LG held a high-power event and product introduction on the night of November 27, 2007. High-power due to the sheer chutzpah of the roll-out, and the number of special guests who attended the event. The introduction of the LG KU990 Viewty candy-bar phone took center stage, underlining LG’s overall goal of re-affirming their commitment to the local market.

                                             A grand ballroom for a grand occassion.
 

AMD presented to a select few media partners the new Spider Platform centered around their latest technologies and releases, once again redefining what “performance” is and why AMD is still considered an technological leader, even after all the hoopla on its competitor’s products.

                                              The Spider platform shatters performance expectations, but in a different way than you think.

Although the streets of Manila are usually chock-full of cars everyday at rush hour(s), it is probably safe to say that based on population and living density of our cities, we are one of the most frugal commuters in the world, especially gas-wise.

                                             Where's the Mr Fusion?

The modding craze has come and gone, leaving behind it half-hearted examples of creativity and cooling prowess. Nearly all computer cases now can be had with at least one fan for cooling or for decorative purposes, although the owner is free to add more if so desired.

                                              Shouldn't it have fan grills or something?
 

Getting the upper hand in the computer chipsets field is hard work; companies like AMD, Nvidia, VIA and Intel sink millions of dollars into the always next-generation offerings designed for the best computers of the day, or even upcoming ones. So when a truly revolutionary piece of silicon comes along, it becomes the next benchmark aimed at by the chipset manufacturers, to achieve, or to surpass.

                                             With a cool industrial / techno look, the box itself is a treat.

Revisiting an old friend always bring surprises and reminds of nuances that trigger a good memory or two, or even three. Emaxx had a place in these pages a few months back, and now the INF7050-AVL takes up the Emaxx name in a blog review. Yup, still the same near-incomprehensible naming scheme.

                                             A marked diference from the previous review, the Emaxx INF7050-AVL.

HWM was one of the few publications invited to attend the exclusive unveiling of HTC’s new HTC Touch Dual at the Tower Club in Makati. Seemingly an update to the current HTC Touch, The Dual looks thinner and has a smaller screen, plus sports a front-facing camera for video conferencing, but otherwise everything looks the same.

                                             The Tower Club at the thirty-third floor of Philamlife Tower.

Who doesn’t have at least one gadget? If you’re reading this, then this is even more of a sure thing, in fact you most probably have at least three. The next question is, how many of these gadgets have a shiny, shiny surface that collects smudges and dust faster than the average Hollywood obsessed signature hound?

                                             A tongue-in-cheek app for the iPhone pokes fun at its tendency to collect..uhhmm..smudges.
 

The metrosexual movement means that the atypical geek is a thing of the past. Usually. For those who haven’t heard of any kind of movement, including movement in the fashion sense, then a high-tech closet can work wonders. Probably.

                                             Geeks hone their fashion sense while young.

Fuji Xerox recently held a small get-together for the local press, including the illustrious HWM publication (just one toot of the horn…). I fully expected some kind of product intro or new company initiative, so I was not prepared for the bombshells Fuji Xerox had in store for us. Xerox has always gone its own way, not following other’s leads – as I soon found out.

                                              Fuji Xerox making its presence known at Trinoma Mall.

Gigabyte is well known for its motherboards and videocards. The company has been leveraging their name in diversifying into none-core products such as CPU coolers and PC systems. More recently, Gigabyte has shown off their efforts in the laptop field, the latest being the Gigabyte W468N Laptop.

                                              The Gigabyte W468N

I’ve always been in a quandary when it comes to gadgets. Be it portable pocket devices or massive desktop-bound computer systems, I’ve always had a hard time getting to a compromise between the following factors in modern gadgetry: price versus value, performance versus portability, and power versus practicality.

                                             Lack of scale makes this look like an ordinary notebook PC...

How did our keyboard layout come to be? Is “QWERTY” a result of long hours of research on the best type of input layout and the fastest means of data entry, or is it simply a fluke of design?

                                             The standard QWERTY keyboard on a Sony Vaio laptop.

I don’t know how the Toshiba press people keep straight faces when they announce this latest news, but there you go – Most Eco-Friendly Instant-Heating Toilet Seats. Only from and for our friends in Japan.

                                             Looks aerodynamic... oops! wrong review...

 

Every year, like clockwork, the Computer Manufacturers, Distributors and Dealer’s Association of the Philippines (COMMDAP) lays out their all-out presentation of the latest and greatest locally – with every year seeing computer technologies that varies less and less from the world norm.

                                            The SMX Convention Center at night.