect will reduce the size of a computer processor to the size of a molecule.
DNA Computing Model: The DNA model is based on reading the condition of a DNA molecule as either “open” or “closed”.

All the models potentially reduce the size of the basic processor to the nanometer (billionth of a meter) range, thereby providing for power computing, complex problem solving and computers to be smaller than the size of a living cell. Hewlett Packard (HP) has won the Nano-chip Patent.

The latest and the greatest processor I currently find in the computer world is the new Intel Core 2 Quad Processor. I find it to be the most powerful processor available in the market right now. One could use it to do almost anything, from creating multimedia, wiping out your gaming enemies, or running computer intensive applications at one time, the new Intel quad-core processor will change the way you do everything.

Expert Review, Comparing and Contrasting Different Models of the Seagate Freeagent

2007-09-13T20:59:00.000-07:00

The FreeAgent Desktop drive is the best place to gather and access all of your important photos, movies, music, games and documents. Simply plug in the power and the USB cable and you’re ready to go. The Seagate freeagent takes up less room on your desk than a stapler and is included with a five year limited warranty.

The Seagate FreeAgent Desktop drives are available in 3 models with different storage capacity:

i) ST305004FDA1E1-RK
ii) ST303204FDA1E1-RK
iii) ST302504FDA1E1-RK

The ST305004FDA1E1-RK is a 500 GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive. This Hard Drive from Seagate is a high capacity drive with an interface that allows it to be connected via USB 2.0 and operates at a rotation speed of 7200 rpm. The drive also features a bus transfer rate of 60 MB/sec using USB 2.0, making the drive an excellent solution for video editing, high-resolution imaging, data backup or just for general storage. The drive has plug-n-play features and runs on Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows XP OS. On the MAC OS it runs on Power PC G3, G4 or G5 processor OS X 10.3.9 or higher. The drive comes with a 5 year warranty. The strengths of the drive are it is fast and quite while in-operation. The only weakness of the drive is that its bulky and heavy.

• 500 GB storage capacity
• USB 2.0 interface
• Seagate’s 5 year limited warranty
• Plug-n-play
• Windows 2000, XP, Vista O/S
• Mac OS X 10.3.9 and 10.4.6 or higher

ST303204FDA1E1-RK with 320GB of storage capacity is no bigger than a stapler. This External Hard Drive from Seagate allows it to be connected via USB 2.0 and operates at a rotation speed of 7200 rpm. The drive also features a bus transfer rate of 48 MB/sec using USB 2.0. The drive is an excellent solution for data backup, high-resolution imaging or just for general storage. The drive has plug-n-play features and runs on Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows XP OS. On the MAC OS it runs on Power PC G3, G4 or G5 processor OS X 10.3.9 or higher and on Intel Core Duo processor it runs on OS X 10.4.6 or higher. The drive comes with a 5 year warranty. The strengths of the drive is its silent operation and the only minor drawback is the absence of an on/off switch.

• 320 GB storage capacity
• USB 2.0 interface
• Seagate’s 5 year limited warranty
• Plug-n-play
• Windows 2000, XP, Vista O/S
• Mac OS X 10.3.9 and 10.4.6 or higher

The ST302504FDA1E1-RK model comes with a maximum storage capacity of 250 GB. This External Hard Drive from Seagate allows it to be connected via USB 2.0 and operates at a rotation speed of 7200 rpm. The drive features a maximum transfer rate of 480 MB per sec using a USB 2.0 interface for connectivity.. The drive is an excellent solution for data backup, high-resolution imaging or just for general storage. The drive has plug-n-play features and runs on Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows XP OS. On the MAC OS it runs on Power PC G3, G4 or G5 processor OS X 10.3.9 or higher and on Intel Core Duo processor it runs on OS X 10.4.6 or higher. The drive comes with a 5 year warranty. The strengths of the drive is its silent operation, easy to install and some drawbacks are absence of backup software, no activity light indicator and the drive only stands in vertical position.

• 250 GB storage capacity
• USB 2.0 interface
• Seagate’s 5 year limited warranty
• Plug-n-play
• Windows 2000, XP, Vista O/S
• Mac OS X 10.3.9 and 10.4.6 or higher

Overall the three Seagate Freeagent Desktop models at reasonable price tags make them appealing, especially considering they are Seagate products with a five year limited warranty.

Expert Review of the New Helio

2007-09-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

The latest cell phone from Samsung is the Helio Fin. Not only is this the smallest and lightest Helio phone, its also the thinnest flip phone. New on the Fin is Garmin's mobile GPS application, which gives voiced turn-by-turn directions to specified addresses, or to search for POI such as restaurants, bars, ATMs, and gas stations. The GPS service on the Fin costs $3 per day, at the moment there are no monthly plans available.

On the Fin's Web browser you can zoom pages and images on the fly, while there is a mini-map that shows you your position relative to the rest of the page. Web pages are rendered to the phone with the help of Google optimization. The Helio Fin has a built-in 3.0 megapixel camera, which produces impressively sharp snapshots for a cell phone. Other worth mentioning features on the Fin are voice calling, three-way calling and a loud speakerphone.

Pros:
• Faster surfing with the speedy 3G network
• Impressive GPS Application from Garmin
• Shoot Pictures and Videos and instantly upload to YouTube and Flickr
• Watch movies provided by Helio Video Feeds
• Supports 3D gaming
• Receive customize RSS feeds from your favorite websites
• Ready to use Google Map service for mobiles
• Send images and videos to friends

Cons:
• Lacks a QWERTY keypad

Special Features:
Great Helio Services including GPS
3.0 Megapixel Camera
Ultimate Inbox
HTML Browser
RSS Feeds
Speedy 3G Network
Weighs 3.4 ounces
2.25 inch display and flat keypad
Supports stereo Bluetooth headsets
Supports Micro SD memory
Supports Audio format AAC and MP3
Supports Video format H.264 and MPEG-4

Summary:

The Helio Fin with its impressive services, built-in features, affordable cost and its thin design has great value for money. The camera is very easy to use and the fact that the pictures and video upload almost immediately is a huge plus point. The phone is very user friendly, and anyone from an amateur to an expert can handle it with ease. The thin Fin is definitely in.

Review: Panasonic 42" Plasma HDTV

2007-09-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

With the Panasonic 42 inch Plasma Screen HDTV you can turn your living room into a movie theater and experience an amazing level of multimedia excitement. On this TV not only can you watch your favorite programs, movies but also can view pictures taken from your digital camera via the built-in SD Card slot. The unit has a high 10000:1 contrast ratio, which lends itself to the perception of image quality.

This Panasonic HDTV set uses an exclusive circuit known as Real Black Drive that decreases the required idle energy by as much as 90% when compared with typical designs. Less idle energy produces less idle light in dark areas so black areas are darker. While most digital displays today only support a maximum of 16.7 million colors, this HDTV stands out with being able to reproduce 29 billion colors, to better match the capabilities of the human eye towards color that's more true to life.

Pros:

• Excellent picture quality
• Large screen size of 42 inches
• Sharp picture clarity
• Attractive appearance
• Many plug-ins
• Stand and remote control included with the unit

Cons:

Two speakers of 10W each are not powerful enough for a 42" TV.
This unit does not come with S-Video or Composite Video inputs in the front panel.

Features:

1080p Up-Conversion DRP (Digital Re-Mastering Processor)
3,072 Equivalent Steps of Gradation
Up to 29 Billion Displayable Colors
Max. 10,000:1 Contrast ratio
Built-in SD Card Memory Slot
Motion Pattern Noise Reduction
EZ SyncTM HDAVI Control
Digital Optimizer
Sub-Pixel Controller
Advanced 3D Color Management

Specifications:

Diagonal Screen Size: 42 inches
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (Widescreen)
HDTV Compatibility: 480p/720p/1080i/1080p
Displayable Colors: Maximum of 29 Billion
Shades of Gradation: 3,072
Contrast Ratio: Up to 10,000:1
Weight 59.6 lbs
Progressive Scan: Yes
Video Noise Reduction: Yes
Color Purity Optimizer (3D Color Management): Yes
Speakers: 2 (10W each)
Surround Sound: Yes
Connection options: 2 HDMI, 1 Component input with 2 stereo audio and One SD Card Input
Tuners: NTSC (Standard analog broadcasts) and ATSC (SDTV and HDTV broadcasts)
Photo Viewer: Yes (Through SD Slot)
OSD Languages English/Spanish/French

Summary:

This Panasonic HDTV presents the best deal for a 42 inch plasma, amongst any of the major makers. With sharp and outstanding picture quality, a massive view screen size, easy to setup, built-in advance features and the Panasonic brand name, it offers the best value for the buck.

Expert Review of the New iMac

2007-09-12T23:53:00.000-07:00

The New iMac desktop offers more features and better performance than several Windows-based PCs in conjunction with high-class design and strong built. The new Apple iMac ships in two 20 inch models and a single 24 inch model. The new iMacs spot a glossy display and come with a black cloth to keep the extremely-reflective display smudge free. It is powered by a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7700 processor, a 320 GB serial ATA hard drive, 2 GB of memory, ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro graphics with 256MB of GDDR3 memory, and a slot-loading SuperDrive DVD burner. Network connection options include Gigabit Ethernet, AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking, integrated Bluetooth 2.0, and an infrared receiver for use with the included remote control. The new iMacs use Intel's Santa Rosa platform, which provides a higher front side bus speed and integrated support for Wi-Fi standard 802.11n.

Strengths:

Sleek and thin-framed than its predecessor
Composed of more Recyclable Materials
Reduction in Cable quantity
Can support a one terabyte drive
Enhanced iLife 08 Digital Media Suite
True Dual-monitor usage through Mini-DVI port
iMac is provided with a FireWire 800 port, for faster data transfers

Weaknesses:

No Media Card Slot
No TV Tuner functionality
Glossy screen has reflection issues without antiglare option
Wireless Keyboard and the mouse come as spare
Not so good Phone Support
Not many applications are optimized for Intel so slowness in running these programs
Lacks High-Density Resolution
Not upgraded to Apple’s latest Leopard OS

Specifications of the iMac:

20 inch iMac
24 inch iMac
Processor
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.40 GHz
Intel Core 2 Extreme 2.8GHz
Memory
1 GB
2 GB
Video Card
ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro
FSB
800 MHz
667 MHz
Hard Drive
320 GB
500 GB
Weight
20 lb
25.4 lb
Display
LCD 20 inch
LCD 24 inch
Wireless
802.11 b/g/n
Airport Extreme 802.11 n

Summary:

The new iMac is a well-designed desktop which provides everything a casual or professional Mac user needs. Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning desktop. For a professional user or anyone who regularly uses graphics applications like Adobe Photoshop, Video and Audio Editing Software can have multiple reasons to consider iMac as their next desktop. The iMac is absolute awesome.

Expert Review of the New Apple iPhone

2007-09-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

The iPhone is a revolutionary new mobile phone that allows you to make a call by simply tapping a name or number in your address book, a favorites list, or a call log. It also automatically synchronizes all your contacts from a PC, Mac, or Internet service. The iPhone with a sleek interface, top quality music and video features, and a modern design touch is truly the next generation mobile phone. The touch screen is easier to use and the multimedia performs well. Its Safari browser provides a superb Web surfing experience, and it offers easy-to-use applications. But a host of missing features, dependency on a sluggish EDGE network, and variable call quality makes one feel that it is a phone after all.

Positives:

Built with world-class engineering design, the iPhone is truly the next-generation smart phone with all of its advanced features. The features include high-quality audio and video playback competent with an iPod, splendid performance of the speakerphone and Bluetooth features integrated in this handset. Built-in features to suit web and photo browsing, with superior e-mail client and facility to view Word, PDF and Excel files. The iPhone also has a surprisingly strong performance for web and video browsing when switched to the Wi-Fi network.

Negatives:

The Apple iPhone is available with a 2-year AT&T contract and is not compatible with any other wireless carrier options. This device lacks an instant messaging support and has high-priced SMS features. The dimensions, current price, storage limitation and inability of user-replaceable battery limits the market slot. Usage of iPod accessories, not so satisfactory docking with computer and ambiguity over long-term stability and warranty replacement queries dampen the spirits among majority of buyers. Another feature which is absent is a FM radio.

Specifications:
• Display: 3.5 inch Touchscreen
• Capacity: 8 GB Flash drive
• Operating System: OS X
• Network Support: GSM 850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz
• Data Transmission: Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g), EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0
• Camera : 2.0 Megapixels
• Audio Formats: AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV
• Video Formats: H 264, .M4V, MP4, .MOV, MPEG-4
• Headphones: Stereo headphones with in-built microphone
• System Requirements:

1. MAC : USB 2.0 port, MAC OS X 10.4.10 or higher, iTunes 7.3 or higher
2. Windows: USB 2.0 port, Windows Vista, Windows XP with SP2, iTunes 7.3 or higher

• Maximum Operating Altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)
• Power and battery: Built-in rechargeable Lithium Ion battery

Summary:

The Apple iPhone has a striking high-resolution display with a silky design and moden easy-to-use multi-touch user interface. It provides a wonderful experience of Web Surfing through its Safari browser. Even though it lacks some important utilities with a slow data network and inconsistent call quality, it sets a standard for an integrated cell phone and MP3 player.

MP3 Players

2007-09-10T17:34:00.001-07:00

MP3 players are also called Digital Audio Players which stores, organizes and plays audio files. MP3 is the common name for MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 and it is an audio encoding format. MP3 is an audio-specific format. This uses a loss specific compression algorithm which eliminates certain parts of the sound which is outside the normal hearing range and cannot be heard by the human ears. The audio is encoded by pulse-code modulation.

Internal functioning of a MP3 player:

Digitized Music: The music is stored like any other computer data file in a long series of 1’s and 0’s in MP3 format. The MP3 player can read the digital file and hence produce music.
Compression of the Data file – The codecs (compression decompression) algorithm helps to compress the songs into minimal size with nominal loss of quality. The codecs algorithm has been developed by using the psychoacoustics (perception of sound by brain) and perceptual coding (elimination of indiscernible sounds) principles.

Play Music

An MP3 player utilizes a DAC (digital-to-analog converter) to convert the 1s and 0s into analog signal which can then be amplified and be broadcasted over headphones or speakers. The MP3 player when plays the music compressed by codec, the software on its chip (known as firmware) applies the codec to decode the file and sends the decompressed 1s and 0s to the DAC.

File Format Compatibility: Although MP3 was the first format or codec to be widely accepted but now a variety of codecs (Any type of format which is used to compress a file) are supported by MP3 players. Listed below are formats supported by MP3 players:

• AA
• AAC
• ATRAC3
• FLAC
• MP3
• MP3Pro
• OGG
• WAV/AIFF
• WMA

Different types of MP3 Players according to the storage device they use to read the music from are:

Hard-drive based MP3 Player

These are believed to be the king amongst the MP3 players. A few years back they were available with a capacity of 5GB and today they are available with capacities of 120 GB. One can store his entire music library on these players.

Micro Hard-drive based MP3 Player

These MP3 players currently hold up to 12GB, so they are suitable only for people who want to bring along a selection of songs or music in their collection. The sales of these players have dropped considerably and these players are making way for flash based MP3 players.

Flash-based MP3 Player

These MP3 players use flash memory to store music, data, and sometimes photo and video files. While most players offer about 4GB or approximately around 68 hours of storage, they have distinctive advantage over their MP3 hard drives as they're smaller and more affordable. Very soon the market will witness these players with 8 GB capacities.

With the rise in competition among the MP3 Player manufacturers in the market, every MP3 Player is adding supplementary features in order to sustain the competition. The ten Prime MP3 Player features which are provided as add-ons are as follows:

• Color screens, photo viewing, and video playback
• Radio
• Wireless capability
• Music Recording
• Voice Recording
• Data storage
• Personal information management
• Sound-tweaking options
• Advanced playback features
• Enhanced battery type and more battery life

New functionality This Year in GPS Navigators

2007-09-10T17:33:00.001-07:00

GPS or Global positioning systems, are systems of satellites and receiving devices which are used to calculate exact positions on the Earth. GPS is used in navigation and its precision supports cadastral surveying. The GPS navigation system has got much better in recent years, but they still can't match the best built-in factory systems for overall navigation functionality. It's clear that the aftermarket systems are now setting the pace in terms of innovation, integration, and features. For example, while few factory systems offer real-time traffic reports, it's quickly becoming an important feature for aftermarket GPS systems.

A brief of some of the new functionalities in GPS Navigators are:

Real-time local information: Using this functionality a user will be able to link to MSN Direct to provide in addition to traffic and weather, such local information as fuel prices in nearby gas stations and movie times in local theaters.
Dual-function capabilities: The GPS Navigators perform the functions of both an automobile navigation system and a wilderness or marine GPS unit. It provides both road maps and topology maps coverage.
Internet searches and automatic map updates: This new functionality augments its internal points-of-interest (POI) database with Internet searches through Yahoo! local search. This functionality will enable the system to provide more detailed POI results than typical database-driven units can. The functionality will also be able to receive automatic map and software updates either by Wi-Fi or a cellular modem.
Car to Car Communication: This new functionality addresses traffic in two ways. It comes with a preloaded database of historical traffic flow information for all major roads, which it will use in combination with real-time reports to calculate the fastest route. It will also be able to relay traffic speed data wirelessly to other GPS units to provide additional real-time information.
Satellite Radio Integration: Using this functionality one can receive Sirius satellite radio signals and transmit them through a car's audio system through a FM modulator.
Improved search functionality for addresses.
Speed camera warnings functionality is available in 17 countries with over 16000 speed camera locations. The speed camera database is updated with new speed cameras every week.
Improved routing mode where the estimated time of Arrival (ETA) and the distance left to destination can be viewed from the main navigation window.
Integration: Some companies have integrated their GPS system into devices like smart phones with the navigation database built in. Another GPS manufacturer has integrated its GPS system into a back-up warning system.

10 Latest Cell Phone / Smart Phone Technology Advances

2007-09-10T17:31:00.000-07:00

Cell phones are growing exceptionally fast both in number and type, and it has become tough to maintain with the technological advances of the cell phone industry. Although we cannot draw a strong line of difference between a cell phone and a smart phone but a smart phone is considered as a next-generation multifunctional cell phone which provides various features like voice communication, text-messaging, data-processing and superior wireless connectivity. New phones with advanced accessories are coming up in the market everyday. Smart Phones can be considered as a combination of a powerful cell phone and a wireless-enabled PDA.

The advanced features transform a simple cell phone into a Smart Phone. Here are a list of the advanced features which come coupled with the cell phones.

Cell Phone Digital Camera

All the modern cell phones comprise of the built-in Camera feature. This enables the users to take clear digital pictures with their handsets, which can viewed, can be sent to family and friends, downloaded to PCs. Currently the standard resolution is 1.3 mega pixel but phones with high resolution built in camera are also found. Some Camera phones are also provided with built-in flash and ability to take self-portraits. Many camera cell phones also allow to capture videos; store, play and send the video clips.

Cell Phone as Music Player

Advanced Cell Phone models allow downloading and playing MP3 music. Different Cell phone models provide different MP3 facilities and even some models only support MP3 ringtones but not MP3 music. iTunes is one of the most admired media player launched by Apple. Nowadays music crazy users can go for Cell Phones with iTunes Player which allows them to download, manage and play digital audio files through their handsets.

GPS Service Support

GPS stands for Global Positioning System and it is a satellite-based technology which allows determining the user’s location. Advanced cell phones are GPS-enabled and this feature allows the user to receive directions through a map generated on the user’s screen and to locate their loved ones (if they have GPS-enabled devices).

Internet in your pocket

Internet has already come onto the Cell phones. Some advanced cell phones provide full HTML browsers. The entire top Search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN are now accessible at all the advanced internet-enabled Cell Phones to the users.

Attachment Viewing and E-Mail

Modern Cell phones are provided with the capability to open and view e-mail attachments in Word, Excel and PowerPoint formats. Advanced Cell phones provide the facility to open attachments in Microsoft Office applications

Bluetooth Wireless Technology

Bluetooth is one of the most accepted short-range wireless technologies which allow connecting and transmitting data between devices like cell phones, headsets, laptops, printers etc. Bluetooth-enabled cell phones are provided with different capabilities ranging from simple transmission of signal to a wireless headset, to sending out wireless signals to other Bluetooth-enabled devices and send data.

Cell Phone FM Radio

Cell Phones are equipped with FM-radio capability which allows the Users to set FM radio stations and listen to the radio stations through their headsets. Some phones have the in-built FM-radio facility but some use the headset cord as the antenna to pick radio signals.

Voice-driven menus

A voice-driven control on a Cell phone allows the User to choose the menu by commanding through speech rather than entering the menus through the keypad. This facility acts as a gift for physically-challenged persons and also allows people to keeps their hands free for other activities like driving, typing, etc.

Phone as a Modem

Some advanced Cell phone models are used as modem to connect Computers to the Web. Web-enabled Cell phones which allow digital data transmission can be used to connect the computer to the internet.

PC Synchronization

This feature allows the Users to connect the Cell phone to a PC and synchronize information such as calendar, to-do lists, phonebook entries, messages, files and folders.