The Electronics & Phone Blog

The Wii Boxing Experience

2008-05-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

Over the last weekend, I fought with my friend of more than 15 years. We have never fought so ferociously in the past 15 years and come to think of it, we never quarrelled too. I was knocked down flat in two out of the three rounds of boxing. How did it all start? It all started from a birthday celebration for our mutual friend. Everything went great; the food and the drink, the catching up session, the small jokes. I would say we had lots of fun. The wife of the birthday boy then said to us that they had a surprise for us at their place that night. None of us think too much of it. I have totally forgotten about it. Never thought that surprise would cause a ferocious fight between one of my best friends and I.

After the dinner, we moved over to their place. Nothing much happened during the journey until we reached their home. I was told to hide the small cake we bought for the birthday boy and to give him a surprise later that night. Talking about the impromptu action, I did quite a bad job hiding the cake; I believed that the birthday boy had seen the cake when he was passing by the TV console. When I was hiding the cake, I saw a familiar tiny white box. Could it be? No doubt about it, that is a Nintendo's Wii console. So that was it! That was the surprise the wife of the birthday boy was talking about.

When we made ourselves comfortable in their home, the rest started to explore the Wii console. Within a few minutes, the birthday boy had everything ready and he was giving us a short guided tour of the Wii. The navigation seems pretty easy and straightforward. The birthday boy was showing us a few games - tennis, bowling, golf and boxing and one of my friends suggested to start off with tennis. I saw the birthday boy brought out the game controller and started to give some instructions on how to play the game.

On first look, the game controller looked a little complicated. However, there wasn't much button to press in the game of tennis. I saw the birthday boy holding the game controller with one hand and then secure the game controller on his wrist with a strap that you can find in most digital camera. He was saying something like, "You have to use the strap to secure the game controller or it might just fly off from your hand." I was thinking at that point, "You must be kidding us! The controller could fly off the hand? We are not playing a 'real' game of tennis here."

The graphic of the game wasn't particularly attractive, unlike those superb graphics that you can find in most computer games these days. However, the action is as real as the actual tennis game, minus off the running around the court. The swings to hit the ball were real and according to my friend who was playing it, you have to swing almost as hard like you are hitting the ball in the real game. Not only that, the timing of the swing must be exact too; if you swing too early or too late, you would miss the ball. Just after a few swings, my friend started to complain that he was getting hot and sweating. The game ended with my friend and the birthday boy slightly exhausted.

They moved off to the next game, which was boxing. The wife of the birthday boy excitedly said to us that boxing was the only game that she always won aganist her husband. My memories of boxing game were one where I only had to use my fingers to control the action. However, in the Wii's boxing game, you have to hold the game controller in one hand and another piece of controller in the other hand - almost like you are wearing the boxing gloves. Round one started and both my friend and the birthday boy started punching each other virtually. Just after one round, I could see sweats trickling down the necks of my friends. They were virtually punching in the air and there they were sweating? You read me right. I was a little skeptical too.

The next match was between my friend and I. I held the two controllers in my hand and stood ready for action. Round one started and both of us were experimenting a little on how the game worked. We were soon punching ferociously at each other virtually. And then I understood why they were sweating earlier on. If you were punching as hard and as deeply involved in the game as if you were really boxing, you would be sweating too. To stimulate the hit, there would be a slight vibration by the game controller. What was the result? I was knocked down flat in two rounds out of the three rounds game and I was exhausted.

Before you thought it was over like I did, you would get aching arms and back for the next few days. What a Wii workout!

iPhone May Not Be Worth The Money

2007-12-31T03:47:00.000-08:00

Before release, everyone anticipated the iPhone with restlessness, and then with great reviews under its belt, the gadget became the center of attention in today's high-tech universe. What's funny to me is that everyone's pointing out only the upsides of the iPhone (probably because they want to sell it to you). I believe the iPhone is very neat, but is it worth the money or a rip-off? That's what I'm here to tell you.

One major downside and complaint of the Apple iPhone is its battery's life. Because of the high-tech features such as multi-touch technology, revolutionary sensors, and nearly the same operating system as in the Mac, the battery is drained easily. Truth is Apple released the iPhone before creating a top-tier battery.

iPhone exclusively using AT&T's Edge is yet another major complaint. The data network is sluggish compared to other more developed networks today. Apple has claimed this feature isn't a major drawback, well, because the gadget had been designed to be notorious about receiving broadband connection via Wi-Fi Hotspots. Simply, the network is slower than what you're used to with your computer.

The iPhone doesn't support the sophisticated 3G technology for no particular reason. It's a mystery. MMS functions aren't even provided in the iPhone. Nor are voice dialing or recording. This means that it's only a dual-band mobile phone.

Tackling messaging, there is no instant messaging. Therefore, you'll have to stick to plain and simple e-mails. This can be a drag in the business setting. And what makes matters worse, you can't copy and paste important data.

The iPhone doesn't have a memory slot at all. Apple claims there is sufficient built in memory, yet consumers today expect to have the feature of external memory. Therefore, Bluetooth capabilities are weak an do not support file transfers or A2DP. Again I ask, what use does the iPhone have for businesspeople?

Okay. I'm being a little harsh. The Apple iPhone is still the best handheld phone on the market, but that doesn't mean there's not room for improvement. It's possible Apple is saving the upgrades for the next addition of the iPhone.

The iPhone has revolutionary features as said previously. We've never seen anything like it, but is it in comparison worth the money? If you need the best there is then possibly. It's a nice toy but may not be as valuable as priced.

The gadget's value also depends on what you'll be using it for. If you're a businessman, you might want to stick to your current PDA until the Apple iPhone is upgraded. If you're looking for the most high-tech, hottest toy on the market that you can use to surf the internet anywhere (for entertainment purposes) it may be worth the investment for you.

Apple did quite well with the iPhone. Note that this article is only about the downsides. Of course, there are many perks you should know before deciding whether to get the iPhone.

Wait! Did I mention you're stuck with a two-year contract if you buy the iPhone?

About the Author: Jason Parker is an electronics enthusiast (more like electronics “obsessiveist”) and author of the website http://WhatFeaturesTheiPhoneHas.com where you'll learn about the iPhone's high-tech features.

Sony Ericsson K950i – Worth More Than Just A Memory

2007-02-14T02:27:00.000-08:00

The Sony Ericsson K950i is a new breed of phone, plain and simple. It effectively moves away from the accepted standard of features that its predecessors have set and, as a result, has taken it to a new level and is in a class of its own. It has a host of features that people of every age could make use of, with some notable absentees that may put users off. Technologically, it is one of Sony Ericsson’s better phones and is well worth considering if you are on the look out for a new phone.

Before you even pick the K950i up, it looks amazing. At 15mm thick, the phone is extremely practical, However, not everything follow suit where size is concerned. The screen, for example, is a fantastic 2.6 inches, is crystal clear and shows up colours very crisply. It also happens to be a touch screen and comes complete with stylus for ease of navigation. The buttons are quite small so the ability to touch your way to a menu on the screen proves to be a major plus point.

It has to be said that the K950i has a long list of features. It has all the usual features, such as Bluetooth and FM radio, but others go above and beyond the call of duty. The MP3 player is of a high quality in itself, but also has add ons that makes it infinitely easier to use. The jog wheel on the side of the phone can allow you to find a song much quicker than you could using a scroll button. Track ID is also present so you can find out unknown song details from a few bars.

If that doesn’t float your boat, maybe the handwriting recognition feature will. Simply write using the stylus and the K950i will translate it into text, if your writing resembles printed lettering that is. Then there’s the conference call facility, the top of the range web browser or the exceptional organizer functions. The list goes on.

The K950i particularly stand out from the crowd because of the memory and battery power though. You get an incredible 4GB of memory and 7 plus hours call time. The K950i has more stamina than most other phones, which makes it easier to use if you tend to travel a lot or want a low maintenance phone. The memory is perfect for song storage. Despite all of the other features, I think most users will appreciate these the most.

Most phone models have a few faults that any reviewer can pick on, but I can find very few with the K950i. The main problems with the Sony Ericsson K950i are not actually present in the phone, but rather what it lacks. It has no camera and no capability for video conferencing; the two features that are probably most in demand at the minute. This severely lets the phone down.

The Sony Ericsson K950i is an exceptional phone, but lacks the complete package. Add a camera and it would do, but the fact it is missing degrades the phone slightly. However, the memory and battery are nothing to be sneezed at and should give two excellent reason as to why you should choose this phone.

About the Author: Alistair Masterson, if you're a sucker for the cheapest deals, take a look at http://www.FreeLineRentalMobiles.co.uk. You'll find the Sony Ericsson W950i alongside the best mobile deals available anywhere.

iPhone: Apple Reinventing the Phone

2007-01-09T19:48:00.000-08:00

This morning I was informed by my friend that Apple will be having their own phone. This is truly something that is exciting. The first iPod, which was first introduced in 2001 did not just change the way we listen to music, it changes the entire music industry. At his keynote address on Tuesday, Steve Jobs revealed three revolutionary products; a wide screen iPod with a touch control, a revolutionary phone and a breakthrough internet communication device. These are not three separate devices, this is one device -- iPhone.

The mobile phone market will soon deal with a new competitor as Apple Computer Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs on Tuesday revealed the iPhone, a new touch-screen phone that plays music, video, surfs the internet and takes picture.

If you are a fan of Apple or have been following its news closely, you would have already heard of the much-rumored iPod cell phone. On Tuesday, Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs revealed his new touch-screen mobile iPhone at Macworld Conference & Expo 2007 with a keynote address from San Francisco's Moscone West.

In his keynote speech at Macworld, Jobs said, "Apple is going to reinvent the phone. After today, nobody is going to look at these (other mobile phones) the same way again." Jobs also announced that Apple would drop "Computer" from its name and would now be known simply as Apple Inc.

If you are considering to get an iPhone for yourself or someone, you will have to wait a little longer. The iPhone is expected to come out in the United States in June, Europe in late 2007 and Asia in 2008.

What you can expect

Jobs added that the iPhone uses a new multitouch technology, which does away with the traditional keyboard found on most PDAs and replaces it with a screen upon which various buttons will appear for different functions such as its built-in iPod, phone and Web surfing.

Not only that, the Apple iPhone is a widescreen iPod that features touch screen controls that allow you to enjoy all your content, including audiobooks, music, TV shows, and movies. It features an amazing 3.5-inch diagonal screen and only 11.6 millimeters in thickness. Apple said that the phone will have a 2-megapixel camera, instant text-messaging capacity, iTunes sync and a visual voice-mail system, which will allow users to read a list of people who called.

The Apple iPhone also comes with Google Inc.'s search engine and maps, as well as Yahoo Inc.'s search engine and email application.

At the keynote, Jobs demostrated the phone by pulling up the nearest Starbucks Corp. store on Google Maps, then prank-calling the coffee shop and ordering 4,000 lattes, before hanging up -- to the roar of the crowd.

Apple said that the phone will come in two version. A phone with 4 gigabytes of storage will cost $499; the 8GB model will cost $599. Both with a 2 year contract with cingular.

Apple said that it aims to sell 10 million iPhones in 2008, which would equate to about 1% market share.

Read the stories of this amazing guy behind Apple Inc., Steve Jobs, who once lost everything in his life but never stop dreaming. He mentioned in one of his stories in the commencement at Stanford University, "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

You can read the 3 stories at: http://www.symphonyoflove.net/blog/?p=38, http://www.symphonyoflove.net/blog/?p=41 and http://www.symphonyoflove.net/blog/?p=43

For those of you who want to view the keynote address and the introduction of the iPhone, you can catch it at: http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/j47d52oo/event/

Nintendo Wii's Elebits Is Ele-fun

2006-12-31T20:45:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to pick up this game yesterday and figure I could whip a quick review of it. I try to have the whole family perform the reviews, but since I was the only one to really get into this quirky game, I better just go ahead and complete the review myself.

The game play is unique from other console type games; you are required to use both the Wii-mote and the nunchuck. The Wii-mote is your zapper gun and the nunchuck is you movement. You can walk in all directions using the nunchuck and stretch up and crouch down using your Z button on the nunchuck. Your zapper is your tool to catch the little Elebits. You just simply point and click your zapper to catch the Elebits as well as move items around. The environment (house rooms) is completely movable; if you see an object then eventually with enough strength you will be able to move the objects.

You can stack chairs on top of couches on top of the dinning room table if you like. Keeping the objective in mind, which is to catch as many Elebits as you can in a certain amount of time or with out breaking to many objects or without making to much noise. The Elebits represent watts or power, the more you collect the more you can do. As you collect the Elebits different appliances become available to turn on, which in turn will release more of the little creatures. Overall the game play is very good. Please keep in mind that the game is in the first person point of view and that puts a lot of strain on your eyeballs and may even make some people (my wife) sick to their stomachs due to the fast movements of your field of view.

The graphics on this game are better then we have seen from the Wii thus far and although they are still very cartoon oriented, though they work perfectly in this odd game. The sound on this game is hard to judge, but for one they didn’t stick in my mind nor did they annoy me. I would have to say that at least they had some voice over work done for the story line, unlike Zelda which is all text based.

Fun Factor on this title is excellent, I played through a few levels and had to go back and play more later in the evening. I eventually stopped playing around midnight last night and I awoke with Elebits dancing in my head. I left off at what would be the first boss of the game and that round was pretty tough. The Boss multiplies at first into 3 ghosts, when you zap the 3
ghost the boss turns into 5 smaller ghosts and then 10 mini ghosts. The ghosts can be really difficult to see at times and one hint I’ll give you is to look up in the rafters of the level, they like to hide up there.

This game is entirely innovative and I am sure there will be sequels released in the future and hope the Elebits become another Nintendo household name. Who would guess that little hiding Elebits would be such a big hit. I have never played anything similar to this game and it is only showing a bit of what the Nintendo Wii has to offer. Elebits is probably now my favorite Wii game. My library is not huge, but Elebits is the 5th Wii title that I have purchased.

Since I have only made it to the 7th or 8th level I really can’t put a number on the difficulty level of this game, but I did have to play the first boss at least 4 times without beating him. The first thing I am going to do when I get home is to put that ghost in his place.

I think this is an excellent game for the Nintendo Wii and I would highly recommend it. I rate this game as a solid 8.3 and it should be in every Wii owners collection.

About The Author: Robert Lyttle. Nintendo supporter since 1/10/1985. To view other articles, reviews, video, etc. please visit my Family site http://www.wiitod.com

Bluetooth Headsets: Overview

2006-12-26T02:16:00.000-08:00

It seems that every day, virtual movers and shakers are introducing new products and systems to make our lives a little bit easier. Bluetooth technology is one of the biggest advances to hit the market. Bluetooth wireless technology makes it easy and convenient for users to enjoy wire-free, short-range communication between devices. It is a globally available standard that connects portable computers, mobile phones, MP3 players and even cars, all without wires. People who use Bluetooth technology enjoy communication without any ties, so it only makes sense to have the right wireless headsets.

Manufacturers have found that it's not easy to create a really good wireless headset for Bluetooth. On the contrary, it is much more difficult that designing wired models. Bluetooth headsets can never be as small or as light as wired headsets, simply because the battery and extra functions must be included all in one unit. This extra size impacts how the headset mounts on or around the users' ears.

There are two main styles of Bluetooth headsets. The more comfortable, yet less secure models are held into place with a loop around the ear. Others are "earbud" styles that are placed directly inside the opening of the ear. More secure, but certainly less comfortable.

When you are shopping for Bluetooth headsets, take the following points into consideration:

Cost
This is an obvious issue. Prices range from the affordable to the truly lavish, so you might have to shop around to compare prices before you choose.

Ergonomics
Comfort should be your primary consideration, as users typically spend a great deal of time with Bluetooth headsets.
- Check to see if the device can be removed and replaced from your ear quickly and conveniently
- Make sure that the control buttons on the headset are easy to use
- If you wear glasses, be sure that the device can be used while you are wearing eyeglasses, or sunglasses
- Some calls can take a long time. Make sure that your Bluetooth headset will be comfortable after an extended period of time
- Try wearing the device in both ears. You may want to switch side to side for comfort or convenience
- Compare Bluetooth headsets to see which are the lightest. Weight is a very important consideration, as you don't want the device to cause discomfort or fall off
- See if the headsets come with a carry case. You'll need to store or transport it when not in use

Ease of use
Some gadgets meant to make our lives easier, only cause frustration.
- Commands and controls should be easy to use and remember
- Be sure that the volume level is easy to adjust. If you're on a call that lasts from your office to the subway station, you'll need to be able to adjust the volume quickly and easily
- You're shopping for Bluetooth headsets to enjoy the latest in instant communications, so make sure that the headset you choose turns on quickly
- Make sure that a support number is provided to call if you need guidance or if you have a problem with the device
- Check the manual. It should be well written and easy to understand

Features
Not all Bluetooth headsets are created equally. There are a variety of features that may or may not be included in the one you choose.
- Ask about the battery. Know the type of battery, how much talk time it can hold, and how to tell if it's fully charged or losing charge
- Don't assume that the Bluetooth headsets you choose can be paired with every one of your wireless devices. Check and verify this before you buy
- Does the headset carry a good warranty? Who will you call for service if you have a problem?
- Check the sound quality for receiving and sending audio
- How is the range? The headset won't be much good to you if the range keeps you tied to your home or office

There are other important capabilities to consider in comparing Bluetooth headsets. Voice tags, transfer calls, three-way calling, last number redial, call reject, link to other phones and mute options are all convenient features. Check to see how it looks on you. You might not want a headset that is large and obvious, or you may prefer a model that stands out.

While technology changes our lives, it also shapes our lives. Using Bluetooth headsets gives us the freedom to stay connected without being tied down.

About The Author: Linda Miller contributes articles to several popular web sites, especially http://nugoz.com and http://wetid.com

Microsoft Zune Hits The Streets

2006-12-25T16:49:00.000-08:00

Zune is upon us, and if you weren't aware of it you are among the few that the Microsoft marketing machine has missed. Run a Google search on the name, and the first six results listed are all websites - or more accurately, domain names - produced by Microsoft and containing their promotional material.

Zune is the Microsoft MP3 player, available on the market for just a few weeks now. It has a thirty gigabyte hard drive, a three inch square video LCD and costs two hundred and fifty bucks. There are a couple of features that the iPod doesn't have: the Zune has some "preloaded" music on it from contemporary artists; it also has wireless transfer capability so that one Zune can ship music or photos to another Zune over a short distance. Overall, however, it's fair to say that, in its current format, the Zune does not represent a significant improvement over the iPod, or a compelling reason to pick it up if you already have an iPod.

Microsoft would have you see it a little differently. They are casting the Zune player as the first in a series of products to be released under its Zune brand. "Designed around the principles of sharing, discovery and community, Zune will create new ways for consumers to connect and share entertainment experience.. .With Zune, we are not simply delivering a portable device, we are introducing a new platform that helps bring artists closer to their audiences and helps people find new music and develop new social connections. "

Along with the media player the Microsoft Zune music store has sprung to life and at the same price as the iPod music mart - ninety nine cents per. Currently, they have two million tunes available compared to Apple's 3.2 million. Early Microsoft press releases hype song sales from labels "DTS, EMI Music's Astralwerks Records and Virgin Records, Ninja Tune, Playlouderecordings , Quango Music Group, Sub Pop Records, and V2/Artemis Records." Presumably some of that preloaded music comes from artists on these labels.

Much has been written about the recent deal signed by Microsoft and Universal Music Group. That agreement has Microsoft paying Universal $1 per Zune sold - and it is a landmark deal because it gives the music company a share in the sale of the hardware. Apparently Microsoft felt compelled to develop an inside arrangement with a major music company because of its late start in the business. For its part, Universal's CEO says, "We felt that any business that's built on the bedrock of music we should share in..."

Apple has no such arrangement in its contracts with recording companies; those are straight revenue sharing deals. There is a good deal of concern that this deal will presage a new degree of control by the music companies over hardware manufacturers, not to mention a fee structure.

According to Universal CEO Doug Morris: "We were very early in working with Steve (Jobs) on the launch of the iPod and he's been a very good partner and done a lot for the industry...We have a current contract with him and at the end of that I'm sure we'll negotiate." Morris' company accounts for nearly one in three CDs sold in the United States.

The notion behind this agreement is that music companies lose a lot of sales to digital piracy - through peer-to-peer sharing on the Internet and through simple transfer of music from one iPod to another. Indeed, one of the features on the Zune player is that any song transferred to it from another Zune will "expire" after three plays. That should pump up business for the Zune music store; however it also gives the Zune wireless feature a mercenary look.

About The Author: Madison Lockwood is a customer relations associate for http://www.apollohosting.com. She helps clients understand how a website may benefit them both personally and professionally. Apollo Hosting provides website hosting, ecommerce hosting, & VPS hosting to a wide range of customers.

Nintendo's Wii - From Purchase to Playing

2006-12-19T20:57:00.000-08:00

If you haven’t seen the commercials for this new console from Nintendo or heard any of the hype, I would suggest taking a good look around to try and find one of these amazing, innovative gaming systems. I picked up my Wii on Black Friday and consider myself very lucky. The store I waited in front of, from 11pm until they opened at 7am only had 5 Wii units available and since I was 5th in line, I was a lot more fortunate then the 15 people behind me. After my long night I promptly went home and caught some Z’s only to be awoken by my eager kids and even more eager wife a few hours later.

We all gathered around for the opening of the box and we all got our first true look at the console. My first impressions were obviously based around the color and design of the hardware and the uniqueness of the controller (wii-remote). The unit was very small compared to that of Sony’s Playstation 3 and Mircosoft’s Xbox 360 and is about the size of 3 dvd cases stacked on top of one another. The unit can function both horizontally and vertically and fits above my TV with all my other gadgets perfectly, yeah score 1 for Nintendo. The hook up of the Wii went flawlessly, it has 3 cables, one for the power to the unit, one for the analog hook up for your television (HD cables hopefully will come soon) and one for the sensor bar which can either sit on top of your TV or below, depending on your individual needs. The sensor bar detects your movements from the Wii-remote, which is part of the reason this machine is totally different from its competitors. After the hook up of the system it was time to power it on and run through the set up program. You start by giving your Wii a name, ours is called Wee Wii. I know, I know, not the most pleasant name, but you can always change your Wii’s name at a later time. After that stage, if you have a Wi-Fi internet connection the Wii will access it and it will remain connected to the internet even while the power to the Wii is off.

Having an internet connection will let the Nintendo update and send downloads to your console. Internet browsing capabilities should be available for the Wii in the 1st quarter 2007. Now your Wii is set up and its time to create your character(s) also known as Mii’s.

The Mii creator is a very fun aspect of the system and it allows you to customize the look of your characters. You can change your height, weight, hair style, hair color, eyebrows, facial structure, facial hair and many other aspects to create your unique Mii. Although the Mii’s are kind of cartoony looking, in the end you will be able to represent yourself pretty accurately. Eventually your Mii characters will wander around and be downloaded to other owner’s consoles across the world, chat features are soon to come as well. Enough about Mii creation lets move on to the fun stuff.

The Nintendo Wii was launched with Wii sports a collection of five sporting games. Boxing, bowling, tennis, golf and baseball are included and those five games should be enough to keep you busy until you have the opportunity to collect other games. At a first glance of the games, where you use your designed Mii characters to play, the graphics are nice, but still cartoony. The graphics are not intended to be the highlight of this system, but rather the use of the wii-remote is where this console excels over all others. Holding the controller in hand (be sure to use your wrist strap at all times) you can really get a feel for being in the game rather than just play a game. If you are playing tennis you would hold the wii-remote as if you holding a tennis racket and overhand swing or backhand swing your way to glory. Boxing is by far the most intense game released with the sports package. You have to use the wii-remote in your primary hand and connect the secondary remote (nunchuck) and use it in your other hand. You can jab by extending your arm(s) straight forward and right or left cross either to the head or body by swing your arms like a real boxer would. You can also hold your hands up in front of your face or body to block incoming punches as well as sway side to side to dodge punches. The innovativeness, interactivity and absolute exercise while having a total blast is what will take Nintendo to the top of the gaming food chain. This system will please all parents across the globe.

In my humble opinion, the Nintendo Wii will take kids (and parents) off of the couch and into the game. With a moderate price tag of $249.99, the Wii is cheaper than most exercise equipment and will produce the same calorie burning results, for you and your family. I know my kids would never spend any amount of time performing exercises, but what they don’t know will not hurt them. The Wii is very cleaver and disguises exercise with playing your favorite games. “Nintendo Wii, turning couch potatoes into controller wielding athletes”.

About The Author: Nintendo supporter since 1/10/1985. Owner and Developer of our Family based website http://www.wiitod.com

Wii Info and Specs

2006-12-10T05:21:00.000-08:00

Wii Console

Stand it up or lay it down -- the Wii console's slot-loading drive will work fine either way. Measuring a little less than three stacked DVD cases, it should also fit easily in any entertainment center. Just make sure you find room for the included sensor bar, which enables the Wii controller to work, and needs to be set horizontally above or below your TV. A concealed slot on the front connects regular SD digital storage cards, and the Wii can also handle Nintendo GameCube controllers, memory cards for saved games, USB devices, or connect to your wireless network.

Wii Controller

Via a combination of high-tech acceleration detectors and an infra-red sensor bar, the Wii's unique controller detects its position, alignment, and speed of movement. It's short on buttons, but you‘ll hardly need them for many Wii games, including the bundled Wii Sports. Just wave the wireless controller in the right direction and you'll swing a racket, throw a ball, aim a gun, or draw a bow. The remote even has built-in storage for your user profile and a small speaker. Hold it sideways, and it's a Nintendo controller. Plug in the (included) nunchuck attachment and you'll have a motion-sensing controller in each hand and enough buttons for even the most complex games. Drop the remote into one of the other planned attachments, and it becomes a steering wheel or a lightgun. This unprecedented versatility may revolutionize the way we think about video games.

Wii Channels

Open up the Wii's TV-like channel system to bring the wide world of Wii right into your living room. Different channels let you keep up with news and weather, surf the Internet, check out message boards, or browse through your photo collection on an inserted SD card. If you're feeling a little more creative, the Mii Channel lets you draw your own avatar to use in games like Wii Sports or save to your controller to take to a friend's house. Best of all, this is where you'll find the Virtual Console channel and the Wii's selection of downloadable games from past consoles like the Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and Nintendo 64.

Wii Difference

Compare the Wii's technology with the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, and it may appear less powerful. Way to miss the point! You're not going to fire up your Wii to show off your expensive new high-definition TV, but if you're throwing a party, want something to play with your family, or enjoy classic games from the last 20 years of video games history, this is the machine to turn to firs

Top Gadgets

2006-12-04T04:03:00.000-08:00

Top MP3 Players

1. Apple iPod (Nano) Red Special Edition

　

2. Creative Zen Vision M (30GB) Digital
Media Player

3. SanDisk Sansa e280R Rhapsody Digital
Media

4. Samsung K5 (2 GB) Digital Media Player

5. Microsoft Zune (White)

Top Cell Phones

1. RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8100

2. Nokia N91

3. Motorola MOTOKRZR K1

4. Sony Ericsson W810i Walkman

5. LG VX8500 Chocolate

Top Digital Camera

1. Canon PowerShot A620

2. HP PhotoSmart R817

3. Olympus Stylus 800

4. Kodak EasyShare Z700

5. Canon PowerShot A520

Top Laptops

1. Apple MacBook Pro

2. Dell Inspiron E1505

3. Lenovo ThinkPad X60s 1704

4. Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV650

5. Dell XPS M1710

Top PDAs And Smart Phones

1. Palm Treo 700w Smartphone

2. Palm TX PDA

3. Nokia E62

4. RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8100

5. Motorola Q

Reference from Yahoo! Tech

How To: Running Windows On Your Mac

2006-11-22T03:17:00.000-08:00

By Richard Hoffman,
8:46 AM EST Wed. Nov. 15, 2006
(URL: http://www.crn.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=194400297)

Apple's Mac OS X operating system gets more and more compatible with the PC world with each new release -- it supports both general industry standards and many proprietary de facto standards, and it integrates cleanly with networks, back-end systems, authentication, and authorization systems like Active Directory, network storage, and other historically PC-centric enterprise assets. In fact, an increasing number of key enterprise features have become significantly easier to administer on a Mac than a PC.

Nevertheless, there is an entire range of products that require not just interoperability, but need an actual Windows operating system to operate, and it is this area that Boot Camp and Parallels Desktop for Mac both address.

Back in the spring, I took a close look at both Apple's Boot Camp, which allows Windows XP to run at native speeds on Intel-based Macs, and Parallel's Workstation 2.1 which, while slower, allows Windows to run in a window inside Mac OS X, instead of requiring a reboot. At the time, both solutions were quite new -- Parallels had just come out of beta, and Boot Camp was (and still is) in beta -- but both options for running Windows on Macs proved themselves to be well worth considering, even in that early state.

Six months later, I was able to try them both again, this time on a new Mac Pro. Besides a recent change in name from "Parallels Workstation for Mac OS X" to "Parallels Desktop for Mac," I found that the latest version of the Parallels Mac virtualizer (Build 1970) has garnered a substantial increase in speed and additional maturity, but Boot Camp 1.1.2 (beta), while still getting the edge for speed, compatibility and graphics capability, needed a workaround to operate on the Mac Pro.

Boot Camp Vs. Desktop
In my battery of tests, which included office automation applications (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Visio), Java code compilation, Photoshop operations, audio and video encoding, and a series of benchmarking applications, Boot Camp was faster across the board than Parallels Desktop. However, the gap is narrowing, and the flexibility that Parallels offers of being able to switch between Windows and Mac OS X environments and applications without a reboot is compelling. Parallels Desktop's new virtual machine installation process is simple and easy, and unlike Boot Camp, which supports only Windows XP SP2 and Vista, Desktop supports virtually any flavor of Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, OS/2, Solaris, or MS-DOS.

One area where Parallels is not gaining ground, however, is 3-D graphics, which still run slowly under Desktop, if they run at all. According to Parallels, the company is continuing to work on this issue, and promises significant improvements in the months ahead. Another ongoing limitation of the Parallels product has to do with the inability to encode data from CDs and DVDs, such as audio tracks from music CDs. This prevented me from running the cross-platform iTunes encoding test, and is an unfortunate shortcoming. (One solution is to work with CD and DVD data on the Mac side and transfer the files across as needed, using the shared folder feature of Parallels Desktop.)

Unfortunately, Boot Camp, which had in previous versions proved to be vastly superior to Parallels Workstation in speed and capability, as well as ease of use, was so difficult to work with on the Mac Pro review unit that it was practically unusable. Driver issues between the otherwise-excellent ATI Radeon X1900 XT card, the 23-inch Cinema Display, and Windows XP made installation and use of a Windows XP SP2 instance virtually impossible. Even attempting installation of Windows resulted in a total lack of video (black screen) until I replaced the Mac Pro's 23-inch display with an old VGA monitor.

After installation, however, the problem remained chronic. It turned out that this was an issue other users have faced, and I was able to find an effective workaround. The open-source program WinACD, once installed on the Windows side, solved the problem. However, it has the shortcoming of not being loaded until relatively late in the boot sequence, which effectively prevented use of multiple users on the test platform.

(The week after this review was complete, Apple released an EFI Firmware Update [v1.1] which solved the video/display issues I noted here.)

Which To Use?
Parallels Desktop continues to improve, and it is clearly the most flexible option for running Windows (as well as other operating systems) on Macintosh computers, for a very reasonable cost. Boot Camp still wins the speed and compatibility comparisons, and has the advantage of being a free download. But this latest round of tests highlighted the fact that, while a remarkable and workable product, Boot Camp is definitely still in beta.

Full support by Apple for Windows partitions on Macs is scheduled to be included in the next major release of the Mac OS X operating system, Leopard, due in the spring of 2007. The Mac virtualizer battle is about to heat up, however, with industry stalwart VMWare preparing to release a product for Intel-based Macs, though likely at a higher price-point than Parallels Desktop for Mac.

One thing is certain -- the options for running Windows on Macs keep getting better, and that helps makes the future look bright for an increasing number of Macs in the enterprise.

Apple iPod Owners Willing To Switch To Microsoft's Zune

2006-11-18T06:09:00.000-08:00

By Antone Gonsalves, TechWeb News, InformationWeek
8:00 PM EST Wed. Nov. 01, 2006

Many prospective buyers of digital music players, including those who currently use Apple's iPod, would be likely to choose Microsoft's upcoming Zune player, a market research firm said Wednesday.

A survey of 1,725 U.S. teenagers and adults found that of those who planned to buy a digital music player in the next 12 months, 58% who owned iPods and 59% who owned some other brand were either "somewhat likely" or "extremely likely" to choose a Zune, ABI Research said.

"Our conclusion is that iPod users don't display the same passionate loyalty to iPods that Macintosh users have historically shown for their Apple products," ABI analyst Steve Wilson said in a statement. The survey found that only 15% of iPod owners said they were "not very likely" or "not at all likely" to choose Zune.

Given the results, Apple will need to make some big announcements next year in order to maintain its dominant position in the market, Wilson said. "Apple needs a new high-end device that works really well and looks really cool, because other brands are catching up."

Microsoft, on the other hand, will have to differentiate Zune in a meaningful way to attract iPod owners, Wilson said.

Microsoft plans to start selling Zune and launch its supporting online music store this month.

http://www.crn.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=193501277

How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture, and Coolness

2006-11-16T03:35:00.000-08:00

I got this in my email today and thought of sharing it with you.

How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture, and Coolness

Steven Levy
Technology Correspondent, Newsweek
Wednesday, November 15, 2006; 12:00 PM

Steven Levy was online Wednesday, Nov. 15 at Noon ET to discuss his sixth book, "The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture, and Coolness." Levy is senior editor and chief technology correspondent at Newsweek. He is a longtime Apple watcher and has known Apple cofounder and CEO Steve Jobs for more than 20 years.

Besides being one of the most successful consumer products in decades, the iPod has become a global obsession. It changed people's behavior, reshaped the music business and made Apple a consumer electronics giant. In his book, Levy gives readers the story of the iPod's creation, including why the iPod is white and how Apple succeeded with its iTunes music store. Levy discusses the iPod's impact on the business and cultural worlds as well as related issues, such as the broadcast industry and copyright.

"The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture, and Coolness" by Steven Levy.
The transcript follows.
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Steven Levy: Hi, everybody. I'm delighted to be able to take your questions on iPods, Zunes, and digital music (and media!) in general. In "The Perfect Thing" I tried not only to tell the story of how the iPod came to be, but to spend a lot of time on the economic and cultural repercussions as well. So feel free to range pretty far in your questions.

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Arlington, Va.: I am an iPod addict. I think it is a great way to carry around your entire cd collection. How many iPods have been sold in the US?

Steven Levy: As of a couple of weeks ago, Apple had sold 68 million iPods. A reasonable guess is they will sell over 15 million more in the holiday season.

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Charlottesville, Va.: Will any portable music device rival the iPod any time soon?

Steven Levy: Depends on what you mean by "soon." Apple has dominated the market for five years now, and has been relentless in updating the iPod platform, even the the point last year when it discontinued its most popular model (the mini) and replaced it with a different one (the smaller nano). There are over 3000 add-on products. So any competitor has to scale a huge mountain, and bring in features that Apple does not have.

That's why Microsoft's Zune has something the iPod doesn't--wireless connectivity. But even Microsoft admits that it is only at the beginning of a long competition with iPod.

_______________________

Alabama: I have never owned an iPod, have never been interested in buying an iPod and believe that the culture's ridiculous obsession with this $200 to $400 gadget shows how stupid we are with money -- in particular, how stupid young people can be throwing their cash around. Is your obsession with music so overpowering that turning the radio on in the car, or walking outside without the aid of an electronic device means doom? Get over it. And think about what good that $400 can do. It can feed a poor family in this state for about a month, or put clothing on their children's backs. To spend all that money on a device that does nothing but cut you off from the rest of the world isn't just stupid: It's obscene.

I honestly wish savings accounts got more attention than wasteful consumer products that, frankly, are geared toward the rich or people willing to spend themselves into debt to appear rich. A 25-year-old who puts that $400 in a 401K will be extremely grateful they did so when they hit 65 -- approximately 39 years after the iPod's battery has burned out.

Steven Levy: This is a question that deserves to be treated seriously. A few hundred dollars for a device that gives us the luxury of playing our music on the go is definitely money that can be put to more socially useful purposes. But if we go down that road, pretty much anything we spend for our own entertainment could be seen as wasteful. As luxury products go, I think the iPod, especially now that the basic high capacity model ($249) and the lower cost models ($79 for a shuffle, $150-$250 for a nano) deliver good value in terms of enjoyment. Some concerts cost $150 to attend.

By the way, do you enjoy driving your Yugo?

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: So why IS the iPod white?

Steven Levy: I had a long talk with Jonathan Ive, the industrial designer of the iPod, and he went on enthusiastically at the "shockingly neutral" hue of the iPod. So much so that I felt he was channeling the tumultuous passages in "Moby Dick" in the famous "Of the Whiteness of the Whale" chapter. Also, at that point, Apple has other products in white (the iBook, the iMac), and that was sort of a clean look of their brand.

_______________________

Albuquerque, N.M.: I needed to have my iPod mini repaired. I sent it back to Apple using their web site to coordinate the repair. I can not tell you how pleased I was with the entire process. From the time I shipped the unit until the time I received the new unit was less than 5 days. It was quick, easy and painless. With customer service horror stories out there, it was a pleasure to have such a good experience. Microsoft take note!

Steven Levy: I'm glad things worked out for you. Generally the stories I get anecdotally about iPod reliability reflect Apple's pretty good policy of repairing under warrantee, and some frustration when iPods fail just after the warrantee expires.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: What poses the greatest risk to the iPods dominance? I don't think it is Zune!

Steven Levy: A lot of people think that the threat to iPods is music in cellular phones. There's a real question as to whether high-capacity storage on phones, along with a nice interface, will mean that people no longer need separate music devices. But this bears watching.

The other threat may be subscription-based devices, where you pay a fee for "all you can eat" from a huge library. Zune does use subscriptions but hasn't really pushed it. The Rhapsody-based Sansa device focuses on this, and goes a pretty good job.

Steve Jobs of Apple has consistently said that he doesn't think subscriptions will catch on. He says the people want to own their music, and will hate the idea that it all goes away when they stop paying the fee.

_______________________

Reston, Va.: Isn't the ability of Microsoft's Zune to wirelessly connect just a lawsuit waiting to happen? As it is, people download and share tunes (illegally) on a regular basis. With the wireless capability, will Zune owners be able to share their files from one Zune to the other "on the street" -- making it that much harder to track file-sharing/swapping?

Steven Levy: Microsoft has been very careful--too careful, for my tastes--in restricting what can be done in Zune to Zune sharing as so to satisfy the music industry. Because of the restrictions imposed on sharing -- a song sent from one Zune to another expires after three plays or three days, whichever comes first--the record labels have signed off, so there is no danger of a lawsuit. However, there is danger that users will be turned off by the restrictions. In some cases, artists have withheld permission and if you try to send a song you get message that you don't have the rights to do so. I imagine this could be frustrating.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: My son has upgraded from an original issue Ipod - the battery needs replacement costing $70. Is it worth the investment?

Steven Levy: I thought the fee was $60. In any case, if your son enjoys his iPod and isn't lusting for a newer model, why not? More often, people with older iPods see that it doesn't cost much more to get a higher-capacity new model and give the old one to a friend or relative.

_______________________

Annapolis, Md.: We bought an iPod for my son and now I'm thinking of getting one of my own. I have a question about the iTunes Library. Right now, the CDs that he's imported, along with a couple of downloads are sitting in the library on the hard drive. Is there a way to create a separate library for my files when I import/download them? I have iTunes on my computer at work, but I don't want to store my music files there. Can I store them on a flash drive and if so, what capacity should I be looking at? When I get onto my computer at home, could I plug in the flash drive and access the library or will it automatically default to the hard drive location, where my son's library is stored?

Steven Levy: Don't want to get too deeply into computer support questions here, but basically the message is this: you can balance different iPods on one master library. The key thing to remember is that iPods connect to a single library--so your home computer should have all the songs that you and your family want to listen to. Then, you can load only the songs you want into your individual iPods. (By checking and unchecking the little boxes next to the songs when you synch the iPod.)

As for other computers, you can designate five computers to play the songs you buy from the iTunes store (unlimited if you rip the songs from CDs.) To move the songs to other computers, you can't use the iPod (without special unapproved software) but must move song files like any other kind of file transfer.

_______________________

Annapolis, Md.: Is Apple doing anything to make the iPod more sturdy? It seems like everyone complains about how easy it is to scratch them up. I must admit that I don't currently have an iPod, but would it get that scratched up just keeping it in my purse or do you have to purchase one of those covers?

Steven Levy: Once I used an iPod to record an interview with Steve Jobs and he saw that I had one of those plastic skins covering it. He was appalled, and insisted that iPods, like people, only gain more character with the occasional ding and scratch. I'm not sure about that (especially if the screen is affected) but for those who worry, there are plenty of cases. By the way, in the small print in packaging of the new iPods, there is a disclaimer explaining that like fine denim jeans, iPods can go through a weathering process. Classic Apple explanation--wear and tear makes iPods cooler!

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: If the Beatles were to finally make their music available on-line, and cut a deal exclusively with Microsoft, as rumored, would they just be shutting themselves out of the entire ipod market? Or would they help Zune make inroads into a sizable chunk of the market?

Steven Levy: The Beatles did make an offer to Microsoft a couple of years ago (when Microsoft was introducing an earlier competitor to the iTunes Store)--they asked for millions of dollars for temporary exclusivity and then demanded that their songs be sold in a separate online store! Microsoft wisely turned them down.

The Beatles will eventually realize that holding out from the online world hurts their sales and gives them no advantage for the future. My guess is that at some point Apple Computer will settle its lawsuit with Apple Records and part of the settlement (face saving all around) will be that the Beatles will roll out, with great fanfare, on the Apple Store. Some time thereafter, Beatle songs will be available on Microsoft, Rhapsody, Napster, etc.

_______________________

State College, Pa.: Do you think that heavy iPod users may be isolating themselves socially or that lonely people are using iPods for that very purpose?

Steven Levy: HI, to my grad school Alma Mater!

I get into this at length in the book. Sociologists studying the matter find that people (loneliness has nothing to do with it) find personal audio devices like Walkman and iPod environmentally useful for two reasons: escape and enhancement. In some cases, it's a useful signal for others to "stay away and leave me alone." But mostly, its a way to alter one's environment, creating a dynamic soundtrack to an otherwise mundane setting.

_______________________

Bethesda: Is there a device you can attached to your IPod so you can listen to the radio when your not near a radio?

Steven Levy: Though Apple does not, like many of its competitors, include built in FM radio, it does sell a $50 accessory that's a combination FM radio and remote control (you can modulate volume and skip songs from the clip-on remote when the iPod itself is in your pocket or backpack).

_______________________

Vienna, Va.: The iPod has obviously had a big effect on the music business. What do you think will be the next big thing or things technology-wise that will change the music business?

Steven Levy: I am very excited about the new wave of "recommendation" sites on the Web, ranging from MySpace to music blogs to social sites (mog.com) to ones that give you "similar music" to songs you specify (pandora.com, mystrands.com, last.fm). One day the music industry will more actively support these and allow looser sharing so that their artists will be exposed more quickly.

_______________________

Raleigh, N.C.: Where do you think iPod software is going? I've seen map, tour guide, and language programs. I'm considering buying an audio wine guide by a company named CyraKnow. Do you know of other iPod software makers?

Steven Levy: There are oodles of stuff available in this vein. From iTunes you can get podcasts and audio books. Other stuff is available from third parties but not so well integrated. One thing I write about in "The Perfect Thing" is the ShasPod, an iPod preloaded with two thousand hours of Talmudic commentary. (There's plenty of Bible stuff, too.)

_______________________

Lenexa, Kan.: Please, talk more about your use of an iPod to record interviews. How do you do this? What additional hardware and software do you use? Thanks.

Steven Levy: I simply used an add-on microphone from a third-party accessory maker. To be honest, since then I've found it more reliable to use a dedicated digital recorder, though using the iPod was easy in the sense that once it synched back to the computer, the interview was automatically loaded into iTunes.

_______________________

St. Mary's City, Md.: Do you see the iPod as making it easier or harder for performers to find new fans? Does it increase or decrease the ability of listeners to find non-mainstream performers? I had imagined that record labels would become less relevant in the iPod era, that a 21st-century Frank Zappa could reach audiences directly without having to fight his label over artistic content. Is that realistic?

Steven Levy: I think that the iPod, and the digital music world in general, can make it easier for artists to find and cultivate new audiences. As you mention, it's possible for small labels to bypass distributors and go straight to iTunes and other online stores to reach fans. This is the "long tail" effect so well described by Wired Magazine editor Chris Anderson.

However, I recently was disappointed that I could not buy early Mothers of Invention albums on iTunes. What gives?

_______________________

Mount Airy, Md.: Steve: In the past I found that in order to listen to an iPOD you had to purchase music from the Apple music store. I believe there are ways around this now, but purchasing from Apple is the only way to fully utilize all of the features of the iPOD. Will the ZUNE have similar restrictions? Thanks.

Steven Levy: Let me clarify something: in order to listen to music on an iPod (or Zune for that matter) you do not have purchase music from any digital store, but have the opportunity to take your existing CD's (or buy new ones) and "rip" them into your music library.

The problem you have heard about it that when you do buy songs from an online store. you are limited in where you play it back. Purchased songs from the iTunes store won't work on a Zune, and Zune songs won't work on an iPod (or even on an earlier Microsoft effort, devices on the "plays for sure" standard.

This is an intolerable situation. I think that customers who pay for music should be able to play them on any device they choose. The point of copy protection is to prevent piracy, not to lock anyone into a single system.

_______________________

Claverack, N.Y.: Has Apple ever been tempted to make a game-friendly iPod, with a "+" pad joystick and a few buttons? Or are they not interested in riling the half-ton beast that is Nintendo?

Steven Levy: Apple recently began selling games for iPods, and while they are fun, they are no match for a full fledged productions on the PS2 or Nintendo DS, let along the supercomputer game consoles we're seeing now. I doubt that Apple will release a game controller for the iPod.

_______________________

Alexandria, Va.: I am in the market for a portable media player and am leaning away from the Ipod and towards the Toshiba Gigabeat (MES30VW). Am I wrong to not want the Ipod?

Steven Levy: Anyone who carefully researches this space may find that one player in particular satisfies his or her needs. There's no right or wrong, it's about what will make you happy. So far, though, three fourths of people are voting for iPod with their purchases.

_______________________

Falls Church, Va.: I use my iPod on the metro to escape the bustling crowds and often rude behavior of daily commuters. I am shocked at the number of times I can hear other peoples devices through their earbuds at some feet away. Are we all just killing our eardrums one commute at a time?

Steven Levy:"Killing Me Loudly?" It's a very good idea to keep the volume down. Apple offers parents a way to permanently set the volume level at lower than power-drill levels, so that kids don't put themselves at risk.

_______________________

Boston, Mass.: How much of the iPod's dominance is the iTunes music store? The iPod could never have been so successful on its own.

Steven Levy: You are right in implying that the iPod's success is not due solely to the device, but the interaction with the iTunes software and the music store. It's no accident that Zune is attempting to duplicate that model.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Hi Steven, Where do you see the iPod going in the next two to three years? Especially after the release of Microsoft's Zune and the ability to access digital content wirelessly. Will Apple follow suit? Thanks.

Steven Levy: Apple doesn't share its future plans very freely, especially with journalists. That said, most observers think that in the next year or so we will see an iPod with a screen covering its full surface (with touch-screen controls), and an "iPhone" that may not be an iPod but will be a rethinking of the mobile phone Apple-style, with music built in. Wi-fi in iPods is another strong possibility. I'll be watching just like everybody else, eager to see if any of these come to pass, or something entirely different.

Thanks so much for participating. There are a bunch of questions I didn't get to, but you can ping me either at Newsweek or the blog I use for the book at stevenlevy.com. Have a great day!

The New iPod Shuffle

2006-11-06T08:05:00.000-08:00

The all new iPod shuffle. It would be good to bring it around when having a run or doing workout.

Smaller than ever
Now made of sleek, durable anodized aluminum, the new iPod shuffle weighs in at about half an ounce and is less than half the size of the original.

Remix and match
With iTunes autofill, you can get a new musical experience every time you sync. For even more randomness, you can shuffle songs with the slide of a switch.

Everything is easy
Charge and sync with the slick USB dock. Operate its controls with one hand. Enjoy up to 12 hours straight of skip-free music playback.

Clip and go
Thanks to the simple built-in clip, you can carry up to 240 of your favorite songs on your shirt sleeve, purse strap, waistband, anywhere.

Apple's new iPod shuffle, just half the size of the original. 1GB only $79. Now Shipping!

False Information about Tommy Hilfiger

2006-09-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

I received this email in my inbox this morning and I feel there is a need to clear this up. If ever you receive this email. Please do not ... do not forward it out because the information is not true.

In a January 2001 press release, the Tommy Hilfiger company denies that their founder ever made such a statement:

"The facts remain simple and cannot be disputed. Tommy Hilfiger did not make the alleged comments, he has never appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and, in fact, Ms. Winfrey herself, on her January 11, 1999 program, stated Tommy Hilfiger has never been on her show nor has she ever met him.

"Most importantly, Tommy Hilfiger wants his clothing to be enjoyed by people of all backgrounds and his collections are put together with the broadest cross-section of individuals in mind. To reinforce this, he features models of all ethnic backgrounds in his fashion shows and advertisements."

So pervasive is this rumor that, by 2004, the company had set aside an entire section on their corporate web site to deny it, featuring statements from Hilfiger, Winfrey, the Anti-Defamation League and Hilfiger customers.

Tommy Hilfiger is not the first or last famous person to be falsely accused of publicly telling certain ethnic groups to not buy their products. Liz Claiborne, Lauren Hill and Shakira all stand accused. None of the accusations stand up to scrutiny. Some are based on misunderstandings, while others, like the one above, are complete fabrications built on favorite elements of urban legendry. Break this Chain.

SAMPLE CHAIN LETTER TEXT
Subject: Tommy Hilfiger on Oprah

Hello, please read.... and pass on if you haven't already! Everyone needs to see this.

Good for Oprah!!!! I'm sure many of you watched the recent taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show, where her guest was Tommy Hilfiger. On the show, she asked him if the statements about race he was accused of saying were true. Statements like"...if I'd known African-Americans, Hispanics, Jewish and Asians would buy my clothes, I would not have made them so nice. I wish these people would *NOT* buy my clothes, as they are made for upper class white people."

His answer to Oprah was a simple "YES". Where after she immediately asked him to leave her show. My suggestion? Don't buy your next shirt or Perfume from Tommy Hilfiger. Let's give him what he asked for. Let's not buy His clothes, let's put him in a financial state where he himself will NOT be able to afford the ridiculous

prices he puts on his clothes.

BOYCOTT PLEASE...., & SEND THIS MESSAGE TO ANYONE YOU KNOW

Nothing empowers people quite like their own survival!

END CHAIN LETTER TEXT

Sony Ericsson K608i

2006-09-24T23:21:00.000-07:00

After using Nokia phone for about 6 year, I finally change to another brand, Sony Ericsson. Not that I do not like Nokia phone or I have anything against them. I still like Nokia. My previous Nokia models which I had used starting from Nokia 8210 to 8250 and eventually 3100 all proved to work well. Yes, I know I'm using all the very low end model .. but a phone is just a phone to me, I don't use it much except to call and to SMS.

I had used the Nokia 8210 for a few months only before changing it to Nokia 8250. Still remember initially the Nokia 8250 always 'hung' on me when I tried to access the message inbox. It seems to be some problem with the software inside and after upgrading the software, I don't remember the phone 'hung' again when I tried to access the message. Nokia phones are generally reliable.

Recently Singtel offered the Sony Ericsson K608i phone for upgrading without the need to put in any money outfront and also because I had been considering to change to a Sony Ericsson for some time and so I just grabbed the opportunity to change my phone.

When I first saw the Sony Ericsson K608i, I found it to be quite big compared to my Nokia 3100 and slightly heavier but I like the black color and the design of it. Looks quite cool. The only thing which I don't quite like it is because it looks a bit thick (about 2cm). Other than that, I like the rich color display and 1.3 megapixel camera that comes with it.

Not to mention, it is relatively easy to use as it is quite similar to my Nokia 3100. In addition, it is a 3G phone and thus allows me to enjoy the latest mobile services - video call, media streaming and broadband mobile internet. I can practically have access to all the services and information I need - wherever I am. I am happy with the Sony Ericsson K608i as I remember, a phone is just a phone. Or is it?

Nowadays, the mobile phone has evolved into something much more complicated. It has not only evolved into a power 'camera' but has also become a 'mobile office' with its wireless feature, as in the Nokia N80, which allows you added business efficiency. There is just no more excuse for not working anymore.

Nokia N80

2006-09-21T21:31:00.000-07:00

I have been hearing my brother talking about the Nokia N80 for many months even before it came to Singapore. But when I saw the phone itself, my first reaction was, "it looks and feels so bulky!" Why would anyone want to carry something so big. To my definition of hand phone: it is something small and easy to carry around and for making call. The added features of cam, radio, music are very much welcome.

Anyway I decided to just take a look at the Nokia N80 in the internet and found some interesting things about it. The Nokia N80 is the first ever handset to enable seamless home media networking between compatible TVs, audio systems and PCs and the Nokia N80 is also the first quadband handset designed to work on 3G (WCDMA 1900 or 2100), WLAN, EDGE and four GSM bands (850/900/1800/1900), enabling broadband access from virtually anywhere on the planet. This is something which my brother has been telling me, "you can use the phone practically anywhere in the world." Now I understood.

Another plus point is its brilliant TFT display which is capable of displaying 256K colors. Not to mention a remarkable resolution of 352 x 426 pixels and a relatively large screen of 35 x 41 which makes the using of the phone a very pleasant experience. Picture quality is vivid and sharp and even viewing under direct sunlight is not a problem.

As for the user interface, the Symbian operating system is known to work very well on the N80 and is quite fast. There is generally an improvement in the performance compared to the previous 2nd generation S60 user interface.

Somethings which I like personally are that it has no limit of the contacts as it uses the free memory and thus can hold an enormous amount of entries and the N80 has 40 MB internal memory and a miniSD memory card slot. The phone will come with 128 MB card enclosed in the package. Nokia's choice of the miniSD card type is very good for the users as those cards are cheap and reach up to 2 GB capacity.

So I guess it is not too bad after all.

The Apple iPod Nano for Christmas

2006-09-20T00:52:00.000-07:00

Christmas is coming again in a few months time. Have you already thought about what presents to get for your family or friends? Usually during these period, the shopping mall will be packed with people shopping for Christmas presents and it is really a fun things to do isn't it.

For some people, they might be too busy with work and so they might do their shopping online or even in eBay. Shopping online has been getting more and more common these days especially when people are getting busier and busier.

Are you thinking of getting an Apply iPod product online this Christmas season? If you are thinking of bidding for an Apple iPod Nano in auction for Christmas, you got to be extra careful that you are bidding for the actual Apple iPod Nano. I was looking through one auction the other day and I saw one Apple iPod Nano look alike product. The appearance looks exactly like the 'real' Apple iPod Nano. However, on a closer examination of the auction details, the seller did mention that it is just an Apple iPod Nano look alike and not the actual iPod Nano from Apple.

So if you are looking for and bidding for an actual Apple iPod Nano, you got to keep your eyes open and read carefully the auction details.

Was looking through the Apple website and just found out that now it has a new range of colors and capacity of 8GB (approximately 2,000 songs).

The Apple iPod Nano is truly a class of its own! Definitely a cool thing to have for Christmas :-)

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T10

2006-09-19T01:47:00.000-07:00

Sony adds a new slim camera to its T-series - the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T10.

The Sony T10 is a 7.2 Megapixels (effective) with 3x Optical, 14x Smart Zoom. It comes with Carl ZeissÂ® Vario TessarÂ® lens, 2.5-inch Clear Photo LCD Plus and 56MB of internal memory.

Not only that, it is a feast to the eyes with supremely slim dimensions of the renowned T series and it will come in four stylish shades - Bold Black, Solid Silver, Sensual Pink, and Pure White.

The Sony T10 is not just another 'pretty face' as it comes equipped with a max sensitivity of ISO 1000 and the Super SteadyShot Optical Image Stabilization which makes sure that your shots come out crisp and clear, even if you're not so steady yourself.

The Sony T10 also comes with a Real Imaging Processor for quick start-up time, double anti-blur protection for low-light situations.

Truly a class of its own.

Sony K800i

2006-09-13T00:09:00.000-07:00

Definitely a cool phone to have :-)

Cyber-shot™ digital still camera. And mobile phone

It's here. A Cyber-shot™ digital camera and a small and sophisticated feature-packed 3G mobile phone all in one. Open the lens cover and you're ready to take the picture. Bring the K800i with you and you have a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, built-in xenon flash and image and video stabilizer function ready for any moment, anytime. And a 3G phone for sharing your pictures. Instantly.

Get the best picture

With the K800i, it's hard to take a bad picture. Get the picture you want with BestPic™. The unique thing about this feature is that 4 of the resulting images were shot immediately before the camera key is pressed to complete the shot, and 4 immediately after. Pick the best. Delete the rest.

Enhanced imaging

A built-in xenon flash unit gives you real photographic light where lighting conditions are not optimal and K800i eliminates red eye making sure that the pictures you take are simply the best. A camera stabilizer function compensates any small movement of your hand when you're taking a picture and shooting video.

Blog this

When you've taken a photo, you can share it straight away using Bluetooth™, multimedia messaging or blog it. Take a photo add text and send it to a blog site. The site is created the first time you blog a photo and in return get a text message with the Web address and log in data. Send the address to friends and share your life in pictures. Read more about picture blogging

Take and print

On each side of the 2” QVGA color screen you have photo keys to make using your K800i camera phone easy. For printing, the K800i supports the PictBridge standard. Connect the phone directly to a PictBridge-compliant printer using the USB cable and print your photos without a PC.

3G makes it possible

With proven 3G technology built-in, mobile Web browsing, photo blogging, downloading of multimedia content and video calling become a pleasant experience. Visit real internet sites with the Access NetFront™ browser and subscribe to automatic news updates with RSS Feeds. Multitask with K800i. Be engaged in a call or listen to the music player or FM radio while you search for information on the Web.