Sony VAIO VGN-NR21Z/T
Sony has been making notebooks since 1999 and until recently only played in the high-end market. Increasingly, the company is launching lower priced portables that meet the needs of the more mainstream audience.
The Sony VAIO VGN-NR21Z/T is a great example. It’s not the most stylish of notebooks, being rather understated but the plastic chassis feels more than robust enough for carrying around. The palm rests and lid have a textured finish to them that give it a unique look.
Fitted with a 15.4-inch screen that comes with an X-black finish - this is Sony’s name for a Super-TFT coating to make images look sharper and colours brighter. It certainly works, as we found our test DVD looked stunning on this machine. An Intel X3100 card supports the panel, which is integrated, so won’t necessarily handle anything more than daily tasks.
Acer Aspire 8920G
Just when you thought Acer couldn’t come up with another beastly laptop, the Aspire 8920G “Gemstone Blue” series emerges to wow high-definition aficionados. The Aspire 9805WKHi-Acer’s first effort at a wow! laptop-had a glamorous 20-inch screen but weighed a backbreaking 17 pounds. The Aspire 8920G ($2,600 street) finds the sweet spot by putting an 18.4-inch widescreen on a system that, at 8.8 pounds, weighs as much as some 17-inch models, like the Dell Inspiron 1720, do. Though still bulky, it doesn’t seem like a nightmare to lug around. Altogether, the 8920G is a nice, albeit expensive, Blu-ray-equipped media center that delivers 1080p content.
BlackBerry Curve 8330
Like many BlackBerry smartphones, the BlackBerry Curve continues to make its rounds with US carriers after two GSM versions paved the way: the BlackBerry Curve 8300 came out last summer on AT&T and the Curve 8320 with Wi-Fi came out on T-Mobile later last year.
The CDMA versions of the Curve finally are here in May of 2008 for both the Verizon and Sprint networks. The two Curves have essentially the same hardware, but are just accessorized differently with each carrier’s branding, software and services. In addition to the 2 megapixel camera, built-in GPS, BlackBerry email software, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, HTML browser and a media player available on both devices, the Sprint version adds Sprint TV, Pocket Express (Handmark Express) and BlackBerry Maps. The Verizon BlackBerry Curve 8330 comes in silver and the Sprint Curve comes in titanium. The CDMA BlackBerry Curve 8830 has support for EV-DO for fast data but doesn’t have Wi-Fi (the 8320 is the only Curve with WiFi support, and only the BlackBerry 8820 on AT&T and the upcoming BlackBerry Bold have both GPS and WiFi).
GEAR4 BassStation Speakers
GEAR4 specialises in gadgets and add-ons for your favourite devices, with an increasing number for the iPod. Take the BassStation for instance, GEAR4 is pitching this device as a 2.1 stereo speaker system for the home but with support for seven different types of iPod, which you slot into the top, you can clearly see who it’s aimed at.
The design is impressive to look at, measuring 430 x 170 x 175mm and clearly makes a statement. The look is bold but when you actually look closer, GEAR4 has been quite subtle with the details. On the top along with iPod slot are just three buttons, for controlling volume and switching the device On/Off.
Motorola H375 Bluetooth Headset
Headsets just keep getting smaller and more complicated. Does the H375 headset from Motorola stand out from the crowd? We get calling to find out.
The H375 is all about talking and is squarely pitched at those who want a simple headset for handsfree calls. The headset is around about the size that is practical - any smaller and you risk losing it and it gets a bit fiddly.
In the box you get a choice of two ear cushions, which paired with the ear loop should mean that you can find an option that fits. The ear loop is removable, so can be reversed for left- or right-ear preference. The ear loop might irritate some, but does mean you are not just hoping that friction keeps it wedged in. If you don’t like it, you can simply remove it.
Sony Ericsson K660i Mobile Phone
Sony Ericsson’s latest handset is a HSDPA-sporting internet-focused mobile phone, but will it give you the web on the go? We get surfing to find out.
The K660i from the outside looks like any other Sony Ericsson candy bar handset. The phone comes in glossy black with purple accents, Sony Ericsson actually call it “wine-on-black”, and the keypad is laid out similarly to other models in the K-series under the 2-inch QVGA screen.
Around the edges are volume controls, a dedicated camera shutter button and M2 MemoryStick slot for expanding the memory.
The back sports the now almost obligatory digital camera and here Sony Ericsson has opted for a 2 megapixel offering, with 4x digital zoom although left out a flash or photo light.
The web focus comes in the guise of illuminated shortcut keys that only become active when surfing the net and work in a similar way to the company’s Cyber-shot range. Other web elements include a news ticker that provides regular updates from your favourite websites via RSS.
Launch the browser and the screen switches automatically into landscape mode giving you a Google search option, an address bar, web feeds, history, and access to downloads and accessories to buy.
Those shortcut keys are in fact the 3, 6, 9, and # key on the 12 key-number pad and in the web browser mode gives you shortcuts to the address bar, favourites, homepage and zoom.
Canon Selphy CP770 Compact Photo Printer
Canon has shifted focus to portability in the Selphy CP770, a photo printer that comes with a bucket. Is it for building sandcastles or after too many margaritas in the sun? We find out.
The first thing you notice about the CP770 is that the printer sits atop a plastic bucket with a carry handle. Unclip and lift off the top, which is actually the printer itself and the accessories are in the bucket underneath. Although the device is bigger than some other models, it does mean that your charger, paper and feed trays can all be safely stored in the bucket (ah ha!).
From a portability point of view it is great as you can put it in the boot of the car, knowing you have all the parts. The only downside, perhaps, is that the printer controls are all on the top, so the “working face” is shown to the world.
Sony NZW-A826 Walkman MP3 Player
Sony likes to adopt a bit of an elitist approach to the MP3 player market, refusing to bother itself with fancy extras like games, voice recorders and FM radios, but focusing instead on audio quality and getting the most from your music. It’s kind of refreshing, in a way, that it hasn’t followed the rest of the market down this road, but you do start to wonder how long it can keep targeting its players solely at the audiophiles.
The A820 series has undergone a bit of a redesign following a swathe of recent models that have followed the same format. Admittedly this is only from a cosmetic point of view; the new player is a fraction slimmer but quite a bit wider than previous players in the range, but this does allow room for a 2.4in (240 x 320) display which would suggest that it’s getting more serious about video. However its restriction towards MP4 format means that it isn’t any easier to get your favourite clips copied across without re-encoding, though if you are happy to do this you’ll be very impressed with the high-quality crystal clear display.
Fujitsu Siemens Launches Amilo 3000 Series
Fujitsu Siemens Computers has launched a new consumer product line, the Amilo 3000 series.
“The design and other improvements in the Amilo 3000 line are not trendy gimmicks or short-term fads. Our investments are long-term and will enable us to strengthen and develop our position as the largest European provider in the consumer market,” said an FSC spokesperson.
The entire line - from the entry-level model to the USB stick - is uniformly designed in quite striking contrasting black and white.
The newly designed desktop PCs will be available in several formats ranging from a “sleek” entry-level PC to a “high performance” gamer machine while FSC says the notebooks are designed to be the best for mobile usage.
