The Zone

We'll surely want this for Christmas, but that's passed, unfortunately >.<

In case you're wondering, that's a full-sized gauss pistol that actually works on the principles of magnetic propulsion. And that's the same laws of physics behind the ever-cool gauss rifle in the MechWarrior universe. Too bad the creator has to wait till April 2007 till the imminent release.

For more info, head over to www.gausspistol.com 

(image originally taken from Screenshots) 

You gotta love Malaysia. Where else can you find a whole street closed off for a officiating ceremony for the new 23 public "automatic-cleaning" toilets? 

With the toilets costing RM400,000 each, you wonder if they'll throw in a back massage once you're done with your "business" in there. I remember trying out one such toilet back in Sydney, Australia, but I didn't think they were that great compared to a normal toilet. Anyone tried out the ones in Jalan Bukit Bintang yet?

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While we were still lagging behind the rest of the world on our slower-than-slow internet connections, Hitachi has pulled off a big one - it has broke the 1TB hard drive space, which means that we can now fit that hidden stash of porn movies in our HTPCs!! hurrah!

more sauce here: Hitachi announces 1TB hard drives (opens in a new window)

While everyone had a great CES weekend, we're rooting for Macworld that's happening in (about) 8 hours from this post, and while CES is great because it gives you a taste and feel of all your new consumer stuff that's coming out within the next couple of months (or years), I'd rather go for a show that deals in unveiling products that we will see the day after they are unveiled by the maniacal leader him-who-holds-the-apple-by-its-balls! Amongst the rumors this year are the unveiling of the new Macphone (if the rumors are true, anyways) and a launch of a new Mac home theather system. Sweeeeet

One thing we spotted while browsing Engadget is their hands-on report of the Asus XG Station in the CES event in Las Vegas, which is basically an external video and audio processing "docking station". Once you connect it to your notebook via your ExpressCard slot, you no longer have to depend on the stock Intel GMA graphics chips to power your games. Apparently it managed to run 3DMark06 (default settings, we presume) quite nicely.

A few caveats: it's kinda big, and you'll need an external monitor to output the graphics. But if you're just gonna use it at home I guess that's okay; as long as it's a marked improvement over the standard Intel GMA graphics. We're still wondering what's the GPU powering the Asus XG Station... X1000 Radeon or a GeForce 7 card?

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Although we primarily eschew Macs for their mice, we can't simply resist the temptation of the new iPhone, which was unveiled last night at Macworld. stunningly thin and ultimately gorgeous, we think that it's the device that's currently the closest to perfection (until communication brain implants are developed). Although there is a slight disappointment in the choice of finish (we want apple white!), us Asians will only recieve stocks in 2008 (and hopefully the bugs will be ironed out by then)

*image from Apple Inc. 

Juicy specs include:

super-big 3.5" touchscreen @ 320 by 480 at 160 ppi

"multi-finger" input 

runs on OS X 

is also a widescreen iPod (hence, no new iPod video we guess)

comes in 4GB or 8GB flavours

connectivity options include quad-band GSM, WiFi b/g, EDGE, BT v2.0 with A2DP and uses the 'iPod connector' for charging and data connections

has a 2.0 Megapixel camera 

Its going to be offered with a 2-year plan from Cingular at USD499 for the 4GB model, and USD599 for the 8GB model. Better save those pennies now!

LOL who doesn't want an extra day of leave especially during the holiday season, and that might be true when the upcoming Aopen/Mitsubishi Taiwan CAR PC gets worldwide distribution.

Why blue screen of death? It runs with a "Celeron M360 on a 915 chipset, 512MB of RAM, a 40GB hard disk, GPS, GMA 900 for graphics, a DVD player, and support for DirectX 9" - on a Windows XP platform, and while connectivity information is still scarce (we have bananas working as bloggers - its in Mandarin), we still dont know wether you're able to continue your torrents while driving. Just don't expect too much from a mobile HTPC.

More information here = CAR PC 

Tired of being limited to bringing reading material into the toilet to pass away the time when you're doing your business? An American company is planning to a "next-generation" toilet that has all the needs a guy can ever need without ever leaving the toilet: an Xbox 360, HDTV, iPod and Dock, DVD Player, Laptop, and even a fridge.   

I'm not quite sure I understand the appeal of playing videogames or watching movies while in the john, especially when you're in the same room smelling your own crap. I mean, I can probably stand a max of 20 minutes with a good magazine before I've to exit the loo; it's not like my faeces smell like a bouquet of roses. And sitting your bum on the toilet seat for extended periods of time can get pretty sore.

Of course I foresee a problem with accommodating Xbox 360s and HDTVs with  Malaysian houses with squatting toilets. If they ever do make one, pray that you don't ever drop your joystick or remote into the crapper hole.

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Samsung seems raring to go after Canon and Nikon - they just launched their new range of Samsung NV digital cameras, which will be targeted towards mainstream consumers. Maybe it's me but they've a classic-retro camera look to them, especially the NV10 and its pop-up flash. They're very purty-looking though, and I wouldn't mind upgrading my old Canon IXUS 30.

Thing is, they've an interface with like a dozen tiny touch-sensitive buttons on the back, which I ain't too crazy about. Still, can't deny that they perform well and look sleek too. Anyway, here are a few more shots to whet your appetite. 

Some of you might know of this - the Yanks are slapping lasers onto airplane noses in a bid to stop incoming missles from God-knows-where. And they have suceeded.  Boeing's first test flight were flown last year, and if you ever get a look of this monstrosity -

you're toast.

Other than that, we think its undoubtedly cool - to be able to shoot down UFOs and what-nots in the middle of the desert, while they're dancing around your plane.  

Not contented with all the iPhone knockoffs (or rather was knocked-off by the iPhone) out there, Mobile Review got a whiff of Asus' concept phone which does resemble the iPhone, somewhat but packs in more connectivity options and a sliding navigational bar that is oh-so-sexy. Did we mention the slide-out QWERTY keyboard? More pics after the break.

Normally we don't blog about the products that we're going to review for the magazine but this new Asus notebook that we just got for our test labs this month is worth mentioning. What's cool about it? It supports Windows Vista Sideshow, so there's a little lid on the top to quickly view little details and info like time, battery life, the current song playing and mini image slideshow. Pretty neat stuff. Read more to see a few more pics of the Windows Sideshow in action.

Dopod has gone super mini with the launch of their u1000 mini notebook today. Not only is it a mini notebook, but it's also a mobile phone, GPS device, web browser, and digital camera! Outfitted with Windows Mobile 5.0, it's quite capable of handling presentation files and being a mobile office platform. Very handy. The QWERTY keyboard is even magnet-detachable for quick storage. 

We'll leave it to our Singaporean counterparts to explain more about the Dopod U1000, which was launched there last week. The Dopod U1000 will have a suggested retail price of RM4288 and is expected to retail around early March.

While everyone's attention may be directed towards the upcoming PS3 launch in Australia and Europe, Sony Singapore is planning a party of their own. On the 7th of March, the PS3 will officially debut in the country, retailing for SG$799 for the 60GB unit. There's even going to be a launch party! Look, details!

Date: March 7, 2007 (Wednesday)
Time: 6 pm to 9.30 pm
Venue: The Clinic
Address: The Cannery, Clarke Quay 

200 free invites will be open to members of the public on a first-come-first-serve basis, so come early. There's going to be a mini tourney where you stand a chance to pick up a limited edition Champagne Gold PSP. Not only that, you'll be able to pick up either Genji or Mobile Suit Gundam: Target in Sight for only SG$1 each. Cheap! Click the jump for more details.

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It's neat concept - a combination of Xbox Live's options and Nintendo Mii's customization. It will probably take off in North America, but how well will it do in this region, especially Malaysia? It still doesn't help that the console is expensive and there is a lack of good exclusive titles. And as far as Malaysian gamers who buy pirated games are concerned, if the PS3 can't play 'backups', then it's a dud.

Still, this is a formidable concept that challenges both Microsoft and Nintendo...especially Nintendo. They need to get their WiiConnect24 system up and running, and allow more freedom to third-party publishers and developers to include multiplayer in their games. If they want, Nintendo could always come up with a new channel for Wii users to decorate their room with items achieved or won from their titles ala Animal Crossing; I'm sure the Wii is capable of doing that.

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