May 2010 Archives

Tech Radar have published their "definitive"review of the Apple iPad. So, what is the fuss all about? The iPad essentially revolutionises the concept of a tablet computer. Previously tablet devices addressed a legitimate consumer need (casual, lazy, couch-bound computing), but left most people frustrated with a stylus-driven handwriting recognition system and an operating system that was really designed to be used on a desktop PC. While it's not the perfect implementation of a tablet computer, the iPad is quite simply the best yet. The use of the iPhone OS and its clever data-entry scheme - virtual keyboard, multitouch gestures and all - turns the iPad into an immeasurably more usable device than any Windows-based tablet PC we've seen.'

CNET have published their review of the Sony Dash personal internet viewer. 'On the top of the Dash you'll see 2.5-inch-wide Menu button that also acts as a snooze for the built-in alarm clock. To its right, an inch-wide volume rocker allows fine control over audio. The back of the Dash is bare; the bottom houses a recessed power adapter input. Battery power is not an option. A hinged door on the side of the Dash gives access to a 3.5mm headphone output, as well as a standard USB port. In theory, users can load music, videos, or photos by connecting a thumb drive to the USB port, but the firmware on the unit we tested didn't allow it (it's coming soon, apparently).'

The Apple iPod nano 8 GB Green (5th Generation - NEWEST MODEL) has been reduced from $149.99 to $130.54 over at Amazon.com.
Tech Details:
• 8 GB capacity for 2,000 songs, 7,000 photos, or 8 hours of video
• Up to 24 hours of music playback or 5 hours of video playback when fully charged
• 2.2-inch color TFT display with 240 x 376 pixel resolution
• Supports AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV audio formats
• Supports H.264 and MPEG-4 video formats, JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PSD (Mac only), and PNG image formats

AnythingButiPod have published a review of the Cowon V5 HD portable media player. 'The V5 comes with an AC charger that works internationally; the prongs can be swapped to accommodate American or European power outlets. It outputs a rather beefy 3000mA at 5V, so it charges the player a lot faster than a regular 500mA USB port could. It also comes with yet another unique proprietary USB cable, as is the usual modus operandi of Cowon. Barely any two of their players use the same cables. Comparing that to the standardized world of iPod or Sony Walkman connectors, Cowon's topsy-turvy approach of seemingly randomly picking their players' plugs and jacks is rather annoying. Currently I have five Cowon players in my collection, and I need five different cables to connect them to my PC.'

CNET Asia have published their "First take" review of the JooJoo tablet. 'The JooJoo tablet sports a 12.1-inch 1,366 x 768-pixel capacitive touchscreen, which is both larger and higher in resolution than the iPad. The company also claims the display comes with a fingerprint-resistant coating. While the former is also multitouch-enabled, according to reports the implementation is not as smooth as Apple's. Fortunately, the JooJoo tablet includes an accelerometer and light sensor, which automatically rotates and adjusts screen brightness, respectively.'

ZDNet have published their "Hands on" review of the Kobo eReader. 'The Kobo desktop software gives you the ability to manage your collection, visit the store and purchase new content, and sync to your eReader. I saw on the store menu that newspapers are coming on May 31st so I look forward to seeing what offerings they have there. I did not like that the Sync button syncs ALL of your ebook library without letting you manage which books you want on the device at the time. This is a problem for me since without a keyboard or text entry method it was a bit daunting scrolling through all of the titles on the library page on the eReader. I also found no way to click on the eReader in the desktop software to remove books and manage content on the device.'

A review of the Borders' Kobo ebook reader has been posted over at APC Mag. 'Available in white and black, Kobo's design is as minimalist as the feature set. The only control on the front panel is an oversized square navigation button with an odd 'rubbery' feel. An immediate issue with this - the button's location makes sense for right-hand users who can thumb to the next (or previous) page, but southpaws will find it frustrating. Kindle users will miss the Kindle's dedicated Page, Menu and Back controls but the rest of us will make do with Kobo's multifunction blob quite nicely.Kobo's back panel has been fashioned for 'holdability', with a textured rubber covering providing a grip that's comfortable yet both confidently firm - there's no nagging fear it will slide out of your hand if you're holding it at an angle or juggling the Kobo and your coffee.'

Gear Live have published their review of the Sony Walkman NWZ-W252 digital player. 'First, the specs. The Sony Walkman NWZ-W252 weights just 1.6 ounces, and has 2GB of storage space--that's it. Of course, since this is really more of a workout device, that is more than enough in this case. It's got a built-in rechargeable lithium ion battery that'll last about 11 hours. The cool thing here is that it only takes roughly three minutes to charge it enough to play music for 90 minutes. A full charge takes 90 minutes. In the box you've got a USB cable, three sizes of earbuds (a nice touch,) user manual, and the device itself.'

The Archos 7 8 GB Home Tablet with Android (Black) is on offer for $199.99 with free standard shipping over at Amazon.com. 'ARCHOS' new ARCHOS 7 Home Tablet bridges the gap between the smartphone and the desktop PC, providing constant access to the web, customization through Android Apps, and delivery of multimedia content--all in a seven-inch widescreen format. Access the information you need, such as news, weather, or local business info. Enjoy your favorite movie clips or watch some YouTube videos for a quick entertainment fix. Or just kick back and listen to some music. With built-in Wi-Fi, quick and easy file transfer, and up to 7 hours video/44 hours music on a single charge, this affordable tablet will keep you entertained--and connected--all day long.'

A preview of the Sony W Series water-resistant Walkman player has been posted over at Geek,com. 'The W series Walkman is really the simplest of products-it's a behind-the-head pair of earphones with a built-in MP3 player. The features are limited but the device is as simple as possible, with anything unnecessary left off of the device. It's not a product for the power user, but if you are a walker, jogger, skier, or active person who wants a hassle-free player to provide some tunes while you are doing something else that is more important to you than listening to music, the W series is Sony's solution.'

The Gadgeteer have published a review of the Etón SolarLink FR360 Emergency Preparedness Digital Radio. 'The FR360 comes with a Ni-MH battery. The batteries are charged by the solar panel on top of the unit; it takes 10 hours of direct sunlight to fully charge the battery. You can also power the unit and recharge the battery with an AC adapter (not included, but can be ordered from Etón for $9.95). I was not sent the AC adapter. You can run the unit using three standard AAA batteries, but these will not be charged by the FR360 nor will they charge the Ni-MH battery. There's a hand-cranked dynamo, but this is for a short burst of power - a few minutes of radio time or a small charge to a cell phone for an emergency call. I'm not sure you could crank it long enough to fully charge the Ni-MH battery.'

Blast Magazine have published a review of the FINIS XtreaMP3 waterproof MP3 player. 'The XtreaMP3 is a 1GB MP3 player that is waterproof to depths of 15 feet. It comes with a surprisingly sturdy neoprene armband, and specialized waterproof earbuds that are roughly 8 thousand times more comfortable than the stock Apple earbuds you get with an iPod . The XtreaMP3 is also USB compatible for charging, and more importantly, for syncing up your music via iTunes (the easiest route) or via the drag n' drop process through Windows Explorer (the archaic way to go about it.)'

The Coby 2 GB MP3 Player with FM Radio, USB Drive, and LCD (Black) has been reduced from $44.99 to $22.87 over at Amazon.com. 'Coby MP305-2G MP3 player 2 GB flash memory FM radio and USB drive with LCD, high-contrast LCD display with 7-color backlight, plays MP3 and WMA digital music files, plays digital music from most online stores and subscription services, ID3 tag support for song information display, integrated FM radio, mobile data storage function, convenient integrated USB plug( no cables required), USB 2.0 hi-speed for fast file transfers, black.'

CNET have published an updated review of the Barnes & Noble Nook eReader. 'Let's start with the basic design. Put the Nook on top of the Kindle and you'll notice that the Nook is about 10 percent smaller in terms of surface dimensions. Then again, the Nook's a bit thicker. The Nook is 7.7 inches long by 4.9 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick, whereas the Kindle is 8 inches long by 5.3 inches wide by 0.36 inch thick. The Nook also weighs slightly more at 11.2 ounces than the Kindle does at 10.2 ounces. Unlike the Kindle, the device's plastic back plate is removable and the lithium ion battery is replaceable (the microSD slot is also accessible by removing the cover).'

A review of the Apple iPod Nano 8GB (5th Generation) player has been posted over at Think Computers. 'Flipping the iPod over there is a large iPod and Apple logo on the back. The thing that is different about this iPod is that it has an included video camera and microphone on the back. This is the first iPod that has these features. The video camera is located towards the bottom of the iPod. For those wondering the video camera captures H.264 640 x 480 video a 30 fps with AAC audio. On the top of the iPod there is a small slider that will lock the iPod so it does not accidentally play while in your pocket. At the bottom you have the dock connector and audio jack. It is pretty crazy that Apple can fit all of this inside such a small form factor.'

Trusted Reviews have published a review of the BeBook Neo eReader. 'It's also one of the most elegant e-book readers we've encountered. Sure, the Sony PRS-600 probably pips it to the post for outright style, thanks to its all metal chassis, but the Neo's white plastic front and simple control cluster give it a clean simplicity that we rather like. On top of this, the sandblasted aluminium back gives it a solid feel unlike all-plastic models such as the iRiver Story and Bookeen CyBook.The back did, however, split opinion in the office when it came to comfort. Unlike the smooth aluminium finish of something like a MacBook Pro, the Neo has quite a rough finish - think 1000 grit sanding paper.'

PC Advisor have published a review of the Hanvon N518 ebook reader. 'The Hanvon N518's touchscreen interface has been put to good use, you can doodle on the screen while reading books to recreate that school experience. It's also great for memo note taking, although the handwriting recognition is - to be fair - rubbish, the ability to scrawl notes and memos on to books is a great feature. Inside is a Ingenic JZ4740 processor, clocked at 336MHz backed up by 64MB SDRAM. while this is adequate for the Hanvon N518's interface, we did find it a tad slow. Especially when looking at PDFs or large files.'

Reg Hardware have published their review of the Cowon iAudio V5 HD portable media player. 'Physically, the V5 closely resembles the old O2 but whereas the latter only had a 4.3in, 480 x 272 screen, the V5 has an altogether more impressive 4.8in, 800 x 480 panel. Despite the extra half inch it has added to the screen, Cowon has done a good job at keeping the size and weight of the V5 in check. It's just a little wider and taller than the O2 but thinner and lighter. The glossy LCD is bright, vivid and has a full 16.7 million colour palette. If I had to pick a hole, it would be the sensitivity to viewing angle, which is rather poor when rotated about the horizontal axis. Otherwise it's a superb bit of kit.'

A review of the Apple iPad internet tablet has been posted over at Reg Hardware. 'The basic technical details of the iPad's design are now thoroughly well-known, including its 9.7in touch-sensitive screen, ARM-based A4 processor, and Apple's extended hissy-fit with Adobe over Flash support. What the tech specs don't convey is the experience of using the iPad. But just take a look at the ad on Apple's web site. You'll notice that the video doesn't show the faces of any of the people using the iPad. All you see are fingers and legs - fingers flicking across the touch-sensitive screen, while the legs are kicked up on the sofa. The iPad, in short, is all about comfort.'

CNET Asia have published a review of the Creative Zen X-Fi Style portable media player. 'The X-Fi Style shares a similar graphics imprint on the cover as the Style 100/300. There's a choice of three colors--black, white and red. The arrangement of the controls is exactly like the older Zen. The power button located at the top of the player doubles as a lock button. However, unlike the Zen, Zen X-Fi and Zen X-Fi2, there is no memory expansion slot to be found. Predictably, the right side of the player is where you'll find the standard mini-USB port and a headphone/TV-output jack.'

PC Magazine have published their review of the Sony Reader Daily Edition (PRS-900BC) ebook reader. 'The Daily Edition is a classy looking device. It's constructed of aluminum with a black matte finish, and comes housed in a faux leather cover that makes it look like an executive day planner. The gadget itself measures 5.0 by 8.1 by 0.6 inches (HWD) and weighs 12.8 ounces; the cover adds an additional tenth of an inch of thickness. Along the bottom edge is a wireless radio switch, the power jack, a standard-size 3.5mm headphone jack, a mini-USB port, and a volume rocker switch. The right side contains covered expansion slots--more on those later--while the top edge contains a sliding power switch and a hidden stylus for writing on the screen. Five chrome buttons along the bottom control basic functions. Sony also bundles the AC adapter with the Daily Edition, unlike with the Touch Edition; each full charge should be good for about 12,000 page turns.'

A review of the Creative Zen Style 300 (16GB) MP3 player has been posted over at CNET Asia. 'The sleek look of the Style 300 is, however, a drastic change from the loud and daring design of the Mozaic. Creative offers the device in a choice of three colors--black, white and blue. The control button count still remains at nine and the top row of four buttons are clearly labeled to indicate their functions: Back, Shortcut, Quick menu and Play/Pause. Unlike the Mozaic where the buttons are squeezed into a 3 x 3 grid, the five-way directional pad is located separately under the top four buttons. This button arrangement makes the Style 300 easier to use as the buttons are quite well-spaced apart. Unfortunately, there's no dedicated volume rocker. The Play/Pause button doubles as a power button, and to lock the player requires calling up the quick menu and selecting Lock.'

Trusted Reviews have published their review of the Apple iPad internet tablet. 'In comparison to its ambitions the iPad looks almost modest. Fundamentally its design, which is so obviously derived from the iPhone and iPod touch, constitutes little more than the beautifully crafted aluminium casing and the glass fronted screen. This simplicity works, though. Not only is it aesthetically elegant, it's functionally non-threatening. Aside from a small smattering of buttons, which comprise the iconoic home button, a volume rocker, hold/power button and a switch for locking the screen orientation, the iPad is just a big screen you can touch. No one could ever be intimidated by it.'

The Gadgeteer have published a review of the Camangi WebStation Android internet tablet. 'The Camangi's display looks pretty nice. It's large enough and bright enough. But it suffers from a big problem in my opinion - it's not a capacitive touch screen like the iPhone and iPad. Why is that a problem? Because it detracts from what the device is supposed to be, a finger friendly tablet computer. There's even a built in stylus... eew. Yes, you can use your fingers to tap icons and control the WebStation, but those tasks (mainly scrolling and typing) that are easy and effortless on a capacitive display are kind of blah with a resistive display. FYI, no multi-touch either kiddies.'

Computeractive have published their review of the Apple iPad Web tablet. 'The iPad we tested had 32GB of storage (two other editions are available, with 64GB or 16GB). To add confusion there are two versions of each iPad, one of which has a 3G mobile phone connection to connect to the internet. There are extra charges for this, similar to when using a mobile phone. Both versions can connect to wireless networks, but for non-3G one that is the only internet connection.'

A review of the Alex eReader has been posted over at ZDNet. 'The Alex eReader comes in a box with a full, glossy Alex device photo on the front and list of features and specs on the back. Inside the box you will find the Alex eReader, protective slip cover, USB power adapter and USB cable, headphones, 2GB microSD memory card, and Quick Start Guide. Inside the outer box you will find a black heavy cardboard box and when you flip open the top you will find the Alex eReader embedded inside a bed of protective rubber/foam material.'

PC World have published a "Hands on" review of the iPad Wi-Fi + 3G mobile tablet. 'Outwardly, the 3G-enabled iPad looks mostly the same as its Wi-Fi-only sibling: all of the controls are in the same place, the screen is identical, and so on. The 3G model is a tenth of a pound heavier than the Wi-Fi model, but in my very scientific "hold-one-in-each-hand" test, I was unable to detect the difference. There are only two external indications that you're dealing with a different beast: the first is the prominent 4.5-inch long black plastic strip at the top of the iPad, which covers a portion of the aluminum bezel on the front and extends about half an inch down the iPad's back.'

Tech Radar have published their "Hands on" review of the JooJoo internet tablet. 'First things first though, the hardware - it's slightly heavier than the iPad although the slick aluminium and dark-edged finish really does look the part - even if it's similar to Apple's device. There's a USB input as well as microphone, power and headphone sockets. JooJoo has 4GB of built-in solid-state storage in addition to 1GB of memory and Intel's 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor - it would appear to have integrated graphics, though some web rumours have pointed to a future version based on Nvidia's Ion GPU.'

MobileTechReview have published a review of the Sony Dash Personal Internet Viewer. 'The Dash has WiFi 802.11b/g and must be plugged into AC. Like a photo frame or high end digital clock radio, it doesn't run on batteries. Booting up takes 2 minutes, and you can unplug it to move it from room to room. This is not meant to be a portable Internet device, and given the size, you could carry it around all day but it doesn't beg to be taken with you as does the much smaller Chumby. For the price, we wish Sony had gone with WiFi 802.11n so that our entire n network didn't get dropped to g speeds (WiFi routers drop down connection protocol and speed to serve the lowest common denominator or WiFi client in this case).'

A review of the Microsoft Zune media player has been posted over at MP3 Music. 'While similar to many other players in terms of its feature set - music, video and photo playback, plus an FM tuner - what sets him apart is its integrated Wi-Fi chip, to look for and may differ from other Zune-sters will. This feature allows the exchange of use of music and photos (but not video) in the same room. Shared photo files, on the other side have no restrictions. We would be pleased to see Wi-Fi expanded so that you synchronize or purchase music wirelessly (or even Zunes played all over the world), but with the device, do not see why Microsoft will start small. So far, the Zune experience out of the box and beyond has been predictable and solid. Wi-Fi or not, is an excellent media player.'