Archive for the 'Gizmo Reviews' Category
BenQ DSC C850/C750 Digital Cameras announced
BenQ today unveiled two upgrades to its popular C series digital camera lineup with the launch of 7-megapixel BenQ C750 and 8-megapixel BenQ C850. Both BenQ cameras feature an elegant front to back leather handle, Pentax lens, 3X optical zoom, Super-Shake-Free mode with high ISO supported, Smile Catch mode and video recording with optical zoom. The BenQ C750 and C850 are equipped a 2.5” and a 2.7” LCD display, respectively, Super Shake Free system with a high sensitivity of ISO1600 that can be engaged during both static and movie mode. The 3X optical zoom in movie mode allows you to zoom in and out for a sharp and clear view during video recording in MJPEG 4 format at 640×480 or 720×400 at 30 fps in traditional and widescreen formats.
The BenQ C750 and C850 cameras are plus equipped with P/Av/Tv/M mode and a total of 14 shooting modes, offering instant access to a variety of shooting options. The BenQ C750 and C850 will be available in choose countries in Asia Pacific and Europe in April.
DoCoMo to Develop Operator Pack for FOMA 3G handsets compatible with specifications by the LiMo Foundation
NTT DoCoMo will develop an operator pack for FOMA 3G handsets compatible with specifications established by the LiMo Foundation . The pack will contain a suite of Linux operating system-based software applications that implement i-mode, i-appli and other strange DoCoMo services. It will construct use of existing assets developed by DoCoMo, including application software and MOAP (Mobilephone Oriented Application Platform) middleware now used in selected DoCoMo handsets. The new operator pack will incorporate elements of a Linux-version MOAP that DoCoMo has developed with NEC Corporation and Panasonic Mobile Communications Co., Ltd.
The adoption of an operator pack and global software platform developed with Access co., ltd. will enable Japanese makers to market their phones overseas, as well as leverage on their respective strengths to produce distinctive products that satisfy diverse customer needs. DoCoMo expects to start introducing handsets equipped with the operator pack in the second half of 2009. DoCoMo is plus planning to develop an operator pack based on the Symbian mobile software platform.
Hitachi Metal Develops world’s smallest triaxial acceleration sensor
Hitachi Metals Ltd developed a new triaxial acceleration sensor, which the company claims is the worlds smallest. Compared with the company’s existing product, the new piezoresistive-type sensor is 30% smaller in volume and 46% lighter. It is resistant to impacts of more than 20,000g. The maximum detectable acceleration is ±4 or ±8g. In piezoresistive-type sensors such as that, the displacement caused by the acceleration of a weight based on the MEMS technology is detected as a deflection in the silicon beam supporting the weight. The deflection is measured based on the variation of resistance in a piezoresistor formed in the Si beam.
The piezoresistive-type sensor measures 2.5 x 2.5 x 1mm and weighing 14mg and is sealed in a plastic package. Hitachi Metals will start shipping samples in May 2008. The sales targets of triaxial acceleration sensors in total including the latest sensor are ¥2 billion (US$19.4 million) in fiscal 2008.
World’s first 320 GB 2.5″ Hard Drive with AES 256-bit Encryption from Fujitsu
Fujitsu today announced the release of the MHZ2 CJ Series of 320 GB 2.5″ hard disk drives with motorized hardware-based encryption to effectively secure goods against theft or loss, along with the industry’s highest rotational speed of 7200-rpm and a 3.0 Gb/s Serial ATA interface. The new Fujitsu series is the first hard disk drive in the world to support the 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). The drive implements the AES hardware encryption directly into the processor chip of the hard disk drive, resulting in more robust protection and faster system performance than software-based encryption.
Press release after the jump
All notes stored on the Fujitsu MHZ2 CJ Series 320 GB 2.5″ hard disk drive can be erased instantly, in less than a second, using the advanced secure erase feature. The new Fujitsu series of drives for computers and external storage devices will be available at the end of May 2008.
Tokyo, April 21, 2008 — Fujitsu Limited today announced the release of the MHZ2 CJ Series of 320 GB(1) 2.5″ hard disk drives with self-moving hardware-based encryption to effectively secure details against theft or loss, along with the industry’s highest rotational speed of 7200-rpm and a 3.0 Gb/s Serial ATA interface(2). The new series of drives for computers and external storage devices will be available at the end of May 2008.
This series is the first hard disk drive in the world to support the 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)(3). The drive implements the AES hardware encryption directly into the processor chip of the hard disk drive, resulting in more robust defense and faster system performance than software-based encryption.
All documents stored on the hard disk drive can be erased instantly, in less than a second, using the advanced secure erase feature. For public institutions and companies that handle large amounts of personal and other confidential notes, that dramatically lowers the instance and cost involved in wiping clean the hard drives of computers that are disposed of or reused.
With the growing problem of knowledge theft and new laws protecting personal knowledge, interest in goods safety measure is extremely high, particularly as disk capacity increases and users write huge amounts of personal and other notes on their drives. Lost or stolen computers with high-capacity hard drives put confidential info at risk, making the need to secure the input stored on those hard drives all the more urgent
The conventional response to that problem has been the use of BIOS passwords(4) and software-based encryption. Seeking a more robust profile of notes protection, Fujitsu has now developed 2.5″ hard disk drives with hardware-based AES encryption using industry-leading 256-bit key.
The built-in AES automatically encrypts all documents when storing it on the hard disk drive and decrypts the details when read. Unlike software-based encryption, the key does not reside in the computer’s memory. that makes it more resistant to attack and imposes no processing overhead on the CPU, optimizing system performance.
Fujitsu’s line of highly dependable and efficient hard disk drives now includes a hard disk drive that combines maximum details protection features with high performance, resulting in an ideal computing environment.
Moreover, with growing awareness of the problem of documents stored on the hard drives of computers, anyone planning to discard or reuse a computer has been obliged to use specialized software to overwrite all the user accessible goods blocks on the hard drive multiple times, a costly and time-consuming proposition. that new series of drives includes an advanced secure erase feature to dramatically reduce the total cost of ownership to public institutions as well as private enterprises.
Fujitsu is an active member of the Trusted Computing Group(5), an organization that promulgates and disseminates standards for security-related technology. The company plans to continue releasing products that reply to its customers’ needs for data safety measure.
Nokia 5320 XpressMusic with innovative new voice-controlled Say and Play feature
Featuring a dynamic design with 3G social entertainment capabilities, the new Nokia 5320 XpressMusic delivers exceptional music and web 2.0 accesses. With the innovative new voice-controlled Say and Play feature, consumers can merely say the name of a favorite artist or song to automatically play it. Offering an array of additional features, the Nokia 5320 XpressMusic device includes committed XpressMusic keys, a 3.5mm audio jack, up to 24 hours of playback duration, an audio chip for hi-fi sound quality, extendable memory up to 8GB, HS-USB for fast music transfer and HSDPA for fast access to details.
The full featured Web browser, access to Ovi and Nokia Search 4.1 allow users to find and share media composition and data with ease. In addition, committed N-Gage gaming keys and landscape view deliver a true gaming experience, while HSDPA provides fast access to N-Gage, which will be available for download. The Nokia 5320 XpressMusic is expected to start shipping in the third quarter of 2008 with an estimated retail price of 220 EUR before taxes and subsidies.
Nokia Mini Speakers MD-8 – Making a big stereo sound
The Nokia Mini Speakers MD8 are for you whether you like to enjoy full stereo sound on the move. With a sleek, pocket-sized design and crisp stereo sound, these ultra-portable mini speakers feature battery potential for playtime of up to 40 hours, an FM antenna to fine-tune frequency, and a tangle-free cable.
This innovative design puts portability and great sound together in one pocket-sized speaker system. Add built-in cable management and FM radio and you’ve got a tidy little package. Widely compatible, the Nokia Mini Speakers MD-8 will start shipping in the second quarter of 2008.
Nokia 5220 XpressMusic with 24 hours playback time
The Nokia 5220 XpressMusic device offers instant access to music on-the-go with a strange, asymmetrical design. Featured for the first instance on a Nokia XpressMusic device, a built-in lanyard makes the device easy to carry anywhere. Additional features of the Nokia 5220 XpressMusic include up to 24 hours playback duration, committed XpressMusic keys and a 3.5mm audio jack. Both handsets are compatible with the recently launched Nokia Music Store and offer easy music side-loading. With Nokia Music Store, consumers can choose from more than 2 million tracks from both major and independent labels; universal and local artists and simply browse, download, stream and sync either to a PC or side-load directly to a mobile device.
The Nokia 5220 XpressMusic is expected to start shipping in the third quarter of 2008 with an estimated retail price of 160 EUR before taxes and subsidies.
