The rising popularity of projectors, evident in the increasingly affordable prices seen on many models in the market, as well as the availability of tiny “pico” projectors and advances in miniaturization as seen in this post.signal an exciting time for established brands and their products – one of which is Epson.

“Nuclear power” isn’t the safest thing to mention in front of conservationists and the ecologically conscious, even if only due to the bad rep it has. So this new product to be released by a company called Hyperion is certain to raise some hackles and start some kind of outcry – if it really delivers on its promise – that is, to provide a potentially long-lasting source of power in a device not much bigger than a small tool shed – a “mini” nuclear reactor.

                                              Size illustration for the truly "mini" reactor - it actually weighs "just" 8 tons.

NAS products are a little less common than motherboards and videocards on our “to-review” list, and thus it was a pleasure to finally be able to take a closer look at the long awaited Western Digital ShareSpace, in our case a 2TB version running in striped RAID mode.

In an absolutely “why didn’t I think of that?” moment, BenQ hit upon a most logical rationale for some of their latest products – the 16:9 aspect ratio for LCD monitors. True, there is nothing new in this aspect ratio, but recent LCD releases have mostly been of the 16:10 variety, which by itself is not at all something to comment about, except for the fact that most DVD releases are released in the standard, traditional widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, not 16:10.

                                            Just a select few of BenQ's products.

Although not as cool-looking as the HAL wearable exoskeleton, Honda’s Walking Assist Device with Bodyweight Support System did not go out of its way to look cool – it is meant to help the naturally mobility-impaired.

Initial reactions upon hearing “Microsoft Hardware” range from blank puzzlement to outright, snap-the-finger realization – corresponding to the perception that Microsoft = software, and the realization at the other end of Microsoft’s Xbox consoles. Yet there’s another aspect of “Microsoft Hardware” that’s less well-known – peripherals such as keyboards, mice and webcams.

                                             Mr. Ian Tan, Marketing Communications & Partnership Manager of the Entertainment & Devices Division kick off the session.

The problem with halo products is people focus on them to the exclusion of most everything else. Nearly all tech companies have been in the business of presenting and showing off halo products which after all serves their purpose of showing the best efforts of a company or brand to the high profile, high-end product range where all of the press focuses their attention on – AMD knows this all too well, and in gathering the press together last November 3, convincingly showed that a product line, like a story, is composed of more than just the header.

It always surprises me when any particular brand that I associate with a certain type of product turns out to also produce other devices. In the case of BenQ, it’s less of a surprise as the company has been spreading out their reach into all aspects of consumer items and PC components, not the least of which are the LCD series slowly being filled out as a complete product line.

Robots are some of the most popular subjects in this here HWZ blog, and example like this, this, or this only prove that there’s a robot in the future for all of us. Along that thread of thought, we can then surmise that there will be many types of robots for many kinds of people, and this blog entry shows a robot that’s perfect for people who like them creepy: enter the MSR-101 Hexapod.

Note: Original article and all pictures are from www.maximumpc.com.Credits go to them.

It’s finally come to pass that the once super-hardcore in personal computers have become merely mundane. None of the traditionally enthusiast and modder-exclusive features, like clear side windows, cathode lights, water cooling, and overclocking, remain their exclusive domain, as all of the above can be had simply by buying the most relevant parts – generic casings with acrylic side windows, the whole sunbeam tech lineup, Cooler Master’s Aquagate, and most any respected motherboard maker you care to name – all corresponding to the above “features”.

There’s no doubt that technology and gadgets can be smart and logical, but sometimes they can be whimsical, traditional, even a bit creepy. The PlantBot seems to fit into all these descriptions, and best yet you can put in a different plant every fortnight or so and change its character every time! The PlanBot is robot that mimics a piece of furniture’s overall aesthetic with its wooden legs and body and a woven-basket holder for your chosen plant.

Hardwarezone had a double treat waiting for them last October 24 at the Mall of Asia’s SMX Convention center. We received an invitation from Sony for their launch of the α (pronounced alpha) 900 DSLR top of the line model, and a whole set of Vaio models specially designed for the local market. At the same venue was the CEL or Consumer Electronics Live Manila, an interpretation of the long-established CES (Consumer Electronics Show) held in Las Vegas yearly.

Gardening and computing have not been good bed-fellows before, but that’s changing with the introduction of the USB-based EasyBloom “stake sensor”, a device that will be able to tell you in plain English why your prized pumpkins or extraordinary orchids aren’t growing as they’re supposed to. Well, maybe not orchids, as many of these are not actually grown directly from the soil, but certainly a wide range of plants and trees.

SSD hard drives have caused a storm of interest in recent months, what with its application of new technology to an old requirement, advertised improvements in speed and power consumption, and premium cachet due to its price and exclusivity. At the same time, this same application of technology results in new considerations that must be put to rest before an SSD can favorably compare to the old standard on most fronts. We explore these in this article with the help of the Patriot Warp 64GB SSD.

                                             The Patriot Warp SSD - a 2.5" bundle of robust memory chips.

In a unique mixture of “enclosure” and “test-bed”, the Antec Skeleton casing confounded the reviewers here at HWM with its zany design and unique take on the vagaries of computer component – housing. The “Skeleton” name is a perfect fit for this “enclosure” as it seems as if it lost its skin somewhere along the production process – not having any side, top, front or even rear panels in the traditional sense. Instead, Antec has put in its own spin on the open “test bed” structure and come up with this very individual casing.

                                             An open-air extravaganza!