Asus review - Moblin netbooks coming soon

When Asus inaugurated the boom of the netbooks by launching the Asus Eee PC, it was made with a computer equipped with a version of a Linux distribution. Later on, this distribution was gradually replaced by Windows XP because the public preferred to have this operating system as the pre-installed option.

Now, Linux could make a strong return to this market segment with Moblin, which is a distribution developed by Intel and targeted exclusively for mobile devices (such as netbooks) in order to improve their performance and speed the start-up time of these devices. In fact, the start-up time is one of the disadvantages of netbooks.

But in the coming years, it is probable that Moblin becomes just one of the Linux-based operating systems offered with the Asus netbooks, since the computer maker could also sell some netbooks with Chrome OS, a new operating system expected to be released next year. Of course, users preferences will dictate how the market will evolve.

It is not clear yet what kind of netbooks will come with the Moblin operating system, although some people suggest it would be very appropriate for the touch netbooks or for the Asus Seashell. Anyway, we hope the company will choose Moblin 2.0 as the initial version because it has an excellent interface and it would be great for users.

Nikon digital camera lens now also works as a projector lens - CoolPix S1000PJ

Nowadays, it seems that there is a strong trend to combine multiple functions in a single device. For example, cell phones have an extensive list of functions (radio receiver, digital camera, audio and video player, clock, alarm, organiser, etc.). And that list is growing more and more.

Nikon, the multinational corporation specializing in optics and imaging, has just announced the launch of its Nikon CoolPix S1000PJ: the first camera-projector (or projector-camera) that will be available soon in the stores. This new product, as can be supposed, will be able to work as a digital camera or a projector to display images and video clips on the go.

Surely, this gadget will open the doors for more developments in the imaging industry in order to produce more and better devices.

The Nikon CoolPix S1000PJ has a 2.7-inch screen with anti-reflection coating, 1/1.23-inch 12-megapixel CCD sensor, EXPEED digital image processing, Hybrid VR Image Stabilization, 5x Zoom-NIKKOR lens, approximately 36 MB of internal memory, a built-in LED projector with a brightness of up to 10 lumens, endurance (battery life) of about 1 hour (when using the projector), and SDHC support (Secure Digital High Capacity, SD 2.0). It also includes a remote control to manage the projector in a more convenient way.

The camera-projector will be available for sale in the coming months and will cost about US$ 430, which is an affordable price if we keep in mind its versatile functions.

Harmony adapter for PlayStation 3 game

It has a compact and discreet design. The Harmony adapter can be perfectly integrated with your multimedia game console or, more exactly, with your PlayStation 3. This is a cool novelty because, until a few days ago, the Harmony remote control didn’t work for the Sony console since it was not able to “understand” the commands supported by the PlayStation 3 console. However, now it acknowledges the whole set of 51 PS3 commands. So, if you are one of the lucky gamers who are going to use this adapter, then you will be able to control DVD or Blu-Ray Disc movies, browse the XrossMediaBar (XMB) interface, and turn on / turn off the console without the need of using the switch included on it.

After connecting the Harmony device to the PlayStation 3 console, a wizard program will be started automatically. That wizard will guide users through a step-by-step process in order to configure the new element.

This device uses a Bluetooth wireless connection that allows an uninterrupted communication to be alert to and prepared for commands between the console and the remote control, even if the PS3 console is turned off. Also as an additional feature, the device can be connected with other different devices, since it has USB ports.

The retail price of the Harmony remote control is USD$ 59.99 (approximately 43 euros).

Zune MP3 player: New HD version confirmed for September 15

Today, after many rumors about the release date of Zune HD (some rumors claimed that it would be launched at the beginning of September), Microsoft stopped all these speculations. The Redmond company announced to the whole world the Zune HD would be available in United States on September 15, 2009. It is not a surprise because, anyway, September was always the expected month for this launch.

Recently, many blogs and news websites have been mentioning this interesting portable media player that has captured the interest of hundreds of people around the world, due to the expected features and design. In this way, the expectation caused a lot of rumors and even a picture of a display stand was leaked yesterday on a website without having official confirmation. So, apparently, there are a lot of potential buyers.

The cost per unit of the upcoming Zune HD will be about $220 for the version that can storage up to 16GB. On the other hand, the 32GB version will cost about $290. And some people think a 64GB version could be launched too, but there is no official word about that.

At the moment, these prices are confirmed only for United States. But, of course, there will be new announcements about the launch of this gadget (and its prices) in Europe and other regions around the world.

By the way, if you want to buy a multimedia player, then you can compare some features of different options in this Wikipedia page (it includes the upcoming Zune HD).

Mp3 players: Apple launches its new iPod Shuffle

The new iPod Shuffle has a VoiceOver feature, which gives the iPod the ability to “speak” song titles, artist names and playlists names. The device can “speak” in 14 languages, including English, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish.

This tiny iPod has no playback controls on the player itself. Instead, the buttons of the device are positioned on the headphone wire. Those buttons allow user to play, pause, adjust the volume, open or switch playlists and hear the name of the played song or singer. The iPod Shuffle can also give information about the battery status (how much battery life remains).

According to Apple, the third generation of its low-end iPod Shuffle is significantly smaller than a AA battery and it can store up to 1,000 songs.

The new iPod Shuffle comes in black or silver. It has a thin, ultra-modern design and a stainless steel clip on the back. This device is now available for sale and costs around $79.

New Sony’s Cybershot HX1 digital camera

Sony introduced its first digital camera with sweep panorama technology. The new model Cyber-shot HX1 can take 224-degree panorama photos in a single and easy step. Also, it is the first Cyber-shot camera that uses the Exmor Cmos technology, which allows to reach burst speeds of 10 frames per second at full 9.1 megapixel resolution.

Amazon begins to sell e-books for mobiles - telephone portable

Nobody in the editorial industry knows what is the future of the digital book, but the companies that bet for its success are determined to generate its expansion by facilitating the adoption of this technology. Amazon, company that markets the Kindle (a device to read e-books that is available in USA for $359) had announced on February 9 it was looking to expand the reach of its e-book reader into the mobile phone space and yesterday this move was completed. Now, anyone with an iPhone or iTouch can download (for free) an application, which is also called Kindle, and read books on the two small Apple gadgets.