Archive for the ‘Gadget’ Category:
Samsung NX-10 Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera
Samsung NX-10 is Samsung’s first attempt in the now popular mirrorless, interchangeable lens camera form factor and we have to say, of all the ones we’ve tested, Samsung’s NX-10 comes really close to the feel of a DSLR.
While being as close to a DSLR is not a bad thing, the NX-10 sacrifices one thing that keeps itself in this new camera genre, size. The NX-10 has to be one of the biggest mirrorless, interchangeable lens cameras out there! To Samsung’s defense, the omission of the mirror did bring the size down a fair bit; that is, as compared to a normal DSLR.
Like we said earlier, this might not be a bad thing. The closer it gets in size to a DSLR means that the more ergonomic it is to use. The other cameras are just too awkward to be held in two hands and too big to be held in one. The size of the NX-10 is just nice.
You have the liberty of either using the gorgeous 3 inch AMOLED display or the EVF. There is a proximity sensor above the display, which automatically disable the display when you put your face on it to use the EVF.
We were given the kit lens for this review, an NX mount 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 OIS. The camera performed really well and color reproduction was good. The camera supports up to ISO 3200 but we found that ISO 800 is pretty much limit for print quality, which is quite amazing actually.
One thing we’ve bumped about is the built in pop up flash. With the kit lens, even at 18mm, the lens barrel shadow is pretty serious with objects closer than 50cm. The camera has a hot shoe for flash guns though you’ll need Samsung’s SEF-42A or SEF-20A flash guns for that.
The Samsung NX-10 is great if you want a ‘pseudo DSLR’ that is lighter and more ergonomic. The barrel shadow is pretty serious but if you don’t really take a lot of flash photography or close up shots, it’ll be fine. The AMOLED screen is gorgeous as well!
Motorola Droid 2
The Motorola Droid 2 is the latest Android smartphone from Motorola and the successor to the popular Motorola Droid. The Droid 2 features a 3.7 inch FWVGA TFT display with a resolution of 480 x 854.
Other specifications on the Motorola Droid 2 include a 1GHz processor, 8GB of built in storage plus a microSD card slot that comes with an 8GB card as standard, and this can be upgraded to a 32GB micro SD card.
The Motorola Droid 2 features the latest version of Google’s mobile OS, Android 2.2 (Froyo), which comes with built in support for Adobe Flash 10.1 right out of the box. On top of that there is also a five megapixel camera with a dual LED flash, that is capable of of recording video in a 720 x 480 resolution.
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
The X10 is a primarily plastic phone, which may turn some people off from the phone itself, but I can assure you that the build quality is very robust, with only minor squeaking when the phone is twisted to an extreme point (which we won’t do it in our daily life anyway). The large, 4 inch screen is a joy to use with a nice color reproduction and sensitive capacitive technology. There is a drawback in having this big – the system can lag a bit at certain times when one accesses certain programs. Its more the problem of the system needs to render the program on screen.
Software on the phone is still using version 1.6 of the Android OS, where other competitors are already using higher versions. However Sony Ericsson announced recently that there will be an update programme for the X10 to receive version 2.1 of the OS which adds several new features and increases response time.
Back to the phone, it has a very minimalistic look. On the top are the power button, audio jack and microUSB sitting behind a plastic door. While it is nice to have the lines undisturbed, I feel the microUSB port is better served out in the open as the door has a chance to be broken off from the phone. On the right side you will see the volume buttons and the camera shutter buttons. Under the screen on the front, sits three buttons for back, home and menu (but it is not labeled as such so users can be confused). An 8.1 megapixel camera with an LED flash adorns the back of the phone, completing the simple design of the X10.
Using the X10 is very intuitive, but it comes with some caveats. The capacitive screen is very responsive, but unfortunately there are no Multi-touch capabilities on the phone. Thanks to the large screen however multimedia (in the form of videos) looks very nice. Even photos taken with the phone are magnificent; thanks to the long experience Sony Ericsson gathered from their Cybershot phone line.
Timescape and Mediascape are two apps that puts this phone apart from the other Android phone in the market. Timescape is Sony Ericsson’s software that caters to the social networking craze, with built-in twitter and Facebook aggregator that displays your friend’s updates in a very nice timeline while Mediascape is the phone’s multimedia centre for music and video playback.
For those who are looking for an alternative for the iPhone, the X10 is a valid contender – if you can live with the slight lag on day-to-day basis.
Tags: Sony Ericsson Xperia
Iomega Prestige 1 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive 34919 (Gray)
The Iomega Prestige Desktop Hard Drive USB 2.0 provides a simple and affordable solution for all your storage needs. Ideal for adding capacity to your system, this stylish drive offers a sturdy aluminum construction and included stand. Available in up to 2TB capacity, it’s the easiest way to save photos, music, videos, and more, plus the Prestige Desktop Hard Drive is powered by an Energy Star qualified adapter for a better environment! Iomega Protection Suite software is included with solutions to access your PC, easily backup your data, and protect your computer and online experience. Software is available via download! The suite includes Trend Micro Internet Security (1 year subscription), Iomega QuikProtect, EMC Retrospect, and MozyHome Online Backup Service (2GB free).
The Iomega® Prestige™ Desktop Hard Drive USB 2.0
provides a simple and affordable solution for all your storage needs. Ideal for adding capacity to your system, this stylish drive offers a sturdy aluminum construction and included stand. It’s the easiest way to save photos, music, videos and more.
Plug-and-Play Simplicity and 1 TB Storage Capacity
The Iomega Prestige Features:
* USB 2.0 interface for fast data transfers, plug-and-play simplicity, and universal compatibility.
* Data transfer rate of up to 480 Mbps.
* Preformatted NTFS drive, so you don’t have to waste time formatting to use it.
* Fast spindle speed and an 8MB or higher cache buffer. This provides performance that results in fast access speeds and low latency.
Stylish Aluminum Case
The Prestige has durable aluminum construction with a brushed-metal finish that will stylishly complement your desktop or workstation. An included stand gives you the option of either placing the drive horizontally or vertically.
Not only does the aluminum design look good, it also works to dissipate heat, allowing the drive to run cooler and quieter.
Backup Software Included
It includes Iomega Protection Suite software with Iomega QuickProtect, EMC® Retrospect®, MozyHome™ Online Backup service**, Trend Micro™ Internet Security*** (1 year subscription), and Iomega VClone, letting you take your PC virtually anywhere including files, settings, and applications.
** Not available in The People’s Republic of China
*** Not available in Japan
Compatible with Macs and PCs
Whether you have a Mac or PC, the Prestige will do the job.
* PC: Windows Vista, Windows XP Home, Windows XP Professional or Windows 2000 Professional, and a Pentium II class processor with 256MB RAM and a USB 2.0 connection
* Mac: (PowerPC or Intel) with OS X 10.3 or above with a USB 2.0 port.
The Iomega Prestige External Hard Drive is backed by a three-year warranty.
What’s in the Box
* Iomega Desktop Hard Drive
* USB 2.0 Connection Cable
* Quick Install Guide
* HTML User Manual and Help Files
* Backup software license included
* software via download (PC & Mac)
Buy from Amazon this The Iomega® Prestige™ Desktop Hard Drive USB 2.0
Putting email in context with Gmail contextual gadgets
Several new contextual gadget integrations for Gmail are available to Google Apps customers in the Apps Marketplace today:
- AwayFind lets you mark certain contacts or message topics as ‘Urgent’ and then alerts you via phone, SMS or IM when relevant messages arrive.
- Kwaga displays social network profiles and lists recent email exchanges with people you correspond with.
- Gist brings together information from across the web about people you’re corresponding with, providing rich person and company profiles, news and updates.
- Pixetell detects email links to video messages created with Pixetell’s video software and lets you preview, comment on, and share those videos without leaving your inbox.
- Smartsheet lets you access and update entries in Smartsheet’s sales pipeline and project management tool.
- Xobni, Rapportive, Manymoon, Newmind Group, and BillFLO have also launched their own contextual gadget integrations.
