Fred's Daily Rants

New Blog For The PC Enthusiast

2008-09-17T17:16:00.000-07:00

There is a new blog out which I created for PC related matters. If you are a PC enthusiast, check out this blog:

http://pctorque.blogspot.com/

Burning Movies to DVD

2008-07-01T19:21:00.000-07:00

The different formats that video files come in can be mind blogging at times. These include avi, divx, xvid, mov, mkv, flv , mpeg-1, mpeg2-, mpeg-4, nsv, dvr-ms, tivo, ts, ifo, vob, asf, wmv, realmedia, rm, rmvb, ogm... phew!

Like many people, I wished that there is just one standard format, but it is not the case. So what do you do when you have downloaded movies in for instance, avi format, and want to burn them to a DVD to watch it in the comfort of your living room?

My journey began trying out big names all-in-one DVD burning solutions such as Nero 8 and Roxio Easy Media Creator 10, but did not get a satisfactory result from them. Nero 8 now requires you to purchase seperate plugins for different purposes, and is bugged with errors, and Roxio is not user friendly to me as well, and I ended up wasting a lot of DVDs and time encoding attempting to burn movies, only to end up in failure.

Next, my journey brought me to source for other simpler solutions. I have tried many, including DVDflick, but was disappointed at the quality of the final video output. Then, I found my solution. It is called ConvertX to DVD. This is a much simpler DVD burning solution package that encodes different video formats to DVD and burns it as well. Although it is not as fancy as others I have tested, the encoding is fast, it has enough settings for the important options, I can squeeze in 4 full length movies to a DL DVD-R, and you can create a simple menu as well. The output quality is great, and audio is in sync, and it gets the job done well. You want something that works without the fancy dressings, this is for you.

The following is a demo from youtube:

Evo X vs STi Video Reviews

2008-06-15T18:43:00.000-07:00

Adopting a Husky

2008-06-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

If you would like to adopt a husky in Singapore, please bear in mind that you have to live in a private property. Please click here to find out what is available.

Dog Grooming in Singapore

2008-06-14T07:15:00.000-07:00

Dog lovers exist even in the tiny island of Singapore. Yes, is it any surprise? Well, as part of dog ownership, sooner or later you got to hit the groomers, unless your dog is one with short fur, or a skinned dog.:)

Personally, I have tried many, some good, some not so good. As a personal note, I hate groomers which cage dry the dogs. I think it is inhumane, and have caused death in the past. Would you like to be locked up in a cage and have a warm fan being blown at you? I guess not, and why would you put your dogs through it? Simple question-simple answer.

After many experiences, I finally found a groomer which is pretty good, and their cuts are reasonably priced as well. They even have a pick up service, which I find really convenient. Their description of services is as follows:

Basic Grooming: Cleaning of ears, cutting nails, bath, expression of anal glands, blow dry, clearing of fur under pawpads & sanitary clip.Charges starting from $25 depending on the size of your dog.

Full Grooming: Cleaning of ears, cutting nails, bath, expression of anal glands, blow dry, clearing of fur under pawpads, sanitary clip and clipping/ shaving/ styling to your liking. Charges starting from $45 depending on the size of your dog.

Their contact number is: 64743115. Give them a try.

I'm Back!

2008-06-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

After a long absence from doing some regional project works, I am finally back to base and can start blogging again. To all of my friends out there, thanks for reading my blog, and hope to catch up with you all soon.

Cheers!

My Xbox Live Gametag

2007-10-12T19:30:00.000-07:00

Having recently acquired my Halo Xbox 360 console through a promotion (meaning it's free) :), I am a pretty new gamer to the Xbox collection of games. If you would like to, feel free to add me as friends to your Xbox Live.

My gametag is as follows:

Review of Xbox 360 Messenger Kit - Chatpad

2007-10-11T17:17:00.000-07:00

"Chatting with friends and family on Xbox LIVE® and Windows-based PCs is easy using the Xbox 360 Messenger Kit. This device easily connects to any Xbox 360 controller and provides easy to use chat capabilities while maintaining gameplay functionality in one easy-to-hold device. The Messenger Kit includes a Chatpad and Xbox 360 Headset."

The chatpad is an add-on accessory for the xbox 360 controller. It clips on seamlessly to the standard controller without a hitch, and it makes you realize how great the design of xbox accessories really are. Integration is key here.

But you may wonder, why would you need a chatpad on a console made for gaming? Well, there will be instances where you need to enter text, for instance on the xbox Live dashboard, or sending short messages to friends, or simply chatting online by entering some text. You can do without the chatpad by manually entering each letter and symbol using the standard coontroller, but it is painfully slow. The chatpad is a welcome addition to solve this problem.

What is great about the chatpad is that, it does not need any batteries to run it, instead, it draws power from your controller itself. You have a full keyboard style array of buttons on the chatpad, with keys larger than standard PDA phones, which makes clicking on the right keys a breeze. The buttons even light up with a white illumination, which makes entering text in the dark possible.

The package comes with a wired headset which you can connect to the audio jack at the bottom of the chatpad. Everything about the chatpad is great, and the only thing that is bad is that, it adds some weight to your controller, which makes the controller tiresome to hold after long hours of gaming. All in all, it is a highly recommended accessory.

Two Exciting New Honda Concepts To Be Unveiled At Tokyo Motor Show, 2007

2007-10-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

•CR-Z hybrid sportscar concept breaks cover
•Funky ‘gel body’ fuel cell project revealed

Two striking new concept models will make their world premieres at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show later this month. The Honda CR-Z is a lightweight, two-seater sportscar equipped with Honda’s petrol-electric hybrid IMA powertrain. PUYO is a fuel cell vehicle designed to provide fun for both the driver and his or her surroundings.

Treo 500V - A Review

2007-10-11T06:16:00.000-07:00

The new Palm 500V is the latest in the Treo lineup from Palmone. When fans of the Treo asks for a new Treo design, this is not what they meant. Obviously, Palmone is not listening intently. Design is not ground breaking, and the screen looks too small for a truely innovative PDA phone.

That being said, let's take a deeper look at the phone. It runs on WM6, which may be a time for celebration for many. It opens up the oppoetunity for users to run the many WM enabled applications, and even local GPS software such as MapKing that used to be out of reach for Palm users. This is especially true for Asia, although in the USA and Europe, you have a wider range of options as far as GPS softwares go.

Glancing at the face of the 500V, you will notice that the querty keypad is a carry over from the 700 Treo series, which isn't a bad thing. Size of the keys itself is exactly the same as the 750V, and takes some getting used to if you are a new user to Treos.While a lot of other PDA phones are adopting the minimalist design without a full keypad, it sure is good news for the rest of us who like the ease and speed of typing with a full querty keypad.

The 500V is smaller in size than the 750V, it has grown more compact. In fact, it is the thinnest Treo to date measuring 110 x 61.5 x 16.5 mm. Being a Palm, the ease of use of the WM6 system is there, it gives it a customized look compared to other WM6 phones. One hated feature that this phone left out is threaded messenging. It gives your sms a threaded chat feel to it. Why on eath will Palm leave such a trademark feature out?

The 500V is a 3G phone, but leaves out HSDPA and no wifi as well. While we see other pda phones come with more features by the day, Palm always leaves something out that keeps the Treo user a little disappointed. It will be great to see wifi and HSDPA in a new phone like this. Internal memory is 256MB with a microSD expansion slot. It should really include 1GB of standard memory by the rate new phones are today. It has a 2MP camera, but with no flash and no autofocus. There isn't a front camera on this phone as well.

As usual, this Treo is a disappointment in terms of its feature set. Users' expectations of today's hot features have been ommitted. Unless you are a die hard Treo user, you may want to give this one a miss.

Honda Stream From Kah Motors - A Good Buy?

2007-10-11T05:39:00.000-07:00

If you are at all familiar with the Singapore car market, you will probably know that the MPV segment is a hot one, and demand is high. With increasingly new needs of space, seating capacity and in-car entertainment, it is not difficult to see why.

Now that the local authorized distributor "Kah Motors" is bringing in their own 1.8L model of the Stream, it sure does give the parallel importers some heated competition. But is it a good buy? Let's take a look at the specs. There are 2 models being offered by Kah Motors. Both are a 1.8 L model of the same car, only differentiated by the option of a sunroof. Both are rated at 103kw and 174Nm of torque. Detailed specs can be viewed here.

The standard model lists at SGD$80,000, with a top up of SGD$2000 for the sunroof.

Now this is where it gets interesting. The parallel import model, the 1.8 L RSZ model Stream, a top of the line model lists for exactly the same price at SGD$80,000. What you get on top of the standard Stream are features like paddle-shift, HID headlights, Aero kits, sport suspensions. To me that is worth at least SGD$3000 more.

It is easy to see that the RSZ is going to be a better buy, a better value for money, unless you are a really loyal client of Kah Motors. Servicing wise, you need not worry too much, there are plenty of good places to service your Stream.

Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter Review

2007-10-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

If you are at all familiar with today's console gaming, then I am sure you will agree that online game play is an important component. To be able to enjoy multiplayer gaming with friends and people around the globe just adds that replay value of your existing games.

That is why most people who owns an xbox 360 wants to go Live - Xbox Live. To be able to do so, apart from having an Xbox Live account, you have to have an internet connection. If you have your router sitting next to your Xbox 360, you are lucky, just plug it in to have a direct connection.

However, like a lot of us, the modem and router might be sitting in another room, while your Xbox console is in the living room. Then you need to go wireless. The wireless adapter from Xbox is a neat little package for you to connect to Xbox Live. It is small in size, and made especially for the xbox 360, so you know it will work. As you can see from the picture above, there isn't anything much to the design at all. Just the body, a stubby antenna, and a USB connector. Pretty neat. I like it not only because it looks simple and neat. The setup is easy too.

To set it up, just power up your Xbox 360, plug the wireless adapter in, and you are ready to go. It even clicks into place at the back of the xbox. Look how neat it is. Very thoughtful design and integration.

If you have a security enabled wireless network, no problems too. You can go through all the settings on your xbox itself. Simplicity and efferctiveness is what this product is all about. In short, if you want to go wireless, you can't go past this little gadget.

Windows Live Messenger (MSN) Error 1603

2007-09-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

It came to my attention that some of us are experiencing problems with MSN messenger. And when attempted to reinstall or upgrade to a later version, it returns with an error code 1603. It does not allow you to reinstall, and you are ended up with your MSN messenger not working.

After trying loads of other solutions, I only found this to have solved the problem. Check out the link here.

The Dawn of High Definition

2007-09-21T07:38:00.001-07:00

You've heard the marketing chatter, but in this article, we show you what high-definition capable hardware and content can offer you. Read on as we show you what's it like to watch movies, play games and capture videos, all in HD. Trust us, you will never want to turn back to standard definition after reading this.

read more | digg story

N-Gage returns from the ashes

2007-09-04T19:41:00.001-07:00

Nokia's game-centric mobile phone never quite caught on, but this time the mobile phone giant has a new approach to rope in the video game generation. The N81 goes into landscape mode for mobile gaming.Mention "N-Gage" to gamers and you will probably elicit a few snickers.

read more | digg story

2007 Toyota Rav 4 Review

2007-09-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

Before I start, the above is a fun commercial of the Toyota Rav 4. :)

Okay, now let's get down to business. The reason why I decided to do a review on this SUV is because of the fact that, it has become a very popular car, and over the weekend when I visited the showrooms, I was amazed at the fact that they were all sold out, with no fresh stocks for 2 months at least. Not even a demo car. Now, that is a feat!

The Toyota Rav 4. Year 2007. What is different? On first sight, you will notice that it is much longer than the previous model. It fact, it has a long wheel base measuring a wheelbase of 2660 mm. It looks like a grown up RAv 4, more luxurious and sophisticated. I think SUVs are heading that direction. Look at the CRV, same direction. The Rav 4 now measures 4600 mm in length, 1855 mm in width and and stands 1730 mm tall.

The car comes with Active Torque Control 4WD, which adopts an electronically controlled coupling for the front and rear differentials, and decides how much torque is split between the front and rear wheels. This means that road conditions are continuously being monitored to switch between 2WD and 4WD mode. It saves more fuel than a full time 4WD system, and seems the logical way to go.

Powering the Rav 4 for the Asean model is a 2.4l VVT-i engine, which produces 125kW of power and 224Nm of torque. The transmission is still a 4-speeder, and I think they should give it a 5-speeder as most competitors already do. Nevertheless, the drive is much more refined than the previous model. Minimum turning radius of the car is 5.3m, which is acceptable for a car of this size.

For safety, the Rav 4 comes with 4 wheel disc brakes with the front vented, coupled with ABS with EDB (Electronic Brake Force Distribution). This is helpful in distributing the brake force between the front and rear wheels under slippery conditions, and resulting in less brake locks. It even comes with hill start assist, which will help hold the car on a slope to prevent roll backs when you switch from your brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Of course on top of this, you have your usual airbags and crumple zones.

Stepping inside the car, you will notice a nicely improved interior. The dash is not too overly cluttered, and everything is within easy reach helped by the excellent driving position. You will find various convenient storage compartments as well. The meters look great. Being Optitron Meters, they are nice and bright with a tinge of Lexus influence. This is a good sized family car, with big enough front and rear seats, plenty of legroom, what more can you ask for?

One of he things I like best about this car is that there is ample rear leg room being a long wheel base car. I have driven some SUVs before, and being almost 6 ft tall and having long legs, the rear passengers always have very little legroom left. This is not a problem with the Rav 4. I have seen similar SUV models and the Rav 4 is tops in this department. Also, the rear seats can be folded to provide a huge storage area. If you are looking for a spacious SUV, the Rav 4 deserves a look at least.

Nokia N95 8GB Release Specs

2007-08-30T17:50:00.000-07:00

Nokia Asia released pre-launch info on the 8GB N95. Appearance wise, it looks almost identical the the current batch of N95s, except for a slight difference of the buttons on the front fascia. More info on the appearance and release specs can be viewed here.

Gameshop - A Website Review

2007-08-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

Today's website review is on a gaming products website known as Gameshop. It is an online store based in Singapore that offers games on various platforms and PC related items.

Although they have a physical address, they do not operate as a retail store where you can just walk in and buy your games. It is strictly an online store, meaning, you can only make your orders online.

The good thing about this store is that, they are extremely up to date with the latest releases of games, and this puts even the bigger local stores to shame. Whatever I cannot find in the local stores, I can get it here. Also good it that they provide free delivery for local orders at least, and delivery is fast, and most items are received within 24 hours. You can even choose your desired delivery time slot, which I think is simply great!

I think customer service is important in any type of business, and I am glad to say that they are most eager to answer any questions that you may have. Very friendly staff, a plus point here. So, is everything good? Obviously, there is always two side to a coin isn't there?

Well, their prices are not the cheapest out there. I can often find cheaper prices at some of the local stores, but not by much. For instance, PC games can be bought at $1 cheaper elsewhere. A Razer Tarantula keyboard can be bought at $10 cheaper elsewhere. So yes, price differences varies with different products.

All in all, I still recommend it for it is one of the better local online game stores out there.

Review of Vaja i-Volution case for Nokia N95

2007-08-23T21:56:00.000-07:00

When I got the press release of the new i-Volution case from Vaja, of course I am keen to take a closer look. Afterall, being a past customer of Vaja in the past, I am very happy with the high standards of quality this company offers, despite the high price and often 1 month waiting time, although for this particular case for the Nokia N95, it only takes 10 days.

As a owner of the Nokia N95, it is quite obvious by now that there aren't a lot of cases available on the market for it, mostly for the fact that it is a slider phone, which makes it more difficult to design one. Taking a closer look at the i-Volution, you will see that the design is simple, covering only the back of the phone with cutouts for the camera and side buttons. This is a let down, as the most important part of the phone, being the front with the screen is left exposed with nothing at all.

Even though Vaja can offer a palette of colours in customizations, it will not be an ideal case to get, as it offers minimal protection for the front of the phone. A more recommended alternative will be the Noreve Case.

Mitsubishi Galant Fortis

2007-08-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation announces the market launch of the Galant Fortis*1, a new style sedan, at affiliated dealerships throughout Japan today. Powered by a 2.0-liter engine, two- and four-wheel drive Galant Fortis models carry a price tag ranging from 1,785,000 yen to 2,436,000 yen. (SUPER EXCEED and SUPER EXCEED NAVI PACKAGE trim levels are due to go on sale in late October.)

Galant Fortis is the first new sedan introduced by the company in Japan in seven years.Galant Fortis has been developed to a product concept that called for "a global sporty sedan that delivers high and well-balanced levels of safety, comfort and environmental performance." Development was aimed to create a new sedan distinguished by: a design that immediately identifies it as a Mitsubishi Motors sedan and gives expression to the feel, the purposefulness and the stable road stance associated with the sedan body style; and by a quality of handling and response and the particular flavor of ride that define the Mitsubishi Motors brand.

Principal product features are as follows:Galant Fortis achieves a global standard in living space with a wider and taller body without any undue stretching of overall length. With its wider track the packaging reconciles the requirements of stable handling and response with its excellent maneuverability that stems from a minimum turning radius of 5.0 m. Read more here.

Phones that work around the world

2007-08-23T20:37:00.001-07:00

If you are planning to travel frequently but want to stay in touch at all times, GSM phones are probably the best bet. As different frequency bands are used in various countries, the rule of thumb when buying a phone for traveling is to look out for handsets which are either triband (GSM 900/1800/1900) or quadband (GSM 850/900/1800/1900).

read more | digg story

Leadtek Introduces the WinFast PX8400 GS TDH Silent

2007-08-21T19:14:00.001-07:00

Leadtek unveils the WinFast PX8400 GS TDH Silent, a new entry level graphics card aiming to deliver noise free quality images.Leadtek Research Inc. today takes pride in the launch of a brand new entry-level graphics card, WinFast® PX8400 GS TDH Silent.

read more | digg story

Microsoft Reclusa Gaming Keyboard Review

2007-08-21T06:41:00.000-07:00

The Microsoft Reclusa - a gaming keyboard released by Microsoft in a joint venture with Razer. If you are familiar with gaming PC accessories, then you will need no introduction to Razer. But why would you consider the Reclusa when there is the option of Razer's Tarantula gaming keyboard? For one, there is the price. The Tarantula retails for SGD$179, while the Reclusa is a cheaper alternative at SGD$110. Then let's take a look at the Reclusa.

On first sight when you open up the box, you will notice the keyboard is jet black in colour with a removable hand rest, which is padded and has a nice touch to it. You will also notice that this keyboard has quite a large footprint, and it is a wired one.

Therefore, you have to have enough desktop space to let this keyboard sit on. Being wired is supposedly to offer better response for gaming.

Examining it closer, you will see that this keyboard has a nice visual feel to it, with blue backlighting for the keys.

A gamer's trademark, especially if you have a blue Razer mouse, it will fit the theme nicely.

However, if you do not like the backlighting, you cannot dim it down or turn it off. It is there, whether you like it or not. This is not such a big deal. There are a few nice touches to this keyboard besides the gaming aspect of it. The USB is gold plated, there are two USB ports left and right of the keyboard (which I really like), and there is a nice compartment for for cables underneath the keyboard. Very thoughtful design, and it works well.

This being a gaming keyboard spots quite a few features such as low latency keys for superior gaming response, two 360 degree jog dials on each side, four programmable buttons for common tasks, six programmable hotkeys, and on the fly profile management. All these have one goal, and that is to make your gaming experience easier and more complete by offering user customizations.

All in all, I feel that it is a value for money gaming keyboard, but not without its flaws. As a personal take, I would save up and get the Tarantula from Razer instead.

2007 Toyota Camry Review

2007-08-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

The Toyota Camry, a mid sized family sedan that needs no introduction. It is a bit like your favourite bike that you have owned for years. You know that there will be no surprises, and you know that it will work in getting you there. But there is something different for the 2007 models.

First off, look at the new styling. It has a much bolder face than before. Perhaps, it is an effort to stray away from the bland styling of the previous generation Camry. Whatever it is, I think it creates a more agressive stance, with the front nose design sloping downwards. It is very much in tune with the latest design trends. A hint of Audi and Alfa Romeo if your imagination is good.

The rear looks neat as well, inspired by design from the Lexus IS250, and it spots an integrated boot lid. Nothing revolutionary here, but it looks good as a whole package. Similar themes flow into the interior design. You get a roomy and well appointed interior, the usual storage compartments, a gated gear shift and even some"simulated wood trims". Nothing to shout about, but nothing to complain about.

The local models are available in 2.0L and 2.4L. The main difference with the 2.4L is that, you get 5 speed automatic instead of 4 speed, and 167bhp instead of 147bhp. Oh yes, you do get 224 Nm of torque instead of 190 Nm. Equipment wise, they are virtually identical. The car rides well over road bumps and on highways. However, this is no Lexus, so expect some road noise especially when crusing on highways.

i-mate Ultimate 6150

2007-08-20T01:39:00.001-07:00

We've all played some form of that game where two photographs are put side by side, and you try to find five differences within a short time. That's the feeling we got when looking at the image of the i-mate Ultimate 6150 beside the 8150 model. In this case, it isn't particularly hard to spot the differences.

read more digg story

Notebook Price Watch

2007-08-19T08:57:00.001-07:00

With COMEX coming our way in another fortnight, our next foray to Sim Lim Square for the latest notebook prices will be a week after the show on September 7. There were no new notebooks announced since the last edition of Price Watch.

read more digg story

A GPS Website Review - gpsmaps.jwpixs.com

2007-08-18T07:16:00.000-07:00

A good GPS Mapping website is like a treasure chest for GPSr owners. Imagine if you have the highest end in a GPS unit, but no good maps to run on it, it will be like a car without wheels, it will be a handicap.

This is especially true if you bought a Garmin unit such as the Nuvi 610 in Singapore. The Garmin maps that comes with it, even if they said it is the latest version, is way backdated. Even streets and buildings that have been around for years could not be found. Yes, it is indeed a disappointment.

This is where the 3rd party maps come in. and thus the review of gpsmaps.jwpixs.com. The first thing you will notice when you visit this website is that, the animated gif file would have caught your attention, reminding you that this is a GPS Mapping website. This is shown below.

The layout of the website has a simple look to it, and yet rather effective. You have a menu on the left of the website as shown below.

As you can see, you have linking tabs to "Downloads", "Links", "FAQs", etc which is rather self explanatory, and easy to locate. I guess most people will be most interested in the Downloads section, as this is where all the maps are located.

Here comes the interesting bit. When you arrive at the downloads, you will notice that this website reserves the best maps for downloads for "donors" only. Anyone can sign up at the website, but only members who donate a minimum of USD$10 becomes a donor. It is next to nothing if you ask me, for the high quality and updated maps that you will be getting. If you have used Garmin maps which cost in excess of USD$100, and yet it disappoints, you will know what I mean.

The main focus of maps provided on this website is for the region of Singapore and Johor, which are all heavily detailed, with plenty of POIs incorporated, and of course fully routable. In fact, I have never seen any other maps available for this region that is as detailed as this. The Garmin maps don't even come close. All in all, I highly recommend this website if you need quality GPS maps for Singapore and Johor.

Review on Canon IXUS 950 IS

2007-08-17T07:51:00.001-07:00

Canon's IXUS series, is an exercise in slow evolution. Since the company has hit on a very successful design, these compact point-and-shoots typically see only minor tweaks from year to year. This year's follow-up to the popular 850 IS is the new IXUS 950 IS. The main differences between the two include a jump up to 8.3...

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Samsung Ultra Edition 12.1 (U700) Review

2007-08-17T03:28:00.001-07:00

From the super-slim design of the Ultra Edition 8.4 which snagged an Editors' Choice to one of the earlier HSDPA-enabled Ultra Edition 13.8, the Korean chaebol has constantly been trimming the form factor of its Ultra series lineup. One of its latest introductions, the Ultra Edition 12.1 (U700), manages to pack a wealth of features including 3G...

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Links Exchange

2007-08-17T03:10:00.000-07:00

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TomTom GO 720 GPS Preview & First Impressions

2007-08-15T08:38:00.001-07:00

On my recent trip to TomTom, I was able to play with the new TomTom GO 720 and wanted to give you my first impressions. The TomTom GO 720 was recently announced, and while it’s not yet available to the public, it will be by the end of July/Early August. I think there are a couple of things going on with the TomTom GO 720 that are worth noting.

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GPS navigation systems

2007-08-15T06:39:00.001-07:00

Before we dive into the types of navigation systems and buying advice, it's always good to get a little background on the technology and have a basic understanding of how it works. Originally developed in 1973 by the US Department of Defense for military purposes, the Navstar GPS network consists of 30 satellites orbiting the earth every 12 hours..

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Winding Road Magazine Review

2007-08-15T04:43:00.000-07:00

Winding Road, a pretty appropriate name for a automobile related site. It hints performance, adventure and excitement. Well, except that "Winding Road" is not strictly speaking just a site about cars, it is an online magazine. It churns out monthly issues with bright and glossy pages of car reviews, news and info, just like a real magazine. The best thing is: you get a free 3 year subscription. Yes, we all like free things don't we?

Yes, it gives you an opportunity to enjoy the magazine, and you can unsubscribe at any time. But what does it offer? Let's start at looking at the website's main page. There is a tab entitled "Road Tests".

Under this section, you will find all road tests of automobiles listed alphabetically by manufacturer. Although it does not have every model as per manufacturer listed, it still is a good collection of reviews. I believe the list will grow steadily over time.

Under the "News" section, you get news and scoops on automobiles updated on a daily basis. I think this section is important to keep the content fresh and keeping the readers happy.Afterall, no one wants to wait one month between issues to catch up on automotive news.

Next there is a tab entitled "Spy Shots", but the funny thing is that, it is linked to the "News" page. I think they should really seperate the pages to differentiate between news and spy shots. It will get the readers confused here, and defeats the purpose of putting two different tabs to link to the same page. There are a couple of other sections such as "Hot Cars" and "Features". In my opinion, these extra sections are not unique enough to be placed there. It feels too much of a repitition.

The next section of "Videos" however warrants attention. One cannot deny that video is a powerful media, and watching videos of automobiles is entertaining for car enthusiasts. However, they should be categorized by manufacturer and not only by month. My only gripe is that, the videos are too scarce. They should bump up the video content to keep it interesting.

It is quite evident that the main attraction of "Winding Road" is its monthly publication of online magazine. You not only can read and print the current issues, but catch up on past issues that you may have missed out. All in all, it is worth taking a look.

Razer Tarantula Gaming Keyboard

2007-08-14T18:53:00.001-07:00

The Tarantula is the perfect partner for your gaming mouse as this keyboard from Razer has tons of features designed for the hardcore gamer. Ever since the world of gaming got serious, professional gaming grade products have cropped up all over the place...

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Coolermaster Unveils New Notebook Cooler NotePal Infinite

2007-08-14T18:48:00.001-07:00

Coolermaster introduces a new range of notebook cooling device, the NotePal Infinite that boasts a 150% increase in its cooling area and multiple heat source cooling.

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Asus P526 Pegasus (with GPS)

2007-08-14T18:37:00.001-07:00

Asus showcases its all new P526 with GPS capability and updates it with Windows Mobile 6 for the tech-savvy user. With the rising popularity of smartphones amongst general consumers, manufacturers are pulling out all the stops by flooding the market with a myriad of "smart" products...

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SiS672FX - Budget for Budget's Sake

2007-08-13T18:20:00.001-07:00

The SiS672FX is a chipset featuring an updated Mirage 3+ IGP engine that is now certified for Windows Vista Premium. It supports all current Intel 1066MHz FSB processors including the Core 2 Quad and features very impressive energy efficiency operation - at a price. Read on.

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Sony unveils the sleek and stylish Cyber Shot T-series

2007-08-13T18:02:00.001-07:00

The 8-megapixel DSC-T100 camera is claimed to be a showstopper with the powerful Carl Zeiss(R) 5x optical zoom and 3 inch LCD screen in Sony's T-series. This model will debut in red, black and silver. The 8-megapixel DSC-T20 camera features a Carl Zeiss 3x optical zoom lens and a 2.5-inch LCD screen, and will hit the scene in pink, white, black ...

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Review: Garmin nuvi 680 at GPSmagazine.com

2007-08-13T01:43:00.001-07:00

GPSmagazine.com has posted an extremely detailed review of the Garmin nuvi 680. The review takes an in-depth look at the new MSN Direct features, as well as other GPS navigation features. Ultimately, the review says that although the MSN Direct features are interesting, they're not worth the $300 price difference, and the nuvi 660 is a better deal.

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Changes to Malsingmaps.com

2007-08-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

If you are unaware as to what Malsing Maps is all about, it is a community website with forum that offers routable GPS maps for free for the region of Singapore and Malaysia in particular.

The big change with Malsing Maps is 2 fold. Firstly, they have switched to a new forum hosting. Things are still a bit messy at the moment, but is getting sorted out. This is not such a big deal for members. What is creating a bit of a wave for members is that they have locked their "free maps" from their August 2007 version onwards. What this means is that not everyone will be able to just download and use the new maps. Well, only people who contribute will be granted an unlock code. The reasoning behind that is to encourage participation. For new and inexperienced users of GPS, and in particular Garmin Nuvi users, they are adopting a wait and see attitude as to what the community will come up with in the upcoming weeks to help them.

Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision SE Webcam

2007-08-11T09:25:00.001-07:00

In this review, Benchmark Reviews will evaluate the progression of technology into a product which hopes to establish itself as the pinnacle of PicturePhone evolution: Logitech's QuickCam Ultra Vision Special Edition Webcam.

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2009 Nissan Skyline GT-R (R36) at Inside Line

2007-08-10T19:22:00.001-07:00

The 2009 Nissan Skyline GT-R is a legend before it even enters production.Born from a long line of Skyline GT-Rs dating back to 1969, this latest version — "R36" to the hard-core — promises to pack more turbocharged power, more all-wheel-drive technology and more sheer speed than any Japanese car ever to come to America. For six years...

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Turn a flashnight into a handheld burning laser!

2007-08-10T09:50:00.001-07:00

DIYer Kipkay extracts the laser from a DVD burner and mounts it in a small flashlight to create a handheld laser burner that can light matches and burst balloons.

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NEC and Hitachi Team To Water-Cool Hard Drives

2007-08-10T09:45:00.001-07:00

Hitachi and NEC have joined forces to create quieter and cooler hard drives using the power of hydrogen and oxygen (otherwise known as water).

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Sony VAIO VGN-TZ18GN (Centrino Duo)

2007-08-10T09:41:00.001-07:00

Sony has prepared a new, luxurious series of ultra-portable notebooks to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the first Sony VAIO notebook. Join us as we take a look at the latest high-end piece of desirable hardware from Sony's design team.

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Apple iPhone Review

2007-08-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

The Apple iPhone. Even long before its launch, there has been so much hype that it seems that the speculations and rumours have formed a mountain of high expectations that people have come to expect of the phone from Apple.

The longer we have to wait, the higher and wilder the expectations became. So, is there such a thing as too much hype? Yes, and in this case, it is not necessarily a good thing, as we will discover later.

Even if you are not familiar with the iPhone, just by looking at it, you can tell that it is a trendy piece of equipment, and fashionable is not out of the question either. I am sure many will end up in the hands of female buyers just for its form factor. It is slim (11.6mm thin), looks expensive, and has a bright display (480 x 320-pixels). These features attract lots of attention already. But wait a minute, where are the buttons on this phone? This is where the fun begins. It has got only one hard button on the front panel. It is all touch sensitive. This means that you got to use your fingers to navigate around the phone. I can see some people might already be thinking "fingerprint magnet". You are not wrong here. It is one for sure.

This phone is different, and no copycat designs here. So if you want something unique, the Apple iPhone is worth taking a look. The functions of this phone is all menu driven via the colourful icons on the main screen. All is easily located and navigating through the different functions is an easy task. Thus, the learning curve is very short on this phone. You will feel at home in no time.

However, remember that this phone has no external buttons to perform a function.

Therefore, to perform tasks such as playing a video or even making a call, you got to call up the respective application first. Some people might find this extra step troublesome. But I guess this is a small price to pay for the fully touch sensitive design. Remember the iPhone has got one hard button on the front? It is like a "Home" button. It brings you back to the main screen should you lose yourself in navigating. Right now, you can be forgiven to think the iPhone is so great that you should rush to the stores to get one. Hang on a minute. For such a high-end phone, its drawbacks are pretty serious. Read on.

1) The battery is not removable. What were they thinking? Why can't they make it convenient for people to replace their own batteries?

2) There is no voice dialling.

I know it is not a live or die function, but it have been nice to have this included for convenience.

3) Want to set your favourite MP3 as your ringtone?
You can't do it.
4) No 3G

So, you can have the latest and most trendy phone, and even the great Safari browser but no 3G.

The Apple iPhone is a bit of a mixed bag. It is a bit like wearing a business suit to the gym for a workout. It has the potential to be a great phone, it has a great design, a great interface, but is hindered by its flaws. It is like a half filled dream. They created a great looking phone, innovative even, but took away features that other competitive phones are already offering. It is just such a waste. Therefore, I would not recommend this phone as value for money.

Logitech Wave Keyboard Review

2007-08-08T02:57:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you wonder how else could a keyboard be improved so that it is radically different. You have wired keyboards, wireless keyboards, ergonomically designed keyboards, foldable keyboards, the list goes on. So what is so different about Logitech's Wave Keyboard? As the name suggests, you might get a hint already.

Logitech calls it the "exciting new shape for comfort". In essence, it is an ergonomically designed keybord which focuses on contoured shape keys to hold your fingers and the "wave" shaped keyboard is supposed to promote a correct typing position for your hands. The palm rest is made of soft material, to reduce the stress to your wrists when typing. Really, it looks cool but is nothing new. You have seen palm and wrist pads everywhere. Nevertheless, integrating it as part of the keyboard with cushion supports is commendable. Since comfort for typing is the theme here, you will not find anything less than what you have seen before. You have height adjustments for tilt angle for easier typing. I am sure that is no surprise. What is neat though is that, if you use headphones and it is a wired one, you can tuck it in neatly under a channel found under the keyboard. Simple but neat solution.

It seems like both hardware and software manufacturers are obsessed with the Vista OS. Of course, with more people using it everyday, it makes sense to make their products compatible. Logitech implements one touch buttons for Vista features such as Flip 3D, Zoom, Photo Gallery, and Gadgets. In addition, you get media controls such as voolume control and programmable function keys. Pretty convenient to use, and is almost a bridge between a normal keyboard and a gaming keyboard.

Connection is easy via USB. It comes with a CD-ROM, but you need not use it you you choose not to. Vista recognizes the keyboard even with no third party software. Apart from that, I think it is a great looking keyboard and feels great to use provided you got enough desktop space, as it is quite large. A 5 year warranty that comes with it is good news too.

Review of HTC Touch PDA Phone

2007-08-07T18:08:00.000-07:00

HTC? You can't blame yourself if you have no clue what brand is that. Many haven't heard of it before. The HTC launched its first range of products with what they call the HTC Touch. Touch as in "Touch down"? Maybe.

Let's take a look. You will see that design wise, this is a clean looking phone. Simple, and yet effective enough to look the business. The screen is even flushed with the front panel of the phone, which makes it look one piece, instead of different parts attached together. Quite a seamless design.

I think for PDA phone users, one of the common scenario will be that, even we love the capabilities of our devices, it looks like we are carrying a small brick. They are usually quite thick in dimensions. Therefore, it is pleasant the see that the HTC Touch is slim. What a relief! Weighing in at 112g with battery included, it is pretty good.

This fact aside, you will see that the design on the front is pretty much a minimalist concept, nothing more than a button for making and receiving calls. Now, the specs is a mixed bag of joys and wishes. This is a tri-band GSM phone, with wifi, bluetooth, 2MP camera, runs on Windows Mobile 6, but no 3G and HSDPA. I think PDA phones really need 3G and HSDPA, I am sure many data heavy users will agree. The specs may look decent for this phone, but at many times, I feel that some manufacturers tend to include features for form rather than function. Do they think buyers will buy the phone just by looking at the specs on paper? It has got to work well in reality to be an excellent product.

Take for example the camera. It is without autofocus. As expected, you can't expect much from the quality of the pictures. It's basic function is a PDA. Therefore, consider it as a PDA with added functions as secondary bonus. Again, if you look at the OMAP850 201MHz processor which powers this unit. Not exactly innovative, and it really slows down when you try to run more than a couple of programs or multitask. Therefore, I do not recommend this product.

High speed drift crash - Fuji Speedway

2007-08-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

It sure reminds you that drifting is a dangerous sport.:)

The V6 powered Toyota Blade hits the Japanese show rooms!

2007-08-07T17:46:00.001-07:00

The Toyota Blade, luxury version of the Auris, saw a new element added to its lineup yesterday with the long awaited V6 version! Under the bonnet sits a 3.5 liter DOHC VVT-i V6 engine producing 280HP @ 6200rpm and 35.1kg-m @ 4700 rpm.

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The new Mazda 6 (Atenza) is ready for Frankfurt!

2007-08-07T17:31:00.001-07:00

The Mazda 6 is one of the major elements in the "Zoom Zoom" manufacturer's renewal and it will be back, hungry as ever, for the 2007 International Auto Salon in Frankfurt, Germany!

So far we haven't been given any details on the specifications of this vehicle other than it should be eco-friendly...but with those 2 pics you'll be able to decide whether or not you like the new style of Mazda. The style in itself is not a big surprise as it appears similar to what some concept-cars, such as the Ryuga, presented a couple months ago.

More news and pictures soon, from Frankfurt (Sep. 13th-23rd).

HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation will showcase the world premiere of the all-new Mazda6 (known as the all-new Mazda Atenza in Japan) at the 62nd annual Frankfurt Motor Show to be held from Tuesday, September 11 through Sunday, September 23, 2007.

The Frankfurt Motor Show press days are September 11 and 12, and the public days are September 15-23.

Mazda will hold its press conference on Tuesday, September 11, at 13:45 (local time).

All-new Mazda6 (European specification)

The all-new Mazda6 arrives as a full redesign of Mazda’s first model to embody the Zoom-Zoom product philosophy, offering a thrilling drive to all those who still remember the love of motion first experienced as a child. Following the all-new Mazda2, the new Mazda6 is the second Mazda new generation product to evolve to the next stage, further deepening the emotional connection between man and machine - Mazda calls it “Kizuna”.

Inheriting Mazda’s tradition of responsive handling and performance that has become recognized around the world and evolving the original model’s distinctive design and exceptional functionality, the all-new Mazda6 takes a step forward in quality and offers strengthened environmental and safety performance. The result is an exciting and delightful experience that only the all-new Mazda6 can deliver.

Nokia 6300 Video Review

2007-08-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

I like the Nokia 6300 for its simplicity in design, which is a good thing. It is traditional Nokia design at its best. Immediately by looking at the phone, you will become familiar with its usage if you had used a Nokia phone before. Learning curve is very short, and easy and fast to become comfortable using it. For the average phone user, the feature set is more than sufficient. However, the camera multimedia feature is important to you, perhaps this might not be your top choice as the 2 MP camera has no auto-focus or flash installed, which may be frustrating when expecting too much in terms of the quality of pictures.

Not one, but many "gPhones" in the works: report

2007-08-07T10:26:00.001-07:00

Google has developed multiple mobile phone prototypes and is shopping them around North American and European carriers, according to a new report. A mobile web browser is also in development.

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HP Invites Digital Animators to Bring their Imagination to Life

2007-08-07T10:17:00.001-07:00

HP is kicking off an unique contest that invites digital animators across Asia Pacific to create, design and direct short, animated skits using high-performance workstations and graphics tools.

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BenQ Joybook S41 (Intel Santa Rosa)

2007-08-07T10:10:00.001-07:00

BenQ's latest Joybook, the S41 leads the company's charge of notebooks refreshed with the Santa Rosa platform. Aided by NVIDIA's DirectX 10 compatible GeForce 8600M GS graphics chipset, can this notebook be one of the bargains of the year?

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Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R (Intel P35)

2007-08-07T10:04:00.001-07:00

Gigabyte updates its S-Series of motherboards with the Intel P35 chipset and introduces their new Ultra Durable 2 design. The GA-P35-DS3R recaptures the old magic of the GA-965P-DS3 as a great budget board with an incredible appetite for speed. Check out the full review right here.

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ASUS EN8600GT OC Gear 256MB DDR3

2007-08-07T09:57:00.001-07:00

Tweaking your graphics cards is now as simple as turning a knob with ASUS' OC Gear edition of the GeForce 8600 GT. We tried our hand at fiddling with this new product and here's what we found.

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Invest Fair 2007

2007-08-07T07:42:00.001-07:00

"Invest Fair '07 is the largest investment exhibition organised by . The event is supported by the Singapore Exchange and Bursa Malaysia. The fair will be held from 25th - 26th August 2007 at the SUNTEC Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Level 4, Exhibition Hall 404, from 10am to 6pm.

It is an event for investors to learn and be educated on the latest financial products and services, identify investment trends, understand the market outlook and hear from the experts as to how, where, when and what to invest in. With over 50 seminars, a lucky draw with attractive prizes, an investment game as well as panel discussions moderated by Channel NewsAsia presenter Melvin Yong, the fair is expected to draw a crowd of over 15,000 visitors. So be sure to mark it on your calendars and stop by!"

Visit HERE for more info!

This is a great event if you are interested in any kind of financial investments. Even if you are not, it makes for a great experience to gain some knowledge on the topics. Find about about market trends, and how it can affect you.

Dell XPS M1330 Review

2007-08-07T00:19:00.000-07:00

The Dell XPS M1330 is considered by many to be a breakthough in design, which I agree. It sure beats the traditional functional but boring design, which looks no different from other notebooks. This is certainly a plus point for Dell fans out there.

What is also nice is that, this notebook is light and thin. It proves that Dell has been listening to its consumers. Finally, you can show off your Dell at Starbucks instead of trying to hide it from the next table using a Sony Vaio.

The design is not totally flat, but with curves at the sides and corners. It is a sloping design, with the front thinner than the back. I would think that it aims to promote a better typing posture. Weighing in at approximately 1.7 kgs, this 13-inch notebook is definitely in the ultra-portable category. You can have 3 different colours for the lid of this notebook, which is available in red, white or black. This would definitely widen its user base to include women who likes using a trendy looking notebook. It is no surprise that the majority of female notebook shoppers tend to go for the looks of a notebook first before even looking at the specs.

The design is very nice in its entirety, although if you want to be picky, the touchpad could be larger for easier usage, especially if you got big fingers. Also, there are only 2 USB ports, sufficient for many people, unless you plan to attach more than 2 USB devices at a single time. This point aside, this is a rather highly equipped notebook. The beauty of buying from Dell is that, there is always a high level of choice when it comes to customization - getting what you want, instead of settling for what the manufacturers want to give you.

Just take a look at the following options, and you will get excited about getting what you wish for:

Processors

Intel® CoreTM 2 Duo Processor T7500 (2.20GHz, 4M L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
Intel® CoreTM 2 Duo Processor T7300 (2GHz, 4M L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
Intel® CoreTM 2 Duo Processor T7100 (1.80GHz, 2M L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
Intel® CoreTM 2 Duo Processor T5250 (1.50GHz, 2M L2 Cache, 667MHz FSB)

Operating System

Genuine Windows Vista® Ultimate
Genuine Windows Vista® Business
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic

Memory

Up to 4GB shared4 Dual Channel 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM provides blazing performance.

DDR2 dual channel5 memory offers excellent performance and bandwidth. This memory architecture is designed to help to improve overall system performance and help reduce power consumption. As demands from processors, graphics and networking increase, DDR2 is the standard in notebook memory.

Graphics

Intel Graphic Media Accelerator X3100

NVIDIA GeForceTM Go 8400M GS with 128MB dedicated GDDR3 graphics memory

Screen

Optional:
13.3" UltraSharpTM WXGA display with TrueLifeTM
2.0 MP camera (standard CCFL display)

13.3" UltraSharpTM WXGA display with TrueLifeTM
0.3 MP camera (optional WLED slim & light display)

Hard Drives

Up to 160GB6 configured with 5400 RPM SATA hard drive.

Optical Storage

Integrated Slot-Load DVD+/-RW Drive7

Weight & Dimensions

Weight: Starting at 1.79 kg
Width: 31.8cm
Height: 2.21cm – 3.38cm
Depth: 23.8cm

I/O Ports

2 USB 2.0 compliant 4-pin connectors
IEEE 1394a
RJ45 Ethernet port (10/100)
External Modem via USB
Video: VGA
Video: HDMI
ExpressCard 54 mm slot
8-in-1 removable memory card reader
Audio jacks: Stereo in & headphone/speaker out (x2) dual digital array mics

Obviously, this is a very well equipped notebook, satisfying even the most avid road warrior. Performance wise, it should not disappoint either. It is pretty near the top of similarly equipped ultra-portables, and battery life on the standard 6-cell battery pack lasts for about 2.5 hours. If you are going on a long flight with this notebook, a 9-cell battery pack is advised, and carrying a spare battery would not hurt either.

HP TouchSmart PC - Videos

2007-08-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

New generation PC from HP with touchscreen capability embracing the Vista O/S. Pretty interesting concept of a total media entertainment center. It is an all-in-one PC concept. People with space constraints should find this interesting. However, traditional expandability as in the PC norm is limited as expected. That being said, the integrated sofware driven features definitely has a "WOW Factor".

Samsung WEP200 Bluetooth Headset Review

2007-08-06T03:15:00.000-07:00

The Samsung WEP200 Bluetooth headset is perhaps the smallest I have come across. Weighing in at just 9g, this feather weight headset is made in Korea, and not China. Some people might feel this is of better quality.

It is so light that you can hardly feel it is there, it is easy to forget you are wearing one. This headset is different from the norm of a "ear clip" design. It employs a "ear plug" design with a rubber ring which will stay firmly attached when worn. Just to make sure you get a comfortable fit, it comes with interchangeable rubber attachments in small, medium and large fitments. There are no issues to fit ears of all sizes.

One physical feature which I liked is the large multi-function button which is used to make and receive calls. No confusing buttons here, which is good for user friendliness. There is also an up/down button conveniently located on the side to control the volumes. The design is simplicity at its best. It is a perfect choice for people looking for a small and light weight headset that is simple to use. This is a bluetooth headset, which means you can pair it up with most phones that has a bluetooth capability. I paired it up with both a Samsung Z720 and Nokia N95 with no problems at all. After the initial paring is done, it even auto connects should the signal drop off, after you remove it from the charger for instance.

Talking about charging, the charger that came with this unit is innovative as well. It is in fact a storage case with charging pins where you can put the WEP200 to charge it. It looks great as well. The audio quality is considered good for voice calls, although there is no noise cancelling feature on this headset. You can stream MP3s as well if your phone supports it, but don't expect stereo quality. It is not meant for this purpose. That being said, having a talk time of 4 hrs and standby time of 70 hours, this is a pretty good headset for "life without wires". Personally, I love using it.

Motorola Showcase in New York City

2007-08-06T01:26:00.000-07:00

This is a video clip showing the Motorola product showcase in NYC. I think it makes for great viewing especially if you are a fan of the Moto mobile phones. I like the upcoming Z8 model. I think they nicknamed the "banana phone" to an interesting effect.

Good Review on Nokia N95

2007-08-05T22:07:00.000-07:00

This is an excellent review of the Nokia N95 Multimedia phone from YouTube. One of the most detailed reviews I have found. It gives both potential buyers and owners of the N95 a great insight into the functions of the phone. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Review of Acer Aspire 5920G Notebook

2007-08-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

The first thing you will notice about the Acer 5920G is the sheer physical size of the unit itself.

This is not a small laptop, nor is it an ultra-portable.Weighing in at almost 3kg, it is more suited as a desktop replacement. That being said, the design is a very trendy and modern one. Of course, taste is a personal thing, but most people will like it as it is unique and different from other laptops. It does stand out from the crowd. It is more of a wedge shaped laptop with curves, and it serves to break away from the traditional design of squared off and sharp edges.

This laptop brims with quality wherever you look. Some people have commented on the greysih and cream coloured interior to be ugly. Those might be the people who can't accept changes, and too afraid to break away from the norm of having a stark black laptop. Too bad for them, as the light cream coloured inside of this laptop is a much welcome change from the norm, and I think it looks great.

The one thing that you will soon realize with this laptop is the specs, and thus the value for money. For the same amount of money, you will be hard pressed to find a similar speced laptop.

It is a pretty high end machine. Let's take a look at the specs here and you will have an idea what I mean. It has the latest core 2 Duo technology with 2GB of DDR2 RAM, which ensures that you will not experience any slow down running the preloaded Vista OS. It also has a 8600M-GT dedicated graphics card with 256MB, which means it will also satisty the mobile gamer, and will run even the latest games with no issues. There is also a 160GB SATA hard drive and dual-layer DVD/RW drive which provides the primary storage options. This is really a value for money machine, considering the retail price of USD$1520. It is not in the same league in overall quality as a Sony Vaio for instance, but for the price, you are getting a lot already.

Mercedes C-Class Review

2007-08-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

The brand new 2008 Mercedes Benz C-Class is one of the most anticipated new cars in the small cars luxury segment. In local showrooms, it is in the midst of being launched.

I hear some people commented that it looks like a shrunk down S-Class. I certainly can agree with that, with some similar styling cues. It looks well composed, sporty and meaner than a BMW 3-Series. The C-Class has moved a little more upmarket.

What is similar too according to Mercedes Benz is that buyers can expect the same level of quality as found in their flagship S-Class series, which is a good thing. This means that, the quality do not get a toned down effect with even the basic models of C-Class. 3 key elements of major improvement with this latest incarnation in the C-Class lineup are bigger interior space, quieter cabin with better sound proofing, and a much more rigid chassis. It is reported to have high strength steel which makes up 70% of the body structure.

The marketing slogan they use for the C-Class is "Agility Control". Simply put, this car is better behaved over rough patches and bumps, giving you a smoother ride, much like the S-Class. This includes the selective damping system which automatically adjusts the suspension set-up in accordance with the condition of the road – giving you a consistently high level of driving enjoyment. As an option, you can specify the ADVANCED AGILITY* package with special sports mode which allows you to choose a particularly sporty suspension response or a distinctly comfortable one at the touch of a button.

You can choose between five different petrol engines for the new C-Class. The entry-level version comes in the guise of two 4-cylinder models with supercharger: The drive in the C 180 KOMPRESSOR and the more powerful C 200 KOMPRESSOR is provided by a 4-cylinder supercharged engine.

Thanks to a new engine management system and a modified piston profile, output and torque have been increased. For instance, the C 180 KOMPRESSOR delivers 156 hp and maximum torque of 230 Nm. The C 200 KOMPRESSOR produces a magnificent 184 hp and 250 Nm. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes just 9.9 and 8.8 seconds, with a top speed of 220 and 230 km/h respectively.

You can have the C-Class in either 5-speed or 7-speed automatic transmissions. Both are smooth to use, and have a manual overide mode should you choose to engage in more sporty driving. In the 7-speed transmission, seven forward gears constantly provide optimum engine speed and deliver virtually imperceptible gear changes.

When changing down, the 7G-TRONIC – unlike other automatic transmissions – delivers extra-fast mid-range sprints by skipping individual gears. By simply nudging the selector lever, you can also shift gear manually.

At least for the moment, it looks like Mercedes has got a winning ace on their hands. Compared to its immediate rival - the BMW 3 series, the C-Class seems to be the leader to beat.

Review of Nokia 8600 Luna

2007-08-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

The Nokia 8600 Luna. From the name, you could probably tell, there is something special about this new creation from Nokia. It is dark and mysterious, and brims of quality as well. With materials used such as opaque smoke glass and stanless steel, it sounds like parts that is more suited for a racy car rather than a phone.

Well, at least the price tag of around USD$750 at launch sounds equally sophisticated. Think of it as a premium item, a designer collection, like Lexus is to Toyota and aimed squarely at consumers with deep pockets. At140g, it is elegantly light. With the smoked glass, it sure exhibits a certain touch of class. Glass? Yep, and how durable to drops and shocks, we don't know as yet.

I think Nokia has really gone to make sure the finest details are not overlooked in the presentation of this phone. Hold the phone in your hand, and soon you will realize that keypad is special. It has a pulsating light that mimicks your heartbeat. Some people say this thing seems "alive".

Well, that is a good attraction to get enough attention to this phone. What about the real deal? In effect, this is a light weight slider phone. No flimsy sliders here. Firm and positive sliding action, which is good news. Maybe this phone is designed with female consumers in mind, as the keypad might be a struggle for males, especially if you got big fingers. This can be good or bad news. Maybe, you can say Nokia is very focused in their marketing with this phone. Very targeted, very specialized.

Think of it as a designer item, you get class, elegance, quality, but the bare essentials with few bells and whistles. This is no N95. If you are looking for a powerhouse of a phone in a small package, you are looking at the wrong phone. The N95 in the Nokia range might suit you better if that is what you want. Just look at the specs.

I mean a 2-inch screen isn't exactly amazing, along with a measely 128MB of internal memory with no expansion card slot, you are having a very streamlined phone. No expansion capabilty whatsoever. I think this is a limitation, as there is just so much data you can store on the phone before you are forced to delete files when memory runs out, which happens quickly.

Sure, you have the usual PIM features, web browser and email functions, but nothing new and innovative to win any awards. The 2MP camera included is nothing to shout about, with no auto focus and flash. Taking pictures less of the perfect lighting conditions will mean blurred images and frustration. The problem of not having an integrated internal antenna means that to listen to FM radio, you still need to plug in a headset or earphones. With just over 3 hrs of talk time, and limited potential in its feature set, it just falls short of being the phone to have, apart from the chic factor.

Changing Back Cover for Nokia N95

2007-07-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

I guess with any mobile phone, we would like to have a different look to it at times. Some would prefer it to be in a different colour, while other have no choice but to replace a badly scratched cover. The following videos show you how to do it for the Nokia N95. Enjoy.

Child Bed Rails Recommendation

2007-07-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

Is your child an active sleeper? Having late night falls lately? This is a all too common scenario for many, and a nightmare for parents. I have a couple of recommendations for portable bed rails.

These two are excellent choices even for a King sized bed, and even if you have a thick mattress, you should have no problems at all. Check out the details at the respective links below.

http://www.albeebaby.com/sisechbe.html

http://www.babybungalow.com/saslbedra.html

Software Recommendation for Screen Capture

2007-07-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

The software which I would like to recommend for screen capture is "SnagIt". You can capture, edit and share your images pretty easily, and I find it really useful.

The image on the left is captured using this software, but of course, you can dress it up with some effects as well if you like. Check out the website here.

Review of Mazda CX-7

2007-07-29T05:52:00.000-07:00

There comes a time when people have to sacrifice their dreams of driving a sporty 2 door coupe for a more realistic 4 door wagon of sorts. This usually happens when you get married and have kids. :)

Out the window goes their dreams of spirited driving, and the feeling of driving a freedom machine. Meet the Mazda CX-7.

When I first saw this car in the showrooms, the first thing which I noticed is the size of this car. It appeared to be bigger than the likes of Honda's CRV and Toyota's Rav 4, and it is. It is more into the territory of Lexus' RX300. The next thing I noticed is the styling. It is not a boxed up 4WD car following the footsteps of Land Rovers, far from that. This car is sleek.

From the steeply shaped 66 degree windshield to the rounded accents flowing throughout the car, you get a hint of sportiness of what this car is all
about. In fact, some call it an RX-8 in a 4WD body. Pretty bold claim isn't it?

I didn't begin to see that it has such credentials until I looked at the specs. MZR DISI Turbo inline, 4 cylinder, 16-valve DOHC, 238PS / 5000, 350Nm / 2500, 0-100km/h in 8.6 secs.

Quite something for a 2.2 litre SUV isn't it?

The car is no where near harsh either. The drive is silky smooth through its 6-speed Activematic transmission. Class leading? sure is. Obviously different class from Rav 4's 4 speed and CRV's "class leading" 5 speed transmission. Cornering is confident, and very poised indeed, with less body roll than you would expect from a 4WD. You get top specs with this car too, vented brakes all round, Auto headlamps, Side mirror with turn indicators, Electric sunroof, 9-speaker BOSE premium sound system, ABS, DSC, TCS . .. the list goes on. Talking about having it fully decked out. You sure have it with this car.

The attention to detail and the quality of finish is superb in this car as well. For one thing, it has proper front seats. You can actually sit in them, rather than on them. I find it a joke in many Japanese cars that they have lumber support on them but you can't actually sit in them, and they seem to be made for really skinny people, maybe more to the size of severely starved P.OWs. :)

The rear leg room is comfortable as well, no need for any leg crushings here. Long trips for average sized adults should be comfortable back in the rear.

This would be the perfect car for those looking for something different from the mainstream lots of 4WDs and SUVs out there. You want a more upmarket 4WD, perhaps a step up from your usual Rav 4s and CRVs, and you want more grunt and power, and you want your car to corner like a car and not a boat, this might be the perfect choice for you.

Mugen Civic Type-RR, the official photos

2007-07-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

Even though the rumour quickly turned into real information and got spread all over the internet, we decided to patiently wait for the official answer and photos from Mugen to confirm that...yes, the Honda Civic Type RR will soon be available in Japan for an impressive 4.777.500 JPY! Little reminder: the second "R" stands for more HP(225-240) and torque (21.9-22.2kg/m), a 30kg weight reduction, a lowered body (-15mm) and many other things that probably wouldn't mean much without a proper test drive...and...as if this new version wasn't enough of a good news to the performance enthusiasts, I have the pleasure to tell you that I 'll have the chance to get my hands on one of those babies in September! Read more here.

The Low Body Fat Secret Of Bodybuilders And Fitness Model

2007-07-28T06:23:00.000-07:00

The Low Body Fat Secret Of Bodybuilders And Fitness Models
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS

Burn The Fat Website

The secret to getting super lean – I’m talking about being RIPPED, not just “average body fat” – is all about mastering the art of "peaking." Most people do not have a clue about what it takes to reach the type of low body fat levels that reveal ripped six-pack abs, muscle striations, vascularity and extreme muscular definition, so they go about it completely the wrong way.

Here’s a case in point: One of my newsletter subscribers recently sent me this question:

Tom, on your www.burnthefat.com website, you wrote:n‘Who better to model than bodybuilders and fitness competitors? No athletes in the world get as lean as quickly as bodybuilders and fitness competitors. The transformations they undergo in 12 weeks prior to competition would boggle your mind! Only ultra-endurance athletes come close in terms of low body fat levels, but endurance athletes like triathaletes and marathoners often get lean at the expense of chewing up all their muscle. Some of them are nothing but skin and bone.’

"There seems to be a contradiction unless I'm missing something. Why do bodybuilders and fitness competitors have to go through a 12 week 'transformation' prior to every event instead of staying 'lean and mean' all the time? If they practice the secrets exposed in your book, they should be staying in shape all the time instead of having to work at losing fat prior to every competitive event, correct?"

There is a logical explanation for why bodybuilders and other physique athletes (fitness and figure competitors), don’t remain completely ripped all year round, and it’s the very reason they are able to get so ripped on the day of a contest…

You can’t hold a peak forever or it’s not a "peak", right? What is the definition of a peak? It’s a high point surrounded by two lower points isn’t it?

Therefore, any shape you can stay in all year round is NOT your “peak” condition. The intelligent approach to nutrition and training (which almost all bodybuilders and fitness/figure competitors use), is to train and diet in a seasonal or cyclical fashion and build up to a peak, then ease off to a maintenance or growth phase.

I am NOT talking about bulking up and getting fat and out of shape every year, then dieting it all off every year. What I’m talking about is going from good shape to great (peak) shape, then easing back off to good shape.... but never getting "out of shape." Makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?

Here’s an example: I have no intentions whatsoever of walking around 365 days a year at 4% body fat like I appear in the photo on my website. Off-season, when I'm not competing, my body fat is usually between 8 – 10%. Mind you, that’s very lean and still single digit body fat.
I don't stray too far from competition shape, but I don't maintain contest shape all the time. It takes me 12-14 weeks or so to gradually drop from 9.5% to 3.5%-4.0% body fat to "peak" for competition with NO loss of lean body mass...using the same techniques I reveal in my e-book.
It would be almost impossible to maintain 4% body fat, and even if I could, why would I want to? For the few weeks prior to competition I’m so depleted, ripped, and even “drawn” in the face, that complete strangers walk up and offer to feed me.

Okay, so I’m just kidding about that, but let’s just say being “being ripped to shreds” isn’t a desirable condition to maintain because it takes such a monumental effort to stay there. It’s probably not even healthy to try forcing yourself to hold extreme low body fat. Unless you’re a natural “ectomorph” (skinny, fast metabolism body type), your body will fight you. Not only that, anabolic hormones may drop and sometimes your immune system is affected as well. It’s just not “normal” to walk around all the time with literally no subcutaneous body fat.

Instead of attempting to hold the peak, I cycle back into a less demanding off-season program and avoid creeping beyond 9.9% body fat. Some years I’ve stayed leaner - like 6-7%, (which takes effort), especially when I knew I would be photographed, but I don’t let my body fat go over 10%.

This practice isn’t just restricted to bodybuilders. Athletes in all sports use periodization to build themselves up to their best shape for competition. Is a pro football player in the same condition in March-April as he is in August-September? Not a chance. Many show up fat and out of shape (relatively speaking) for training camp, others just need fine tuning, but none are in peak form... that’s why they have training camp!!!

There’s another reason you wouldn’t want to maintain a “ripped to shreds” physique all year round – you’d have to be dieting (calorie restricted) all the time. And this is one of the reasons that 95% of people can’t lose weight and keep it off --they are CHRONIC dieters... always on some type of diet. Know anyone like that?

You can’t stay on restricted low calories indefinitely. Sooner or later your metabolism slows down and you plateau as your body adapts to the chronically lowered food intake. But if you diet for fat loss and push incredibly hard for 3 months, then ease off for a while and eat a little more (healthy food, not "pigging out"), your metabolic rate is re-stimulated. In a few weeks or months, you can return to another fat loss phase and reach an even lower body fat level, until you finally reach the point that’s your happy maintenance level for life – a level that is healthy and realistic – as well as visually appealing.

Bodybuilders have discovered a methodology for losing fat that’s so effective, it puts them in complete control of their body composition. They’ve mastered this area of their lives and will never have to worry about it again. If they ever “slip” and fall off the wagon like all humans do at times … no problem! They know how to get back into shape fast.
Bodybuilders have the tools and knowledge to hold a low body fat all year round (such as 9% for men, or about 15% for women), and then at a whim, to reach a temporary “peak” of extremely low body fat for the purpose of competition. Maybe most important of all, they have the power and control to slowly ease back from peak shape into maintenance, and not balloon up and yo-yo like most conventional dieters!

What if you had the power to stay lean all year round, and then get super lean when summer rolled around, or when you took your vacation to the Caribbean, or when your wedding date was coming up? Wouldn’t you like to be in control of your body like that? Isn’t that the same thing that bodybuilders and fitness/figure competitors do, only on a more practical, real-world level?
So even if you have no competitive aspirations whatsoever, don’t you agree that there’s something of value everyone could learn from physique athletes? Don’t model yourself after the huge crowd of losers who gobble diet pills, buy exercise gimmicks and suffer through starvation diets like automatons, only to gain back everything they lost! Instead, learn from the leanest athletes on Earth - natural bodybuilders and fitness competitors…

These physique athletes get as ripped as they want to be, exactly when they want to, simply by manipulating their diets in a cyclical fashion between pre-contest "cutting" programs and off season "maintenance" or "muscle growth" programs. Even if you have no desire to ever compete, try this seasonal “peaking” approach yourself and you’ll see that it can work as well for you as it does for elite bodybuilders.

If you’re interested in learning even more secrets of bodybuilders and fitness models, visit the Burn The Fat website.

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, an NSCA-certified personal trainer (CPT) and a certified strength & conditioning specialist (CSCS). Tom is the author of the #1 best-selling e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using the secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models.

Learn how to get rid of stubborn body fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: http://www.burnthefat.com/. To learn more about Tom's Fat Loss Support Community, visit: http://www.burnthefatinnercircle.com/

Review of Advertlets.com

2007-07-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

From the name "Advertlets", one would probably have guessed that this website is related to advertisements, and you would be right to assume that. Their motto of "advertisers + bloggers = money + happy" is an interesting one. Just by this short tag line alone gives you an idea of what their goals are all about. It is an avenue where advertisers and bloggers can work together to gain a mutual benefit, earn money and of course be very happy in the process.

At the time of this review, the Advertlets network has over 29 million monthly impressions available for advertising, which is great news if you have something to sell, and would like to advertise it. What this means is simply that if you choose to advertise with them, you have a strong army of bloggers ready to help you get your advertisements and messages out there to the public.

The beauty of advertising through the medium of bloggers as opposed to traditional forms of mass marketing is that, it is very focused, based on the individual blogs' interests of different topics. As such, the demographics of the targeted audience is very focused as well. Bear in mind that each blog out there has their own group of readers and audiences. Now imagine that your advertisement is displayed not on one blog, but on multiple blogs, and you get the extended reach to a huge group of highly targeted audiences that traditional mediums of advertising just could not even come close.

So, as an advertiser it all sounds great. What if you are a blogger? How is all this relevant to you? For starters, many of the advertisements that are offerred by other websites to bloggers are generic, and thus ineffective. Imagine that you have a blog on mobile phones, and the advertisements that you place are on baby products. How is this relevant? Your target audience who are interested in mobile phones are probably not going to be interested in baby products, and thus, your click through rate is going to be low, and earning you very little money if any at all.

With Advertlets, the frustration for bloggers can finally come to an end. As mentioned, advertisements are highly focused, and they do a good match based on the content of your blog. Therefore, your readers and audiences will find the advertisements on your blog to be highly relevant, and thus, more likely to click on them and making you money as a blogger. To a blogger, there should be a good level of flexibility to blend in the advertisements into their blog. It is good to know that Advertlets offer different ways to display the advertisments such as sidebars and sponsored polls. In addition, monitoring and statistics is also crucial to a blogger. This is not overlooked, as it provides this through a polling system.

When you log on to their website, everything is easily located and accessible at a glance. On the "Dashboard Tab", you will see a quick summary of your account, including your earnings. This is a very neat feature, as no hunting high and low to locate a summary page. On the "Profile Tab", you will see a detailed form of various vital information that you can easily update quickly, including the always important "payee details".

Next, on the "Blogs Tab" is where you will find your marketing tools. This is where you can grab the pre-generated codes to put the advertisements on your blog. All is clearly laid out with the different available formats shown next to them. Moving along, you will see the "Earnings Tab". I am sure all bloggers will be most interested in this one. It provides information on your current earnings, as well as your cash out history. A handy little tab to monitor how you did during different periods of time.

This next tab called the "Stats Tab" is an interesting one. It allows for the blogger to collect some simple stats from the readers and audiences such as gender, age and profession. While it is useful, these are pretty general information. More categories of stats such as interests, hobbies and what they read on the internet would be nice.

In conclusion, Advertlets provide both advertisers and bloggers alike a win-win opportunity, and is one of the better structured programs out there on the internet today. More information can be found here.

XSite Pro Review

2007-07-27T07:38:00.001-07:00

This is an all-in-one website building program. They call it The Internet Marketer's alternative to FrontPage and DreamWeaver. Quite a bold statement isn't it? Let us take a look what it has to offer.

According to them the success of this package comes in the following benefits:

Cut your development time down massively (what previously took days and weeks will take hours and minutes). This part is true. This is pretty much an automated website building package, with pre-built templates. You literally just plug in the information on your desired website. As a result, you need not have any knowledge of html. Anyone could do it.

Allow you to do things that were previously only possible by employing costly programmers and web development staff, which means that you control your web site and not the techies. Well, unless you have great aims for your website, and intend to make it look like a million dollars, maybe you still need additional help, unless you know some html and are good at design work. Therefore, see this as a DIY package that allows you to build websites fast.

Let you concentrate on building your online business rather than allowing untold hours to be soaked up developing web sites. Yes, this is true. You could finish a website in 20 mins. Great for marketing people.

Take away the frustration of web site development so that running your online business becomes a pleasure rather than a chore. Since it is made simple for you, you do not need to pluck out your hairs.:)

Put tools at your disposal which will allow you to take your new or existing business to the next level of success. Depends what you were using before. If this is your first attempt at building websites, this is a breeze.

Make it easy to keep your web sites up-to-date so that they don't end up becoming cobwebs (i.e. like the vast majority of Internet Marketing web sites that are rarely if ever updated because it is just too much trouble using conventional tools). I like this part. Updating is truely very fast and easy. Cool feature.

Personally, I use this package for one reason. It is simple to use. I do not want to fiddle around with html. It gets the job done well and fast. It has site optimization built in, and I can get the sites live fast!

You can visit their website to get more info, examples and videos here.

The following sites are made with Xsite Pro:

http://www.berichsg.com/

http://www.saleschampionzone.com/

http://www.simplecrochet.com/

Want to cruise in Melbourne?

2007-07-27T05:48:00.000-07:00

If you reside in Melbourne - Australia, and love the idea of meeting new people who are also "sick" in cars, this might be the perfect antidote for you. You will enjoy crusing with others, track days, dyno days, and opportunity to show off your ride.

When I first joined them some years ago, it was a unique experience. We used to meet up in a shopping mall carpark, and proceeded for "interesting" cruises. It is always very well organised, and the crowd is fantastic.

Their site seems to be rather quiet nowadays.

My car back in Melbourne.

A 480hp R34 :)

Visit their site for more info here.

Black Faceplate for Nokia N95

2007-07-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

It is almost like a disease that people who own gadgets like to make theirs look and feel different and unique. I guess that is why the accessories market is so hot! The Nokia N95 is not an exception.

With rumours of an upcoming black N95 with 8GB, the pages of Ebay started to flood with people selling black housings and faceplates. Since the faceplates are rather cheap, I got myself one.

First of all, these faceplates are made of plastic, and they are thinner in dimensions compared to the stock ones. As with quality of theses items you get from Ebay, don't expect much or you will be vastly disappointed. But you can have a different look.:) Installation is easy. All you got to do is to remove the 4 torx screws at the back of the slider unit, and the cover comes off. Place the black faceplate on, and put back the screws.

Fitting is okay, no big dramas there. If you get a bit of scratches on the plastic black faceplate, I find they are easily removed by lightly polishing with a plastic resin polish.

I guess this is an alternative solution as the original nokia ones only come in silver for the moment.

Garmin Nuvi 610 GPS Review

2007-07-26T18:11:00.000-07:00

Garmin is one of the leading manufacturers of GPS systems in the market today, and the finished quality of the product does show. The build quality and the user interface all are top notch.

Today, I will review the Garmin Nuvi 610. This is a standalone GPS system, and the first thing you will notice is the "wide screen display" at 4.3" instead of the norm at 3" +/-. This is great as it is easier on the eyes, you will get to see more on screen. The next thing you will also be happy to notice is the extra bright screen. It is so effective that even under direct sunlight, you will still be able to see the screen clearly, unlike a lot of other GPS, which is hopeless when they get a direct light on them.

One of the most crucial things in a good GPS unit is the mount. One with less movable parts is ideal, so that vibration can be minimized. I think may of us will agree that a poor mount that shakes the GPS unit under every bump on the road is no good to us, we will get a headache trying to focus on the screen!

Thankfully, the mount on this Garmin is very good indeed. Very sturdy, and almost no vibrations even when driving on less than desirable roads. The mount is a pressure suction type, which helps in securing it very firmly to the windshield.

The next thing you will notice is the "flip-up" external antenna. It is recommended that you flip the antenna at an angle parallel to the ground to get maximum effectiveness in signal acquisition. Talking about signal acquisition, this unit is very quick in getting a fix, less than 1 minute even in cold start from my tests.

The Nuvi 610 like the rest in the lineup, has a SD card slot, where you can plug in a preloaded map in SD card format, sold by Garmin. They have maps for USA/Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, and many other countries. Therefore, they are readily available. I am not 100% confident to comment on the accuracy of the maps for other areas (as I have not tested them), but I can comment on the Singapore/Malaysia maps.

It is vastly outdated! Yes, even with the latest version "just released", places which has been around for years can't even be found! So let us not talk about new streets and buildings. They don't come cheap either. For maps of Malaysia/Singapore, I found the free maps at Malsing Maps are 100 times better and more accurate. So go and get them there if you need them. They have a lovely community there to help you should you have any concerns regarding the maps.

Okay, so what does this unit offer? Firstly it offers turn by turn voice directions and maps can be viewed in 2D or 3D format. Personally, I prefer to leave it in 3D mode. It just seems nicer. It also has a day/nite mode which automatically switches according to the internal clock. All this is great. But it has more. You can set custom POIs, connect a phone via bluetooth to make hands free calls, load in your favourite pics to use as a start up screen, and listen to MP3s. So, it is pretty feature rich.

However, this model does not come with TTS (text to speech), meaning it does not read out road names, which is not a big deal. Personally, I prefer it this way, as reading out street names just means too much talking.:) All in all, I highly recommend this model, I have been using it for 1 year, and very satisfied with the performance.

More info can be viewed here.

Review of Cool n Lite Auto Tint

2007-07-26T07:08:00.001-07:00

One of the things to get done when shopping for a new car is to consider putting on an auto tint. I am sure many will agree that not only does it drive away those harmful rays and heat, it does make your new car look a whole lot "cooler".

Of course, if you want to go into the specifics of the benefits, it can make your car interior up to 60% cooler, many of the better tints can block 99% of harmful rays, it can help reduce glare, protect your new car's interior, and the list goes on.

Today, this review is on "Cool N Lite" auto tint. A good tint company should not operate from the back of a run down garage, and provide minimal service. Cool N Lite seems to understand this, and it offers buyers a unique shopping experience.

From the first time you walk into their installation facility, you get the feeling of professionalism shining at every corner. There is a demo corner where you can test the heat effect on different grades of films, which is great before buying.

The staff there know their stuff, and is always ready to settle any concerns which you may have, which is great. Afterall, you wouldn't want to deal with people who don't know what they are doing. Preselling skills there is top notch.

But wait, look at the setting of this place...

A waiting area with a bird's eye view of your car while they work? Wow!

A waiting area that looks like a pub?

Yes! You can relax there, have a drink on the house, read some magazines, surf the net, watch a movie . . .

. . . or maybe a game or two of pool!

So the setting of this place makes the customer feel like a king....what about the finish of the product?

I am glad to say that, workmapship is fast and excellent. There were 3 guys working on my car when I had my car done up there, and they finished the whole job in an hour! I am very fussy and picky when it comes to my car, and try as I did, I could not find any faults. It was perfect. All this comes with a 7 year warranty. Beautiful.

If you are looking for a good company with top quality tint, you should check them out.

http://www.coolnlite.com/

If you sell on Ebay, be warned!

2007-07-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

Ebay - a name we all heard before. An excellent place to buy and sell things, a common market place. Many times, you can get a bargain there, and if you sell things, it can be an excellent avenue as well.

However, there is another group of people there as well. They are scammers and cheaters. Much too often, people only think that cheaters only exist in the sellers when they are trying to make a quick buck off your hard earned dollars. What about buyers? Have you thought about that?

These people will try to bid on your product or whatever you are selling. Then they will try to send you a fake Ebay and Paypal email. You have to look closely at the origination of the email. Many times they look authentic, but if you are not sure, forward the email to spoof@paypal.com. They will help you. They will ask you to ship your item. I ask that if you have not receive any paypal in your paypal account and they said they have sent payment, it is probably a scam.

Be wary, and happy selling!

If you are a Nokia N95 Fan

2007-07-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

Well, if you are like me, and into this crazy world of mobiles, and in particular the Nokia N95...then you can't miss the following sites:

http://www.n95users.com/

http://darlamack.blogs.com/

http://n95blog.com/

SI Station Review (Asian Market)

2007-07-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

Today's review is on a real time stock monitoring application called SI Station.

This software is designed to run on the PC platform, and is meant for the Asian markets. So if you do stock trading in the Asian market, you should read on.Whether you are a casual trader or an experienced investor, if you want to invest in stocks, there are 2 things you must have - information and tools.

Information is crucial, and you need lots of it to enable you to have good timing in picking the right stocks to buy and when to sell. Anyone in stocks investments will tell you that timing is everything.The sources of information may be in the form of newspapers, company reports, online reviews, stock market sites, and so on. Suddenly, you realize that the information you need is spread all over, like a can of spilled beans on the floor.

Through practice and being receptive to all these available information, you then can make good decisions on which stock to buy and when, or sell for that matter. There is no short cut to stock trading, and listening to rumours is very risky to say the least. It is a too common scenario that when you see reviews of a hot stock being announced and the prices are shooting up, the "early birds" have already made a truck load.

You got be be analytical as to whether will the price shoot up much further for you to earn a good margin, or will the price shoot down when the big players are unloading their profits.So what tools do you need? Apart from the typical flow of information available, you should really have a real time monitoring software, especially if you do internet trading. Decisions made in a difference of seconds can mean a profit or loss for you. For trading in the Asian markets, you should have a look at SI Station. So what does it offer?

You get a whole lot of infomative features including streaming stock quotes, intraday time & sales, trade summary matrix, intraday charts, company financials, portfolio tracking. The list goes on. Click here to check out the site now, or read on.Being a user of the software myself, I must say that it makes life much easier. You have so much information you need right at your fingertips. Want to know which stocks are top gainers, or which stocks are traded in top volume? You got it in real time! You can even customize your own portfolio with the stocks you have, input the price you bought at, and it shows you in real time what are your current profits/losses, and even calculates the commissions for you. Want to know the financials of a particular company? No problem, just a few clicks and you got it. Want to know the latest IPOs or news feeds? You can have that as well. Therefore, I would say that it is a vital piece of tool to have, and you will be disadvantaged if you don't utilize it.SI Station offers a free trial. If you want to make life easier with your stocks investments, you should check it out.

Click here to go to the site.If you invest in the Singapore stock market, the following links might interest you:

Singapore Stock Exchange
KE Live - Market Analysis
UOB Kay Hian - Online Trading Provider
Share Investor Info Site

2008 Impreza S-GT (WRX)

2007-07-25T02:40:00.000-07:00

The all new Impreza WRX, some of us can't wait to see it, most of us hate the design, calling it less than pleasant names, only trailing the Evolution X in the design stakes, but how does it drive?

Check out the review: http://www.nihoncar.com/en/review-472-X.html

Buying/Selling Cars in Singapore

2007-07-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

As the heading suggests, if you are interested in buying or selling cars in Singapore, you can't miss this site: http://www.sgcarmart.com/new_cars/index.php

Prices, finance calculators, model info...it's all there. Great info.

OSIM iEcologi Wet/Dry Vacuum Cleaner Review

2007-07-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

When I first set sight on this vacuum cleaner, the first thing that came to mind was the futuristic look of it. It does look like a space helmet. With the water flowing like a rapid current on the front of the visor, it does gives me a good feeling about it.

In essence, this is a wet and dry vacuum cleaner. With a Boiler Power of 1250W and an Engine Power of 1050W, you know that this thing has some mean sucking power! You fill the front container with clean water, and you are ready to go. There are no bags involved. All dirt and grime will be trapped in the water, in which you can throw them away after the job is done.

There are 3 speed settings, and with the highest speed activated, the machine noise can get a bit loud. But this thing can clean very well. In addition, there is a steam function where you can literally sterilize your floors, kitchens, carpets, sofas and curtains at boiling point! Very Impressive vacuum indeed. The only downside is that, it is no lightweight. But if you can get over that, this is one handy helper.

More info can be viewed at: http://www.osim.com/SG/product/iecologi.aspx

XXX Sex Guide Forum for Singapore

2007-07-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

This has got to be the unerground sex related forum for the little island of Singapore and neighbouring region. If you have never read it before, you will be amazed at the discussions that goes on there. It covers the ins and outs of the local sex scene there.

Do not click on link if you are likely to be offended.

http://www.sammyboy.com/ Main Site

http://www.sammyboyforum.com/ Forum Discussions

I.Tech Clip Radio Bluetooth Headset Review

2007-07-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

I think it is quite common these days that anyone who owns a phone will want a bluetooth headset. No mess of wires connecting to the phone itself means a world of convenience. One of the most common uses is when driving for example.

Then again, there are some of us who love to listen to radio on our earphones or headset, and yet some phones pose a problem. Why? Even if some phones do have a FM function, you can't listen to it unless you physically connect your earphones, as the audio adapter acts as an antenna. So what will we do? A crisis situation? :)

This is where I.Tech Radio clip tries to solve the problem. Never heard of it? Then read on. The website quotes this gadget as "an elegant Bluetooth headset that combines entertainment and communication all-in-one. It plays music in stereo from your phone's music player* or built-in FM radio, and switches freely between music and phone calls. It is equipped with auto-searching radio station function and 4 stations could be pre-set. The clip style with standard 3.5mm audio socket allows the users to use their own favorite earpieces."

Sounds good? Well yes. However, there is no LCD display showing which radio station you are tuning to, so there is guesswork involved. But why don't they simply include one? Beats me! It would be nice to show who is calling either with some kind of display. Another thing, the earphones they provide is very low quality. If you are like me who are somewhat into music, you will definitely want to chuck the stock item out and replace with some decent ones.

If you can get past these two flaws, this is a pretty good unit, as quality of radio reception is good, and the mic works well during calls.

Below are some specs:

Bluetooth Specification: Version Version 2.0, Class 2
Profile Supported: HSP, HFP, A2DP & AVRCP
Range of Frequency: 2.4GHz Spectrum
Operating Distance: 10 meters
Charging Time: Within 3 hours
Talk Time: Up to 6.5 hours^
Music Playing Time: Up to 6.5 hours^
Standby Time: Up to 200 hours^
Dimension: 55(L) x 24(W) x 27(H) mm
Weight: 21 grams

It now retails locally for USD $65.00, price has dropped.

How to break in a new engine . . .

2007-07-22T02:19:00.000-07:00

Advice from the "Moto Man"

What's The Best Way To Break-In A New Engine ??

The Short Answer: Run it Hard !

Why ?? Nowadays, the piston ring seal is really what the break in process is all about. Contrary to popular belief, piston rings don't seal the combustion pressure by spring tension. Ring tension is necessary only to "scrape" the oil to prevent it from entering the combustion chamber.If you think about it, the ring exerts maybe 5-10 lbs of spring tension against the cylinder wall ... How can such a small amount of spring tension seal against thousands of PSI (Pounds Per Square Inch) of combustion pressure ?? Of course it can't.

Read more at: http://mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

3M Customized Floor Mats

2007-07-22T02:15:00.000-07:00

If you are anything into car accessories, you will be interested in 3M customized floor mats. Cut to size, includes front, back, and boot. They have a good choice of colours as well. Check them out: http://carmats4sale.blogspot.com/

Need Free GPS Maps for Malaysia/Singapore?

2007-07-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

In my humble opinion, the best maps available for Malaysia and Singapore, and free too. Updated daily. Dead on accurate, far better than the standard Garmin maps.

http://www.malsingmaps.com/forum/index.php

Need Apps and Games for your Symbian mobile?

2007-07-21T08:32:00.001-07:00

Gone are the days when people are contented with the standard apps and games that ship with your mobile. I remembered when I was contented at playing snakes in grayscale. Hahaha ...

Check out this forum with loads of them. One of the better organized ones.

http://www.mobile420.com/

Hybrid Toyota Supra Wins Tokachi 24-Hour race

2007-07-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

Toyota Team SARD's specially-prepared Supra HV-R hybrid GT racer has won the Tokachi 24-hour endurance race in Japan. The converted Super GT-spec racing car did so convincingly, too. As the only GT-class car in the field, the Denso SARD Supra HV-R maintained a steady lead of several laps throughout the course of the race, and in the later hours, it essentially dialed things up a notch and ran away from the rest of the field. More at http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/16/hybrid-toyota-supra-wins-tokachi-24-hrs/

Greetings, Welcome, Hello!

2007-07-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

Hi people,

as this is my first post, let me introduce myself. My name is Frederick, many call me Fred for short, which is fine by me. This blog is created to register the intersting happenings around me, or topics which I find interesting. You will get a good idea as time goes along, what my interests are, by reading my blog.

Okay now, moving along, and I welcome you once again.

Cheers!

Fred.