This post was written by Fedrick Chan
Taxan KG-PS125X Wireless DLP projector offers good value for money. Connections look sparse at first – all you get is VGA, S-Video, composite and 3.5mm audio inputs on the rear panel – but these disguise more comprehensive potential. It’s not the smallest unit in the world or the sexiest to look at. The thick black plastic casing has a finish that looks like it will resist scratching. It even turns the lamp off when you close it. All is forgiven, however, when you take a look at the price.
Axis’s 207MW Wireless Network camera isn’t much to look at but its compact chassis hides a wealth of features. The camera provides full motion detection along with support for both Motion-JPEG and MPEG-4 compression. Installation beats the same path as all Axis cameras. Bandwidth demands are quite high so for wireless links reviewers would only recommend using this camera over an 802.11g link. Nevertheless, for sheer image quality the 207MW is quite superb and it augments these abilities with an impressive range of surveillance features.
VMware announced the launch of its VMware Mobile Virtualization Platform. The new platform lets mobile phone users work with multiple virtual phones at the same time. The new Mobile Virtualization Platform is similar in concept to the company’s ESXi server virtualization technology. MVP is a thin layer of software that is embedded on a mobile phone that puts the phone’s operating system, applications, and data into any virtual machine that is separate from the underlying hardware.
Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-G1 is a revolutionary camera that delivers on its promise of SLR-like quality in a compact body. Build quality and design are up to Panasonic’s usual exemplary standard, and despite its small size the camera handles well. In terms of performance and especially image quality it matches other Four-Thirds system DLSRs. The autofocus system is amazingly fast, which helps the G1 to have a very impressive shot-to-shot time. The only downside is the high price compared to an entry-level full-size DLSR.
Hannspree’s HT09 is a million miles away from the HG281DJ in terms of appearance. Its chromed buttons aren’t easy to operate. Audio connectivity is another disappointment, with just twin phono inputs for the component source and a 3.5mm jack for PC audio. Overall, the HT09′s many flaws leave it difficult to recommend despite its incredible price. This TV will only be suitable for a small minority of users: those who primarily watch the better digital channels, aren’t too picky about image quality and want something to plug their games console into.
Sennheiser has taken a slightly different approach to creating its high-end in-ear earphones, the IE8s, and has come up with something that sounds quite astonishing. Their huge bass response will certainly please rock and pop music fans and even those that prefer the finer things in life will find these represent a good listen. One thing reviewers particularly liked about these earphones is the removable cable. However a few issues with the package as a whole make it hard to recommend these outright.
Samsung’s HD870 does indeed redefine what you can expect from a sub-£100 player, knocking stars off its rivals along the way. The sleek lines of the Samsung belie its cost, and will have the cheaper plasticky models hastily covering up their sleazy styling. Features aren’t lacking, either. HDMI, component, TGB Scart, composite plus a digital coaxial output for audio all receive a big tick. The amount of detail and insight on offer is very high indeed, even in the gloomiest of dark scenes. It’s a real DVD all-rounder, which is quite incredible for £70.
RIM’s BlackBerry Bold smartphone is a powerful device with a lot of storage, rich multimedia capabilities and excellent audio. But the BlackBerry Bold disappoints in several areas and, in a highly competitive smartphone space, falls behind other devices, such as the Apple iPhone and the Android-based T1 smartphone from T-Mobile and Google. Although the device doesn’t deliver up to its full promise it’s sound capabilities match the video, as the device produces excellent audio using either the twin, built-in speakers or a headset.
Jabra has announced the launch of its new BT4010 Bluetooth headset. The new headset is promoted as a small device with LCD display. The latter is the key feature, touted for the more user-friendly operating when compared to the blinks of an LED. The JABRA BT4010 is a light-weight headset (less than 10 grams) with DSP (named e-SCO technology) and 6 hours of talk time, which overall, are great specifications. The company has revealed that the small technology marvel is a professional device which is small in size but packed with features.
Hanvon has announced the world’s first 5″ Electronic Book series, based on the revolutionary E Ink Vizplex Display. This pioneering effort combines the best of electromagnetic pen input and electronic paper display into an ultra portable electronic book aimed as mass markets. The N510 consumes very little power, has a paper like appearance, offers 180 degrees viewing and is only 11mm thick. The Hanvon N510 Supports TXT, HTML, PNG, JPG, PDF, XEB, CEB, MP3, MTXT formats on its 167 PPI, SVGA (800 x 600 pixels) electronic paper display.