Shufflegazine

GIGABYTE Launches First AMD 6 Core CPU-ready Motherboard

pressrelease — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:29:15 +0000

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co., Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards and other computing hardware solutions today proudly launched their latest AMD AM3 Socket GA-890GPA-UD3H motherboard, delivering loads of performance enhancing bandwidth for applications such as high end gaming and high speed data transfer on systems featuring new AMD 6 core CPUs.

The first motherboard featuring the AMD 890GX chipset paired with the all new SB850 South Bridge, the GIGABYTE GA-890GPA-UD3H offers the industry’s first native support for Serial ATA 6Gbps for up to 6 devices. The AMD SB850 also offers the industry’s first Serial ATA 6 Gbps RAID support, allowing users to configure RAID 0,1,5 and 10 for maximum data performance or enhanced data backup. Also equipped with GIGABYTE 3x USB Power Boost and USB 3.0 support by utilizing the industry-leading NEC® controller, the GIGABYTE GA-890GPA-UD3H ensures users are ready to take advantage the next wave of high speed data transfer and storage technologies.

“Giving users power over their high definition content is really at the heart of what the GIGABYTE GA-890GPA-UD3H is all about,” commented Tim Handley, Deputy Director of Motherboard Marketing at GIGABYTE Technology Co. Ltd. “Not only does the GA-890GPA-UD3H deliver the industry’s highest performing integrated graphics solution with flawless HD video playback, but enabling SATA 6 Gbps with RAID functionality, USB 3.0 support and GIGABYTE 3x Power Boost means that users are able to spend less time waiting for their content to transfer, and more time to actually enjoy it.”

The GIGABYTE GA-890GPA-UD3H also features the integrated ATI Radeon™ HD 4290 IGP (Integrated Graphics Processor) with DirectX 10.1 support and 128M DDR3 sideport memory, allowing for easy overclock of the default 700MHz GPU clock up to 1150MHz for a 3DMark06 score of 3300 or above, which is 18% higher than the previous generation AMD 790GX chipset and higher than any other IGP platform. The graphics potential of the board is further extended with the addition of two PCI-E 2.0 x16 graphics slots, allowing users to run ATI CrossFireX™ (running at x8,x8), or a single card at x16 including the next generation DirectX 11 graphics cards for some ATI Hybrid CrossFireX™ action, providing an enhanced level of gaming performance, productivity and platform power efficiency.

Sony on the Move with new motion controller for Playstation

pressrelease — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:01:16 +0000

PlayStation division Sony Gulf FZE today announced that PlayStation®Move motion controller for PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system, launches worldwide this fall, offering a motion-based, high-definition gaming experience unlike anything on the market. Concurrently with its launch will be also release PlayStation®Move sub-controller to be used along with the motion controller for intuitive navigation of in-game characters and objects. The PlayStation Move platform, including the motion controller, sub-controller, and PlayStation®Eye camera*1, together with a strong line-up of software titles, will deliver an innovative and highly immersive experience on the PS3 system.

The combination of the PS3 system and PlayStation Eye camera detects the precise movement, angle, and absolute position in 3D space of PlayStation Move motion controller, allowing users to intuitively play the game as if they themselves are within the game. PlayStation Move motion controller delivers unmatched accuracy through its advanced motion sensors, including a three-axis gyroscope, a three-axis accelerometer, and a terrestrial magnetic field sensor, as well as a colour-changing sphere that is tracked by PlayStation Eye camera. Through PlayStation Move system, both fast and subtle motion can be detected, whether the user is swinging a tennis racket, or painting with a brush. With PlayStation Move motion controller, users can provide direct input through action buttons and an analog trigger, while receiving physical feedback from rumble functionality and visual feedback from the sphere’s ability to display a variety of different colors. Furthermore, PlayStation Eye camera can capture the player’s voice or image, enabling augmented reality experiences.

The newly announced PlayStation Move sub-controller is a one-handed controller, developed to further expand the game play options that PlayStation Move games can offer*2. PlayStation Move sub-controller features a sleek curved design that pairs with the motion controller and comes with an analog stick and directional buttons that allow users to easily control the game when moving characters or choosing a direction. Like all other Wireless Controllers for the PS3 system, it comes with a built in lithium-ion rechargeable battery as well as Bluetooth® technology, enabling the controller to transfer the input information wirelessly to the PS3 system without a cable. PlayStation Move motion controller and sub-controller will further broaden the gaming experience on the PS3 system for all genres, from games that use one motion controller to games that use both controllers.

The introduction of PlayStation Move controllers has been well received within the industry and now 36 third party developers and publishers*3 have decided to support PlayStation Move platform. In fiscal year 2010, SCE Worldwide Studios will also release more than 20 games that are either dedicated to or supported with the PlayStation Move platform.

SCE, with strong support from software developers and publishers, will deploy various measures to enhance the PlayStation Move software title line-up and vigorously promote the PS3 platform.

Kingston Digital reveals new design to its 256GB USB flash drive

Magnus Nystedt — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:33:33 +0000

Kingston Digital Europe Ltd, a subsidiary of Kingston Technology Corporation, the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the release of the Kingston DataTraveler 310, the ultimate mobile storage accessory, allowing users to carry a complete digital portfolio of documents. The Kingston DataTraveler 310 replaces the 256GB DataTraveler 300, released in July 2009. The DataTraveler 310 users will benefit from quick transfer speeds and protect their data using Password Traveler Software.

“We saw an opportunity to push the capacity envelope for USB Flash drives in the marketplace. Customer feedback and our research determined that this is a great solution for designers, engineers and architects who have a need to easily store and transport large data files,” said Antoine Harb, Business Development Manager, Kingston Technology. “The Kingston DataTraveler 310 is the ideal partner for those who want to expand the storage capacity of their notebooks. For the enthusiast who wants easy access to their full media library, the Kingston DataTraveler 310 can store up to 365 CDs, 54 DVDs or 51,000 images*. This device makes an entire collection of data easily portable.

The Kingston DataTraveler 310 features Password Traveler software, which allows the user to create and access a password-protected privacy zone. The secure area of the drive can account for up to 90 percent of the drive’s capacity and does not require administrator rights.

The Kingston DataTraveler 310 is available only in 256GB and is backed by a five-year warranty and 24/7 tech support. For more information visit http://www.kingston.com/meroot.

Google Nexus One coming in “due course” to Middle East, says Google at Abu Dhabi Media Summit

Magnus Nystedt — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:49:11 +0000

Eric Schmidt, Chairman of the Board and CEO Google

Eric Schmidt, Chairman of the board and CEO of Google, today gave a keynote address at the Abu Dhabi Media Summit on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

The first theme in Schmidt’s speech was mobile computing and Internet access, which is fast overtaking the desktop computer paradigm we’ve lived with for so long. Schmidt said that Google employees are starting to build mobile-centric applications first and not the desktop-centric applications. “Mobile first” was Schmidt’s message in many ways. He said that mobile web adoption is growing eight times faster today than desktop web adoption was ten years ago and that there are more smartphones than there are personal computers. In countries that have just recently started getting online in a big way, users access Google more through mobile phones than they do through computers, Schmidt said and gave Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, Brunei and Liberia as examples of this. The message from Schmidt in terms of “mobile first” to the audience in Abu Dhabi was that media producers, distributors etc. should all look at mobile platforms for getting their news and information out to readers. The experience for users on mobile devices can be much more customized especially compared to traditional media and this in turn opens up new opportunities for advertising, he added.

It seems that Schmidt was telling the gathered audience that instead of looking at the switch from traditional media like print, TV, etc. to digital and online media as a death sentence, they should look at it as a new world of opportunities.

After the presentation, Schmidt was joined by Mohammad Gawdat, Managing Director – Eastern and Emerging Europe, Africa and the Middle East at Google, in a room with by Google especially invited members of the media for what’s usually called a roundtable discussion. Roundtable discussions are typically fairly small gatherings of media and rarely actually involve round tables. It’s a good opportunity to asks questions of someone, often much better than in the more open setting of a press conference. There’s usually more opportunity to probe more in questions and some more time given to providing answers.

Today at the roundtable discussion Schmidt was asked a lot about Google and China but he basically refused to say anything new on the topic but left it at that Google is in “active negotiations” with the Chinese authorities. In a blog post in January Google said that they had been the target of cyber attacks originating in China, which “resulted in the theft of intellectual property from Google.”

What’s perhaps of most interest to gadget-craving Shufflegazine readers is that Gawdat said that Google Nexus One, their HTC-manufactured smartphone, on sale in the US since January, will come to the Middle East in “due course.” Schmidt said that it’s “in a spreadsheet” but as Gawdat added, Google has so many things to work on and Nexus One in the Middle East is not at the top of the list. That makes sense and in the mean time anyone who wants a Nexus One can buy one directly from Google in the US.

Nexus One is selling very well for Google, said Schmidt. Although he revealed no new figures, he instead reiterated the figures revealed at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last month that 60,000 Android-powered handsets are shipped per day. That number includes Google’s Nexus One but as before, Schmidt didn’t reveal any sales figures particular to the Nexus, relying instead on the overall Android statistic.

First look: Nokia X6 and Comes With Music

Magnus Nystedt — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:26:37 +0000

When Nokia announced the Nokia X6 and the Comes With Music unlimited music download service I was very excited about the possibilities. I’ve divided this first look into two parts, trying to look at the X6 and Comes With Music separately although they are obviously one package as buying the X6 is the only way to get the unlimited Comes With Music downloads at this point in time in the Middle East.

Nokia X6

I see the X6 as the continuation of the 5800 Xpressmusic phone (reviewed Shufflegazine February 2009, p34). The 5800 was a nice phone in many ways and I bought it myself on the first day it was available in Dubai. It had a not very good resistive touch screen and the Symbian OS didn’t feel that well adapted to touch.

One of those issues Nokia has fixed in the X6 and that’s the screen. It’s now a 3.2 inch capacitive screen (360 x 640 pixels) a la iPhone and it’s just as good as Apple’s device on touching to launch things, scroll through something and everything else you need to do. The screen is also bright and clear so when it comes to the display Nokia has done a good job.

When it comes to the OS, Symbian doesn’t seem to have gone through much development in terms of UI at least since the 5800 and I’m still not that happy with the user experience. Symbian seems to be an OS in bad need of a significant overhaul and I hope that Nokia will do that soon or move on to some other OS. They recently confirmed their commitment to Symbian so let’s hope there’s an update in the works.

Things do happen fast on the X6 and I’ve experienced no major waits for apps to launch or for apps to finish some tasks. Whatever music and other things you download will be stored on the 16GB internal memory, which you can’t expand since there’s no memory card slot.

The camera is pretty good. At 5 megapixels (2592 x 1944 pixels) you get good photos at least in good light, which is the case with most smartphone cameras today. Carl Zeiss optics in the lens for the camera probably helps to keep the photo quality up. Autofocus, dual LED flash and even video light also add to teh functionality. In terms of video you can record VGA quality (640 x 480) at 30 fps. The speaker is also surprisingly good for a smartphone, good enough that it can even in a pinch get a small party started.

Comes With Music

Although the X6 hardware is not bad it also doesn’t really impress. It’s a different picture when we throw in the unlimited music download service though.

Moving on to talk about Comes With Music, let’s just reiterate that with the purchase of the X6 you get unlimited downloads from Nokia’s library of around 4 million songs for 12 months. After that time you get to keep the songs and keep playing them but you can’t download more unless you buy another Comes With Music device. The music is DRM (Digital Rights Management) protected and the PC player with which you can download and listen to music with is Windows only. Presumably that’s because it uses Microsoft’s Windows Media DRM.

The Windows app, Ovi Player, is a free download from Nokia and in functionality it’s basically like iTunes but simpler. You can browse around the music offerings, listen to previews of songs and download individual songs or entire albums. The interface is clean and does the trick but doesn’t show off the same ease of use and sleekness as iTunes. Once you connect the X6 with USB cable to your PC you can easily drag and drop songs and albums to the device and they’re copied over. You can also set it to sync automatically but you don’t have the same array of choices as in iTunes.

Before you start your unlimited downloading you have to enter a code that you get inside the box with the X6. I entered this on the X6 but I believe you can do it in Ovi Player as well. After that your unlimited downloads are tied to the X6 device, that PC and your Ovi account.

Downloading some 40 albums that first night alone after receiving the X6, I can see that there is a great attraction in the truly unlimited download possibilities. Even if I download an album now and delete it tomorrow I can just re-download it again after that. Sure, that’d be some extra work for me but it offers me flexibility and freedom.

The interface for downloading music on the X6 is far from great. It seems to be basically web based, which doesn’t offer the same fast operation and sleek interface that an app would. I sure hope that Nokia will produce a native app so that the experience on the phone improves a lot.

Although the Comes With Music media is heavily DRM protected the “analogue hole” still exists in the Ovi Player. This means you can burn Comes With Music downloads to audio CD. This will presumably reduce the quality some of the downloaded music but in my brief testing of a few albums it won’t be enough for most listeners to be concerned with.

Conclusion

Nokia has made great strides with the X6 compared to the 5800 but it’s still not a very remarkable phone in any respect. What does make it remarkable though is the Comes With Music service. Nokia should develop a native app for their phones that support Comes With Music and the app could do with a bit of polishing too but it’s an amazing service for any music lover. The way I see it very few people will be interested in buying the X6 just as a smartphone in itself but with Comes With Music it becomes a very attractive offering.

HP expands HP Officejet portfolio with its most affordable business inkjet all-in-one

pressrelease — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:57:54 +0000

HP today expanded its award-winning HP Officejet portfolio with its most affordable flatbed all-in-one printer with fax (1).

Introduced at the 2010 Macworld Conference & Exposition in San Francisco (HP booth 848), the new HP Officejet 4500 All-in-One series brings professional-quality colour printing, wired and wireless connectivity, and four-in-one functionality to the home office. The HP Officejet 4500 All-in-One series produces professional colour prints for the lowest cost per page, compared with in-class inkjet products (2).

“HP believes in the entrepreneurial spirit and strives to create products that help customers turn their ideas into reality,” said Hatem Mostafa, vice president, Inkjet Business Solutions, HP. “By delivering an affordable, low-cost-per-page business printer and worldwide access to free marketing templates, we can help small businesses around the world affordably maximise productivity and successfully promote their brands.”

Driving productivity with affordable Officejet All-in-One series

The HP Officejet 4500 All-in-One features a piano-black finish and enables customers to efficiently complete business tasks at their small business or home office. The Microsoft Windows® and Mac OS X Snow Leopard(3) compatible all-in-one offers borderless printing for brochures, flyers and other documents, built-in Ethernet and wireless networking options(4), and fast print, copy, scan and fax speeds.

In addition, it produces fast-drying documents that resist fading when using papers with the ColorLok logo(5). With the optional Original HP 901XL Black Officejet Inkjet Cartridge – the highest-yielding supply offering among current in-class inkjets in the market(6) – small businesses can now print up to three times more black pages for greater savings(7) (8).

As part of the HP Eco Solutions programme, the ENERGY STAR® qualified HP Officejet 4500 All-in-One series conserves resources with HP Smart Web Printing (9). The HP Officejet 4500 All-in-One and HP Officejet 4500 Wireless All-in-One are expected to be available for purchase worldwide next month(10).

Price and availability(11)

HP’s recommended street price and product availability dates across Europe is:

Officejet 4500 All-in-One – €89, available from April 2010
Officejet 4500 Wireless All-in-One – €119, available from April 2010

The HP Officejet 4500 All-in-One series is compatible with HP 901 black Officejet ink, HP 901 Tri-colour Officejet Ink and HP 901XP black Officejet ink(8).

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com

The new LEGRIA HF R series – Full HD video that’s easy to shoot and share

pressrelease — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:17:39 +0000

Canon Middle East today expands its award-winning LEGRIA camcorder range with the launch of the new LEGRIA HF R series – a collection of stylish and lightweight Full High Definition (HD) camcorders that make it fun and easy to share videos.

The LEGRIA HF R series blends quality with value. Each model features premium Canon imaging technology alongside a series of easy-to-use features that make the shooting and sharing of home video content simpler than ever. A light and compact design also means all models are highly portable – perfect for users looking to step into the world of High Definition.

Smart Auto and Full HD technology – shoot stunning video with ease

The complete series is equipped with Canon’s HD Camera System, featuring an HD CMOS sensor, 20x optical zoom, Canon HD Video Lens and advanced DIGIC DV III processing. New Smart Auto technology is also included, helping beginners get the best possible videos in all conditions.

First introduced in Canon’s digital compact cameras, Smart Auto has now been optimised for HD camcorders. Intelligent Scene Detection technology guarantees great-looking movies by identifying the type of shot and selecting the optimum picture settings to match. Recognising up to 31 different scenes without user input, Smart Auto does all the hard work automatically.

Canon’s unique Instant AF technology complements Smart Auto with the ultra-fast focusing required for the best HD movies. Face Detection Technology ensures friends and family always look their best, automatically identifying up to 35 faces and ensuring they are in focus and well exposed. All models also feature Pre REC mode, which cleverly captures the three seconds prior to the moment you press Record. Thanks to Pre REC, no action need ever be missed again.

Video Snapshot – simple, creative footage

Video Snapshot mode provides users with a unique way to shoot Full HD video. As an alternative to long clips of footage, Video Snapshot offers the ability to shoot bursts of video in two, four or eight second segments – just like a typical TV show. Sections can also be lifted from previously-recorded footage, allowing users to create their own personal library of versatile video content.

Once captured, users can package snapshots together without editing software. Clips can be selected to create a playlist, forming a collage of content that brings the overall story to life. Users can also load music to the camcorder’s memory for use during playback, allowing them to choose the perfect soundtrack to match the action. The final playlist, including music, can even be exported as a single Standard Definition movie file – ideal for burning on DVD or uploading to the web.

Creative shooting, simple sharing – share content with the world

The LEGRIA HF R18 and LEGRIA HF R16 offer users a new, hassle-free way for content to be converted to internet-friendly files and shared with friends and family. Both models feature a new built-in HD-to-SD conversion tool, which combines with an Easy Web Upload feature to enable online sharing.

Once converted and connected to a PC, the supplied PIXELA ImageMixerTM software automatically locates the selected clips and allows users to log-in, upload and annotate their footage in just a few clicks. Individual user account details can also be stored for regular use, providing a rapid path to YouTube™ at all times.

Flexible flash memory with Relay Recording

The LEGRIA HF R18 and LEGRIA HF R16 feature a Dual Flash Memory system, combining internal memory with removable memory cards. The LEGRIA HF R18 includes 32GB of internal storage, while the LEGRIA HF R16 offers 8GB; each model can be expanded by up to 32GB thanks to an additional SDHC memory card slot.

Both models also feature Relay Recording, which prevents interruptions in filming caused by full storage. Relay Recording automatically switches to memory cards when internal storage becomes full, making sure that the camcorder keeps rolling as long as the action does.

The LEGRIA HF R106 shoots solely to SDHC cards, offering users up to 32GB of storage and the flexibility to move content as required.

Accessories

The LEGRIA HF R series is compatible with Canon’s standalone DVD burner, the DW-100. HD movies can be burned to disc for playback in a compatible Blu-ray player, whilst the new HD-to-SD conversion function offers users the ability to create discs for playback in a standard DVD player.

Canon LEGRIA HF R series – key features (all models):

· Canon HD CMOS sensor
· 20x zoom Canon HD Video Lens
· 6.7cm (2.7″) widescreen LCD
· DIGIC DV III Image Processor
· Smart Auto
· Instant AF
· Face Detection Technology
· Video Snapshot
· Relay Recording
· Pre REC
· Easy Web Upload
· SDHC card slot
· YouTube™ Ready
Canon LEGRIA HF R18 individual features

· Dual Flash Memory: 32GB Flash + SDHC card slot
· HD-to-SD movie conversion
Canon LEGRIA HF R16 individual features

· Dual Flash Memory: 8GB Flash + SDHC card slot
· HD-to-SD movie conversion
Canon LEGRIA HF R106 individual features

· Memory: SDHC card slot

Read back issues of Shufflegazine with Android device

Magnus Nystedt — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:00:25 +0000

As you may know we offer Shufflegazine through an iPhone app but we want to give you access to our content from any device, from anywhere.

Although this has been available for some time it’s only now we post about it. Point the web browser of your Android device (I tried this on HTC Legend) to http://m.issuu.com. From there you can download an Issuu app and get access to all our back issues.

With back issues I mean anything that’s more than a month after release. So when March issue comes out we’ll make February available online for free (which we just did). With the iPhone app we release each issue there the same day the print version comes out.

This is a great development that we can make our magazine available to yet another platform. We hope our readers will take advantage of it.

Show notes 2010-03-09: HTC Legend, Nokia X6 and Sony Vaio X [updated]

Magnus Nystedt — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:00:24 +0000

We discussed this item, which basically says that parents don’t know all that their children are doing online and that the younger generation knows more about using technology than the older one. Not very surprising perhaps but some interesting findings nonetheless.

We also talked about Infinitec’s IUM (Infinite USB Memory) of which you can read all our articles on this site.

Nokia X6: shuffle.to/nokiax6

Comes with Music unlimited music downloads for 12 months
3.2 inch screen (360 x 640 pixels)
16GB internal storage (but no expansion)
5 megapixel camera, autofocus, flash
Symbian OS
Ovi Store (apps), Ovi Maps (free map app)
FM radio
Wi-Fi
3.5 mm audio jack
video recording VGA 30fps
Just launched, price AED 2,200

HTC Legend: shuffle.to/htclegend

Successor to the very successful Hero (never released in our market)
Updated HTC Sense interface, Friend Stream, Switch page like Expose in Mac OS X
Android 2.1
3.2 inch screen (320 x 480 pixels)
600Mhz processor
Aluminum “unibody” design
MicroSD slot for expansion (up to 32GB) – 384MB internal
5 megapixel camera, autofocus, flash
Wi-Fi
Automatically lowers the ringer volume as soon as the phone is picked up; Mutes the ringer when the phone is flipped face down
FM radio
3.5 mm audio jack
Will launch “early Q2″ 2010, price unknown

Sony Vaio X6: shuffle.to/sonyvaiox

2GHz Intel Atom processor
2GB RAM
128GB SSD
11.1 inch screen size (1366 x 768 pixels)
Integrated Intel graphics
about 1.3cm thin
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Windows 7
Webcam
Less than 1kg weight
Starts at AED 4,500

Update: You can now download the show [MP3] and the podcast feed has also been updated (subscribe to http://shuffle.to/podcast).

Help, give us some input

Magnus Nystedt — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:36:40 +0000

We’re going to start working on an update media kit, basically a presentation of Shufflegazine, and we’d like your help.

Send us an email with a brief text about why you read Shufflegazine, what you think about what we write about, why you’d recommend the magazine to others, etc. Those are just some ideas. We’re looking for just a sentence or two, nothing much.

Also, if you don’t mind, record a brief video with yourself saying something about Shufflegazine. It could be 30 seconds or even less with you saying something brief about the magazine, the site, or something else related. These videos would be for use in a multimedia version of the media presentation we’re have an idea about. They would not be shown publicly here on the site or elsewhere. Either upload the video somewhere so we can download it or email it.

Obviously it’s most interesting if you have good things to say about us and what we do but please send us any input as long as it is your honest feelings.

LG’s Latest Blu-ray player offers limitless content

pressrelease — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:45:44 +0000

LG Electronics (LG), a major player in the global flat panel display and audio-video devices market, introduced the BD570, a Wi-Fi equipped Blu-ray player.

LG’s BD570 is no ordinary Blu-ray player. The new model’s built-in Wi-Fi allows it to connect to the internet or a home network to bring a wider variety of entertainment options to the living room.

“People should not be restricted to watching movies that come on discs,” said Mr H.S Paik, President of LG Electronics Gulf FZE. “They should have access to limitless content through the internet. We included connectivity on the BD570 that allows it to bring an incredible array of audio, video and other entertainment to their TVs.”

Wireless internet access allows the BD570 to show videos from YouTube or photos from a Picasa Web Album, taking them off of a small computer screen and putting them onto a large HD TV. To make regular Blu-ray discs even better, the BD570 unlocks additional movie-related content from the web with BD-Live 2.0. This highly-connected Blu-ray player also provides convenient access to information like local and global weather forecasts from Accuweather. Other services vary by country, but all are easily accessed through the BD570’s intuitive interface.

Many families have already accumulated substantial digital media libraries filled with music, movies, home videos and more. The BD570 connects via Wi-Fi to the computers on a home network or DNLA (Digital Living Network Alliance) – compatible storage devices. It can also be connected directly to external USB hard drives or thumb drives to play HD quality DivX and MKV movies.

The BD570 connects to most TVs with a single HDMI cable, ensuring viewers always see the highest possible picture quality with both Blu-ray discs and regular DVDs, which it upconverts to 1080p resolution.

It will be available in the UAE from April.

Specifications:

Wi-Fi
Wireless Technology
DLNA
External HDD Playback
Netcast (YouTube, Accuweather, Picasa)
HD Grade Movie File Playback (MKV & DivX HD)
USB Plus for Playing Movie, Music & Photo

Western Digital launches faster high performance solid state drives

pressrelease — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:06:24 +0000

WD today announced that the company is shipping its first consumer-oriented solid state drive (SSD) with the new WD SiliconEdge™ 2.5-inch SSD family. WD SiliconEdge Blue™ SSDs offer fast read/write speeds and high SSD capacities, making them an ideal storage solution for read-intensive applications requiring high performance and plug-and-play compatibility.

WD SiliconEdge Blue SSDs, in capacities up to 256 gigabytes (GB), feature a native SATA 3.0 gigabits per second (Gb/s) interface with read speeds up to 250 megabytes per second (MB/s) and write transfer rates up to 170 MB/s. Fast and rugged, WD SiliconEdge Blue SSDs accelerate application performance and deliver maximum tolerance for drops, shock and vibration along with silent and low-power operation.

“The development of the WD SiliconEdge Blue product family leverages WD’s extensive experience in designing and manufacturing highly reliable storage products and the company’s worldwide sales and distribution network to accelerate SSD technology adoption by OEMs, technology enthusiasts, gamers and road warriors,” said Saif Khwaja Sales Director, Western Digital, Middle East & Africa. “Customers who demand the ultimate in performance will find the WD SiliconEdge Blue SSDs exceed all their requirements.”

The new WD SiliconEdge Blue product family has passed WD’s extensive functional integrity testing procedures, which subjected the WD SiliconEdge Blue SSDs to over 130,000 hours of testing to ensure they meet the industry’s highest data integrity, reliability and compatibility standards. Designed for both read-intensive client/consumer applications and write-intensive, 24/7 OEM applications, WD’s new multi-level cell (MLC) -based SSDs feature patented and patent-pending technologies, such as advanced wear-leveling and error correction control, as well as TRIM and NCQ (Native Command Queuing) command support to ensure maximum drive performance and endurance with easy plug and play compatibility.

Price and Availability

WD SiliconEdge Blue SSDs are available through select distributors and resellers. The manufacturers suggested retail price (MSRP) for WD SiliconEdge Blue SSD 64 GB (model SSC-D0064SC-2100) capacity is $279.00, the 128 GB (model SSC-D0128SC-2100) capacity is $529.00 and the 256 GB (SSC-D0256SC-2100) capacity is $999.00 USD. The WD SiliconEdge Blue drive is backed by WD’s world-class technical support and comes with a three-year limited warranty. More information on WD SiliconEdge Blue SSDs may be found on the company’s Web site.

Hands-on with HTC Legend

Magnus Nystedt — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:23:46 +0000

Coming to the region early in the second quarter of the year, I’ve been told by HTC in Dubai, the Legend is a really nice smartphone that I’ve had the pleasure to play around with for about a day. In that short time I wouldn’t call this a review and the unit I’ve used is also pre production as can be evidenced by a number stamped on the front of the unit (the number will obviously not be there in the final production units). I’ve blurred that area out in the photos.

You may remember that the Legend was announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona recently. I had a brief hands-on experience with the Desire, announced at the same time.

What immediately stands out when you take the Legend in your hands is the aluminum unibody design. It looks and feels like the aluminum on Apple’s MacBook pros and it makes the rather svelte Legend feel very solid indeed. Personally I like this much better than plastic-feeling devices and I hope it’s something that HTC will continue. In size the Legend is about as thick as iPhone 3GS, also about as tall but noticeably narrower across. The angled section at the bottom has been inherited from the Hero and that’s one of those love or hate it things. At first I was annoyed by it but it seems to be growing on me.

With the unibody design HTC had to come up with some new way of getting to the SIM and Micro SD cards. The typical way of simply removing the back of the phone, revealing the battery and other pieces doesn’t really work, I guess. What they did was to make the very bottom, the black piece, removable. With a firm grip it slides off the bottom of the Legend and a clever mechanism opens up the compartment for SIM card and SD card. This is also where you get to the battery, which is user replaceable although not as easily as in many other phones.

Some may be surprised that the Legend doesn’t run the 1GHz Snapdragon processor that has become so popular in high-end handsets, including HTC’s own Desire and the Google Nexus One, manufactured by HTC. But it seems the 600MHz processor in the Legend keeps everything humming along nicely and I’ve experienced no waits for things to happen even with 4-5 applications running at the same time.

The 3.2 inch screen is multi-touch capability and overall touch functionality is very sensitive, at least as good as that of iPhone and the screen (320 x 480 pixels) is very bright, crisp and clear. Some apps may have to be updated for multi-touch as the Maps app, for example, didn’t seem to support zooming in and out by the usual pinching movement.

Legend runs the updated HTC Sense and Android 2.1. HTC Sense brings the Mac OS X Expose-like functionality whereby you can “pinch” the screen and it shows you thumbnail views of all the pages of the Sense. Then you tap one thumbnail and go straight to that page. This is a much appreciated update from HTC. Friend Stream is also new in Sense, bringing together your social networking activities into one screen. This means you can see your friends’ Facebook and Twitter activity in one “stream”, a functionality that is becoming more common in different devices and applications.

In terms of memory the Legend is a bit limited. It has 384MB on board and the option to insert a Micro SD card of up to to 32GB. The main problem with this seems to be that apps can only be installed to the internal 384MB, not to SD card. After installing just a few apps, perhaps 10, on a just booted-up Legend, it shows 118MB free. In contrast, all the storage space on an iPhone, whether that is 8, 16 or 32GB is available for applications and games. Since some iPhone games especially run into hundreds of MB it would be a good option to be able to install apps on Legend to SD card. This is however a limitation of Android rather than the HTC hardware though and perhaps future Android versions will support this.

The five megapixel camera with autofocus and flash is nothing spectacular but a good camera nonetheless. There are plenty of options for colors, contrast and much more, almost rivaling “real” digital cameras. Still pictures are 2592 x 1728 pixels and you can get 30fps video at 640 x 480.

HTC’s decision to replace the small trackball with an optical trackpad is a good one. Personally I never liked the trackball and although the usefulness of the optical version can also be questioned it’s better than the ball. The main use, as I see it, is that it makes using the Legend with one hand much easier. If you didn’t know it you can also press the trackpad and it moves in a bit like a physical button.

So with the usual caveats that this is a pre-production unit I do think that HTC has what will become a very popular smartphone in the Legend. It’s beautiful, well built, has great software and will hopefully come at a competitive price. Android has clearly given HTC a software platform with which they can rival iPhone. Now they also seem to be working full speed ahead with hardware that can rival Apple’s device and in many ways actually surpassing it.

You can also catch me talking about HTC Legend tomorrow night on Dubai Eye 103.8 at 8pm. Show notes will be available at http://shuffle.to/radio.

Review: iPill Microphone for iPod- UPDATED

Paul Castle — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:21:24 +0000

Here’s a snazzy and inexpensive bit of gadgetry; it can be very useful too. It’s the iPill microphone by Ozaki, made especially for use with iPod touch 2nd generation and iPod nano 4th generation devices. Both are capable of recording audio, but you need to attach a microphone for the purpose, and the iPill mic is the best solution that I have found so far.

The iPill is, unsurprisingly, pill-shaped with the protective cap in place; removing the cap reveals the plug end of the microphone. Insert it into your iPod’s earphone port and fire up a recording app and it’s ready to go. You can use the Voice Recorder app that is included with your iPod, or there are, of course, other apps with greater functionality available for the iPod touch, such as the FiRe Field Recorder app. (There’s a brief discussion of FiRe in “Apple Doctor” section of the current March 2010 issue of Shufflegazine.)

What makes the iPill the best iPod mic in my opinion? Most important is sound quality. The iPill delivers better sound recordings than of the other mics I have tried. Most iPhone compatible earphone sets that include microphones can be used for recording with the capable iPods, but the sound quality is just adequate. SwitchEasy makes the ThumbTacks iPod mics which provide better quality sound recording than the earphone sets, but still a bit lacking. In my experiance he iPill beats both of these in both quality and volume of sound when used in identical situations.

Of course we’re not talking about amazing quality of sound here, but more than enough to be usable in recording an interview or lecture for future reference, which is the most useful purpose for this functionality.

I grudgingly have to give the iPill the edge design-wise as well. I really love the the looks of the ThumbTacks microphones, but being so small, they’re way too easy to lose track of, and they’re a bit awkward to store for safekeeping. The iPill wins out with the pill-like design that includes the cap, which not only adds some protection for the device, but also has a small built-in loop which allows it to be tethered with a bit of wire or string to help prevent loss. So even though I want to like the stylish little ThumbTack mic more, the iPill wins out in practicality.

And with a suggested price of 14USD, it’s not a big gamble to try out.

UPDATE: I’m told that the UAE price for the iPill mic is 30 Dhs, even lower than the MSRP of 14 USD. That makes a purchase of this little accessory for your iPod even easier to justify.

Asus: The Choice of Gaming Champions

pressrelease — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 08:51:14 +0000

Gaming has evolved into a leading growth industry and dynamic motivator for the technology sector, as CeBIT 2010 further illustrates. It’s a massively popular pastime drawing people, all united through thrilling entertainment. ASUS shares the passion, maintaining a tradition of ingenuity aimed at meeting the needs of gamers both with the hardcore Republic of Gamers brand (ROG) and powerful mainstream solutions. It seeks to innovate and introduce new exciting ways to enjoy gaming, believing it should be natural to take up rather than complicated.
Delving Deeper

Time for a new dimension of gaming—literally. With Avatar™ demonstrating the effect of 3D on audiences worldwide, ASUS has taken up the challenge and come up with an exhilarating lineup of screens to bring the experience home.
ASUS VG236H and the world’s largest 120Hz gaming monitor, the 27” PG276H, are full HD 3D displays that blow gamers away with eye-popping visuals, combining uncompromising LCD execution with sights previously exclusive to the cineplex. Both employ alternate-frame sequencing in conjunction with active shutter glasses, doubling screen refresh to 120 frames per second. The results are ghosting-free, smooth 3D doing true justice to the latest AAA game titles—an increasing number of which support 3D, especially using NVIDIA® GeForce® 3D Vision™.

The Reality of Moving

They said it could never be done, but ASUS has managed the feat of lifelike 3D on a powerful gaming notebook—the G51J 3D. An uncompromising machine in its own right, this notebook deploys an Intel™ Core® i7 CPU to power unmatched 3D gaming on a 15.6” screen using NVIDIA® GeForce® 3D Vision™, the first notebook in the world to do so. And to celebrate the fact that the G51J 3D cuts no corners in attaining these results, ASUS is including James Cameron’s Avatar™: The Game™ with every purchase.
Unbridled power meets bleeding edge technology—that’s the ASUS way of inspiring the power gamer in all of us.

Extreme Foundations

The Republic of Gamers comes to CeBIT 2010 packing more hardware than ever, cementing its position as homebase for serious gamers and overclockers.
Rampage III Extreme and Crosshair IV Extreme motherboards deliver the perfect platform for Intel X58 and AMD 890FX, brandishing jaw-dropping muscle. The parade of power features is comprehensive. Four GPU support goes with a thermal design that laughs in the face of outlandish temps as the Extreme Engine Digi+ harmonizes performance and power to prolong lifespans and cut on energy consumption.

Overclocking has never been so effortless—ROG Connect is the exclusive ASUS tweaking suite, controlling a host of parameters even remotely from another PC. RC Bluetooth pulls another milestone—Bluetooth overclocking from a smartphone. Now that’s inspiring.

Meanwhile, the Crosshair IV Formula races to glory with a fusillade of innovations making it an ideal choice for PC gamers. The GameFirst engine was built with online in mind, optimizing connection speeds and destroying lag in its tracks for multiplayer domination even as heavy multitasking occurs in the background.

Unearthly Power

Graphics cards are the frontier of PC gaming, and the Republic of Gamers goes where none have ventured before with the limited-edition ARES. A mothership of a graphics card, it possesses dual Radeon HD5870 GPUs and 4GB of GDDR5 RAM for 23% greater performance than a top-of-the-line Radeon HD5970. As such, ARES is a limited production run, and units are sure to become a rarity. The oversized massive custom fan increases airflow by up to 600% compared to reference, yet ARES is decidedly quieter than reference. In space no one can hear you win. They feel it.

The Republic of Gamers MATRIX 5870 is another beastly overclocking hero with Super Hybrid Engine optimization, granting automatic gains through 19% performance boosts during gameplay and a very quiet idle mode. Its iTracker2 adds memory timing adjustment to an already brimming overclocking interface and saves your favorite settings for use when needed—all via a single safe-mode button. The Extreme Cooler keeps power-sapping heat at bay, altering fan speeds in real time. Harnessing brute force through fine controls is the essence of ruling the game.

Completing the Picture

Hand in hand with great gaming goes marvelous multimedia performance, so ASUS has both sight and sound covered this CeBIT.

The Bravo 220 graphics card serves as a centerpiece of home theater PCs, combining exclusive ASUS Splendid™ Plus with unique light sensors to guarantee reactive video quality that matches ambient conditions. The Bravo 220 also comes with the Bravo Media Center, allowing users to enjoy movies, videos, music and photos using a remote control and intuitive interface. Bravo also excels in eco-friendly traits, saving over 28% compared to competing models and operating at a silent 0dB—perfect for home entertainment environments.

Working together with acclaimed Sennheiser acoustics professionals, ASUS has developed soundcard-headset combo Xonar Xense to revolutionize the way people hear gaming. While most PC gamers suffer from miniscule headphone output, Xonar Xense pumps out a monstrous 7Vrms power through a built-in headphone amp. This brings out every audio nuance in games, movies and music, optimizing sound positioning and audio dynamics.

Games come to life in startling 118dB sound clarity, supporting EAX, DirectSound, Dolby technology and many other standards. The GX 2.5 audio engine drives the ultimate aural experience, making every movement, whisper and gesture tangible as the Xonar range caters to gamers with Game Profile, a utility to maximize audio by genre.

For more product information and in-depth stories, please visit http://techinstyle.tv.