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

Thursday, September 29, 2005

Creative Zen Vision

Although I'm clamouring after an iPod Nano (despite any issue over its screens), I must admit that a part of me wants more than just an MP3 player. I'd like the device to be able to Play music, videos, pictures, and really anything else I want. Movile entertainment devices have been around and I have actually owned a few but have not grown to like them nor got used to lugging around the device, the charger, etc. The Creative Zen Vision though still aims on trying to break the market. It actually looks like a fairly decent product. I particularly like the 30GB of storage and all the options that it will allow you, in a still relatively small size unit. However, I just can't decide if that's what I want to carry around. The M:Robe actually looks better but it doesn't play video files. I'm keen to see what the Zen Vision will look like up close.

Strange I should even think about it when I could just use my PSP for all these functions. Now if only the PSP harddrive add-on would hurry up (and hopefully be nice and small).

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 19:58 | 0 comments

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Sony Network Walkman A series

Still playing catch-up to Apple, Sony has launched the A3000 and A1000 series Network walkman which look sort of like soap bars. I can't say that I like the new funky design, and it certainly doesn't want me to go buy one like the new iPod nano does. Sony is still going to be behind the curve. The A3000/A1000 doesn't look as if it comes with a color screen and doesn't look as small or as sleek. I'm not impressed overall.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 3:57 | 0 comments

Sunday, September 25, 2005

Sony DSC M2 Digital Camera

Sony has released the update to the M1 Digital Camera/Video recorder with the more stylish M2. The M2 appears to have gone through a redesign with particular attention to style. This M-series Cybershot seems much more rounded although it still retains much of the same size as the original M1. It now comes in three colors: White, Pink, and Silver which is a departure from the plain black model. However, the inside of seems to be same with a 5.1 megapixel camera and a VGA (640x480) video camera built in. I understand a need for the upgrade in design but was hoping for an upgrade in function or features.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 20:37 | 3 comments

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Konica Minolta DiMage X1 Digital Camera

Konica Minolta has pushed up the megapixel race on small digital cameras by introducing the X1 which boasts an 8 Megapixel resolution processor. I like it! I'm sure others will follow soon which means I can happily get ready to buy a new digital camera! The X1 itself isn't too bad and the few Minolta's I've used and owned have all performed well. It's definitely worth looking into and I can't wait till others come out with their versions of 8MP cameras.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 23:05 | 0 comments

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Oneill H2 Backpack

Running out of juice is always a problem for any gadget, and we all hate it when it happens. Oneill has designed a series of cool backpacks, the H2 series, designed for sports enthusiast (like snow boarders), but usable by all of us, that incorporates solar panels to recharge gadgets. There is a USB "charging system" which basically allows you to plug in a USB port and use the solar cells to charge an iPod, mobile phone, or other devices. Also, Oneill has built in a Bluetooth module so you can use it to transmit voice or music. I've seen plenty of prototypes about wearable gear but not many has materialised or caught on. It will be interesting to see how this one takes off and when it appears in the market. I'm certainly am keen to look at one and may even buy one.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 20:08 | 0 comments

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Apple iPodnano

Apple is just brilliant. It replaces products which it knows people have and you just have to go out and replace it. Yeah, everyone complains about the lack of ability to change the battery and that it will die eventually but honestly, whose going to keep their iPods that long? With the new models continuing to come, and looking better than ever, I'm certainly not worried. One thing great about Apple is that when they introduce a product, it hits the market pretty soon. As soon as I heard about the Nano, I was interested. But I didn't expect to see one a few days later for sale right after I just read about it. Nokia, Sony/Sony Ericsson, and many consumer companies could learn a thing or two here. I mean, how many times have we read or learned about a new mobile, gadget, or something and then have to wait 4-6 months before we actually see it. By then, who knows what else will be out and how much our taste would have changed. Anyway, back to the Nano -- looks fantastic. I want one. Enough said.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 18:47 | 0 comments

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Sony Bravia TV brand

There once was a time when Sony Wega TVs were the standard in TVs. They were sleek, visually better, and the benchmark by many standards. But today, Sony has done very little to keep pace with others. Their Plasma and LCD designs have, while sometimes being visually fantastic, lacked the quality of its previous models. The pictures are far from being the best in the market and even the design is only marginally on par with some of the others. They were either not as good as other brands or just too expensive. Consequently, the "premium status" that Sony thought they could still command has been eroded significantly and as a result, Sony has done fairly poorly in the TV market. In fact, no one I know owns a Sony Plasma or an LCD TV.

Sony has decided to rebrand themselves to try to tackle this problem. They have now launched the Bravia line as their new brand for TVs. The designs don't look overly new, but I suspect they wanted to try to come up with a new image and a new brand to try to recapture some of the market. Looking at the website, I think they have a long hill to climb. I'm in the market for a new large Plasma/LCD and I can tell you that Sony isn't even one of the choices I'd think about.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 18:19 | 0 comments

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

i-Mate JasJar (New O2-like product)

The update to the O2 phone looks like it's on the way. The first to bring it is i-mate which appears as if its launching the JasJar in a few markets. The specs are impressive -- Dual mode 3G/2G, Windows Mobile 5.0 OS, WiFi enabled, etc. But it's pretty intimidating (in terms of size) and wonder just how big it will really look like (you have to see these things in person to really get an accurate view of things). It's definitely big though, and heavy -- at 285 grams. No wonder they call it a mini-laptop! We'll see...

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 3:25 | 3 comments

Monday, September 12, 2005

Apple iPod Nano and phone...

Plenty of news out from Apple. The new iPod -- the iPod Nano is a fantastic looking device. I like the size and the design. Well done indeed. But I can't help but agree with the critics that say that Apple dropped the ball on the mobile phone. Instead of coming up with a fantastic device of their own, they instead licensed out iTunes to Motorola who came up with a a boring looking, plain old mobile phone. I'm not a huge fan of the Sony Ericsson W800, but at least it tried to look modern and have some appeal to design. Apple should have definitely have made their own version of the phone. I don't know why they wouldn't. If they are, why wait? They are missing a whole market out there and everyone knows they could rule it if they wanted to!

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 20:56 | 0 comments

Saturday, September 3, 2005

New Sony Vaio T series

Just my luck, I sold my old T series Vaio and bought an S Series because the screen was getting a bit too small for me. And Sony comes out with a new T series with a slightly larger screen! The new T-Series Vaio Laptop comes with improved specs of course and looks much more sleeker than the past model. The battery pack doesn't protrude as much as before and the keyboard looks like it has cool metallic buttons/keys instead of the usual plastic looking ones. Japanese versions are out in September and probably by November, we should see overseas models. Man, I just bought a new laptop! Can't wait to see it though. The accessories are really cool too -- they have covers, cases and bags for it. In addition, the Japanese models can be specially custom ordered to your own specs. I really like that they've made the screen bigger but the overall unit is actually thinner and roughly the same dimensions. Oh, and if you want to go all out, there are 1000 limited edition CARBON BLACK, special edition T-Series models that will be sold. Yeah.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 19:10 | 0 comments

Thursday, September 1, 2005

Sorry about the lack of posts...

I apologize for being dark for so long. I'm middle of a big move and it's been so time consuming. But the fun part about this move is that I'm doing an overhaul. Yup, plenty of gadgets just went out the door and plenty more will probably come in. I've sold 2 laptops, 2 mobile phones, a DSLR digital camera, Plasma, DVD player -- you name it.

The great part is I'm going to definitely be upgrading and that will eventually translate into more reviews. One of the first thing I did was to buy a new mobile phone. I've been lugging my Mini XDA around for some time and I love it. But I wasn't crazy about it's size and with the likelihood that I'll need another mobile and have a blackberry, I wanted something smaller and less obtrusive to carry. The solution to me wasn't as obvious. What do you buy? Well, I searched around and while Sony had the W800 -- it's a very overpriced, overhyped handset which seems more and more like a repackaged K750i. Instead, I turned back to the O2 handsets and came across the O2 Xphone IIm. With similar functions to the Mini XDA at nearly 1/2 it's size (and much closer to a normal mobile phone), I fell in love with this handset instantly. The functions are similar and although it's running on a "lite" version of Windows Mobile/PPC 2003, it still packs lots of function and good use. So far, I've been really happy with the phone. The screen is much better than the other mobile phones I currently have. Definitely worth a look for anyone in the market.

theVooner@yahoo.com

posted at 22:40 | 0 comments