Thursday, February 28, 2008

First Mecha Like 3G Mobile Phone

Softbank Launches the First Mecha Like 3G Mobile Phone in the World


Are you a Mecha or Transformer fan? Softbank may have created the ultimate mobile phone for you, the SoftBank 815T PB (Toshiba)!

Made for a new Japanese TV drama (Ketai Sousakan 7), this mobile phone can also be used as a toy since you can literally glue a a MECHA like kit to the back of the it and turn it into a Transformer lookalike.

As we stated earlier this is a REAL 3G phone, with a 3.2Mpix auto focus camera and a QVGA screen.






Source
Akihabaranews

Hitachi's New 400G Resistant HDD

Hitachi's New 400G Resistant HDD



Are you frequently communting to work via rocket ship, or enjoy blasting your gadgets with a shotgun? If so here's the 2.5” HDD that NEEDS your laptop! The Travelstar 5K320 from Hitachi can sustain an impact up to 400G (2ms) in operation…

Just to give you an idea, 400G is normally (please correct me if I am wrong on this point) 400 times your weight (in this case the HDD case). Now available in 320GB here's the ideal alternative to those expensive SSDs!

Source
Akihabaranews

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

EMobile presents 2 new phones

EMobile presents 2 new phones

The spring collection of EMobile phones was presented yesterday and it consists of a couple products; the Toshiba H11T and the HTC S11HT. Both are HSDPA phones, the H11T features a 3.2MPx digicam, Bluetooth, audio/video player, microSD port...while the "Monster" S11HT comes equipped with a 3MPx digital camera, 2.8 inches screen, Windows Mobile 6, GPS, Bluetooth, microSD port...pretty cool isn't it ?




Source
Akihabaranews

Sony Cyber-Shot W300

Tough Love: Titanium Coated Cyber-Shot W300 Shrugs Off Scratches Beautifully




Weybridge, 25th February 2008 - It’s the toughest, most technically advanced Cyber-shot W Series camera yet. The slim, beautifully-styled W300 features a scratch resistant titanium coating that’s around five times tougher than anodised aluminium. Inside the pristine exterior, it’s crammed with latest-generation Sony technology to help everyone take better pictures.

An extremely high resolution of 13.6 effective megapixels assures detail-packed enlargements to A3 size and beyond. Optical performance is further assured by the top-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with 3x optical zoom.

The W300 excels at capturing crisp, clear images in low light conditions where other cameras struggle. Maximum sensitivity is boosted to an incredible ISO 6400. Teamed with Sony’s original Clear RAW Noise Reduction and Super Steady Shot image stabilisation, this lets the W300 produce excellent results without a tripod in dimly-lit twilight scenes.

Also new to Cyber-shot, EX High-Speed Burst Mode allows high-speed shooting at up to five frames per second – great for fast moving sports.

Improved Face Detection technology adjusts exposure and skin tone for great-looking portraits. It now offers even faster tracking plus the ability to distinguish automatically between children and adults. Another Sony innovation, Smile Shutter waits until the subject smiles before firing the shutter to ensure happy faces in every frame.

Also powered by the BIONZ image processor, the D-Range Optimiser adjusts exposure for natural-looking results with backlit scenes where there’s a risk of losing highlight and shadow detail.

The large, bright 2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD offers outstanding resolution (230k dot) and contrast for framing and viewing shots, even when you’re outdoors. There’s also an optical viewfinder that offers extra familiarity for compact camera users switching to digital.

An HD Output lets you enjoy your memories in super-size on any HD Ready display. HD ‘slide shows’ can be enjoyed with a choice of musical accompaniments and visual effects. Connecting the W300 to any PhotoTV HD compatible BRAVIA TV (via optional output adaptor cable) delivers even more incredible picture quality with extraordinary realism.


There’s a range of image management functions to keep track of your memories. A choice of in-camera retouching functions makes it easy to fine-tune images with no need for a PC.

The W300 is brilliantly simple to use, even if you’re new to digital photography. Intelligent Scene Recognition takes the guesswork out of selecting the right camera settings in a range of common shooting situations. First-time users will welcome the on-screen function guide and Easy Shooting mode that keeps things simple without compromising picture quality.

Source
Sony Europe

The New Cyber-Shot H50

High Spec, High Quality, High Zoom, Small Size: The New Cyber-Shot H50




Weybridge, 25th February 2008 - The feature-packed Cyber-shot H50 digital camera combines superlative imaging quality with extensive manual functions for precise creative control over your images. Compact and easy to handle, it features a tough, scratch resistant finish that enhances the camera’s premium feel.

The powerful Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 15x zoom lens makes the Cyber-shot H50 ideal for travel and other situations when you want crisp, clear close-ups without the penalty of carrying a big, bulky camera.

The large, high-contrast 3-inch Clear Photo LCD Plus screen tilts up or down, adding an extra dimension of creative freedom when framing shots at any angle. There’s also an electronic viewfinder that provides a convenient alternative to framing shots with the LCD screen.

Powered by Sony’s responsive BIONZ processor, Enhanced Face Detection can identify and focus on up to eight faces in a scene, automatically adjusting focus and exposure for clearer portraits. It’s complemented by Smile Shutter that detects a smiling face in the frame before automatically firing the shutter.

Ideal for action-packed moments, advanced Sports Shooting mode combines a very high shutter speed with continuous predictive autofocus to freeze fast-moving subjects with reduced shutter lag.

Sony’s Double Anti-Blur system captures more atmospheric, natural-looking images without flash when you’re indoors or short of natural light. A high sensitivity of up to ISO 3200 is teamed with Super SteadyShot optical image stabilisation for crisper handheld shots – an extra benefit at high zoom settings when camera shake is often a problem. The powerful BIONZ image processor now allows user control over noise reduction in three selectable steps to suit the creative needs of any scene.

Ideal for tricky backlit subjects and high-contrast scenes, the D-Range Optimiser (DRO) automatically processes scenes with strong highlights and dark shadow detail to ensure more natural, evenly exposed images. A new DRO Plus mode analyses individual regions of each image for even better results with less risk of lost high- and lowlight detail.

Extra creative control is provided with Bracket Shooting mode that captures three images with different exposure, white balance or colour mode settings. Photo enthusiasts will also appreciate a choice of five in-camera colour filter effects that offers increased control without the need to invest in glass filters.


After shooting, there’s a range of in-camera re-touching functions, including red-eye reduction and special filter effects. It’s an easy way to fine-tune images with no need for a PC or special software.

A range of fun playback functions adds an extra dimension to sharing photos with friends and family. Images can be viewed on screen as slideshows with a choice of musical accompaniments, and favourite music files can be imported from a linked PC. Super-size images can be viewed with incredible colour and detail on a connected HD television. Even better results can be enjoyed with new BRAVIA televisions that support PhotoTV HD for optimised still image viewing.

Supplied accessories include a remote control for shutter release and zooming plus Home, Menu and Control buttons. There’s also a range of optional accessories including wide-angle and telephoto conversion lenses, filters, batteries, travel chargers, sports packs and cases.

Source
Sony Europe

Sony's Blu-Ray Player

Sony adds new Blu-Ray disc players with advanced interactivity

Now that the HD format war is Over, Sony just launched this morning 2 new BR Player... More information just below !

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 26, 2008 – Sony updated its Blu-ray Disc player line today with two new models that will be capable of accessing advanced interactive features such as Bonus View and BD-Live.

The BDP-S350 and BDP-S550 models both support Bonus View (Picture-in-Picture) featured on some of the new Blu-ray Disc theatrical releases. The BDP-S350 model is BD-Live ready featuring an Ethernet port for an easy firmware update and access to Internet-based interactive content features. The BSP-S550 is Bonus View and BD-Live capable when it ships.

Both models also feature an external port for local storage, so users can add optional USB flash-based memory. The BDP-S550 ships with a 1GB storage device.

“Building on the exceptional picture and sound quality of previous players, Sony’s next-generation Blu-ray Disc models bring exciting interactive features to life and offer consumers a ground-breaking experience,” said Chris Fawcett, vice president of marketing for Sony Electronics’ Home Product Division. “These new devices bring home movie experience beyond the cinema and into a whole new realm of entertainment.”

The players feature 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema output. They are compatible with most standard DVDs and feature 1080p upscaling through an HDMI connection to capable HDTV sets, improving the picture performance of existing DVD libraries.

The models offer 7.1 channel Dolby® TrueHD and Dolby® Digital Plus decoding and bit-stream output, as well as dts®-HD High Resolution Audio and Master Audio bit-stream output. The BDP-S550 adds dts-HD High Resolution Audio and dts-HD Master Audio decoding as well as 7.1 channel analog audio output.

The players support AVCHD discs encoded with x.v.Color™ (xvYCC) technology, an international standard for wide color space reproduction. The standard expands the current data range of video by about 1.8 times, allowing the players to output more natural and vivid colors similar to what the human eye can actually see. The players also feature compatibility with an array of video formats, including BD-R/RE (BDMV and BDAV modes), DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW (Video Mode), CD, CD-R/RW (CD-DA format), and JPEG on DVD//CD recordable media.

The new models feature a slim design with reduced depth and height compared to previous models matching Sony’s new home-theater-in-a-box systems, the HT-SS2300 and HT-CT100 T-SS2300, also announced today. Optimized for Blu-ray Disc™, the new component systems feature three 1080p compatible HDMI™ inputs making them the perfect match for a Full high-definition home theater when connected to a new Sony BRAVIA® 1080p HDTV.

The new BDP-S350 ships this summer for about $400 and BDP-S550 will be available this fall for about $500. They will be offered at Sony Style stores, online at sonystyle.com, at military base exchanges, and at authorized retailers nationwide.

Source
Akihabaranews

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

LG W52 LCD Monitor

LG W52 LCD Monitor


Searching for a nice looking LCD? Here's the LG W52 Series, available in 19", 20", 22" (1680x1050), and 24” (1920x1200).

Featuring a high-gloss, piano black cabinet with a curved bezel, our monitors provide cutting-edge performance with an amazing contrast of 10000:1, and a 2ms LCD panel for the 19", 20", and 22” monitors.

Our monitors feature LG’s EZ Zooming technology which enables users to change screen resolution with press of a button.


Source
Akihabaranews

Liteon DX-20A4PU

Liteon DX-20A4PU: Effortless Disc Dubbing

Let’s imagine for one second that you have no idea how to operate a PC, but you have an urgent need to duplicate a CD/DVD, or even worse to backup data to a CD/DVD. If you were my mother you'd immediately call me begging for help while I'm on my way to bed (time difference). I would have to explain for at least an hour how to click the Windows Start button, and spend two more hours on opening Nero Xpress…

It seems that an engineer from LiteOn, after experiencing a similar experience, decided to take things into his own hands and build the the DX-20A4PU, an external USB 2.0 which has a DUB and FILE button. Upon opening, It automatically launches the appropriate burning software with a simple drag and drop method for the file function.

The DUB (dubbing) button will simply ask you to put a source CD/DVD in the drive (then create an ISO file), and ask for a blank CD/DVD to burn your data… Pretty straight forward and definitely the kind of burner I'm buying for parents!

Our DVD burner can toast DVD±R in 20x, DVD-RAM in 12x, and DVD±DL in 8x.

Source
Akihabaranews

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Sunday Stories: TRD Toyota Crown

TRD Gives Some "Serious" Attitude to the Newly Launched Toyota Crown


The newly refreshed and launched Crown only arrived on the scene yesterday, but we'ree already seeing some nice bodywork from several manufacturers (we'll introduce them later this week).

Let’s start with the quite aggressive but elegant TRD version. As you can see its been given the front spoiler we've already seen on the Fairlady Z Nismo (Z350), as well as some elegant side skirting which emphasizes our vehicle's sportyness.

TRD also provided an ASV Suspension Kit as well as two different pairs of rims.

Source
NihonCar

Sunday Stories Toyota Redesigns 'Crown'

Toyota Redesigns 'Crown'



Tokyo - TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today it has completely redesigned the "Crown Royal Saloon" and "Crown Athlete" series and added a hybrid model to the product lineup. The Royal Saloon and Athlete series go on sale in Japan today and the "Crown Hybrid" will be launched in Japan on May 6.

The 13th-generation Crown unveiled today retains the sense of poise and reliability that characterizes the Crown series, which has earned a reputation as the leader among luxury vehicles in Japan over the more than half a century since its debut in 1955. At the same time, the new Crown adopts advanced technologies to create luxury sedans that provide performance at the world's highest levels.

While the hybrid version delivers outstanding cruising and environmental performance, all three series benefit from the excellent vehicle stability and preventive safety performance offered by VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management).

Other advanced features include a Pre-crash Safety System that can determine - as a world's first* - whether the driver's eyes are properly open. Such features, together with an integrated navigation system, result in one of the world's highest levels of driver support.

Vehicle Outline

Advanced Equipment and Stylish Designs
- The redesigned Crown features enhanced visibility, as well a sense of presence and expressiveness, based on the Toyota design philosophy of "Vibrant Clarity".

Exterior
- The expanded length, width and track combine with a body that integrates the bumper, hood and fender into an organic form. The dynamic front view and flowing door styling achieve an aura of elegance.
- The front pillars have been extended forward to give the cabin an expanded look, and the door mirrors have been placed on the door panels to increase forward visibility.

Interior
- The wide instrument panel and overall feeling of openness heightens driving pleasure and contrasts with the vertical nature of the center console. The lower portion of the instrument panel, which is finished with high-quality double stitching, gently curves away from the center console.
- The Crown Hybrid adopts a TFT (thin film transistor) LCD Finegraphic Meter - the first of its kind*, which features excellent visibility and provides clear information to the driver. In addition to digital and analog speedometers, a hybrid system status indicator shows output and energy recovery. A color silhouette of the vehicle appears on the display when the driver enters the cabin followed by the Crown logo the moment the engine is started.
- The seat covers have been treated with an agent that envelops mite allergens - known to be a cause of allergy-related disorders - helping to prevent them from becoming active in the cabin.
- Navigational functions are enhanced by Map on Demand, which provides latest-information automatic map updates, and a multi-media-function HDD navigation system (compatible with the G-BOOK mX Pro telematics service), as well as a new "one-touch" operator-call service.
- The Toyota Premium Sound System, with a 19-channel amplifier and 18 speakers, offers acoustics that rival a live concert.

Cutting-Edge Technologies Enhance Safety Performance and Vehicle Stability
- The Pre-crash Safety System (millimeter-wave radar type) employs an eye monitor - the first of its kind in the world - to detect whether a driver's eyes are properly open. This function, combined with the system's current ability to determine the direction of the driver's face, enhances the ability to reduce collision-related damage.
- All models are equipped with VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management) to ensure excellent vehicle stability and preventive safety performance on slippery surfaces.
- The Night View system, available in the Crown Hybrid, features the world's first1 pedestrian detection function based on a near-infrared camera, thereby improving a driver's visibility at night.
- The advanced car navigation system facilitates the entering and exiting of highways. Using its road map data, the system provides smooth acceleration when merging into highway traffic from an on-ramp or a service area by controlling the timing of up-shifting, as well as increasing engine braking for smooth deceleration when exiting the highway or coming to a tollbooth.
- The system also uses the map data to inform the driver of upcoming stop signs and issue a warning if the driver is late in decelerating. The world's first1 navigation system-linked brake assist function assists the driver in the event of emergency braking, helping reduce vehicle speed.
- The Intelligent Parking Assist system helps the driver during parallel parking or backing into a parking space, using ultrasonic sensors installed on the front of the vehicle to detect the parking parameters. The system has a function that tells the driver when to turn the steering wheel and where to start backing up.
- The Emergency Braking Signal system, standard on all models, warns vehicles behind when the brakes are suddenly depressed by flashing all of the brake lights.
- Ten SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) airbags are standard on all models. Rear left and right side air bags also alleviate the impact in the event of a side-on collision.
- The front-seat structures are based on the WIL (Whiplash Injury Lessening) concept. Both the driver and front passenger seats incorporate an Active Headrest2 that shifts to an appropriate position to lessen stress on the neck and reduce the risk of whiplash injuries sustained during a rear-end collision.
- The GOA (Global Outstanding Assessment) construction has been further evolved to create an advanced collision-safety body structure.
- Improvements in the body structure also reduce the likelihood of pedestrian head injuries to achieve one of the highest levels of injury prevention in the vehicle's class.

Superior Driving Performance and Comfort
- The electronic platform, which is the basis of the electronic control system that brings out the best in the vehicle's basic performance, has been completely revamped to enhance processing power and the ability to handle the vast amounts of data coming from the engine, transmission, brakes and elsewhere.
- Switches allow drivers to select a control mode that suits their own preferences and road conditions, such as the fun-to-drive Sport Mode that, among other things, increases acceleration and deceleration responsiveness, Eco-drive Mode that supports fuel efficiency and Snow Mode when a driver requires smoother acceleration on slippery roads.
- A NAVI/AI-AVS System* enhances maneuverability, cruising stability and driving comfort by optimally controlling the dampening force of the shock absorbers based on road information from the navigation system and accumulated road surface grade difference information.

Crown Hybrid
- The rear-wheel drive THS II (Toyota Hybrid System II) with a two-stage motor speed reduction device provides the driving performance of a 4.5-liter vehicle with the low fuel consumption of a 2.0-liter vehicle to deliver powerful and smooth acceleration and exceptional environmental performance.
- The combination of a high output 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine and a high-performance electric motor achieves excellent driving performance, a quiet ride, high fuel efficiency and clean emissions.
- The electric vehicle (EV) driving mode permits the driver, simply by pressing a button, to operate the vehicle using the electric motor only, for quiet operation early in the morning or late at night and lower emissions.
- The Active Noise Control function uses the speakers to cancel out engine booming noise (low-frequency engine noise) and provide an even quieter ride.
- Crown Royal Saloon & Crown Athlete
The Crown Royal Saloon series features a V6 3.0-liter and a V6 2.5-liter engine, while the Crown Athlete series offers a V6 3.5-liter and a V6 2.5-liter engine. All engines are combined with 6 Super ECT (Super Intelligent Electronically-controlled, Six-speed Automatic Transmission) and DRAMS (Driving Response and Acceleration Management System) for smooth and powerful driving.
- The 3.5-liter engine is a D-4S (direct injection four-stroke gasoline engine, superior version), while the 3.0-liter and 2.5-liter engines are stoichiometric D-4 engines. All engines employ Dual VVT-i (Dual Variable Valve Timing-intelligent) to optimize intake and exhaust valve timing according to driving conditions.

Outstanding Environmental Performance
- Efforts were made to improve fuel efficiency to reduce CO2 emissions. The Crown Hybrid achieves a fuel efficiency of 14.0 km/l according to the newly introduced JC08 test cycle outlined by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) and it is one of the first vehicles to meet the new 2015 Japanese fuel efficiency standards1. The vehicle also achieves the equivalent of 166g/km of CO2 emissions. (Under the traditional 10-15 test cycle, the fuel efficiency is 15.8km/l, surpassing the existing 2010 fuel efficiency standards by 20%, with CO2 emissions just 147g/km.)
- The Crown Royal Saloon and the Crown Athlete both achieve fuel efficiency of 12.0km/l according to the 10-15 test cycle2, with CO2 emissions of 193g/km, which surpasses the level called for by the 2010 standards by 10%.
- Both NOx (nitrogen oxides) and NMHC (non-methane hydrocarbons) have been reduced so that all vehicles now have emissions levels 75% below the 2005 standards under MLIT's Approval System for Low-emission Vehicles.
- Toyota employed Eco-VAS (Eco-Vehicle Assessment System), its original comprehensive environmental impact assessment system, to efficiently reduce overall environmental impact throughout the vehicle's lifecycle, from production and use to disposal. Environmental targets were set in the initial vehicle development stage and a life cycle assessment carried out to help the vehicles achieve a reduction of CO2 and air contaminants.
- The newly adopted Eco Zone Indicator displays the degree to which the accelerator is opened and the range for fuel-efficient driving. Together with the Eco Driving Indicator that lights up to indicate fuel-efficient operation, it helps raise the driver's awareness of environmentally considerate driving.

Source
NihonCar

Sunday Stories: Nissan GTR in USA!

The Nissan GTR to debut in June 2008 in the USA!




For the first time, the almighty Nissan GTR which dropped the "Skyline" name will be available around the world, and that includes the very important North-American market. With a price set between $69,850 for the Base model and $71,900 for the Premium one, it won't be long until you see one near you next year!

Official Press Release

LOS ANGELES – Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO, Nissan Motor Co., today unveiled the Nissan GT-R at a press conference at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Nissan GT-R, which will be available for the first time ever in the United States beginning in June 2008, makes its North American debut at the L.A. Auto Show, following its global introduction at the Tokyo Motor Show last October.

One of the most anticipated vehicles ever created by Nissan is coming to the U.S. in June 2008 – the 2009 Nissan GT-R. No longer the unobtainable object of desire on a video game or in the movies, the GT-R will be available on sale for the first time in North American in June 2008.

GT-R is a multi-dimensional performance machine that lives up to the concept of “the ultimate supercar that can be driven by anyone, anytime, anywhere” and achieved a lap time of 7:38 around the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife, one of the fastest times achieved by a production-spec vehicle to date.

Under the hood, the Nissan GT-R features an all-new 3.8-liter twin turbo V6 producing 480 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque (estimated), while meeting ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV) standards. The engine is backed by an all-new, paddle-shifted GR6 sequential 6-speed dual clutch rear transaxle.

The new Nissan GT-R is built on an exclusive all-new Premium Midship platform. This new platform enables the use of a world’s first independent rear transaxle ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive system, which places the transmission, transfer case and final drive at the rear of the vehicle, optimizing weight distribution and maximizing handling capability.

Suspension is a special multi-link Bilstein DampTronic system, and the braking system is made up of Brembo full-floating drilled rotors, low steel high stiffness brake pads and Brembo mono block six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers. Tires are nitrogen-filled Bridgestone high-performance run flat or optional Dunlop high-performance all-season tires, on exclusive GT-R 20-inch wheels.

The Nissan GT-R’s functional styling utilizes advanced aerodynamics, evoking the lines of a well-trained athlete. GT-R’s hybrid body construction combines steel, carbon fiber and die-cast aluminum, and features a low coefficient of drag of 0.27, while achieving high front and rear downforce.

GT-R’s interior balances functionality with a sense of ease and comfort. It features sculpted performance bucket seats for an optimal driving position, a cockpit-style instrument panel with a large center-mounted tachometer and multi-function display – which includes mechanical and driving information, as well as an on-board driving recorder.

Total vehicle adjustability is provided by a “set-up switch” located in the center of the instrument panel, enabling the driver to adjust transmission shifts, shock absorbers and the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC-R) in three settings – Normal, Comfort or “R,” for ultimate handling. Available is a specially designed 11-speaker Bose® sound system, with speakers mounted in rigid aluminum die cast panels, which provides sound quality suitable for a supercar.

Pricing of the 2009 Nissan GT-R was also announced – $69,850 for the Base model and $71,900 for the Premium model, which adds a standard Bose® audio system, heated seats and side air bags.

Source
NihonCar

Scythe Orochi Cpu Cooler

The Master Cooler « OROCHI » from Scythe



As you may know, heat is the worst enemy to anyone who desires to “overclock” his CPU and cooling is his best friend. Now there are two majors different camps/ways to cool down a CPU with a regular fan, heat sink, or water-cooling system.

Difficult to install and somehow dangerous for your computer, the water-cooling option is often the last choice that many make. While fans and heat sinks are definitely the most popular methods, these are also the noisiest and bulky…

Like this IMPRESSIVE 1kg COOLER from Orochi with its optional 500rpm fan… We have no idea how efficient this system is, but nevertheless you’d better have a pretty big PC case!

This one will going to my buying list....

Source

Scythe

Thursday, February 21, 2008

New LG phone with AMOLED in Korea

New LG phone with AMOLED in Korea



The SH150A, unveiled today in Korea, is LG's latest HSDPA Phone at 7.2MBps. One of its main features has got to be the AMOLED screen, exact dimensions are not stated.

Other stuff includes: DMB, multimedia player, 2 MPx digicam and much more...

So far available only in Korea at 440000Won (~318Euros).



Source
Akihabaranews

2 New Cameras from CASIO

Two New Exilim Zoom Cameras from Casio



Casio released this morning two new Exilim Cameras, the EX-Z200 and EX-Z100. Both were given a 10.1Mpix CCD sensor, as well as a 4x optical zoom with a 28-112mm lens ( F2.6-5.8 ).

The differences between them is the EX-Z200 has an image stabilizer system and 11.7MB of internal memory, while the EXZ100 does not have an image stabilizer system, but has 12.1MB of internal memoryS
Source
Exilim

3 New Watches from CASIO

Three New G-Shock Watches from Casio to Celebrate their 25th Anniversary



In order to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the G-Shock brand and line-up, Casio releases another exclusive special anniversary set of three watches, with the:

- DW-502SD a re-edition of the DW-500 Series from 1983 (98€/144US$)
- GW-9125D a re-edition of the GW-9100 Series from 2007 (180€/265US$)
- AWG-525D a re-edition of the AW-500 Series from 1989 (159€/223US$)


Source
Casio

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Toshiba Announces Discontinuation of HD DVD Businesses.

Nishida-San Just Announced It, HD-DVD is DEAD! YEAH!

The president of Toshiba has just announced during a press conference, the HD-DVD is dead… Go and buy an HD-DVD player ASAP, it's going to be a very hot collector's item! Unlike the Betamax which is still used professionally.

TOKYO--Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has undertaken a thorough review of its overall strategy for HD DVD and has decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. This decision has been made following recent major changes in the market. Toshiba will continue, however, to provide full product support and after-sales service for all owners of Toshiba HD DVD products.

HD DVD was developed to offer consumers access at an affordable price to high-quality, high definition content and prepare them for the digital convergence of tomorrow where the fusion of consumer electronics and IT will continue to progress.

"We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called 'next-generation format war' and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop," said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation. "While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality."

Toshiba will continue to lead innovation, in a wide range of technologies that will drive mass market access to high definition content. These include high capacity NAND flash memory, small form factor hard disk drives, next generation CPUs, visual processing, and wireless and encryption technologies. The company expects to make forthcoming announcements around strategic progress in these convergence technologies.

Toshiba will begin to reduce shipments of HD DVD players and recorders to retail channels, aiming for cessation of these businesses by the end of March 2008. Toshiba also plans to end volume production of HD DVD disk drives for such applications as PCs and games in the same timeframe, yet will continue to make efforts to meet customer requirements. The company will continue to assess the position of notebook PCs with integrated HD DVD drives within the overall PC business relative to future market demand.

This decision will not impact on Toshiba's commitment to standard DVD, and the company will continue to market conventional DVD players and recorders. Toshiba intends to continue to contribute to the development of the DVD industry, as a member of the DVD Forum, an international organization with some 200 member companies, committed to the discussion and defining of optimum optical disc formats for the consumer and the related industries.

Toshiba also intends to maintain collaborative relations with the companies who joined with Toshiba in working to build up the HD DVD market, including Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and DreamWorks Animation and major Japanese and European content providers on the entertainment side, as well as leaders in the IT industry, including Microsoft, Intel, and HP. Toshiba will study possible collaboration with these companies for future business opportunities, utilizing the many assets generated through the development of HD DVD.

Source
Akihabaranews

Sony Invest Over 202Million US$ in OLED Panel

Sony Will Invest Over 202mil US$ in Middle and Large Size OLED Panel Technology



Emboldend by its latest OLED success, the XEL-1 (more information here), Sony will invest over 202 million US$ in order to strengthen its middle and large size OLED panel production technology. It seems that SONY strongly believes in this technology and that it will be able to sell more TV's with these screens….

Sony to Invest Approximately 22 billion Yen to Strengthen Middle and Large Size OLED Panel Production Technology.

Sony Corporation today announced that it plans to invest approximately 22 billion yen to strengthen middle and large size OLED (organic light-emitting diode) panel production technology. With this investment, Sony intends to accelerate the shift to middle and large size, high image quality OLED panels.

Sony began researching OLED technology in 1994, and has since positioned OLED as a future next-generation display technology. In December 2007, Sony launched the world's first OLED TV, "XEL-1" in Japan, incorporating Sony's proprietary "Organic Panel" to realize extreme thinness and superb image quality through a high contrast ratio, high peak brightness, accurate color reproduction and rapid response time.

In order to advance the shift towards middle and large size, high image quality OLED panels, Sony has decided to invest from the second half of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009 towards the further development of production technologies. Sony will reinforce its TFT (thin film transistor) and EL (electroluminescent) layer coating processing facilities at Sony Mobile Display Corporation's Higashiura factory, and plans to implement this production technology during the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010.

Sony plans to continue to advance the development of OLED panels, positioning the OLED panel as a new device capable of expanding the future potential of televisions and other AV products.

Source
AkihabaraNews

Samsung 22X DVD Burner

Samsung’s Latest DVD Burner Offers Blazing Fast 22X Recording Capability for Lower Speed Media


Looking for a quick way to burn DVDs? Here's the 22x DVD burner from Samsung...

Samsung Electronics Ltd., the worldwide digital consumer electronics and information technology leader, announced today shipment of the industry’s fastest DVD burner the new Super-WriteMaster™ SH-S223. The SH-S223 drive offers a powerful over-speed performance features that enable consumers to burn data at high speeds -- even on low speed media. With over-speed recording, users can write at 22X speeds on 16X media and 12X speeds on 8X media. As lower speed media is more cost-effective, users can save money while burning discs at faster speeds.

The SH-S223 drive provides blazing recording speeds across a gamut of different data media types including: 22X DVD±R recording, 12X DVD-RAM recording, 16X DVD+R Dual Layer recording, 12X DVD-R Dual Layer recording, 8X DVD+RW recording and 6X DVD-RW recording. It enables consumers to burn 4.7GB on a DVD±R disc in approximately 4 minutes and 26 seconds, a 6 percent increase in speed compared to a 20X DVD writer. It also takes less than 12 minutes to burn 4.7GB in DVD-RAM format, which is a 30 percent increase in speed over a 20X DVD drive.

Samsung’s new SH-S223 drive supports SATA interface, the dominant interface for PCs.

The SH-S223 includes free software, enabling users to easily create music, video, photo and data discs. The drive also includes Samsung’s live firmware update program that enables users to download new firmware upgrades for free and keep their drives updated.

As with Samsung’s complete WriteMaster optical disc drive lineup, the SH-S223 features specific technology that ensures best-of-breed performance including SAT (Speed Adjustment Technology), TAC (Tilt Actuator Compensation) and Double OPC (Optimum Power Control). Buffer Under Run Free Technology supports stable writing under high speed, and Magic Speed5 and ABS (Automatic Ball Balancing System) technologies reduce vibration and noise. The SH-S223 is also eco-friendly designed and is RoHS compliant.

Source
Akihabaranews

Monday, February 18, 2008

CyberShot T300

Sony Japan Finally has its Cybershot DSC-T300Last month Sony USA announced the Cybershot DSC-T300… And today, Sony Japan made it official for the Japanese local market… Nothing new anyway, but here's some more pictures for you.

“Sony Cybershot DSC-T300: Slim is Beautiful.
The DSC-T300 is Sony’s newest high-end thin/slim compact digital camera. It features a 10.1Mpix censor and a 3.5” wide screen. Our T300 also managed to get a 5x optical zoom, an image stabilizer, and can boost up to ISO3200.
Soon available in the US for $400 US.”
Source
Sony

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Galleries: Lancer Evolution X

LANCER EVOLUTION X GALLERIES


Recently, we announced you that we will soon offer you the very first English and French review of our test drive match between the Subaru Impreza WRX STI and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. Well do not worry, we are just polishing up a few things, and we will publish this review later today! Meanwhile, in order to help you to wait a little bit more, we would like to share with you some photos of each of these 2 cars, each time in a different environment… And here you are, just for you pleasure: the Lancer Evolution X photo gallery taken in Tokyo Odaiba

























Source
NihonCar