Sony Vaio Introduces an HTPC

Soon there will be no TVs and no computers. No, I'm not insane. What I mean is they both will be combined into one, sold as one, and used as one. Sony is one brand that is at the brim of innovation, and this time they have released a sleek new HTPC system, called the VGX-TP1.

Its shape is round, quite different from the old boxy media centre PCs. A choice of HDMI, VGA and DVI outputs makes connection to an HD-Ready TV or computer display possible, while the power and signal cables are concealed as they pass underneath the side of the case, preserving the minimalist 360° styling. A 500GB hard disk and integrated hybrid TV tuner enable the VAIO TP1 to become a Personal DVD Recorder offering huge storage capacity for your choice of digital (DVB-T) and analogue programs.

Wireless networking means the VAIO TP1 can be added to a cable-free home network, and a carefully designed wireless keyboard ensures operating the system is easy. The keyboard is compact, comfortable to use and features an integrated notebook-style touchpad for complete control of the interface. The TP1 also has a standard wired LAN connection for connection to conventional cabled home networks. The drive opens when any part of the front of the tray is pressed. Below the drive another touch-to-open sliding panel reveals key inputs including a multi card reader (SD and Memory Stick) and 2 x USB flash drive slots which can also be used to connect directly to your digital camera and music player. By using sound damping within the case, the VGX-TP1 has been rendered virtually silent.

The VAIO TP1 will be available in the UK and Germany from the end of September 2007.

Creative Launches iPod Shuffle Mini Dock

Creative Japan has developed a cool new portable iPod dock for the iPod Shuffle. It’s a small 85 gram dock with a carabiner clip attachment so yo9u can hang it wherever you choose. The Creative Travelsound i50 has a lithium polymer battery that can be charged via USB (mini USB) for approximately 15 hours of music. There is an indicator to show you how mush of battery power is available. The i50 is also equipped with a 700mWx2ch output with signal-to-noise ratio of 80dB.

At the moment it’s available only in Japan. The Travelsound i50 is priced at approximately Rs. 2832 ($69) maybe we'll get to see it here too soon.

Via Gizmodo.

Nokia Teams Up With Vivendi Games

Nokia has decided to team up with Vivendi games, their mobile division, to bring Nokia users their legendary Crash Bandicoot game to the new N-Gage mobile gaming platform which should be out soon.

"Vivendi Games Mobile is one of the most respected publishers in mobile gaming," said Gregg Sauter, Nokia's director of third party publishing. "Crash Bandicoot is a gaming icon as well as a global powerhouse, having sold more than 33 million units worldwide. With its fun appeal to people of all ages and incredible graphics, the Crash Bandicoot franchise is the perfect fit for N-Gage."

"We are excited to offer Nokia customers the opportunity to enter the thrilling world of Crash Bandicoot and play a number of award winning titles from the popular Crash franchise," said Paul Maglione, president of Vivendi Games Mobile. "We look forward to working with Nokia to offer entertaining, innovative mobile games that tap into the performance and innovation of the N-Gage application and Nokia's mobile devices."

Crash Bandicoot follows the original storyline where the crazy marsupial must save the world. If you’ve played this game before, you’ll know that it’s a real barrel of laughs. For those of you who haven’t, Crash Bandicoot involves the scenario where the player must take on the role of Crash (yes the bandicoot hero) to defeat the game's villain and mad scientist, Dr. Neo Cortex. As simple as that.

Nokia Launches New Accessories

Nokia has just launched a whole bunch of cool gizmos to accentuate your mobiles and or multimedia computer. Ranging form GPS units to Bluetooth speakers these devices sound like great accessories for your mobiles. They should all be out somewhere in the fourth quarter of this year, but let’s hope that means, in India, at the same time as well.

Nokia Bluetooth GPS Module LD-4W
The Nokia Bluetooth GPS Module LD-4W combines the style of the ever popular Nokia Nseries with GPS navigation. This GPS module is compatible with a wide range of Nokia devices and Nokia Maps. It weighs 31 g and has up to 10 hours of operating time. The LD-4W, black and metallic device comes with a LED indicator to alert you to GPS activation, power and battery status, and Bluetooth connectivity status. The GPS module will be available globally and cost an estimated Rs. 6,973 (125 euro) without taxes.

Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset BH-903
The Nokia Headset BH-903 is Bluetooth compliant, supporting compatible devices with Bluetooth A2DP, AVRCP, PBAP, HFP and HSP profiles, so you can pair it with a compatible mobile device or other music player. It acts as a remote control with an OLED display, so you can control your music and your calls. Priority is still given to calls so the headset will switch to call mode if you’re listening to music and switch back at the end of the call. It weighs in at 32 grams and should be able to provide up to 15 hours of talk/music time. The Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset BH-903 will cost an estimated Rs. 11,157 (200 euro) without taxes and will be available globally.



Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-902
Nokia has also released another Bluetooth Headset – the BH-902. This one also has an OLED display, but is also equipped with Digital Signal Processing (DSP). The OLED display indicates when you've received an MMS or SMS message. It’s available with an in-box neckstrap, clip and flexible in-ear earplugs. It should provide the user with up to eight hours on a single charge and weighs in at 18.2 grams. The Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-902 will cost an estimated Rs. 6,415 (115 euro) without taxes and will also be globally available

Nokia Bluetooth Speakers MD-7W
Nokia’s Bluetooth Speakers - the MD-7W are equipped with 3D stereo widening sound and dynamic bass control. The speakers are developed in cooperation with D & M Premium Sound Solutions and styled in the finish of the Nokia Nseries. The package comes with magnetic attachments for portability and an LED indicator for on/off, pairing mode and battery status. Available globally, the Nokia Bluetooth Speakers MD-7W will cost an estimated Rs. 7,252 (130 euro), without taxes.




Nokia Power Pack DC-1
The Nokia Power Pack DC-1 has reserve power in a portable package; you can take the equivalent of up to three batteries with you and recharge your mobile device on the go. Compatible with Nokia 2mm charging interfaces; the power pack has two charge output cables so you can charge two devices at the same time. Available globally, it will cost an estimated Rs. 5,858 (105 euro), without taxes.

Crysis Demo Announced

EA and Crytek’s much awaited tropical shooter, Crysis may have secured a November 16th release date but gamers will get a chance to try it out a bit earlier in the form of a single player demo that’s expected to hit the internet by the 25th of September

In case that date sounds familiar, it’s because yet another extremely high profile game is slated to hit the Xbox 360 on that very same day. So is this a weird coincidence or a well thought of ploy to rob the Master Chief of all his glory

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground OST Announced

Like the title says, Activision’s listed the entire soundtrack for their upcoming Tony Hawk game and it goes something like this:

!!! – "All My Heroes are Weirdos"
Airbourne – "Girls in Black"
Angels & Airwaves – "Secret Crowds"
Anglo Jackson – "Motorbike"
At the Gates – "Slaughter of the Soul"
Bad Brains – "Banned in DC"
Beastie Boys – "Electric Worm"
Blackalicious – "Your Move"
Bloc Party – "Version 2.0"
Cursed – "The Hands will Abide"
Cymande – "Fug"
Dag Nasty – "Circles"
Darkest Hour – "Sanctuary"
DJ JS-1 featuring L.I.F.E. Long & Immortal Technique – "Audio Technician"
El-P – "Up All Night"
Folk Implosion – "Natural One"
Foo Fighters – "The Pretender"
Fu Manchu – "We Must Obey"
Funky 4+1 – "Rappin and Rockin the House"
Future Pigeon – "Gift Tax"
Gallows – "Come Friendly Bombs"
Gorilla Biscuits – "Hold Your Ground"
Jimmy Castor Bunch – "It’s Just Begun"
Jurassic 5 – "Radio"
Kittens – "Carpenter"


Los Abandoned – "Panic-Oh!"
Lyrics Born featuring KRS-One and Evidence – "Pack Up Remix"
Maylene and the Sons of Disaster – "Memories of the Grove"
Motorcity Daredevils – "Bear in the Air"
Nation of Ulysses – "You’re My Miss Washington D.C."
Nirvana – "Breed"
Oh No feat. J. Dilla and Roc C. – "Move Part 2"
Paint it Black – "The New Brutality"
Paris – "The Devil Made Me Do It (Poach a Pig Mix)"
Percee P – "Throwback Rap Attack (Madlib remix)"
Pierce the Veil – "I’d Rather Die than Be Famous"
Pig Destroyer – "Loathsome"
Reverend Horton Heat – "Baddest of the Bad"
Revolution Mother – "Come On"
Roots Manuva – "Chin High"
Sayvinyl – "That’s Entertainment"
Silversun Pickups – "Well Thought Out Twinkles"
Slick Rick – "Children’s Story"
Smashing Pumpkins – "Tarantula"
Snapcase – "Energy Dome"
The Bled – "Starving Artiste"
The Clash – "Clash City Rockers"
The Cramps – "Garbage Man"
The Icarus Line – "Gets Paid"
The Kooks – "See the World"
The Octopus Project – "Music is Happiness"
The Rolling Stones – "Sympathy for the Devil"
The Sex Pistols – "Holidays in the Sun"
Twilight 22 – "Electric Kingdom"

Sony Ericsson S500i

Sony Ericsson is obviously taking a lot of pride in designing their phones to look and feel really flashy. The S500i is no exception at all. It may look like a simple slider phone at first glance, but believe me when I say it looks nothing like that when it’s switched on. When it’s on, it’s really on. Take a look.

Form Factor
Yes it’s a slider phone that’s really smooth. I have to say this is really comfortable phone to use. The S50i has a brilliant 2-inch screen with a display resolution of 240 x 320 pixels and 256k colors. The keypad although easy to use as is a little odd. There seems to be quite a lot of space around the keypad. It’s wasted. If you ask me, I think the keys could have been a bit bigger then. The good thing is that the keypad is dual, as in; it has Hindi alphabets as well. There’s also the shortcut key, cancel button, return and web keys are neatly placed on either side of the 5 way nave pad that has a dedicated camera key on top. It’s easy to use all while working the phone from any angle. The camera is located at the rear and can only be used when the keypad is open.

The volume keys on the side are slim and go really well with the design and on the other side is Sony Ericsson’s (sigh) 3 in one, proprietary connector port for the earphones, USB connectivity and charger.

What I absolutely abhor about this phone is the extremely poor build quality of the M2 card slot located on the to next to the power key. It’s made of, what seems to be cheap plastic that just doesn’t seem to stay shut. Another peeve with the new range of Sony Ericsson phones is the SIM card slot that works with a spring action system similar to memory card slots. You have to push it in till you hear it click in its setting and doesn’t come back out. Similarly you have to push it in till you hear a click and it springs back out. The problem is that it’s situated in a bit of an awkward place so if you don’t have nails, this is not really easy to do. But then again, how often do you keep taking your Sim in and out right?


Misc. Features and Performance
To be blunt, if you’ve seen one Sony Ericsson, you’ve pretty much seen ‘em all. There’s nothing new with the interface nor are there any new applications to look out for. Though the absence of an FM radio is something to be noted. Although the interface may look the same with the same old icons, it’s the inbuilt themes that will really knock your socks off. Ina word, although redundant I’m going for it, Brilliant! There are 2 options a Night and Day option and an Ever-changing option. The night and day theme is simply bright and catchy. The colors will change according to the time of day. Now here's the good part, the Ever-changing theme has these superb animations and bright icons. Changing colors is one thing but to have ambient light that alters according to the theme is quite another. It gives the whole phone an extremely cool and classy look.

The biggest problem with these fantastic themes is that it drains the battery with the many, many colorful animations and screen savers. And if you’re charging the phone there seems to be no indication whatsoever to let you know that the battery is full. Even plugging and unplugging the charger doesn’t help. I guess you’ll just have to take it for granted that it’s full after a few hours of charging. The thing is though, I’m just presuming it’s a glitch in this particular phone, the entire menu and even messaging is just too darn sluggish

Other features that the S500 has is a Bluetooth remote application that allows you to control stuff on your PC like your player or desktop and you can even use it as a wireless presenter. Setting it up to be used like that is a bit tricky though. There are a couple of fun games to play as well. Not very high tech, but they do help pass the time.

When it comes to being your ‘PDA’ the S500 is loaded with calendar functions for reminders, keeping notes and synchronizing the phone to your PC. There’s also a stopwatch, timer calculator and an option for keeping code memos. Unfortunately no world clock. There’s also an RSS reader in the message settings.

Audio and Video
I’ll say this and I’ll say it loud – or I’ll let the S500 speak fro itself – but for you to know, the Speakerphone is awesomely loud. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the music player being used through the earphones. The earphones are actually quite comfy, but just too low. The music player isn’t a Walkman series type but has similarities. You can create playlists, or change the EQ settings with either the presets available or manually adjust the settings yourself. There’s also an option for Stereo Widening. None of these options really make too much of a difference however. Besides having no FM radio it doesn’t have an option for Track ID either. It reads MP3, and AAC+ formats.

The videos in MPEG4 or 3GP format are clear. But here’s a glitch I noticed and again I’m hoping this is one with only this piece. If you open a video through the File Manager and you opt to view it in full screen you even get a navigation bar at the top of the screen. The thing is, that bar is useless. You can’t forward or rewind the file. Now if you open it using the Video Player, you won’t see any bar at the top of the screen, but you can rewind and forward the video by using the nav-pad. But since you cant see how quickly it’s doing that, you wont know if you’ve reached the place you left off or wanted to go to in the video. Bad! Bad little S500! When watching a video though the ambient lights including the other lights of the phone tend to stay on for some strange reason. Another cause of battery drain.

The reception is great in almost all places. Both sound and voice come in clearly, so no problem at all there. The mic has good range if you're using the speaker-phone and also if you’re using the voice recorder. There are also plenty of options in the AV category to fool around with. For example there’s the Video DJ application that allows you to jazz up your videos by adding images and words in between frames or even splicing two videos together. The Photo DJ application allows you to edit your images, and the best of all is the Music DJ application that allows you to pretty much create your own ringtone. That’s really cool, but not new to Sony Ericsson users.

Camera
The 2 megapixel camera that the S500i is equipped with is good. I wish they’d allow you to use the entire screen as the display though. All you have to work with is just a little more than half of the screen. There are plenty of options to choose from though including various White Balance settings, effects like black and white, sepia and negative settings. It also has a night mode and a self-timer. In video mode you have the option of switching off the microphone. The S500 also has inbuilt frames to choose from, or you can even take shots in Panorama mode (which is not bad by the way) or in Burst sequence.

If you adjust the settings correctly the images are really quite good for a camera phone. They aren’t spectacular or anything but definitely quite good.

There is no macro mode so close ups are out, but you can make a few allowances and the pictures still come out nicely.

I have to say the camera is one of the better things the S500i has to offer.

Connectivity
S500 supports EDGE so net connectivity is ok. There’s the option of using the full screen which I would definitely recommend. There’s also an option to zoom into the screen and view it according to your preference. Switching the screen to landscape mode gives you a wider perspective but typing is a real b*t*h though considering the keypad doesn’t rotate. Hey it isn’t the iPhone.

You can connect to your PC using the proprietary USB connector provided. Just be careful with the cord, cheap ones are hard to come by. The Sony Ericsson PC suite is not the easiest to use, so don’t. Another great part about this phone is that it supports Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP compatibility. So if you have a great Bluetooth headset, then you can surely enjoy a great music experience. It doesn’t really offer anything more with regards to connectivity. But that’s not bad as is.

Sony Ericsson has also incorporated two additional applications in the S500i. Using EDGE connectivity you can access information through an application called Accu Weather that, simply put, gives you just that. Information on the weather in various places. Another application is the Audible player, another application for getting music off the net. The PlayNow option is of course just for downloading content.

The Bottom Line
The S500i is actually a really good phone for a street price of around Rs. 10,500. But the biggest problem is you’re going to have to charge the darn battery at least two times each day. Yes it really is that bad. I can’t attribute it to being a faulty piece as there’s too much going on with the phone with the funky animated themes with likewise wallpapers and the ambient lighting that tends to stay on no matter what. But what really bothers me is the poor build quality of the M2 card support and the sluggishness of the phones. So I’m going to say, even though it looks and feels good, the Bottom Line is – it ain’t worth it if the battery’s that bad.



Specs Sony Ericsson S500i

Network GSM: 850/900/1800/1900, EDGE
Physical: 99 x 47 x 14 mm, 94g
Display: 240 x 320 pixels, 256k colors, 2 inch
Memory: 12MB internal, M2 external support
Media: MP3, AAC+, 3GP, voice recorder
Camera: 2 megapixels, video
Connectivity: Bluetooth v2.0 (A2DP), USB Proprietary
Battery: 240hrs stand by, 2 hrs 40 mins. talk
Street Price: Rs. 10,500(india)

iPhone Part IV - Camera

There are various schools of thought, when it comes to the success of the iPhone. Personally, I feel this success stems from Apple’s ability in making a product ‘seemingly’ out of this world. What I mean by this is, in a very rational way, the iPhone appeals to most, not because it gives them that technological edge over others, but because it manages to integrate its existing technologies better than the other phones. The embedded iPod music player is a great example.

Features
When looked at phone from a utilitarian point of view, I have to admit that the camera just fails to grab my attention. That said, I daresay, I still enjoyed every bit of my shooting spree. The 3.5-inch screen definitely had something to do with it.

The iPhone boasts a 2 megapixel camera, and for purposes limiting to the phone itself, it does wonders. Beyond that? Well let’s see what our performance tests show. Before that, let me also point out a few missing elements that leaves a lot to be desired

Not having flash, for instance! Every phone, worthy of so much hype, should in my opinion have a flash. This one doesn’t. Also this one doesn’t allow you to zoom, or take videos. In a strict sense, it’s simply a point-and-shoot camera phone. I still like the way the animated shutter blades close in on the screen every time you take a picture.

The iPhone allows you to instantly share your pictures through email, and also gives you a fair amount of control. You can set it as a wallpaper and crop it to reduce the size. The interface allows you to look at the thumbnails of the all the pictures taken, you can simply click on one and swipe your fingers for the next image. When attached to a computer, you can sync your pictures through iTunes to send your images across or retrieve any file. The good thing, at least when it comes to the camera, is that when the phone is connected to the PC via USB the only external portion of the device that shows up is the image gallery. You can easily copy paste your files directly from here.

Performance
At first, the camera appeared to have brilliant color reproduction. Which, in a way is true, but I think this stays so only while viewing the pictures on the phone. The colors sure are vibrant, but not accurate. The reds are slightly dulled, and the green badly splayed.

With no flash, the camera is quite susceptible to blurs in low light conditions. In fact, not having a flash is a bad move, since this limits the functionality of the camera to a large extent. What I mean is, if you have the “iPhone” why should you stay shy of clicking a few snaps of your dinner guests?

All the pictures we clicked had a green hue to them and were plagued by purple fringing. Yet, there were some commendable pictures. However, it’s purely hit or miss. The pictures can serve you well for web purposes or for use within the phone itself.

Conclusion
Clearly, having no flash and no video shooting capabilities makes the iPhone lose the edge on a few other phones that sport 2 megapixel cameras. The presence of the camera, to me seems more of 'for the sake of it', than as a great tool. However, we like how the camera works, making good use of the phone's interface. Personally, I think the iPhone fails to provide a great camera.

HDR Photography in Photoshop CS3

Though modern day photography allows you to go a long way, adding computerized post processing has opened up avenues that were thought impossible once upon a time. HDR is one of those innovations.

HDR or High Dynamic Range imaging is a technique used to create a balanced exposure throughout the image. So in tricky shots like landscape, where the lighting often makes it impossible to illuminate the complete scene without over or underexposing the picture, HDR allows you to combine a series of variably exposed pictures to illuminate the entire picture evenly, making every shadowy nook and cranny as visible as the brightly lit areas.

A great example of the work done using this technique is the image below showing the New York skyline at night.

Notice how the brightly lit areas don't appear overexposed, while the shadowy areas too are quite well illuminated. A picture like this would be impossible to take without the help of HDR.

HDR imaging is fast gaining popularity among professional as well as amateur photographers, to the extent that you can find a tremendous community support for it all over the internet. So with this feature, we'll show you how you can achieve this effect yourself.

Since it's an advanced technique, slight prior knowledge of Photoshop is required.

What you need
The biggest problem you may face with HDR is that because the whole concept is based primarily on image exposure, a normal digicam will not be good enough for this, as the noise levels in consumer digital cameras tend to appear more on higher exposure settings. Still if you think your camera can pull it off go for it. What I would recommend is a D-SLR.

Practically any D-SLR should do the trick here. I have personally used Nikon D-40X in my example here, and the results were pretty good. So I can safely assume that you don't necessarily need to go in for a higher-end D-SLR to try out HDR.

The second most important thing for the process is a tripod. Flat surfaces are a good replacement for everyday shots, but when you need to take multiple shots of the exact same scene, you need something a little more reliable. That's why the tripod is a must for HDR.

hotoshop CS3 is what I have used for this example, as personally I find it easiest to use among the applications I have tried. In case you're looking for a free application for HDR you can try using Qtpfsgui.

China Virtual Police to Patrol Online for Porn

China is sending out two virtual police officers to patrol the Internet to combat online pornography and other "illicit activity", state media said on Wednesday.

The virtual officers, a man and a woman, "will appear either on motorcycles, in a car or on foot, at the bottom of users' computer screens every 30 minutes to remind them of Internet security," the China Daily said.

The two will monitor major news portals and all Web sites and online forums based in Beijing from this Saturday.

"They will be on the watch for Web sites that incite secession, promote superstition, gambling and fraud," an official with the Beijing municipal public security bureau was quoted as saying.

The newspaper did not explain how the two officers would monitor sites or enforce laws, but said users could click on the pop-up icons to link to an Internet surveillance centre where infractions could be reported.

China already keeps a close watch on the Internet and media and will interrupt signals from the likes of CNN or BBC and black out television screens if a sensitive topic, such as Tibet, Taiwan or media freedom, comes up.

In another clampdown, about 40 online pornographic novels and related Web sites had been blacklisted for "damaging young people's hearts", the China Youth Daily said.

"To curb online pornography is the main focus of recent work," the newspaper said, citing the General Administration of Press and Publication.

In April, Chinese President Hu Jintao launched a campaign to rid the country's unruly Internet of "unhealthy" content and make it a platform for Communist Party doctrine.

But despite a vast system of filters and tens of thousands of Internet monitors employed to wipe out salacious content and ideas contrary to Communist ideology, pornography is rife.

So far, 128,000 Web pages with pornographic content had been detected and 244 sites closed down, the Internet surveillance centre of the Beijing municipal public security bureau was quoted as saying.

"We have achieved visible results in recent months but there is still a long way to go," Zhao Hongzhi, deputy chief of the centre, was quoted as saying.

Nokia Launches 5 New Phones

Nokia is launching 5 new phones at their GoPlay event in London. They aren’t all new models to be precise, but a few are simply re-hashed and upgraded versions of older designs. We don’t have the information yet as to when they’ll be hitting our stores, but I can only hope soon, considering India is Nokia’s second largest market for their devices.

Nokia N95 8GB Edition
First off is the new version of their ‘Super-Phone’ the N95 . This new model is totally black to begin with and now comes with a whopping 8GB of internal memory. It’s also going to have a 1200 mAh battery (950 mAh - original). Another major redesign feature is that the screen size has been upped to 2.8 inches (2.6 inches – original).

Nokia N81
The next Symbian smartphone from Nokia is the N81 which will have a 2.4 inch TFT display with QVGA resolution. It will also be equipped with Wi-Fi capabilities, is EDGE/HSDPA-enabled and will also support Bluetooth with A2DP compatibility as well. The N81 will also have dedicated gaming keys and 8GB of internal memory. The main camera is 2 megapixels and there’s also a secondary CIF camera for video calls.

Nokia XpressMusic Series
5700
Nokia is also adding 2 more phones to their XpressMusic series and has given their new 5700 model a makeover. The latest 5700 will have a Black coat with a Blue or Red trim. But there’s no confirmation on if there will be any other significant differences.


5310
This smartphone is going to run off the series 40 platform. It has a QVGA TFT display and has a 2 megapixel camera. Like it’s predecessor the 5300 , this model will also support Bluetooth with A2DP compatibility and also support external memory with microSD cards.

5610
The second XpressMusic phone to be released is the 5610 which has a candy-bar design and will also run on the series 40 platform.

We don’t have too much information on all the specs these phones will have, but as soon as we know, you’ll know.