Antec Lanboy Air Case Review

“After getting my first look at Antec’s LanBoy Air chassis almost a year ago, I’ve been hoping to get my hands on one for review. Having examined it for the past couple of weeks, I’m not in the least disappointed. With a rich and innovative feature set, superb cooling, almost limitless configuration options and an intelligent overall design scheme, the LanBoy Air pushes the envelope of PC chassis evolution.”

Flip officially launched in the UAE

Flip, the makers and pretty much inventors of the portable YouTube-able type of cameras have finally officially launched in the UAE. I was at their launch event held at the Armani Prive in Burj Khalifa and got a chance to talk to Stewart Muller- the VP of International Sales & Marketing for Cisco Consumer Products who know own the Flip brand.

I asked Stewart why it took so long for Flip Video to arrive in the Middle East and whether there still exists a market for a flip type of device with camera phones like the one on Nokia N8 getting so good. He answered the questions in the video below, which was taken with a Flip Mino HD, courtesy of Cisco.

As you can see, Stewart is pretty confident with his products. The Flip Ultra HD and Flip Mino HD should be arriving at store shelves in the next couple of weeks and we shall find out how well the Mino HD does compare to the iPhone 4 and Nokia N8 in an upcoming review.

Razer debuts Anansi MMO gaming keyboard

And yet another great gadget from Razer, the MMO gaming keyboard as reported by engadget earlier today.

“And you thought you were set after procuring one of the many Naga mice on the market now. Think again. In a never-ending quest to milk the MMO market, Razer has just issued the planet’s first (or so it says) MMO gaming keyboard. The Anansi is a jet black board with a rather standard layout, but those seven thumb modifier keys are bound to enhance gameplay in some way or another. You’ll also get over 100 programmable Hyperesponse keys with on-the-fly macro recording, storage for up to 20 gaming profiles, five bonus gaming keys and 16 million color backlight illumination. Oh, and for those of you doubting Razer’s attention to detail, you can totally deactivate the Windows key while in “gaming mode.” Check it this December when it ships worldwide for $99.99 / €99.99.”

Source: http://www.engadget.com

MacBook Air: Tempted again, disappointed again

Looking at the new MacBook Air announced during Apple’s conference last week made me really consider buying one of the most beautiful laptops I’ve ever seen. A simple and elegant, yet extremely efficient and effective design process has been Apple’s philosophy since forever. The sleek form factor and beefier upgrades, especially in the graphics department, were exactly the kind of things I was looking for to push me over to the OSX side of the field.

I did like the MacBook Air when it first launched in early 2008, but back then the weak components inside did not provide with a better browsing and normal working environment than a netbook. Lack of easy upgrades and a high entry price completely put me off the thing. Now though, things have changed. While gaming has become a bigger part of Apple’s overall plan for world domination (thanks to the iPhone paving the way), Macs are still not devices I would go to for a proper gaming session. Still, something is better than nothing; an Nvidia 320m GPU is better than an Intel GMA or the old GeForce 9400m.

Of course, I’m not planning to play for a long time, nor anything as graphically intensive as Crysis. Just some WoW on occasions and a bit of StarCraft II whenever I’m feeling up for it, and maybe dabble in a little bit of Team Fortress 2.  All of these are old games, with some heavy shaders working under the hood; nothing the GeForce 320m can’t handle. However, can the system as a whole handle my gaming needs? Will the fan head into full speed of irritating whiny noises and completely destroy an otherwise silent experience associated with the MacBook Air? And even after all that, will the games look decent (I don’t expect full resolution and effects glory) and be playable at an acceptable framerate? Going through many forum threads, I’m looking at a bare minimum performance on games.

That said, gaming is not my primary focus with the new MacBook Air. I want it because it “feels” good, at least in my mind. It’s ultra-lightweight and small enough to be used anywhere without any discomfort whatsoever. So basically I’m picturing myself on my couch, legs up and all, playing some Cataclysm, quitting out and then writing about it in a blog post for MEGamers.  Sounds real nice, but what about the times when I want to do the same in my bed? Lights off, cozy blanket, finishing a match in StarCraft II and then working on some article with a glass of hot chocolate on my side table. Except I can’t type. No backlit keyboard.

After so many things that seemed right in the new MacBook Air, there are still one or two very fundamental items that are missing which put me off buying it. The graphics card isn’t too weak, and I can definitely get much better performance on the above mentioned games if I dual boot into Windonws 7, but that would utterly defeat the purpose of having a MAC. No backlit keyboard is also a huge issue for me, and what’s more irritating is that this was a perfectly good functionality available in the previous MacBook Air models.

At the end of the day I’m paying $999 for the new MacBook Air; it looks gorgeous, works smooth, plays some games and comes with all the brilliance of the Mac OSX (which I have yet to experience in its full glory). Or I can pay the same and get much better hardware and performance from an Alienware M11x (R2) with all the brilliance of Windows 7 that I use and love. Yes, it’s bulkier compared to the MacBook Air, but it’s got a backlit keys.

Samsung Galaxy Tab review

When the Apple iPad first came out, I’ll admit that I was fascinated by it. Whether I was actually going to buy one or not was another story, but the way it was presented and marketed was fantastic. After all, it was a sleek device that was apparently going to rekindle our love for reading comics and newspapers on the go. Because you know, carrying an actual newspaper around is just plain boring.

Considering the massive success Apple has had with the iPad, it was only a matter of time before other industry giants would dive into this now extremely lucrative market. LG, RIM, Dell and Toshiba are all rushing to join the tablet race and while we wait for their devices, Samsung is the first heavy weight to announce its arrival with the tablet that I am going to review today– the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Now contrary to what some might think, tablets have actually been around for a long time. Need proof? This is a photo of my still operational Compaq TC-1000 tablet PC.

When I used to take this to university with me, I’d always draw envious looks as I scribbled about with the stylus and the device magically transcribed my notes. I could comfortably surf websites, record short videos, listen to online radio – the thing even had a swivel out keyboard if I got tired of tapping at the on-screen one. At the time, it was pure genius.

Microsoft releases Office for Mac with Outlook

Microsoft recently released Microsoft Office for Mac with Outlook as reported by Business 2.0 news.

“The world’s largest software-maker, Microsoft Corporation, has released the latest version of its Office productivity suite for Mac computers.

Office for Mac 2011 is the biggest upgrade for Mac computers since the company launched the productivity suite for the competing operating system.

This version of Office for Mac finally includes Outlook, the popular personal information management app for managing your calendar, emails, contacts, and notes all from one app with syncing capabilities.

The company has also made it easier for people to collaborate on working with files, by adding the ability to easily broadcast files like PowerPoint slides directly to the Internet. With Word, multiple authors even on different platforms can now concurrently edit a single document.

Additionally, users can easily save documents to the cloud storage system offered by the company through its free Windows Live SkyDrive service or through SharePoint with the new Document Connection app.

Microsoft has also chosen to unify the user interface with its Windows counterpart by implementing the Ribbon tabbed user interface that groups common task buttons into category tabs at the top of each application.

The tech giant also designed the Office Mac file system to work in the same way as its Windows counterpart, ensuring documents appear the same across different platforms.

Also included with Office Mac 2011 is the latest version of Microsoft Windows Live Messenger, which now includes a revamped advertising-free interface with video chat for all accounts accounts, and not just enterprise accounts which were previously required for video chat in the pervious client.

Microsoft is offering two different versions of Office for Mac, the Home and Student edition that retails for $149.99, or the Home and Business version that includes more applications for $279.95.”

Source: http://business2press.com

iPhone 4 white delayed

The infamous white iPhone 4 will be reaching stores only at next spring, CNET reports. This is not the first time that Cupertino has postponed the sale of the white iPhone 4. The white version of the device was expected to be on sale in June, but it was delayed until July and then finally being pushed to “later this year”. Today Apple spokesperson Trudy Muller has confirmed that the delay will drag on until spring 2011.

However, according to Reuters, Apple has declined to provide any further explanation on the delay of the white iPhone.

Source: http://www.mobile88.com

The PlayStation Phone

The fine folks at Engadget somehow managed to get their hands on the PlayStation Phone and custom Sony marketplace, through which you will be able to purchase games for the new platform.

“It’s hard to believe that what we’re looking at is real — but we assure you, the picture above is in fact the PlayStation Phone you’ve long been waiting for. As reported back, the device you see is headed into the market soon, likely boasting Android 3.0 (aka Gingerbread), along with a custom Sony Marketplace which will allow you to purchase and download games designed for the new platform. The device snapped up top (and in our gallery below) is sporting a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 (a chip similar to the one found in the G2, but 200MHz faster), 512MB of RAM, 1GB of ROM, and the screen is in the range of 3.7 to 4.1 inches. Looking almost identical to the mockup we hit you with this summer, the handset does indeed have a long touchpad in the center which is apparently multitouch, and you can see in the photos that it’s still bearing those familiar PlayStation shoulder buttons. For Sony buffs, you’ll be interested to know that there’s no Memory Stick slot here, but there is support for microSD cards.”

“The particular model in these shots is still in prototyping mode. As such, the unit doesn’t have a custom skin (not even SE’s Timescape design seen on the Xperia devices), and is said to be rather buggy. We’re digging into more facts as we speak, but it’s likely that much of what we reported earlier is still accurate, and though the device could still be headed for a 2010 release, 2011 is looking much more realistic. Still, there’s a lot of time between now and the holidays… so keep your fingers crossed!”

Source : http://www.engadget.com

LG X140 Netbook review

It’s not often that we get netbooks for review here at Tbreak, but whenever we do, we all gush forth with excitement with how cute these little things look. The next thing on our minds is of course whether it’s powerful enough. Usually there’s never enough power, but that’s like complaining about a family sedan not pushing 400hp, or a $200 graphics card not hitting 20K on 3DMARK Vantage. So considering that the LG X140 netbook costs AED 1,699 (USD 462), let’s see what’s in store for the consumer.

First, let’s just have a look at this thing. The 10.1” LG X140 comes in Black and Red, but we got the pearlescent white for review. With silver paint on the bottom panel and the non-glossy pearl-white inside, the X140 does retain its classy look, but the gray keys inside just make it feel a little lackluster after first sight.

The keys are evenly spaced out, but a little too small considering the big sizes on the recent HP Mini 201 and Acer One series of netbooks. Still, it gets the job done as far as basic typing needs are concerned. While looking at the keyboard you’ll also notice the S-ON button on the top left. This is basically LG’s quick booting system using the Smart On, which will take you to some very basic internet usage programs, booting in about 4 seconds. Of course, you cannot log into Smart On if Windows is in sleep mode, but you can boot into Windows 7 once you’re in Smart On.

Yamaha releases PDX-31 iPhone/iPod speaker dock

Yamaha has taken the wraps of its portable PDX-31 speaker dock for Apple’s iPhone and iPod. It also includes an auxiliary in (stereo mini-jack) for use by any media player. The premium sound system is built for durability with a dual-wall “box within a box” construction that houses a high quality amplifier with matched 3 ¼-inch speakers.

It is supplied with a small remote that approximates an iPod interface making for easy navigation of the device’s functions and allowing users to browse menus and select songs. To save power, it also incorporates an auto-off function.

Available in dark red, black and light grey, the Yamaha PDX-31 iPhone/iPod speaker dock will retail for $170.

Read more: http://www.ipodnn.com/articles/10/10/26/pdx.31.ships.in.dark.red.black.and.light.grey/#ixzz13T2zmlsD

Source: http://www.ipodnn.com

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