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, September 24, 2003

Sony 3MP DV camcorder and Micro MV player

Sony unveiled a 3 mega-pixel digital video camera in the PC330. This DV camcorder will allow users to take 3 MP still pictures. Hence, it is finally becoming a true two-in-one device as this will finally allow users to take decent still photos.

I already have a DV player so I'm not willing to move to another medium quite yet. But I have always been impressed with the size of the Micro MV. The new IP1 to be introduced is a super small camcorder. I really am impressed with its size and its design. Anyone looking at a camcorder should look into this as a viable option. Certainly very travel friendly.

Sony has started to take orders for them and while I saw them last month introduced, they have only started to catch my attention because of their relatively cheap price. The PC330 is selling for US$1660 while the IP1 is only US$1280. By today's standard that's probably considered expensive, but I remember when camcorders were easily US$2-2.5k. Technology is sure getting cheaper and better very quickly.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 0:56 | 0 comments

Tuesday, September 23, 2003

Sharp GX-22 Mobile Phone

Sharp has introduced an upgrade to their GX-11 mobile. It does a really good job of improving on some of its previous deficiencies. I had a chance to see it live yesterday. The most obvious and best improvement with the new GX-22 is the screen. The GX-22 uses a new CG Silicon screen which does appear to be much brighter than previous screens. It does have quite a lot of contrast so it should be able to view pictures better. It's supposed to have 262K colours (versus the standard 64k screen) and did look quite sharp.

I was also extremely impressed by the video capabilities of the camera which can record a video+sound clip. The playback was very loud and looked relatively decent.

The GX-22 is a cute attempt at trying to entice us over to data (and eventually 3G) services. I'm a big fan of technology so I say YEAH! Being offered in Hong Kong by local provider SmarTone (whom I don't subscribe to), I'll have to wait for the parallel import versions to consider it. Or... I might just have to swith providers to try this out...

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 22:18 | 0 comments

Thursday, September 18, 2003

Samsung SGH X400 Mobile Phone

Samsung has itself introduced a phone geared towards gaming (ahead of Nokia's N-Gage launch). The SGH X400 looks like a normal mobile phone but is supposed to be geared towards playing games with a "larger screen" and with buttons geared for gaming. A 128*160 TFT 65k colour screen is supposed to be outstanding. 7 embedded games is a lot and they look pretty good. Interesting though that it doesn't come with a mobile phone camera. And what's up with that clunky antennae? Still i supposed this will appeal to the younger generation, but not really all encompassing to a phone-freak like me.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 18:28 | 0 comments

Wednesday, September 17, 2003

New Panasonic D-Snap Digital Cameras/MP3 Players -- oh so cute!

Following on with mini-digital cameras, Panasonic has a new line of D-Snap devices. As you may remember from my long ago D-Snap review, these devices can take pictures, record video, playback MP3, and record voice. A presume all these D-Snap's can do the same.

The AS10 is an ultra small credit card version. This super tiny one is just like the Casio Exilim cameras, but it looks a lot smaller. It has a 2 mega-pixel camera. At less than 1cm thick, it looks pretty amazing. 7 different colours too!

The AV50 is larger version although it has the same resolution camera. It comes with a twisty screen which is probably much better for viewing MP4 videos. There is also the new AV100, which is a massive version that looks more like a vidoe camera.

Panasonic is trying to cover the entire spectrum of tastes in its line-up. I wish they had better resolutions though.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 0:25 | 0 comments

Tuesday, September 16, 2003

New Sony Vaio Lineup for Fall

Sony has introduced their new Vaio Lineup for the Fall. What I'm particularly interested in of course is the new TR2. As far as I can see, there are a few additional upgrades/changes in terms of processing power and it now comes with tri-WLAN a/b/g modes. Other than that, I can't really see what else there is. I'm disappointed that there doesn't seem to be a DVD+/-RW drive. Anyway, I'll keep an eye out for it when it hits in October.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 1:52 | 0 comments

Monday, September 15, 2003

Canon's Mini Ixus 4MP digital camera

Giving the Sony U-series a run for its money, Canon has announced the new mini IXY Digital-L series digital cameras. Boasting a very nice 4 Mega-pixel resolution, the appeal of the new IXY/IXUS has to be its tiny size. Weighing a mere 100g, this camera was meant to be on the go. I like that it uses the SD card format. I'm a bit wary that we have to use their proprietary battery but it should be relatively ok. Although I'm still much in love with my Casio Exilim because of its big bright LCD screen, this is finally a very small alternative. Expected out in October.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 2:11 | 0 comments

Sunday, September 14, 2003

Sony Memory Stick Video Recorder

Apologies for being away and not writing here earlier.

Sony has introduced a really cool Video recorder device that records TV/Video onto its MS Pro sticks. The PEGA VR100K is designed to work closely with its new CLIE line to allow users to view pre-recorded video at any time. I like it. It's a great concept and idea. Sony says it can get over 4 hours of recording on its highest quality mode on its 1GB MS Pro card (about 30 mins on a 128MB card). I wonder what the quality will be like?

That's really pretty cool and I for one certainly think this is a great idea. It's not available till November, but when it comes out I'll go take a look at it. I wonder if there are issues related to copy protection, etc.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 20:30 | 0 comments

Monday, September 8, 2003

Toshiba RD-XS31 Recordeable DVD

I am obsessed with the recordeable DVD players -- both PC and AV models. Toshiba has a very neat recorder for AV that I hope it brings out from Japan. The RD-XS31 not only records DVD, but it has a 80GB hard drive for other recording. I hope more of these models come out because I'm still looking.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 3:45 | 0 comments

Friday, September 5, 2003

New Sony Aibo ERS-7

There is another new Sony Aibo on the way. The ERS-7 looks more high tech, but at the same time, looks much more refined than the older models. This model looks much more mobile and playful. I'm sure that Sony has spent a lot of time looking through the software. Still if you watch the simulation, the ERS-7 looks rather sluggish. It does come with a colour camera and looks as if it can recognise and grow much faster than the past models. Still, I bet this costs a bomb and is only meant for those few who really want an electronic dog.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 2:58 | 0 comments

Thursday, September 4, 2003

New Sony Ericsson Handsets - Z600, T230, and Z1010

Sony announced a few new handsets. The Z600 has been rumoured for sometime now and is now official shown on their website. It's a pretty cool looking clamshell design. I'm a bit worried about the thickness though as it looks relatively fat but is still very light. There are some impressive games on it and it synchs with both Mac and PC via bluetooth. I want to see one in person! I'll have to wait till the 4Q though (at least a few more months).

At the low-end, SE also has the T230. It has a lower end screen (4k vs. 65k colors) and comes without a built-in camera. Looks good for the low-end market.

The new Z1010 is SE first 3G handset. It's a dual mode (GSM and UMTS) and won't hit the market for a few months. It looks pretty good though -- dual cameras, MS duo, etc. I can't wait for 3G to hit the market here. I might the only one though...

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 1:02 | 0 comments

Wednesday, September 3, 2003

Fujitsu Loox T90D laptop - upgrade of P5xxx

I was just in the computer mall getting my 1GB CF card when I noticed a new laptop. The Fujitsu Loox T90D is the Japanese upgrade to the Fujitsu P5xxx series that I've been speaking about. What makes the Loox model so much more attractive is 1) it comes in an amazing Black matte finish which looks just amazing, 2) it comes with a recordable DVD drive which is exactly what I want. Right now only the Japanese version is available but it will likely come to the rest of the world sooner or later. So this may actually turn out to be one of the best options out there... and I may just get one.

theVooner@yahoo.com

P.S. Yeah, its a Centrino!

posted at 0:19 | 0 comments

Tuesday, September 2, 2003

DVD +- Drive - Plextor looks good

Now that I have a super digital camera, I'm going to need a super disc backup. It's no longer acceptable to just burn a hundred CD-R's. I want more space.

Anyway, I've been actively doing a bit of research into different drives. Thus far, it looks as if Plextor is one of 'the' premium brands that looks good. In particular, the new +- 708 external drive is extremely appealing. Unfortunately, I believe Plextor commands a premium price and this drive could cost me quite a lot. I haven't had time to go check it out as we're in the middle of a Typhoon, but I will fairly soon.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 7:24 | 1 comments

Monday, September 1, 2003

Memory Card shopping

So now that I have a kicking digital camera, which can take 13MB pictures, I need more memory! The Nikon D100 takes Compact Flash cards, and with modern technology, you have lots of options. Not only can you get them in sizes as large as 4GB (although I haven't seen these around but its on the website), but you can get them in different speeds.

I've narrowed my choice down to the two brands which are available here that I like. The first is the king of cards (IMHO) Lexar. More importantly, Lexar has these super fast 40x Write Acceleration (WA) cards that make things go even faster! I like it - speed is good. But with the brand and speed comes a price and a premium. I'm looking at a 1GB or maybe even a 2GB card depending on the price.

BUT, perhaps a more attractive alternative are the CF cards made by Transcend. I already own a 512MB card from them and it works perfectly. The card that I own though is a 30x card and Transcend has just introduced a new 45x card so I'll have see if I can find that. It's a good thing too that I waited this long because the prices have been falling and the technology steadily increasing. I'm going shopping...

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 18:48 | 2 comments