Latest Tech

Good Set of All in One Functions and Superior Paper Capacity from Epson WorkForce 840

2011-07-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

The Epson WorkForce 840 is the flagship model of the company's line of WorkForce all in one printers for small and home businesses. WorkForce 840 features Ethernet and Wi-Fi networking, two-sided printing, an automatic document feeder (ADF), and the ability to print directly from your mobile device. And it performs all of these functions in an impressively compact package that can hold a full ream of paper. It offers competitive text speeds and impressive graphics speeds, and our only critique is that it's slow to print photos.

This machine comes standard with a honking 500-sheet paper capacity, split between two 250-sheet trays. Not only does the 840 provide an automatic duplexer for printing on both sides of a sheet of paper, its 30-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF) also duplexes, letting you automatically scan or copy both sides of a sheet of paper. Despite its impressive feature set, the matte-black 840 retains a relatively small footprint, measuring 12 by 17.5 by 14.5 inches (HWD). Centered within its 7.8-inch tiltable and responsive touch panel is a 3.5-inch LCD screen.

It offers Ethernet or WiFi networking, or can connect via USB cable to a computer (though no USB cable is supplied). We tested the 840 over an Ethernet connection using a printer running Windows Vista. The Epson WorkForce 840 turned in a strong performance, It pumped out 12.48 pages per minute (ppm) on our all-black text speed test, which was nearly the same score as the Epson WorkForce 520 and the HP Officejet Pro 8500A Plus. The WorkForce 840 performed just as quickly when printing graphics, especially in our presentation speed test, in which it outpaced the competition by printing 10 color PowerPoint slides at a clip of 6.79 ppm.

Unfortunately, it struggled in our photo speed test, taking roughly 70 seconds to print a 4x6-inch photo on glossy photo paper for a time of 0.86 ppm. Competing models were two to three times faster at printing photos. The WorkForce 840 proved a bit speedier than average on our scan and copy tests. It scanned a 10-page color document at 5.59 ppm, and copied a 10-page monochrome text document at 5.48 ppm.

Epson backs the Epson WorkForce 840 with a limited one-year warranty that includes toll-free customer support weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT. Further support is available online with a model-specific troubleshooting guide, FAQs, e-mail support, driver updates, and document downloads. You can also purchase exchange/repair coverage at $39.95 for one year or $59.95 for two years.

It's not the fastest photo printer, but for all other jobs the Epson WorkForce 840 excels. We recommend this multifunction inkjet for its high-quality prints, rapid text and graphics speeds, easy-to-navigate control panel, and abundance of features that include autoduplexing, an ADF, wired and wireless networking, and support for mobile printing.

7 inch Tablet from Coby Kyros MID 7015

2011-07-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

The Coby Kyros MID7015 Internet Touchscreen Tablet ($199 list) is an Android 2.1-based device with a 7-inch screen. Not only is it using a version of Android not intended for tablets, but its resistive touch screen isn't a multi-touch display like the Apple iPad's, so there's no pinching and expanding for quick zooming. The MID7015 performs adequately at best. The hardware, software build, media and display will all be reviewed in this article.

Measuring 7.5 by 0.5 by 4.8 inches with a 7-inch, 800-by-400-pixel resistive touch screen, the MID7015 is a mid size tablet decidedly smaller than the iPad and on a size par with the Samsung Galaxy Tab. The black, plastic MID7015 comes with a case that doubles as a stand a nice add on considering the price and that the iPad's case, which is essential, is an extra accessory. The MID7015 also comes with earphones, unlike the iPad, along with a power adapter, a screen cleaning cloth, and a mini USB sync cable.

The resolution on the screen is 800 x 400. The resolution is a bit on the low side for tablet in this category. Texts aren’t as clear as we would like to see them, as well as colors are not as defined as we see on some other 7 inch tablets. There is a bit of lag when you switch the tablet from portrait to landscape which can be annoying. Overall the display is average for a tablet in this price range. This Kyros MID7015 is a resistive touchscreen device, meaning you had to actually use force to move the tablet cursor around, instead of it reading the body heat your finger puts of to move it around.

The CPU on the Kyros 7015 is a Telechip Tcc8092 720 Mhz processor. It has 256 mb of RAM. Their are much better tablets on the market when dealing with hardware, but they also are much more expensive than the Kyros MID7015. It has 4 GB of built in memory with the possibility of 16 GB of memory with the addition of a Micro SD card. The operating system on the Kyros MID7015 is Android 2.1 Eclair. The Eclair operating system has the bare bones applications when you think of a Android device.

Although, if you are able to Root you tablet you can update the operating system to a much more enjoyable experience. The device is a little laggy, and this is due to the small amount of RAM. One benefit of the software on the device is that it supports Flash. This allows you to watch online videos and view websites normally. One of the most important applications is the Android market. With the Android market app you can get almost any application you will need.

Coby was unable to confirm a full file support list for the MID7015, but we were able to load a typical array, so consider this an informal guide to what file types are supported. For audio: AAC, MP3, OGG, WMA, WMA Lossless (all non-DRM); for video: MPEG4, WMV, DVIX and AVI; for photo: JPG BMP, PNG, and GIF.

The MID7015 may be just $200, but unlike the iPad, it is easy to find it for well below its list price you can find it online for about $150. To its credit, it tested better than the much more expensive Viewsonic Viewpad 7 ($599, 2.5 stars) and the similarly priced Cherrypal Cherrypad ($188, 2 stars). Up against the identically priced Dell Streak 7, however, it is a far lesser machine. That is a damning fact, as the Streak 7 have plenty of issues of its own. If you don't need a tablet right now, I recommend waiting a few months until Coby and many of its competitors—unleash a wave of higher performance tablets armed with Honeycomb, the first version of the Android OS (3.0) specifically designed for tablets.

New Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is in THE HOUSE

2011-06-18T06:09:00.000-07:00

Samsung's finally releasing the official details of its 10.1-inch, Android Honeycomb tablet to the world. Contrary to the leaks, the tablet is called the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Grabbing its moniker from the screen size, obviously and like the rest of the upcoming Android 3.0 tablets it's powered by a dual-core Tegra 2 processor, will be available with 16GB or 32GB of storage, and has a front-facing 2 megapixel camera as well as a 8 megapixel imager around back.

Android enthusiasts not located in New York, NY who have their sights set on Honeycomb 3.1 wrapped in a thin Samsung container now finally have their chance. Today, June 17, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is officially available across America. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the follow up to the original 7-inch Galaxy Tab and has similar specs to another 10.1-inch Honeycomb tablet, the Motorola Xoom.

The 16GB Galaxy Tab 10.1 will run $499.99 at launch, while the 32GB will cost $100 more. Most of them (Moto's Xoom and the Toshiba's Tablet) have 10.1-inch displays, Tegra 2 processors, dual-cameras, and run an untarnished version of Google's Honeycomb OS. Obviously, the cookie cutter specs are no coincidence. Google's calling a lot of the shots here but it's making it incredibly hard for these companies to differentiate their wares.

We won't really know how Samsung's Tab 10.1 stands up to the rest until we get to take a closer look at it, but there's no doubt that its lightweight design is what really sets it apart, and hey, if Samsung can undercut the rest in price (eh hem, Motorola!), we'd say it stands a real fighting chance in the very soon to be crowded tablet market.

Toshiba Folio 100 First Look

2011-06-18T05:48:00.000-07:00

Certain elements of the tablet can be taken as final though, such as its physical build, capacitive screen and overall ambition. Scanning down the list of specifications, it's easy to get excited about the Folio 100. It has a 10.1in widescreen display with a 1,024x600 resolution, an Nvidia Tegra 2 (dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor and 1080p video decoding), Android 2.2 and a much more realistic price that the Galaxy Tab. That's the good stuff, but as soon as you pick the Folio 100 up, you realise why it costs less than the Tab.

If feels cheap, being made out of the kind of plastic you'd find on a budget laptop. From the rear, it even looks as though it's simply a notebook screen. It also doesn't feel particularly well made. It part this is because the back is removable, so that you can replace the battery. You'll have to remove the cover if you buy a Folio with 3G, in order to fit the SIM card. However, the panel doesn't fit too well, so it creeks as you hold it. If you slide the incredibly stiff locking clip into place, it's slightly better, but build quality is nowhere near the level of the Galaxy Tab or iPad.

The 1024 x 600 TFT-LCD screen is as bright and detailed as it's going to get. While doesn't quite have the resolution of the iPad (1024 x 768), it is 16:9, so the Folio already stands out as the more movie-centric media device on the block. Obviously, its aspect ratio is matched by the Samsung Galaxy Tab, but it's all about the real estate if you want to get a home cinema experience away from home. The Tegra 2 processor is a constant too. One area where tablets outdo their netbook equivalents is in start-up time, and the Folio 100 is instantly on, instantly off. You also need that punch to play Full HD video files, both on device and through HDMI to a receptive TV. Thankfully, this tablet does both.

Neither Samsung nor Apple allows USB devices to hook-up to their respective slates, and certainly not to transfer files to and fro, so it's welcome to see such connectivity offered by Tosh. A memory stick won't increase the storage though - that's through SD card only - but it will make hooking up cameras and other devices easier. The Folio 100 is DLNA compatible, allowing you to stream its video content to a compliant TV or set-top-box, or, alternatively, you can stream content stored on a PC or NAS box straight to the tablet. That way, you can watch video, listen to music files or look at photos indoors without having to store it on the internal memory.

The Folio 100 looks as if it's been designed by a PC company, rather than a lifestyle one. The build is more per functionary than pretty. It's not ugly per se, but the thick outer bezel and plain exterior more suits the editor of Computer Shopper than Vogue. And the overall size of 281 x 181 x 14mm comes in at a weight 760g; not exactly handbag material. This current generation is also restricted to Wi-Fi use (802.11n), while a further model with 3G connectivity is planned for around Easter 2011, but at least that means that it is capable of fast access and quick streaming of HD content.

Battery life is a respectable 7 hours for general, multimedia use, and although there's no rear-mounted camera, there is a 1.3-megapixel webcam for videochat. Something tells us, though, that this will seldom be used; the Toshiba Folio 100 is more suited to media viewing than creating.

At £329 for the 16GB (upgradeable) Wi-Fi only version, it's a good £100 cheaper than the iPad, and offers more features and a 16:9 screen. In addition, as it runs on Android 2.2 (Froyo), there's already a world of apps and software available. The compatibility with Flash 10.1 and HTML5 for web browsing is also advantageous. Our only worry is that it isn't the sexiest kid on the block. It's turned up to a rave in a three-piece suit, so it'll be interesting to see if any but the geekiest of geeks can see past the stern exterior.

How to Choose The Right Tablet for You

2011-06-15T00:09:00.000-07:00

Are you wondering how to choose the right tablet computer? Choosing just the right tablet computer is difficult when you plan to use the device for personal use, considering the increasing number of alternatives and wide range of features and characteristics. Tablet selection is an even greater challenge when that tablet will spend some time in the business trenches, intermingling with such things as remote information access, firewall security structures, unified communications and cloud-based services.

Usefulness

The first thing you need to think about when choosing the right tablet computer is what you want to use it for. Tablets are still new to the world of computing (relatively) and they are still finding their place in our lives but generally speaking they are not the perfect replacement for a laptop. There are those power users who can turn a tablet computer into a laptop but it requires a lot of rethinking how you work and the applications you use.

Tablets are used for consuming (80%) and the rest (20%) would be using it for doing actual work or creating things. So ask yourself what you you want to do with your new tablet computer. One thing to keep in mind is that you might have no clue what you want to use it for. The bottom line is thinking about what you want to do with your tablet computer. Since they are still so new and since there are tons of apps being introduced everyday and with new capabilities then ideally you just want to have a general idea of what you want to do with one.

Hardware

We tend to read hardware specs and judge a computer based on what has the “most” or the “fastest” or the “largest”. But when choosing the right tablet computer, try to choose based on what you want to do with it rather than the hardware specs. If you look at this chart about the top tablet computers, you might notice that the hardware specs are nearly the same for all of the tablet computers.

Software Environment

One of the things people are finding is that the software (apps and operating system) are what drives the user experience on the tablet computer.

The apps are arguably one of the most important things to consider when choosing the right tablet computer. First of all, realize that most of the tablet computers you will buy have a default set of apps. But that’s not going to be sufficient if you plan to do anything with your tablet computer beyond the very very basics.

If you are choosing a tablet based on the apps you can get, then you might want to head over to the Android Marketplace and then head over to the Apple App Store and browse around the various categories to see what fits your needs based on what you decided for your needs and hardware interests.

Additionally, you want to also think about the future when in comes to software on the tablet computer. The iPad and iPad 2 are 100% Apple and thus, when there is a new version of iOS then you get that upgrade. With the Android tablets, the vendor of your tablet (Motorola, Samsung, etc.) may choose to wait to issue an upgrade if Google releases a new version of their Android Operation System. This may not even be an issue to most people so if you are choosing a new tablet computer, just keep this in the back of your mind but don’t let this be the final decision-making factor.

Compact Rugged Tablet from DRS ARMOR X7

2011-06-14T23:47:00.000-07:00

This is one tough tablet meant to go places the iPad and its tablet ilk could only dream of. With its small, 7-inch screen and big price at $2,377, the Armor X7 isn't for the general consumer. It's MIL-STD-810G and IP65 certified, meaning it's built for those professionals who work under harsh conditions. The new ARMOR X7 is a compact tablet designed specifically for mission critical tasks that require a combination of connectivity, handheld mobility, ease of use, and enough ruggedness and durability to support all weather operations.

The Armor X7 is built like a tank. Though it features a small 7-inch display, it weighs a hefty 3.4 pounds with two high-capacity batteries (product literature claims it weighs 2.85 pounds with two standard batteries). It measures 8.9 inches wide by 5.9 inches high and 1.4 inches thick at its thinnest point – the middle of the bottom edge. It measure 1.8 inches thick along its top edge, and roughly 2.5 inches thick on either side where the tablet widens to accommodate the twin batteries.

The chassis is made from a tough, slightly textured plastic. The two batteries attach to either side of the unit. The batteries are covered with a thick rubber, which matches up with the rubber bumpers on the four front corners of the tablet itself. The rubber-coated batteries form excellent handles as well as a level of protection against drops where the Armor X7 might land on its top, bottom, back, or side. The front bumpers on the tablet are raised so that in the event you drop the tablet face down, the screen is protected.

The plastic chassis feels very firm. The only areas where it flexes are the two panels on the back to which each battery connects. Between the batteries on the back panel is a large heatsink. (A plastic grate covers the heatsink, preventing contact with your skin.) There are no moving parts in the Armor X7, including cooling fans, so the heatsink is employed to dissipate heat. It's a closed system, with no air vents that might attract dust and dirt. The only spots where debris might collect are along the bottom where the mini-USB 2.0 port, the power connector, and a docking connector reside. Above the heatsink is a spot to clip the tethered mini-pen when not in use. A 2-megapixel Webcam sits just below the pen on the upper-right corner, and the QuickMark barcode-scanning app is included.

Custom software is needed to take full advantage of the Armor X7. It features the 32-bit version of Windows 7 Ultimate, but navigating Windows is a chore. The screen measures only 7 inches diagonally and features a 1024 x 600 resolution. Squeezing that many pixels into such a small screen makes text difficult to read and icons and other objects difficult to tap. At the end of the row of the status LEDs is an ambient light sensor, which can change the brightness of the display accordingly. Via an Armor utilities application, you can also select from among five preset modes: Dark, Office, Dusk, Daylight, and Sunlight. The screen gets impressively bright under the Sunlight mode, and sure enough, the display remained very legible in direct sun.

The tethered stylus has a long enough leash for comfortable tapping and typing, but the display's protective layers made it feel less than accurate. Many times, the onscreen cursor would be slightly off from where I felt the tip of the pen was, resulting in furious tapping until I was able to hit my target. I had trouble, for instance, tapping on small objects such as the red X to close windows. I also found that I had to be very deliberate when tapping; quick taps went undetected most of the time.

The only keyboard is an onscreen keyboard, which is accessible by tapping the edge poking out from left side of the screen or the small keyboard icon that appears when you tap a text field such as a URL bar or search box. Again, given the size of the screen and the onscreen keyboard, typing is somewhat of a laborious process. The pen has a programmable button on its side near where your thumb rest that performs a right-click by default, but I found simply tapping and holding was the easier method for right-clicking.

DRS Technologies outfits the Armor X7 with the 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450, a single-core, energy-efficient processor commonly found in netbooks. Rounding out the core specs are 2GB of DDR2 memory, integrated Intel GMA 3150 graphics, and a 40GB solid-state drive. Windows felt peppy, though it's hard to do a great deal of multi-tasking given the small screen. I occasionally found myself waiting for search results to get returned, but the far larger productivity hit overall was working with such a small touch display.

The Armor X7 features two batteries, and it smartly uses up most of the resources of one before moving onto the next. And the batteries are identical, so you can carry additional batteries and hot-swap them in as a battery dies. On our review unit, the first battery drained down to 10% before the tablet switched to the other. Under regular but not constant use, and using a balanced power plan, the first battery lasted nearly four hours, which means you'll get roughly a workday's worth of running time with the tablet. Carry a third battery, and you'll definitely make it through days where you aren't near a power outlet.

DRS Technologies backs the Armor X7 with a three-year parts-and-labor warranty, which like its rugged chassis, goes beyond what you would get with a consumer tablet. For professionals who job takes them to dangerous , diverse, or unusual computing locations, the Armor X7 is the rugged little tablet that could. Just make sure that your company's software is functional on its small, 7-inch touchscreen.

Apple iMac Present The Best Performance with Nice Largest Display

2011-06-13T04:29:00.000-07:00

The Apple iMac 27-inch (Thunderbolt) ($1,999 list) is the newest top of the line iMac, and it adds second-generation Intel Core i processors (aka, Sandy Bridge) to Apple's class-leading all in one Mac desktops, along with Thunderbolt ports first seen on the new MacBook Pro laptops. It has that huge, beautiful high resolution screen, killer (if aging) design, and it is fast, fast, fast. For consumers, while the iMac still claims industry bests in terms of its display and its design, this system will feel like overkill in some respects, and underfeatured in others.

iMac 27-inch (Thunderbolt) looks just like its aluminum and glass predecessors. It has the same huge 27-inch 2,560-by-1,440 resolution display, which is formatted with a 16:9 aspect ratio and is higher resolution than the 1,920 by 1,080 required for true 1080p HD. The display is so bright that Apple added a new ambient light sensor to auto-dim the screen, so users in brightly lit studios can keep their eyes from straining when a cloud obscures the sun or if someone draws the drapes over the window. The glass panel protecting the LED-backlit LCD display is glossy, one of the few nits against the iMac 27-inch (Thunderbolt). I'd like to see a matte finish option for graphics professionals who want it. Speaking of graphics professionals, Apple color calibrates each display before shipping it to the final user.

The desktop comes with a 1TB, 7,200rpm internal hard drive, though well-off speed demons can also add an optional 256GB SSD for an additional $600. Combinations, including a single 256GB SSD (by itself) and/or 2TB hard drive upgrade, are available on Apple's website. The system comes with Apple's wireless keyboard and your choice of either Apple's Magic Mouse (which our review unit came with) or Magic TrackPad (which used to be a $60 option). I personally like the TrackPad, since it has more multi-touch functions than the mouse. The 27-inch iMacs come with 4GB of memory standard, and support up to 16GB maximum. Like previous iMacs, the system memory is the only easy-to-access internal upgrade you can do on the iMac 27-inch (Thunderbolt): further internal expansion requires specialized tools, familiarity with electronic repair techniques, and much intestinal fortitude. Most users will upgrade their system via external ports.

iMac 27-inch (Thunderbolt) comes with four USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port, audio in/out, Gigabit Ethernet, a SDXC card slot, and—new for 2011—two Thunderbolt ports. Thunderbolt is the currently shipping implementation of Intel's "Light Peak" interconnect, which uses the same shaped plug as mini DisplayPort, though the Thunderbolt connector is capable of so much more than simple display support. You could, in the future, connect many different peripherals to the Thunderbolt port, like hard drives, Fiber Channel SAN arrays, video interfaces, and adapter cables for HDMI, DVI, etc. But for the time being, you can only use the Thunderbolt port for video: You can connect one of the newer MacBook Pro laptops with Thunderbolt and use the iMac as an external monitor.

iMac 27-inch (Thunderbolt) comes with the familiar Apple iLife '11 software suite and Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard operating system. The iLife suite is one of the most integrated consumer grade multimedia (photo, video, music) packages on the market, and is one of the best ways to enhance your use of iOS devices like an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch. Speaking of iPad and iPhone, the new iMac comes with FaceTime HD video chat software, which lets iMac users video chat with others via MacBooks, other iMacs, and iOS devices like iPhone 4, iPad 2, and the latest generation of iPod Touch devices.

The desktop comes with the Mac App store (think like the iTunes store, but for Mac software), which lets you search for, purchase, and download software. The Mac App store uses your Apple ID, so its purchases are linked with the info you have in iTunes and the iOS app store. For most users, "one-stop shopping" is a better alternative to having separate purchasing agreements, as with Windows PC app, music, and movie stores. If you must use both Mac OS and Windows, the iMac is Windows-compatible thanks to its Intel Core i5 processor. Just install your own copy of Windows 7 using the Boot Camp utility, and you have a dual-booting Windows-Mac OS PC. Apple includes a driver disc with the desktop, or you can download the latest drivers from Apple during the Boot Camp setup procedure. We tested the iMac under both Windows 7 Enterprise 64-bit and Mac OS X 10.6.

If all you care about is "speeds and feeds," the Apple iMac 27-inch (Thunderbolt) is your all-in-one desktop. It has the muscle to power through all but the most esoteric and specialized graphics and scientific tasks, and it has the biggest, most beautiful screen on the market. Your art director or senior graphics artist will thank you for the rest of the year if you get him a new iMac 27-inch (Thunderbolt). The iMac 27-inch (Thunderbolt) is an improvement over its predecessor, to be sure, but it's still just a speed and feature bump, while the HP 610-1065qd takes more chances and is (gasp!) more innovative than Apple's flagship all-in-one desktop.

The Best Portable Music and Video Experiences from Zune HD

2011-06-13T04:11:00.000-07:00

As the high-profile underdog alternative to Apple's iPod portable media player, the Zune has endured an unfair share of jokes and scorn. Proving the adage that "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger," Microsoft has taken four years'-worth of hard knocks and forged the Zune HD. As one of the only iPod alternatives that can match the iPod Touch in beauty and pricing, the 16GB ($199), 32GB ($269), and 64GB ($349) Zune HD also includes a unique stable of features worthy of Apple's envy.

The most important aspect of the Zune HD's design to recognize is that there's something missing: the ugly. Gone are the days of the bulky, brown brick. Instead, the Zune HD's slender body (0.3 inch thick) and anodized aluminum construction has the futuristic and industrial look of a sci-fi movie prop. A glass-covered 3.3-inch screen defines the front of the device, while a slab of angled aluminum curves around the back, giving the Zune HD a cold and solid feel in the hand.

Experience the revolutionary design of Zune HD. With HD Radio, wireless syncing and enough space for all of your digital media, the 32GB Zune HD combines feature-rich capabilities with the convenience your mobile life demands. The multi-touch screen and OLED display gives you instant access to your media in a vibrant 16:9 aspect so your view is never obstructed. The brushed platinum finish will make you the center of attention wherever you go.

Listen to crystal clear HD radio with the integrated receiver and tune in to your favorite stations at no extra cost. Hear something you like and buy it immediately or tag it for a later purchase. With wireless connectivity at any Wi-Fi hot spot, you can stream millions of songs and turn your Zune into a mobile jukebox or update and buy content at any time. Surf the web with a full-featured Web browser, tap-to-zoom technology and a virtual QWERTY keyboard.

Battery hours are nice, but video quality is really where the Zune HD hit it out of the park. Everything from standard-definition video podcasts to HD Zune Marketplace movie rentals looks fantastic on the 16:9 wide-screen OLED display. And while the screen resolution taps out at 480x272 pixels, the Zune HD's video processor is capable of decoding videos as large as 1,280x720 pixels at 30 frames per second, provided that the video is routed to your TV using the optional Zune AV dock accessory. We still wish some of that video horsepower could be applied to a greater range of video formats, but with a screen this good, we'll take what we can get.

Your Zune HD can also be a portable movie player for watching your favorite videos on the spacious 3.3-inch display. Use the separately sold AV dock and watch your HD films, shows and videos in 720p high definition on any HDTV. With more of the content you demand like sports, news and music from around the world, the Microsoft Zune HD could be the single solution to your mobile digital life. Redefine your world in high definition today!

Best Keyboard and Touch pad Combos from HP Mini 210-1199DX

2011-06-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

The HP Mini 210-1199DX might be one of the cooler-looking Netbooks on the retail store shelve, but when it comes to practicality, the Mini 210-1199DX only has a coupe of useful component upgrades over the basic entry level Netbook. This is what makes the $379 price of a system a tad pricey than some the other Netbooks. The most striking aspect of this version of HP's Mini 210 is its distinctive pink design. HP decorates the back of the lid with a pink-and-white tartan pattern that it carries over to the touch pad and bottom panel, while the actual keyboard and keyboard tray are solid pink.

One area of Netbook design that HP seems to be leading in at the moment is the keyboard and touch pad. HP's current island-style keyboard has flat, widely spaced keys that are easy to use, and smartly includes full-size Shift keys. The only keys that get the short end of the stick are the arrow keys, as the up and down arrows are very undersized. The HP's touch pad is about the biggest we've seen on a 10-inch Netbook and it closely emulates the expanded touch pad found on HP's high-end Envy series. That means there are no distinct left and right mouse buttons instead the mouse buttons are built into the corners of an oversized touch pad.

The display of the system is 1024 x 600 pixels of native resolution, which is rather standard for the 10-inch netbooks, though some high-end premium Netbooks comes with 1366 x 768 pixels of native resolution displays. The ports and connections on Mini 210-1199DX are rather identical to what we’d seen in most of the Netbooks, though, it continues HP’s trend of replacing the headphone/mic jacks with a single audio common audio connection. The Power button for HP Mini 210 can be a tad hard to locate as it’s the slider switch of the HP and is nestled between the USB ports on the right edge and the SD card slot.

The Mini 210's 7,200rpm hard drive runs faster most Netbooks or even midsize laptops, which use 5,400rpm drives. However, its speed did not help it perform better in our benchmark tests compared with the other Netbooks in our retail roundup, all of which have Intel's N450 Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, and Windows 7 Starter Edition. The Mini 210's performance was comparable to pretty much any similarly configured Netbook from 2010, which means it's fine for basic Web surfing and e-mail, and even light multimedia playback, but if you get too ambitious, you'll be staring at the spinning Windows wait icon most of the time.

With six-cell battery and Intel's power-saving Atom CPU, the system ran for 5 hours and 6 minutes on our video playback battery drain test. That's an excellent score, but it is well within what we'd expect from a current Netbook and at least an hour or so less the category leaders. It's more than enough for a full day of on-the-go computing, but keep in mind that the large battery sticks out from the rear of the body.

The HP Mini 210-1199DX has one of the finest touchpad and keyboard combination we’ve seen till date, on a It has one of the best keyboard and touch pad combos we’ve seen on a 10 inch Netbook, but HP’s pink-hued Mini 210 is still a tad pricey for what it offers.

Functional Feature from Motorola Citrus

2011-06-07T18:59:00.000-07:00

This entry-level model offers a 3” capacitive display, microSD expansion and a 3 megapixel camera. The CITRUS ships with a 2GB microSD card and combo USB or AC adapter charger. The Citrus lacks the physical keyboards of the Flipout and Flipside, the enterprise security features of the Droid Pro, and the higher-end offerings of the Bravo. If you’re looking to bust into Android Land on the cheap, the Motorola Citrus for Verizon Wireless could be the ticket. The Motorola Citrus is a cute little phone, At 4.09 inches long by 2.32 inches wide by 0.59 inch deep, the Citrus is small as smartphones go. Indeed, portability isn’t a concern; the handset fits easily into a pocket or bag. Weighing just 3.88 ounces, it has a slightly wispy feel in the hand, a fact that isn’t helped by the plastic shell.

The right spine you’ll find a volume rocker and a camera shutter. The former is flatter than we’d like, but you can find it when you’re on a call. The Micro-USB charger port sits on the left spine and a dedicated power control and 3.5-millimeter headset jack are up on top. Unfortunately, the microSD card slot rests inconveniently behind the battery cover, but at least it’s not behind the battery as well.

The Motorola CITRUS runs the MotoBLUR UI atop of Android 2.1. There are seven homescreens, each customizable with the standard Android fare as well as the many Motorola widgets. As with most custom Android skins these widgets are the most useful elements. Motorola has slightly tweaked the stock apps like the dialer, messaging, etc but nothing is too different or of note. There is a noticeable amount of lag to the on the CITRUS, probably thanks to the 528MB processor and 100MB of internal memory. There are several preinstalled apps, which is a bit of a big deal with so little system memory available. While this might not be such a big deal on the DROID X, a phone like the CITRUS is exactly why this carrier bloatware can ruin a user’s experience.

For media the Citrus has a 3.0-megapixel camera. That’s a low resolution compared with most smartphone shooters these days, but it gets the job done. You can take still photos in four resolutions and videos in three resolutions (video capture is 24fps). Regrettably, additional options are limited to a panorama mode, a digital zoom, and geotagging. Needless to say we don’t like this growing trend of stripping smartphone cameras of editing options.

As an EVDO Rev. 0 phone the Motorola CITRUS is relatively quick on the web. The stock Android browser is passable on such lackluster hardware, with support for double-tap and pinch-to-zoom. The Backtrack pad really comes in handy for navigation here as it acts like an optical mouse without having to use the screen. It has Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi b/g and GPS. We were able to achieve a GPS lock in under 10 seconds using Google Maps.

The lone bright spot for the CITRUS is the camera, but it is merely a decent performer, not anything spectacular. Battery life is even better, since the Motorola Citrus does not have a high-powered processor, fancy screen, or any other advanced hardware, there’s a decent chunk of juice left at the end of a full day’s worth of usage.

Cam inPerson HD Web Camera from New Creative Live !!!

2011-06-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

Creative has expanded a series Live. The new inPerson HD webcam has been designed for use with Skype and its high definition video calling feature. The inPerson HD webcam is capable of Full HD 1080p video capturing at up to 30 frames per second and is fully Skype certified. The model is equipped with an optical sensor with autofocus and four microphones. The microphones are needed for noise cancellation. The package includes a set of Live!

Skype refused to certify webcams released by Logitech and Microsoft last year for use with its HD video calling service. Because Skype will only certify HD webcams that come with onboard video processing and therefore run even on tardy old machines. And that is precisely why Creative has followed the lead of other manufacturers like FaceVsion and Freetalk in including a built-in H.264 encoder with its latest offering, maintaining judder-free video and a chill-axed CPU.

Central 3 utilities to create avatars and video and audio effects, as well as a Remote Desktop connection. You can check this gadget out at Amazon. It also comes with a few extras, including Live Central 3 software to help you create movies, add special effects, and share media online. Together with business card scanning software, H.264 decoder, security software, and Mobile Cam Streamer.

At a $150 price tag that’s significantly more than the competition and only slightly easier to face than your cousin’s acne condition at 720p. If you’re still keen though, check out the PR after the break.

Business Laptop with Exceptional Build Quality from lenovo thinkpad l420

2011-06-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

The L-series ThinkPad is an eco-friendly business notebook made from post-consumer recycled content. With a comfortable keyboard, a second-generation Intel Core processor, and a $898 price tag, the Lenovo ThinkPad L420 is proof that "business notebook" and "value" don't have to be mutually exclusive. This 14.1-inch notebook continues Lenovo's tried-and-true design and offers strong performance for traveling executives and students alike.

Like most ThinkPads, the L420 features a simple, all-black design. The only pops of color are the red TrackPoint, which sits between the G and H keys, and a red stripe on the touchpad's left and right buttons. Overall build quality is excellent; despite its all-plastic exterior, the L420 feels solid. The plastic is thick and durable. The palm rest surface barely moves when pressed down upon, meaning there is excellent support underneath. The chassis hardly bends when twisted by the corners, which is another good indicator of a strong internal frame.

The L420 has an above average port selection for a 14-inch notebook, you'll find VGA Out, Ethernet, a combo USB 2.0/eSATA port, DisplayPort, and a headphone and mic jack. The right side features a multicard slot and two USB 2.0 ports. The back of the notebook houses a powered USB port, and a docking connector is located on the bottom of the machine. While Lenovo covers the basics, HDMI is missing, and there is no USB 3.0 on board.

ThinkPads have always been known for their legendary keyboards; the L420 proudly continues that tradition. Lenovo likely decided on the six row layout out of space concerns; adding an additional row of keys would likely cramp the touchpad. Enough about the layout - let's talk about the feel. It's fantastic. Each key is reassuringly made of thick plastic and securely anchored to the surface. There is absolutely no flex, which is another testament to the L420's build quality.

Lenovo's "UltraNav" pointing device includes both a pointing stick in the center of the keyboard and a traditional touchpad in the palm rest. The pointing stick has a grippy rubber surface and three well-placed buttons below the keyboard. The touchpad has a nicely-textured matte surface that is easy to track on regardless of whether fingers are moist or dry. All of the touchpad buttons are quiet and provide good feedback.

Business-rugged features include new metal hinges and the Active Protection System, which parks the hard drive in the event of a drop. While not fully rugged, the L420 meets eight military specifications for withstanding high and low temperatures, dust, and other extreme conditions. The L420 is equipped with a spill-resistant keyboard, which Lenovo rates to withstand up to an ounce of water. These features are comparable to what's offered by Dell and HP. Other business-friendly features include an integrated fingerprint reader, which lets you log into the notebook in an extra-secure way; TPM; BIOS port locking; and an optional smart card reader.

In addition to providing security tools to put users' minds at ease, Lenovo adds a dash of environmental consciousness to the L420. Along with the L520, the notebook features the highest amount of post-consumer recycled materials of any products from the ThinkPad line. It's also designed to consume less energy (thanks to a new thermal design) and even boasts an ENERGY STAR certification and an EPEAT Gold rating.

With a 14-inch 1366 x 768-pixel matte screen, the ThinkPad L420 offers fairly good image quality. When we streamed an episode of Parks and Recreation on Hulu, the display delivered accurate, if not overly rich, colors. Viewing angles were acceptable but not stellar; images faded when we moved less than 90 degrees to the left or right of center. The 220-nit display is also anti-glare; this came in handy when we tried streaming Hulu clips near a window on a sunny day, allowing us to see the screen without any bright reflections.

Equip with Core 2.5 GHz processor i5-2520M, 4GB RAM, and 320GB 7200-rpm hard drive, L420 ThinkPad both notched a score of 7354 in PCMark Vantage, which measure overall system performance. That score beat the average thin-and-light by more than 2,000 points, but it falls short of 8242 turned the Dell Latitude E6420 (with CPU 2.6 GHz Intel Core i5) and notched by the Fujitsu LifeBook 7983 S751 (with 2.5-Core CPU I5 GHz Intel 2410M).

The L420 ThinkPad prove too sharp on our File Transfer Test, which includes mixed-media file copying 4.97GB. Notebook has completed the task in 2 minutes and 41 seconds for the level of 31.6 MBps. This comfortably beat the average thin-and-light 24 MBps. When it came to boot up, L420 was nice and quick, launch the Windows 7 Professional in just 46 seconds. That was 18 seconds faster than the average category, and also bests times the boot of the Latitude E6420 and LifeBook S751 with 20 seconds.

With a six-cell battery, the Lenovo ThinkPad L420 lasted an impressive 6 hours and 41 minutes on our LAPTOP Battery Test (continuous surfing over Wi-Fi at 40-percent brightness). Lenovo ThinkPad L420 is also equipped with Intel Centrino 6205 Advanced radio AGN-N Wi-Fi, L420 is able to deliver a fast transfer rate from an average of 45 Mbps at 15 feet from the router. This exceeds the average of the thin and light, which manages 34.2 Mbps. At level 50 feet down to 21.8, which is equivalent to the average.

Highlights first: very good build quality, an excellent keyboard and touchpad, a good selection of input/output ports, and good overall performance. Now for the downsides; the first is battery life. Four and a half hours is average at best; ideally we were looking for another hour. Secondly, the 1366x768 screen resolution is too low for office productivity and makes multitasking difficult. Lastly, the $969 asking price is a bit high; Lenovo should either knock $100 off the price or include at least a two-year warranty standard.

In the end, the Lenovo ThinkPad L420 is a very well-built machine and meets most of our expectations.

JOB VACANCY ASIAREP, PT

2011-06-03T07:20:00.000-07:00

URGENTLY REQUIRED

We, a mining contractor company is seeking qualified, experienced and energetic candidates for the following position :

ACCOUNTING STAFF

Requirements :

Graduated from reputable university majoring in Accounting
Having experience minimum 2 years
Excellent in both spoken and written English
Willing to work hard a team player

The interested Candidates are welcomed for their application and CV within 2 (weeks) days after this advertisement to :

Human Resources Department

Email : wizard.asia@yahoo.com

cc : sec.mary@biz.net.id

Newest E-Series from Nokia

2011-06-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

Nokia E7 is really a newest part of Nokia E-Series. It had been launched within February 2011. This smartphone has Symbian^3 becasue it is operating system. It's the same like Nokia N8 makes use of with. Nokia E7 includes a full QWERTY keypad. The camera is completed along with Extended Level of Area it's different after that camera in Nokia N8 and E90 which have autofocus. The actual battery is much more small compared to E90’s battery. The battery isn't person changeable. This stylish communicator possibly can't be in comparison to iphone 4, nevertheless it has several enhancements analyzing using the prior Nokia. The Nokia E7 addresses using a flattened as well as anodized aluminum cylinder with 4-inch clearblack AMOLED touchscreen about the entrance aspect.

There is another front VGA camera with regard to video clip phoning. The actual screen includes associated with 16 million colours. About the back aspect, there's an eight-megapixel camera along with dual-led flash. The actual antennas and connectors will be in rest issues. The Nokia E7 is chopped up longitudinally. It comes down since the slimmest QWERTY smartphone globally. The inside regions of E7 are nearly exactly the same with N8 offers. Such as Nokia N8, this has fixed 16gb mass storage. The real difference could it be doesn't have a memory card slot, as the N8 has. The actual Nokia E7 also offers 350mb associated with phone memory as well as 256mb associated with RAM. This smartphone is actually supported with Bluetooth 3.0, AGPS, WiFi support, as well as GSM/EDGE quadband.

USB On-The-Go can also be provided right here. With this USB, this allows people plug flash drives and keyboards with this entire body. In addition, the European as well as U.S. variations tend to be carried out with HDMI adapter, stereo headset, and micro-usb cable. This facilitates hand touch text input and UI control. The actual alphanumeric keypad is actually on-screen which is provided the whole keyboard. There's handwriting tool for Chinese. This connects along with FM radio.

The eight-megapixel camera outcomes the highly stunning pictures. The dual-led flash includes a role to create exceptional pictures. The colour balance and exposure tend to be ideal. The actual camera uses the EDoF lens. It is also prefect in fixed-focus lens. Due to it, the customers are impossible to think about closeup catches.

Inside the video clip documenting, Nokia E7 can be utilized for sleek 720p hd content. Surely it's a great capture resulted with a phone. Nokia Organization only obtained a few complaints regarding camera service. The relaxation of customers mentioned that they're happy with the camera since it provides accomplishment and gratifaction.

The Nokia E7 comes forth along with five colours. You will find Dark grey, Silver white, Blue, Green as well as Orange. The actual Nokia E7 includes a great and chic look. Nevertheless, many individuals question from the program improvement. Believe that it's very little better than the prior smartphone. Lots of people also fail the actual Symbian. It has been utilized by Nokia for any very long time. They are tired as well as bored because there's absolutely no something totally new concerning the program. Now, are you going to. If you are interested, you can buy this person within E-series phone. This advanced smartphone comes forth close to IDR 6,000,000 in Indonesia.

New Wireless Mouse From Logitech

2011-04-12T00:26:00.000-07:00

Logitech wants to give you more clicks, and smoother scrolling to boot. Logitech Wireless Mouse M325 is an entry-level product of this company, designed for notebooks systems and for less demanding users.

M325 is a classic three button mouse with scroll wheel, based on an ambidextrous design, good to both left and right handed users. The ergonomic shape of the casing is filled with rubberized surfaces for a firm grip. Logitech promises low energy consumption so much so that it claims to offer up to 18 months of battery life for this model, bold statement for a device powered by a single AA battery.

This M325 wireless mouse's new "micro-precise" scroll wheel features 72 tiny ratchets, making our self-counted 22-ratchet mouse wheel seem downright barbaric by comparison not that we ever really considered the number of teeth our mice had before now. The rodent's 18-month battery life won't quite live up to your 2-year Couch Mouse, but at least they can share a Logitech Unifying Receiver. Your scroll wheel of tomorrow can be had for $40 later this month, or £30 right now for lucky folks in the UK.

The scroll wheel is optimized for internet browsing with better quality, providing better control. Like other products from the company’s offer, M325 comes with a USB transmitter from the Unifying Logitech series commended for its miniature size and good stability on radio waves over 2.4 GHz. The awesome wireless mouse also has a three-year hardware warranty.

4G Support and Run on Sprint’s Fresh WiMAX Network From HTC Supersonic WIMAX

2011-04-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

HTC smartphones is ready to release mobile phone with Windows 7 which seems now so tight, issued by Microsoft, “said an official source of HTC, at the CTIA Wireless event in Las Vegas. A complicated problem arises HTC smartphones which model will use the operating system WinPhone 7? there is still no clarity, including from HTC CEO Peter Chou himself. However, the rumor is probable flagships model HTC obsession that will install a new OS from Microsoft.

Microsoft does have a very strict requirement on the Windows Phone 7, that is why, no vendor who reached an agreement with Microsoft to install this operating system on the device. Microsoft will provide enjoyable experiences that are different from the user interface from previous operating system.

Commenting on HTC’s position as Google’s partner in the project Nexus One, although sales figures are not too good, only sold 135,000 devices in the first 77 days after release, they think Google made a fatal mistake in implementing sales strategies that lead Google’s sales Nexus One free fall. A fairly rapid growth and acceptance of HTC smartphones by consumers and markets in the U.S., creating optimism HTC to expand more aggressively.

HTC smartphones plans to soon launch the HTC flagship supersonic WIMAX (HTC EVO 4G) for the U.S. market support by Sprint’s 4G technologies that work together as an operator and local partners Despite the readiness of most new-generation telecommunications networks, known as 4G is still in the process of preparation and testing, but a number of vendors set up in droves supporting device. Working together with Sprint service, Evo will be the first Android-powered mobile 4G network, this of course makes the operating system made by Google will be able to perform optimally.

HTC Evo customers will certainly be spoiled with this latest technology. How not, because the 4G network could transmit data 10 times faster than the 3G will make the service mobile multimedia such as video streaming, downloads, pictures and games to new levels, they are satisfactory for application download and enrich their handsets available in the Android Market. play video-quality high definition (HD) will not even guaranteed to make the user tired of having to wait too long.

With the support 1GHz Snapdragon processor, making this smart phone into a replacement device to be called a netbook. The combination of HTC and Sprint’s new breakthrough allows people to conduct various activities online is fun when traveling, because it is faster with Sprint’s 4G networks, is unfortunately not yet known when HTC Evo will be introduced in the global market, because Sprint is currently focused only provide WIMAX services HTC Evo in 27 cities in the U.S. alone, rose at a price not yet known with certainty.

DreamBook PhonePad From The Nest of Koala and Kangaroo Australia

2011-04-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

Pioneer Computers has rolled out new Android tablet branded as Dreambook PhonePad M7. The PhonePad M7 Android tablet is support Flash 10.1 with game features, such as Digital high sensitive 3D G-sensor games/3D games/Touch games/Classic games and also support E-Book in PDF/Epub/TXT/FB2 file.

You can purchase the Pioner DreamBook PhonePad M7 with starting price at $399 for base configurations.

DreamBook PhonePad M7 is also coming with 1.3-megapixel front camera, 5.0-megapixel rear-facing for video chatting and capturing, G-sensor, GPS, 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth are also available. Pioner PhonePad M7 tablet is powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm ARM11 processor, a 7-inch HD TFT capacitive multitouch display with 800 x 600 pixels resolution, 512MB DDR2 RAM, 512MB flash storage, support a microSD card slot up to 32GB.

Other specification of the DreamBook PhonePad M7 include GPS with AGPS support, digital compass, bluetooth 2.1, 802.11 b/g WiFi, 3G (UMTS 900/1900/2100 MHz), SIM/USIM card slot, micro USB port and works on GSM850/900/1800/1900/,UMTS900/1900/2100. The PhonePad M7 Android tablet also support Video Format in RMVB/RM/WMV9/MP4/3GP/MPEG2/MPEG1/H.263/H.264, Music Formatin MP3/WMA/AAC/AAC+/AMR-WB/+, Image Format in JPEG/BMP/GIF/PNG, Instant Messaging like Facebook, MSN, GTALK, SKYPE with support voice call and measuring in 197 x 115 x 13 mm. Built-in 2 speakers and microphone and 200mAh battery with maximum 3500mAh battery.

Roomy Keyboard from Samsung Messager III SCH-R750

2011-04-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

Metro PCS having previously launched the Samsung Messager and Messager II has now launched its brand new Messager III. This is a phone which most users consider decent enough; however its name goes onto annoy people. When you hear that a latest edition is coming out of the previously existing model, you hope that it would be an improvement. Samsung hasn’t altered much in this edition as most critics believe that this isn’t a bad device. The product is priced at $89 after $30 mail in rebate which is without a contract. Therefore, this product has nothing innovative or new which would make it stand out compared to other products in the same price range.

It's not quite as blocky as the earlier handsets, though it lacks some of the sturdiness that we found on the Messager II. The result is a reasonably slick and easy to use device with a spacious keyboard. It's not flashy, but it works. The Messager III measures 4.59 inches long by 2.11 inches wide by 0.57 inch thick and weighs 3.7 ounces. The black and blue color scheme is simple, yet pleasing, and the smooth lines give it a comfortable feel in the hand. Since the cell is all about basics, thus it has nothing fancy to offer. It can save up to 1000 phone book entries and has 18 polyphonic ringtones. The phone also comes installed with a backup feature which allows you to save your data and be able to restore it if you lose it.

The handset also supports the carrier's MyMetro service for checking your account status and the @Metro online store for access to applications and games. The carrier has a decent assortment of titles, to be sure, but the Messager III is optimized more for messaging than playing games. If apps are your primary concern, we suggest moving on to one of the carrier's smartphones like the new LG Optimus M Android handsets. At the very least, you'll appreciate the larger display. With 1.3-megapixel on resolution the camera offers the usual set of editing options including quality modes, white balance, a night mode, a self-timer, mosaic and multishot modes, color tones, and shutter sounds. Photo quality is satisfactory with decent colors and little image noise. The Messager III does not record video. Audiophiles can use the basic music player. It's short on features, but serviceable. Luckily, memory on the phone is generous with 100MB of shared internal space and a microSD slot that can accommodate cards up to 16GB.

The Messager III has a rated battery life of 5 hours talk time and 10.42 days standby time. It has a tested talk time of 5 hours and 12 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the Messager III has a digital SAR of 0.68 watt per kilogram.

Though the Samsung Messager III has an updated design over its predecessors, it also has a downgraded feature and some performance issues. Instead of taking a step ahead, Messager III is more like a step backwards.

How to Buy a Refurbished Macbook

2011-03-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

Refurbished macbook can be used as alternative for people who want to have macbook but they don’t have much money. For some people, buying a refusbished macbook become trend. However, there are others reason for it.

Typically, Apple's refurbished products are a great way to save money on a 'new' computer. Apple often sells their products refurbished online; sometimes, they're current models, somtimes they're recently discontinued models. Either way, if you buy directly from Apple's 'Special Deals' section on their online store, they come with the same warranty coverage as a brand new product.

How it the way to choose and buy good refurbished macbook? There are several ways, they are :

Looking fo on the internet about refurbished macbook. Usually, in internet there are many situs or online store which sell refurbished macbook. We can choose which one the refurbished macbook that we like.
We also can ask to our friend or forum who understand about refurbished macbook. We can ask to them, which one refurbished macbook which suitable with our self. We also can ask about the price of refurbished macbook.
There are many social networking that can help us to find refurbished macbook. We can follow the group on the facebook which talking about refurbished macbook. And then we can ask many things about macbook.
It is not problem if we don’t like to buy in online store, because we can buy directly at offline store. How is the way? We can visit to the store which sell refurbished macbook. We can see it directly and we can check it.
Which one the way that will we choose? Online or offline? It depends on our consideration and condition. If we are busy and have experience to do transaction in online ways maybe we can use it. But, if we don’t have experience and we can reach the store easily maybe we can choose offline store.
We must to check the condition of the macbook, is it good or not? That is because we will use it for long time. So although we buy refurbished macbook, we must to check it.

As long as you buy directly from Apple, refurbished basically has no significance. The service at apple is absolutely amazing and if you have any problems, they will fix the problem or replace it. Refurbished simply means it was either returned or had problems and they were fixed. There won't be any physical damage and everything will work normally. Buying refurbished from Apple is just a great way to save money. All the same things will be covered by the warranty as are with new laptops. There are no exceptions.

Comfort Chair for Gamers

2011-03-25T19:25:00.000-07:00

If you are a gamer then this gadget is definitely for you. This chair is packed with features. To start off, there are 12 vibration motors throughout the chair that are synchronized with the games action. Nerdy and cool. As far as sound goes, you can use your stock headphones from a MP3 player etc, or plug the chair into your home stereo system to get full surround sound. There are adjustable 3D stereo speakers built into the chair as well. Any type of gaming accessory will probably work with the chair, including steering wheels and custom controllers.

The sound is on the same high quality – you can use ordinary headphones or you can plug the chair into your home theater system – the result will be marvelous because the chair has integrated 3D stereo speakers. The consoles which are compatible with the chair are Xbox 360, PC, PS2, Gamecube. For audio entertainment you can use PSP, iPod or ordinary MP3 player.

Comfort was definitely not overlooked when this chair was designed. It’s all leather material, has an adjustable headrest, leg rest, and even a beverage and remote controller holder. Oh, and I forgot to mention that this chair will give you a nice massage, too. Seriously. The price is around 400$ but if you are a real gamer then this chair will improve your gaming experience.

New Business Class Notebooks From Samsung

2011-03-24T23:28:00.000-07:00

New line of business notebooks with screen sizes ranging from 12.5 inches to 15.6 inches from Samsung. Three series have been announced: the Series 2, Series 4, and Series 6. All come standard with Windows 7 Professional.

The Series 2
The least expensive series. Series 2 notebooks are available with 12.5- and 14-inch screens, Intel Celeron or Core i3 processors, 2-4GB of RAM, and up to 320GB of hard disk space.

Series 4
Available in 12.5-inch and 14-inch screens, but has the option for a "SuperBright" 300-nit display on the 14-inch version. The Series 4 also comes with more powerful processors in the form of a Core i3, i5, or i7 and up to 6GB of RAM.

Series 6
Comes in a 14-inch or 15.6-inch screen size with Core i3/i5/i7 processors. The 15.6-inch version features a 1600x900 screen resolution.

The business notebooks are available with a trackpoint a la ThinkPads. Select models feature dedicated Nvidia NVS 4200M graphics and Nvidia Optimus graphics-switching technology. Samsung claims the notebooks can get up to 7 hours of battery life on the standard six-cell; a 9-cell battery is optional. USB 3.0 is a standard feature.

All of the new business notebooks come standard with a three-year limited warranty. The Series 2 and Series 4 will be available in April and the Series 6 in May. Pricing information has not been released.

Will The Torch Become BlackBerry’s Leading Light or Will it Simply Burn itself Out ?

2011-03-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

For years RIM has targeted the business market, and has been very successful in doing so. The first thing you'll notice about the Torch, obviously, is that it looks very much like the current crop of BlackBerry devices. Besides that fact that yes, it slides open, you're basically dealing with the same industrial design that we've come to know from RIM over the past two years or so. Sure, there are variations on a theme, but side-by-side with the Bold 9700, it's obvious to see where Torch got its looks from.

The size and shape of the device is nearly identical to the 9700, and in fact, its dimensions (4.4-inches up and down by 2.4-inches across when closed) are within spitting distance of the simpler, portrait QWERTY model. The thickness differs by a tiny margin (the Torch is 0.57-inches thick, while the Bold is 0.56-inches), though for some reason it feels much more significant when holding the two in your hand.

The Torch keeps the familiar, metal-like (it's plastic) bezel around the edges of the phone, looping around back just as with the Bold, though this time it's split in two pieces due to the separate screen and keyboard portions of the phone. The front of the device is mostly taken up by the Torch's 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen (480 x 360, just like the Storm and Storm2), though you'll find the familiar BlackBerry call, menu, back, and end buttons and optical trackpad just below the display. Along the right side of the phone is a 3.5mm headphone jack, volume rockers, and user-assignable convenience key (it defaults to the camera), while the left side houses only the Micro USB jack. Up top there are mute and lock buttons, while the phone's 5 megapixel camera and LED flash sit in a familiar spot along the back of the phone.

Browsing is where old-school BlackBerry users will notice a huge leap forward on OS 6 and the Torch. For years, it was the Achilles heel – the part of the OS that you felt RIM had forgotten about or couldn't be bothered with. But no more. The Torch gives BlackBerry users their best web-browsing experience yet. Like Apple, Android and Nokia, it uses the WebKit engine to process pages, and the experience is fluid. Pages load incredibly quickly and mostly without error or formatting issues.

The Torch comes with a 5 megapixel camera, that's about mid range these days but, with autofocus and LED flash, it is effective for most situations. mages were good, though the flash under 'normal' settings was a little too eager sometimes – coming on when it didn't really need to, and it made the images look a little more yellow than they needed to be.

You really notice the change between what you see when you're focusing and the processed image. After the shutter click, the image changes to something richer and bolder in front of your eyes – as though an autofix has been performed.

Wi-Fi, 3G /EDGE and Bluetooth are all here, as well as GPS, which has pretty much become standard since the Nokia N95 set the benchmark. Up until a couple of years ago, you'd never find a BlackBerry with Wi-Fi and GPS, only one or the other. Now, you get the whole package. The Torch is only missing FM and NFC radios, the latter of which is slowly being rolled out on up-and-coming mobiles by other manufacturers. However, it's still in its early days and, therefore, not the most useful addition yet.

Connecting the Torch to the computer, meanwhile, is a cinch. It's always been straightforward on Windows. The problem was with Macs.

Blackberry claims the Torch will give 5.5 hours of talk time and up to 27 hours of music playback. It sounds a lot but – based on our experience – not beyond the realms of possibility. What's interesting is the fact that this phone only has a 1300mAh battery. Anything less than 1400mAh on a smartphone would usually get a sneer and an upturned nose, but it's clear here that RIM has put a lot of effort into making sure that it doesn't guzzle juice like it could have.

If you're a BlackBerry user who wants to move to OS 6, you may go for the Torch because it has that veneer of gloss. It's also a new form factor – especially when you consider the 9780 looks almost exactly the same as the 9700.

Likewise, if you're a power user who wants full customisation, this may suit better than an iPhone. And despite Android having been around for several years now, the media aspects of OS 6 far outshine Google's standard offering.

Overall, the Torch doess the basics (calls, messaging, Twitter, Facebook, PIM) well and then expands on them with an improved web browser (albeit without flash), brilliant media capabilities, a camera that does the job and phenomenal battery life.

HP Envy 17 : Ideal Replacements for Desktop PCs

2011-03-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

When it comes to selecting our favorite mainstream Windows laptops these days the HP Envy 14 is pretty much at the tippy top of the list. HP's design philosophy when it comes to the Envy series of laptops is to borrow liberally from Apple's Macbook line, then add some of its own flavor. The Envy 17 is no exception. At less than 8 pounds without the power brick, the Envy 17 is barely thicker than an inch and includes robust media playback capabilities including Blu-ray movies.

Metal edging means the chassis feels substantial, and the machine's overall build quality is high. As a consequence, this machine is heavy. Weighing in at 3.41kg and measuring 275 by 416 by 317mm, it's hardly portable. This laptop definitely falls into the 'desktop replacement' category.

The display is impressive. 17.3 inches on the diagonal, the screen boasts a resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels, which makes for a display so sharp it could slice your eyeballs open. It also offers excellent horizontal viewing. Colours stay vivid with no warping even when you're watching the screen from an extreme angle, so you'll have no trouble crowding the whole family around to check out the latest bear on a bungee video.

Optical discs slide into the right-side mounted Blu-ray ROM/DVD burner. Also on the right side are two USB 2.0 ports, the 5-in-1 flash memory card reader and the power connector. The left side offers up a single USB 3.0 port and a shared USB/eSATA port, and not one, but two digital video outputs a mini-DisplayPort connector and one for HDMI. Without needing a docking station, you could have access to a triple display setup two external monitors and the 17-inch, 1080p Envy 17 screen. One of the monitors would have to have a DisplayPort connector, however. Using the VGA output together with the two digital outputs, you can even hook up three external monitors at once, albeit without using the laptop's display.

The overall feel of the keyboard is quite nice, with excellent tactile feedback. Its layout is mostly good, too, though I'm not happy about the compromises HP made with the arrow keys and with the overall lack of dedicated media keys something a little odd in a laptop offering such rich media playback offerings. The trackpad seemed a little on the twitchy side.

The Envy 17 arrived with an Intel Core i7-720QM CPU clocking in at 1.6GHz, with a peak turbo boost frequency of 2.8GHz. The 720QM is a true quad-core CPU with hyperthreading, so it supports eight simultaneous software threads. Boosting graphics performance is an AMD Mobility Radeon HD 5850 with 1GB of video RAM, the fastest mobile Radeon GPU short of the high-end units found in heavier, dedicated gaming laptops. Rounding out the specs were 8GB of DDR3-1066 memory. The price of the system configured as we tested it, with the Blu-ray drive and the 8GB RAM upgrade is a steep $1825; the base configuration starts at around $1400.

One concern about the Envy 17 that's worth discussing is heat. The cooling fan became noticeably loud when game benchmarks were run, and the surface (of the keyboard) became quite warm in places. It wasn't too hot to touch, but clearly a lot of heat is being generated in a tight space and needs to go somewhere. That's the downside of building a high-performance system into a compact package.

Those heavy performance parts and the large screen take a serious, toll on battery life. The six-cell battery lasted only two hours and 10 minutes on our battery rundown test, which loops the same standard definition video.

Despite a few design flaws, such as the oddly shaped arrow keys, there's very little to dislike about this machine. It looks great, has a truckload of computing power and is highly usable. As with any product, a high price tag affords equally high expectations. Overall, the Envy 17 looks to be an elegant, relatively compact laptop (as desktop replacement systems go) for digital photographers, music buffs, video enthusiasts, and gamers. Just make sure you keep it cool!

Dell's New Android Tablet for Tablet Mania

2011-03-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

The first half of 2011 is shaping up to be all about tablets. The Streak 7, like the Streak 5 before it, won't be released with a version of Android designed specifically for tablets, but rather a recent version of what is largely considered a handset OS. The Dell Streak 7 is powered by NVIDIA's dual-core Tegra 2 SoC, putting it on par with some of the more powerful upcoming tablets like the Motorola Xoom as well as the Viewsonic gTablet.

The Streak 7 is also the first dual-core seven inch tablet, but it certainly won't be the last. The rest of its specifications are in line with what you would expect from a high-end Android tablet, with the exception of the screen which only sports a resolution of 800x480, a bit lower than most other high-end tablets. Dell doesn't advertise the amount of RAM the Streak 7 has but judging from system information on memory usage it seems the Streak 7 is packing about 512MB (360MB was available according the Linux Kernel, i'am still waiting for an official actual number from Dell).

Dell Streak 7 Specifications :

Processor
1GHz NVIDIA Tegra T20 (dual-core)

Operating System
Android 2.2 (Froyo) with Over the Air Upgrade Capability

Memory
512MB RAM

Storage
16GB of Internal Storage with support for up to 32GB additional storage using the user accessible SD, MMC, SDHC memory card slot

Dimensions
7.87 x 4.72 x 0.49 inches; 199.9 x 119.8 x 12.4 mm

Weight
15.87 ounces; 450 grams

Display
7” WVGA 800x480 Capacitive Multi-Touch Screen with Corning Gorilla Glass

Network
T-Mobile: HSPA + @ 2100/1900/AWS/850

Messaging
Email, IM and Video Chat on all models
SMS & MMS on 3G models only

GPS
Internal GPS antenna

Sensors
Ambient Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Accelerometer, e-compass, Capacitive sensor keys

Connectivity
WLAN 802.11b/g; Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR; 3.5mm stereo audio jack; proprietary 30-pin interface/charging port

Camera
Rear-facing : 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash
Front-facing : 1.3-megapixel camera with fixed focus

Audio Formats
MP3, WMA, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR, MIDI, WAV
Video Formats     H.263 / H.264, .3GP, MPEG4, WMV

Battery

Rechargeable 2,780 mAh Lithium-ion

Price: $199.99 with two-year T-Mobile contract; $449.99 without contract

The Dell Streak 7 delivers excellent performance. NVIDIA's Tegra 2 chip continues to prove itself very competent in both general processing and graphics intensive applications and games. Unfortunately, many benchmarks cannot currently take advantage of the Tegra 2's second core and the same can be said about most Android apps. However, we'll see better performance in the future as multi-core support becomes the norm on Android.

T-Mobile MyTouch 4G : Brings a Slew of Design and Feature Enhancements

2011-03-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

The T-Mobile MyTouch 4G is the latest addition to the carrier's MyTouch series of Android phones. With a more solid build, the Android 2.2 smartphone feels like a premium device and has the goods to back it up, with HSPA+ support, Wi-Fi calling, mobile hot spot capabilities, and a second-gen 1GHz Snapdragon processor, just to name a few. The T-Mobile MyTouch 4G will be available November 3 for $199.99 with a two-year contract.

Unlike the previous models, the MyTouch 4G features stainless steel parts and in some instances, a soft-touch finish around the edges (only on certain colors) to give it a more solid and premium feel. As a result, the handset is a bit on the heavier side at 5 ounces. The MyTouch 4G is still thin and pocketable at 4.8 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide by 0.4 inch thick.

You get a 3.8-inch WVGA touch screen with the option of five or seven home screen panels on front. Like the MyTouch 3G Slide, the MyTouch 4G uses a combination of T-Mobile's customized user interface and HTC Sense, including the company's widgets and Leap screen, which shows you thumbnail versions of all your home screens.

The touch screen is responsive. As for the display itself, it's clear and sharp, though colors don't look quite as rich as those on the Samsung Vibrant's Super AMOLED screen. The MyTouch 4G comes with the Swype keyboard installed, though if you don't like it, you can turn it off and peck away on a regular onscreen keyboard. Alternatively, you can use the phone's Nuance Dragon Dictation voice command system to dictate your messages.

There's an optical trackpad and Android shortcuts for home, back, and menu. However, instead of a search button, you get T-Mobile's Genius button, which activates the aforementioned Nuance-powered voice command application where you can make calls, compose messages, search the Web, and launch applications with your voice.

Volume rocker and a Micro-USB port; there's a sole camera button on the right side. The top of the device houses a power button and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The smartphone's main camera and flash are located on the back, but there is a front-facing VGA camera as well, just above the screen on the right side.

Running Android 2.2 and also supports the carrier's HSPA+ network. Under the hood there's the same second-gen 1GHz Qualcomm QSD8255 "Scorpion" Snapdragon processor that powers the Desire HD, and the same 768MB of RAM. A sizable 1400mAh battery provides plenty of juice to get through a day of pretty hefty use.

Storage-wise there's an 8GB microSD card included (which is nicely accessible without removing the battery), and 4GB of built-in storage, though there's only about 1GB of that available to the user.

The real standout feature is a front-facing camera, which still only a few handsets on the market can lay claim to. Of course, the VGA sensor won't do your ugly mug any favors. With HSPA+ onboard (what T-Mobile's calling "4G" these days), T-Mobile is confidently pushing this phone as a "video calls anywhere" number, and luckily HSDPA works fine as well which is extra-nice because HSPA+ signals are still pretty scarce. Around back there's a 5 megapixel camera, complete with LED flash, which is also usable for video calling.

One of my favorite little tidbits is the 802.11n WiFi, which blissfully supports our 5GHz-only home router in addition to regular 2.4GHz shenanigans.

Overall, the myTouch 4G hits almost every checkbox when it comes to features and functionality, but sadly misses the mark completely when it comes to aesthetic and "purity" of the Android vision. In T-Mobile's attempt to make a consumer-friendly phone, we'd argue they've driven in the other direction. Luckily, many of our qualms with the phone can be chalked up to personal preference, and a power user could potentially finagle a stock Android ROM onto here, so we'd encourage any prospective buyers to check out the phone for themselves before we fend them off entirely.