Tech Gadgets Reviews

BenQ is slowly venturing out of the mobile phone arena and into the UMPC battle ring with this intriguing new device which will supposedly be an Atom-based little PC. Details and specs have been very slow to come but we now have a somewhat relatively clear picture of it, and just about all of the necessary info you’ll need to know in case you intend on purchasing it.

Apparently, this little number is going to be somewhat like a miniature Eee PC, with specs that resemble that UMPC’s very closely. BenQ’s MID will reportedly have an 800 MHz Silverthorne processor, 512 MB of RAM, a 4GB SSD and a Poulsbo chipset. The connectivity options, meanwhile, range from HSDPA, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR. The screen looks large enough and presumably readable even under direct sunlight. Already this looks like a formidable Nokia Tablet competitor, and I haven’t even finished detailing the other specifications yet.

This little number from BenQ will also offer the option for a built-in GPS antenna, a custom MID OS, and BenQ’s so-called G-Sensor for direct touch and free movement on the MID screen. So far, this seems really far better than most existing UMPC’s and Internet tablets, not only because it comes with all the basics, but because it doesn’t rely on a weakened and shrunk-down Windows OS. The only bad thing about this piece of news is that there have been no details on the release date and pricing as of this time’s writing. And that isn’t even that bad, so I’m sure you can just ignore that and move on; more info will be posted here as they become available.

Via [SlashGear]

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The T-Mobile MDA Touch Plus offers a 2 megapixel camera as well as the following features:

* sliding numeric keypad
* 3.5G connectivity
* Windows Mobile 6 Professional
* TouchFLO interface
* 2.6 inch QVGA flat touchscreen
* Bluetooth
* USB support

Via SoftPedia.

At just 250, this device could turn anyone into a CD/DVD-copying maniac.

After all, you don’t even need a computer to work it. Yup, it’s copy-and-go. And, it has the capacity to churn our 14 CDs per hours. For the honest people (say indie artists who want to make their ow copies of CDs), this is really a fantastic tool. But for pirates, this might mean an easier process into illegally copying and distributing copyrighted material. The Forte CD/DVD Duplicator comes with a 160GB HDD and can produce 25 CD copies (at 14 an hour) at the single touch of a button.

via

Pocket-lint does a first look review of the Nokia N96 and writes, “Just like its predecessor the N96 sports HSDPA connectivity, a 5-megapixel camera, GPS, the Symbian S60 operating system and that dual slider screen that hides the keypad and dedicated music controls…Around the back you’ll find the 5 megapxiel camera that now features a “kickstand” around the lens that allows you to perch it on a desk for hands-free viewing.”

Read more about the Nokia N96.

Samsung will be releasing an new Aura model called the R410. It features a 14.1-inch, 1,280 x 800 display, 45nm Penryn CPUs, ATI Radeon Xpress 1250M graphics, a DVD burner, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, built-in WiFi and bluetooth, and a welcome ExpressCard slot. The R410 is going for about £499 or $1,000. The Aura R410 will hit Europe in May.
[Source]

Somehow sports that feature projectiles in a game (badminton, soccer, cricket, squash, tennis) have given birth to obsession such as the “fastest serve in the world”. In cricket, the fastest a ball was delivered is approximately 100mph, but those are the domain of professionals. What if you’re a budding cricket fan who adores the sport and want to know just how fast you will be able to bowl that cricket ball? Well, instead of getting a friend to stand at your side and using radar guns to capture the necessary statistics, why not use this Speedsensor cricket ball? For AUD$55 a pop, you get the official size, shape and weight of a standard cricketball, complete with a small LCD readout on one face. The only drawback is the need to program just how far the object is away before you bowl it…too much math…brain…exploding!

Motorola’s internal roadmap reveals 9 different handsets which will see action this year, with some of them already available readily in retail stores (U9, W270 and E8). Below are more details on leaked handsets such as the ZN5, VE75, A180 and L800T.

A810

• 2.2″ 260k color QVGA TFT display
• 2 megapixel camera
• Linux OS
• Stereo Bluetooth
• TI OMAP850 200MHz processor
• microSD memory card slot

VE75

• 2.6″ 260k color WQVGA TFT display
• 2 megapixel camera
• Dual SIM card support
• Stereo Bluetooth
• Slider form factor

More are available after the jump.

The DUET Electric-Acoustic System, also known as EAS, is a hybrid hearing device that is currently undergoing trial tests across the US. This product stands to benefit hearing-impaired patients who do not get any help from hearing aids, but cochlear implants are deemed unsuitable because they retain some natural hearing. The EAS caters for borderline cases, specially designed with a thin electrode so that less space is occupied in the inner ear. It will be implanted by special surgical techniques in order to preserve natural hearing, amplifying both low frequencies while electronically stimulating middle and high frequencies. Good to see audio technology advance to such an extent these days.

The Pioneer F500 has finally received FCC’s approval to ship this GPS system to the States. The F500 features bluetooth for hands-free calling, an optional traffic antenna, and a ND-BC2 add-on to hook the unit on a rear view camera, and an SD card slot. No word on price or availability for this GPS system but it’s now available in Europe as the NavGate 500 for 699 Euros or $1100 which is on the pricey side.
[Source]

The BlackBerry 8110 offers a 2 megapixel camera with built-in zoom and flash as well as the following features:

* Wireless email
* Speakerphone and Voice Activated Dialing
* Media Player: Listen to your favorite songs and watch video clips
* Video recording
* Browser: Navigate and browse websites with a roll and click of the trackball
* Organizer: Synch and store your calendar data, address book and more
* blackberry Maps: Get directions and view maps while on the road
* GPS capable
* 64 MB built-in memory
* expandable memory via microSD card
* Bluetooth capability
* SureType keyboard in QWERTY-style layout