Tech news, gadget reviews and how-tos on just about anything and everything.

Friday, February 29, 2008

Sony BDP-S350 to be released in Summer 2008


The Sony BDP-S350 is the latest stand alone Blu-ray player from Sony. After winning the HD format wars, it’s only natural that Sony releases another Blu-ray player, however, at $400, this is still pretty expensive.

The Sony BDP-S350 now features an Ethernet port which allows consumers to get direct updates via internet and to download additional content. It’s about time that Sony added Ethernet ports on their Blu-ray players since the previous HD DVD players have one.

The Sony BDP-S350 is capable of 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema output and is also capable of upscaling your existing DVDs up to 1080p. This new Blu-ray players also features an external port so users can add optional storage.

Compatible formats that can be played on the Sony BDP-S350 includes: DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, CD, CD-R/RW (CD-DA format), and JPEG on DVD//CD recordable media. This player also offers 7.1 channel Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus decoding as well asd DTS HD High resolution audio and master audio bit-stream output.

Expected shipping date is around summer for the Sony BDP-S350.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

How To Claim for Accident Compensation

When you're involved in an accident and a third person is at fault, you can usually claim for Accident Compensation. However, claiming compensation isn't really that easy and you need some basic legal knowledge to go about this.

  1. The first thing you need to do is ascertain who's responsible. Be sure that the accident happened because of a third party's negligence.
  2. Second, you need to have some sort of certification about your injuries. Immediately consult a doctor and document your injuries either through photographs or a doctor's certification.
  3. Next, you need to file a police report about the incident. Go to you nearest police station and report it and obtain a copy of that report as evidence.
  4. You also need other evidence as well like pictures of the accident site or some witnesses who can attest to your accident.
  5. Keep receipts of anything you might have spent because of the accident like medical bills, cost of repairs of damage property, etc. If you've missed work, you also need to take that into consideration in determining your actual damages sustained. This will be a good time to consult a lawyer and ask them about how much damages you can recover because of the pain and suffering the accident has caused you.
  6. Write a demand letter to your insurance company and the person responsible. If they don't want to settle, consult your lawyer about taking them to court.

Be very cautious though. Filing personal injury claims can be tricky. Be sure that the amount of damages you're claiming are not unrealistic and that you're not just filing to unjustly enrich yourself.


Sony Ericsson K850i Review



The Sony Ericsson K850i is one of the more innovative phones that I've seen Sony Ericsson made and one of the better camera phone model out in the market.

SPECIFICATIONS:

The Sony Ericssson K850i sports a 5 mega pixel camera, 40MB Internal phone memory expandable with a Memory stick micro that can support up to 8GB of memory. It is also a triband HSDPA phone and has a 2.2 inch 256k color display, Bluetooth A2DP profile, and a built-in FM radio with RDS.

FEATURES:

In terms of design, the Sony Ericsson K850i is a candy bar phone and the first thing you'd notice about the phone is that rectangular surrounding the number 2 and 5 on the keypad. Well, that's the directional pad. Now herein lies the first trouble I've had with the Sony Ericsson K850i. While the directional button is quite innovative and dare I say—cute, first time users would fumble with how awkward it is to use. In most phones, you're used to pressing the middle key of the directional pad as an action button, but on the Sony Ericsson K850i you need to press the soft key in the middle, which of course would slow down how you use your mobile phone specially if you're new to using it. That's why Nokia phones are more popular since whatever handset you use, you're faced with the same user-friendly interface so upgrading your phone is easy as there's no learning curve involved.

The Sony Ericsson K850i is designed to look like a digital camera. Most of the design that went into this phone were taken from the page of a Sony digital camera and most noticeable is the battery compartment. While most phones involves taking apart the back cover to take out your battery, on the Sony Ericsson K850i, the battery compartment involves sliding out the bottom of the phone which will reveal the battery, simcard, and the expansion slot—just like digital cameras. I like the fact that two memory cards are compatible with this device, Sony's proprietary memory stick micro and a microSD card…maybe Sony is trying to steer clear of their monopolistic image.

IMAGE QUALITY:

Since the Sony Ericsson K850i is a camera phone and part of the Sony Ericsson Cyber-shot series at that, naturally, it has to live up to the Cyber-Shot standards. It has almost all of the functions you can find on mid-range cameras: an autofocus, ISO function, Xenon Flash, white balance, scene selection, metering modes, and a secondary LED light but image quality-wise, it still can't beat having a separate digital camera. However, the image quality of this device is one of the best I've seen in camera phones though suffering from a bit washed out color and noise but nothing that a quick Photoshop can't fix.

OTHER GRIPES:

Some things that I wish were included in the Sony Ericsson K850i is WiFi connection, however, since this is mainly a camera phone, I can't really see any use for a WiFi. The touch sensitive keys below the screen could use some haptic feedback as I can't really tell if I'm already pressing it correctly or not.

CONCLUSION:

With that said, I have to say that if what your looking for is a camera phone, the Sony Ericsson K850i will be one of your best choice.


RELATED LINKS:

Motorola Milestone Review

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Personalized Greeting Cards Store


With all the cheap laserjet printers, colored laser printers and photography papers available today on the net, some would probably wonder why there’s a need for a personalized greeting cards store or whether there are still a need for these stores. While printing personalized birthday cards have been easy, thanks to technology, it has also taken away the personality of these cards.

I for one feel differently when I received an actual greeting card that came from Hallmark and all than one printed on plain paper. Sure, sometimes, Hallmark cards can be impersonal, you just write the name of your recipient, sign and send but it goes the same for printed personal cards. CardsDirect have been making greeting cards for all occasions and they can personalize the cards for you. Their cards aren’t made from plain printed papers they make real greeting cards complete with sparklers, gold trims, and all. You can choose from hundreds of their catalogues.

They also offer a very simple way of personalizing your cards. You can type in your personal message, choose a color plus font style, you can even add some gold foils or your own logo and signature. They offer free shipping for their cards and they also offer personalized wedding invitations.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

The Sony NV-U83T: Latest in-car navigation device


The Sony NV-U83T is Sony's newest in-car navigation device. This device features Bluetooth technology for hands-free phone calls and built-in microphone.

The Sony NV-U83T has a large 4.8 inch screen with 16:9 aspect ratio and anti-glare coating so drivers can see the screen in any lighting condition. The Sony NV-U83T also has a dual view mode with 3D renditions of approaching intersections.

According to Sony, their new in-car GPS system features Position Plus Technology which can provide accurante positions even when your GPS signal is low. This GPS device has the SiRF STar III GPS chip.

$400 is the suggested retail price of the Sony NV-U83T.

Online Rollerblades Store

A word from our sponsors:

With all the electronic gadgets nowadays, from Segway to electric scooters, to Toyota's partner robots, it's a wonder why rollerblades are not yet extinct. I guess it's because if they are then America's obesity rate would probably increase to 90 percent of the population. 123skate.com is an online store specializing in selling heelys and rollerblades.

123skate.com also has heelys replacement wheels, bearings frames wheels and other skating accessories such as helmets. The website also has several Wave Board skateboards on sale. And if you’re feeling more retro, 123skate.com has quad skates to suit your fancy.


Stage6 to shut down on February 28th

For those of you who've been going to Stage6 to view high definition videos, you might want to know that the site will only run until February 28th. It's really very sad, while I don't usually visit it much often, I still like the fact that I'm able to view high definition videos on the internet even though my slow broadband connection would take me around 10 minutes to download a 2 minute video. According to the site's blog, Stage6 is a very expensive site to run and I guess they're running out of funds.

I do hope that someone from Microsoft funds this site. To view more details visit their site: Stage6

Monday, February 25, 2008

Gadget Gift Idea: Howard Miller On Target Alarm Clock


And here I thought Howard Miller is just famous for their wall clocks. This Howard Miller On Target Alarm Clock is the perfect gift to be displayed on any desk. This one is slightly different from other Howard Miller clocks since aside from telling you the time, it also has a magnetic dart board. The magnetic darts can be quickly stowed away behind the clock in case you see your boss making quick rounds.

The brush silver finished of this Howard Miller On Target Alarm Clock will go with the modern office décor. This clock has a white dial with gray Arabic numbers and black hands with a silver alarm hand. The bottom of the clock is made of felt to protect your desk from scratching and since it’s from Howard Miller, it also has quartz alarm movement.

Now to the fun part, the magnetic dart board features a series of answers to help you with your decision making. The center, though I think is much rather big for a bulls-eye says “Go For it” plus several other phrases like yes, move on, no way, maybe, etc. If your boss has the same one lying on his desk, pray that a) he’s a good decision maker b) he doesn’t turn to this clock in deciding whether to keep you or not and c) he has a lousy target.

Overview: Sony DSC-H50


The Sony DSC-H50 is the latest addition to Sony's high zoom digital camera line.

Specifications

The Sony DSC-H50 has a 9.1 mega pixel resolution and a powerful Carl Zeiss optics capable of 15x optical zoom. It also has Sony's Super SteadyShot image stabilization to minimize handshake when using the camera at its highest zoom.

Like the previously announced Sony D-SLR a350, the Sony DSC-H50 also features a 3 inch tilting screen so you can still see the subject even at high or low angles.

Features

According to Sony, the Sony DSC-H50 has an advanced sports shooting mode which means it is capable of shutters speeds of up to 1/4000 seconds plus the added predictive continuous auto-focusing even on burst modes means you can still take great pictures even when your subject is on the move.

Sony also claims that the Sony DSC-H50 also features a long-distance flash which can illuminate your subject even at 55 feet away, however you have to use IS0 3200 and the wide angle feature. Even though you can illuminate the subject that far, at that high of an ISO setting, I don't know if the picture would come out looking good though.

Though the Sony DSC-H50 is loaded with manual features that would fit any pro photographers, those just new to the photography scene would also love the automatic features on this camera. The Sony DSC-H50 also has Sony's newest face recognition technology which can differentiate between a child and adult and intelligent scene recognition. Other features includes: in-camera editing features, in-camera image management functions; slide show functions with
longer music playback; and HD component output.

Pricing and Availability

The Sony DSC-H50 will be available at the nearest SonyStyle store in may and has a price tag of $400.


Related Posts:

Canon PowerShot SD890 IS
Pentax Optio V20
Sony HDR-TG1

Sunday, February 24, 2008

How to Consolidate Your Loans

Homeowner Loans are getting harder and harder to pay not to mention your piling credit card bills, car loans, etc. Add to the fact that most companies are closing and there’s a good chance that some of you might be jobless, the looming monthly amortization for your home seems so ominous. Debt consolidation is one option that many are looking into to ease their money problems, according to an article in magicloans.co.uk. Debt consolidation involves a new loan the proceeds of which will be applied to all your old loans.

In debt consolidation, the first thing you need to do is to combine all your existing loans. Consider the interest payments plus how long all the loans will be repaid. Next is look at your financial situation. If you think there’s no way at all that you could pay all those debts in your current situation, then loan consolidation might be the answer, but if you can meet the payments but there’s just not enough for your current lifestyle, then consider cutting back on your expenses rather than going into debt consolidation.

Look for a lender who will be willing to consolidate your debt. There are a lot of resources on the internet however be really careful as you might end up paying way more. Consult your accountant about this as they compute and compare the loans offered to you so you can be assured that you can get out of your debt quickly rather than be buried in them.

Honda FCX Clarity will debut in New York Auto Show


Another environmentally-friendly car will be introduced by Honda at the New York Auto Show, the Honda FCX Clarity. The Honda FCX Clarity is a zero-emission vehicle with hydrogen-powered fuel cells.

The Honda FCX Clarity doesn't look like your ordinary fuel cell cars, in fact it pretty much looks like an ordinary car. I guess Honda is making headway in terms of the design of their hydrogen-powered cell cars.

Friday, February 22, 2008

InvisibleSHIELD video

A word from our sponsors:

Check out this invisibleSHIELD video



Just look at the strength of this thing. Now imagine putting that on your laptop or mobile phone! I have to admit that's pretty impressive considering that the video seems not altered though I have to agree with some of the comments on the video that it's not like you're going to put 1000 pounds of weight on your laptop or mobile phone. But still--quite still pretty impressive.

Hawaiians get Unlimited Mobile Phone calls from Boost

Boost Mobile has recently launched its ts Unlimited by Boost flat-rate wireless service in Hawaii. Residents of Hawaii will be able to make unlimited national and nationwide long distance calls and since this service is from Boost, there will be no need for contracts, credit checks or activation fees.

Boost Mobile will be offering 3 Unlimited By Boost flat rate service plans: The Unlimited Talk for $35 a month, the Unlimited Talk & Text for $40 a month, and the Unlimited Talk, Text, Web for $45 a month. Users can also opt to expand their home calling area so that it will include North and South California and Las Vegas for an additional $5 per month, those making or receiving calls outside their home calling area will be charged 15 cents per minute.

Website Review: CruiserStyle.com


Cruiserstyle.com is another niche retail store that sells what else but—cruiser bikes. CruiserStyle mostly carries beach cruiser bicycles from Greenline and XYZ. You won’t see any mountain bikes here and don’t even think about using the bikes you have here on rough roads. Beach Cruisers are specifically designed for flat surface and have low speeds so it is best used on hard packed sands. Most of the models you see seemed old fashioned, that’s because beach cruisers have become popular in the 1950s and these cruisers’ fat tires and wide handlebars is what makes them good on the beach.

The site though only carrying cruiser bikes from two manufacturers, have a variety of models on hand. Their bikes are categorized into Womens' Cruisers - 26", Womens' Cruisers - 24", Mens' Cruisers - 26", Men's Cruisers - 24", Mens' Cruisers - Big & Tall, Lowriders & Choppers, and Kids' Cruisers but you can browser by manufacturers: Greenline or XYZ. If you already have a beach cruiser, this site also has parts and accessories for your cruiser. The website is new so maybe we can expect more bikes from different manufacturers. If you live on the beach or you’re just nostalgic and want to have a cruiser bike to get around your town, you might want to check out this website.

2009 Volvo XC60


Volvo has just released photos of its upcoming 2009 Volvo XC60 which will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Convention on March 4th. The 2009 Volvo XC60 is a crossover that the muscle of an SUV with the charisma of a sport coupe.

Of course, a Volvo car wouldn't be a Volvo without the safety features and the 2009 Volvo XC60 is equipped with the most advanced Volvo safety feature to date—City Safety. The City Safety feature on the XC60 can automatically apply the brakes on the car if it detects that it will collide with the vehicle in front in low-speed situations like in city traffic.

All 2009 Volvo XC60 will have the turbocharged T6 engine which can produce 284 horsepower and the All Wheel Drive with Instant Traction.
The 2009 XC60 will be available in Europe in the Fall of 2008 and in the North American market in early 2009.

Online Dating Site for Black Singles

A word from our sponsors:

BlackLoveMatcher.com is an online dating website that caters to single Black Women and Men. BlackLoveMatcher.com has foregone the usual 500 questions in their profiles and allows users to freely connect with any users online. This dating website dedicated to the African community will allow users to create their own personal profiles as well as upload unlimited photos. Connect to other members via email or chat with them instantly. The website is very easy to navigate and features a casual and pleasing design. You can instantly create your profile in one easy step unlike other online dating sites. And probably the best thing about BlackLoveMatcher.com is that it’s free to join.

UK LCD Wall Bracket Store


While most LCD TVs that are purchased from retail stores come with free lcd tv bracket, these are just standard wall mounts and most of the time, the quality of which is questionable. If you’re a true HDTV fanatic, you know that you need to take care of your investment and standard tv brackets just won’t do specially if you’re installing your LCD TV in your bedroom and you need a wall bracket that can tilt in varying degrees.

AVNow.co.uk is a website that specializes in lcd wall brackets as well as cables and accessories that will help you built your perfect Home Theater. The website has universal wall mounts that can fit any brand of LCD TVs and their wall brackets range from tilting wall brackets to tv brackets that can be pulled out, tilted and turned. Too bad AVNow only ships within the United Kingdom but if you’re in the UK, AVNow’s prices are inclusive of VAT and delivery charge so you can be assured that you’re getting the best bang for your buck, plus they have a price match promise wherein they will match the best price you’ve seen on other stores. Their bracket finder is also very easy to use and you can easily find the best wall bracket that will fit your LCD TV model.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Furniture From Home

Furniture from home is your one stop shop of for all your furniture needs. This website allows you to shop for your furniture without having to leave the comforts of your home. They have a very comprehensive range of bedroom furniture ranging from, Sleigh Bed, Queen Beds, and King Beds. They also offer a variety of dining room furniture and they even have counter height tables. Their website has a nice layout and every furniture has a picture and you can easily find your furniture by using their advanced search or their selected categories such as room, style and color.

Samsung M520 Now available on Sprint


Previously available only on Qwest's network, the Samsung M520 is now available in Sprint's Mobile Network. The Samsung M520 is your average slider phone which is 13mm thick.

Running on Sprint's EvDO network, the Samsung M520 can access Sprint's services such as Sprint Navigation for turn by turn navigations powered by Telenav, Sprint Music Store, Sprint TVSM, etc. The 2.1 inch 262k color screen of the Samsung M520 allows you to enjoy Sprint's mobile sports and entertainment video programming network.

The Samsung M520 also allows you to enjoy your music, the expandable microSD slot will allow users to use up to 2GB of memory and the since this phonehas Bluetooth A2DP profile, you can wirelessly listen to your music using Bluetooth stereo headsets.

The Samsung M520 also features a 1.3 megapixel camera and is now available at Sprint for $49.99 after a $50 mail in rebate and the usual 2 year lock in period.

Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery


A word from our sponsors: (The following links would lead to a medical site and may contain nudity)

Everyone knows that the best plastic surgeons are in Beverly Hills, after all, this is the place where Hollywood stars are made and discovered and the best place to find beautiful people. Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery is a clinic dedicated to making people beautiful so that they can feel good about themselves. They specialize in several plastic surgery procedures such as facelift, Rhinoplasty, Breast Augmentation, Liposuction, Tummy Tuck, Skin resurfacing, Botox, and many others.

In Los Angeles tummy tuck to improve your physique is not uncommon. In fact, most pregnant women, who after giving birth, find themselves with excess fat around their belly undergo tummy tucks to improve the contours of their body. This procedure involves making an incision within the bikini line under the abdomen and then the exces skin and fat are removed and the muscle beneath the fast, tightened.

In Beverly Hills breast augmentation to improve a woman’s overall appearance is also very common. Most women in Beverly Hills who undergo breast augmentation either do these in the hopes of increasing their chances of being discovered in Hollywood while others do it to replace the breast contour which is lost after pregnancy.

And in California Rhinoplasty to improve one’s facial appearance has been a common method. Rhinoplasty most often results in a dramatic effect in one’s facial appearance since the nose is the most prominent part of the face. Rhinoplasty or “nose jobs” as what it is commonly called can improve one’s self confidence and is one of the most common procedures that plastic surgeons in California have been performing.

All of these procedures can be done by Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery whose founder and medical director, Lloyd M. Krieger, MD is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the UCLA Division of Plastic Surgery.

Need for Speed ProStreet Now on PSP

Need for Speed ProStreet for PSP will be shipping to retailers across North America starting February 22nd.

Need for Speed ProStreet features new in-game features such as Driver Persona and Driver Intuition which you can use to tailor your driving experience according to your ability and skill. The Need for Speed ProStreet also features 35 cars and three new ones that are not yet available in the North American Market: 2009 GT-R, 2008 Porsche 911 GT2 and 2008 Mitsubishi Evo X.

The Need for Speed ProStreet will have a retail price of $39.99.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

How to Start Your Plumbing Career in the UK

Plumbing isn't a job that some people might want to get into. It's that kind of get down and dirty job, however, the pay is very lucrative; as you might know if you yourself have called the Plumber and seen their ridiculously expensive bill. However, plumbing skills doesn't come naturally and reading do it yourself books doesn't really help. Like any other career, Plumbing requires training and dedication. Avand.co.uk is a website that helps you find Plumbing Training Courses in your area.

The first steps in becoming a plumber in the UK is enroll in Avand's 6129 course which will teach you the basic of plumbing. Throughout the course, you will learn plumbing basics such as cutting and bending copper tubes until you have the skills required to install Hot and cold water systems, Bathroom suites, and leadworking and fault diagnosis.

If you already have basic plumbing knowledge and have been doing some DIY plumbing work, you may opt to enroll in Avand's 4 week course wherein you can obtain the following certifications: BPEC Water Reguations, City & Guilds 6032 Domestic copper pipe installation and sanitary ware installation, Energy Efficiency Certificate, or a BPEC Unvented Hot water Certificate.

Mtron's 128GB Solid State Drive (SSD)

It looks like more and more laptops will be incorporating solid state drives in the near future as Mtron, a Korean based company has just finished development of a 1.8 inch ZIF type SSD for laptops.

Solid State Drives, according to some industry experts enables laptops to boot up faster because it has no moving parts and enhances notebook performance, however, most test done on current laptops with solid state drives, like the MacBook Air, reveals that there is a very minimal increase in boot up time. One disadvantage of Solid State drives is that it increases the price of laptops and before Mtron's 128GB SSD, the highest capacity SSD drive we've seen so far is only 32GB.

As more and more companies like Mtron try to develop solid state drives, hard disk drives may be replaced in the near future.

How to prevent foreclosure

The ongoing Subprime Mortgage crisis in the US has left more people homeless and more and more people are wary of their investments or how they manage their debt. As more and more people come to the US looking for their American dream, here are just a few tips in order to prevent your investment from being foreclosed.

  1. Improve your credit score. While some people just brush aside their credit score, this could have an impact on your mortgage. The better your credit score, the greater the chance that you will be offered a lower interest rate and thus, saving you money on your mortgage in the long run.
  2. Analyze your amortization. Though short term mortgages provide lesser interest, see to it that you can meet your monthly amortization. Take into consideration the company you’re working for and your savings so in case you lose your job, it would still be likely that you can make amortization payments for some time.
  3. Save. If you have extra money, make prepayments of your amortization, this way, in case an economic crisis comes and you lose your job, you’re month’s ahead of your amortization payments and you don’t have to worry about making payment while you’re job hunting.
  4. Look for houses in the suburbs. According to a news article at Money Magic, more people move out of London and into the suburbs to take advantage of lower house prices. Choosing a home that entails some extra minutes on your commute could mean big savings when it comes to your mortgage amortization.
These are just some tips in order to prevent foreclosure, remember to do some extra research so that your home is always protected.

Sony Ericsson EC400g Mobile Broadband GPS ExpressCard


For those looking for a 3G capable aircard or Mobile Broadband ExpressCard with built-in GPS, you might want to take a look at the Sony Ericsson EC400g. Most aircard available in the market are only compatible with PCMCIA Type II slot and we all know that almost all new laptops did away with their PCMCIA Type II slot for the ExpresssCard slot so the Sony Ericsson EC400g will be amongst the few 3G aircard that is compatible with ExpressCard slots.

The Sony Ericsson EC400g is compatible with HSPA/UMTS 850/1900/2100 MHz or 850/900/1800/1900 MHz networks. If you're connected to a HSPA network the Sony Ericsson EC400g will allow you to connect to the internet at 7.2 Mb/s in download and 2.0 Mb/s in upload speeds. Plus, the Sony Ericsson EC400g has a built-in GPS so whenever you're in a new city, you can just connect to Google Maps without looking for a WiFi signal or you can buy Garmin's navigation software for laptop.

The Sony Ericsson EC400g will be available starting the middle of 2008. No word as to pricing yet.

Sales Training

Have you ever come upon a salesman who doesn’t seem to know what he’s talking about? Or did you ever encounter a salesman who’s so good that it seems that he could sell air conditioners to Eskimos? A good salesman may have acquired his talent naturally but natural salesmen are hard to come by that’s why some undergo Sales Training. AS-SA, a UK company can help you train your personnel so that you achieve your business’ sales target.



As-Sa’s training methods includes: Sales Training, Coaching, Mentoring, Workshop Facilitation, and an On-Line Academy. AS-SA’s sales course involves basic sales training as well as more comprehensive courses designed to teach your salespeople how to win more business. Some of AS-SA’s sales courses include: Key Account development, developing relationships and managing accounts, sales starters, telephone techniques, and major account selling skills among others.

As-Sa’s Sales starters course is a 2 day basic course which tackles the buying and sales cycles, verbal skills that is needed to get your point across to your clients and some basic skills of prospecting such as territory research, telephone use and use of mail shots. As-Sa’s various training course can very well help your company increase your sales.






Tuesday, February 19, 2008

R.I.P HD DVD

And it's official, HD DVD will finally rest in peace. After severely struggling after Warner announced that it would go Blu-ray, Toshiba never came up after that hit. And after similar announcements from Wal-Mart and Best Buy, it was only a matter of time before Toshiba finally raises the white flag--and that time is now. Here's a run down of Toshiba's press release. Good-bye HD DVD, we hardly knew thee *sniff!*

Toshiba to Redirect HD DVD Investments Towards New Digital Business

Strategies


WAYNE, N.J., Feb. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Toshiba America Consumer Products,

L.L.C. ("Toshiba") today announced that it has completed a thorough review

of its overall strategy for HD DVD and as a result of recent market

developments, the company has decided to discontinue sales and marketing of

HD DVD players. Accordingly, Toshiba will begin to cease shipments of its

HD DVD products to retail channels.


"While we continue to believe HD DVD is the best format for consumers,

based on its technological advancements and the value and quality inherent

in our player offerings, recent market developments have led us to the

decision to choose new and different paths," said Yoshi Uchiyama, Group

Vice President of Toshiba's Digital A/V Marketing Group.


In an effort to contribute to the sound development of the audio-video

market and bring the full benefits of new digital technologies to

consumers, the company will shift its resources into the creation of new

business strategies that leverage the vast technological resources of

Toshiba.


Furthermore, Toshiba will remain committed to standard DVD business,

and the company will continue to market their leading line-up of DVD

players.


Ongoing Customer Commitment


Dedicated to customer support, Toshiba will continue to provide full

product support and after sales service. Customers can contact, 1-888-MY

HDDVD (1-888-694-3383) for answers to general questions and operational

assistance for HD DVD.

Monday, February 18, 2008

The Samsung CLP-660ND


The Samsung CLP-660ND is another color laser printer from Samsung which has been recently released.

Specifications

The Samsung CLP-660ND is a bit on the bulky side with dimensions of 17 x 17 x 16.8 (W x D x H) and weighs around 56 pounds. This color laser printer has a Samsung 533 MHz and SPGPxm graphics processor with a memory of 128MB expandable to 640MB. The Samsung CLP-660ND can connect via USB 2.0 and is network ready with its 10/100 Base-TX Ethernet.

Printing Performance


From the product specifications of the Samsung CLP-660ND, printing speeds of black and color prints can take up to 25 pages per minute while first page print out will take less than 14 seconds if the printer is on Ready. Printing resolutions is 2400 x 600 dpi and it has a monthly duty cycle of 80,000 pages per month. The Samsung CLP-660ND can handle 250 sheets in its cassette and 100 sheets on its multipurpose tray, an optional paper cassette can further increase its paper input capacity to 500 sheets more. This color laser printer has an output capacity of 200 sheets and can handle a variety of paper sizes ranging from 3 x 5 to 8.5 x 14 as well as different paper types from plain paper, envelopes, to card stocks. If your office handles large documents everyday, the expandable memory of the Samsung CLP-660ND printer will ensure that there'll be no delays in printing.

Pricing and Availability

The Samsung CLP-660ND is already available nationwide with a suggested retail price of $699.99.

Toshiba shares rise after rumours of HD DVD Pull Out

After taking a hit from Warner for announcing that it would go Blu-ray exclusive and several announcments followed by big retailers such as Best Buy and Walmart, I thought that Toshiba would need wheelchair lifts just so it could get back on the HD format war bandwagon again but it seems that the company will be raising the white flag soon and that rumour seems to have made several investors happy since Toshiba shares went up 5% today.

If that's any indication to Toshiba, I think it's time to confirm this rumour and just concentrate on what they do best--laptops.

The new Ford Fiesta


The Ford Fiesta is Ford's newest small family car. Although the Ford Fiesta production model is yet to be formally unveiled at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show in March, Ford said that the Fiesta will take on the look of their Verve Concept car which was previously shown at the North American Auto Show.

The Ford Fiesta will be the global name of the company's small car. Production for the Ford Fiesta in Europe will start in Fall of this year while it will be launched in Asia and North America between 2008 and 2010.

Real Estate Software

A word from our sponsors:If you're a real estate agent, you know how hard it is to keep track of your clients. Well, a new software may be able to help you in that area. AgentOrganizer is a real estate software that can help you organize your contacts, appointments and tasks. However, this is not only a task management software, with AgentOrganizer, you can also keep track and manage your listings as well as finances.Other real estate software charges you a subscription every month but AgentOrganizer will only cost you a one time payment of $149. You can download full copy of AgentOrganizer and try it for free for 15 days. That's risk free on your part.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Toshiba to withdraw HD DVD

I've just read on Yahoo! News that Toshiba is planning on putting an end to their HD DVD format and thus officially ending the format wars. According to the news report, a source within Toshiba said that the company is planning to pull the plug on HD DVD.

Oh well, chalk that one up to experience, Toshiba. Maybe in the next few years when there'll be another format war--you'll end up winning. After all, it took Sony a second format war to win. :)

Immigration Law Forums

A brief word from our sponsors:

We all know that America is home to millions of immigrants all looking for the American Dream. While some are successful, others have no luck and even face some problems with immigration laws. If you're having trouble or your looking for some resources for immigration laws, what better way to find it than an immigration law forum. VisaAmigo.com has just recently launched their immigration law forum where users post questions about immigration law issues and it is answered by a licensed immigration attorney. The best part is this resource is FREE! Yep, you heard it right, FREE. Consultations with attorneys usually cost but this time, your queries will be answered for free. At this time, their knowledge database is still relatively few but it will increase over time so feel free to post your question and have it answered right away.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Rinspeed's sQuba: The underwater car

The sQuba on land
We've seen cars that can float on water and of course, there's the Terrafuga flying concept car but the sQuba is the first underwater car. If you've seen the James Bond Movie, the Spy who loved me, you're probably familiar the cool sports car that James Bond was driving which can submerged underwater, well now it's a reality, thanks to sQuba. The sQuba doesn't only dive underwater, it can move like a fish underwater too. While most military submersible vehicles can only drive through the submerged ground, the sQuba can “fly” underwater.

The sQuba while underwater

The sQuba runs on electric engines and has three motors, one motor provides power for driving through land while the other two propels the sQuba underwater. Check the action shots to see just how cool the sQuba is. As you can see, the sQuba is an open car even underwater, the passengers breath through compressed air tank used for scuba diving.

Passengers breath through compressed air tank while the sQuba is underwaterThe car is powered by rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries so it means it's a zero emission car. If your within the vicinity of the Geneva Auto Show, you should definitely check the sQuba out.


Wednesday, February 13, 2008

BLOGROLL

Interested in adding your blog to my blogroll? Click the how to reach me button above. Aside from your adding your links in my blogroll, you will also get a chance to be featured in my "From my blogroll" segment wherein I'll feature a story from your blog and link back to your post.

A look at Spock.com

There’s a new search engine in town: Spock.com. Unlike Google or Yahoo, Spock.com is a search engine with a niche: people. It’s the first people search engine where you can search for people by name, e-mail, even by description such as color of hair, their job, etc. You can even find any Actress Singer on Spock.com .

Spock uses information from a variety of online information such as Wikipedia, myspace, blogs, whois information, etc. I was surprised when I did a search for my name and my whois information turned up. I was a bit concerned at first but I guess my whois information is public so I guess if I want privacy, I have to opt for that private whois thingy that Bigdaddy is offering. Spock may be a good source of information for finding someone you’ve just met but can’t get a hold of because all you have is their first name. You can just type in their name, description and the place you think may be their location and that’s it. However, Spock is fairly new and their database is not that comprehensive but if you tried searching for a person you know but they didn’t turn up on Spock, you can ask Spock to index that person once you’ve registered to their service.

DLP Pico: Mobile Phone Projector

The DLP Pico in action at the Mobile World Congress
Over at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Texas Instruments announced that it is planning to release the DLP Pico. The DLP Pico is a small projector that can be used in cell phones and the company is planning to release it in the second half of 2008.

Techon reported that Texas Instruments demonstrated the capability of their DLP Pico at the Mobile World Congress and the device was able to project images 1m away. However, as Techon noted, the company didn't demonstrate how the DLP Pico handles moving images so we won't know exactly if the device is capable or if it is, how well can moving images be shown.


Make Yourself Amazing

A brief word from our sponsors:

Make Yourself Amazing or MYA is a website that offers cosmetic surgery as well as information on various cosmetic procedures that are available. If you're thinking of undergoing cosmetic surgery, this site is a good resource so you can have an overview of the different procedures that will be done. MYA also offers articles related to cosmetic surgery news. Their news articles doesn't only tackle surveys or polls regarding cosmetic surgery but also articles about stars who might have had undergone cosmetic surgery.

If anything else, MYA’s cosmetic surgery news page is a good source of gossip regarding stars who have gone under the knife or who have had Breast Enlargement procedure. Their article about Victoria Beckham’s rumored liposuction is interesting as it was noted by a cosmetic surgeon.



LG KF600 introduced at the Mobile World Congress


At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, LG has unveiled yet another phone: the LG KF600. The InteractPad is the most innovative feature of the LG KF600, it replaces the navigation keys and has a multi-sensorial feedback which vibrates and makes a "clicking" sound when pressed.

The LG KF600 is a thin slider phone and has a 3 mega pixel camera, FM Radio, Bluetooth, and a multimedia player. In effect, the LG KF600 has two screens, the larger 2 inch screen is the regular display while the 1.5 inch screen below houses the InteractPad.

According the LG, the LG KF600 will be available starting January. Check out this LG KF600 Review.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

How to save on presents for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is just two days away, have you already shopped for your Valentine’s day present for your loved ones? I know that some of you may have thought about “skipping giving presents” for Valentine’s Day but here’s a tip for my guy readers: don’t fall for that “skip presents” line. Go out there or surf the web and find a present for your significant other RIGHT NOW! Most of the times—well, I’m only talking about my opinion here but a lot of my girlfriends also share the same thought: we just say “let’s skip giving presents” but deep inside, we’re hoping that you would surprise us with something special. Yes, it’s confusing but just call it a “girl thing” when we say something but mean the other.

So if you haven’t bough a present yet, surf the web now! And don’t forget to search for coupon codes to help you save on your online purchases. A few tips about presents: flowers never fail and are never out of style so look for 1800flowers.com coupons and of course, jewelry is a woman’s best friend. Target coupons offers free shipping for every $50 spent on jewelry. So as soon as you read this, open a new tab on your browser and start shopping like made because you only have two days till Valentine’s Day.

Overview: Sony DPF-V700 Digital Photo Frame


Have you ever wished you could just shrink down your Bravia television so that you can display your photos on it every time? Well, you can stop wondering since Sony has released their first ever digital picture frame, and one of them is their 7 inch high end digital frame, the Sony DPF-V700.

Features

The Sony DPF-V700 offers a 7 inch high contrast LCD panel that offers superior and photo realistic image quality. The Sony DPF-V700 also has a BIONZ processor so that you don't have to scale down your larger sized image files since it can quickly process it. With this digital photo frame, you won't have to go to your desktop PC to edit your pictures and then load it because it features an auto enhancement function. The Sony DPF-V700's auto enhancement function includes auto red-eye reduction, skin smoothing and exposure and focus correction. The Sony DPF-V700 also features an auto orientation sensor that detects if the image was taken in landscape or portrait mode and displays the picture accordingly, plus if you have guests coming, you can connect it to your HDTV via the HD output

Availability

The Sony DPF-V700 will be available throughout Europe in May and will be a good home accent for Sony fanboy/girls alike whose homes are already laden with Sony products.

Wikinvest: a new investing research portal

If you’re a budding investor, but you’d like to do a little more in depth research about a company rather than just rely on their “about us” page, then this site: WikiInvest.com might just be able to help you. This website works much like any online Wiki Resource; people work together to contribute information and link to other online information much like Wikipedia. Some might argue that you also can get information about a company on Wikipedia—true, but Wikipedia gives just an overview while Wikinvest gives investors the much needed information investors are looking for so that they could decide whether to invest their money on that company or not.

Take this article on their research on Sprint Nextel. While Wikipedia’s entry on Sprint Nextel focuses more on the company’s service, the article of Wikinvest, tackles the company’s market, pricing, effect of the economy, etc. Aside from that, Wikinvest also have separate pages where users can put in bullish or bearish analysis of the company. A bullish analysis refers to an investor’s optimistic outlook about a company while bearish is an investor’s pessimistic outlook/analysis of companies. Research articles on wikinvest also has a real-time chart of the company’s stock movement.

Business Management Software

The main thing today is to find the best software that will suit you. For example, you got a very important project for your company and that is why you need to find special PM software that will give you an opportunity to finish this work in time and of course spend not so much money and efforts on it. For example, this kind of software may contain email management tools for sending e-mails. Also with the help of these tools you can send information about the results of your work to your customers and partners. This software is compatible with windows and so easy to use. So it will help you to improve your business.

Escali Avia Digital Kitchen Scale



Not all digital kitchen scales are created equal, take this Escali Avia scale. The Escali Avia digital kitchen scale can weigh in pounds, grams, ounces--and even fractions of an ounce, so you can be sure that your measurements are accurate right down to the last decimal point.

The Escali Avia kitchen scale comes in variety of colors to fit your kitchen decor and comes with a frosted glass bowl that is dishwasher safe, plus the tare function on the Escali Avia kitchen scale won't add in the weight of the bowl, saving you the trouble of having to subtract any numbers, after all, digital kitchen scales are for your accurate measurements and convenience. The Escali Avia digital kitchen scale runs on 4 AAA batteries, and has a maximum capacity of 11 lbs. or 5 kg.

HP W2408 Review


HP makes good products with nice specs and comes in a variety of price range that can fit anyone's budget, like this HP W2408, but let's face it, their customer service sucks. And if you think that HP's customer service only sucks here in the States, you're wrong, it sucks EVERYWHERE.

ADVANTAGES:

First, the HP W2408 has a GORGEOUS screen. Colors are vibrant and alive and text readability is excellent. The HP W2408 has a 1920 x 1200 native resolution so be sure to set your graphics card or your settings to its native resolution to enjoy the optical quality of the HP W2408. The 1000:1 contrast ratio on the HP W2408 allows you to view pitch black colors, bright whites and vibrant colors, this is an excellent monitor if you want to convert your PC to high definition ready, plus it's HDCP ready so if you ever decide to pop in an internal Blu-ray or HD DVD player on your PC, you'll enjoy watching it. There are also a lot of connectivity options on the HP W2408, it has 4 built-in USB ports, and a DVI and VGA connection so its virtually compatible with any PC.

DISADVANTAGES:

I'm a little bit disappointed that the HP W2408 only has DVI connection, it would have been great if they added HDMI since this, added with its HDCP capabilities would truly make this the ultimate for monitor for your High Definition Video-Ready PC. Viewing angle also fairly limited on the HP W2408, you have to sit at a certain distance and angle to appreciate it but if you decide to use it to watch High definition videos with your friends, some might complain about not seeing the pictures clearly.

CONCLUSION:

The HP W2408 is still a great monitor despite its limited viewing angle, after all, it IS a monitor and not an LCD TV so it's designed to be used and enjoyed by one user head one with no viewing angles. If you're upgrading your PC to make it the ultimate PC for high def video viewing, get this one, otherwise if you want want a standard LCD monitor, the premium price of the HP W2408 over other 24 inch monitors is not worth it.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Buy Burton Snowboards

A brief word from our sponsors:

I know that winter is just ending but snowboarders might want to get the cheapest discount now that the winter season is ending. ChristySports has Burton snowboards on sale on their online store. What better way to end Winter than stock up on winter goods and gear like jackets, pants, boots, goggles, helmets, and gloves. ChristySports have new 2008 snowboard gear coming in everyday and if you're planning on visiting the Rockies for some snowboard fun, ChristySports also have storefronts across Colorado and Utah. However, if you plan on doing your snowboarding abroad, have your gear delivered right at your doorstep since ChristySports offer free UPS shipping on all orders over $75.



Palm Treo 755p Review

Palm Treo 755p blue
While I'm not exactly a Palm fan, I was able to get my hands on the Palm Treo 755p from Sprint for a few days as a friend loaned it to me. If you don't own a Palm device but you own a Windows Mobile device, handling a Palm can only take a few minutes of getting used to since the navigation menu on this device is very user friendly.

The Palm Treo 755p runs on Sprint's CDMA 2000 1X EV-DO network and has the Palm OS 5.4.9 as its operating system. The Palm Treo 755p has a built in 128 MB of memory and can be expanded using a miniSD card. The device also has a 2.5 inch TFT touch screen with 65k colors and 320 x 240 resolution.

Palm, as many of you know has revolutionized the smart phone, however, because of lack of new products it has been pushed back by competitors such as the iPhone and smart phones from Nokia and other cellphone manufacturers. Though I'm really not a Palm fan, I was surprised that I liked using the 755p. The Intel 312 MHz Xscale processor on this device can run applications smoothly with minimal hang-ups which makes it great for running the different applications preloaded on the Palm Treo 755p such as SprintTV, PocketTunes, Web Browser, Instant Messenger, Palm Desktop Software, etc.

I like the fact that the Palm Treo 755p can handle the three different Instant Messaging Clients-Yahoo, AIM, and Windows. This Palm device also has built-in support for Microsoft's Direct Push Technology so you can have access to corporate email, that is, if your company supports push email technology. However, the damper is that even though the Palm Treo allows you to have access to your IM accounts and corporate email, it lacks WiFi connection so you're limited to using Sprint's EvDO network, the upside is Sprint's network is still relatively fast compared with AT&T's EDGE network.

The Palm Treo 755p also has an integrated 2 mega pixel camera however I was disappointed to find out that the picture quality doesn't really meet my standards. I'm now starting to wonder if a smart phone with good camera quality really does exist as most smart phones that I have come across only has subpar picture quality.

The Palm Treo 755p also doesn't have a Bluetooth A2DP profile so audio streaming using your Stereo Bluetooth headset is out of the question. The built-in PocketTunes allows you to listen to your music but you're limited to listening to MP3s, WAV and MIDI formats, if you want to listen to WMA audio, you need to upgrade your current PocketTunes software.

Overall, I have to say that the Palm Treo 755p is more geared towards business individuals. The subpar camera quality and the limited music playing capability doesn't really make the Palm Treo 755p an ideal all-in-one smartphone device.

How to send Flowers Online

Valentine's Day is just a few days away and if you still have no idea what you're going to get your lady-love then just stick to the basics: valentines day flowers. Flowers will always melt any girls' heart. However, if you don't know squat about flowers or if you're overseas then this might create a problem. Thankfully, there's always the internet to help you. There are literally thousands of websites that offer to deliver flowers to your significant other on Valentine's day and one of these websites is 1800flowers.com.

Unlike other online flower delivery sites, 1800flowers.com's search feature can let you search for flowers by design, occasion, flower type, or by popularity. And if you’re feeling a little more romantic, you can add additional gifts such as teddy bears or chocolates. The website has a very attractive layout as well as easy to navigate interface so you'll never get lost and ordering is as simple as point and click.


Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 Promotional Videos

Have you seen the promotional video of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1? Well, here it is.


I have to say that the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 is probably the best iPhone killer yet. It has everything the iPhone doesn't have especially the QWERTY keyboard. Well, these videos just makes me want to go out and buy one. Can't wait till this has been released. I was going to get the HTC TyTN II but after seeing this, I'm going to hold off upgrading my phone for a while. Here's the full video but I wish Sony Ericsson just did away with the paper airplanes and featured the phone more. I mean, they ARE selling the phone, right, and not the paper airplanes.



RELATED POSTS:

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1

How to save on your Dell Purchases

A brief word from our sponsors:

Dell has launched many new products these past few months and I know you're itching to buy any one of these. I for one would like to get my hands on the Dell UltraSharp 3008WFP, Dell Latitude XT, and especially the Dell XPS M1530. One way to save on your purchases especially if you’re going to do your shopping online is to look for a dell coupon. WebbyPlanet.com has all the coupons you need to help you save on your online tech purchases.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1

Look who's running Windows Mobile! Sony Ericsson is joining the likes of Motorola, LG, and Samsung and is releasing their first Windows Mobile handset—the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1.

Though the name leaves something to be desired, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 looks good on paper. According to Microsoft's press release, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 is HSDPA and WiFi capable. It also features a unique arc slider with wide-pitch and has a high finish metal body. Like most smart phones in the market, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 has a QWERTY keyboard and boasts of a 3 inch screen.

I don't have exactly any picture of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 but if you happen to be in the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, head on over to Sony Ericsson's booth and and send me a shot—please?

No word as to when it will be available and its price but who's willing to take a bet that the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 will marketed as another iPhone killer?

UPDATE:

Finally got a hold on the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 via their press release. So here it is:




Related Posts:

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 Promotional Videos
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Sony Ericsson W890i Walkman Phone

The LG-KF510


The GSMA Mobile World Congress 2008 is not until February 11th 2008 but mobile phone manufacturers have been handing out press releases about their new mobile phones. One of these phones is the LG-KF510. The LG-KF510 is a slider phone that sports a sleek design, almost reminiscent of Samsung's slider phones.

DESIGN

The LG-KF510 is made from metal frame and tempered glass and is only 10.3 mm thick. The center of the LG-KF510 is a metal gradation paint scheme and consumers can choose from Stardust Dark Gray or Sunset Red.

Features

The controls on the front panel of the LG-KF510 are touch sensitive, probably like the music controls on Motorola's Razr2 phone line. It also has a 3.0 mega pixel camera and an MP3 player. That's just about all the features I can say because LG's press release didn't mention much about the features so we wouldn't know for sure if this mobile phone is as feature-packed as LG's previous releases.

Availability

LG didn't mention any price for the LG-KF510, however, the company did announce that the phone will be available starting March 2008 in all major global markets.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Lead Managment Software

AIMpromote is a website that offers lead management software. Lead Management is essentially, a business practice that involves methodologies and systems that would lead to acquisition of new customers. While most companies use customer relationship management software, AIMpromote’s lead management software has taken away the complex features of traditional CRM software so that a company’s sales team can focus more on making that sale.

If you have an online business, one feature of AIMpromote’s lead management software that is not available on their competitor’s software is the integrated affiliate tracking feature. Rather than pay your affiliates blindly, without knowing if ever generate sales for you, the affiliate tracking will enable you to decide how much you’re willing to pay your affiliates based on the number of unique visits, leads or sales generated by them.

If your business involves generating leads for your clients, AIMpromote’s software will enable you to resell your leads. Also, if you use multiple websites to promote your business, AIMpromote’s web analytics feature offers a comprehensive analysis about those websites. It can track unique visitors, the page views, the percentage of visitors that filled out any inquiry form, and how many of those inquiries turned into actual sales. These analytics will help you decide which domains are profitable and which are just wasting your resources so that you can focus your campaigns on the websites that generate the most sales for you.

Check out AIMPromote’s comparison of features with their competitors so you can make a more informed decision

Difference between Nokia N95 and Nokia N95 8GB

The bigger screen of the Nokia n95 8GB compared with Nokia N95 makes watching videos more fun
If you already own a Nokia N95 then there's really no need to go into a very detailed review of the Nokia N95 8GB since it is pretty much the same in terms of performance with a little bit of improvement in some specifications here and there.

SPECIFICATIONS

The Nokia N95 8GB is a quadband GSM phone and like its predecessor, it is capable of high speed 3G and HSDPA connections. In terms of design, there's really not much difference, the Nokia N95 8GB retained the slider form function except that the slider has slightly improved over the older version and it is relatively heavier though you won't really notice the weight. I just noticed it when I compared the Nokia N95 8GB specs over the old model. It also has a larger screen at 2.8 inch and it retained the 5 mega pixel camera. I think that the big difference lies in the fact that the Nokia N95 8GB now has no expansion slot, only the 8GB onboard memory.

ADVANTAGES:

What I liked most is that the Nokia N95 8GB's slider is less prone to shifting due to its improved slider mechanism. The buttons on the Nokia N95 8GB has also improved with the music keys more raised thus giving a more tactile feel. The most noticeable improvement however, lies in it's larger screen. Pictures and videos are now more bright and sharper compared with the older model. The removable of the expansion card slot, for me, is a double edge sword for the Nokia N95 8GB. The advantage of an onboard memory is that you're no longer limited to the size of your memory card. You can now bring with you more music and videos without carrying any extra memory card.

DISADVANTAGES:

Like I said, the removal of the onboard memory on the Nokia N95 8GB also has its disadvantages. Though you're no longer limited to the size of your memory card, you are limited to the onboard memory which is 8GB. Though 8GB is ample enough for some people, it's still not enough for music and movie fans. Some would like onboard memory AND removable storage so that they can easily transfer files from one device to another, besides, with the advances in technology nowadays, memory cards now has up to 16GB capacity and you could miss out on that extra storage. Another annoying thing about the Nokia N95 8GB is that every time you slide the phone to multimedia mode, it changes to landscape mode but it doesn't automatically revert back and you have to do it manually.

CONCLUSION:

If you own the original N95, the 8GB version doesn't really offer much to make you want to upgrade except of course, if REALLY need a larger screen and onboard memory. For those of you who are contemplating between the two Nokia N95, it's always nice to have the extra features and the premium of the Nokia N95 8GB over the old model may be worth it.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Massage Chairs

A brief word from our sponsors:

Massage Chairs are great gadgets that would relieve anyone's stress. Human Touch Massage Chairs uses advanced robotic massage technology that emulates human-like massages. Unlike other massage chairs that would just vibrate, Human Touch Massage chairs can replicate the rolling, kneading, and other massage techniques of masseuse. Human Touch massage chairs also incorporate automatic programs so you can customize and zoom in on your problem areas or you can have a full-body massage. Every Human Touch Massage chairs follow the contours of your body to provide you with a relaxing massage experience without ever hiring a professional masseuse.

Toyota's Navi Brake Assist hopes to minimize reckless drivers

Reckless drivers are one of the major cause of accidents on road. They try to beat red lights or worse--don't even stop at them thus accounting for most of road accidents. Toyota hopes to minimize those kind of accidents with their Navi Brake Assist. This system hopes to reduce collisions at stops signs. By taking information from the map data stored on in-car navigation systems, Navi Brake Assist will inform drivers of stop signs and will assist them in braking when the driver suddenly applies the brake in response to the information.

Toyota will deploy the Navi Brake Assist on their new car models that will be launched in Japan.

Romantic gadget gift idea

If you're a gadget geek, chances are, your significant other would probably think that you're just as romantic as a trip to their dentist, well, here's the chance to prove your significant other wrong; some gadget gift ideas this Valentine's day to sweep your love one off their feet or boost your chances of getting back together with them.

1. LED NAME BADGE

Sure, it's not romantic in itself but show up at her doorstep with a bunch of flowers and stick this LED Name badge on your flowers to double as gift card (don't forget to input a romantic quote but a sweet "i love you will do), be sure to show up at night for extra effect.

2. Mini Mushroom Lamp

Surprise her by lighting up her room with a few of these scattered about plus some rose petals. Again, best done at night or when the room is darkened.



3. LED Blow on and off Candle




Looks like the real thing and even turns off when you blow on it. This is a good alternative to the mini mushroom lamp and more romantic.









4. SEGA Toys iDOG



Who doesn't love a puppy and who doesn't own an iPod? This cute pink dog will dance and act like a speaker when attached to an iPod or an MP3 Player. No woman can resist its cuteness.





5. iSmile Flowerpot Speaker




Why give her real flowers when there's this cute iSmile flower. This is an alternative to the iDOG, hook it up to your iPOD or MP3 player and it plays music as well as dance and lights up in sync with the music streaming on it.

Cheap Alfa Romeo Spider 2.2 JTS Convertible


The Alfa Romeo Spider 2.2 JTS Convertible is one of the good-looking cars I’ve seen from Alfa Romeo. However, a brand new one or even a nearly new one would set you back around £25,000.00 An alternative to buying a new one is to find a finance company that offers Alfa Romeo contract hire. A contract hire is a long term lease of a vehicle and would cost you just the fraction of the cost of buying a new one. The Anglo European Credit Group (www.auf.co.uk) offers Alfa Romeo car leasing plans starting at just £239 per month. This is a very cheap alternative for corporations who want to give their employees the benefit of owning a car.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Where to buy Video Camera Battery

There's nothing quite frustrating than have your video camera battery die out on you when you're in the middle of filming a very important event or gathering. That's why it's always a must for owners to have spare video camera batteries on hand especially if you're filming long gatherings such as weddings and other special occasions. Attbatt.com is your one-stop shop for all your battery needs specially camcorder batteries.

Since unlike cell phones, video cameras have specific batteries for each model, so finding the right battery for your camcorder could be daunting but Attbatt.com has a battery finder tool that will make finding your video camera battery very easy and less frustrating. Attbatt.com offers affordable video camera battery replacement for almost all popular camcorder brands and free Fed-ex or UPS ground shipping for orders $50 and up. The website has been rated by over 5000 customers over at Shopzilla.com (formerly Bizrate)since the year 2000 and is tested hacker safe.

2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8: The ultimate muscle coupe

2008 Dodge Challenger srt8 front view
The muscle car is back!! Chrysler has just announced the return of the muscle machine with the all new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8. ©2008 natalie1981.blogspot.com Fans of the original Dodge Challenger will not be disappointed as this new machine still sports the original Challenger design but with sleeker lines.

The new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 will definitely capture the attention of younger generations who crave the look of older muscle machine but wants the latest technology on their cars. The 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 has a 6.1 liter HEMI V-8 engine that can produce 425 of horsepower and 420 lb.-ft. of torque. The 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 also features modern technology such GPS, "keyless go", MyGIG system, and UConnect hands-free communication to accommodate the inner geek of car enthusiasts.

The interior view of the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8The gorgeous backview of the Dodge Challenger SRT8
The 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 will be available in 3 colors: Bright Silver Metallic, HEMI Orange, and Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl Coat. Suggested retail price of the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 is $37,995 and is expected to be available this Spring so save your money!