The Zone

Kids and their tantrums! What would you do if you've learnt that your Level 70 character was killed by the swipe (or signing) of a credit card? 

Hot on the heels of its 14" screen cousin, the Samsung NP-X360 flew into our arms for a little hands-on this month. With a 13.3" screen and doing its best to beat the Macbook Air with its ultra slim design, the X360 revealed a startling statistic in comparison to a normal 13.3" notebook of the same class. Read all about it in our latest issue of HWM. (HWM July 2009)

UK-based DataSlide are introducing a storage technology which could be the next logical step after SSDs. Dubbed the Hard Rectangular Drive, the system makes use of several hundred read/write heads which are stationary, but data is written and read using media which oscillates on a plane. It's a bit sketchy on how they will achieve the final product with data transfer issues now faced, but the technology is capable of 160000 random read/write instructions and a 500MB/s transfer rate - all while consuming 4W of power! More to come soon as we keep an eye out on this technology.

We managed to get some hands-on time with the apolco P3, another teeny tiny LED projector. After having seen the early adaptors (and been forlornly disappointed by them) we were quite happy to see one that finally seems to work. More or less about the same size as a thick cigarette pack, the LED projector seems to be the perfect companion for today's netbook toting presenter on the go. Check out the full review in our latest issue of HWM.

Transcend is introducing its elegant new 7" PF730 Digital Photo Frame to the masses this June. Designed with a bright, hi-res 800x600 photo-friendly 4:3 aspect ratio display, the PF730 displays photos of virtually any resolution - no resizing needed. With 2GB of internal flash memory, users can opt to store their favorite photo collection onto the PF730, or view JPEG images taken with digital cameras using the included SD/SDHC, MMC and MS card reader. There's also a conveniently-located USB port to bring even more photos to the mix!

Apart from offering an Automatic Orientation Sensor (AOS) and advanced NaturaTone color modes to enhance your photo viewing experience, the PF730 is equally adept in multimedia playback, with a fully-featured MP3 player, video playback, alarm clock and calendar to add more fun to any office, bedroom or living room décor.

Over the past month, Transcend has released some interesting gadgets for all gadget lovers around the world. Of course, being Transcend, they are all related to storage one way or another :D

More after the jump!

JVC recently launched two new ProHD video camcorders aimed at the professional cameraman. With the ability to record direct into full HD Quicktime or MP4 file formats these SDHC based camcorders offer top-of-the-line video performance at a fraction of the size and weight of current full HD video cameras. With the smaller model weighing in at a scant 1.4kg and featuring some awesome performance using built-in lens, these ProHD video cameras should have the pros and fanatics drooling. For a full report on what went down at the product launch check out our latest issue of HWM.

In a move to bring touchscreen smartphones to the masses, Samsung recently launched their new Star S5233 touchscreen smartphone. Featuring everything that a full fledged smartphone can do complete with fingertouch user interface, the Star is retailing below RM1K. Trying to boost awareness, Samsung have also launched an idol type contest in conjunction with the launch called the Be a Samsung Star and Shine challenge. For more info on the Samsung Star smartphone and the contest, check out  the full report in our latest issue of HWM.

Yeo Sook Kuan, Brand Manager (DI Accessories), Sony (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Taku Taguchi, General Manager of Product Marketing Divison, Sony (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, and Naoi Sudo, Managing Director of Sony (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd posing with the X series S-Frame digital photo frame lineup

Sony Malaysia recently unveiled six new digital photo frames from a series of (X, V and D) S-Frame Digital Photo Frame lineup at the exclusive Seni Gallery in the heart of Mont' Kiara. Launched under the theme "Turning Life into Art", the ability to store up to 4,000 photos to be enjoyed on the vibrant Clear Photo LCD screens will bring an air of style to any room in your humble abode.

Image from Google Blog

When you are a Googler (meaning that you're workingat Google), you tend to resort to offbeat ways when solving problems. One fine day, Google decided to clean up its lawn as a way to remove weeds and a potential fire hazard, but instead of putting their lawnmowers to the task, goats from a nearby 'holistic land management site' called California Grazing were employed instead. No joking! 

With the 2009 COMPUTEX TAIPEI just a month away, here are some of the highlights from the upcoming computer exhibition show.

Get the inside scoop on the six-day event at the International Press Conference and find out first hand, who are the winners of the Design & Innovation Awards at the TWTC (Taipei World Trade Center) NANGANG Exhibition Hall on June 1, starting from 1 PM.

There will also be a CEO Summit Forum themed "Mobile Technologies for a Green World", where high-ranking executives from ARM, Google, HP and TI will deliver their keynotes and a panel discussion to discuss the greening of the ICT industry and other technology trends. The forum will take place at the Taipei International Convention Center on June 1, starting from 2 PM. Please be sure to pre-register online as the seats are limited.

On June 2, the official Opening Ceremony comes packed with key speeches by leading government representatives and the ICT industry. Be sure to join this momentous occasion at the 4th Floor of the TWTC NANGANG Exhibition Hall, starting from 10 PM. On June 6, the Final Day International Press Conference will take place at Hall 1's TAITRA VVIP Lounge in TWTC to give an overview of 2009 COMPUTEX TAIPEI while looking forward into 2010 COMPUTEX TAIPEI.

While you're at it, head on to the new 2009 COMPUTEX TAIPEI's press registration site and try out the online personal planner today. Or you can log on to MyCOMPUTEX to check out the scheduled events from the show calendar and map your schedule online with ease!
 

Acer unveils classy product portfolio at sign.of.the.time event in Beijing

HWM was recently invited along with other media from APAC to attend a special presentation by Acer in Beijing as part of the final phase of the company’s multibrand initiative. Themed as sign.of.the.time, the multibrand initiative tied-in with the company’s recent acquisition of leading brands – Gateway, Packard Bell and eMachines.

Dell recently launched the world's thinnest laptop, the Adamo. Featuring scalloped keys, a backlit keyboard, solid state drive (SSD) hard disk drive and carved out of a solid block of aluminum with a clear glass screen, these laptops are targeted at the ultra-premium market especially people who place as much importance on how awesome a laptop looks as how good it performs. Check out the event and more details on the Adamo in our latest issue of HWM.

Gigabyte recently held their GO OC (Gigabyte Open Overclocking Competition) 2009 Pan Asia Finals in Bangkok, Thailand. HWM Malaysia was invited to cover the overclocking competition that pitted nine teams from around the Asia region (and South Africa) for the title of Regional Champion. The winning team will then head off to Taipei in June 2009 for the GO OC 2009 Worldwide Finals, coinciding with COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2009. Look out for the full report on the event in the upcoming issue of HWM.