The Zone

We're currently looking for graphic designers in Malaysia which have the following criteria - 

-           At least 1 year of working experience

-           Proficiency in handling the Mac and desktop publishing software such as Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress, Illustrator, Photoshop is necessary

-           Self-motivated and independent

Email: fred@my.hardwaremag.com

Fax: (03) 7803 9172

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the first and only Western Digital terabyte hard disk drive in Malaysia and we won it during their Green Power Hard Drive launch this morning! The Green Power range of hard disk drives gives up to 40% energy savings and they come in 500GB, 750GB, and 1 Terabyte flavors. Unfortunately I didn't win it but my colleague who did asked me to pose since I'm less scrawny than him. ;)

Raw, raw, fight the power!

Nothing much, really, except for the fact that most of the time, stuff made from carbon fibre protects electronics just like how blackboxes and race cars protect their occupants. Other than that, Pioneer jas just launched five new head units to get your ICE fix, and had a big party while doing it. Enjoy the photo report!

now that's what we call cool - a deep red Pioneer sticker on a juicy carbon fiber vented hood on this Integra DC5

The answer to the above question? A real, robotic seal! Just compare these two =

This is Toshiba's Pala-chan, a MP3-playing seal

and this....is Paro

While we don't really know why both companies have chosen names that are strikingly similar, what we do know is we want a Paro - thingy anyday! *hint to parents* In actual fact, the Paro seal is a special 'mental commit' robot that helps the elderly in nursing homes forget all about their children and lead a life of blissful happiness.  (We're joking)

Check it out here (opens in a new window)

Check out Microsoft's take on viral marketing; its definitely better than a bunch of Kens messing up the PSP's Xmas push =

WhatsWrongWithU

Too bad the nearest country that has the sweeet promotional bundle of a 20GB machine + PGR3 + N3 + 2nd wireless remote for a mere RM1600++ is Singapore, although you enterprising gamers would have a lubang or two to cash in on the deal.

Where do robots go if they're naughty? To the Robotarium of course! This art installation was built by artist Leonel Moura, and it's creepy enough for us; remember how robots came to rebel when they were mocked at for centuries in the Matrix?

In other news, the iPhone will not have MP3s as its ringtones, stereo Bluetooth (no A2DP) video recording, MMS, voice recognition, games, no IM (meaning no Adium) and best part - no flash games. Making it worse is that there might be firmware upgrades that will unlock phone features - at a price. Apple, what gives? 

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 

When you think the Japanese are not crazy enough over their hobbies, this piece of news shows you how fandom can get you in trouble. Six bureaucrats from Japan's Agricultral Ministry were reprimanded for editing the Wikipedia entry on Gundams at work. One of them has 260 articles to his name. 260 wikis!!

"The Agriculture Ministry is not in charge of Gundam," said ministry official Tsutomu Shimomura. LOL for us.

In other happenings, there's a new WiFi shirt available for you mobile warriors that goes blink blink whenever you wander towards a WiFi access point. The cooler thing is that the WiFi logo itself is detachable and stuck on to other good things such as your backpack, your car, dog/cat, kid..... It works with Wireless-B and G networks as well!

The New York Times has confirmed that the Nintendo Wii will premiere in the US for USD250 on November 19, which works out to be around RM920 according to current exchange rates. It will come with a copy of Wii Sports, a compilation of sport games designed for the Wii. When it arrives in the retail shops around here, I reckon it'll probably go for around RM1200 - RM1300 after markup.

First-party games (i.e. games developed by Nintendo) will cost USD50 (RM185), though it's unclear how much third-party games will cost. Downloadable classic games for the Wii's Virtual Console will go for USD5 - 10 each. We'll keep you updated as soon as more details come in.

The Japanese press conference which just concluded actually prices the Wii at 25000 yen (RM780), while Nintendo America has yet to announce the retail price for the Wii in the US. What's more, the Japanese launch is confirmed for the 2nd of December, meaning if the New York Times report is accurate, the Wii will launch in the US first. How true is it? Good bets that the report is legit, but we'll know for sure by tonight or tomorrow morning.

If the local price is right, I'll get one at launch. :D Will you be getting one? Shout out here if you are.

In a shocking discovery a couple of days back, we found out that The Sims and Spore (we're still waiting for it!!) creator Will Wright was the winner of the 1980 US  Express run from NY to LA. Much like the Gumball 3000 road rally you kids get to see on TV nowadays, back then it was as crazy as it was illegal - you'll need police scanners, radar jammers and the likes of Valentine One. Who thought gamers were always geeks? he drove an RX-7 for crying out loud! :P

 See more stories at Wired

In a trailer just posted today on the game's website, SPORE is slated for a Sept 7th release....better yet, the creature editor will be released as a special demo 'before the game'.  For those of you who want more info, head over to the main page!

For the last few months, HWM Malaysia ran a series of Photo-Video guides sponsored by Sony, as seen above. What do you think of it? We value your feedback so if you found it insightful or useful, let us know! Likewise, if you thought that it could be improved, shout out about it here.

Too shy to comment here for fear of exposing your email address? Send your feedback to editorial@my.hardwaremag.com. The best feedback or comment will get a FREE Kingston 2GB DataTraveler USB Flash Drive. Only open to residents living in Malaysia! Closing dateline is next Friday, 21st of December 2007, so don't miss out on this one time offer!

(BTW when we say best feedback/comment, we don't mean 'best attempt to butter up to us'. The most constructive and useful feedback will earn the prize so don't just say "Yeah I think your guides were okay" or "Your guides suxkz0rrs")