Geekspotz | Gadget & Notebook Review TechGeek Central

Nokia N96 Review

2008-10-05T20:30:00.005+07:00

On the face of it, not much has been added to the Nokia N96 to distinguish it from its predecessor, the N95 8GB (which beefed up the memory and changed the colour of the original, silver-clad N95).

This time the sleek black livery's the same, but the memory has been expanded again to 16GB – and you also get microSD card expansion for bumping that up further (something the last one was painfully missing).

Read full review...

Canon EOS 50D Review

2008-10-04T01:07:00.008+07:00

After a year of watching Nikon steal the headlines with the D300, D3 and D700, Canon is back, with the EOS 50D. Amongst other refinements, the 50D features the highest resolution ever for an APS-C format DSLR (15.1 million pixels), a newly designed 3in LCD screen with a 920,000 dot resolution that matches the best from Nikon and Sony, and a greatly improved Live View system, which features Face Detection.

In use, the most obvious difference between the EOS 50D and the EOS 40D (one of the only differences in fact, as far as handling is concerned) is the improved LCD screen.

The extra resolution, and the addition of three anti-reflective coatings makes a huge difference to clarity and visibility in both bright and poor light. Arguably, the EOS 50D is the first Canon DSLR that really shows sharp images as properly sharp on the LCD, which makes checking critical focus in playback much easier than it was in the past.

A tangential benefit of the extra resolution is that the Live View image is much crisper, especially when the 5x and 10x magnification options are selected, for fine-tuning manual focus.

Technologies Explained

CMOS
Canon’s CMOS technology is one of the company’s key competitive advantages, with noise reduction circuitry at each pixel site delivering virtually noise-free images. In comparison with CCD technology, the lower power consumption characteristics of Canon’s CMOS sensors also contribute to longer battery life.

Signal conversion in Canon’s CMOS sensors is handled by individual amplifiers at each pixel site. Unnecessary charge transfer operations are avoided, vastly speeding up the process of getting signal to the image processor. Noise generation is reduced, power consumption is limited and faster frame rate potential is increased.

DIGIC
Image data captured by the CMOS sensor is processed by Canon’s purpose-built DIGIC image processors before being written to the camera's memory card. DIGIC technology uses advanced image processing algorithms to ensure precise, natural colours, accurate white balance, and advanced noise reduction. Ultra-fast processing speeds result in highly responsive camera operation and near-instant start-up times.

DIGIC chips work with a high speed DDR-SDRAM image buffer – reading, processing, compressing and writing image data fast enough to keep the buffer clear during long continuous shooting bursts. And because DIGIC integrates all key processing functions, power consumption is kept to a minimum.

EOS Integrated Cleaning System
The EOS Integrated Cleaning System combats sensor dust in three important ways: Reduce, Repel and Remove.

1. Reduce - Internal camera mechanisms are designed to minimise dust generation. The redesigned body cap prevents dust generation through wear on the cap itself.

2. Repel - Anti-static technologies, including a special fluorine coating, are applied to the low-pass filter covering the front of the sensor so as not to attract dust.

3. Remove - A Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit uses hi-frequency vibrations to shake dust from the infrared filter for a period of approximately one second after each start up. For instant shooting after power up, this feature is disabled immediately the shutter release is depressed.

Canon has also developed an internal Dust Delete Data system, which can map the position of visible dust on the sensor. This can then be deleted automatically after the shoot with the latest Digital Photo Professional software.

Picture Style
Picture Style pre-sets simplify in-camera control over image qualities. Picture Style pre-sets can be likened to different film types – each one offering a different colour response. Within each selectable pre-set, photographers have control over sharpness, contrast, colour tone and saturation. The camera’s factory default configuration is set to deliver immediately-usable JPEG images without need for additional menu settings. Picture Style presets applied to a RAW image can be revised with Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software.

Features at a glance:

* 15.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
* 6.3fps continuous shooting, max. burst 90 JPEGs with UDMA card
* DIGIC 4 processor
* ISO 100-3200, expandable to 12800
* 9-point wide area AF
* 3.0” Clear View VGA LCD with Live View mode & Face Detection Live AF
* Magnesium alloy body, with environmental protection
* EOS Integrated Cleaning System
* HDMI connection for high quality viewing and playback on a High Definition TV
* Full compatibility with Canon EF and EF-S lenses and EX-series Speedlites

Outstanding, clean images

A newly designed 15.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor delivers ultra-detailed, low-noise images – ideal for large-scale reproduction or creative cropping. New manufacturing processes, plus redesigned photo diodes and microlenses, extend the light gathering capabilities of the sensor – allowing more pixels to be fitted on the CMOS sensor without compromising image quality. These changes ensure improved high ISO performance and low noise. High-speed, low light shooting is enabled by ISO levels of 3200, expandable to an ultra-sensitive 12800.

The EOS Integrated Cleaning System – including the improved Self Cleaning Sensor Unit with a new fluorine coating – increases protection of image quality by helping to reduce, repel and remove unwanted dust from the sensor. Stubborn particles can be removed automatically in post-production with Dust Delete Data and Canon’s included Digital Photo Professional software.

Improved interface

Still on the subject of the screen, the menu system of the EOS 50D not only looks better now than it did in the 40D, it is also better organised, and a new 'Quick Control Screen', activated by pressing the AF selection joystick in, offers immediate access to the camera's key settings.

The only function that I really wish was better signposted is mirror lock-up, which is critical for long-exposure and macro shots, yet remains stubbornly buried in a custom function menu.

The AF and metering systems of the EOS 40D and 50D are effectively the same, and the 9-point AF system is very reliable in most situations, although noticeably less positive in very low light than the 45-point system offered in the EOS 1D/s Mark III.

Improved white balance

As far as metering is concerned, highlight detail is well-preserved in scenes that feature large bright areas (like a landscape on a cloudy day) but can be lost if midtones or dark shades make up the majority of the image captured. In the rare instances where evaluative metering doesn't deliver the desired result, 'spot' metering (3.8%) and partial metering modes are available for more precise exposure measurement.

White balance seems a little improved from the EOS 40D, but this is an impression, rather than a proven (or provable) fact. Warm evening and morning sunlight can be somewhat 'overneutralised', but in general, AWB can be relied upon to deliver pleasing colours in most situations.

With strong colour casts - especially those caused by artificial lighting - a custom white balance setting is the only way to go for maximum accuracy, but this is true of all automatic white balance systems.

So the EOS 50D improves on the EOS 40D in terms of handling, and offers refined functionality and a better interface - are the images any better.

You'll need a good lens

Well, yes and no. Yes because with 50% more pixels, in optimal lighting conditions the new sensor was bound to record more detail, and it does. Resolution is clearly higher than the EOS 40D, although the 50D is proportionally more punishing of poor lenses, and the kit option 18-55mm EF-S f/3.5-5.6 IS for example is a poor companion for the sensor.

In decent light, with a good lens attached, the EOS 50D is Canon's best performing APS-C format DSLR yet. Unfortunately, the smaller pixels mean that noise does become noticeable at ISO settings above ISO 400, even in JPEG files.

With in-camera noise reduction turned off, chroma (colour) noise is just visible in areas of fine detail at ISO 400, and increases to unpleasant levels by ISO 2000, getting worse until by ISO 12,800 you may as well photograph a pile of Smarties.

Banding is a problem

Activating in-camera noise reduction helps (the EOS 50D features four levels of noise reduction, from 'off' to 'heavy'), and even at ISO 6400 and 12,800, JPEG files still give the impression of adequate (if not particularly good) detail resolution, because chroma noise is flattened into mush in areas that don't really matter - ie areas of even tone.

Unfortunately, banding is harder to conceal, and even at ISO 1600, some banding is apparent, sneaking into midtone and shadow areas, especially in the blue channel. Shooting in raw is a very good idea at ISO settings of 3200 and above, because the supplied Digital Photo Professional software does an extremely good job of automatically reducing noise levels whilst keeping the impression of sharpness fairly high, but if you prefer to use Adobe's Camera Raw (with Photoshop) you're in for a nasty surprise.

Whereas files from the Nikon D300 and D90 can quickly be rendered perfectly acceptable at their maximum extension ISO setting of ISO 6400, those from the Canon EOS 50D look nasty in comparison, and using ACR 4.6 (beta) I struggled to reduce noise to the point where it was genuinely inoffensive.

That said, anyone that intends to make small prints of A4 or less is unlikely to be bothered by noise levels up to ISO 2000, which many people - myself included - would regard as perfectly acceptable performance from an enthusiasts' DSLR.

Conclusion

The problem here is one of Canon's own making. By giving the EOS 50D a maximum ISO setting of 12,800, Canon is effectively claiming to outperform the Nikon D300 in low light, and in the same breath, implying that it can compete with other cameras which go that high, like the Nikon D3 and D700.

It cannot. What the EOS 5OD can do, however, it does very well, and the increased resolution and more advanced functionality makes it Canon's best mid-range DSLR yet. I expect it to be around £1000 by Christmas, and at that point, the 50D will be extremely competitive. If the closely related EOS 40D slips below £500 though, it may yet prove the more attractive camera.

GEEK SCORE 8.5/10

The Keyboard of the future: Optimus Tactus

2008-10-02T23:10:00.005+07:00

Here is some intresting pictures of the Optimus Tactus, a concept keyboard featuring OLED Technology developed by Art Lebedec Studio. The Tactus is a giant touch sensor display tablet keyboard that does so much more than the Maximus.

The keyboard itself has no physical keys which means there are no restrictions on their shape and size.

Any part of the keyboard surface can be programmed to perform any function or to display any images.

The Optimus Maximus keyboard looks and sounds amazing but then has one big let down, its only a concept…but then again all products have to start with a dream. The only thing we don't get: the name. Tactus? Touch-sensitive doesn't exactly shout tactility to us, but since it's all just theoretical at this point, maybe by the time keyboards like this exist we'll all be typing on shape-shifting tactile membranes overlaid on touchscreens. That is, if Apple's patents haven't already blocked everyone else off from going there.

What do you think?

Thermaltake BlacX-A Sata HDD 3.55/2.55 Review

2008-09-28T17:42:00.005+07:00

With the changing face of computing someone needed to come up with a fast, easy, hot swappable method of docking hard drives to a desktop or laptop that doesn't involve seating it in an enclosure or case, yet provide enough protection to read or write to the drive then move on to the next drive easily. Thermaltake decided to fill that need and designed their BlacX line of docking stations. We felt the need for this type of storage so when we got the chance to test the Thermaltake BlacX SE we were ready to see if it would fit the bill

SATA may be an interface that supports hot swap, but in reality, how often is it truly taken advantage of and used for the purpose of hot swapping? More than often, it's no more than just an array of disks residing inside our computers that ends up rarely moved. For an external interface, eSATA is nice and all for its performance, but to an extent that's really an extension of an internal storage medium to external hard drives -- hot swap is necessary as what's that made USB so popular, but it doesn't really solve the problem of having a need to go through a bunch of internal SATA hard drives quickly. For example, some users need it for testing hard drives, while others want to quickly pull some data off a drive without installing it in another computer. As far as I'm concerned, there's one product in the market that has gained immense popularity and tons of internet hype that allows you to quickly swap internal SATA hard drives without ripping anything apart to get the job done. And that's the Thermaltake BlacX, an HDD docking station. Let's see how it gets its job done, and to what extent it has done well.

Before we move on, let's take a look at Thermaltake's BlacX specifications, as obtained from Thermaltake's website:

Model: N0028USU
Interface: SATA to USB 2.0
Transfer Rate: Up to 480 Mbps (Max)
SATA Compatible: SATA I & II
HDD Compatible: All 2.5” or 3.5” SATA HDD up to 1TB
OS Compatible: Windows Vista/XP/2003/2000/NT/98/95, Mac OS 10.3 and later
RoHS Compliance: Yes
Material: ABS Plastic
Power Input: 100-240V / 50-60Hz / 1A ; Output: 12V / 2A
Dimension: (L x W x H) 5.12” x 3.55” x 2.56” / 130 x 90 x 65 mm

Testing

To test the BlacX we hooked it to an XP/Vista dual boot testing station that has enough horsepower so that it wouldn't throttle the data transfer. We used a 3 1/2 inch Western Digital 16 Meg Cache 250 Gig drive with the model number, WD2500AAKS and a 2 1/2 inch 80 Gig Toshiba with an 8 Meg Cache, model number MK8037GSX. Both drives are Sata 2 and should provide enough speed to saturate the 480 Mbit transfer speed USB 2.0 is theoretically capable of providing.

For testing we ran HDTach 3.0.4.0 both the 8 Meg and 32 Meg test on both drives in XP and Vista which were both the 32 bit versions. We ran each test 3 times and the average of the three tests are given as results.

To test the 4 port hub we tried a variety of devices from another docking station to a mouse and keyboard combo and a Yoggie Pico Gatekeeper security device. Every thing we connected (even 4 at a time) worked with no noticeable lag but we removed the devices before testing the hard drives because we didn't want to interfere with the bandwidth of the interface.

Hard Drive
3 1/2 Inch WD Test Results

XP 8 Meg XP 32 Meg Vista 8 Meg Vista 32 Meg
Random Access Time* (ms) 16.5 16.4 16.5 16.5
Average Read Time (MB/sec) 34.6 35.8 34.6 34.2
CPU Utilization* 2% 2% 2% 3%
Burst Speed (MB/sec) 34.6 34.8 35.1 35.2

*Lower is Better ... Otherwise Higher is Better

As you can see there were no real surprises in transfer rates or burst speeds, a USB interface runs at between 28 MB and 37 MB steady as long as it's not an ancient hard drive or the system throttles the speed. It's advantage doesn't come in speed but in portability and ease of use. We were able to change drives in just a few seconds to start the 2 1/2 inch drive tests. We tested the hot swapping feature during this drive transfer and it felt a little weird to yank a still spinning drive out of the cradle and insert the 2 1/2 inch drive and it worked fine. It was unnerving but it worked.

The Thermaltake BlacX is a very innovative product -- it fills in the market niche of providing enthusiasts or even someone at a computer shop a high level of convenience when the user needs to swap and go through multiple hard drives really quickly. The Thermaltake BlacX not only puts an excellent idea into action, but it also implements it very well. From its excellent design to great USB performance, there are things to look into that they can fix. Minor things include the placement of the power button, and maybe something to physically block the ejection of hard drives when it is turned on. Other aspects include possible support for PATA drives, and at press time -- Thermaltake just released an eSATA version of the BlacX to add the missing eSATA support in addition to USB. Whatever it may be, do yourself a favor and get the eSATA version -- the plain USB-only version is nice, but if the eSATA version is available, why not get it? Other than that, the Thermaltake BlacX is simple, well built, affordable, and readily available. Got lots of SATA drives lying around? Work at a computer shop? This is indispensable!

Conclusion

The Thermaltake BlacX SE came out of the box ready to go, make a couple of easy connections shove a drive in it and boot up the system and you're using the docking station with a minimum of effort. Wait until the data is done transferring and you can hot swap drives if you're stout of heart. It transfers data in the typical USB transfer range and does it with a respectable average Access time.

It looks good on the desk, handles both 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 inch sata drives up to 1TB and no tools are required for swapping drives.

The power cable could have been a little longer and the docking station does leave the back of the hard drive exposed to dust but other than that we really couldn't find fault with the docking station. The only other thing we noticed was that in the manual it didn't tell us not to lick the drive while it was in operation (you don't want to know).

Pros:

+ 4 port Hub
+ Hot Swappable
+ 3 1/2 & 2 1/2 inch capable
+ Up to 1 TB drive
+ Supports a lot of Operating Systems
+ Reliable

Cons:

- Power cord could have been longer
- Drive back open to dust
- Can't lick the drive when in operation

The Thermaltake BlacX SE performed as well as any USB docking station we've seen but without the additional hassle of mounting the drives in an enclosure. It looks good on the desk and provides an additional 4 port USB hub that is really handy.

GEEKSCORE : 7.5/10

Logitech Dinovo Edge Review

2008-09-25T22:28:00.010+07:00

We go hands on with the "world's most advanced keyboard."

Introduction:

Small, wireless, and packed with a plethora of useful features. These are some of the more common traits in the keyboard that most people desire. For me, it has been an ongoing search for the perfect keyboard, but I still haven't found the keyboard of my dreams. Could Logitech's diNovo Edge be the keyboard that many of us are looking for? Will it prove superior to other popular keyboards on the market? Let's go ahead and see what this keyboard offers that others don't. We'll be examining this keyboard very thoroughly to get a good idea for what type of user the keyboard is ideal for and just how practical and useful it is.

Logitech is one of the front runners in today's input-device market. The company provides some of the most innovative, high quality, and honest products to users across the board. Logitech has something for everyone. The company strives to stay among the elite in their respective market.

Closer Look:

The retail box that the diNovo Edge is packaged in is very professional looking. On the side of the box, I was really surprised to see the claim of "The World's Most Advanced Keyboard" and I'm excited to see if it really is. The back of the box displays some of the key features, such as the TouchDisc onboard mouse. The volume control on the keyboard really caught my attention while I was looking at the box.

The Dinovo Edge has quite a few innovative features.
It boasts and extremely long battery life. A 5 minute quick charge should last at least a day, and a full 2 hour charge is good for over 1 month of use. If stored on its Charging stand such long battery life becomes nearly moot.
Using Bluetooth the response rate is excellent.
The keys are quite slim and about half-height. The bottom row of keys, which includes the space bar, are slightly more raised than the other keys.

Along the left are flush buttons containing the Zoom keys, Sleep key, and an extra left mouse click button.
Along the right are the volume control and the TouchDisc.

The most striking features of this keyboard are the innovative volume control, and the round TouchDisc.
The volume control is touch sensitive and contains no moving parts. As one slides ones finger up and down small lights follow the finger and the volume adjusts accordingly. It is a very cool effect, and has been likened to a Star Trek type interface.
The TouchDisc is quite nice. It has built in horizontal and vertical scrolling. One just needs to rotate ones finger around the edge to scroll up and down, sort of like an iPod.
The TouchDisc has a softly glowing ring around it when used. Left and Right buttons are positioned underneath it as well as a spare Left button on the left face of the keyboard.

Typing feel is the most important part of a keyboard for many users, myself included. Logitech used what they call the PerfectStroke key system in the Logitech diNovo Edge Keyboard. This system utilizes a micro-scissors mechanism to distribute typing force evenly across key surfaces for fluid and natural typing. That really does not tell you how typing feels on the keyboard.

The keys have a slight click as they are depressed and do not feel spongy at all. Personally, I dislike overly clicky keys and keys with lots of resistance to the key press. I found the keys on the diNovo edge to be a fantastic compromise between dead silent keys and keys that click loudly. The diNovo edge is a typist’s keyboard.

The thin profile of the Logitech diNovo Edge Keyboard makes for very comfortable typing with extended use. The Edge is only 11mm thick making for a very natural wrist and hand position during use. If you are like me and spend most of the day pounding away at your keyboard, the thin profile goes al long way to reduce pain from having to flex your wrists on typical keyboards.

Another cool feature that you don’t really see in images of the diNovo Edge are the hidden media control keys. When you hold down the FN keys amber lights above the function keys illuminate giving you access to the hot keys for media controls and quick links to your favorite search engine, email, VOIP service, email and other applications you map to the keys. Logitech also integrated controls on the left side of the keyboard that allow you to change the amount of zoom when using applications like Word and Excel.

Conclusion:

This keyboard really blew me away. It weighs practically nothing and takes up hardly any desk space. Being wireless definitely cleans the desk up quite a bit as well. This keyboard was easy to install and took almost no time to configure to my needs. The Media Center buttons really gave this keyboard the upper hand on my other keyboards because of the way they are presented. The volume slider has LEDs that follow your finger when you scroll up or down to change the volume. The TouchDisc pad lights up when you use it and all of the Function (F) hot keys light up when you hold the "Fn" key down and use them. All of the image editing buttons also light up their respective symbol when you press them. This keyboard's color scheme looks very professional and clean. Speaking of clean, I was so surprised when I saw that Logitech included a shammy to clean the keyboard of any fingerprints it may have. The only negative thing that I have for this keyboard is that it has no number pad, which can be bad for some users, but I think for the majority it isn't an issue. I was simply amazed when I saw that this keyboard can last for 60 days when fully charged; that just blows my mind. I agree with Logitech's claim that the diNovo Edge is "The World's Most Advanced Keyboard" because it truly is a remarkable keyboard that won't be replaced anytime soon. Do not pass up this keyboard if you're in the market for a slim, wireless, feature-rich keyboard.

Pros:

* Wireless
* Rechargeable
* Full Charge Lasts for 60 Days
* TouchDisc Integrated Mouse
* Media Center Keys

Cons:

* No Number Pad

GEEK RATING : 9.5/10

LG Scarlet 42LG6100 Super Slim

2008-09-20T22:53:00.001+07:00

LG-scarlet-42LG6100-super-slim-tv

LG introduced its thin super slim LCD TV 42LG6100 sexy scarlet featuring advanced intelligent sensor. With 42 inch HD ready, scarlet 42LG6100has been awarded as design and engineering showcase honors 2008.

The LG6100 includes advanced technology TruMotion 100Hz eliminate motion blur, even in rapid sequence of action, and a dynamic contrast ratio up to 50,000:1. The Scarlet TV come with 1080 pixel with built in digital freeview, 100 Hz, XD Engine, 4x HDMI and USB 2.0 (JPEG/MP3 playback).

Toshiba Qosmio X305 Gamer Laptop

2008-09-20T22:49:00.002+07:00

Toshiba has been announce their new gamer notebook - Toshiba Cosmio X305 with 17″ diagonal TruBrite widescreen display. Power by Intel Core 2 Processor T7350 and memory up to 4GB PC3-8500 DDR3 1066 MHz SDRAM.

toshiba-qosmio-X305

The Qosmio X305 said by Toshiba is an ultimate portable gaming machine which the color like tribal style with red and black color. With 4 GB DDR3 RAM you can enjoy the full throttle game without any glitch. The dual high speed hard disk drive 400GB on dual 200GB 7200 rpm make Qosmio X305 load faster and let you devote a player games, and give you all the room you need.

toshiba-cosmio-X305The stereo speaker on the Toshiba laptop come from Harman Kardon speakers with sub-woofer. It’s not two but four speaker with high-fidelity capability. With 17 inch widescreen display at 1680×1050 (WSXGA+) resolution, the brightness, color saturation and contrast also overall image quality really unbelievable. You must see it to prove it!

The qosmio 305 have advance connectivity like S/P DIF and REGZA Link HDMI ports. It can make you on tap into home theater system to play your favorite games and run it using a remote control system. The graphic card using NVIDIA 512 MB GeForce 9700M GTS REGZA LINK which also support for the Harman Kardon speaker system.

The price available for the series X305-Q701 for USD 1,550 and it’s already available on the market. If you already purchase it, you can share your experience using Toshiba Qosmio X305 on the comment :)

Logitech Goes Super Thin With The Illuminated Keyboard

2008-09-20T22:45:00.000+07:00

Logitech announced three new keyboards today. The most notable of the three, is the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard. It’s a svelte .37-inches thick - Logitech’s thinnest keyboard yet - and features their PerfectStroke key system (please, keep your teenage snickers to a minimum), which presumambly provide’s a butter smooth like typing experience (think Macbook keyboard). They’ve also included an adjustable backlight for in the dark typing, a palm rest and complete keyboard with F keys and keypad.

The Logitech Illuminated keyboard will be available October 2008 for $80

Sonic Lighter iPhone App

2008-09-20T22:40:00.000+07:00

Whose says 99 cents don’ t buy squat! For that exact same price, not a penny more, Smule has released the Sonic Lighter app for the iPhone. Taking advantage of the iPhone mic and speakers, users can ignite adjacent Sonic Lighters or blow out the flame. They’ve also added a ‘global flame map’ where you can view fellow piros activity. Lighting it just takes a simple swipe of the screen flint.

Samsung NC10 10.2″ Netbook Launches

2008-09-20T22:11:00.001+07:00

Samsung have today announced the release of their Toshiba beater, the NC10. You may remember the Raon Everun being shipped the other day. Well if you were impressed by those specs then these will send you to notebook heaven. Carrying a maximum of 160GB of storage, 1.3 megapixel camera, WiFi and Bluetooth. The screen is 10.2-inch SuperBright Non-Gloss LED which allows for easy viewing outdoors, ‘Protect-o-Edge’ casing so when it crashes you can throw it out the window. They even include an antibacterial keyboard that uses ‘incredibly small, nano-sized silver ion powder’ to kill every germ imaginable!

Released in October to Europe the price is still unknown.