Electronics Product Reviews

Sony BRAVIA V-Series KDL-46V5100 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV

2009-08-28T17:42:00.000-07:00

Sony BRAVIA V-Series KDL-46V5100 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV

One of the most recent innovations of Sony Corporation is the BRAVIA V-series. It has a lot of features which are not offered in any LCD and Plasma television. With BRAVIA, you can enjoy the full cinematic features of each video you watch like sports, movies and even video games; each frame is highly defined.

Here are some of the features of Sony BRAVIA V-Series HDTV:

The 1080-pixel Resolution Panel

It does not just have an ordinary resolution panel; it has the 16:9 Full High Definition and 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution. Such resolution can render maximum highly-defined resolution from Blu-ray Disc players as well as from PlayStation 3. In fact, it is designed to cater all the feeds from the latest and more advanced video systems.

Fully Dynamic Contrast

The real-time image processing is what makes this HDTV able to define the details of shadows, dark areas and sharpness in a picture. It simply means that it is designed with Dynamic Contrast to produce superb video and picture qualities.

Digital Video Processor

Sony has enhanced its BRAVIA Engine which enables them to release new BRAVIA Engine 2 with fully-digital video processor; it shrinks picture noise but augments and defines every detail of an image. Therefore, you can see more fluid and realistic actions with vibrant and sharp scenes.

Seven HD Inputs

If you want to connect your Blu-ray Disc player, PlayStation 3 entertainment system and PC, you can simply do that without reducing the quality of the picture and still be able to get uncompressed digital video as well as multi-channel digital audio. The good thing is, you only have to use a single cable and still get the same quality of video and audio.

24 Pixels True Cinema

With the use of 24p output devices like PlayStation 3 and Blu-ray Disc players, you can enjoy the true cinematic pictures. This technology is made possible through the help of BRAVIA Engine 2 video processor which can render up to 24 frames per second video quality.

BRAVIA V-Series is Energy Star Certified

It did not just pass the Energy Star 3.0 requirements but it exceeded by simply integrating into its system the advanced power-saving features; the Light Sensor technology will automatically adjust the intensity of the backlight relative to the lighting conditions around.

The Negative Aspects of the BRAVIA

The very first thing people complain about this technological breakthrough is the price. However, it is but normal that Sony BRAVIA V-Series will have higher price compared with low grade HDTVs because, first, it is Sony and second, it is BRAVIA. Another thing is that, it is not practical to have an appliance as expensive as this for playing video games or to use it as a monitor.

Sony BRAVIA V-series has it all. Every aspect that a person need in video entertainment is provided and fully supported by this HDTV. Having one of these will simply make your life more enjoyable.

Nikon D90 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera

2009-08-28T17:40:00.003-07:00

Nikon D90 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera

The introduction of D80 has brought really shocking yet satisfying emotions to photographers from all over the world. It was, in fact, known to be the “Photographers’ camera”. However, an update was made retaining the full functionality of D80 and addition of a video. Thus, the Nikon D90 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera was born; it is among the best in its class.

Superb Image Quality

D90 features 12.3 mega pixel CMOS sensor in DX format to produce superb image quality in different light conditions. Due to advancement in technology, D90 has been designed to produce low-noise captures with high ISO performance which are expected from any D-SLR, only that D90 offer them better.

The added feature called D-Movie Mode offers 720 pixels of High Definition cinematic which cannot be found in other SLR seems to be so promising in the field of photography. With its 12.3 mega pixel CMOS sensor, it is even made better with the Live View function accessible in a single touch of a button. This feature gives modern photographers a way to express their passion in an exciting way with the help of 720 pixels HD.

More Advanced Features

D90 is really powerful despite the fact that it is compact; it can capture 4.5 images in a second. Improved by the Scene Recognition System which only Nikon offers, its 11-point auto focus has become more intelligent and made faster. The 420-pixel 3D Color Matrix II Metering System of Nikon is enhanced by image processing technology of EXPEED which can deliver more accurate images in seconds.

With all these technologies, D90 can shoot faster at 4.5 frames per second capturing every important dramatic expression in the faces of the subjects.

Other Important Features

• Built-in sensor cleaner—the 4-frequency ultrasonic sensor cleaning system will eliminate dust particles in the low pass filter of the sensor.
• Face Priority—the 11-point AF system made accurate and fast auto focus possible. D90 delivers sharp images due to the Scene Recognition System which on Nikon can offer.
• In-Camera image editor—D90 is proud to present its in-camera image editing capability. Some of the editing effects include Red-eye reduction, Monochrome, image overlay, D-Lighting, Straighten and Distortion and Fisheye effect.
• Durable Shutter—before the new D90 is released, the shutter will be tested 100,000 cycles to ensure the durability and life of the shutter.

The Downside of D90

The most common feedback heard from some of the photographers is that they don’t know how to use the D-Movie Mode. Such feedbacks can be heard from the photographers who have been using earlier versions of SLR cameras. Therefore, they cannot even be attributed to be a problem with D90.

With the introduction of Nikon D90 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera, photographers are given new chances to improve their skills and abilities in modern photography. And one of the best decisions photographers can do is to get rid of their older SLR and change them with the Nikon D90 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera to have better image qualities. What more can you ask for?

HP Pavilion G60-230US 16.0-Inch Laptop

2009-08-28T17:37:00.000-07:00

HP Pavilion G60-230US 16.0-Inch Laptop

Hewlett-Packard has once again released new pieces of reliable laptops to compete in the world market and grab more attention from meticulous consumers. The HP Pavilion G60-230US 16.0-Inch Laptop is yet another technological breakthrough highly-defined by its minimalist features with practical utilities and elegant looks. Everything you need in a laptop, you can find it in this beautiful piece of art. So, let’s try to take a look what’s inside this slimmer, lighter 16-inch laptop:

The Processor

You will really feel satisfied upon knowing that HP Pavilion G60-230US 16.0-Inch Laptop has the Intel Pentium T4200 dual-core processor running in 2.0 GHz bus speed. This is just fast enough to cater all your digital needs like photo editing, video streaming, audio playing, word processing, and many more. You can do them all at the same time considering the fact that each core in the processor shares 1 mega byte of L2 cache for a total of 2 mega bytes for both of them. Thus, you can expect faster responses from this laptop.

The Hard Disk Drive

If you are fond of storing lots of multimedia files, this could be the laptop that you are looking for as it is generously built with 320 Giga Bytes of Hard Disk space with the use of high-speed Serial ATA or SATA technology which runs up to 7200 Revolution per Minute (RPM). This means that you can expect to reach 1.5 GB/s data transfer.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Upon purchasing one, you can look forward to having 3 GB of RAM installed inside it. But HP is not just satisfied with that; HP Pavilion G60-230US 16.0-Inch Laptop even supports 4 GB of RAM capacity. One thing you should know about it is that the available RAM is shared with this laptop’s video card to provide faster video streaming and faster video games.

Video and Audio

With its 16 inches WXGA HD screen, you will experience sharp graphics presented in front of you to enjoy as it supports up to 1366 x 768 pixels of resolution which is best for watching DVD movies. And as mentioned above, the video card shares memory with RAM which can allocate space for up to 1309 MB; it is due to the use of Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M.

Connectivity and Networking

With the use of quad-mode Wi-Fi chip inside it, you can expect to experience the next level of wireless connectivity. It is compatible with 802.11b/g wireless networks and can still connect through 802.11a/n which have higher throughput though shorter in range.

Some of the features of HP Pavilion G60-230US 16.0-Inch Laptop include:

• 3 ports of USB 2.0
• 1 output for HDMI
• 1 VGA output
• 1 Headphone and 1 Microphone jack
• Multi-card reader

• Memory Stick
• Memory Stick PRO
• Secure Digital
• MultiMedia
• xDPicture Card

• 56K Modem
• 10/100 Fast Ethernet adapter
• Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (32-bit) Operating System

The Negative Feedbacks from Users

• Some would feel that this is a bit heavier, thus, not suitable to be brought anywhere without its case.
• There are too much cables and paraphernalia to be brought together with the laptop.
• Bulky Charger and AC adaptor

Most of the times, the Cons are subjective in nature. Therefore, not everyone can feel what others do. And so, HP Pavilion G60-230US 16.0-Inch Laptop received too much praises because of its efficiency, practicality and affordability.

BlackBerry Curve 8900 Phone

2009-08-28T16:59:00.001-07:00

BlackBerry Curve 8900 Phone, Black (AT&T)

The first models of Curve were good enough to satisfy a lot of consumers from all corners of the world. But BlackBerry Curve 8900 is just better!

It features all the characteristics of its predecessors plus, there are a lot of new updates and features. For you to be able to know what makes BlackBerry Curve 8900 better, try to check out its features below;

Looks

It is the first thing consumers can notice. Curve 8900 is sleeker with beautiful and elegant titanium finishes. It is also the lightest of the Smart Phones with the thinnest body and full QWERTY keypad functionality.

This stylish phone will best suit for personal and professional use with its 2.4 inches display in 65K colors and 480x360 pixels resolution. But not only that, it also has automatic lighting system which automatically adjusts to adapt the environment where the phone is used.

Connectivity and Communication

You can enjoy all messaging options like MMS, SMS and IM. Receive you emails through your mailbox provided by BlackBerry Internet Service. With Curve 8900 you will get quad-band GSM coverage and EDGE/GPRS connection capability to receive data faster and more reliable with minimal to none packet losses. With its easy-to-connect Wi-Fi connectivity, you will never have a hard time to connect to a network anytime, anywhere.

The integrated speakerphone even made its Hands-free communication easier and clearer plus, the Voice-Activated Dialing or VAD system helps you to dial a number without pressing any keys; you simply have to speak out the name of the contact you want to call.

Multimedia and Music

If you have to go somewhere else and still want to enjoy your favorite movies and videos, Curve 8900 can provide you high quality videos in various formats like Xvid, DivX, WMV3 and H.263. It means that you can simply copy a lot of video clips and movies into your phone as it also supports MicroSD up to 16 GB.

And because Curve 8900 supports Bluetooth stereo-music streaming, you can get rid of those bulky cables and enjoy you travel. You don’t also have to worry what kind of music to be saved in it because it is compatible with the following file formats: WAV, MP3, MIDI, 3gp, etc…

Location and Global Positioning

You don’t have to bring with you a wide piece of paper with all those names of streets and states because Curve 8900 has been designed to help travelers locate famous destinations, businesses, parks and restaurants. With its full-feature Global Positioning System, you will arrive at your destination easier.

Minor Downsides of Curve 8900

• HTML email rendering is not supported which gives you a hard time loading your mailbox especially in places where there is a scarcity of signal.
• Others found the browser a little sluggish.
• There are other models which lack Wi-Fi and GPS especially the first releases
• It does not use the 3G or high-speed network connection; it uses EDGE instead.

Majority of the consumers who have used BlackBerry Curve 8900 have been satisfied with the performance and advanced features of this Smart Phone. Although, there are minor downsides, they are not enough to destroy the great reputation of this piece of technological innovation. Having one like this could be one of your most memorable experiences.

Acer Aspire One AOD150

2009-08-28T16:56:00.003-07:00

Acer Aspire One AOD150-1165 10.1-Inch Sapphire Blue Netbook

Acer Aspire One AOD150-1165 10.1-Inch mini laptop is designed to have a more professional look with its smooth surface and deep blue chassis which best suit in office and school use. It weighs about 3 pounds which makes it easier and lighter to carry anywhere, anytime. Generally, you will never hide the beauty of this fascinatingly elegant mini laptop.

Memory and Speed

Its processor provides more efficiency when doing usual word processing, photo editing, internet surfing and playing videos and music. It has the latest Intel Atom N270 Processor which features low power consumption unlike other netbooks. Together with it, a hard drive which has a capacity of 160 Giga Bytes is inserted into its slim body to give users more memory to store videos, pictures and documents.

The 1.5 Giga Bytes Random Access Memory (RAM) makes this mini laptop perform faster with its memory caching and data transfers. To go with its high-capacity RAM, Windows XP Home Edition SP3 is made to be its default Operating System with its complete service pack to provide more security and stability to its performance.

Power Management and Battery

One of the best things about this mini laptop is that it has 6 cells battery which will run up to 6 hours of continuous usage. It simply means that all the electronic parts inside especially the processor just require little amount of energy to run.

With Windows Home Edition SP3 as the operating system, you can make your mini laptop to hibernate after a specified time of not being used or once a specified key is pressed. The “hibernate” function will simply turn off your system while enables you to continue what you have been working when you turn your system again.

Multimedia Devices and Ports

Together with its 10.1 inches LCD screen with 1024 x 600 pixels resolution and 262K color depth, it also features crystal eye webcam to provide you with high resolution captures of pictures or animated videos.

It also has three USB 2.0 ports to provide you more options in connecting your other devices like mobile phones, iPods and others. A VGA Monitor port is also built to enable you to connect your mini laptop to larger monitors and share your favorite photos and videos with your family and friends. Or, if you want to exclusively watch them, you can make use of the built in headphone jack or have some time to record your own voice with the microphone jack.

Aside from that, you will have two memory card readers; an SD memory card slot and a multi-in-one card reader slot.

Connectivity

You will not appreciate it if it doesn’t have a Wi-Fi capability. That’s why, the makers of this wonderful piece of technological innovation comes with its 54 Wi-Fi Networking device which is compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g wireless network connectivity.

This means that you can connect to the Internet while taking a break in your favorite café which has wireless Internet connection. Doesn’t it make your life easier?

The Negative Feedbacks

Acer Aspire One AOD150-1165 10.1-Inch mini laptop has a lot of good things to offer. In fact, there are only two negative feedbacks from its users. They are as follows;

• Quirky Touchpad—it is such a subjective feedback. But most of the people enjoy doing the scroll-circle gesture which will perform the continuous scrolling of long pages.
• It is not capable of 1280 x 720 pixels resolution—this is another subjective evaluation but it totally depends on a person. Although it is true because it can only offer up to 1024 x 600 pixels.

This laptop is just another breakthrough when it comes to efficiency, affordability and power consumption. You will never regret the moment you decide to purchase one of these.

Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000

2009-08-28T16:49:00.000-07:00

The new wireless notebook optical mouse by Microsoft is cute and oval shaped device which is suited for right and left hand users. The Mouse has straightforward and smart metallic blue finish which gives the mouse an overall a snazzy look and a comfortable feel. The comfortable styling of the mouse and the shape makes it easier to adjust to the mouse’s small size.

One may take ample amounts of time to get used to the pointing done by the Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000. This Plug –n –play device features a new technology known as the high definition optical technology which at first takes time to get used to the new idea. The space needed for the mouse itself, one needs a space equivalent to only four inches and can easily browse through a desktop of 1080 pixels . The built in snap-in receiver comes in very handy when on the move. The battery life is excellent delivering a battery life of up to three times when compared to other rodents, considering the size of the mouse which is as small as a small and puny pen-drive. The mouse also features a 1000 dpi sensor so it gives extremely precise movements when pointing. A single AA battery can last up to 6 months which is a very long time considering the size of the mouse. The mouse also features a wide spectrum of colors to choose from and is also a must buy for all the gizmo freaks out there looking for a new pointing device specially with a whole new array of High definition gadgets stepping into the market the Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 is one of the best pointing device for its (a little heavy ) price of $17.98 out there in the market.

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS: 10MP Digital Camera

2009-08-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

With the ongoing developments in Digital Photography, it keeps getting
less expensive to get a great quality camera that is able to capture
remarkable photographies. The Canon PowerShot SD1200IS 10 MP Digital
Camera is a good demonstration of this principle, and you'll hardly
find a superior camera in the same price range (under $200).

This is a 10.0 megapixel machine with a good set of features -
including a truly effective Optical Image Stabilizer, advanced Face
Recognition Technology, Intelligent Contrast Correction and Red-eye
Correction, just to name a thing. In other words, this is the kind of
machine with such a diverse and advanced set of Image Correction
features, that it actually makes it quite hard for anyone to screw up
a picture; even the clumsiest photographer will be able to produce
decent snapshots, if only he doesn't forget to press the "shoot"
button.

I can't think of many noticeable drawbacks, expect maybe that it's not
shipped with an SD card. Although in this day and age, that's hardly a
problem. Also, there's something a little annoying about this camera:
it's too smart for its own good; while it's on, it keeps trying to
find the perfect zoom and focus. I suppose some kind of "pause" that
would keep it from unnecessarily using its automatic image processing
features would probably be a good idea.

As you might know, the SD1200 is the newest model in an established
line of Digital Cameras, and it certainly lives up to the good
reputation established by its predecessors while introducing several
improvements. One of the most noticeable differences when compared to
the previous model is the design - which feels much slicker and small,
especially since the 2.5" LCD screen is flush with the body of the
camera. When compared to its predecessors, this model is an all-around
superior camera.

Apple MacBook Pro MB990LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop

2009-08-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

If you're a person like me - then you enjoy keeping your portable
computers... well, portable. And even though the market has now been
flooded by the ultra-portable netbook variant, it's just not the same
as a full-blown laptop. Well, when it comes to actual laptops, this
model is probably one of the sexiest you'll come across. Boasting a
13.3 inch LED display which is serviced by a quite respectable NVIDIA
GeForce 9400M graphics board, this is a machine that will easily get
your eyes sparkling with joy. Not to mention the powerful 2.26 GHz
Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB DDR3 RAM and 160 Gb HD. Simply put, the
MacBook PRO is an all-around impressive laptop which you can
comfortably use both on the road and within the office.

I really don't care much about the hyped up Macbook air; if you're an
Apple adept who's looking for a portable solution, this is probably
one of the most recommendable machines available. It's a remarkably
slim and pretty, with a considerable autonomy (its battery will cover
for about 7 hours of wireless activity). As you might know, this
machine is a revamped version of last year's MacBook, and not
surprisingly the good people at Apple did manage to get a lot of thing
better, this time around.

There are, of course a few short-comings but it's mostly stuff that's
not so troublesome at all: for example, the power cord could be a
little lengthier; sometimes you'll feel as though you're getting stuck
right next to the power outlet. But since the battery is so powerful,
that might not even be too much of a problem - speaking of which,
removing the battery can indeed get a bit tricky until you've gotten
used to it. Finally, I would have expected this version to sport a
Blu-Ray rather than a boring old DVD player, but well... I guess that
would have unnecessarily pushed the price upwards. Maybe in next
year's version they'll get around to polishing up these rough edges,
but all in all you can rest assured this is already one of the most
desirable medium-sized laptops out there on the market.

Amazon Kindle review

2009-08-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

I wasn't there when the Television was first invented - but I'm sure
there were many skeptics who proclaimed that a radio set with pictures
was pointless. That's just how it goes with technological
breakthroughs, I suppose... and the kindle is no different. There are
many people who are ideologically opposed to the thought of using an
e-book reader. I, on the other hand, not only welcome this kind of
device, but actually feel like the latest iteration of the Amazon
kindle is worth a good bit of praise!

The Amazon kindle is essentially an electronic book reader. It is
extremely lightweight and portable, with an impressive battery life
(from 4 to 12 full days, depending on whether you use its wireless
function). There's not much point in providing you with technical
specifications that you can easily find in the official website;
suffice to say it's not much heavier or bigger than a comic book, or a
50-page magazine. Also, it can hold thousands of books and - if you're
wondering how the reading experience feels... it's surprisingly
similar with reading a regular sheet of printer paper, expect that you
can actually adjust the contrast.

In my opinion there's a simple reason why the Kindle is a must-have
device for every book lover: you get to carry around a full-blown
library in a device that can be carried around as effortlessly as a
plain library. Granted, old-fashioned people will say: "oh, it's not
the same thing as reading a book". Well, that's for sure; eating an
apple is not the same as eating a banana, but they're both fruit.
Also, I don't need to remind you how those old-fashioned books you're
so fond of are bad for the environment, right? This is a new age of
information, and with its wireless 3G connectivity and extreme
portability, the Kindle is positively a brand new alternative to help
you keep up with our reading.