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

Wednesday, May 29, 2002

Bang & Olufsen Beocom 2

I was at the dentist today and walked by the Bang&Olufsen store. They just got in the new cordless phone, the Beocom 2. It was amazing. I went in to ask about the price and they got me: if you buy the phone before June 30, it costs US$480. After that, it will cost US$550. I was hooked. The Beocom 2 has the same shape as a banana but is as thin as a marker/pen. It's really neat. I chose the blue color as it's the most striking.

I should also add that they have the new Plasma TV. It's awesome although very pricey at US$16,000. It comes in this big frame (doubling the size of the screen) but looks very impressive on the floor or hung up on the wall.

Anyway, I'll do a review of the Beocom 2 as soon as I figure how to use it this weekend.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 23:13 | 0 comments

Monday, May 27, 2002

X-Box Games?

I decided to head out to buy some X-Box games this past weekend. I completely bought into the hype when I got my X-box last X'mas. Machines were hard to come by and HALO is a really awesome game. Well it's been 5 months now and I'm really disappointed with it. Why? Because there just doesn't seem to be that many games. And the ones that have been coming out are pretty lousy.

I was looking at all the PS2 and even Gamecube games available and I just have to say that X-Box is totally missing out. Can I suggest that X-Box should just buy the entire "old" PS2 game collection from the software makers and have them ported over to the X-Box at cheap prices. That way there will at least be some decent game selection. Maybe its just me. I realise that I'm in Hong Kong so X-Box isn't exactly released over here, but it's been released in Japan and that's where we get all the PS2 and Gamecube stuff too so where are all the X-Box games? Come on Microsoft, stop advertising the X-Box and spend some money on getting some more games.

I looked on the X-Box game site and there are so many games, but most are still "in development". So I'm stuck waiting. Anyway, I did manage to get the Spiderman X-Box version so I'm hoping that it's going to salvage my otherwise tarnished version of this supposedly awesome game system.

Yeah, yeah, I shoulda got a PS2...

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 1:26 | 0 comments

Wednesday, May 22, 2002

New PDA

There are several new PDA's out now in the market. Fujitsu's new Loox model "looks" very good. The design and the specs, particularly the built in bluetooth looks fairly impressive. Toshiba's entry the Genio also looks fairly impressive. But for me, the biggest pull is still the new Sony NR70V CLIE.

The same debate though still burns in the back of my mind. Do I want a Palm PDA or a Windows Pocket PC2002 model. After all the back and forth, I still haven't formed a comprehensive opinion though as you'll remember, I am more inclined towards Windows. I do though have the CLIE 760C right now so the natural transition would be to go the Sony, which I saw again yesterday and is just stunning.

Of course the larger issue is do I really need another PDA? I've already got two sitting around just collecting dust. Ah... such is the life a gadget-addict like me.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 20:10 | 0 comments

Monday, May 20, 2002

New Portable DVD player

Many of you have been asking about DVD players and Panasonic has just come out with a really neat one. Check out the all new LV65. It looks really impressive. The 5" screen is probably the best mix in terms of battery demand, and viewing size. It even has a SD card slot where the LV65 can become a MP3 player. Very impressive.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 19:30 | 0 comments

Friday, May 10, 2002

Bang & Olufsen MP3 Player

While I am still waiting for the Beocom 2, their new cordless phone, Bang & Olufsen has also introduced a super cool looking MP3 player. It will include those B&O headphones that I did a review on sometime ago.

The Beosound 2 MP3 Player will feature SD memory card (128MB card supposed to be included), B&O headphones, rechargeable Li-ion battery, and a chrome stainless-steel exterior. I looked at the pictures and realised that there is no screen so that's going to be very interesting to see how to navigate through songs, etc. Still, as far as MP3 players go, this would be one of the better ones.

The biggest downside though is likely to be the price. Even without a screen, the B&O suggested price is somewhere around the US$700 range or so. At that price, it's unlikely that the Beosound 2 is going to make much of impact. I seriously doubt that it can knock down Apple's iPod which reigns in my mind as the best MP3 machine out there (even if it is only for the Mac). Given the lack of screen, its reliance of SD memory cards and it's price, the Beosound 2 MP3 player is probably not a Vooner purchase even if it looks really nice.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 17:52 | 0 comments

Thursday, May 9, 2002

New Vaio

As pointed out by a few of you, Sony decided to launch a new Vaio that is supposed to be "oh so cute"! The PCG-U1 is one of the smallest PCs out there. I had a chance to play with one this past weekend.

The most impressive thing about the U1 is that it is pretty much a fully equipped laptop. Sony did a really good job of jam packing the U1 with enough "firepower" that it can do all the necessary PC functions. The keyboard will not be a big hit in western markets because it is really small, and Sony is marketing this for the younger age group. If I were back in Junior High I would definitely get one of these.

Anyway, if you are in the market for a mini-Laptop that you are going to be able to hook up to a normal sized monitor for prolonged use, then the U1 is a godsend. If you intend on staring at it to actually do work on the 6.4" screen, well good luck!

I'm pretty sure I would pass on it but it does start blurring the lines between PDA and subnotebook. Sony seems to be bridging the gap so that the lines are quickly blurring. Pretty soon, I won't be buying a PDA. Like the OQO I think the concept is pretty neat, but I think a CD/DVD rom is a necessity for portability. I know that's the main reason I was drawn to the P2040. I think the C1 series is better. BTW, the U1 is selling for US$1,400 here in case anyone wants to know.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 23:56 | 0 comments

Wednesday, May 8, 2002

theVooner.com lives!

Sorry about the site being down for a few days. Apparently, Danny had some problems with the firewall that he had to fix. (Thanks Dan!) I'll try to update the stuff here and post a few reviews this week if Danny can spare some time away from his new dog.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 17:04 | 0 comments