Ipod Suffle

240 songs. Remixed colors.

The 1GB iPod shuffle lets you wear up to 240 songs on your sleeve. Or your lapel. Or your belt. Available in your choice of remixed colors for just $79. Clip on iPod shuffle and wear it as a badge of musical devotion.

New Colors

iPod shuffle now comes in four new colors and the original silver to suit your music and your mood.

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Clip and Go

Put some music on: iPod shuffle is the only iPod that’s wearable right out of the box.

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iTunes

Collect music on the iTunes jukebox. Buy songs from the iTunes Store. Sync them to iPod shuffle.

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PS3 by Sony!!!

A full year behind the release of Microsoft's Xbox 360 and lacking the immediately attention-grabbing hook of Nintendo's 360-degree motion-sensing Wii, Sony's long-awaited PlayStation 3 has recently been the subject of much heated debate. Despite its obvious appeal to diehard gamers and fans of the world's most popular console brand – not to mention home theater enthusiasts, what with 1080p HDMI output and extensive online music/video download capabilities – questions have been plentiful.

For example: Is the system, available in 20GB ($499, sans WiFi and a built-in combination Memory Stick product lineup, Compact Flash and SD/MMC card reader) or $599 chrome-trimmed wireless-ready 60GB hard drive models, worth the hefty asking price, the highest since early-'90s systems like CDi and 3DO? Can Sony, who's recently cut back North American November 17th launch date ship projections to just 400,000 units (with some analysts predicting actual distribution of half this number or fewer machines), manage to avoid aggravating a soon-to-be-device-deprived buying public while still keeping up with the competition? And, of course, with so much power and hardware combined in a single unit catered to the highest-end luxury users, is there even a point to upgrading?

The short answer to all: Yes, depending which of school of thought you fall into, your game playing habits and how much disposable income you've got to burn. However, let's get one thing out of the way up-front, before you freeze your poor behind off spending all night camped out in front of the local electronics retailer hoping to score one of the severely under-stocked devices. For a host of reasons ranging from technical niggles to launch lineup shortfalls to pure common sense, it's perfectly fine – and in most cases, even advisable – to skip buying one this holiday season and wait until the dust settles sometime early in 2007.

Right from the get-go, it's important to consider the following fact: You're not actually buying a videogame console here (although surely, that's the machine's strength and the chief function most prospective buyers intend to employ it towards) so much as a full-fledged digital media hub. As slick as everything from cutting-edge digital diversions and Blu-ray movies – video resolutions ranging all the way from 480i up to an eye-popping 1080p are supported – it's what you personally make of the machine that gives the gizmo its true value. So for all of you who've been pestered since, oh, 2004 by your wide-eyed little pride and joys, remember: Dropping $599 just so kids can use the beast as an overgrown Atari may be a little much. They'll be just as entertained by lower-resolution outings for other systems like Nintendo's Wii or Sony's own PlayStation 2. And, in truth, most PlayStation 3 titles right now are simply enhanced ports of existing products anyway (see offerings like Tony Hawk's Project 8 or NHL 2K7). What's more, unless you plan on clocking in time behind the controller yourself, investing in a library of next-generation movies, browsing the Web on your TV, purchasing extra levels/cars/characters/songs/films online or are intent on building the ultimate technophile's living room setup, it's the sort of holiday gift that may be little extravagant for anyone younger than 15.

Lenovo 3000 Olympic laptop

Lenovo's Olympics-inspired laptops revealed

Yeah, you may have thought those Santa Rosa, er, Centrino Pro-based ThinkPads were hot stuff, but they ain't got nuthin' on the future eBay value of the svelte new Olympic-inspired iteration. Shortly after Lenovo unveiled its 2008 Beijing Olympic torch design, the firm has already thrown down snapshots of its Olympic laptop, which certainly looks dashing in its own right. The stunning red and black case design is accented with a motif similar to that found on the torch, and the spiral designs actually seep beyond the external casing right onto the palm rests and around the LCD's bezel. Unfortunately, not much is know about the internal hardware that these presumably finely trained machines will sport, but early details suggests a 12.1-inch XGA display and Intel's L2400 Core 2 Duo processor will be in the mix. Additionally, mum's the word on pricing and availability, but you can rest assured that this bad boy will be one hot commodity whenever it lands in limited quantities. Click on through for a few more glamor shots.

Sony Vaio : All Eyes on You

Brand Analysis Count : 270

Sony Vaio is making lot of noises in the media with its latest repositioning campaign. Vaio is Sony's subbrand in the Laptop segment . Viao was created in 1996 and is a major player in the Notebook/Laptop market across the world. The brand came to India only in 2004. The delay is owning to the restriction in using Wi-Fi 802.11g by the government till 2004.

Vaio is the acronym of Video Audio Integrated Option which denotes the brand's positioning as a product that performs on both video and audio front. Like any other product from Sony, Vaio is also positioned ( and priced ) as a premium brand. Vaio launched its first series of Notebooks with a price ranging from Rs 80,000 - Rs 1,25,000 making it one of the costliest laptops available in India.
Sony has a market share of around 5.4 % of the Indian Laptop market which is estimated to touch a volume of 1.6 million units this year. It is this phenomenal growth of around 40 % that forms the basis of the latest launch of Sony Vaio CR range.
The Indian laptop market is dominated by HP ( 40 %) followed by Lenovo ( 17 %) and Toshiba. There is lot of activity in the notebook segment because of the lowering of the price barrier. Earlier the price of a typical laptop was costing upwards of Rs 45000. Now the entry level laptop price is anywhere between Rs 22,000 - 26,000. This has fueled the growth of this segment. The lowering of prices has attracted a whole set of new customers into this segment. Students , executives and businessmen began looking at laptops as a productivity enhancement tool. Companies began giving laptops to executives to keep them working when mobile. These happened without seriously hurting the sale of Desktops.
The interest of marketers in this segment is evident when we look at the promotions of leading brands in this segment . Most of them has signed up celebrities to endorse their brands. Acer has Hrithik Roshan, Compaq has Shah Rukh, Lenovo has Saif Ali Khan to promote the brand.

Sony Vaio has always tried to promote itself as an aspirational brand and resisted the temptation to get into the volume game. But here in this scenario , Vaio succumbed to the temptation. With technology no longer a major differentiator, Vaio understood that unless the brand repositions itself , it may be ousted by the feature rich rivals.
Viao CR was Sony's take on the new segment. Vaio targets the hip hop Indian youth aged 18-26 with the variant CR. The brand is now positioned as a fashion accessory rather than a learning/working tool. The new variant comes with attractive color options :
Blazing Red
Indigo Blue
Pure White
Beauty Pink and
Aroma Black. The new variant has some attractive features like Luminous Trim that reflects light which gives the laptop a shining look. Lustrous coating, custom Keyboard, and a personalized illumination LCD. The brand is now repositioned to reflect a playful spirit and a zest for life.
The brand now aims to catch the imagination of the youth market who looks beyond the speed and memory into design and aesthetics. At Rs 55000, Vaio tries to integrate aesthetics, brand image and technology to get into the minds of the young customer.


The brand is now running a high profile TV campaign now.

Sony KDS-R60XBR1 LCOS HDTV

I just can't resist poking fun at Sony's seemingly unending supply of strange and unpronounceable nomenclature. It has no direct bearing on a product, per se, but keeping track of all of the acronyms, abbreviations, and manufactured words takes up a sizable chunk of the already overtaxed (and undersized) mind of a reviewer. Regardless, Sony wasn't content just using the name LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) to describe their version of the technology. They instead call it SXRD (sex-erd?), or Silicon X-tal Reflective Display. Believe it or not, the "X-tal" is short for crystal. I'm not saying that JVC's name for their version of LCOS is any better: D-ILA. (This is an even less logical abbreviation: Direct-drive Image Light Amplifier? It doesn't amplify anything.) Each company takes pains to describe how different their version of the technology is from everybody else's. To be fair, this is true. Each of the two companies' core design and manufacturing are different. When it comes down to it, though, the proof is in the pudding, or, in this case, the RPTV.

The first product available with Sony's version of LCOS was the Qualia 004 front projector. Coming in at around the price of a BMW 3 Series, it was admittedly beautiful in design and performance. For that kind of money, one would hope so. Next was the Qualia 006, a 70-inch RPTV that was far more affordable: about the price of a Kia Rio. Sony was certainly headed in the right direction, and, this year, they have come out with the KDS-R60XBR1. The XBR line is kind of like Sony's Acura or Lexus. They're slightly more expensive than other displays in the same size range, but, for that extra money, you are said to get a better aesthetic and better performance. The past few XBRs we've reviewed have lived up to this promise. The question is, does the KDS-R60XBR1 live up to its XBR brethren? Does it live up to the hype of LCOS (and SXRD)?

But First. . .
Aesthetically, the KDS-R60XBR1 shows a family resemblance to other Sony RPTVs. That is to say, it is attractive, without being flashy. It appears as though Sony forged the remote from a solid piece of billet aluminum (they didn't), and it's hefty enough to throw as your first line of defense against intruders (don't). The layout is typically Sony; it's functionally easy to use and shows a complete lack of most of the features you would like to see on a remote. There is no direct input access and no backlight. I hoped that the tiny button with the eighth-note icon on it would play music. It didn't.

There is a copious number of menus. While they're time consuming to navigate, the wide range of adjustments is wonderful. In a strange twist, there is no way to check how much lamp life is remaining.

Getting On With It
To be perfectly honest, the KDS-R60XBR1's contrast ratio absolutely stunned me. At 13,330:1, this is the best contrast ratio of any non-CRT product we've measured. That's nearly three times better than the next-closest display (a DLP front projector, mind you) and of a magnitude better than most of the displays we've measured. True, the majority of this is thanks to a bit of electronic and mechanical manipulation called an auto iris, or, as Sony calls it, Advanced Iris. This fast-moving iris closes on dark scenes and widens on bright ones. So, on a full-on/full-off contrast-ratio test, this device performs to its maximum extent. On regular video material, if you are looking for it, you can see this auto dimming in action. You really have to be looking for it, though.

With the Advanced Iris turned off, so that the iris remains stationary at whichever of its six levels you set it, the contrast ratio measures between 3,100:1 in the "max" iris mode and 5,000:1 in the "min" iris mode. These numbers on their own would be impressive, and that's with the display intentionally handicapped not to perform to its fullest. This is also the first product we've measured with a contrast ratio that exceeds the manufacturer's numbers. For that matter, it's the first one to even get close. Its black level is just as impressive, as low as 0.006 foot-lamberts. This obviously goes a long way toward explaining the contrast-ratio numbers, but let's put that 0.006 into context. The best plasma we've measured had a black level of 0.023 ft-L; the best RPTV we've measured was 0.080 ft-L. Most of the front projectors we've measured have a higher black level than this 60-inch RPTV. Suffice it to say, I was impressed.

Color is cause for an argument somewhere. The KDS-R60XBR1 isn't accurate, but, as far as inaccurate color points go, this is how to do it. Red and green are oversaturated, but they're not off in any other direction. So objects may look really green, but they're not greenish-yellow or greenish-blue like the colors that many digital displays can produce. The result is an incredibly vibrant picture. Everything looks almost too lush and inviting. It may not be accurate, but it sure is pleasing to look at. Sony has said that the oversaturation is particular to this preproduction model and that the colors of units shipped to stores may not deviate as much from the SMPTE specifications. To be sure, I plan to get in a production unit, and I'll post the new measurements at www.hometheatermag.com.

Processing is a mixed bag. The display picks up the 3:2 sequence fast enough, but video processing, on the other hand, leaves a little to be desired. Jagged edges are apparent on the ubiquitous flag-waving test scene. This is disappointing but certainly not a deal breaker. The display scales quite well, especially when you consider that it has to "create" six times as many pixels as a DVD supplies. A good upconverting DVD player may be a little sharper, but it's extremely close. Transitions from light to dark are fairly smooth, with a little noise in the shadowy areas.

HD, as you can imagine, looks stunning. Deep blacks share the screen with bright highlights, an abundance of color, and twice the number of pixels you're used to. This makes for a fantastically watchable image. PBS's Rudy Maxa has never looked so good. The added detail of the 1,920-by-1,080 panels is not as big of a jump from a 720p display as you might expect. It's not like the jump from 480p to HD. Even when I sat close, I only noticed a subtle difference between a similarly sized 720p display and the KDS-R60XBR1. It's subtle but noticeable. Everything is just a little more detailed, a little sharper. For example, the space shuttle in the opening of the D-VHS version of Digital Video Essentials had more visible texture to its skin than I've seen before. As cameras and telecines get better, this difference will probably be even more noticeable.

How does a direct 1080p source look? Well, it doesn't. Like the other 1080p displays we've reviewed, this one doesn't accept a 1080p signal. Even if there aren't many 1080p sources available now (an HTPC being the only one), it won't be that way forever. Sony says that the KDS-R60XBR1 lacks a 1080p input because the copy protection hasn't been worked out yet for the 1080p sources. This is disappointing, as early adopters miss out again. When products do ship with a 1080p output, you won't be able to input the display's native resolution. How bad is this, really? As most 1080p material runs at 24 frames per second, as long as the TV performs 3:2 pulldown well (in this case, it does), then you really shouldn't notice much difference, if any. More disappointing is that you can't expand a 1,280-by-720 signal (or any other resolution) on the RGB input, so there is no way to fill the screen on that input.

The Other Stuff
The built-in tuner is mediocre. It picked up all of the local channels but didn't do a very good job pulling them in to watch. This was with our cheap indoor antenna. Depending on your area, you may need to upgrade your antenna. However, this TV switched between digital channels faster than most displays.

There are a few final issues. On test patterns, there were some color-linearity issues. One side of the screen had a bluish-green tint, while the other side had a reddish-orange tint. On regular video material, this wasn't noticeable. My biggest complaint about this TV is the screen. It added a noticeable sheen or shiny graininess to the image. This is true of almost every RPTV I've seen. With the resolution that this TV affords, it's disappointing that you can't sit closer before the screen's shininess becomes too distracting. I found that a seating distance of about 11 feet offered the best compromise between resolution and screen grain. If the screen noise doesn't bother you, you may be able to sit closer. Do look for that sweet spot, though, so you can sit as close as you can to this TV. Don't let that 1080p go to waste.

As you can tell, I was most impressed with the KDS-R60XBR1. It is quite simply one of the best RPTVs we've ever reviewed, regardless of what it's called.

Highlights
• The only thing more impressive than the black level is the contrast ratio
• Visibly 1080p

Panasonic camcorder PV-GS85

Budget camcorders might not seem flashy, but they play an important part in every camcorder line. They're designed to be an affordable, no-frills product that anyone can pick up for just a few hundred dollars. Since price is their main selling point, however, they tend to lack features that are standard on higher-end models. Among Panasonic camcorders, for example, the PV-GS85 sits as one of the runts of the litter. Still, its 32X optical zoom lens and optical image stabilization make it an interesting runt.

Chunky and simple, the PV-GS85 is almost indistinguishable in design from the crowd of budget MiniDV camcorders. Thanks to the camcorder's incredibly simple control scheme, you can easily record and play videos without ever touching its menu system. All you have to do is set the PV-GS85 in auto mode, and you're off and running. If you really want to fiddle with the menus, you can navigate the PV-GS85's settings with a small joystick that is set into the mode dial. The "advanced" menu holds very little in the way of video settings, however, and it's unlikely anyone would need to delve into the menus often.

Like most budget MiniDV camcorders, the PV-GS85 offers few, if any, impressive features. Its 680,000-pixel sensor effectively records 340,000 pixels at 4:3 and 460,000 pixels at 16:9 wide-screen. The camcorder scores some minor points for recording higher-resolution, wide-screen video, and not simply cropping its 4:3 video, but since both aspect ratios use such a small, low-resolution sensor, it doesn't matter much. The PV-GS85 incorporates a 32X optical zoom lens with optical image stabilization, but neither the PV-GS85 nor its little brother, the GS80, use a Leica-branded lens. Panasonic prides itself in its use of Leica lenses in the majority of its digital imaging products, so the PV-GS85's unbranded lens secures the device's place near the bottom of Panasonic's camcorder food chain.

For a budget camcorder, the PV-GS85 produces rather nice video. Colors looked neutral and accurate, and footage was relatively clean and free of grain. Of course, if you plan on watching your movies on a large, high-definition television, it won't be very impressive; most budget camcorders' standard-definition video tends to look blown out and jagged when upscaled on modern HD screens. Finally, the PV-GS85 failed at recording low-light video. Even enabling Night Mode or Panasonic's Best Pix mode yielded no significant difference when shooting in the darkness of a 50-watt lamp. Fortunately, the PV-GS85 has a built-in video light--so you won't be left totally in the dark, when shooting in the dark. The PV-GS85 also has an SD card slot for recording stills. Since the sensor is so low-resolution, however, the photos are only on par with camera phone photos.

The Panasonic PV-GS85 is a decent budget camcorder in its own right, but you could get a much better camera for the same or a slightly higher price. The comparably priced Canon ZR850, for example, outshines the PV-GS85 in almost every way.

Sony's Handycam HDR-CX7

Join me, if you will, along the slow march toward the obsolescence of tape in video. We've definitely got a long road ahead of us, but it's fun to notice how much camcorders have changed already. On the one hand, tapeless camcorders such as Sony's Handycam HDR-CX7 give product designers the freedom to make smaller, sleeker camcorders. On the other hand, we've yet to see a model that records in the AVCHD format, as this one does, match the quality of the footage we've seen from tape-based models using the HDV format. However, for an AVCHD camcorder, this does produce very nice video, and will likely blow your socks off if you're used to a standard-definition camcorder.

Though it's been on the market in various camcorders for a while now, the AVCHD format has been slow on the uptake in software for editing and playback. Lori Grunin's recent blog post outlines which software titles are compatible and notes whatever glitches she has found when using those programs. Ultimately, the easiest way to watch your HD video is still a direct connection to your HDTV, but there is a modest, and slowly growing, list of software out there if you like to watch on your computer or edit your footage.

Sony's designers definitely made the most of the fact that the HDR-CX7 records its video to MemoryStick Pro Duo cards. The camcorder is little more than a lens and LCD screen in terms of size, though that's both a positive and negative thing. Sure, you can fit the CX7 into almost any bag, and even a large jacket or sweatshirt pocket, but the ergonomics of the grip are a little off. It's certainly more comfortable to hold than Panasonic's SD-based HDC-SD1, but since there's no eye-level viewfinder, I often found myself holding it higher than I would some camcorders, and at a slightly odd angle. Also, since your hand basically covers the right side and top of the CX7, Sony was forced to put a handful of buttons on the left side, behind the LCD screen. That's never a very good move, since you can't readily see that spot when you're shooting, and if you do need to use one of those buttons while capturing video, you'll likely shake the camera horizontally while pressing it. Of the buttons placed there, the backlight compensation button is probably the most worrisome, since it's highly likely you'll use it on the fly, while most of the others would be used before or after shooting.

As usual, the HDR-CX7's main interface is its LCD touch screen. Even though the LCD is 2.7 inches in size, it still felt a bit small as a touch-screen interface. The main virtual buttons are big enough, but ancillary buttons, such as the OK button in the upper-left, or the X (cancel) button in the upper-right of some screens are rather tiny. On more than one occasion, I accidentally hit one of the bigger buttons when trying to hit the tiny ones. Combine that with the fact that the touch screen requires such an extensive tree of submenus, and the thrill of a touch-screen interface starts to wane pretty quickly. Still, some people say they like this kind of interface, so make sure you try it out in a store first to see if you like it before you buy.

Following a recent trend in camcorders, the CX7 doesn't include a minijack microphone input. If you want to add an accessory mic, you have to use one of Sony's in the CX7's Active Interface Shoe (aka proprietary hot shoe), which provides an interface and power for accessories. You have two options to send video to your TV directly from the camcorder. You can either use a mini-to-full-size HDMI cable, or use the composite AV breakout cable included with the CX7. Given that they are rather rare right now, it would've been nice for Sony to include the special HDMI cable, as Canon does with the HG10. A third option is to use the dock, which has the same composite AV out as the camcorder, as well as a component output (also via a breakout cable), and a Mini USB jack to connect to your computer. I was surprised that Sony didn't include a normal-size HDMI jack on the dock. It would've been a really nice touch.

Sony did include some great features though, such as the automatic lens cover, flash for still photos, and a nice complement of manual controls. While it doesn't include the SR7's shutter speed control, the CX7 does have the same exposure shift; manual, indoor, outdoor, and auto white balance; Spot Focus and Spot Metering; Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization; and Super NightShot infrared mode for shooting in the dark. Since the CX7 doesn't include Sony's CAM CTL dial (as the SR7 does), you have to adjust focus on the touch screen, which isn't quite as nice as the dial, but works well nonetheless.

Since the HDR-CX7 records its video to a MemoryStick Pro Duo card, you should plan on buying at least one high-capacity card. On a 4GB Pro Duo card, the HDR-CX7 can fit 32 minutes of best-quality, HD video. Stepping up to an 8GB Pro Duo ups that to a little more than an hour. By contrast, the HDR-SR7 can fit up to eight hours of the same level footage onto its 60GB hard drive.

Footage from the CX7 is very nice. The camcorder's Zeiss T lens is very sharp and Sony's Super SteadyShot does an excellent job of taming hand shake. Its 10X optical zoom might seem tame next to the 30X+ zooms now finding their way into lower-end models, but at a 400mm 35mm-equivalent on the telephoto end (in 16:9 mode), it's got plenty of reach. Plus, by keeping the optical zoom range within reason, you get more reliable stabilization across the entire zoom.

Both the autofocus and metering systems perform quite well, adjusting quickly to changes in subject, lighting, and environment. I was particularly impressed with the autofocus' ability to keep up with changes in zoom and quick changes between near and far subjects. The camcorder's white balance does a very good job. While colors aren't quite as neutral as I've seen in some other models, it's still very close and colors are well saturated and look realistic. Still images are definitely above average for a camcorder. Depending on the shooting conditions, you should be able to get pleasing letter-size or smaller prints.

As long as you don't mind the limited software compatibility and added cost of buying a few high-capacity Pro Duo cards, Sony's Handycam HDR-CX7 is a really nice AVCHD camcorder. As software catches up and flash memory prices continue to drop, it will only become that much more attractive, and the smaller physical size that goes along with a flash-based camcorder will wow your friends and make it more practical to have your camcorder with you when you want it. If Mini-DVDs appeal to you more than flash-memory cards, Sony also makes the HDR-UX7, which can record AVCHD video onto 8cm DVDs and is very similar to this model, though not quite as small in size.

HP Deskjet 970CSE Printer Review

The HP Deskjet 970CSE is a low profile printer with a samll footprint. It requires a mere 14" headroom with the top raised and a desktop area of 17" x17" is a perfect fit. The HP Deskjet 970CSE sports a 150-page two-tiered paper tray at the front. For convenient cleaning the printer cartridges automatically center in the access opening when the top is lifted. The ink cartridges automatically resume to the ready position once the top is closed.

The HP Deskjet 970CSE is a dual cartridge printer, using one C6656AN Black Inkjet Cartridge and one C6657AN Color Inkjet Cartridge. The HP Deskjet 970CSE uses the same black ink cartridge as the Deskjet 722C and Deskjet 895C, however the color cartridge differs and is the same as the one used in the HP Photosmart P1100.

The HP Deskjet 970CSE is loaded with 4MB of onboard RAM and 4K buffer, which makes for a powerful and versatile photo printing solution. The HP Deskjet 970CSE also sports some new features, such as Auto on, Auto ink calibration, low ink warning light, cancel print and unattended two-sided printing.

After many black ink tests, and color ink tests, our conclusions were as expected - excellent! The HP Deskjet 970CSE displays rich, vibrant lifelike colors, and does an excellent job at reproducing digital photos. When it comes to black printing, the HP Deskjet 970CSE provided clear, deep blacks without any noticable fading.

We carry HP Deskjet 970CSE Ink Cartridges & Refill Kits.

HP W2007v review

HP W2007v Review

Reviewed by: Rory Reid

Reviewed on: 26 July 2007

Last year, HP 'made the computer personal again'. Marketing hyperbole aside, this meant redesigning its laptops with a more consumer-friendly look and flogging them with a huge advertising campaign. This design strategy has now spilled over into HP's TFT monitors, represented here by the W2007v. It's a good-looking, zero-frills 20-inch display costing £169. Sounds ideal for anyone low on cash to splash, but does it make the grade?

Strengths
We can't fault the look of the W2007v. Its best features are its glossy bezel with curved edges, and a silver outer bezel that protrudes from the top and bottom. The power button sits alone at the top right of the monitor, rather than at the front or side of the unit. This makes it easier to find than if it were grouped with the rest of the on-screen display (OSD) control buttons, which live at the bottom right.

The screen runs at a native resolution of 1,680x1,050 pixels, which is par for the course on a 20-inch display. HP has decided to use a glossy, reflective outer glass panel, in order to improve the appearance of colours and contrast. It does this to good effect -- the monitor's contrast seems higher than its 1,000:1 ratio suggests.

The W2007v coped well in our DisplayMate tests, showing the ability to differentiate between similar colours and tones. It only slipped when it couldn't tell the difference between some different shades of pink -- a few of them just showed up as the same 'generic' fuchsia.

Getting the best image quality out of the monitor isn't too difficult. HP supplies drivers and colour profiles on a CD, and the on-screen menu is extremely easy to navigate through. The menu button is clearly labelled, and the remaining three let you cycle up or down, or select an option. It's not at all complicated compared to some screens.

HP quotes a 5ms response on the W2007v, which again is about par for the course. We didn't find any noticeable instances of blurring or ghosting during fast-moving scenes, so we'll happily recommend this screen to gamers or fans of action movies. We threw some Premier League football footage at it and were pleased to see the ball and players kept their shape even when moving quickly.

Our favourite thing about the HP W2007v, however, is its price. At £169 (including VAT), it's about as cheap a monitor as you'll find on the Internet.

Weaknesses
The reason for the monitor's low price becomes apparent when you start looking at its list of features -- or lack thereof. It's sadly lacking in connectivity, sporting only a D-Sub analogue port. Those of us with digital DVI ports on our graphics cards will need an adaptor, which isn't included in the box. Why HP left out DVI connectivity in the first place is beyond us -- this sort of omission is verging on the criminally insane.

It is aimed at the consumer market, but the W2007v lacks the bells and whistles that would appeal to Joe Tech. There's no integrated memory card reader, no integrated webcam. In fact, the only things that are integrated are the screen itself and two hidden speakers rated at a measly 2W.

Unsurprisingly, HP hasn't done anything fancy with the hinge mechanism either. The screen can be tilted back and forth but there's no height adjustment. Anyone keen on having the most ergonomic typing position may have to consider placing the monitor on a pile of books to bring it up to eye level. Or lower the height of their chairs a few notches.

Our final gripe is with the pre-set display modes. Pressing the + button on the front panel brings up the Quick View menu, which lets you cycle through modes optimised for movie, photo, gaming, text and a custom mode. These seem to make very little difference and will probably end up being ignored by most users.

Conclusion
The HP W2007v is a good looking, solid-performing 20-inch monitor. It has almost nothing in the way of extra features, but it offers better picture quality than the Dell E207WFP. If you're in the market for something very cheap and definitely cheerful, look no further.

LG Flatron L245WP Review

LG Flatron L245WP Review

This LG display is aimed at those who want more desktop real estate, 'Full HD' support and to make their PC-using neighbours jealous. It purportedly has more bells, whistles and tricks up its sleeve than equivalent monitors -- plus it's made by the people who bought you the ultra-stylish LG Fantasy series. But is it really as good as it seems?

Strengths
Like most 24-inch monitors, the Flatron L245WP is a welcome sight on your desk. In particular we like the thin screen bezel and the glossy, piano-black base section, which lets you rotate the monitor on its horizontal axis. As a bonus, the rear hinge lets you flip between portrait and landscape modes.

There's an impressive array of inputs on the L245WP. It has HDMI, composite and D-Sub, which cover most of the popular input formats you might need in a monitor. The screen has an integrated USB hub that provides two USB ports on the left, along with a headphone jack so you don't have to rely on a headphone extension cable trailing to your desktop PC.

LG has chosen not to use the touch-sensitive control buttons seen on the Fantasy series, instead opting for mechanical buttons located on the underside of the bottom-right bezel. These are clearly labelled on the forward-facing part of the bezel, and the on-screen menu system is fairly logical to navigate.

Image quality on the L245WP is stunning. After putting it through its paces in DisplayMate, we have to conclude this is one of the best monitors we've come across. It was able to differentiate between subtly different dark and light tones, and its colour reproduction is about as good as we've seen.

Video playback was impressive, too. We fed it Blu-ray and HD DVD flicks from a PC using LG's own Super Multi Blue GGW-H10N player and we couldn't find much to fault. It looks about as good in motion as it does displaying static images, with vibrant colours and little blurring to speak of.

Movies encrypted with HDCP encryption also played fine, which is reassuring -- there's nothing worse than getting an error message because your monitor doesn't support copy-protected video.

Weaknesses
Why on earth LG only bundles a D-Sub cable is a mystery. You're already paying hundreds of pounds for the screen, so it surely can't have harmed the company's fortunes to include an HDMI cable, or at the very least a DVI cable with an HDMI adaptor.

The L245WP's Picture-in-Picture mode lets you watch video from two sources simultaneously. As handy as this is, it's not ideal for watching HD movies while you tinker with an Excel spreadsheet. The video window has a tendency to tear, or become jerky, which can reduce your enjoyment somewhat.

Our final gripe with the L245WP is minor. The screen has a tendency to wobble on its hinge when provoked. Luckily this only becomes an issue if you live in an earthquake zone, or if your desk is physically joined to that of a hyperactive colleague.

Conclusion
The L245WP is a fantastic monitor. It's not cheap, sure, but it delivers excellent image quality, is attractive to look at and has the advantage of being fully HD Ready.

Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Kate Macefield

iBall ultraslim USB pen drive

Ball has recently launched a ultraslim USB Pen drive / Flash drive which is equipped with high speed USB 2.0 interface for ultra-fast data transfer.

Available in 128MB, 256MB, 512MB & 1GB storage capacity, the iBall ultraslim USB pen drive weighs only 3 grams and measures 43 mm x 17 mm x 4.6 mm (L,B,D) in size.

The stylish tiny USB mass storage flash drive features high-speed USB 2.0 interface which enables reading speed of 10MB/sec (Max) and 8MB/sec (Max) writing speed and is compatible with all IBM compatible PC, notebook with USB interface running Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP, 2003, Max OS 9.1, and Linux 2.4x or above.

In addition the USB drive is also supported by Apple Macintosh PCs with Mac OS 8.6 and above. The iBall flash drive does not require any drive installation for Microsoft windows XP OS.

Philips SA1115 MP3 player

Philips SA1115 MP3 player, available in India, is a ultra-portable MP3 audio player having candy bar type design with tiny LCD screen and it offers support for standard music file formats and features integrated equilizer presets, built-in FM radio and 8 hours of battery life.

The Philips SA1115 MP3 player sports a tiny 32×128 pixels, 2 lines, LCD screen with greener background lighting and it supports MP3, WMA & WAV audio formats. MP3 bit rates includes 8-320 kbps and VBR and MP3 sample rates ranges supports 8, 11.025, 16, 22.050, 24, 32, 44.1, 48 kHz. WMA bit rates includes 5-192 kbps and WMA sample rates supports 8, 11.025, 16, 22.050, 32, 44.1, 48 kHz.

The MP3 player also sports integrated equilizers with 4 presets viz Classic, Jazz, Pop, Rock for easier customized music playing and other features include a built-in FM radio with station memory, digital Voice Recording in WAV format, and the device can also be used as standalone swapable USB mass storage device.

iBall MP3 Players

iBall has recently introduced in India its portable MP3 player, Pendulum, which offers high quality MP3/WMA audio media player with FM Radio and direct recording.

The iBall Pendulum portable MP3 player supports MP3, WMA & ASF playback with bit rate from 8Kbps to 320Kbps. The gadget also comes with built-in FM radio tuner with 20 station presets and offers option for direct recording from FM tuner.

In addition the iBall Pendulum MP3 player also offers facility of direct Voice Recording in digital format with support of multi-bit rates ranging between 8Kbps & 32 Kbps allowing voice recording on 256-MB memory of up to 72 hrs at 8 Kbps and up to 18 hrs at 32 Kbps bit rate.

Kodak EasyShare Z-885 Digital Camera

Kodak EasyShare Z-885 Digital Camera - Black

8.1-megapixel: Get stunning pictures and quality prints at sizes up to 30" x 40". More pixels means you can crop and enlarge at will and retain great quality.

Zoom: Get incredibly close to your subjects with the 5x optical zoom lens and 5x advanced digital zoom for a total 25X zoom.

2.5" LCD: The large, full color high-resolution indoor/outdoor display allows you to view brilliant, sharp images even in direct sunlight.

Color science: No matter what the lighting conditions you'll get rich colors thanks to the exclusive Kodak Color Science chip. Each time you click the shutter, the camera performs an instantaneous and advanced analysis of collected scene data to identify and adjust multiple factors that influence and improve picture quality.

Digital image stabilization: This in-camera software automatically minimizes camera shake or subject movement to deliver a clear picture.

High ISO mode: This camera automatically selects from ISO 80 to ISO 3200 based on lighting conditions. With high ISO, you can capture details in low light or fast action situations.

Perfect Touch technology: Make your pictures as vivid as the moment you took them. Print better, brighter pictures using Kodak's Perfect Touch technology.

EasyShare button: Print, email and share all of your pictures with the touch of a single button.

Video mode: You can catch all the more of the action while using less memory with MPEG-4 compression. Record VGA video (640 × 480) at 30 fps with sound and enjoy advanced features like audio capture, playback and on-camera video editing.

Manual and custom controls: Turn your creative vision into reality with a palette of advanced program, aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual controls.

Multiple scene and color modes: The Z885 has a scene mode for almost any situation. You'll get the shot you want, the way you want it with one of several scene modes.

Memory: This digital camera comes with 32MB of internal memory. Get the most out of your camera by adding a 1GB or larger MultiMediaCard, SD or SDHC memory card. How much memory do you need?

Nokia 7500 Prism

Nokia 7500 Prism mobile phone
The Nokia 7500 Pris has a diamond-cut design, featuring sharp angled lines, geometric patterns and graphic light-refracting colors, ensure this Nokia Prism to stand out in the mobile phone market. The Nokia 7500 Prism will be available in the third quarter of 2007 with an estimated retail price of € 210,-.


Nokia 7500 Prism - Key Features
• System: Triband EGSM 900/1800/1900
• User Interface: Series 40 3rd Edition
• Standby time: up to 10 days
• 2 megapixel digital camera with up to 8x digital zoom
• Talk time: up to 2.8 hours
• Display: QVGA 240 x 320, up to 16.7 million colors
• Support for microSD memory card up to 2GB


About Nokia mobile phones
Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. Nokia makes a wide range of mobile devices and provides people with experiences in music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games and business mobility through these devices. Nokia also provides equipment, solutions and services for communications networks.

Sony Ericsson K850i

We called Sony Ericsson K810 the rebirth of the Cyber-shot. We're now looking at a great leap forward in developing the company's cameraphone lineup in the face of the glamorous Sony Ericsson K850. It brings a bunch of novelties in design, navigation and functionality. The quality 5 megapixel camera enhanced with camerawise hardware buttons, along with the brand new Media Center application, make the Sony Ericsson K850 a landmark product in the company portfolio.

Sony Ericsson K850 official pictures

Key features

• 5 MP autofocus camera with automatic lens cap and three dedicated hardware keys
• Tri-band HSDPA (3.6 Mb), EDGE.
• New Media Center, smart search, Manage Messages application
• Monolith body with digicam-like battery cover
• Brand new three soft keys
• Innovative D-pad layout
• Dedicated call and end keys
• Large crystal-clear 2.2" display
• Memory card slot with dual card support and hot swap functionality
• FM radio with RDS
• Bluetooth (with A2DP)
• Multi-tasking support

Main disadvantages

• Awkward D-pad
• Reversed soft key funtions, atypical for Sony Ericsson
• No Wi-Fi and infrared
• Fingerprint magnet

In June Sony Ericsson revealed its hottest addition to the Cyber-shot line: Sony Ericsson K850. The phone was labeled a milestone product not only for the Cyber-shot family, but for the entire Sony Ericsson portfolio. It is clear why it scores high with its wealth of features using the latest technologies. The K850 brings several brand new software and hardware solutions we pay special attention to later on. Make sure you keep in mind the three Cyber-shot handsets we reviewed most recently - the budget Sony Ericsson K550, the high-born Sony Ericsson K800 and its successful inheritor Sony Ericsson K810.

Cyber-shot evolves

The soft and rounded Sony Ericsson K850 visually differs a lot from the Sony Ericsson K810, not to mention its predecessors. At least it stays faithful to the bar-shape form factor. K850 accommodates some notable construction and navigation novelties: dedicated call and end keys, new D-pad layout, three-position camera key, as well as an on/off camera key and a digicam-like bottom battery cover.

Sony Ericsson K850 • compared to Sony Ericsson T650 • compared to Nokia N95

The large 2.2" quality TFT display takes up most of the front panel and scores notably higher both in brightness and contrast, compared to the 2" TFT display of Sony Ericsson K810. Keeping almost the same dimensions while building larger displays is an issue that constantly nudges handset designers. In K850 the obvious solution is integrating the D-pad in the keyboard, thus making some room for the larger 2.2" display. The display, and the entire front panel, has a nice mirror-like finish, but again it catches fingerprints rather easily, like the K810 and K800. Above it, a small secondary VGA camera is discretely located, along with the earpiece. The camera is beneath the panel surface, leaving the even surface of the front unspoiled.

Sony Ericsson K850 - speaker and secondary camera

Right below the display, we find the three brand new sensor like soft keys. They perform multiple functions varying by the context of different applications. The sensor like soft keys offer a truly novel experience in handling the Sony Ericsson K850. The diehard Sony Ericsson user will immediately notice that the location of the soft key functions are reversed. In other Sony Ericsson phones the More soft key is located on the right, whereas now it is called Options and corresponds to the new left soft key, with several exceptions. The proprietary "Back" key is absent, now replaced by the right soft key. The center soft key performs variable functions within applications. The logic behind all this is simple - in menus, where in other Sony Ericsson phones you have only one active soft key, the center soft key is to be used. Alternatively, in menus where both soft keys have functions (for example messaging -> templates), in other handsets you would have "Select" and "Info", while in K850 you have "Info", "Select" and "Back" soft key order. Reviewing the K850 was fun, as we often pressed the wrong soft key, driven by the force of habit. However, using the device for a week was enough for us to get the hang of the new allocation, owing to the simple fact that most leading phone manufactures use the same soft key order in their devices. The new soft keys in K850 are also a design decision, driven by the lack of space with the large display on pretty much the same dimensions as K810. We welcome this innovation by the Sony Ericsson team, which to us is an attempt to respond to users' demands.

The three soft keys and the keyboard

A bit below the tree soft keys are the brand new dual-function Call / Quick Menu key and Clear / End key, that make the phone handling even better. The dedicated Call and End keys, along with the tree soft keys and the D-pad novelties are inconsistent with the longstanding way of doing things, but take the K850 closer to the mass market. Under the Call and End keys is the keypad with the T650 cool styling, however the keys have grown bigger. The rightmost column of the alphanumeric keys serves a double purpose: in Camera mode they're used for changing the shooting mode, scene mode, self-timer and flash options. Icons with blue backlighting explain the function of each key. The D-pad can also be used for zooming in and out when taking pictures, while scrolling up or down on changes the exposure compensation. Most of the Sony Ericsson users out there would be happy to see that Sony Ericsson has again used the sleeker D-pad. It's now a thin color plastic rectangle, placed right within the keypad and enfolding the 2 and 5 key. A bold and controversial design indeed, as most Sony Ericsson phones have a confirming center of the D-pad or a joystick. In K850, the Confirm function is entrusted to the middle soft key, right above the D-pad - another decision that raises doubts about user-friendliness.

The debatable D-pad

The Sony Ericsson K850 left side features no keys. Neat and simple, all you see is the color stripe that runs along the side parts of the phone.

Left side: neat and sweet

The bottom part of the K850 features a digicam-like battery cover, which shelters the phone's battery, the SIM card, and the memory card slot. The latter deserves special attention since this is the first Sony Ericsson attempt at dual card support. Two cards are compatible with the slot: M2 and microSD. One is inserted face down, the other one face up, and both are hot-swappable. Apart from this, you will find the regular Fast Port, the mouthpiece and a wrist or neck strap eyelet. If you remove the SIM card in active phone mode, the phone will restart after a good delay and will start the demo mode. It would've been great if the phone was able to work in flight mode, without an inserted SIM. This drawback aside, handling the SIM, the memory card and the battery is effortless, thanks to the integrated push-to-eject mechanism. The same we see used in digicams nowadays. The design of the battery cover is a nice novelty, but we think it has one disadvantage. The low end of the rear panel wobbles noticeably when typing on the keypad.

Digicam-like hatch at the bottom

The top part of the device holds the On/Off key only, which can also be used for fast switching between the ringing profiles.

Power button on the top

The right side of the Sony Ericsson K850 immediately got our attention, as things there surely look like a regular digicam. Very close to the end key is a three-position button for switching between the camera modes - camera, video recorder, and preview mode. Right above it is the shutter key, and the adjacent smaller on/off camera key. There is no other mobile phone of the other leading manufacturers, except for the LG KU990 Viewty, which comes with such a bunch of dedicated camera keys. A convenient feature is that the on/off camera key is independent of the key lock. At the upper part of the right side we find the elevated V-shaped volume rocker, which also can be used for zooming when taking or browsing pictures.

Talking Cyber-shot: shutter key, three-position camera button and volume/zoom key

Turning the phone over reveals an entirely flat monolith surface, only broken by the xenon flash and the camera lens ring, as well as the elongated grill of the loudspeaker. All of them are placed beneath the panel surface, so if you look at the phone sideways you will see no dimples or bulges on the back panel. Next to the lens cover stand two essential symbols - the Cyber-shot logo and the 5.0 megapixel sign. Below the lens is the Sony Ericsson logo. Where the monolith surface ends, you will see the tiny battery cover, with its rubber-like finishing, that is supposed to keep the phone firmly in your arm, or if laid on a tilted surface. Where the back panel ends, two delicate curves that slightly lift the phone can be spotted, a resourceful way to protect the sleek surface from scratches and dust. Another probable reason, given they're level with the loudspeaker, is an attempt to ensure some kind of a sound-screen.

Glossy back: lens cap, flash, loudspeaker, Sony Ericsson and Cyber-shot logo

The Sony Ericsson K850 is powered by a Li-Po BST-38 battery with a capacity of 930 mAh, a substitute for the standard BST-33 Li-Po battery used in the other Cyber-shot handsets K550, K800 and K810. According to the manufacturer, the battery is capable of up to 400 hours of standby mode and up to 9 hours of talk time in GSM networks. Under very intensive usage, i.e. Bluetooth always on, 3G network, an hour of calls, an hour of media player, a good deal of trying the camera, gaming, browsing, etc., the battery hardly last for 36 hours. However, if used only in GSM networks and not excessively strained, the phone will last for a good 3, even 4 days.

K850 battery, memory card slot and SIM card holder

Generally, we're quite pleased with the ergonomics of the Sony Ericsson K850. It feels nice when held in hand and fits perfectly in your palm. The three soft keys, the dual Call and End keys, the D-pad do take the phone handling to a higher level. However, after due examination, a few shortcomings get exposed. The excellent response of the three sensor-like soft keys is in great contrasts with the angular hard-to-push D-pad, which but ruins the navigation experience. The confirming center soft key is too close to the D-pad up key. Simultaneous keypresses occur now and then, resulting in undesired confirmation of a function - for example in a delete contact dialog window, the center soft key corresponds to YES.

K850 hands-on