Japanese Style Laptop Make Over

Acer was kind enough to show off Momoka Eri’s Aspire One to the press. In case you didn’t know, she is a cute Japanese model who owns a company that decorate mobile phones, Sony PSP, Nintendo DS, etc. See more picture after the jump. [Akihabara]

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G3 WiFi Digicam

Sony today unveiled the Cyber-shot DSC-G3 WiFi digital camera, which has features like a 10MP CMOS sensor with 4x optical zoom Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens, 4 GB of internal storage and a 3.5-inch LCD screen. The G3 supports WiFi connectivity and comes with a Web browser. This camera also features Face Detection, Intelligent Scene Recognition, Smile Shutter and Dynamic Range Optimizer. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G3 WiFi Digicam is currently available in black for $500. [DailyDigitals]

New StarCraft 2 Screenshots

Here’s the latest screenshots from Blizzard’s upcoming Starcraft 2, as a reminder the game will be a single player trilogy where each race will have a stand-alone game. The first will be Terran: Wings of Liberty, where players take on the role of Jim Raynor in a non-linear game. The second is Zerg: Heart of the Swarm, and the last will be Protoss: Legacy of the Void. Blizzard is promising that each game will have 26-30 missions, and each campaign will feel like its own epic story. Stay tuned for more updates. [Techeblog]

Nokia Strapup Phone

Nokia comes back with their new concept phone. This wearable phone is a perfect tool for those who prefer gestures over text or voice. Actually, it is not a phone, but it is a device that translates your body movements into predefined text and transmits it to others automatically. [The Design Blog]

Colorsonic MP3 Player

Designer by Rhea Jeong has creatively designed the Colorsonic MP3 player that will display its playlist using colors. Each colors represents a specific music genre. It also has special software and website that allows you to log on and trade color rings. Sadly, the Colorsonic is currently in its project phase right now. Rhea Jeong came up with this concept during a summer internship with Samsung. [Yanko]

Street Fighter IV: Ken vs Vega Gameplay

Street Fighter IV is a 2008 fighting game produced by Capcom. For your info, the coin-operated arcade game version of this game was released in Japan on July 18, 2008 with North American arcades importing the machines by August. The Street Fighter IV will be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on February 12, February 17, and February 20, 2009, in Japan, the US and Europe, respectively. The PC version will be released in the second quarter of 2009. Watch the new Ken vs Vega gameplay after the jump. [GT]

Grand Theft Auto 4 Johnny Trailer

Rockstar has recently released a new Grand Theft Auto 4: The Lost and Damned trailer featuring its main character: Johnny Klebitz. Watch the video after the jump. [GT]

MP3 Mirror For The Bathroom Singer

Here’s a great device for those of you who love to sing while in the bathroom, presenting the MP3 mirror by Antonio Lupi. It offers an innovative system of mirror equipped with a music diffusion system with the incorporated base for the MP3 reader. The system will work with any mirror that has a steel frame, it also features the touch-sensitive LED on/off switch which is located conveniently on the bottom of the mirror so you’ll be able to find it even in the darkness. Sadly, there’s still no word on pricing and availability yet. [NewLaunches]

Long Life Of Boston Batteries

Much attention in battery research is focused on runtime, and thus battery life is the item to which much of the news coverage pays special attention. Evolutionary steps in this direction are being made nowadays. The best way that battery makers are striving to is to prolong battery runtime and recharging period. In the coming year it is likely this option will be upgraded for specific notebooks.

One can see that notebook batteries have become step by step better compared with the past, and it is very good for those who are able to take their machines anywhere.

If You Want To Have Your Battery Repaired

Most of laptop users ask themselves a question – if it possible to repair a laptop battery after it has undergone wear and tear.

First of all it is recommended to consult the internet to know what kind of battery could be repaired. But one needs to know a battery which is apt to leak should not be repaired, as it could be unsafe. But most batteries have the complex construction and therefore cannot be repaired at all. Some batteries can, but for that one should have specific tools. It is much cheaper and more wisely to buy a new one.

New Recall Of Sony Laptop Battery Packs

Nowadays we have become again witnesses of new recalling Sony battery packs for laptops in amount of 100,000 pieces. This recall is referred to 2.15Ah lithium-ion cell batteries which had been sold for HP, Dell and Toshiba devices.

The notice made by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission that states they have received 40 reports of battery overheating. The recall covers also Inspiron and Dell Latitude units sold about three years ago.

It was quite a surprise for Sony as they did not sell the batteries directly, they were sold by PC makers, electronic stores and online retail dealers.

Some Tips To Extend Your Laptop Battery Life

From time to time laptop owners suffer from rapid battery discharge. There are a few ways to extend battery life to make your laptop work longer and to avoid your being upset. People dealing with different kinds of portable devices battery have always been glad to give points in that direction.

Laptop battery for Compaq N600C

First of all you should charge a battery to the maximum. Let the battery to run down fully, that will maintain the battery life. If you charge it half-way it will surely cut the battery life substantially. If you charge it fully it will give the best profit both to the computer and the battery.

Lilliputian’s New Technology For Laptop Power

Each owner of a laptop, iPod or cell phone look forward to get at last such power source for their units that allow to avoid recharging them only for short time and being quite safety. The evolutionary step in this direction is being made by fuel cells manufacturers. But they consider it will take one or two years to make fuel cells non-combustible, small and cheap. Fuel cells should be long-lasting and resistant to overheating. While fuel cells makers work on this development electronic manufacturers are sure their products prevail at the market.

Laptop Power In MTI Evolution

Talking about the evolution of laptop power in our days we can look upon at the innovation being made today. The progress steps of MTI MicroFuel Cells Inc. is the point of consideration in our small assay.

MTI is a subsidiary of Mechanical Technology Inc. developing and manufacturing advanced rechargeable power pack technology for portable devices and has been working on its technology since 2000. The company is famous for its miniaturized methanol fuel cell, which is already patented. For generating electrical power the technology uses only methanol and nothing more as fuel. The main Company’s task is to replace the existing current lithium ion and rechargeable battery systems for MTI Micro’s Mobion cord-free power packs.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX40

Panasonic is pleased to introduce the new Lumix 12.1-megapixel DMC-FX40 with astonishing 25mm ultra-wide-angle LEICA DC lens and powerful 5x optical zoom. The FX40 also offers a new Face Recognition feature, an advanced Face Recognition function that recognizes individual faces, making it a kind of personal verification system in a camera. When a familiar face is recorded several times, the digital camera will prompt you to register the face. Once complete, if the familiar face appears into your frame again, the camera will display the name you specified for that person and prioritize focus and exposure so that the registered face is bright and in sharp focus. The camera is set to hit the stores in March for 40,000-47,000 yen ($450-$530) here. [DVICE]

Casio CA001 Full Touchscreen Handset

The Casio CA001 comes jam packed with a 3.1 inch WVGA touchscreen display, a 5MP camera with autofocus, e-wallet support and video/audio-on-demand. What makes the handset cool is that it comes with a full touchscreen display, so you can use the phone without the need ot keypad. The Casio CA001 measures 50mm x 109mm x 17.8mm and weights at 122 grams. [PhoneArena]

Nokia E71 Receives New Colors

Nokia is ready to release two new colors of Nokia E71 handset. The phone is now available in red and black. However, the online shop still limits purchase options to silver or white. The new red and black E71 will be limited to the European region only at this time. I hope AT&T will release this handset in the US very soon. [Nokia Europe]

PANASONIC TOUGHBOOK TOUGHENS UP

For those whose daily work includes ducking under sniper fire, traveling to Iraq and dropping your notebook on a daily basis than you've probably been interested in the Panasonic Toughbook for a long time.

Well Panasonic has decided to toughen up the deal a little more. Adding to the list of features that is bound to make even the toughest construction worker drool over one, Panasonic has added a 1,000 nit LCDs with circular polarization technology that also packs anti-glare / anti-reflective protection, Intel Core 2 Duo processor with vPro, expanded memory options, larger battery (40%), bigger hard drives and of course the all important solid state drives.

Final Fantasy XIII Kick Off Trailer

Final Fantasy XIII is an upcoming console role-playing game being developed by Square Enix. It will be released exclusive for Sony PlayStation 3 in Japan and Xbox 360 in Europe and North America. Watch the kick off trailer after the jump.

Sony PSP Receives Carnival Colour Update

The Sony PSP-3000 gets new colors. The Sony PSP Carnival Colors consists of ‘Vibrant Blue’, ‘Radiant Red’, ‘Bright Yellow’ and ‘Spirited Green’. The gadget comes with a 4GB Memory Stick and a 2200mAh battery. You can purchase this portable gaming gadget for £162 each. [T3]

Halo Wars Video Documentary

Halo Wars has officially gone gold and Microsoft has released a video documentary in order to celebrate it. This video offers gamers a behind the scenes look at just what this game is all about. A demo will be available on February 5th, 2009. Watch the video after the jump. [GT]

ACER FERRARI 1200 ULTRAPORTABLE NOTEBOOK

Acer has announced the Ferrari 1200, an all new ultraportable notebook series, as a successor to its Ferrari 1100. This show stopper series comes in the true spirit of the Italian race car. Well, at least they have tried to bring in some features that is supposed to give you the feel of driving a real Ferrari, like the anodized metal touchpad that resembles the acceleration and brake pedals of a F1 car. Also the Acer Ferrari 1200 has a carbon-fiber cover(this material is actually used in race cars) that is lighter and stronger than magnesium alloy, giving it the ultra portability. Another feature to imitate the race car is an unique ventilation system that supposedly "echoes the exhaust pipes of F1 cars". To finish off the dressing, it has a tasteful matted finish with soft-touch coating and of course has the strategically placed Ferrari Racing Shield logos.

THE NEW TOSHIBA SATELLITE PRO S300 SERIES – TOUGHER AND CHEAPER

To keep up with the budget cuts and growing demand for cheaper laptops, Toshiba has decided to revamp their Satellite Pro S300 series notebooks to target the Small and Medium Business's (SMB). The entry level model comes at $529. Instead of just reducing their prices, Toshiba has gone a step ahead and completely redesigned the system to suit the SMB segment by making them tougher and cheaper.

One of the new additions is the 'Easy Guard' feature that includes shock absorption and a spill proof keyboard. Toshiba has also decided to remove some of the preloaded applications which they think that most of the customers have no use for. And for those of you who are not comfortable with the Windows Vista, now you have the right to downgrade to Windows XP Pro with these business-oriented laptops and to top it off.

The Satellite Pro S300 series comes with two years of warranty, with an option to extend it for one more year.

Nokia N97 touchscreen mobile phone

Navigon has launched two new satnav devices. The Navigon 1200 and the Navigon 2200 are available from Halfords and, with a price tag of less than £100, an ideal stocking filler.

The Navigon 1200 costs £69.99 while the Navigon 2200 costs £99.99. Both devices feature a slim black case that houses the 3.5in screen and full UK and Ireland maps.

Dragonball Origins Recalled In Australia

Bad news for those who lived in Australia. Atari are recalling every single copy of Dragon Ball Origins in Australia, after it was discovered the rating handed out to the game didn’t quite match some of it’s naughtier moments. [Kotaku]

Resident Evil 5 Online Co-Op Gameplay

Capcom has made another annoucement of its upcoming Resident Evil 5 game, the game will feature jump in/jump out cooperative play throughout the entire game. According to the preview, main character Chris Redfield will be accompanied throughout his ordeal by an as-yet unnamed female mercenary. This character will be guided by the AI when going solo, but a second player can take control at any time. This includes online co-op play, with seamless "jump in/jump out" design. [Techeblog]

PC Tools AntiVirus software for Macs

PC Tools has launched iAntiVirus Version 1.0 - a full version of its anti-virus and anti-spyware tool, aimed specifically at Macs.

iAntiVirus Version 1.0, which was originally launched as a beta in July, detects and removes Mac-specific threats including Trojans, viruses and keyloggers. The program can also act on social-engineering threats that are spread without the user's knowledge though IM (instant messaging
) and P2P file-sharing software.

Hitachi Wooo Ketai H001 Phone

The Hitachi Wooo Ketai H001 is a new 5MP camera phone. This AU handset from KDDI Japan also features a 3D display for both videos and photos, a 3.1 inch display at 845 x 480 resolution, microSD memory card slot, 1Seg TV tuner support, and e-wallet support. There is no word on pricing of this Japan-only handset. Stay tuned for more updates. [Gizmodo]

TrendNet TV-M7 wireless webcam and photo monitor

TrendNet is describing the TV-M7 as the "first-to-market wireless internet camera and photo monitor". The $320 device connects to an existing wireless network and acts as a screen for wired and wireless IP cameras. This means you can view and record what's in sight of up to four network webcams without your PC needing to be switched on the whole time.

The 7in photo frame has an internal memory of 512MB and can be used to display photos and video and to play MP3 music files. When not be used to local playback of media, the wireless device can be used to discreetly check on who's wandering around your office or warehouse or, in a home environment, to discover the culprit who keeps raiding the fridge.

With an onscreen resolution of 16,384x16,384, the TV-M7 can display either Jpeg or bitmap images and can be used to show libraries of photos stored as Flickr or Picasa web albums.

OLPC 2.0 DUAL SCREEN SHOWS OFF ON CAMERA

Remember that dual screen "computer" that OLPC had announced a while back. Well the reason why we put the "computer" in

parenthesis is it currently has not form factor known to man and is closer to a slate than an actual netbook or notebook.

Anyways, the computer has done its thing in the wild and thanks to those ever familiar blurry camera shots that we receive of soon to be released devices, the same thing has happened to it.

From the shot that we're looking at, we're guessing its a NWU (non working unit) but than again its not video so we're not sure. OLPC does seem to have this planned for a release sometime this year though.

Acer Smartphone Confirmed on February 16th, 2009

Acer has planned to release its new smartphones in Q1 this year. This handset will be released in Western Europe and Russia. Acer has sent out the media invitation for the press conference on February 16th, 2009. [Slashphone]

New Panasonic Let’s Note Laptop Series

Panasonic has decided to upgrade its Let’s Note laptop series with 2GB of RAM (4GB of MAX), Intel vPro technology, and larger HDDs. The new notebook PC will be available in Japan at the end of February 2009. Sadly, there is no info on pricing at this time. [Akihabara]

FCC Approves Pharos Traveler 117

The FCC has approved the Pharos Traveler 117. It is a GPS navigator that will be released in the US. This PDA smartphone is powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and 400MHz Qualcomm MSM7201 processor. The gadget also offers Quad band GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), Tri band UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA connectivity (850/1900/2100 MHz), a 2.8 inch resistive TFT touchscreen display with 480 x 640 pixels, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, and a 2MP camera. There is also a secondary VGA camera for video calls. You can purchase an unlocked Pharos Traveler 117 for $529.95. [UnWiredView]

Power Laptop Could Get New Life

The tech world is developing quickly, and so is the laptop power technology. The today’s result of laptop power packs research is a gradual switchover from lithium iron batteries to portable fuel cells.

Panasonic Fuel Cell

Anyway some analysts do not expect the wide commercialization for fuel cells, the switchover will go a bit at a time. The new technology should be standardized. And nowadays some companies manufacturing laptop power units are moving toward their products other than fuel cells, but enabling enlarge their capacity as well. For instance silver-zinc batteries are expected from Lenovo, and their capacity will be 20-30 per cent higher than that of a conventional lithium ion battery.

Lighter Camera

It is not an ordinary cigarette lighter, but this gadget is a cigarette lighter with a fully-functional DVR system. The device has a microSD memory card slot (8GB maximum), USB connectivity, voice recorder, and up to 6-hours of continuous recording. You can buy the lighter camera for $150. [Engadget]

Opera Mini 4.2 For Android Final Version

Opera has recently released the final version of Opera Mini 4.2. The software can be downloaded directly from Android Market at Applications > Communication category. The new version allows double tap for zooming in and out, inline URL entry instead of using native input, fixed password text entry to hide characters, fixed problems with exiting application when back button was pressed, improved trackball speed. [Slashphone]

Toshiba Camileo P30 And H20 HD Camcorders

The Toshiba P30 and H20 are two affordable HD camcorders that come equipped with YouTube uploading and ArcSoft editing tools. These video cameras offer HDMI connectivity, Night Mode for low light shooting, an SD memory card slot, 5x optical and 4x digital zoom, a 3 inch TFT display or a 2.5 inch for the P30, video stabilization, special effect options, a remote control. The Toshiba Camileo P30 and H20 will be available in the UK next month for £149.99 and £179.99, respectively. [T3]

Energy Efficiency Without Batteries

It is interesting if anyone could believe that soon it will possible to power laptops without any wire, just through the air. Of course nowadays we can expect any wonder in the world of technology, as we can see its evolution in full size.

The International Consumer Electronics Show

The International Consumer Electronics Show taking place in Las Vegas last week showed brilliantly that it is quite possible at first for such commercial products as digital picture frames, audio speakers and untethered lighting.

Panasonic Lumix ZS3 Digital Camera

Available in silver, black, blue, and red, the Panasonic Lumix ZS3 digital camera boasts a 12X optical zoom and is able to record HD video (1280 x 720) at 60 frames/second in the AVCHD Lite format. The video files can be displayed on an HDTV via HDMI. Other features include a large 3 inch LCD display with 460,000 pixels, a 12.7MP CCD sensor, Its Intelligent Auto Mode comes with "face recognition" feature, which remembers faces that frequently appear. No info on pricing at this time. [Press Release]

Latest Technology Of Battech

Laptop batteries are very important to a personal notebook. Therefore selecting a good laptop battery is able to improve your working and life quality.
Battech Solar Charger
For instance Battech have made a number of solutions concerning the portable power. The fear of running out of power is decreasing with them.
Battech International Limited has a range of advanced portable power solutions, that can be found in the most battery technology of today. The company sells different kind of batteries and chargers for iPod, laptops, PDA, digital camera etc.
So to minimize the laptop user’s dread, when they see the message ‘low battery’ on their displays, Battech International Limited have created some high backup batteries to satisfy the power needs of portable devices. The backup is ready all the time due to the latest technological charging units.
One can charge the batteries and devices even on the move. It is achieved through portable car charging, powerful solar battery charges and mobile netbook chargers.
The go customers will feel real peace of mind with such devices, which are sure to go more and more popular with the current.
Source: pr-inside.com

Waterproof Digicam From Panasonic

Panasonic today introduced their new waterproof digicam in the form of the Lumix DMC-FT1 point-and-shoot camera. This rugged digital camera features a 12.1MP sensor and can record video at 1080p, up to 6400 ISO and the maximum shutter speed is 1/1300. The camera also offers a 2.7-inch LCD screen, the standard face recognition, image stabilization and creative mode features. The FT1 will be released in April 2009 for $400. [LetsGoDigital]

Kyocera NS01 First Real ‘Belt’ Phone

Mobile phone manufacturer Kyocera claims its new Kyocera NS01 as the first real "belt" phone. What makes the NS01 special is that it has an integrated belt, so you can easily bring the phone wherever you go. The NS01 is currently available at AU and features a 2.8 QVGA screen, a 1.97MP camera, and e-wallet. [Akihabara]

Kodak EasyShare C180 Digital Camera

Kodak has released another affordable and easy-to-use digital camera known as the Kodak EasyShare C180. The camera comes packed with a 10 megapixel image sensor, a 2.4 inch color display, 3x optical zoom lens, 5x digital zoom, 16MB internal memory and SD/SDHC memory card slot. Available in August for a retail price of $119.95. [Kodak]

Boston Acoustics Horizon i-DS3 Speaker System

Here is a new speaker system from Boston Acoustics. Dubbed as the Horizon i-DS3, the speaker system provides 100 watts of stereo sound and can recharge your iPod or iPhone battery at the same time. The gadget also offers a 2.4GHz wireless subwoofer that features a downward firing enclosure design with a frequency response of 35Hz-150Hz. Other features include S-video, composite video output and auxiliary input. You can purchase the Horizon i-DS3 when it is released in March. No info on pricing at this time. [pocket-lint]

Motorola Releases MotoPrizm Orange Mobile Phone

The Motorola MotoPrizm Orange is a new 2G full touchscreen handset that will be available exclusively in Korea. Available in a vivid orange color, the phone boasts a transparent external touch layer, a 2.8-inch WVGA touchscreen, S-DMB, a 3M built-in camera, and Bluetooth. No word on pricing at this time. [AVING]

Toshiba Satellite Pro S300-EZ1511

Toshiba has released the Satellite Pro S300-EZ1511 business notebook model for $529. It is a 15.4-inch (1280×800) laptop that offers a 2.1GHz Intel Pentium T3400 processor with Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics, 1GB of DDR2 memory, a 120GB hard drive, and a DVD burner. There are also 802.11 b/g wireless LAN, Gigabit Ethernet, a 56k modem, three USB ports, an eSATA/USB combo port, PC Card slot, DVI-D video output, Firewire, 6-in-1 media card reader, and Serial port. [Toshiba]

Motion Controlled MP3 Player

Here is a unique MP3 player from Japan that has a built-in acceleration sensor. The senser allows you to control the gadget with motions. Watch the video after the jump to get more details. [DVICE]

MobiBLU UFO Digital Audio Player

MobiBLU offers a new digital audio player that is also a Bluetooth speaker/headset. The MobiBLU UFO is currently available in 2, 4, and 8GB storage capacities and is compatible with MP3, WMA, and Ogg audio files. Measuring 90mm x 42mm, the gadget also has a built-in speakers (2Watts) and an internal battery that offers 15 hours with headphones or 5 hours with its speakers. [dapreview]

MSI GT627 Gaming Laptop

MSI today announced their latest gaming laptop in the form of the MSI GT627. Available with different CPUs, this 15.4 inch laptop offers a high 1680 x 1050 resolution, a 6 cell battery, Wifi b/g/n, DVD or Blu-Ray, a GeForce 9800 GS GPU with 1GB of VRAM, HDMI out, and 320GB of hard disk drive. I want to buy this gaming laptop as soon as possible. Sadly, there is no word on pricing or availability so far. [Akihabara]

DXG doubles up on compact HD camcorders

While there have been no shortage of vertical-style mini HD camcorders at CES 2009 (see announcements from Kodak, Sony, and RCA), there haven't been any pistol-grip mini HD camcorders, mainly because the most recognized maker of them, Sanyo, didn't have any announcements at the show. But fear not, DXG has you covered with the DXG-581V.

Due in the first quarter of this year for $179.99,