Funny Stuffs & Great techy drugs ._.|||

Intel blows up Atom with mainstream processors

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:04:00 +0000

Origin: http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/06/02/236255/intel-blows-up-atom-with-mainstream-processors.htm

Author: Cliff Saran

Posted: 02 June 2009

Intel has unveiled a family of processors for low-cost mobile computing. The company said the chips will power a range of ultra-thin laptops, weighing between 0.9kg and 2.2kg.

Until now, users wanting lightweight ultra-thin laptops had to opt for high-end machines like the Sony Viao and Apple MacBook Air, costing £1,000+, or go downmarket and purchase a sub-£200 netbook.

Intel said machines powered by the ultra-low voltage (ULV) processors will enable sleek consumer laptop designs less than an inch thick, at mainstream prices. Intel said the processors also consume less power to enable longer battery life.

Along with the processors, Intel has unveiled the Mobile Intel GS40 Express Chipset for ULV-based laptops. The chipset supports HD playback, Windows Vista Premium support and native support for integrated HDMI.

Sales of Atom-powered netbooks have cannibalised Intel's mainstream mobile processors, which cost considerably more to manufacture. Intel may be able to attract users with the ULV chip powering lower-cost laptops that offer the convenience of Netbook.

ASUS LAUNCH SEASHELL AND U SERIES NOTEBOOKS

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:03:00 +0000

by Wern Shen
Monday, 15 June 2009 04:16 PM
Origin: Lowyat.net

It seems that ASUS launched two new notebooks last week - the Seashell netbook and the U Series notebooks - and although we weren't invited to the event, the people from ASUS were kind enough to send us some updates via email.

The ASUS Eee PC Seashell is a 10-inch netbook that comes with a 92% scaled keyboard, an onboard intelligent energy management system, and a multi-touch trackpad. The name was derived from what ASUS refer to as "one of nature's most beautiful things", a seashell, and comes encased in an opalescent glossy exterior that isn't just pretty to look at but is also tough as a shell.

As for the U Series of notebooks, this new series comes in sizes from 12-inches to 15.6-inches. Built to provide you with the ideal balance of both form and function, the U Series of notebooks are powered by Intel's latest ULV processors and Core 2 Duo processors. To take on all your multimedia needs, graphics solutions come in the form of NVIDIA's GeForce G 105M, while sound is provided by built-in SRS ready Altec Lansing speakers.

No pricing details were provided for any of the above mentioned devices, but more details on them can be found on the offical ASUS website at http://my.asus.com.

p/s: i just cant link the laptops to the models there together =.=

Review: Aluminum MacBook

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:14:00 +0000

origin: http://www.macintouch.com/reviews/alumabook/

by Robert Mohns
(October 21, 2008)

Introduction

The radically redesigned aluminum MacBook is the first major retooling of Apple's consumer-oriented laptops since the Intel-based MacBook replaced the PowerPC-based iBook in May 2006. A new "unibody" chassis made from a single piece of machined aluminum brings the look of the MacBook Pro line, while improving serviceability, and a striking black, glass display now unifies Apple's MacBook, iMac and iPhone designs. A new, glass trackpad extends gestural control.

Brand new video hardware from Nvidia replaces the old Intel graphics, and the mini-DVI port has been replaced with mini-DisplayPort, so the MacBook now can drive the massive 30" Apple Cinema Display.

But Apple has removed FireWire, leaving many users — especially IT professionals, musicians and video enthusiasts — stranded with unusable investments in important FireWire peripherals.

The new MacBook costs more than the old one — it retails for $1299 — but the old, white MacBook model, upgraded with a SuperDrive and complete with FireWire, is available for just $999. A $1599 aluminum MacBook model adds a faster CPU and a larger hard drive. Like all Macs, the aluminum MacBook includes the latest iLife suite (iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iDVD, iWeb, and iTunes).

Design/Features

The first thing you notice about the new MacBook is its sleek aluminum shape. The tight corners of the old MacBook are gone, replaced with the softly rounded edges of the MacBook Air. Like the Air, the subtle curve makes picking up the MacBook easier, and it rests quite comfortably in the lap for typing.

Lifting the lid reveals the contrasting black glass screen and black keycaps. Instead of the traditional plastic or metal bezel surrounding an LCD panel, a single glass face covers both, extending all the way to the edges of the lid. The effect is even more striking here than in the iMac which introduced the style.

The MacBook has the same love-it-or-hate-it chiclet-style keyboard as its predecessor. (The more expensive model adds backlit keys to sweeten the deal.)

The aluminum MacBook's redesigned trackpad is huge, and the button is gone: instead, the trackpad itself is the button.

The new MacBook is visually striking, bringing the design of the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air to Apple's consumer price point.

And the beauty of that sleek chassis is much more than skin deep. Traditionally, laptops have combined internal framework and external body panels in an intricate assembly with dozens of screws and hundreds of components. The MacBook's main chassis isn't assembled from parts this way — instead, a single block of aluminum is machined into what Apple calls the "unibody" chassis, carved like a sculpture. The computer's circuit boards are mounted to the underside of this chassis, and a thin, light bottom plate closes it up.

Similar techniques are used in the MacBook Air, and in Apple's flat aluminum desktop keyboards, but not so extensively. Like the original white iMacs, which required new ways of injecting plastics into molds without visible seaming, Apple is pushing the boundaries of mass production with its latest laptops.

The new MacBook has the fit and finish of a luxury product. We can't even get a fingernail into the seams between its two aluminum panels, and the four visible screws have circular grooves machined into their heads so they catch the light dramatically. The chassis is completely rigid, without even a hint of flex, and it feels tremendously solid. The one-piece screen, too, resists torsion, and the hinge is as smooth as the MacBook Air's.

Too Much Gloss

Unfortunately, the MacBook's glossy LED-backlit display is too much of a good thing. Glossy screens are known for their bright colors and high contrast (if not color fidelity), but at the cost of distinct, sharp reflections. These are even more prominent on the new MacBook's display than on its direct predecessor's, and we found window reflections to be far more distracting when using the new MacBook than when using the MacBook Air, which is also glossy.

While we quickly tuned out reflections in the active display, the black bezel around the screen acts like a mirror, adding reflections to the visual clutter. It's ironic that a simpler, sleeker-looking display would actually contribute visual distraction.

Aluminum MacBook
in direct sunlight

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Aluminum MacBook
with black screen

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Aluminum MacBook
vs. MacBook Air

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The horizontal viewing angle is moderately wide by current standards, dimming faster off-angle than the MacBook Air does, but not as sharply as the old MacBook. There is a sweet spot from the center in which brightness is mostly even across the display, horizontally, but if you move from that spot, colors shift rapidly.

The vertical viewing angle remains extremely limited; brightness and color vary drastically with tiny angular changes. Also, like the earlier MacBook, the new display shows subtle color stippling, apparently an inherent limitation of the 6-bit color channels used by laptop LCDs.

Laptop displays have never been suitable for precise color work, but between the distracting edge reflections and vertical angular changes, the new MacBook is a step backwards in usability. Color and brightness are more consistent today than in the PowerBook G4 era, but the aluminum MacBook falls short of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro in image quality, while the white MacBook is less brilliant but more usable! If your work requires accurate, consistent color reproduction, you'll definitely want a high-quality external display, connected via one of Apple's extra-cost mini-DisplayPort adapters.

Trackpad

Unlike the display, the all-new glass trackpad is a straight improvement. Incorporating more "multitouch" technology from the iPhone platform, this trackpad adds support for four-finger gestures. And, customers who have been asking for a secondary click (or "right-click") button on the trackpad have been answered: you can configure the trackpad to interpret clicks in the bottom right or bottom left as a secondary click.

The button is no longer a separate control; like Mighty Mouse, the entire surface is the button. The huge trackpad is hinged at the top and depresses at the bottom with a precise, satisfying click. (No "origami" hacks required, as some early MacBooks needed.) The feel is superb. The surface is smoother than a traditional trackpad's, with a matte finish that provides an excellent mix of slip and stick. Apple's pride in the feel of their their new trackpad is well justified.

Like the multitouch track pads of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro before it, the new trackpad supports pinch, stretch and rotate gestures; three-finger navigation in Safari and Finder; two-finger scrolling and secondary click; and optional tap-lock. You can swipe all four fingers up or down to activate Expose (up to push all windows off the screen, or down to view all windows). Left and right four-finger swipes trigger the application switcher (normally accessed via Command-Tab key combo). This was a little confusing to use; it turns out you activate it with four-finger swipe, but then use the mouse pointer normally to select an application and switch to it. We could scroll among the application icons with two fingers, but not switch to one! This could use some fine tuning.

Enabling new features via
Trackpad preferences

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Apple seems to have changed the acceleration curve of the trackpad from the long-time Mac standard. At first we thought it was matched to Windows, but it's not as jumpy as the Microsoft standard; it's somewhere in between. After a day we had mostly adjusted, and found the new curve provides more precision in small movements while requiring less motion to jump across the screen. But it takes some getting used to.

DisplayPort

Apple has adopted the new DisplayPort industry standard introduced by VESA in 2006 and finalized in 2007. DisplayPort, created to replace the DVI standard, is an advanced bus for high definition video, supporting audio streams and even a data channel. Unlike DVI and HDMI, it's designed both to connect external displays and for internal signaling inside laptops, making it very attractive from an engineer's viewpoint. DisplayPort also supports long cables without boosters — retaining 1080p resolution at up to 15 meters (48 feet), and full 2560x1600 resolution at up to 3 meters (9.8 feet).

The immediate impact is that we now need yet another video connector in our bag to use DVI or VGA displays. And there's no composite or S-video adapter. DVI and VGA adapters are $29 each. A Dual-Link DVI adapter, required for the 30" Cinema Display, is $99. (We note the 30" Dell 3008WFP already has a DisplayPort!) Apple does not offer a TV adapter, but the DisplayPort specification supports it, in theory.

Apple says it's adopting DisplayPort across its entire product line. Today, this means the aluminum MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro; we assume the iMac and Mac Pro will get the update, too.

(Along with the MacBook, Apple introduced a new DisplayPort-only 24" LED Cinema Display specifically designed specifically for use with the new Apple laptops. It won't ship until November, though, so we haven't had a chance to evaluate it.)

Nvidia graphics

Apple replaced the previous MacBook's anemic, integrated Intel graphics with brand-new Nvidia 9400M hardware. We're still in process of benchmarking it, but the Nvidia 9400M is far faster than the old Intel graphics, and this is speed you can feel in the user interface. Like the Intel GMA graphics, Nvidia's 9400M uses the computer's main memory for its own work, taking away 256+ MB, or about 12% of the base 2GB memory complement.

Nvidia claims the 9400M is up to 6.2 times faster than the Intel GMA X3100. Apple describes it relative to the MacBook Pro: the aluminum MacBook is said to provide 55% of the 3D speed of the Nvidia 8600M GT in the previous MacBook Pro, while the old MacBooks' Intel GMA only delivered 11% of MacBook Pro 3D speeds!

This Nvidia chip does more than just video duty, though: it is a "System-On-a-Chip" (SOC) design that replaces the Intel "Santa Rosa" architecture of the previous MacBook model. This is part of an industry-wide trend to more highly integrated chips, reducing power consumption, circuit board size and component costs. The Nvidia-based system swaps the old 800MHz memory bus for a 1066MHz bus, which seems to make up for the slightly slower CPU clock speed vs the previous MacBook. The Nvidia SOC includes SATA, USB, Ethernet, PCI Express, and audio controllers — but no FireWire. (More on that omission below.)

Service and Accessibility

The new MacBook sets a wonderful new standard for service access. The battery and hard drive lie behind a thin cover on the bottom. To release it, just lift a magnetic latch, and the lid pops up. The battery lifts out on a clear plastic tab; the hard drive does too, once you remove a single screw. This is the fastest, easiest hard drive replacement on any Apple laptop, ever. We couldn't help playing with the latch mechanism, opening and shutting it just to watch and feel this precision component do its job! Easy swappability of hard drives is a huge benefit in our book, letting you easily deal with hardware failures or upgrade to higher capacity and performance without paying a technician to do the work.

Memory requires slightly more work: remove eight more screws, and the second bottom panel lifts free. Not only is the memory expansion slot exposed, so is everything else. The new unibody chassis makes removing and replacing nearly any component a quick job. Kudos to Apple's design team for making it so easy to service the new MacBook! (Of course, this will also lower Apple's own warranty service costs.)

Other Notes

The MacBook has a host of other features. A new light sensor adjusts display brightness based on ambient lighting, and the backlit keyboard comes on the pricier model, both taken from the MacBook Pro and Air models.

The battery indicator has been moved from the bottom of the case to the left side. The only visual cue is a slightly recessed circle — a button — and when you press it, a line of eight tiny LEDs lights up in a row to show you the power level. (When charging, the top LED blinks.) It's simple but visually delightful.

All aluminum MacBooks include 802.11n WiFi networking, Bluetooth, gigabit Ethernet, two USB ports, and audio in and out jacks (supporting both analog and S/PDIF cables). A Kensington Microsaver security slot and MagSafe power connector round out the left side of the MacBook. A slot-loading SuperDrive is on the right, handling all the usual CD/DVD±R/RW/DL media options.

The aluminum MacBook is rated for up to 4 GB of RAM (it ships with 2 GB). However, iFixit (see Links section) noted during their disassembly, "the Montevina chipset appears to support up to 8GB." Further testing is warranted!

While the MacBook got warm during performance testing, it never got painfully hot, and the fan remained very quiet. Unlike earlier models, this MacBook seems to feature a large, low-speed fan, so there's none of the high pitched whine that plagued heavily-loaded PowerBook G4's and some MacBooks.

Environmental Impact

Apple proudly proclaims the new MacBook's environmental friendliness. High points include arsenic-free glass, no brominated flame retardants, no mercury, no PVC. This will reduce toxicity if some MacBooks are improperly disposed of (as, inevitably, some will be).

Although aluminum is highly recyclable, it also is very energy-intensive to produce. And while scraps from machining are recycled during manufacturing, they too require energy to re-melt into blocks of usable material.

Overall, Apple projects the entire lifecycle of a MacBook, from manufacturing to retirement, will release 460kg of CO2. (This includes both energy used in manufacturing and by end-users.) This compares to 340kg for the MacBook Air, 560kg for the 15" MacBook Pro, 1070kg for the 20" iMac, and a whopping 1500kg for the 24" iMac. (We haven't seen an estimate for the MacBook's polycarbonate predecessor.) As the choices go, you can do a lot worse than the new MacBook.

We measured the MacBook's power consumption with a Kill-a-Watt meter, and found it quite low. Sleeping, it consumes just 3 VA of power; idling with the screen at maximum brightness draws 31 VA (about 14 watts). This drops to just 24 VA (11 watts) with the screen at minimum brightness. The most we could get it to consume, by running hard drive and 3D graphics benchmarks simultaneously, was 56 VA (29 watts). That's less than the average reading lamp.

Issues

Firewire

FireWire — a technology Apple invented and popularized — disappeared from the aluminum MacBook. It's used for hard drives, video capture, audio hardware and high-end scanners — essential devices for Apple's huge base of "creative professional" users.

If you depend on hardware that requires FireWire, you must either upgrade to the $1999 MacBook Pro, or downgrade to the older, white Macbook (which is available now for $999).

Apple CEO Steve Jobs defended the decision, stating that most consumer camcorders now use USB instead of FireWire. That doesn't do much good for someone who already owns a FireWire-only camcorder; for most of us, that's a pretty big investment! And USB 2, despite its huge speed improvement over USB 1, still isn't suitable for professional audio work — it just isn't designed for time-sensitive data.

In hopes of getting a view into more typical consumer behavior, we talked to a salesperson at an Apple retail store. He said he was selling a lot of the new MacBooks even without FireWire. When asked how we could get video from our FireWire camcorder onto the new MacBook, the salesperson candidly answered, "You can't, and I know that's not a good answer."

We asked if the week's buyers knew or cared about the loss of FireWire. "A few people have been pretty upset," we were told, but many don't have any FireWire devices. A few buyers, he volunteered, did require FireWire, and in every instance, they went up to the MacBook Pro, not down to the white MacBook. But, he noted, "We're not all billionaires, a video camera is a big investment!"

The long-requested, but still-missing eSATA port would take the sting out of losing FireWire, and a fast I/O bus always can be exploited. USB is seriously deficient when it comes to multi-device data streaming; it may be good enough for Apple, but it's not adequate for a small, but influential, portion of Apple's traditional customer base.

We think it's a big mistake to take such a versatile, useful feature out of Apple's most popular laptop arbitrarily. But the marginal cost of upgrading to a MacBook Pro is less than the cost of a new video camera or audio hardware; maybe that's what Apple is counting on. If so, it's an artificial and cynical product segmentation tactic.

Vulnerable display?

The new display is a single sheet of glass, bonded directly to the aluminum lid. If it's damaged, the entire assembly must be replaced. On laptops with more traditional bezels, the bezel serves as a sacrificial "crumple zone", helping to mitigate damage to the expensive LCD panel. The MacBook has no such margin, and we just don't know how strong the glass is. We hope it's similar to the super-strong glass used in iPhone and iPod Touch screen. Only time and experience (accident reports) will tell if this is indeed a weak spot.

Other issues

We must repeat the need to purchase adapters to use any existing external display. None is included in the box, so if you already have a display, plan on a $29 adapter to use it. Our nearest Apple retail store didn't yet have them in stock when this was published, but the online store shows them shipping in a few days.

Lastly, we've developed a healthy caution for "1.0" hardware, and it's worth noting that this device is based on an all-new chipset from a company that's had some problems in the past. (One of Nvidia's early SOC efforts had a serious problem with SATA data corruption!) But Nvidia really wants into the SOC market, and Apple (a legendarily demanding business partner) is giving them a big chance — so they have a lot riding on a success with such a high profile client. Any failures will be heavily reported... and we hope Nvidia has worked hard to eliminate any potential problems.

Performance

We've done some preliminary benchmarking comparing the new MacBook's hard drive, graphics and processor performance to previous Macs.

Graphics and Gaming

First up, the Nvidia 9400M integrated graphics controller provides a definite boost in the Cinebench 9.5 3D graphics test. OpenGL hardware shading is more than twice as fast as the white, 2.16GHz MacBook (with integrated Intel graphics), and very nearly catches up wth last year's MacBook Pro (LED model), which featured the dedicated Nvidia GeForce 8600M mobile graphics processor.

Also worth noting is the software OpenGL shading test: This year's 2.0GHz MacBook virtually matches last year's 2.2GHz MacBook Pro! The new, 20%-faster memory bus appears to help here, making up for the MacBook Pro's faster CPU clock.

When it comes to gaming, the new MacBook is an improvement on its predecessor, but it certainly won't challenge PS3 or Xbox 360 consoles. The aluminum MacBook performs quite nicely on older games but is merely competent at current games.

We started with Halo. Released for the Mac five years ago, Halo is long in the tooth. Its main use is comparing performance to older systems. Running the standard timedemo test, we saw 53 frames per second at 800x600 with advanced shaders enabled, and 43 fps at 1024x768. We like to test at 1680x1050, but we still haven't found the DisplayPort-to-DVI adapter in local stores. So instead, we enabled 2x full screen antialiasing at 1024x768, and saw 37 fps. This is fair, but hardly great.

Next, we tried playing EA's 2142 Battlefield, an Intel-only game released last summer. Like a number of EA's other games, it uses TransGaming's Cider technology to run a Windows game as a Mac application. Using 2140 Battlefield's high quality video preset (1024x768, full special effects), the game was attractive, but unplayable — frame rates were visibly low, and any significant effects (such as explosions and smoke) caused gameplay to stutter. At the medium preset (800x600, effects at middle settings) the game occasionally lagged during heavy action. We found the low quality preset (800x600, minimum effects) provided acceptable visual quality while retaining full frame rates — in other words, for a competitive head-to-head game, this is the only acceptable option.

We also ran the Doom 3 timedemo. While Doom 3 itself is four years old, its graphics engine, id Tech 4, is still in use today by games such as Quake 4, Prey, and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, and thus it remains a useful test. At medium quality 640x480, Doom 3 averaged 73 frames per second — leaving plenty of overhead left for physics and artificial intelligence engines. At the high quality 800x600 setting, it still achieved a consistent 60 fps. Then, we ran what is normally a torture test: "Ultra" quality 1024x768, which uses over 500 MB of textures. That's twice the video memory allocated to the MacBook's GeForce 9400M, so it should cause substantial pauses while textures are transferred to and from video memory. But, to our great suprise, the game still managed to achieve 42 fps, and had almost none of the pauses we've seen when overloading video memory in the past. Perhaps this is an advantage of the GeForce's direct integration with the memory controller?

Hard Drive

Our test unit came with a Hitachi 160 GB SATA hard drive. Though not the most capacious, it's definitely quick. We ran the AJA System Test [AJA_System_Test_v601.zip] - File Size Sweep - and it was faster than the last MacBook, the 2007 MacBook Pro, and even the desktop hard drive in the original iMac Core Duo! This is desktop-class speed, low-end desktop, but far better than we expected.

GeekBench

Geekbench 2006 measures pure processor speed, nothing else. It provides a good read on how the CPU performs independent of other components. Much as we saw in the OpenGL software test above, the new 2.0GHz MacBook catches up to within 2% of last year's 2.2GHz MacBook Pro! And it's about 10% faster than the white, 2.16GHz MacBook it replaces — again demonstrating that clock speed alone doesn't tell the whole story.

(Newer versions of Cinebench and Geekbench are available; we used older versions so we could more accurately compare the MacBook to previous sytems.)

Comparing the new MacBook to both the white MacBook and last year's MacBook Pro, it's clearly a very fast machine for the price. It's almost a mini-Pro MacBook — if it weren't for that missing FireWire port!

Conclusions

MacInTouch readers have weighed in with some pretty strong opinions about this new laptop, both for and against. It has the high style of the sleek MacBook Air with a more reasonable price, while providing much better performance, accessibility and capacity. The new Nvidia video chip is a great improvement on the previous model's underwhelming graphics, delivering performance you can feel in ordinary use. It's competent, if unspectacular, for casual gaming; it is a sad statement on the previous MacBook that "competent" is such an improvement! The latest MacBook Pro still outperforms, but at least now the MacBook is in the race — and it nearly matches last year's MacBook Pro!

But despite the luxury feel and build quality, this is not professional-grade hardware. The loss of FireWire is a big deal for video, music and visual creative professionals with an important investment in FireWire hardware. The stylish display doesn't have the same color quality as the MacBook Pro, and it even lags behind the otherwise-similar MacBook Air; anyone doing photography or design work will require an external display, just as with previous MacBooks.

The new MacBook's graphics can drive a big 30" Apple Cinema Display, which the old model cannot. But the aluminum MacBook's own display is a bit of a misstep. It's bright and visually striking but more reflective than the MacBook Air and white MacBooks. It's not unusable; it just falls short of the excellence we usually expect from Apple products.

The aluminum MacBook should be a great laptop for many customers, including Windows switchers. MacInTouch readers have said that pro styling with a consumer price is very welcome. But potential upgraders from older MacBooks and PowerBooks with a heavy investment in FireWire hardware may wish instead to investigate the older white MacBooks (available for $999 from Apple, or much less at Amazon), or a close-out MacBook Pro — the previous models are selling for as little as the high-end new MacBook, with FireWire 800 and a great display.

In terms of pure design, the new MacBook is a big step forward. We love its new trackpad, definitely appreciate its speed, and upgrading the hard drive down the line will be far easier, thanks to its wonderfully accessible components. But the lack of FireWire and the too-glossy display give us pause, limiting the power-user appeal of an otherwise-outstanding, new, portable Mac.

Pros

exquisite design at a lower price
wonderfully accessible for service and upgrades
outstanding performance (including 3D graphics)
powerful multitouch trackpad with good feel

Cons

FireWire missing
too-glossy display
mini-DisplayPort requires new adapters

Updates

Before this machine we had no major issue with the glossy screens of the original MacBook, the MacBook Air and the 2007 MacBook Pro with LED backlight. But the mirror-like display is the new MacBook's Achilles' Heel, even more than the missing FireWire port. Not everyone uses FireWire, but everyone uses that screen.

MacInTouch readers suggested trying out Photodon's anti-glare film (www.photodon.com). Photodon supplied us with a test sheet of their film, custom-cut for the new MacBook. It extends all the way to the edge of the black glass bezel, minimizing that mirror effect, and includes a v-shaped notch for the Macbook's iSight camera. The corners match the different top and bottom radii of the display, and if we hadn't mis-aligned the top, it would have been a perfect fit!

The Photodon film uses a no-residue silicon resin adhesive, so it can be removed without leaving anything behind. It's quite stiff, and applied easily once we peeled back its backing. Photodon says the outer surface is hardened to resist scratching; it feels much thicker and tougher than iPod screen protectors we've used in the past. It's a functional upgrade in more ways that one.

But to the point — could the Photodon film subdue the MacBook's mighty mirror?

In a word, yes.

The Photodon film cuts the sharp reflection and mutes it to a diffuse glare, which many users find less distracting. Like other screen films we've used in the past, it adds some graininess to the image, making it a tradeoff. This is definitely a matter of taste, but if you can't abide the glossy reflections, the Photodon film redeems the new MacBook. For just $15.50, it's a very cheap way to vastly improve the MacBook's day-to-day usability.

Aluminum MacBook
Window reflection

click for larger image...

Aluminum MacBook
with Photodon matte film

click for larger image...

We took before-and-after comparison photos of the new MacBook, and include reference photos of a MacBook Air, a 2006 MacBook, and a (dead) 12" PowerBook G4 we had on hand.

ALIENS HAVE LANDED IN MALAYSIA : Through alienware... finally

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:09:00 +0000

Origin:Lowyat.net

by Wern Shen

Wednesday, 03 June 2009 03:13 PM

Back in May when the Dell Adamo launched in Malaysia, I managed to have a short chat with Mr. Yeo Swee Key (Director, Consumer Business, Malaysia) over lunch. While the topic of the day was the Dell Adamo, we got a little off track and somehow he let it slip that "Alienware would be arriving in Malaysia very soon".

True to his words, promotional banners featuring the famous gray Alien icon appeared on the Dell Malaysia website two days ago, and an Alienware microsite has emerged today at http://www.allpowerful.com.

Unfortunately, all we got in advance was the forewarning, but we'll be working on securing a unit for review. In the mean time, you can check out more info on the new Alienware M17x on our sister gaming site Multiplay.

Acer Aspires to give you all day mobile computing with Timeline

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:13:00 +0000

origin: lowyat.net
by Wern Shen Monday, 01 June 2009 11:58 AM

When it comes to creating a good (forget perfect) notebook, a manufacturer has to address three key areas - the battery life, the weight of the machine, and the heat that it'll produce. Sure, it probably does sound like a pretty tough compromise, but in a launch event that was held last week, Acer has claimed to have done just that with their new Timeline series of Aspire notebook computers.

Apparently, the Timeline series sits on the perfect equilibrium between computer lightness and battery life, and is boasting all-day mobile computing on a single charge without the use of bulky batteries.

Story continues after the jump.

Since the Timeline series is specifically designed to provide energy-efficient performance, the choice of an Intel Core 2 Duo Ultra Low Voltage processor is a practical no brainer. That, paired up with the Intel Display Power savings Technology (iDPST), allows the Timeline to achieve up to 40% more battery life.

By utilizing Intel's ULV processor, the Timeline doesn't only get an extended battery life, but also produces way less heat than conventional notebook processors. The smaller footprint of the ULV chip also allows the Timeline to come with a thinner bezel (24mm at the thinnest point).

Available in three configurations - the Aspire Timeline 3810T, 4810T and 5810T - the Timeline series of notebooks come with built-in WiFi/WiMAX functionalities, an option for an embedded 3G module, webcam, LED backlit display (16:9 aspect, 1366x768 HD resolution), Dolby Sound Room surround sound, a choice of shared or dedicated VGA solutions, DDR3 RAM, and the choice of a 500GB HDD or a 64GBSSD.

Unfortunately, no price was announced for the Timeline series, but you can check out more details at the official Acer Aspire Timeline microsite here: http://acer.com/timeline/

The power begins

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:09:00 +0000

Originally from : lowyat.net

by Vijandren Ramadass

Monday, 01 June 2009 11:44 AM

Its June, and this summers most eagerly anticipated sequel, Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen will be hitting cinemas around the country later this month. Petronas has joined in the hype and will be offering collectible action figures and other merchandise from the movie.

Just spend a minimum of RM30 worth of fuel, or RM15 from any Petronas station nationwide and you will be entitled to purchase one Transformers merchandise for RM15.90. As with all collectible promotions, different action figures will be released for sale at different dates.

Official Revenge of the Fallen black t-shirts and caps (with Autobots/Decepticons logo) go on sale today, while a second t-shirt will be available from 10th June onwards.

The first of the action figures, Bumblebee will be available from the 26th of June. Starscream will be made available on the 5th of July while both Optimus Prime and Megatron will be up for grabs from the 12th.

p/s: to fight with shell ferrari...with the price of 15.90... i would say... BuShat... lol

MSI X340 SLIM SERIES NOTEBOOK LAUNCH

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:13:00 +0000

:New trend: Big things go slim..

Origin: http://lowyat.net/v2/latest/msi-x340-slim-series-notebook-launch-2.html

by wern shen

Notebooks have been getting slimmer and lighter by the day, and this new one from MSI is no exception. Called the MSI X340, this notebook belongs to a whole family of slim, light and portable notebooks called the X series.

Held at Jaya 33 shopping mall, the launch event not only featured the X340, but also showcased some of it's X series compatriates like the X320, X400, X600 and the Wind Top AE1900 All-in-One touch-screen desktop.

Having said that, the star of yesterday's launch, the X340, managed to steal the show and held its worth after being crowned "World's Lightest and Slimmest 13-inch Notebook" during it's debut at CES 2009. Measuring a mere 6mm at its thinnest point and 19.8mm at its widest, the compact X340 weighs a paltry 1.3kg.

Report continues after the jump.

Featuring a 13-inch LCD display, the X340's 16:9 aspect ratio makes it perfect for watching movies in full screen without having to make do with the annoying black bars on the top and bottom. I know it's a pretty minor issue to address, but if it annoys me, it probably annoys some of you guys too.

The display on the X340 is LED back lit, so you know that it's made to be battery efficient. The other plus side about it being LED back lit is that it provides better color gamut and brightness levels. Speaking of battery efficiency, the X340 is also equipped with MSI's ECO Engine power management system that lets you select one of five different preset modes that range from super battery savings to super processing power.

Powered by Intel Centrino Processor Technology, the X340 runs the latest Intel Core 2 Solo ULV Processor on the Intel GS45 + ICH9M-SFF Chipset - a combo that further prolongs battery life.

On the left of the bezel, you'll find a D-SUB port, a LAN port as well as a USB port. On the other side, you'll have access to another USB socket, a HDMI jack, audio jacks, and a card reader.

In terms of wireless connectivity, the X340 comes readily equipped with 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth capabilities. We're also told that there will be an option to include an IEEE 802.16e WiMAX wireless module, but due to some certification issues, it will only be available sometime next year. Not much of a loss there, since our current WiMAX provider requires us to use their hardware anyway.

Aside from the fact that the MSI X340 doesn't come with an optical drive (much like most of the new slim notebooks these days), I'll have to say that I was pretty impressed by it. It looks the part, weighs the part, and has enough computing power under it's hood to run pretty much anything you would on an ultra portable. What's more impressive is the relatively affordable price tag of RM3,399.

The MSI X series of notebooks (X320, X340, X400, X600) and the MSI Wind Top AE1900 are available in stores now. For more details on any of these models, check out the official MSI website at www.msi.com.

Razer Mamba Gaming Mouse - Pwn ur Enemies !

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Mon, 18 May 2009 10:05:00 +0000

Introduction

Hard core gamers do not use wireless mice, if you go to a tournament or LAN you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone using a wireless mouse for serious FPS gaming. This is due to various advantages that wired mice have traditionally held over their wireless counterparts, such as faster response times and obviously no risk of interference from other devices. There are also other considerations to take into account, such as battery life for example.

Today we’re going to look at the Razer Mamba, the first wireless mouse truly designed for the hardcore gamer offering 1ms response and up to 5,600 DPI. Razer have taken years to bring this product to market and promises that it is the real deal.

With a hefty price tag today we will find out if this is worth your hard earned cash.

The Razer Mamba

The Razer Mamba is supplied packaged in what can simply be described as the most elaborate and decorated presentation of a mouse I have ever seen. The box looks like something you’d see in a museum, or in a jewellery shop showcasing one of the pricier attractions. It certainly is a sight to behold and will impress the most demanding customers; this is the kind of packaging that exudes class.

After removing the outside packaging and the mouse from the stand we are left with a box containing a series of drawers, each filled with the various accessories and documents. It all feels like something you’d expect to see from Apple or a similarly luxurious manufacturer. Contained in these compartments are the documentation booklets, the cradle/receiver, the battery and its cover, a USB cable and a Razer sticker.

Looking at the Mamba resting on its perch you can see that it shares many of its design properties with the Razer Deathadder, which is by no means a bad thing as the Deathadder is a popular gaming mouse used by many gamers. When we first saw the Deathadder (which was quite some time ago) we thought it was a very well designed mouse and despite the time that has passed the aesthetics haven’t aged at all; it still looks fantastic.

The central body of the mouse is formed from a soft touch plastic with a lovely rubbery feel and the sides are constructed from plastic with grips located near the base. In addition to the traditional 2 buttons and scroll wheel, the mouse has a DPI switch which can be located in the upper corner of the left click button and two extra buttons on the left hand side which can be operated with the thumb. Also on this side, located at the bottom left corner are LED indicators displaying battery life and DPI settings. On the underside of the mouse you’ll find the battery compartment, on/off switch, cable release slider and connect button.

One of the largest mice we have used

Mamba on the Cradle

Wired Mode

Specification

- Gaming Grade Wireless Technology
- Dual Mode Wired/Wireless Functionality
- Razer Synapse™ On-board Memory
- Seven independently programmable Hyperesponse™ buttons
- 5600DPI Razer Precision™ 3.5G Laser sensor
- 1000Hz Ultrapolling™ / 1ms response rate
- Up to 200 inches per second (Depends on surface used) / 50g acceleration
- Approximate size: 128mm x 70mm x 42.5mm
- Battery Life: 14hrs (continuous gaming); 72 hours (normal gaming usage)

Windows® 2000 / XP / X64 / MCE 2005 / Vista / Vista64
Available USB port
CD-ROM Drive (for drivers)
At least 35MB of hard disk space (for drivers)

Software and Performance

The mouse does not come with a CD but contains a card directing you to the Razer website for the latest software/driver download. (Mamba Driver Page)

The Mamba is supplied with a comprehensive software application containing all of the expected configuration options. The first page allows you to fully customise the button assignments and also lets you load them straight from a profile via any of the drop down boxes.

The second page contains the most important settings that you will need to access, starting with the DPI settings. You can configure up to 5 DPI presets and pick from the 100-5600 range at 100 DPI increments, the X and Y axis are also able to be adjusted individually.

Just below is the acceleration setting is an option to completely disable it. This is an extremely important feature for gamers and should really be turned off for any gaming whatsoever. With acceleration on, the cursor will move a different distance depending on how fast you move the mouse, so 10 inches of movement on the surface might not correspond to the same distance on the screen every time you move the mouse, therefore resulting inconsistencies will ultimately hinder gameplay.

At the bottom of this window is the polling rate option, one of the real standout features of this mouse. Thanks to the 2.4GHz wireless technology you’re able to set the polling rate to 1000Hz which is exactly what gamers want, sending X and Y calculations to the computer once every 1ms. Additionally, the Mamba continuously scans 21 channels for the clearest signal and each individual mouse has its own MAC address to avoid conflicts with other devices or Mamba mice.

The final pages give you access to profile, macro and lighting settings as well as listing the current driver and firmware versions. All your settings can be stored and transported via the Synapse onboard memory.

Performance-wise the mouse certainly lives up to expectations, the specification sheet doesn’t lie and this mouse is firmly up there with the best.

To begin with the mouse is extremely comfortable to use, especially with the grips on either side; much needed additions with the extra weight of the battery pulling the butt end down when you lift the mouse for repositioning on the surface.

The Teflon pads are small yet very effective and the mouse is easily wielded with accuracy thanks to the well judged weight. With the battery pack in the mouse weighs 129g, which isn’t the lightest mouse we’ve seen but is absolutely phenomenal for a wireless mouse carrying a hefty battery. The feel of the buttons in action doesn’t let you down either - all providing a crisp, tactile click when actuated. The scroll wheel is slightly soft but gives definite feedback when used and I haven’t experienced any issues with swapping to the wrong weapon by accident in FPS games.

Sensor response is brilliant, lag is nonexistent; it literally feels like you are using a wired USB mouse, you can’t tell the difference and quickly forget that you’re using a cordless device. Additionally, with the Mamba boasting up to 200 inches per second/50g acceleration you are going to find it difficult to fault the mechanics no matter your play style. Personally, throughout rigorous testing I was unable to get the laser to skip or force negative acceleration, sweeping the mouse across a huge distance for 180 degree turns. That said, the sensor feels like it is almost too sensitive; I find at times that the cursor can sometimes move a pixel when I use the left click button (due to it rocking slightly on the surface), this problem appears to be alleviated when I apply more pressure to the mouse vertically and if I switch to a harder surface rather than my preferred cloth.

The mouse can be charged via the cradle or by being directly plugged in and according to the manual takes 3 hours to reach full charge. As Razer claim the mouse can last on a full charge for 14 hours of continuous gameplay and 72 hours of casual play, we decided to put those figures to the test. Unfortunately after extended testing there appears to be an issue with our specific battery; we are unable to get it to display the full charge indication and could only get 5 hours of hardcore gaming from it.

Razer has been contacted regarding the issue and we are awaiting a response. Any details regarding this will be appended and added to this review.

EDIT 20th March 2009: Razer have replied to this issue and have confirmed they are taking immediate action on a firmware update which will fix the problem. Until this is released and made available to the public the full charge can be achieved by leaving the mouse in the "off" position.

Final Words and Conclusion

Original Mamba design,
dating back to the Boomslang era

The Mamba was first set into Razer’s plans all the way back to 2001 and finally the dream of many of their followers has come to fruition. There were years of uncertainty surrounding the project but research continued and Razer have really outdone themselves here. The specifications sheet for the mouse speaks for itself and fortunately the performance matches up to expectations as well, the mouse performs beautifully and is technically flawless. There really is no discernable difference between using the mouse wired or wireless.

After years of blood, sweat and tears, such a product is going to come at quite a premium with the technology involved, especially when it is a cut above the rest of the competition. No other company is offering a wireless mouse so carefully crafted for the hardcore gamer and the Mamba will retail between £120 and £130. In reality, this price makes the mouse a fantasy for most gamers, £120 is twice what gamers have paid for their current mouse and may very well prove to be too expensive for most. Enthusiast users we spoke with during the review feel that this is unnecessary upgrade at the current time however we are positive there will be an audience for the Mamba.

The Mamba is an excellent performer but at the moment the price is just too steep, reserving this product solely for those with considerable disposable income. The mouse is still technically a winner for Razer though, there is simply no other wireless mouse out there at the moment that can match the specifications.
In closing, everything from the presentation of the product to the construction and design is executed with care and passion. It is certainly a head turner and a unique product to own but it has a way to go before the technology finds itself in the hands of most gamers.

All right reserved to
http://www.driverheaven.net /reviews.php?reviewid=738&pageid=1

here goes a video from youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gBZGjO5Opg&fmt=18

from http://www.driverheaven.net/reviews.php?reviewid=738&pageid=1

6 GADGETS FROM DORAEMON'S POCKET THAT MIGHT EXIST SOON

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Mon, 18 May 2009 08:42:00 +0000

origin: Lowyat.net

Nostalgia kicks in ? Our good old time with doraemon... now coming to ur doorstep, in the bathroom ~

I got my first taste of "advanced gadgetary" back when I was a still young brat. Every week I would force my dad to buy me the latest copy of Doraemon (in Malay), and I would spend the next hour or two digesting the comic from cover-to-cover over and over again.

It goes without saying that I absolutely fell in love with Doraemon's magic pocket, as well as all the awesome goodies he could pull out of it, and apparently so has Lisa Katayama of Boing Boing Gadgets.

In a post called "6 Gadgets of the future from Doraemon", Lisa lists out six of the best Doraemon gadgets from 1970-1980 that either exist now or probably will exist soon. I personally always favored the magic door that could open up to anywhere (even though it opened up to Sizuka's bathroom nine times out of ten), and since there is documented work on teleportation, I'm hoping that it'll make the next list.

Since we're on the topic, hit us back with a comment and tell us what your favorite Doraemon gadget is!

(Source: Boing Boing Gadgets)

The Japanese are much more diverse than we usually get credit for, but if there's one thing that 99.9% of us do have in common, it is our love for Doraemon. The robotic cat from the future made its debut manga appearance in a magazine for fourth graders in January 1970. In the first installment, he appears out of the desk drawer belonging to a boy named Nobita and tells him that he will be strangled in 30 minutes and roasted in a fire in 40 minutes. Of course, it all comes true. Nobita then finds out that Doraemon has come to the present (i.e. the 70s), along with Nobita's future grandson, to help make his life — destined to be full of misery, mishaps, and disaster — just a little bit easier to handle. Doraemon's kind, endearing, and forward-thinking qualities led him to become Japan's first official Anime Ambassador to the world last March.

Manga artist duo Fujiko Fujio — creator of Doraemon and many other manga classics from Japan — also invented many of the greatest gadget prototypes known to man, some of which actually exist today. Here are a few from the first decade of the series (1970-1980):

1. TAKECOPTER (JANUARY 1970)

The most frequently used gadget in the Doraemon series is a suctioned bamboo propeller that attaches to any part of the body and instantly scoops you up into the air. Navigable by shifting body weight or maybe just by thinking about where to go.

2. VOODOO CAMERA (OCTOBER 1970)

Take a photo of someone, and this point-and-shoot will make a miniature voodoo doll of that person. This was a great episode — not knowing its powers, Nobita takes photos of Doraemon taking a nap and of his parents, and then gives them to Shizuka-chan, who gives them to the little girl next door who is best friends with a girl who likes to torture dolls...

3. EFFECT-AMPLIFYING MIC (JUNE 1975)

Nobita gets praised by the teacher at school, but when he tries to tell his parents and friends about it, nobody seems to care. That's why Doraemon hands him the mic that makes everything spoken into it sound like the most moving speech ever made by humankind. This scene shows Nobita blushing from embarrassment when he accidentally farts into the mic after he forgot he left it in his back pocket.

4. GUIDED MISSILE (MAY 1976)

To stop the cat that ate Shizuka-chan's pet canary from terrorizing the 'hood once and for all, Doraemon brings out the Guided Missile, a more annoying-than-deadly weapon that will follow the designated target around until its batteries run out.

5. DREAM READER (AUGUST 1977)

When Nobita has trouble falling asleep one night, Doraemon loans him the Dream TV, which lets him watch what other people are dreaming about. Neuroscientists are actually working towards making dream reading a reality — some think it could happen within 5-10 years.

6. 3D PRINTER (APRIL 1980)

Called the Mecha Maker, this contraption makes life-sized models of whatever you draw in an instant. It has four basic parts — a slit to put a paper diagram in, a tube for the materials (in Nobita's case, old plastic figurine kits), a compressor, and an exit hole that the completed item spits out of.

CHINESE DIY MASSAGE CHAIR LOOKS LIKE A CONTRAPTION FROM SAW

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Mon, 18 May 2009 08:40:00 +0000

From: http://lowyat.net/v2

OMg... this retired old China old boy made this massage chair start from scrap to relieve his wifes pain, with 8 years time... let's see how relax can he be ? with the cute expression on face ?

-haoshou

Imagine waking up and finding yourself strapped in this contraption. You can't see anything, and blindly feel around. Your hand hits a switch and a gnarly ventriloquist's doll rolls in to the room on a tricycle.

Ignoring his annyoing voice and long winded grandmother stories, you sit back and relax as the contraption whirls into motion. Massage beads slowly roll up and down your back sending shivers down your spine. Another roller starts spinning in front of you and proceeds to rub down your tummy.

Before you know it, you feel so relaxed that you're back in dreamland ~~and within seconds the contraption rips you into a billion pieces~~.

OK. So maybe this homebrew contraption isn't as awesome as one of Jigsaw's many torturous toys, but you've got to admit that this DIY massage chair sure does look the part eh? Well apparently, it took Beijing retiree Lin Shuseng a whopping eight years to complete, and judging by his steam face in this picture, it was probably worth every minute.

(Source: Make)

SAY HELLO TO DELL'S THINNEST LAPTOP, THE DELL ADAMO

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Wed, 06 May 2009 08:27:00 +0000

1 2

Origin: http://lowyat.net

The much hyped and long anticipated Dell Adamo finally dropped here in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Unveiled in a low-key casual media gathering, we managed to get our grubby hands all over the new machine that Dell proudly call the "thinnest laptop in the world". The name Adamo is derived from the Latin word meaning "to fall in love," and will serve as Dell's flagship line of products that focus on design aesthetics, personalization choices and sought-after technologies.

The first thing we noticed about the Dell Adamo was the slick screwless chassis that was milled out of a singlepiece of aluminum, much like the unibody Macbooks. Not only did the unibody chassis look and feel good, but it added the much needed rigidness to an otherwise incredibly delicate machine. Speaking of other Mac inspired design cues, the Dell Adamo also comes with a sexy backlit keyboard and a slick edge-to-edge glass display over it's 13.4-inch (16:9) HD display.

Available in two configurations - the fully fledged Desire and the lighter specced Admire - the top-of-the line Dell Adamo Desire runs on an Intel Core 2 Duo 1.4GHz processor with Intel Centrino technology, 4GB of 800MHz DDR3 memory and a 128GB Solid State Drive. For a couple of thousand Ringgit less, the Dell Adamo Admirecomes a little toned down with an Intel Core 2 Duo 1.2GHz processor, and 2GB of 800GHz DDR3 memory instead.

Both models feature a variety of connectivity options such as WiFi, Bluetooth, an eSATA port for an external hard drive, 2 USB ports, and a display port for an additional screen. There is also talk of matching accessories to come, which include the likes of external storage options as well as external optical drives. According to the press release, an option to include mobile broadband connectivity is also in the pipeline, but details on that are rather sketchy now.

Available in both Pearl (white) and Onyx (black), the Dell Adamo Desire retails at RM9989, while the Dell Adamo Admire retails at RM7399.

For more information on the Dell Adamo, as well as detailed specifications of the two models, visit Dell's website at:

http://tinyurl.com/adamo-onyx (Dell Malaysia)
http://tinyurl.com/adamo-pearl (Dell Malaysia)
http://adamobydell.com (Dell Adamo International Campaign)

HP UPDATES MINI NOTEBOOK LINE WITH 2140

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:19:00 +0000

origin: lowyat.net

by Wern Shen
Monday, 20 April 2009 03:27 PM

by Wern Shen

Monday, 20 April 2009 03:27 PM

Building on its award-winning portfolio of Mini products, HP recently unveiled another new HP Mini designed for mobile professionals and internet-centric consumers that require a rich computing experience in a small, portable package.

The HP Mini 2140 Notebook PC features a simple, refined all-aluminum case for a sleek yet lightweight design. Starting at 1.19 kg, the fully functional and durable HP Mini 2140 is an ideal companion PC for the on-the-go road warrior. It features a large 10.1-inch diagonal scratch-resistant HP Illumi-Lite LED display, a user-friendly 92 percent of full-size QWERTY keyboard, and a range of hard-drive options including an optional high-capacity 80-gigabyte solid-state drive.

The HP Mini 2140 with Windows XP Home is available April onwards at a recommended price of RM1,699. The HP Mini 2140 with Windows XP Professional is available April onwards at a recommended price of RM2,299.

For more information on the HP Mini 2140, visit the official HP website at http://www.hp.com.my.

ACER TAKES THE MINIMALIST ROUTE WITH THE ASPIRE 3936

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 07:39:00 +0000

originally from lowyat.net
by Wern Shen

Friday, 17 April 2009 01:30 PM

Since Apple kicked off the "minimalist" trend in computing oh so many years ago, the term has been used and reused by many other brands to varying degrees of success. I personally thought that the term died off some time last year, when computers started popping up on shelves with laser engravings and other wild adornments, but it looks like at least one other brand (apart from Apple) is going back to slick lines and no nonsense styling.

That brand is Acer, and the emergence of their latest ultra-portable notebook (another term we haven't heard in a while), the Aspire 3935, is definitely a sight for sore eyes (especially after the Predator).

Measuring 13.3-inches, the Aspire 3935 offers unprecedented mobility options as it comes with built-in WiFi and WiMAX receivers. Even though our local WiMAX infrastructure doesn't support non-vendor receivers just yet, it doesn't hurt to futureproof yourself. Furthermore, selected models in the Aspire 3935 range can be specified with an optional 3G port. Now that's mobility.

In terms of computing prowess, the Aspire 3935 is driven by Intel Centrino 2 processor technology that features the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors and Mobile Intel GM45 Express chipset with integrated 3D graphics. It also supports up to 4 GB of DDR3 1066 MHz and is available with or without an optical drive. It also comes with a LED backlit display panel that supports 1336 x 768 pixel resolutions, and can be configured to come with an 8-cell battery.

The Acer Aspire 3935 retails from RM2,999.

For more information on the new Acer Aspire 3935, visit http://tinyurl.com/cnx2qe

P1 W1MAX GOES MOBILE WITH THE WIGGY

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 10:44:00 +0000

Originally from lowyat.net

by Wern Shen

Friday, 10 April 2009 01:35 AM

Loud and exciting aren't exactly two words that you'd associate with product launches this year, but then again, neither is news on P1 here at Lowyat.NET. Thankfully though, hell didn't freeze over, nor did the market go crashing down when those buzzwords met at the launching of P1's latest foray into mobile broadband yesterday. Oh, and since we're on the topic of buzzwords, here's one that you'll definitely be seeing it a lot from now on - WiGGY.

Held at the Loft Upstairs on the Asian Heritage Row, P1 threw a massive launch party for their new USB WIMAX modem, the Wiggy. As the crowd that consisted of media, bloggers, celebrities as well as various other business associates filled up the club, CEO Michael Lai got the ball rolling with his signature brand of exuberance.

"WiGGY is a device that's perfectly suited to enable Life 2.0. The internet today is a hive of activity driven by a growing number of consumers who are more open and willing to produce, contribute and share information and entertainment online to a global audience. They are eager to share and upload their lives on the net and WiGGY is perfectly suited to compliment this" -- Michael Lai, Chief Executive Officer, P1

The WiGGY is what P1 call "a revolutionary USB WiMAX modem", and offers users blazing fast wireless connectivity. Unlike other providers who place a heavy emphasis on a fast downstream, the WiGGY is designed to provide you with reliable high-speed uploads too.

The secret to this is the use of Multiple In Multiple Out (MIMO) technology, which enables better performance through the use of multiple antennas within a single device. The multiple antenna array allows data to be uploaded and downloaded simultaneously for an immensely superior broadband performance.

Available in one standard package, the WiGGY promisses up to a whopping 10Mbps on best effort. The modem itself is said to be capable of 20Mbps speeds, but a reasonable expectation should be around 5Mbpson average. Monthly subscription fees for the WiGGY package stand at RM149 per month, with a minimum contractual commitment of a 12-months. There is a fair usage cap of 10GB, and upon reaching this cap, speeds will be throttled to 400kbps (down) and 150kbps (up) respectively.

Available from today onwards at the PC Fair, the first 5,000 subscribers to P1's WiGGY package will receive anAcer Aspire One Netbook absolutely free! Keep in mind though, that you'll need to pay RM459 (RM299 + RM100 + RM60) up front for various charges.

For more information on P1's WiGGY, visit the official website here: http://tinyurl.com/ckw2xn

HP STARTS SHIPPING ITS AMD NEO POWERED DV2 NOTEBOOK

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:29:00 +0000

Originally from lowyat.net

Announced during the recent CES, HP has finally started shipping the Pavilion dv2 series entertainment notebook PC world wide.

The dv2 is designed to compete with the ultra thin notebook segments, eg. the Apple's MacBook Air and Dell's Adamo. As such the dv2 is only 1-inch thick and weighs as little as 1.64kg. Two designs are available which HP calls Imprint design, Moonlight white and Espresso black.

Nevertheless the dv2 is capable of HD entertainment that includes HP MediaSmart and even Blu-Ray capability (optional). Powered by AMD's latest energy efficient Neo processor together with ATI Radeon HD3410 with its own 512MB of dedicated video memory running on Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit).

Other features supported by the dv2 is WWAN connectivity (optional), HP Webcam and microphon, up to 500GB of hard drive space, up to 4GB of RAM, Bluetooth and 802.11 a/b/g/n WLAN, all embeded in a sleek 12.1 inch magnesium alloy casing.

The HP Pavilion dv2 retails from RM2,399 from any authorized HP reseller.

Lenovo Debuts Super-Slim All-in-One Desktop and 16-inch Laptop

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 10:22:00 +0000

Originally from : lowyat.net
by Terence

Thursday, 26 March 2009 04:06 PM

Lenovo has just introduced the latest additions to its Idea brand of personal computers for local consumers, the IdeaCentre A600 All In One desktop and the new IdeaPad Y series laptops, the Y650, Y450 and the Y550.

The IdeaCentre A600 features a 16:9 ratio 21.5" frameless screen with support for Full HD resolution of 1920x1080. The integrated 2.1 speakers include a bass sub-woofer and Dolby® Home Theatre™ audio certification. Together with the optional Blu-ray drive, the A600 is a complete home cinema since it also comes with a digital TV tuner and the option to run on Microsoft Vista Media Center.

A unique feature of the A600 is the optional 4-in-1 remote controller aimed at gamers. It is the first in its kind on the PC, with the ability to use the remote control's 'motion drive' to control on screen objects by just physically moving the remote. This can be used as a game controller or as a mouse or as Lenovo calls an "air mouse". The remote also acts as a VOIP headset, media center/TV remote and fully supports MS Vista Media Center.

A lineup of Intel Core 2 Duo processors powers the A600 coupled with DDR3 memory up to 4GB and 1TB of hard disk space with graphics duty handled by the capable ATI Radeon. WiFi, memory card reader, side mounted USB and FireWire ports and the Lenovo proprietary VeriFace facial recognition all comes as standard.

The expanded Y Series adds new screen sizes to the IdeaPad laptop lineup: the 16-inch Y650, the 15-inch Y550 and the 14-inch Y450. The Y650 is touted by Lenovo as one of the thinnest and lightest 16" laptop around. It weighs just 2.55kg and is only 1" thick at its thinnest point. All three are configurable with up to 500GB of hard disk space and 4GB of DDR3 memory.

The Y series are basically mobile entertainment and gaming systems, what with 16:9 widescreen LCD panels, NVidia GFX graphics and Dolby® Home Theater™ surround sound played through a set of JBL speakers. A special feature of the Y series, is that the mouse pad supports multi touch and can be used to enlarge or reduce image sizes for example. Additionally, an ambient light sensor on the IdeaPad Y650 laptop automatically adjusts screen brightness based on surrounding light conditions, helping to reduce eye strain. WiFi connectivity comes standard with the option to include Bluetooth while VeriFace facial recognition is included on all Y series laptops.

The IdeaCentre A600 all-in-one desktop retails at prices starting from RM3,999 while the IdeaPad Y650 laptop will retail at RM5,099, and the IdeaPad Y450 laptop starts from RM2,499. All will be avaiable from local retailers starting from mid-April onwards. (*Note that the Y550 is not available in Malaysia).

Worm Alert: Conficker

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 10:21:00 +0000

Origin: http://www.lowyat.net/v2/latest/worm-alert-cornflicker.html

by Wern Shen

Wednesday, 01 April 2009 12:15 AM

It looks like another variant of the Conficker worm may be striking soon, and unfortunately, this isn't an early April Fools joke either. In fact, the following security advisory came directly from Symantec, so read on to find out more about Cornflicker and how to prevent the predicted April 1 attack.

The Conficker worm, sometimes called Downadup or Kido has managed to infect a large number of computers. Specifics are hard to come by, but some researchers estimate that millions of computers have been infected with this threat since January.

Today the worm has created an infrastructure that the creators of the worm can use to remotely install software on infected machines. The worm will most likely create a botnet that will be rented out to criminals who want to send spam, steal identities and direct users to online scams and phishing sites.

Today the worm has created an infrastructure that the creators of the worm can use to remotely install software on infected machines. The worm will most likely create a botnet that will be rented out to criminals who want to send spam, steal identities and direct users to online scams and phishing sites.

As always, Symantec advises home users to make sure their security software is up to date with the latest antivirus signatures and to enable their systems’ automatic security updates.

Symantec also recommends that enterprises continue to deploy all critical security patches, ensure their security software is up to date, clean any systems that are infected with any version of Downadup using the available removal tools and guidance provided, and evaluate additional security best practices in accordance with their organizations’ policies and procedures.

For more information visit Symantec Security Response Blog at: http://tinyurl.com/d2w5es

Samsung's N120 boasts 10.5 hours battery life and bigger keyboard

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:28:00 +0000

Originally from lowyat.net

by Terence

Wednesday, 25 March 2009 11:54 AM

Samsung Electronics, yesterday launched their latest Intel Atom powered netbook, the N120. Basically a wider version of their N110 with a bigger keyboard and longer lasting battery.

Featuring a full size 12" keyboard and a larger touchpad, this netbook is perfect for those who always find the usual netbook keyboard a little cramp. Powering the N120 is a long-life 6 cell battery that is rated to last up to 10.5 hours which is one of the longest we've seen so far on a netbook. Its sibling, the NC310 is capable of 11 hours straight.

Also embedded in the N120 is a SRS 2.1 channel sound system, featuring 2 x 1.5W stereo speakers on each side on the screen and a dedicated sub-woofer. Other usual features include Bluetooth, memory card reader, 3 USB ports and a built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam.

No news yet on the price or whether the N120 will be available locally, but judging from the US price tag of the N110 of USD469 (RM1,700++), the N120 will probably fall into the premium netbook bracket.

P/s: and you see ? just stepping above the MSI's 9hr battery standby... ( mysterious sound: have u heard about Hp elite books ?)

A Netbook Captain Planet Would Be Proud Of

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:15:00 +0000

by Wern Shen

Monday, 23 March 2009 02:25 PM

With all the recent talk about Earth Hour and energy conservation, this new netbook from MSI couldn't have arrived at a better time.

Called the U110 ECO, this 10-incher comes with all the bells and whistles that any other netbook would - an Intel Atom Z530 processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 160GB HDD, a 1.3 mega pixel webcam, and 802.11b/g/n wireless connectivity - but the real kicker on this one is it's reported 9 hour battery life.

Of course there are asterisks all over the press release stating that 9 hours is only obtainable with the correct settings (we're guessing low backlight, WiFi off, etc), but there's no denying that the prospect of that kind of battery life is simply amazing.

(Source: MSI)

p/s: i can sure 9hr is a wow, but soon might have another big brand coming out with 12hr.. lol

World’s thinnest laptop, Adamo from Dell

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:46:00 +0000

Originally from lowyat.net

by Terence

Friday, 20 March 2009 01:44 PM

Dell just recently unveiled the world's thinnest laptop, the Adamo series which Dell's calls the pinnacle of craftsmanship, design and feature.

The Adamo features a chassis milled from a single piece of aluminum with precision detailing and a scalloped backlit keyboard and a high definition edge-to-edge glass 13.4" LCD display. 128GB solid state hard drive, draft-N WiFi and Bluetooth™ are standard while integrated mobile broadband support is optionally available.

Powered by Intel Core 2 Duo running on DDR3 memory, the Adamo is capable to last up to almost 5 hours of usage on a single charge running on Microsoft Vista Home Premium.

Available in Onyx and Pearl colors, the Adamo also comes with a broad range of complementary accessories including external hard drives, external optical drives, USB drives and a unique line of bags from TUMI but only in the US.

Certainly with this being a premium item and Dell's flagship no less, it comes with a premium price too, starting from RM7399.

p/s:
"milled from a single piece of aluminum" - sounds familiar... idea from "Epor" huh ?

sounds nice, with the "flagship" pricetag... Wow ? O.o>

Targus Dabbles In Mac Accessories

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 09:14:00 +0000

Priginally from lowyat.net
by Wern Shen

Monday, 16 March 2009 03:30 PM

Notebook peripheral manufacturers, Targus, have recently opted to go minimalist with their newest line of dedicated Mac accessories.

Consisting of the usual fare of wireless mice, Bluetooth presenters, USB hubs and chill mats, Targus hopes that this new line will be able to complement the Apple style with clean, sleek and trendy form factors that exude simplicity and sophistication. In addition, continuing with Targus Eco-Smart campaign, all the packaging includes eco-friendly materials featuring up to 70% post-consumer paper materials and highly recyclable PET.

These new Mac-centric products will be priced from RM109 to RM299 and are available from all leading retailers. The products also carry a limited one-year warranty.

Full press release available after the jump.

Targus® Launches Its First Family of Dedicated Mac® Accessories

Designed from the ground up, Targus new line of Mac-exclusive accessories are the perfect complement to any MacBook®

Targus Inc., maker of the world’s top-selling laptop computer cases and accessories, today announced it is launching its first line of notebook accessories specifically designed for Mac notebook users. The new family of products is designed from the ground up to deliver a complete suite of Mac-exclusive solutions and includes a Wireless Mouse, Bluetooth® Laser Mouse, Bluetooth Presenter, USB Hub, Chill Mat™, File Share Cable and Privacy Screen. Each product is developed with materials, ergonomic attributes, technology innovations, functionality and aesthetics designed specifically to meet Mac users’ wants and needs. Drawing on the popularity of the iPod® Touch, the mice and presenter feature the most current touch scroll technology, delivering unprecedented ease of navigation.

With its first line of Mac accessories, Targus offers Mac enthusiasts cutting-edge products with feature-rich functionality and Mac-focused designs. The new line complements the Apple® style with clean, sleek and trendy form factors that exude simplicity and sophistication. In addition, continuing with Targus Eco-Smart™ campaign, all the packaging includes eco-friendly materials featuring up to 70% post-consumer paper materials and highly recyclable PET.

“The new Targus for Mac line was created with Mac user input throughout the design and development process, and while it has a distinct Mac aesthetic in terms of look and feel, it offers much more than that,” said Bob Shortt, sr. vice president of sales and marketing at Targus. “We designed the functionality required to deliver what Mac users want in their products, like the intuitive interface on the presenter, the smooth-moving touch scroll and the dual programmable buttons that let users personalize their experience.”

Wireless Mouse for Mac (Model # AMW43AP) and Bluetooth Laser Mouse for Mac (Model # AMB08AP)

Both new mice are equipped with the latest in touch technology, our 4-way touch scroll provides smooth, rapid scrolling, move up/down and left/right with just the tip of a finger. Additionally, the mice allow Mac users to personalize their mouse functions with two programmable buttons that instantly give users access to the functions or applications they use most. The ergonomic size and shape of the mice create a comfortable and supportive experience that cradles the hand during use. Equipped with a Power Indicator Light, both mice inform users of low battery power.

The Wireless Mouse for Mac features a RF 2.4 GHz Micro USB receiver, which plugs into a USB port, allowing unencumbered free range of motion; the micro receiver stows conveniently into the Wireless Mouse for travel or storage. 1200 dpi optical sensor technology ensures accurate movement on the screen. The Wireless Mouse for Mac measures 118 x 64 x 37 mm, weighs 133 g and has an RRP of RM182.

With top-of-the-line Bluetooth technology, the Bluetooth Laser Mouse for Mac offers the ultimate ease in wireless connectivity and eliminates the need for a receiver, preserving a USB port for other devices. Whether used with or without a mouse pad, the Bluetooth Laser Mouse delivers precise cursor movements with quality 1200 dpi laser technology. The Bluetooth Laser Mouse for Mac measures 118 x 64 x 37 mm, weighs 125 g and has an RRP of RM255.

Bluetooth Presenter for Mac (Model # AMP11AP)

The first Mac-specific presenter on the market, Targus innovative Bluetooth Presenter for Mac includes numerous features designed to improve the presentation experience. The intuitive button configuration provides ease of use and prevents accidental button presses, with primary presentation controls such as previous slide, next slide and laser pointer easily identifiable from tactile cues; secondary functions like blank screen and slide show are recessed and out of the way. Versatile functionality switches easily from Presentation Mode to Cursor Mode, for use like a mouse, with touch scroll technology delivering smooth, effortless navigation through lengthy spreadsheets, PDF documents and other projected applications.

Compatible with both Keynote® and PowerPoint®, the Bluetooth presenter for Mac includes remote control for adjustment of volume and other functions plus two programmable buttons that give users quick access to applications or functions of their choice. Additionally, the Bluetooth Presenter for Mac includes a laser pointer, allowing users to call attention to important information within their presentation. Bluetooth technology delivers wireless control of presentations from a distance of up to 33 feet and the Presenter’s comfort-conscious design reduces strain due to the ergonomic placement of its buttons. The Bluetooth Presenter for Mac measures 130 x 42 x 25 mm, weighs 105 g and has an RRP of RM299.

USB Hub for Mac (Model # ACH105AP)

Expanding user’s USB ports to accommodate connection of up to four devices, the one-of-a-kind, stylish USB Hub for Mac supports USB 2.0 and is useful for anyone with multiple connection needs. The convenient wrap-around cable secures around the perimeter for a sleek appearance and protects the hubs from tiny debris or damage, making the Hub a perfect, compact travel companion. The USB Hub for Mac measures 89 x 44 x 19 mm, weighs 51 g and has an RRP of RM109.

Chill Mat for Mac (Model # AWE41AP)

Specifically designed for Mac notebooks, Targus new Chill Mat for Mac has two USB powered fans that are strategically placed for optimal cooling. Users can place their Mac notebooks at a tilted angle for ideal positioning and comfortable viewing on their lap or desktop. The soft mesh bottom allows for optimal air flow for comfortable use on the lap; the powerful yet quiet dual fans prevent heat damage when used on other work surfaces. The Chill Mat for Mac includes a conveniently placed power switch and accommodates up to 17” Mac notebooks. The Chill Mat for Mac measures 385 x 285 x 137mm, weighs 720 g and has an RRP of RM215.

File Share Cable for Mac (Model # ACC9602AP)

Ideal for transferring large amounts of digital content including videos, music, images, or files, the File Share Cable for Mac simply plugs in and starts working without the need to install any software or drivers. Once connected via USB, simply drag and drop files between computers and the transfer is complete. The built-in software allows users to simply plug in the cable between a Mac or PC to another Mac or PC and easily transfer documents or files. The File Share Cable for Mac measures 84 x 30 x 12.7 mm, weighs 150 g and has an RRP of RM215.

All products are backed by a limited one year warranty and will be available through leading retailers in March.

Lenovo Notebooks Pass Tough Test

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:24:00 +0000

Originally From lowyat.net

by Wern Shen

Thursday, 05 March 2009 05:51 PM

Eight models from Lenovo's line up - the ThinkPad X200, X301, X200s, X200 Tablet, T400, T500, R400 and SL300 - have recently received the thumbs up for use in field and vehicle semi-ruggedized computing environments such as in public safety, utilities, construction and the military.

This stamp of approval comes after all eight models managed to survive a barrage of military specifications tests which included being baked, battered, blistered and blown with sand. The feat was made possible as some of these models are enhanced with uniquely-designed durability features such as an airbag-like protection system and a roll cage.

Lenovo notebooks arent exactly known for their sparkling good looks, but at least now you know that they're definately made to last.

Full press release is available after the jump.

Lenovo ThinkPad Laptops Pass the “Tough Test”: Meet Military Specifications for Semi-Rugged Computing

MALAYSIA, March 4, 2009 – Lenovo announced that it is designating eight ThinkPad laptops for use in field and vehicle semi-ruggedized computing environments such as in public safety, utilities, construction and the military. The ThinkPad X200, X301, X200s, X200 Tablet, T400, T500, R400 and SL300 laptops meet a barrage of military specifications tests and are enhanced with uniquely-designed durability features such as an airbag-like protection system and a roll cage in select models. Because field computing requires excellent screen viewability, Lenovo is also adding a new optional 680-nit high brightness panel to its most popular laptop, the ThinkPad T400 laptop.

Military Spec Tested Against the Elements

Baked, battered, blistered and blown with sand, Lenovo put the lineup of eight ThinkPad laptops through the gauntlet to pass a significant number of specifications for military-grade computing.

The ThinkPad laptops met tests for:

Low Pressure – Tests operation at 15,000 feet

Humidity – Cycles 95 percent humidity through the environment

Vibration (operational and non-operational) – Jostles and jolts the laptops to make sure they can withstand shocks

High Temperature – Simulates high heat conditions by baking the laptop up to 140°F

Low Temperature – Tests operation at -4°F

Temperature Shock – Fluctuates between -4 and up to 140°F to test operation

Dust – Blows dust for an extended amount of time

The tests confirm the durability and reliability that many customers already rely on to battle the elements. Geophysicist, explorer and expedition leader Pasquale Scaturro travels to the far reaches of the planet with his ThinkPad laptop.

“For over 180 days a year I can be found on the road traveling with my ThinkPad laptop -sweltering in the hot jungle terrain and surviving frigid arctic and mountain blasts, said Pasquale Scaturro, Exploration Specialists, Inc. “From bugs and humidity, to sand and dust, heat and cold, my ThinkPad laptop has been exposed to them all. I've logged more miles on my ThinkPad in the roughest and most extreme environments in the world than perhaps any person alive. From the heights of Mount Everest to the full length of the Nile, the world’s longest river, it’s been with me. The Active Protection System is a must in the rough environments I’ve taken this laptop into. Besides using my ThinkPad to help me navigate in my airplane when I’m flying in the African bush (it’s my real co-pilot) and send Internet dispatches to my website from Mt Everest, I depend on it to keep my geophysical business and my personal connections going. It has withstood every imaginable environment on Earth and is still performing without missing a beat.”

Click here to view photos of the ThinkPad laptops going through the torture tests. Additionally, the Lenovo ThinkPad laptops pass more military specifications compared to Dell’s ATG laptops and Panasonic’s business-rugged and semi-rugged laptops¹.

Optimized for Outdoors

As the adoption of laptops increases and connectivity options continue to expand, users are spending more and more computing time outdoors. That makes screen visibility extremely important. For a crisp and easily readable experience, Lenovo is equipping the ThinkPad T400 laptop with an optional high brightness, wide angle screen, making it nearly four times brighter than previous ThinkPad laptop screens. The high contrast screen eliminates reflections with its anti-glare finish. And by using energy-efficient LED technology, the laptop maintains long battery life.

Police Departments like the Conover Police Department in North Carolina are using ThinkPad laptops to turn their patrol cars into mobile offices. Reduced time spent at the station writing reports gives officers extra time on patrol to protect their community. Officers are using ThinkPad T Series laptops to write and print incident reports, issue tickets and conduct criminal background checks from their cars. For IT Director, Chris Niver, Lenovo’s engineering made ThinkPad laptops the easy choice.

“Although not billed as a 'ruggedized' laptop at the time, the features offered far surpassed the other manufacturers. The fact that the ThinkPads came with a roll-cage design, shock resistant hard drive, built in security chip and the familiar red button as well as touchpad all as standard features really made my choice clear.”

Built Upon a Strong Foundation for Low Total Cost of Ownership

Lenovo engineers extra durability and reliability features into its ThinkPad laptops to help them survive all-weather conditions, lasting longer and outperforming competitors and leading to a low total cost of PC ownership.

Lenovo durability features include the:

Active Protection System – Temporarily parks the hard drive when the laptop detects a fall or sudden movement via an air-bag like system

Roll Cage – Serves as a protective frame around the internal components where the data resides and processing takes place with an extra top cover roll cage on the ThinkPad X301 laptop

Shock-Mounted Hard Drive – Offers extra protection around the hard drive to protect data

Spill-Resistant Keyboard – Withstands spills of up to two fluid ounces on select laptops allowing liquid to drain beneath the keyboard

In case of the unexpected, Lenovo offers Warranty and Accident Protection plans to help customers protect their PC investment. Lenovo also offers ThinkPlus Priority Support to give businesses around-the-clock technical telephone support, priority routing of calls and quick onsite repair. For an even faster response, ThinkPlus Priority 4 Support provides onsite repair within four hours after the original troubleshooting. Online Data Backup services are also available.

“ThinkPad is well known for quality, reliability and innovative security technologies for business computing,” said Khoo Hung Chuan, Country Manager, Commercial Business, Lenovo Malaysia. “We’ve always built tough laptops that can weather extreme conditions from hiking the rainforests of the Amazon to flying in space. You don’t need a PC that looks like a tank to excel in harsh environments, and unlike many of our competitors, we don’t put an extra charge on toughness.”

Built upon a strong foundation, Lenovo’s laptops offer the latest technologies with models including solid state drive storage for reliability, switchable graphics for longer battery life and the latest Intel® Centrino 2 processor technology for fast processing. They also come with choices of large hard drives, multimedia like Blu-Ray DVD players and a host of wireless connectivity options including WiMAX², mobile broadband, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS. Lenovo has also collaborated with AT&T and Ericsson for price reductions on ThinkPad laptops with AT&T mobile broadband connectivity. Additionally, the _{ThinkPad X200 Tablet} is the first Tablet to offer WiMAX connectivity.

Pricing and Availability³

The ThinkPad T400 laptop with the high brightness screen is available through Lenovo business partners beginning immediately. Pricing starts at approximately USD2,599.

About Lenovo

Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is dedicated to building exceptionally engineered personal computers. Lenovo’s business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging markets. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services worldwide. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information see www.lenovo.com.

Dell Launch World's First Multi-Touch Tablet PC

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:56:00 +0000

Originally from lowyat.net

by Wern Shen

Tuesday, 17 February 2009 12:57 PM

Ever since Minority Report hit the silver screens, multi-touch devices have transformed from being mere figments of our imagination to objects of reality - well, at least to some extents.

Take for instance this new tablet PC from Dell, the Latitude XT2, which claims to be the world's first multi-touch tablet PC that can detect the use of natural gestures as valid commands.

"Multi-touch capabilities on the Latitude XT2 allows the use of natural gestures like a pinch or tap for scrolling, panning, rotating and zooming that work with productivity applications they use every day. Dell’s integration of multi-touch screen technology allows customers to use the full real estate of the display, as opposed to just the touchpad."

Aside from being able to detect the odd snap of the fingers and flick of the wrist, the Latitude XT2 is a surprisingly light weight machine - and we're not talking about it's weight either. It's equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo SU9300 (1.2GHz processor), an 80GB HDD, a measely 1GB of RAM, and (*gasp*) Windows XP.

Retail price for the Latitude XT2 starts at US$2399, and with the enormous amount of multi-touch applications available out there (i.e. next to none), the potential of this one is really shining through.

p/s : okay... so this is the final look of it huh ? i thought this design ended two thousand yeas ago... >_<

Microsoft launches Sidewinder X8 and White Arc Mouse Locally In Malaysia

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:04:00 +0000

originally from lowyat.net

by Terence

Wednesday, 18 February 2009 07:31 PM

Microsoft Malaysia launches the first wireless SideWinder X8 mouse featuring Microsoft’s latest BlueTrack Technology.

The X8 uses Microsoft’s new, proprietary BlueTrack Technology that gives it very high frame rate, speed and acceleration and a tracking range from 250 to 4,000 dots per inch (dpi).

It utilizes a 2.4GHz wireless connection that is built for lag-free play and also features an innovative play-and-charge system to ensure a nonstop gaming experience. You could get up to 30 hours on a simgle charge of about 3 hours. It also offers custom tuning at several levels, including the ability to program seven buttons, change sensitivity on the fly, record macros while playing a game and three sets of custom Teflon feet for the needs of different gaming styles.

Also announced was the new white Arc Mouse, targeted at Mac users. Previously only available in Japan, the white Arc Mouse comes with a unique foldable design, which reduces it size by almost half for portability when it is snapped shut, but provides complete comfort when opened to its full size. Coming in February 2009, it will be bundle Office For Mac, Home and Student Edition.

The SideWinder X8 Mouse will be widely available from 23 February 2009 for an estimated retail price of RM299 while the white Arc mouse will be available in an Office For Mac 2008 Home and Student edition bundle from ECS ASTAR Sdn Bhd for RM599.

P/s so the new trend now is blue lights under the mouse huh?

CBS Launches TV Classics

noreply@blogger.com (HaoShou) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:01:00 +0000

originally from lowyat.net by Wern Shen

Nostalgia comes in all shapes and forms, but this gem from CBS definitely takes the cake. Aptly named "TV Classics", this new section on the CBS website streams episodes from cult classics like Beauty and the Beast, Beverly Hills 90210, Dynasty, Family Ties, Have Gun - Will Travel, Hawaii Five-0, The Love Boat, MacGyver, Melrose Place, Perry Mason, Star Trek: The Original Series, The Twilight Zone, and Twin Peaks for free.

Unfortunately, there's a catch - it's US only - but we're sure you'll be able to get around this little hitch one way or another.

TV Classics on CBS @ CBS

Funny Stuffs & Great techy drugs ._.|||

Intel blows up Atom with mainstream processors

ASUS LAUNCH SEASHELL AND U SERIES NOTEBOOKS

Review: Aluminum MacBook

by Robert Mohns(October 21, 2008)

Introduction

Design/Features

Too Much Gloss

Trackpad

DisplayPort

Nvidia graphics

Service and Accessibility

Other Notes

Environmental Impact

Issues

Firewire

Vulnerable display?

Other issues

Performance

Graphics and Gaming

Hard Drive

GeekBench

Conclusions

Pros

Cons

Updates

ALIENS HAVE LANDED IN MALAYSIA : Through alienware... finally

Acer Aspires to give you all day mobile computing with Timeline

The power begins

MSI X340 SLIM SERIES NOTEBOOK LAUNCH

Razer Mamba Gaming Mouse - Pwn ur Enemies !

Introduction

The Razer Mamba

Specification

Software and Performance

Final Words and Conclusion

6 GADGETS FROM DORAEMON'S POCKET THAT MIGHT EXIST SOON

1. TAKECOPTER (JANUARY 1970)

2. VOODOO CAMERA (OCTOBER 1970)

3. EFFECT-AMPLIFYING MIC (JUNE 1975)

4. GUIDED MISSILE (MAY 1976)

5. DREAM READER (AUGUST 1977)

6. 3D PRINTER (APRIL 1980)

CHINESE DIY MASSAGE CHAIR LOOKS LIKE A CONTRAPTION FROM SAW

SAY HELLO TO DELL'S THINNEST LAPTOP, THE DELL ADAMO

HP UPDATES MINI NOTEBOOK LINE WITH 2140

ACER TAKES THE MINIMALIST ROUTE WITH THE ASPIRE 3936

P1 W1MAX GOES MOBILE WITH THE WIGGY

HP STARTS SHIPPING ITS AMD NEO POWERED DV2 NOTEBOOK

Lenovo Debuts Super-Slim All-in-One Desktop and 16-inch Laptop

Worm Alert: Conficker

Samsung's N120 boasts 10.5 hours battery life and bigger keyboard

A Netbook Captain Planet Would Be Proud Of

World’s thinnest laptop, Adamo from Dell

Targus Dabbles In Mac Accessories

Lenovo Notebooks Pass Tough Test

Dell Launch World's First Multi-Touch Tablet PC

Microsoft launches Sidewinder X8 and White Arc Mouse Locally In Malaysia

CBS Launches TV Classics

by Robert Mohns
(October 21, 2008)