Using the Acronic TrueImage Home 2010 for Netbook from Mohd Hisham on Vimeo.

review crossposted from http://mhisham.org/?p=512

An edition of Acronis True Image Home 2010 optimized for netbooks. With Acronis True Image Home 2010 Netbook Edition you can back up to and restore your data from different storage media.

The video that exhibits the ease with which I restored the Samsung NC10 netbook. The backup process intuitively ask for an external media, where in this case, I used a 2GB Sandisk Flash Drive and a Western Digital Elements160GB External HDD. Additional information that may interest you, when it comes to Netbook support for the Netbook edition, the processors supported are Intel’s Atom 230, 330, N270, N280, Z500, Z510, Z520, Z530, and Z540 chips or the VIA C7-M chip.

“How Much Will This Cost Me?”, you asked.

“How much does it cost to replace “… the video of your firstborn child and images from your best friend’s birthday party, your most successful sales-clinching documents and the spreadsheet that details the work you have done …”?”, I replied.

Acronis True Image Home 2010 series of product pricing can be located at http://www.acronis.com.sg . Do explore the site out, to see the products that will definitely add value and security to your home as well as the enterprise.

Olympus created the Pen to go without mirrors and non-reflex lens; two components which are the hallmarks of the SLR cameras, film & digital, without sacrificing much of the handling and versatility, users have come to expect from any companies claiming the SLR compliance.

The E-P1 follows the design blueprint of the Olympus Pen F series; featuring a corrugated plastic grip and an overall metallic design which harkens one to the days of yore. For Singapore consumers, it is available in three basic offerings as follows;

§ S$1,298 – standard lens kit (M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6)

§ S$1,488 – pancake lens kit (M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 17mm f2.8)

§ S$1,598 – twin lens kit (M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 and M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 17mm f2.8)

A lot of reviews have been given to the Pen E-P1 series; while I am very sure they are pleased with it, I have to caution users who have been told that it has a similar quality to an SLR camera, to be wary before making their purchase. This is not to take away users from purchasing the Pen E-P1, having used it myself, I find that the pictures it captures are worthy mentions in any digital competitions. The Pen E-P1, suffers slightly where user handling is concerned.

Here comes my disclaimer. When it comes to using a camera, I am at ease, when using compact cameras like the Canon Ixus or Sony T90 series, also the camera functionality that comes in most mobile phones like the Nokia N78 and on towards the slightly bigger Canon Powershot & Nikon Coolpix, and further on towards the SLR cameras, the Canon 300V, the Nikon d90, the Sony Alpha series etc.

In comes the Olympus E-P1. By virtue of its photographic quality, it should hang out with the SLR big boys; whereas its compact size makes it the brethren of the compact cameras. However, thats where the similarity ends. The Pen feels heavy on the hand when you expect it to be light; making it difficult for a one-handed operation, more commonly done on the compact camera. The weight distribution also seems unbalanced, especially when you use the 14-42mm lens. With an SLR camera, it is immediately clear on how to handle it, whereas things get a little shifty and iffy with the Pen. If you have purchased this camera, it will be good to note that, with constant use, you will definitely get the hang of it.

Handling issues aside, I am very pleased with the performance of the Pen. Having been testing it out for a couple of weeks thanks to the kind folks at August, I am able to check out the various features that came with the Pen. The pin-hole function is a personal favourite; it gives the quality, reminiscent of pin-hole boxes, without taking away the clarity one would expect from this genius of a camera.

If you are in the market for a new camera, with stylish design in mind, powerful features and pleasing result, the Olympus Pen E-P1, is without a doubt the one you can list down as a To-Buy.

I will end this review with a short video introducing the Olympus Pen E-P1 to the world.

References:

P.S. Don’t forget to check out episode 18 of Gear65 where we took a look at the X-Mini 2!

The X-Mini 2 Capsule Speaker is the 2nd generation of the award winning speaker that is designed in Singapore and made in China. Yes, you heard me right. This speaker is actually designed in Singapore. (Play patriotic songs)

But do not be fool by the size. Although it is small, the sound quality and loudness produced by this speaker is amazing. OK, there is no way that I can demonstrate to you the quality of the speaker on this blog. Even our video review on Tech65 doesn’t do the X-Mini 2 justices. You must listen to it yourself to really experience the quality. Or take my words for it.

The X-Mini 2 is very portable. It is designed in such a way that you can “compress” the speaker when not in use to save space. The cables coils around the speakers nicely too. If you need longer cables, the X-Mini 2 comes with an extension. The X-Mini 2 has a built in battery which can last up to 11 hours. You can charge the speakers using the Mini-usb port. If you have been reading my reviews, you will notice that I love gadgets that make use of Mini-usb port. You don’t need to worry about forgetting to bring the cables. Chances are, someone will have 1 in their bag.

The best thing about the X-Mini 2 Capsule Speaker is that you can daisy chain the speakers together using their “Buddy Jack”. There is almost no limit to the number of X-Mini 2 speakers you can daisy chain together. We tried daisy chain 5 together and it amazingly loud yet retains the sound quality. The PR company told us that they tried daisy chain up to 50 once and their neighbours lodge a police complain. Wahahahahaha. Note to all: Use the daisy chain system responsibly.

Honestly speaking, I love the speaker a lot. One X-Mini 2 Capsule Speaker is already good enough for normal daily usage. But to really really feel the shiok-ness of this amazing speaker, you should try to get at least 2 of them and daisy chain it. You will surely wow your friends with it.

The X-Mini 2 Capsule Speakers is selling at S$49.90. There are other companies out there trying to imitate the X-Mini 2 design but honestly, the quality is nowhere near the orginal. So make sure you look out for the word “X-Mini” on the speaker.

In short:
A portable speaker with amazing sound quality

Likes:
Amazing sound quality
Daisy Chain
Portable
Charging with Mini-usb port

Dislikes:
Nil

Thanks to Sherman and Frederick from LeftBrain and XM-I for passing us the review units.

By request, I am posting the full specifications of the HP Mini 110. While I was putting this up, I realised there were a few specs that we forgot about, such as the fact that the display is LED-backlit. The HP Mini 110 has several options, and it’s base model is probably the one that costs US$299 (During the executive interviews, we were told that the US$299 is for both the Mobile Internet Edition as well as the Windows XP model).

I’m also adding the HD version of the HP Mini 110 video for your viewing pleasure.

Specifications are as follows :

This specs sheet was taken and modified slightly from Nicholas Aaron Khoo’s blog, whom I attended the HP Touch The Future Now event in Beijing with.

On my way back from Beijing, I decided to do a video tour of Singapore Airline’s in-flight entertainment system, and check out the tech that’s found on the system. Oh, and sorry about the accent. That’s what happens when you can’t hear yourself.

Part 1

Part 2

A short video of the HP Pavillion all-in-one desktop computer that was launched at the HP Touch The Future Now event.

A second more detailed first look with more information on the HP Mini 110, taken live at BeiJing at the HP Touch The Future Now event.

I did a comparison with the HP Mini 1000 too, so check it out.

Here’s a video where I took a quick look at the HP Mini 110’s design changes verses the HP Mini 1000. More updates coming as the day passes. Or follow the Singaporean bloggers and journalists there:

• http://www.twitter.com/geekonomics
• http://www.twitter.com/cnetasia
• http://www.twitter.com/danieltsou
• http://asia.cnet.com/blogs/geekonomics

It’s a first look at the Nokia N97! One of the most highly anticipated phones in Nokia’s line-up. DK and Hisham visit Nokia Singapore and brought back some HD video of this phone that’s going to be on sale in Singapore in June 2009 by all 3 carriers.

How was it? In DK’s words:

The phone has amazing hardware and specs, but the software is just a normal Series60.

Or something along those lines.

Hmmm… Like we said, it’s just a first look. If we spend more time with it, perhaps we’ll discover some of the changes in Series60 that could make it really powerful.