Monday, 16 April 2012
Spotify has a ‘special announcement’ to make on Wednesday
Phosphor Appear watch review
Anyone who knows me know that I love anything pink. Throw some rhinestones in, and that's the icing on the cake. That's why it was love at first sight when I noticed the Phosphor Appear watch on the wrist of a stranger at CES. Seriously, a watch that uses Swarovski crystals to display the time? After seeing it in action, we put it to the test. I've had the Phosphor Appear for a couple of weeks now. Is the watch as good as I first thought? Read on for our full review.
I wasn't in the market for a new watch. My last purchase was the Toy Watch that I saw in The Blind Side which I loved from the first moment I saw Sandra Bullock wearing it. While we were at CES in Las Vegas I saw the Phosphor watch on a woman's wrist, and it was my Sandra Bullock moment all over again. It was striking, and I had to have it! Since I'm in a relationship with a man who reviews and reports on electronics and gadgets for a living, I get to see some pretty cool things on a daily basis. That said, whenever someone asks me my opinion on my favorite thing at CES 2012, my answer is always the pink rhinestone Phosphor watch. The Phosphor Appear has a nylon band or leather strap but the "nylon" is more like a plastic, very similar to what I have with the Toy Watch. I wish they didn't use the word nylon to describe it since it makes me think of a stretchy fabric which, to me, isn't cute. This watch is very cute!
USING THE PHOSPHOR APPEAR
The way the watch works is pretty cool. When you first see it, it looks like the time is being displayed through a bunch of crystals. You can even decide to not show any time at all, which makes it look like you're just wearing a face of beautiful Swarovski crystals on a strap. If you push the top button you will display the time mode and see the hour and minutes. If you press the bottom button then the seconds are displayed which will stay ticking away for one minute.
There is a mechanical tick that goes with this watch and this was not something I enjoyed at first but over time I noticed it less and some people might find it soothing. If it really bothers you, you can change the view back to the all-crystal view and you don't hear anything. Since the price is fairly reasonable at $225 USD for the nylon version (and $249 for the leather strap,) we would definitely recommend the Phosphor Appear. With all of the Swarovski crystals in there, and the eye-catching look, it really does feel like a nice, functional piece of jewelry. I also love a watch with a larger face, and the Phosphor Appear, while not huge, is a little bigger than average.I think any of these styles would be a great gift for a teenager. Visit the Phosphor Web site to learn more about the Phosphor Appear, where you can view animated images to see how the watchface changes between displaying the time and counting seconds, as well as the "off" mode that hides the time altogether.
Read more here.
Thanks to Splashtop.com for the Windows 8 Metro Testbed
Click here to read more.
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Review : HTC Touch from myDigitalPort.com ~ Unboxing Review
Not really one of the latest gadget of the month, the HTC Touch HD is one of the exciting review we've picked from myDigitalport.com (based in Malaysia). We've done a quick unboxing to check out the insider parts of software. Definitely, HTC's Windows Mobile is one of the best mobile operating systems for handling on-screen dialing, so it won't sounds so burdening when it comes to software updates and technical support. But my only complaint relates to most touch-screen smartphone devices is to controll the volume when the phone's ringing.
It's not perfect though, and potential buyers in Asian markets should notice a few weaknesses in HTC GPS positioning. HTC Touch HD offers a wide range of tech-savvy features including WVGA resolution display screen, 5 Megapixels camera, GPS, 3G, and the latest version of Microsoft Windows Mobile. The combination of a large, high resolution touchscreen, faster processor, and excellent battery life makes it a winner among those looking for a highly reliable, tech-savvy smartphone. According to the myDigitalport.com Software Development specialist, thе Touch Diamond 2 dеfіnіtеlу brings ѕοmе kick іntο thе Windows Mobile market, bυt hοw dοеѕ іt stack against the smartphone competitors? Let's see.
No doubt, acting as a smartphone isn't the HTC Touch HD's strongest point. Even at myDigitalport.com, this model was not well accepted by buyers due to the technology features and the pre-installed applications were too 'stingy' compared to other competitor's brands such as Sony Ericson's Android devices and Apple iPhone. This is a device created to emphasize the 'smart' feature of a smartphone, while the 'phone' itself is secondary. Unlike other smartphones, this model does not come with numberpad hardware, so you'll have to do all your dialing either by choosing names out of the contact book or with a non-screen numberpad.
As soon as a call is received, a single tap of the button picks up the call, or a tap of another one sends it to voicemail. Being a touchscreen device makes it's too easy to accidentally hitting one of these buttons. More often than not, when I get a call and pull the device out of my pocket I find I'm either already talking to the person or they're already talking to my voicemail. The first impressions about the packaging : Excellent for both myDigitalport.com and HTC . We took quite a few days to review the hardware performances and took a few shots. Thanks to Mr. Fred Teoh for getting us this device from myDigitalport.com for having us receiving it delivered from Malaysia.View more on myDigitalPort.com/my
Fortunately, the screen display is worth all the attraction : a 3.8 inches and 800 by 480 pixels of sheer screen beauty. That's so big that we never find ourselves squinting when looking at anything on the screen, while playing games or tuning the HD videos on Youtube. The HTC Touch also comes with a stylus touch pointer, which is totally unnecessary. Afterall, most Windows Mobile phones were designed work with the stylus touch pointer, and many of the items that need to be tapped on are therefore small.
Thursday, 15 March 2012
Bioshock Infinite to hit stores this October
After much secrecy from Irrational Games, Bioshock Infinite's release date was finally announced last week. If you live in the United States, you can expect to pick up a copy on October 16, while international gamers can expect to see it in stores a few days later on October 19. Also, it may be worth noting that the PC version of the game will be released on the same dates. That's very unusual, but hey, this is Bioshock after all. We don’t expect to hear too much more about the game for a while, at least not until E3 2012.
Read more here : GearLive
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Green Tech : How air freshener research led to a new fuel-cell charger for phones
Fuel cell gadget charger PowerTrekk is finally hits store shelves in the States. Starting May 2012, you can head to outdoor equipment store REI to purchase this nifty device, which charges electronics with only water.
PowerTrekk first debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show 2012. The small device can charge cell phones, MP3 players, and eventually laptops with the addition of mere tap water. The key is a special reaction that produces hydrogen on demand, which is stored in a hydrogen fuel cell battery. All you have to do is pour water into the device to start charging whatever your heart desires (so long as it can be charged with a USB cable).
The water is confined to a PowerPukk, a small disc that holds the powder and can be sealed up after the water is added. That way you don’t accidentally spill water all over the iPhone you’re trying to charge. The PowerTrekk charger is currently available in parts of Europe and slowly making its way to the U.S., retailing for $230. By the end of this summer, you’ll be able to buy them at REI stores across the United States.
The science behind PowerTrekk was developed by Michael Lefenfeld of Signa Chemistry. Lefenfeld’s grandfather challenged him to create a bathroom air freshener, never realizing he’d wind up with reaction that could produce hydrogen.
“My grandfather was a vain man who had stopped smoking in later years, so he no longer carried matches around. He wanted an air freshener for the restroom,” said Lefenfeld in an interview with VentureBeat.
He used his chemistry background to develop a metallic powder-based air freshener that could go in the toilet. The powder had one key problem though: When combined with water it would ignite. After some tinkering, Lefenfeld removed the combustible aspect of the reaction, but was pleased to discover he could now create hydrogen on demand.
“I started working on the science side, I found that the material would react with water and produce hydrogen in a controllable reaction,” Lefenfeld said.
Fuel cell company MyFC got wind of Lefenfeld’s discovering and saw the great potential in creating hydrogen by mixing water and small amounts of the metal powder. The company realized it could use the hydrogen in a fuel-cell battery set up and wound up developing PowerTrekk.
Signa Chemistry grew out of the air freshener project, becoming a full-fledged business that specializes in stabilizing reactive metals. Other companies took notice of Lefenfeld’s work for consumer applications.
Lefenfeld’s hydrogen-producing powder is also used in Pedego electric bicycles. He hopes that his chemical discovery will be used to replace “noisy gas generators,” and will push forward an overall trend of greener energy solutions.
Other fuel-cell chargers have popped up in the last few years, most notably the Horizon MinPak. The device uses a special cartridge to create hydrogen, but isn’t mass marketed. You can only purchase the MiniPak from Horizon’s website and you must inquire for pricing information.
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Green Technology : Ahalife gets $10.1M in its shopping cart
Ahalife, an online shop for curated one-of-a-kind, luxury wares, has raised $10.1 million in a second round of funding.
It must be hard to be rich. You’ve already bought everything new from Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, and Saks, so where else can you shop for something more unique than the latest $5,000 Hermes handbag? You take to the Internet to buy the most exclusive, luxury gifts — like a $10,000 bag made from crocodile skin.
Ahalife’s founder and chief executive Shauna Mei has an impressive fashion background; prior to Ahalife, she started a business with former Marc Jacobs chief executive Jeffrey Aronsson, Donna Karan, and Oscar de la Renta. Wanting to offer the most unique luxury goods out there, she created Ahalife to sell hand-selected products.
Ahalife reveals one new product every day from one of its celebrity curators — people like designer Donna Karan, fashion consultant Tim Gunn, and makeup artist Carmindy. Each product has a thoughtfully written story about where it came from, how it was made, and why it’s worth its price tag. The site’s inventory is made up of clothing, food, beauty products, accessories, home decor, and tech products, along with travel experiences.
Services such as Of a Kind, Gilt, and Fab, offer similar shopping experiences to Ahalife. Of a Kind offers small-batch items for sale, so you know you’re one of only 20 people who own a specific designer handbag. Gilt and Fab are more focused on finding you a good deal while still shopping for higher-end, hand-picked products.
The funding will be used to grow the company. Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten led the round, with participation from existing investors DCM and FirstMark Capital. The company has raised a total of $19.1 million.
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