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

Monday, December 30, 2002

Tablet PC first impressions

As one of the hottest gadgets to have right now, so far the Tablet PC is all that it was hyped out to be. I'm having a lot of fun with it. Handwriting technology and touch screen systems are not new, but this one seems to have gotten it right. I guess it was the same with the PDA where the Newton blew up, but the PALM and Pocket PC models came along to save it. Anyway, the one big point (I'm working on the review now) is that the Tablet PC may be ideal enough, that I may never need to buy another PDA. That's right, the Tablet PC may not be a PC/laptop replacement... it may be more of a PDA replacement! I'll explain soon...

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 18:49 | 0 comments

Sunday, December 29, 2002

Tablet PC

I just spent the last 6 hours playing with my NEW TABLET PC! Yeah, I just bought the Compaq TC1000. While it wasn't nearly as nice as the Fujitsu one available, it was half the price. Decision made. So far its a lot of fun. More to come...

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 8:12 | 2 comments

Friday, December 27, 2002

MP3 Players... Darn those copyright prevention tools...

One of the big downside that has held me back from buying devices like the iPod and NetMD player is the inability today of "burning" some CDs. I'm a big fan of buying CDs so even though it's available for "free" online, I still end up buying a lot of CDs. But I still want to transfer them , or at least have that option, onto a format like MP3 so if I happen to have an iPod or Zen, or whatever MP3 player I choose, I can still listen to my own music.

At the music store yesterday, I have noticed an increasing number of CDs with the "Anti-Copy" sticker pasted on it. This is supposed to prevent us from copying the discs. Unfortunately, it also means that the disc is not readable by computers to transfer the files into MP3. My new Robbie Williams CD for example is not recognisable by my computer. This is a problem. While I'm all for anti-copying methods, it is certainly a major hinderance. So if any Apple fan/representative is wondering why the gadget man theVooner has not bought the ultra-hip iPod, it's because of silly things like this. (This applies to other cool MP3 devices as well.)

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 0:13 | 3 comments

Wednesday, December 25, 2002

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!

Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays. Thanks to everyone out there for sharing, writing, and reading this website. I hope to have a lot more for you in the coming months.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 20:29 | 0 comments

Saturday, December 21, 2002

X'mas is almost here

Cheers to everyone. I hope everyone is getting into the X'mas spirit. I just got back from a brief vacation in the US. For my own X'mas present, I bought myself the Louis Vuitton Tambour GMT watch. After much deliberating and a very aggressive sell by CLIFF (!!!!), I threw down the credit card and bought it. I intend on buying the tablet PC soon too.

I know I'm way, way behind on reviews. With Dan's indulgence, I promise I'll get a few posted up ASAP.

Merry X'mas to all.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 18:55 | 0 comments

Monday, December 16, 2002

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones

After travelling for a week on unbearable flights, I have come to the conclusion that noise cancelling headphones are invaluable. I actually have a set by Sony, but I'm on the road and left it at home. Also, Bose has come up with a new headphone called the QuietComfort headphone. Sounds enticing. As I have a 15 hour flight back, I'm eagerly looking to buy these and try it out.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 19:51 | 2 comments

Friday, December 13, 2002

On the road...

Hello all. I'm travelling at the moment so I'm sorry that I've been bad about updates. I've gotten a few messages that the Sony Ericsson P800 is ready. A few of you even said that you've got one. I'm having a lot of fun with the Panasonic GD88, with the only downside so far the less than great camera resolution (versus the Nokia 7650 for example). But the new Nokia 3650 with built-in VIDEO camera function is about to be delivered as well. I went to an ITU telecom conference and had the chance to play with it. Very similar to the 7650, it seemed like a lot of fun. The problem now though is that like the P800, the new Nokia phones are all getting bigger and fatter. That's not ideal. The 6100 and the 6610 Nokia models, like my 7210 are great in size, but lack the built-in camera fun and bigger screens. Such is the trade-off.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 6:04 | 0 comments

Thursday, December 5, 2002

theVooner's 2002 X'mas Wishlist

Well, X'mas is just around the corner and I thought it's about high-time I put out my wishlist for those of you that want to know what to get and what to expect. Ok, let's begin:

10) Leica C3: My love/hate affair with Leica cameras is an ongoing debate. Aside from the fact that the new M7 and R9 is out, I'm going to recommend a traditional film camera like the C3 because of my horrendous experience with the M6. Nice form, expected Leica performance, and a shiny silver case. If I had to go non-digital, I think this would be it.

9) Then again, who wants to go old-school when you have digital! In that respect, you have to look at the new mini-digital cameras like the update of my Panasonic AV10 D-Snap, the new AV30 D-Snap. This is an amazing little digital camera that has only just come out. Lots of functions and a great looking gadget. Alternatively, I'm also considering the updated Sony U20 as a super cool mini-digital camera. Of course you know how I feel about the memory stick.

8) Segway. For pure fun and insanity, this transportation device has got to be the next killer gadget. If only it were legal here. Darn, I really want one. I'm such a lazy freak.

7) My on-again, off-again love affair with the iPod lingers on. Not only can I not decide whether to get one or not, I can't decide which version to get. There are a number of horrible disaster stories with the Windows version as well. The Creative Zen is a near replacement, but it just isn't as nice is it?

6) LV Tambour watch: Ok, it's not much of a gadget, but my love for watches and my initials "LV" forces me to love this watch. Either the GMT or the Chronograph would be pretty cool. That plus it's nearly impossible to get is making it worth that much more for X'mas.

5) Golf. I have to throw in my little golf gadget as I'm really into golf at this time: Anything on this page will do as they have the coolest putters, covers, drivers, irons, you name it. I'm particularly keen on a new Scotty Cameron Tour putter as that what's been weak in my game. Yeah, like a new putter will help!!

4) A new plasma TV. With a ton of new models to choose from and at much lower prices than in the past, I'm carefully considering another one from my house. I'm torn though between buying a small 32" model like the Sony KZ32TS1 or a monster 50" model like the Panasonic TH-50PHD5UY. Of course, there's the ever beautiful model from Bang & Olufsen.

3) Sony Ericsson P800 mobile phone. The much delayed Sony Ericsson phone is the most anticipated phone in my opinion. Though I just bought the new Panasonic GD88, I'd still buy a Sony Ericsson, if nothing else other than the cool Memory Stick Duo Slot and its potential functionality. This phone should be out in the next few weeks, but given the past delays, I wouldn't be surprised to see it delayed till next year.

2) HP iPaq H5455. A new PDA is in the order, and the new iPaq looks like a real winner except that it doesn't have a compact flash slot (without a bulky add-on sleeve). Perhaps the Fujitsu Loox is another alternative as well (but it's missing the built-in WLAN). I'm just so confused which one to upgrade to.

1) The number one gadget that everyone should get this X'mas: a Tablet PC. That's right, whether it's the Compaq TC1000, the Fujitsu ST4000p, or the Toshiba Protege 3500, they are all winners. I can't wait to get mine!

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 7:05 | 2 comments

Wednesday, December 4, 2002

Hello

Apologies that I have been away on vacation and that this site has been a bit intermittent. Anyway, I just got my new Panasonic GD 88 Handset which is tri-band (good for the US, yeah!) with built in Camera. Awesome. I've been playing with it for a few days now and hope to have a review up before I travel for work again.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 9:34 | 0 comments