Technology gadget tips hardware reviews.

Sony unveils PSP go

2009-06-04T23:42:00.000-07:00

Looks like Sony can’t really keep their secrets from leaking out to the public before the official announcement, as image leaks as well as whispers of the PSP go were already making their rounds well ahead of the E3 announcement. Well, for those who recently picked up a Sony PSP-3000 (yes, it is in its third iteration already for that particular generation), there is a new device that looks set to displace the PSP-3000 in due time - assuming it does crazily well, of course. We’re guessing that Sony is taking Nintendo’s similar approach as they did all those years ago, touting the DS Phat to be the “third pillar”, only bringing it to the forefront and discontinuing the Game Boy line when the DS was found to be doing exceptionally well. Only time will tell, but let us take a look at the Sony PSP go in greater detail today.

The PSP go will arrive in stores for folks living in North America this October 1, while Europe/PAL territories and Asian countries will get theirs a month later, retailing for $249 and an equivalent amount in Euros, of course. As stated earlier, the PSP go will co-exist with the PSP-3000 in retail stores as gamers as well as those who are curious learn to decide which is the best possible portable gaming system for them. What makes the PSP go different is it won’t come with any UMD drive - instead, it will ditch all disc-based content by catering to those who want on-demand entertainment, featuring 16GB of internal memory as well as the ability to receive digital entertainment via the PlayStation Network. Sounds fine and dandy, but what about less developed markets where over-the-air download speeds are excruciatingly slow? Guess those folks will just have to settle for regular PSP-3000s.

Some of the interesting features available on the spanking new PSP go include an easy sliding panel alongside original applications, a game sleep function that lets you operate the XrossMediaBar while suspending gameplay for the moment, Bluetooth connectivity and a wide range of accessories to go along with it. What do you think of the form factor, and will the PSP go do for Sony what the DS Lite did for Nintendo?

BMW M3 Convertible in 2009

2008-11-24T11:06:00.000-08:00

BMW's all-new 2009 M3 convertible is powered by a "V-8 displacing 4.0 liters and developing maximum output of 309 kW/420 hp; maximum torque is 400 Nm/295 lb-ft at 3,900 rpm and maximum engine speed 8,400 rpm
BMW's new M3 Convertible was supposed to be unveiled in March, but several leaked photos led to a flood of official photos and information straight from BMW.

Samsung G600 Mobile Cell Phone 5 Megapixel Camera

2008-10-10T11:30:00.000-07:00

The next Latest Electronics Gadget is Samsung G600 5 Megapixel cell phone.

Gone are the days when you would have to squint at your small mobile phone screen to make out a picture before capturing it using a small VGA camera, these days Samsung consumers have the luxury of large full colour screens and multi megapixel cameras making for close to professional photography.

Samsungs newest edition offers these features but with their very latest technology - a five megapixel camera. There are only two other mobile phones currently offering this high quality camera, the LG KG920 Leo and the Nokia N95. The new Samsung G600 may sound like it already has competition but on closer examination it is easy to see why consumers will opt for this phone over its rivals. Firstly their is the sleek design, the outer casing is finished in a matt black paint and features Samsung’s trademark smooth slide. The exterior buttons almost fall into the central multikey allowing for easy navigation of the menu system.

The display screen is a large 2.2 inch QVGA offering sixteen million colours which compliments the high quality pictures when viewed on-screen. The most surprising thing about the new G600 is that it is a mere 14mm thick, this is astonishing when compared to its competitors like the LG KG920 at 18mm and the at 21mm proving that Samsung have really thought about the overall design and how they could squeeze this amount of technology into a phone without bulking out the dimensions.

The camera also offers autofocus, digital zoom and photolight (flash), as well as one of the best video recording resolutions available with 352 x 288 pixels at 30 frames per second.

The Samsung G600 also offers an MP3 player for uploading new music either direct from a PC or via the internet and creating playlists with your favourite music tracks and artists, and with 1GB of onbaord memory there is no need to take a second standalone music player with you, there is even a built-in FM Radio for tuning into local and national radio station whilst out and about.

Other important features in the Samsung G600 include Bluetooth technology for wireless conenction to compatible devices for file transfer and safe hands-free driving, internet and email access for browsing, downloading and keeping in touch whilst out of the office and built-in hands-free speakerphone for either talking hands-free or sharing your music and sound recordings with friends. Overall, the O2 Samsung G600 is a stylish, spohisticated, if not a little masculine photographic masterpiece that outshines it closest rivals with its array of new technology and features.

H2O Audio announces H2O Audio SURGE

2008-09-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

H2O Audio is a name synonymous with waterproof products, and their latest addition to the family would be the H2O Audio SURGE. This new pair of amplified waterproof headphones are evolved from feedback across customers, team riders, ambassadors and their R&D team, aiming to deliver nothing but the very best audio quality while underwater. Some of the H2O Audio SURGE features include :-

* Waterproof to 12ft/3.6m
* Acoustically engineered to deliver exceptional clarity and bass
* Includes 5 sets of ergonomically designed earplugs to provide an individualized fit and watertight seal
* MotionFlex strain relief connector compatible with Apple iPod, Apple iPhone and other standard 3.5mm headphone jacks

You will be able to choose from Midnight Black and Kai Blue colors, with H2O working on additional color combinations in the future. A pair will set you back by $59.99.

Electric eel powers Christmas tree

2007-12-05T09:56:00.000-08:00

Fancy that - a Christmas tree that is powered by an electric eel?! Where else can you find such zanyness but in Japan, where the Aqua Toto Gift Aquarium has sparked worldwide interest with its E-tree, whereby the "E" prefix stands for Electric Eel. This is really taking renewable energy to new heights. I wonder what will we have next - electric eel-powered boats? What about a baby electric eel-powered waterproof cellphone? Anyways, the copper wire in the eel's tank is what conducts electricity from the eel to the tree every time the sea creature brushes itself against the wire, zapping all those hanging baubles and ornaments to life.

Microsoft USB Tag holder

2007-11-29T03:31:00.000-08:00

Name tag holder from Microsoft with an integrated 1GB USB flash drive with Ready Boost.

Google eases mobile map use by locating celltowers

2007-11-28T09:36:00.000-08:00

9:25 AM PST, November 28, 2007

From Reuters SAN FRANCISCO -- Internet search leader Google Inc said today that it is introducing a novel mapping system that uses cell phone towers to let mobile phone users locate nearby services without typing in addresses.

Google's new My Location service is being offered in test mode to U.S. users and is designed to expand the percentage of cellphone users of location-aware services, whether or not their phones come equipped with satellite-locating chips.

Google Maps for Mobile with My Location automatically informs mobile phone users where they are on a map. Users simply type the number "0" on their phone to move the map to their approximate location.

Google is offering the service for free, direct to U.S. consumers, and is expected to eventually introduce local advertising that takes advantage of the location-aware service. The company has created the service independent of carriers.

The service uses various algorithms to approximate a user's handset location relative to the cell towers nearest them. The service relies on a database of cell towers Google has constructed by using anonymous readings of mobile signals from previous Google Maps users to help locate My Location users.

How To Hide Anything ISBN: 0873642899 | PDF

2007-11-28T02:07:00.000-08:00

With little effort and expense, you can hide cash, armaments and even family from the menacing eyes of burglars, terrorists or anyone. Learn how to construct dozens of hiding places right in your house and yard. Here are small hiding places for concealing money and jewelry and large places for securing survival supplies or persons. More than 100 drawings show how to turn ordinary items into extraordinary hiding places.

The outdoor hidies are great for those with their own land. There are several innovative ideas that the other books do not have, including a tree stash. The structural hidies are also different – these aren't just making false drawer bottoms. There are pipe, appliance, wall and even drain hidies. Furniture hidies are covered extensively as well, but this review focuses on what makes this book different from the other hiding books.

One last strong point of this book is the writing. Throughout, it talks about the psychology of the thief and why some hides work better than others to prevent theft. The main focus is not hiding things from the government or the police, who often have a whole different mindset and a lot more time than a thief does.

Standalone hard drive eraser Wiebetech eRazer

2007-11-28T02:03:00.000-08:00

Wiebetech's Drive eRazer is a standalone
drive-eraser that you can connect a variety of hard-drives to. It writes one (or
more) passes of random junk to every block. I have a small mountain of old
hard-disks yanked from machines before recycling, trashing or donating them, and
I could really use one of these to blank them before I get rid of them. It's
kind of cheezy that you need to buy a "pro" model to run multiple
passes on the drive -- the only difference between single passes and multiple
passes is software, after all.

1. Single-Pass Mode (Standard and Pro Model)

A single data pattern is written one time across the whole disk, deleting blocks
including partitions and Host Protected Areas. Verification is also done after a
single pass.

2. Multi-Pass Mode (Pro Model only)

The Pro model offers the ability to perform multiple passes. Why? Some studies
show that there may be ways of recovering bits of data even after completely
overwriting everything on the drive. We believe the laboratory required to
actually pull off such a feat would cost millions (if not billions) of dollars.
However, if you must convince someone that there's no way data can be recovered,
a pro model with the multi-pass feature is for you.

UK iPhones having service / reception issues?

2007-11-27T21:26:00.000-08:00

It's not clear how widespread the problem is, but a number of iPhone users in the UK are reporting serious reception issues on O2's network. Our source in the UK has told us that his O2 iPhone currently has no service in the same room as other O2 phones with five bars and an unlocked iPhone on Vodafone with full service, and Apple's UK support forums are buzzing with similar reports. Users are also reporting that replacement iPhones don't exhibit the same problems, so the problem might be with the device itself -- but that would be strange, seeing as iPhones in other countries don't have the same issues. For its part, Apple appears to be replacing units as they're brought in, and hasn't made any official statement on the matter yet -- any UK iPhone users out there care to chime in?