theVooner's weblog
A weblog for theVooner.com where the best cool gear and gadgets get reviewed.
last modified Jul 15, 2003 at 1:45
Hello Everyone...
It's painfully obvious that I don't maintain this site anymore. I really should, but I wanted to bring it back, bigger and better than before. But I just don't know how and didn't take the time to do it. So I apologise to everyone that has come back at anytime over the years. I'm still available via e-mail if anyone has a question. Please look me up at:
theVooner@gmail.com (I've switched over from Yahoo because I get about a 100 spams a day on that account so please bear with me)
Best regards to everyone,
theVooner
posted at 22:51 |
0 comments
Macro lens
Now that I have a D80, my big problem is that I need a good macro lens to take photos of all these gadgets. I'm looking for one before I put out another review (of which there are way, way too many to do). I'm leaning to the Tamron 90mm lens though the Sigma and of course the Nikon are all good choices.
theVooner@yahoo.com
posted at 23:43 |
0 comments
Nikon D80 - Got it!!
Took the plunge. Over the weekend, they were having a special on the D80 at an Expo. I put one in my hands and just decided to go for it. Definitely a much lighter, softer feel than the D100/D200, but the technology is good. I also got a great Nikon lens (the kit lens is not very good) which should help me take decent photos... I hope.
theVooner@gmail.com
posted at 19:15 |
0 comments
Nikon D80 ...
Well, when I got rid of my Nikon D100, I was thinking about the next upgrade. The D200 has been out for some time now, but I still hadn't pulled the trigger when... the D80 came out. I've been comparing on the Nikon and other sites to see what the difference is. And other than the weight (which is probably a function of the materials used in the body - plastic vs. metal), this looks fairly similar. Should I get the cheaper D80? Hmm...
theVooner@yahoo.com
posted at 1:46 |
0 comments
Microsoft iPod Killer...
It's been a long time since posts, so lets start again with a look at the future. We've been reading alot about a Microsoft iPod product soon. But I haven't seen that many photos of it with a few images here and there (though we can't be sure what exactly they will look like and if any of the images will actually be the device we'll see). But I understand that Toshiba has been appointed as the manufacturer. In that regard, that's not bad because Toshiba has a fairly good line-up of its own. Although its own MP3 device, the Gigabeat, never really took off, we still like its design and built. Definitely one to watch out for.
theVooner@gmail.com
posted at 19:49 |
0 comments
Blogs...
well, its been an extremely long time since I even posted or looked at this site. For that I do apologise. I realize that lots of people who probably looked at this have now long forgotten about it. I could make up lots of excuses but the truth is, I got busy. I was travelling and one thing led to another and I just forgot to check in when I should have. Yes, it's my fault, and if no one comes back, that's ok. At least I still have it. Nevertheless, I need to keep doing it because I want to. And it keeps my mind focused on these things which I love. So to all of you that eventually have come back, thanks.
theVooner@yahoo.com
posted at 1:17 |
0 comments
New MacBook w/ Intel chips
Now that Mac is going MORE Intel, and you can dual boot to Windows or Mac OS, I'm wondering if I should just buy a MacBook as my next laptop. So far all the reviews seem to say that running Windows on the Intel Mac machines work fine. That's interesting enough for me to wonder. I guess I should try it out on my new Mac Mini first and then go from there...
theVooner@yahoo.com
posted at 2:32 |
0 comments
New Sony Vaio U-type
Sony has unveiled a new Sony U-type with a much desired included keyboard. Weighing just 520grams, this is much lighter in specs than the old U-Type. I read that this has a newer Flash-type Hard-drive, but I'm not sure if that's true. The website seem to indicate some newer technology on the drive but I didn't have time to decipher it. As a previous U-type owner, I'm curious to see if this can run better -- i.e. better software, faster load times, better screen, better battery life, etc.
theVooner@yahoo.com
posted at 3:29 |
0 comments
Phones galore...
As we enter into the summer months, all the manufacturers are set to launch new handsets. I've been waiting for a month now and still I haven't had much success finding a new phone. Staring at the new line-up, I recently wrote about Nokia, well Sony Ericsson should have a few, including the W950 and the P990. Although, I must admit, I'm getting desperate so I am thinking of buying something in the interim. Motorola doesn't sound as if there's anything interesting on the way. Oh what's a desperate gadget user like me to do?
theVooner@yahoo.com
posted at 18:58 |
0 comments
New Nokia Line-up
Nokia has announced the introduction of the N93, N73, and N72 into the line-up. The N73, with its 3 megapixel camera may look very interesting and could be a very nice phone. The summer months are coming and there is plenty of new phones to look forward too... especially since I'm in the market for a new phone. However, my poor recent experience with the Nokia N70 may mean that I'm more wary of Nokia.
theVooner@yahoo.com
posted at 17:40 |
0 comments
Long Overdue Post...
Well, I have been a bad Blogger. I haven't been paying attention to my site and I know I should. I have been so swamped at work. But that's not really a good excuse is it? So I won't try to fool you readers that have supported me this far. I will be better.
theVooner@yahoo.com
posted at 8:31 |
0 comments
New gadgets for me...
Hello everyone. I've been travelling around the world for the past two weeks so I haven't had the chance to speak much here. There's so much going on in technology - I haven't been able to keep up. Lots of nice stuff out there and even more on its way.
One thing that I've been waiting for is the new Mac Mini. I'm definitely not a huge Mac fan but I think the Mini could be a very good music server.
I'm really interested as well with streaming video. Both the Slingbox and the Sony LocationFree options are really interesting. I'm trying to figure out how it would work for me as I'm constantly on the move.
There are other things as well and I need to just review and look at what things are out there. We'll keep you informed!
theVooner@yahoo.com
posted at 11:25 |
1 comments
UMA
Nokia has announced that they will be looking at UMA (unlicensed mobile access) integration into their handsets. This is an interesting technological advancenment that others too are also considering. This could mean that in the future, you could use a P2P calling program like Skype and move between WiFi and mobile phone networks freely. Interesting! Does it mean that mobile networks are going to make even less money?
theVooner@yahoo.com
posted at 19:06 |
0 comments
Sony Ericsson W950i Walkman phone
At the 3GSM conference, Sony announced a number of upcoming handsets including the W950i. It looks very good, particularly the size which sounds as if its very thin. With 4GB of flash memory... who needs a Nano? But will this be user friendly enough? I've hated Sony Ericsson software, particularly to transfer music. Let's see. Also, hey Sony! If this is 3G, am I wrong in not seeing the ability to make video calls? I can't see a camera on the front - in fact, there isn't even a camera built-in! What's up with that?
theVooner@yahoo.com
posted at 20:13 |
0 comments
I'm BACK!
After some 2 months, theVooner.com is back. It's been a ridiculous ordeal of mistakes and errors on my part and I do apologize. Anyway, it's back to gadgets and now that this is back up, I'll be vigilant in getting up more news and reviews.
theVooner@yahoo.com
posted at 2:00 |
2 comments
theVooner's Christmas Wishlist
It’s Christmas time again so this is my X’mas wishlist for 2005. There are plenty of gadgets out there to choose from and many more on the way next year, but of things available now, these are my top choices:
10) Gameboy Micro. The best gift for less than US$100 has to be the Micro. It’s no PSP, but this small toy is just plain fun to have along for those spur of the moment gaming (like waiting in airports). Ok, I’d much rather have my PSP, but everyone should already have one, and sometimes, it’s just not as fun to lug around the PSP. For me, the PSP is for trips, the Micro is for day to day. A great gift for the young ones – I know my nephew will love it.
9) Crumpler Bags. This makes my list again because they are so darn cool. Need a bag for your iPod, laptop, camera, or just for fun? The Crumpler line is simply the best for fun. I have 4 now in my collection and growing.
8) Shure E-series earphones. As noted, I forgot my earphones the other day and was glancing at the E-series Shure earphones. Yeah, I’ve got way too many kinds of earphones and headphones (everything from noise canceling to wireless), but there’s just something to these ones by Shure that makes you want one. I’m leaning towards the e3c or better yet the e3g (designed for gaming) model myself. If you don’t want to spend too much, buy the e2c, and if you want to go the best, get the e5c. Plenty of options.
7) Sharp Aquos 65” LCD TV. It’s the largest LCD available today, and it definitely will look stunning. The Pioneer 50” Plasma or the Hitachi 65" Plasma is definitely a worthy alternative for those of you that prefer Plasma (like me).
6) Sony Vaio TX. I love mini laptops and my TR was fantastic. The size and battery life made it the king of laptops and I owned it for much longer than most of my past models. But the new TX is even better. The screen is slightly larger and despite what the salesman told me about the “cropping” of images on the top and bottom, it looked pretty stunning to me. I still love the long battery life, the compact size, weight, and the design. It’s my favorite traveling laptop.
5) Oakley RazrWire. The coolest and best Bluetooth headset with a fantastic looking sunglasses from Oakley, what more could you want?
4) iPod Nano. This MP3 player is the king of the hill and a good choice given its size, design, and value-for-money. I can overlook the poor finish which is susceptible to scratching as I love using those silicon “skins” anyway. In contrast, the iPod Video is definitely a PASS, as noted in my review. The video capability is a joke (given the lack of software to encode movies) especially in Asia where we can’t even buy video iPod files, not to mention the pitiful battery life. Stick with the sexy iPod Nano.
3) Slingbox. The Slingbox is a device that lets you stream TV onto a laptop or computer anywhere. I’ve been waiting for this invention for a long time and I can’t wait to get one and try it out. The implications and use are endless. I will set one up in as many places as I can! Will I finally get TV from everywhere in the world?
2) Nokia N70. Plenty of new models and lots to choose from among mobile phones, but I think this is the best value and option for this Christmas season. It is much lighter than I though, has a fantastic screen, is dual-mode (3G/2G),and even the software is pretty good. (Ok, I cheated, this was my Christmas present to myself!) Among the Smartphones, I think the Dopod 838 is a great choice (although a bit on the big side).
1) Xbox 360. No doubt the Xbox 360 is “the” gift for this Christmas Season. It’s hard to find, got great buzz/marketing, and looks fantastic. Gameplay reviews have been mixed, but with more games on the way, there’s probably plenty of power in this. Sure the Playstation 3 might end up being better, but it’s not available now. So why wait when you can have this first for the next 4-6 months before the PS3. Despite the glitches (which isn’t so uncommon with Microsoft software) and the design “flaw”, if you can find one, get one. (I like that MS has said they would replace defective machines.)
posted at 0:32 |
2 comments
Shure headphones...
I recently was at the airport with my PSP in hand when I realized that I didn't have a set of earphones with me. While the PSP works fine without noise, it just makes it a much better experience, not to mention that I wanted to have something to be able to use on the flight. So I searched around duty-free and there really wasn't anything there that was reasonably interesting. The only good headset was the Shure e2c headphones. Now these are beautiful earphones and I was certainly tempted to buy them. The only problem was that it was way overpriced for what I know they should cost, and of course, they had the catalog which had the other models. Wow! Have you seen the e5c (both for its "ability" and it price)? I wonder if it performs as well as it is supposed to. Imagine, the earphones cost more than buying a iPod Nano and the e2c! At US$499, the e5c is definitely made for high end use and probably not my PSP. Still, I'm going to look at maybe getting one of these.
theVooner@yahoo.com
posted at 22:11 |
0 comments
Sony Ericsson W900i
When the W800i was launched, I was quiet impressed. I like the design (though not the color orange) and it was quite a popular model. However, at that time, I decided NOT to get one for two reasons: 1) it was grossly overpriced compared to other models in the market and 2) it didn't have all the features I wanted in a phone (3G, decent size screen, etc.). As a result, I didn't want to pay that premium for the new W800i handset. The W800 price has fallen significantly though, especially with the new W900i now out. The W900 is a swivel design Walkman phone. It updates the W800 by incorporating a larger screen, 3G capability and a built-in 470MB capacity (versus the measly 34MB on the W800). Even the color of the W900 gets a nice upgrade with two choices of white and black (though with some slight orange accents). I recently had the chance to try it out the W900 is a very nice looking and feature packed handset. Unfortunately, it was much heavier and fatter than it appears in photos. Consequently, I can't really say if it's a phone I'd recommend. It is though probably the best "music" mobile phone out there at the moment so it will appeal to some users. Still, I think the W800 will be more popular and even more so now as it gets cheaper.
theVooner@yahoo.com
posted at 23:26 |
1 comments
Sharp 65" LCD TV
Sharp has introduced the largest high-end 65" LCD TV! The stunning LC-65GE1 looks fantastic. Darn it, I just bought a 50" Plasma. Although I'm a huge Plasma fan (don't get me started) and like it better, the Sharp Aquous line of LCD TVs are definitely the best and I wouldn't get anything else if I had to choose a LCD. This would definitely be stunning.
theVooner@yahoo.com
posted at 17:27 |
0 comments
New Nokia N-Series (N92, N91, N80, N71)
Nokia has introduced a whole host of new mobile phones in its N-series. The N92 is an update of the N90 with a weird twisting design. Incorporating the camera lens in the side of the camera, the N92 (like the N90) resembles more of a camcorder than a mobile phone. But with the ability to twist and turn the screen, Nokia is touting its ability to watch live TV on the handheld. Pretty cool.
The N91 will appeal to music users out there with up to 4GB of built-in memory. It should be interesting. Motorola's Rokr is a disaster in my opinion which is why they have resorted to giving them away here (they are now free when you sign up for certain mobile services from certain mobile carriers).
The N80 though is the most interesting and the one I like the most. 3G/2G phone with a large screen, WiFi built-in, 3 megapixel camera, hmm... I want one! Can't wait for this to come out so I can see what it looks like. The N71 is basically a clamshell version of the brick-style N70.
All in all, I like the new line-up from Nokia and I wonder if they'll be available by Christmas, because they'd be nice gifts for myself!
theVooner@yahoo.com
posted at 19:15 |
0 comments
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