Sony’s NW-A1200 8gb Walkman Mp3 Player
Sony’s 8 GB Walkman mp3 player, that we thought was only going to be avaliable to Japan, is now miraculously available to the US!
As the Sony product page states, “Available in two hip colors, violet and pink, and boasting an eye-catching display, the chic NW-A1200 Hard Drive Walkman is sure to turn some heads. New intelligent shuffle functionality like Time Machine Shuffle and My Favorite Shuffle will play more of the songs you want to hear. And with 8GB of built-in memory, you’ll have enough room to store up to 5,300 of your favorite tracks. ” The mp3 player also has 20 hours of battery life, a 1.5 inch OLED Screen, and costs only $199.95 on the releasal date of July 20th. Oh, and the NW-A1200 only comes in Pink and Purple (although it’s also avaliable in black in Japan), so get used to the colours if you want a pretty sweet flash based mp3 player.
Olympus MJU 810 Review
Oympus’ new MJU 810 8.0 megapixel digital camera is extraordinary in that it is one of a very few number of cameras that offer protection against unhospitable weather.
As Cameras.co.uk states, “. It has a weatherproof outer shell that protects it from normal levels of rain. In addition to this the MJU 810 is one of the increasing number of digital cameras to offer image stabilisation. In this case digital rather than optical stabilisation that is available. Aside from these features the camera is an eight megapixel model with a three times optical zoom lens. In terms of features it is a regular point and shoot camera, but with its build quality and style it is a clear step up from a typical compact model.
On the whole the Olympus MJU 810 offers good picture quality. Weatherproof digital cameras are few and far between so this one is clearly an option if this appeals to you. With digital image stabilisation and help text to guide you through the menu system this camera has some worthwhile extra touches as well. ”
CNET also notes that, “The versatile, water-resistant 8-megapixel Olympus Mju 810 adapts to dim environments as readily as it braves damp ones. Thanks to a combination of high sensitivity (up to ISO 3,200), digital image stabilization, and Olympus’s Bright Capture pixel-pooling technology, the Mju 810 can take and display acceptable pictures in low light. Unfortunately, this camera doesn’t do as well in fair weather–its LCD tends to wash out in bright sunlight. If you don’t need quite as many bells and whistles, you can save a bit by opting for the Mju 810’s little brother, the Olympus Mju 700.”
Superman Returns to iPod
Alienware already created some limited edition laptops and desktops in honour of Superman, but ExtremeMac decided to also use Superman on their new, durable iPod cases.
The new Superman 5g Video iPod case covers and protects the entire front and back of the Video iPod (the back of the case, however, is translucent), and has a faceplate to cover the Video Ipod’s screen as well. If you’re interesting in purchasing one of these Superman Video iPod Cases, make sure to order yours from XtremeMac, as this is a limited edition item!
Apple Replacing Stained Macbooks?
After many complaints from disappointed Macbook Users, who bought brand new macbooks and found– to their dismay– that their brand new macbooks had begun discolouring at an alarming rate (within 1-3 weeks), it appears that Apple is beginning to replace stained/discoloured macbook top cases (the plastic covering of the area around the keyboard). You can see some photos of discolouration below. The discolouration ranges in colour (it has been reported normally grey or orange, but sometimes can be pink or even blue). There are several theories to the cause of discolouration, including: “Porous plastics used in the MacBook allow tiny skin cells and sweat to accumulate within the microscopic openings, Skin melanin rubbing off and staining surface plastics, Acidic sweat damaging the plastic, or even Chemical reaction between the polymer and skin oils.”
A group of Macbook users, who all had discoloured laptops, started a web site called Stained Macbook. As their purpose, they state, “This site was born as a way to give pressure to Apple regarding recent QA issues with the new white MacBook. Many people all over the world are complaining about stains appearing in their newly acquired piece of Apple hardware.” The site includes a list of customers with problems, and these customers serial numbers. It is interesting to note that the last member with this problem recieved her laptop on June 12th. A forum at Apple’s discussion boards hypothesizes that the newer Macbooks are being made with a different type of plastic (they are “smoother” in texture than the older ones, which are compartively “rough”). This leads me to believe that Apple has fixed the plastic problem in their assembly lines, and I strongly hope (as my white Macbook is arriving June 30th) that this problem will no longer occur.
However, for those of you white Macbook owners with discolouration, it appears that Apple is now recognizing the this as a manufactuaring problem, and not a “cosmetic problem” (caused by the owner through ie dirty hands/negligence, and thus not covered under the Apple Care warranty). According to the Stained Macbook blog, two members have sucessfully contacted Apple, and the Apple representative said they were now authorized to replace the discoloured/damaged areas of plastic of the top case. A member stated: “I just called up Applecare and informed them of my stain problem. The rep told me that they were aware of the problem and provided me with a case number for a replacement top case. Hopefully the new one won’t have the same issues =/”. While this appears to only affect a small percentage of Macbook owners, it is good to know Apple’s on top of the issue now. If you like the article, feel free to digg it!
Toshiba’s “Ultraportable” U205 and “Convertible” R25 Notebooks
Today, Toshiba announced their two newest notebooks- the ultraportable U205 and the convertible R25.
Above is the ultraportable U205 notebook. It has a stunning 12.1 inch widescreen display, with TruBrite Technology for extra (and ajustable) illumination. While only weighing 4.1 pounds, this notebook packs a punch with a Intel Centrino Core Duo Processor (1.66 or 1.83 ghz), a hard drive starting at 100 gb, 1 gb of RAM, an integrated graphics card, a DVD/CD burner, 5 hours of battery life, and Life Smart Technology (such as a fingerprint reader, shock absorbant design, and a spill resistant keyboard). Toshiba’s U205 starts with a price of $1,199.
The Laptop you see above is Toshiba’s convertible R25 notebook. While not as light as the U205 (the R25 weighs in at 5.95 pounds), the R25 also has an Intel Core Duo Processor (1.66 ghz), a 14.1 WXGA Widescreen Display, 100 gb hard drive, DVD burner, 3.94 hours of battery life, an integrated graphics card, 1 gb of RAM, and the same LifeSmart technology as the U205 (fingerprint reader, shock absorbing build, and spill proof keyboard). The R25 has a price of $1,349.
