Super Slim – Sony Cyber-shot T10

Do you have a digital camera? I personally like Canon and Sony digital cameras most. If I want a buy a DSLR camera, I’ll go for Canon EOS series, but if I’m looking for a compact digital camera, I’ll definitely choose a Sony. Sony’s T series is my favourite - they always have big screens and satisfying CCD and optical zooms. Most importantly, they also have very slim bodies and now they have added sexier colour options in the new T10 range. It has almost been 3 years since Sony introduced its first Cyber-shot T1. Let’s have a look at the product timeline of the Sony T series:

• October 2003 - Sony DSC-T1 (5.0 Megapixel, 3x Optical Zoom)
• March 2004 - Sony DSC-T11 (5.0 Megapixel, 3x Optical Zoom)
• August 2004 - Sony DSC-T3 (5.0 Megapixel, 3x Optical Zoom)
• January 2005 - Sony DSC-T33 (5.0 Megapixel, 3x Optical Zoom)
• March 2005 - Sony DSC-T7 (5.0 Megapixel, 3x Optical Zoom)
• July 2005 - Sony DSC-T5 (5.0 Megapixel, 3x Optical Zoom)
• October 2005 - Sony DSC-T9 (6.0 Megapixel, 3x Optical Zoom)
• March 2006 - Sony DSC-T30 (7.1 Megapixel, 3x Optical Zoom)
  

After the T30, Sony recently launched its newest T10 into New Zealand. It comes with 4 colours - black, white, silver and pink, and uses 7.2 megapixel CCD, a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with 3x optical zoom and it has a 2.5” LCD screen. Plus, it employs double blur reduction function.

Click the following links for more information and pricing.

• Sony DSCT10S Cyber-shot – Silver
• Sony DSCT10S Cyber-shot – Black
• Sony DSCT10S Cyber-shot – Pink
• Sony DSCT10S Cyber-shot – White
  

And, don’t forget, it can also work with the Sony GPS unit!!

Intel Quad-core Chips are Coming

If you’re still using a single core processor, this is to let you know that the quad core chips are coming soon. According to New Zealand Reseller News, Intel will ship the quad-core processors in November 2006 for servers and gaming PCs. Thirteen vendors have already committed to selling quad-core processor based PCs for the high-end market, including Dell and its Alienware division, Gateway and Voodoo.

Why do we need so many cores? Because adding extra cores to a chip allows the PC to split up heavy workloads. It’s like adding more arms, eyes and brains to our body. By having those extras, we’re able to work on computers, drink coffee, clean tables, watch TV and play games all at the same time. How good it will be! Intel has said that the new quad-core processors will deliver a 70% performance boost compared to Intel’s own current dual-core gaming processor.

The desktop chip will be called “Core 2 Quad”, following the current “Core 2 Extreme”. But be warned - it won’t be cheap when it first comes out. I’m guessing that it will cost more than NZ$2,000. Expect a mainstream four-core desktop chip to be shipped in the first quarter of 2007. Just for your info as well - the server quad-core chip will be called Xeon 5300.

Intel has been successful with its Core 2 Duo family so far and has shipped an incredible 5 million Core 2 Duo processors since they launched 2 months ago. They will also start moving from the current 65-nm core micro-architecture to 45-nm technology from the second half of 2007, and into 32-nm by 2010.

However, I think Core 2 Duo processors will still be the mainstream for the next 18 months. Click the link for the complete list and latest pricing for Intel Core 2 Duo processors.

New Xtra Broadband Plans

After Telecom announced its wholesale plan for new broadband services, Xtra has released its new retail broadband plans which will be available from 26 October 2006.

There are two highlights in the new Xtra plans. One is the maximum download speed for all plans. Second is the new “Go Large” plan which offers an unlimited amount of data. Yes – you read it here - you can use as much as you want! 100GB per month? No problem! And with no more extra charges or slowing down of speed. The only thing is, it is subject to a ‘fair use policy’ which means that access to some programmes, such as peer-to-peer networking, will be limited. The “Go Large” plan will only cost $49.95 per month.

All old Xtra users will be moved to the new plans progressively from 26 October. Let’s have a look of your new plan, if you’re an existing Xtra customer.

Basic Plan:

• Current download speed: 256 Kbps, Current upload speed: 128 Kbps, Current data cap: 200MB, Current additional data usage: $0.02/MB
• New download speed: Max, New upload speed: 128 Kbps, New data cap: 200MB, New additional data usage: $0.02/MB
• Price: $29.95 per month
  

Go Plan

• Current download speed: 2 Mbps, Current upload speed: 128 Kbps, Current data cap: 1 GB, Current additional data usage: Slowed to dial-up
• New download speed: Max, New upload speed: 128 Kbps, New data cap: 200MB, New additional data usage: $0.02/MB
• Price: $39.95 per month
  

Explorer Plan

• Current download speed: 3.5 Mbps, Current upload speed: 128 Kbps, Current data cap: 5 GB, Current additional data usage: Slowed to dial-up
• New download speed: Max, New upload speed: 128 Kbps, New data cap: 200MB, New additional data usage: $0.02/MB
• Price: $49.95 per month
  

Adventure Plan

• Current download speed: 3.5 Mbps, Current upload speed: 128 Kbps, Current data cap: 10 GB, Current additional data usage: Slowed to dial-up
• New download speed: Max, New upload speed: 128 Kbps, New Data Cap: 200MB, New additional data usage: $0.02/MB
• Price: $59.95 per month
  

Pro Plan

• Current download speed: 3.5 Mbps, Current upload speed: 512 Kbps, Current data cap: 10 GB, Current additional data usage: $0.02/MB
• New download speed: Max, New upload speed: Max, New data cap: 15 GB, New additional data usage: $0.02/MB
• Price: $79.95 per month
  

Pro Advanced Plan

• Current download speed: 3.5 Mbps, Current upload speed: 512 Kbps, Current data cap: 20 GB, Current additional data usage: $0.02/MB
• New download speed: Max, New upload speed: Max, New data cap: 30 GB, New additional data usage: $0.02/MB
• Price: $99.95 per month
  

Pro Ultra Plan

• Current download speed: 3.5 Mbps, Current upload speed: 512 Kbps, Current data cap: 40 GB, Current additional data usage: $0.02/MB
• New download speed: Max, New upload speed: Max, New data cap: 50 GB, New additional data usage: $0.02/MB
• Price: $149.95 per month

Looking for a broadband router, click the link.

Sony Launches GPS Unit for Cyber-shot, Alpha DSLR & Handycam

Sony has developed a pocket-size GPS device and software that helps us identify the location of every picture taken. It can hold up to 31MB data, equivalent to about one month of tracking and recording for 12 hours per day.

The device must be used in conjunction with Picture Motion Browser and only works with JPEG images with Exif 2.1 or later. All the Sony Cyber-shot/Handycam launched after August 2006 are supplied with Picture Motion Browser and supports JPEG Exif 2.1.

How it works

The GPS-CS1 doesn’t connect to a digital camera. Instead, it tracks data from the device and transfers the data to a Windows PC via a USB cable. Camera images are also downloaded to the same PC, which then matches the image data with the GPS tracking data.

The Picture Motion Browser allows users to view JPEG images with the location information. If you want a more visual view of the location, you can click the “Map View” function, which uses the Google Maps to show the geographic location.

Have you ever taken hundreds of pictures on a trip, but when you get home, find you can’t remember where you shot them? Using this GPS-CS1, you can identify the location within a few metres. Are you getting excited? Click the link for more information and pricing - Sony GPS-CS1 GPS Unit.

Top Internal DVD-Writer – Samsung 18X Double Layer Super-WriteMaster

Don’t have a DVD writer yet? Or are you looking for a new DVD writer for your desktop PC? Then this 18X Double Layer Super-WriteMaster DVD-writer from Samsung is an excellent choice. Although we cannot really buy the 18X DVD disc yet, it does write up to 18X on DVDs and support up to 12X DVD-RAM. The Double Layer capability will let you write up to 8.5GB on a single disc and it comes in both black and beige covers. Click the following links for more information and pricing.

• Samsung SH-S182D DVD Writer – Black
• Samsung SH-S182D DVD Writer - Beige
  

Telecom Has Revealed New Full-Speed DSL Plans

According to Computerworld, Telecom will change its entire range of DSL broadband plans and remove the speed-limit for downloading. The new plans are named after cars and the more expensive plans feature unconstrained upstream also. Here are the expected features of each plan.

• Coupe – Full Speed Download, 128k Upload, 200MB Data Cap, Estimated price: $33 per month
• Berlinetta - Full Speed Download, 128k Upload, 1GB Data Cap, Estimated price: $43 per month
• Cabriolet - Full Speed Download, 128k Upload, Unlimited Data Cap, Estimated price: $53 per month
• Speedster - Full Speed Download, Full Speed Upload, 2GB Data Cap, Estimated price: $53 per month
• Pro - Full Speed Download, Full Speed Upload, 15GB Data Cap, Estimated price: $82 per month
• Pro Advanced - Full Speed Download, Full Speed Upload, 30GB Data Cap, Estimated price: $101 per month
• Pro Ultra - Full Speed Download, Full Speed Upload, 50GB Data Cap, Estimated price: $149 per month
  

Overall, I think the downloading speed looks satisfying. However, the upload speed is still too slow for the entry plans, which will be used by most home users. No matter how fast the download speed will be, some tasks, such as VoIP voice and video calls and online games will still be limited due to the slow upload speed.

Looking for a broadband router? Click the link.

The New Ghost – Norton Save & Restore

As many of you know, the famous backup and PC-cloning utility Ghost is a New Zealand-developed product, brought to life by Auckland developer Binary Research. Symantec bought the product in 1998 for US$27.5 million (NZ$42 million) and now sells it worldwide as Norton Ghost.

However, the new version will have a name change and be re-labelled as Norton Save & Restore. Although it’s a little sad, the new product is more than twice faster than the older Ghost versions. Highlights and main features of the Norton Save & Restore are:

• Backs up files and folders
• Creates full backups of your PC’s contents
• Restores individual files or entire hard drive
• Monitors and optimizes backup disk space
• Encrypts backups to help keep them secure
• Safeguards photos and important files
• Schedules automatic backups
• Restores from system failures
  

Click the link for more information and pricing - Symantec Norton Save & Restore.

Top Power Laptop - Acer TravelMate 8204

This Acer TravelMate 8204 is a powerful desktop PC-replacement notebook. Let’s have a look at a summary of its features:

Pros – Includes a built-in 1.3 mega pixel webcam

Cons – Disappointing battery life of only 3.5 hours

Highlights

• Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology
• DASP+ and Smart Card security & protection system
• Hot-swap MediaBay & multi-memory card reader
  

It is equipped with an Intel Core Duo T2500 2.0GHz processor, 1GB memory, 120GB hard drive, a unique built-in webcam, Windows XP Professional and both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. For convenience, it also comes with a five-in-one memory card reader, audio ports, FireWire port, DVI-D connection and wireless communication buttons on the front of the laptop.

It has a 15.4” TFT widescreen with 1680 x 1050 resolution. Its powerful ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics card with 256MB dedicated memory will handle games well.

The only drawback is the 3.5 hours battery life. Otherwise, it will be a perfect desktop replacement notebook.

Click the link for more information and pricing - Acer TravelMate 8204 Portable PC.

Philips Internet / DECT Cordless Phone for Spype or Windows Live Messenger

Philips has recently released two internet / DECT phones which can be used as both normal cordless landline phones and as internet phones for either Spype or Windows Live Messenger calls. Both of them equip a screen for navigating your Skype or Messenger contact list without going back to your PC. The Messenger model has a colour screen which is helpful. Both Skype-to-Skype and Messenger-to-Messenger calls are free, no matter where you are on the planet. You do need to pay for internet to landline or mobile calls though, but it’s still much cheaper than normal phone calls. BTW, both models have the twin phone pack available. By using two headsets, you can make internet and landline calls simultaneously.

Unfortunately however, they are not interchangeable. The Spype model only supports Skype-to-Skype internet calls, SkypeOut calls to normal phones or for use as a normal landline phone. The Windows Live Messenger model can only be used for Messenger-to-Messenger calls, Messenger to phone calls, or for use as a normal landline phone. You have to choose one of them for the program you use most - or you could buy both of them :-)

For more information and pricing, click the following links:

• Philips VOIP3211S/79 Internet/DECT Phone for Skype
• Philips VOIP3212S/79 Internet/DECT Phone for Skype – Twin Phone Pack
• Philips VOIP4331B/79 Internet/DECT Phone for Windows Live Messenger
• Philips VOIP4332B/79 Internet/DECT Phone for Windows Live Messenger – Twin Phone Pack

The 100 Best IT Products of 2006 – Part 10

We finally count down to the top 10 products of 2006. Exciting stuff… (Data Source: PC World)

#10 Apple Boot Camp

Finally, Apple lets you install and run the Windows XP operating system on your Mac by using this free Boot Camp.

#9 YouTube.com

A free video-sharing site for you to enjoy watching videos of every kind, and you can also upload your own productions at no cost.

#8 Canon EOS 30D

This 8.2 megapixel digital SLR camera takes many of the pro-level features from Canon’s EOS 5D, and offers them at a friendly price. Selling for $2,499 in New Zealand, but if you think it is still too expensive – you need to have a look at the new Canon EOS 400D.

#7 Adobe Premiere Elements 2

This strong, stable, entry-level video editing application only costs a fraction of the Premiere Pro, and you may not be able to even notice the difference. Click the link for more information and pricing. BTW…Adobe Premiere Elements 3 is coming soon.

#6 Google Earth

Many of the world’s news channels use Google Earth to zoom in places like Iraq, but you can use it to look in on your neighbour’s backyard…or your work…or the local tourist spot…or…

#5 Seagate 160GB Portable Hard Drive

You may be wondering why a portable hard drive is rated this high. It’s because this is the first hard drive to use perpendicular magnetic recording technology to pack more data into the same space. This revolutionary drive costs US$380 (NZ$575). But hey – if this is a little expensive for what you need, you can consider the 100GB model. Click the link for more information and pricing - Seagate 100GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive.

#4 Apple iPod nano

Everyone can recognize this tiny digital music player from Apple. The second generation is coming soon and should be available by the end of September. Refer to my previous post for more information and click the link for the latest pricing.

#3 Craigslist.org

Although it’s a very ugly web-classified website, this website is now established in over 200 cities around the world. Check out http://geo.craigslist.org/iso/nz for New Zealand cities (only Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington available at this stage).

#2 AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core

This most powerful desktop CPU ever made has achieved a dual-core design first. Click the link for more information on the range and the latest pricing.

#1 Intel Core Duo

If AMD’s Athlon X2 is #2, then who should be the number 1? The winner is – Intel Core Duo. Intel has had one of their biggest years! They introduced dual core processors for both notebook and desktop PCs, provided multi-tasking power never before possible on a portable PC, while supporting superb battery life for mobile devices. The Core Duo is not only for Windows PCs, but also for Apple’s laptop and desktop Macs. AMD’s Athlon X2 is powerful as well, but not as battery-efficient as Intel in the mobile area. Intel also launched the Intel Core 2 Duo desktop range recently, click the link for more information and pricing.

Who will be the king for 2007? Who knows. But one thing is for sure, these great products do make our life far more exciting, don’t they?

The 100 Best IT Products of 2006 – Part 9

Let’s continue our journey of the top 100 best products of 2006. (Data Source: PC World)

# 20 Yamaha RX-V4600

This 7.1 channel digital home theatre receiver is the first receiver to deliver high-definition radio – which definitely sounds better than the regular old AM and FM signals. It costs US$1,899.95 (NZ$2,867).

# 19 RedOctane’s Guitar Hero

Like SingStar, this PlayStation 2 game can help you realize your dream of being a pop star. Sells for $149.95 and it is available in New Zealand.

# 18 Sonos ZonePlayer 80

The ZonePlayer offers you the opportunity to play your favourite digital music, all over your house, on all your favourite audio equipment – your home theatre receiver, stereo system, powered speakers and more. It costs US$349 (NZ$527). Too costly? Consider the Logitech Wireless Music System for PC, which does the similar job but costs much less.

# 17 Google

What can one say about Google…it remains the most-used and best-loved search engine on the internet.

# 16 nVidia GeForce 7600 GT

How can we forget this high performance but low priced graphic card from nVidia? Click the link for more information and pricing of a Gigabyte GeForce 7600 GT video card.

# 15 Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV600

This is one of the best media centre desktop replacement notebook PC. It has a 17” TrueBrite display, premium sound, Intel Core Duo T2400 1.83GHz processor, Windows XP Media Centre Edition, 1GB memory, 160GB hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300 graphics card with 256MB video memory. Costing US$2,399.99 (NZ$3,621) - check out www.mytoshiba.co.nz for all other Toshiba notebooks.

# 14 Toshiba HD-A1

Another Toshiba!! This is the first high-definition optical disc player on the market. Want to say good-bye to your current DVD player? You need to spend US$499.99 (NZ$755).

# 13 Engadget.com

It’s a gadget blog.

# 12 Mozilla Firefox 1.5

This free web browser was the best product of 2005 and continues to offer a better set of features and stronger security than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.

# 11 Adobe Photoshop Elements 4

This is the most elegant and powerful image-editing application for entry-level users. Click the link for more information and pricing. Adobe Photoshop Elements 5 is coming soon.

New iPod shuffle - The World’s Smallest Digital Music Player

Steve Jobs describes this new shuffle as ‘the world’s smallest digital music player’. Maybe it is. One thing for sure, is it does look really, really small. It’s only 4.1 cm long and weighs about 15 grams, but holds up to 240 songs (1GB). Just pretend it is actually a clip. You can clip it to your jean’s coin pocket and listen to music for up to 12 hours with about 4 hours charge time. The drawback is that it still doesn’t have a screen. In the packing box, you’ll find the silver iPod shuffle, earphones, dock and a quick start guide.

Click the link for more information and pricing - Apple iPod shuffle

New Fifth-Generation iPod

I don’t think the new fifth-generation iPod has any big differences compared with the previous version, except there is now an 80GB model to replace the old 60GB one. However - it does have some minor improvements though. The screen is 60% brighter than the previous one and a new interface lets you search your songs quicker. It’s still only available in black and white. For the 30GB model, the battery life is now up to 14 hours of music playback, up to 4 hours of slideshow with music, or up to 3.5 hours of video playback. For the 80GB model, the battery life is extended to 20 hours of music playback, up to 6 hours of slideshow with music, or up to 6.5 hours of video playback. In the packing box, you’ll find the iPod (of course!), earphones, USB 2.0 cable, dock adapter for use with universal dock, case and a quick start guide.

Click the following links for more information and pricing.

• Apple iPod 30GB - White
• Apple iPod 30GB - Black
• Apple iPod 80GB - White
• Apple iPod 80GB - Black
• Apple iPod US Special Edition (30GB)
  

All New iPod nano

This completely remastered iPod nano comes in five colours and three storage options. The old nano was only available in white and black for 1GB, 2GB or 4GB, but the new iPod nano has a silver cover for the 2GB model (500 songs); silver, green, blue and pink covers for the 4GB model (1,000 songs) and a very cool black cover for the 8GB model (2,000 songs).

The colour LCD screen is still 1.5-inch, but 40% brighter than the previous model. Unfortunately, it still doesn’t support video format and can only play images in JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PSD (Mac only) and PNG formats.

Another highlight of the new iPod nano is its 24 hours playback time or up to 5 hours of slideshows with music (about 3 hours charge time).

Click the following links for more information and pricing:

• Apple iPod nano 2GB - Silver
• Apple iPod nano 4GB - Silver
• Apple iPod nano 4GB - Blue
• Apple iPod nano 4GB - Green
• Apple iPod nano 4GB - Pink

All New iPods

Apple has announced the all new iPod range yesterday, including the new iPod, iPod nano and iPod shuffle, plus a new version of iTunes 7.

The new iPod nano is thinner and has a brighter display screen and now comes in five colours. Even better…it has up to 24 hours of battery life!!

The fifth-generation iPod now has 30GB and 80GB models and is compatible with music, video, podcasts, audiobooks and even games.

I think the new iPod shuffle has had the biggest style change in the family. It has become even smaller than the previous model. The world’s smallest digital music player has 1GB memory.

I’ll introduce each model in detail in upcoming posts, but unfortunately, none of them are available in New Zealand yet. We may need to wait for another month or so. Hopefully it won’t be like last year when the first iPod nano came out and we couldn’t buy it anywhere. The good news is that we’ll have more choices this Christmas, as apart from the current hot SanDisk and Kingston music/video players etc., Microsoft will be launching a new music/video player Zune as well.

Click the link for more information and pricing - Apple iPod.

The 100 Best IT Products of 2006 – Part 8

(Data Source: PC World)

# 30 Yahoo Mail

Yahoo says “Yahoo! Mail – The best web-based email!”. This free email service is truly the best web mail client we’ve seen.

# 29 Canon PIXMA MP950

An all-in-one photo printer that has a 3.6” LCD screen and prints up to 9600 x 2400 dpi resolution. It’s one of the best photo MFPs in the market and costs US$399.99 (NZ$616). Unfortunately, it’s not in New Zealand yet but you never know – it might be available soon.

# 28 Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5

This free e-mail application has excellent junk-mail filtering and efficient address gathering. I think it’s the best free e-mail application. Download it for free from http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird/. I still prefer Microsoft Outlook 2003 even though you have to pay for it. Click for the latest price of Microsoft Outlook 2003.

# 27 Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a free, open source Linux-based operating system that starts with the breadth of Debian and adds regular releases. Linux is not for everyone - most of us still need Windows. Click the link for the special priced Windows XP Media Centre Edition.

# 26 MioNet

MioNet allows you to access your work computer from home and vice versa, or to securely share resources with others. It costs US$6.95 (NZ$11) per month or US$39.95 (NZ$62) per annum.

# 25 Palm GPS Navigator

This US$299.99 (NZ$463) GPS device provides a clear interface and reliable directions for your Palm PDA. However, unfortunately again - it hasn’t been released in New Zealand yet.

# 24 Dealnews.com

This website keeps track of bargains for you. It not only tells you what today’s deal is, but also compares deals with last week’s offerings.

# 23 Citrix GoToMyPC 5

This is another service that provides remote access to your desktop. Although it’s not cheap (US$20 per month), its speedy, secure and hassle-free approach makes it the best remote access software.

# 22 Adobe Photoshop CS2

Is there a second choice for image editing software? Maybe, but no doubt the Photoshop CS2 is the best of best. It has anything that you want to do with a digital image. Click the above link for pricing and more information. Not a pro? Then you may want to consider Adobe’s Photoshop Elements 5.0.

# 21 Pioneer BDR-101A

This internal PC Blu-ray drive is the first in the market and can backup massive amounts of data. The US$1,000 (NZ$1,544) price tag is also massive. When will I buy a Blu-ray drive? May be when it drops to NZ$300.

The 100 Best IT Products of 2006 – Part 7

(Data Source: PC World)

# 40 Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi

Creative has always introduced high-end audio cards to desktop PCs. The X-Fi range has 7.1-channel output and dedicated RAM for storing sound samples, thus boosting game performance when heavy sound processing is needed. The X-Fi range includes:

• Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro
• Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty
• Sound Blaster X-Fi Platium
• Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic
  

Click the above links for pricing and more information.

# 39 Windows Live Local

A free online mapping service offering attractive maps, with bird’s-eye views of some locations. This service from Microsoft comes across as almost a hybrid of Google Earth and Yahoo Maps. Try it out at - http://local.live.com/

# 38 SideStep.com

This free travel site sources air fares from multiple sources and finds the best bargain for you. Big downside - it only works for the United States, UK and Ireland at the moment.

# 37 Lenovo ThinkPad X60s

I have introduced this ultralight notebook in one of my previous posts. Although it doesn’t carry a built-in optical drive, it makes itself a position in the top 100 with the best keyboard, latest Core Duo processor and great performance. Click the above link for more information and the pricing.

# 36 Apple iPod

This video-enabled iPod is one of the most popular digital audio/video players in the market. The following versions are available at the moment:

• Apple iPod 30GB - White
  
• Apple iPod 30GB - Black
  
• Apple iPod 80GB - White
  
• Apple iPod 80GB - Black
  
• Apple iPod U2 Special Edition (30GB)
  

Click the above links for pricing and more information.

# 35 Apple Mac Mini

This tiny, inexpensive, dual-core Apple Mac Mini has the heart of an Intel machine and the soul of a Mac. It costs from NZ$1,219 to NZ$1,609. My apologies to all those Mac-users, although the Mac Mini looks good, I still prefer a Windows machine. Click the link to check out all Windows desktop and laptops.

# 34 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1

This 10.3 Mega Pixel advanced digital camera from Sony provides most of the features you’ll ever need in a camera. Unlike most digital SLRs, the DSC-R1 has an LCD screen that provides a live preview of your subject. Click the above link for more information and pricing.

# 33 Blogger

Don’t know what Blogger is? Click http://www.allen-qu.blogspot.com to check it out. This blogging service by Google is not the most sophisticated blogging tool around, but it’s free and easy to use.

# 32 Avvenu

Avvenu allows you to access your computers – no matter where they are – from anywhere in the world. With Avvenu, you can also share any file on your computer, with anyone you want. Avvenu Basic is free, allowing you access to all of your files as long as your computer is turned on and connected to the internet. If your computer isn’t always on or connected, you can subscribe to Avvenu Plus for a monthly fee and then you’re able to access your computer even if it’s turned off.

# 31 TiVo

This digital video recorder costs US$17 (NZ$26) per month for the service and hardware. In New Zealand, we have My Sky from Sky TV which costs NZ$599 for the hardware.

The 100 Best IT Products of 2006 – Part 6

(Data Source: PC World)

# 50 Vonage

This VoIP service is not the cheapest, but it has useful features such as call-forwarding during an outage and quality controls. A US$14.99 (NZ$23) Basic plan includes 500 minutes anywhere in US, Canada & Puerto Rico (from within the US). You may also want to consider Skype for VoIP calls, which is the most popular VoIP service at the moment. By using SkypeOut, you can call any landline and mobile in the world, direct from Skype at a very lost-cost. For example, NZ$23 credit will let you call any landline in New Zealand, Australia, UK, USA and many other countries for more than 750 minutes. Click the link for VoIP accessories.

# 49 Mitsubishi XD460U

This US$2,100 (NZ$3220) projector ranked high for overall image quality - making it a good choice as a crossover projector for both conference-room and living room use. You may also want to consider the Sony VPLCX21 Ultra Compact LCD projector. It has great image as well as being very good looking. Click the link for pricing and more information - Sony VPLCX21 Ultra Compact LCD projector.

# 48 Opera 9

If you don’t like both IE and Firefox, Opera 9 may be another good option for you. It is loaded with polished features, such as useful ad and graphics blocking. Download it free from - http://www.opera.com/download/

# 47 Google Desktop

This free desktop search let you find a file within 10 seconds, which Windows’ search utility usually takes 10 minutes.

# 46 Creative Zen Vision:M

This digital audio/video player has exceptional screen quality, a responsive interface, and a great battery life. It’s a worthy alternative to an iPod and available in black, white and green. Click the above link for pricing and more information.

# 45 Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro

This US$249.99 (NZ$383) earphone uses dual drive technology and has professional quality sound and noise isolating design. If you think it’s too expensive, here are some good but much cheaper headphones for you.

# 44 Olympus Evolt E-330

This US$1,100 (NZ$1,686) digital SLR camera shows you a live preview on its LCD screen – the first for a digital SLR. It also has a useful dust-removal feature. So what is the hottest digital SLR I hear you ask? It must be the Canon EOS 400D. It will arrive on 15 September 2006 in New Zealand so watch this space for the latest update.

# 43 Apple iTunes

This free digital audio software is not just a conduit for files between Apple’s Music Store and an iPod; it is great even if you just use if for your desktop. You can download it from - http://www.apple.com/itunes/

# 42 NEC MultiSync LCD 2180WG-LED

This 21” LCD monitor uses LED technology (the first among desktop PC monitors). The backlighting via LED gives it crisp contrast and detail. Only downfall is that it does cost US$6749.99 (NZ$10,402). Click the link for other large LCD monitors that we can afford.

# 41 Alienware Aurora 7500
Alienware is always nice - both the machine and the price. The Aurora 7500 starts from NZ$3,603 to around $10,770. You can configure this PC with the best of everything, including AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 and dual NIVDIA GeForce 7900 GTX. Click the link for all other notebook and desktop PCs.

The 100 Best IT Products of 2006 – Part 5

We’re up to #60… (Data Source: PC World)

#60 Eizo FlexScan S2410W

This 24-inch wide-screen LCD monitor has a native resolution of 1920 x 1200, 1000:1 contrast ratio and 450 cd/m2 brightness. It costs US$1,700 (NZ$2,592). If you’re looking for a 24” LCD monitor, you may also consider the HP LP2465 which has the same contrast ratio and resolution, plus two DVI-I inputs and 500 cd/m2 brightness at a much better price. Click the link for the pricing and more information - HP LP2465 24" Flat Panel Monitor.

#59 Javacool EULAlyzer Personal 1.1

Have you ever read the end-user license agreements when you install software? I never had the time and legal background to read and understand them. But now we can just copy and paste them into this free license analyzer software. It will analyse the agreements for you. Click here to download.

#58 ATI Radeon X1900 XTX

Do you still remember our #92 – NVIDIA’s GeForce 7900 GTX graphics card? This ATI Radeon X1900 XTX is its rival. We think the ATI board has slightly better image quality, hence it has higher ranking. Let’s see what a Gigabyte ATI X1900 XTX got:

• Supports PCI Express and 16 pipelines
• Microsoft DirectX 9.0C and OpenGL 2.0 support
• Integrated with the industry's best 512MB GDDR3 memory and 256-bit memory interface
• Features dual DVI-I / D-sub (by adapter) / TV-OUT
• Supports HDTV function and HDTV cable enclosed
• Supports VIVO function for video editing
  

Click the above link for more information and pricing of this powerful video card.

#57 Intuit Quicken Premier 2006

The latest version of this personal finance software lets you attach electronic images of cancelled checks or statements. Click the link for Quicken and other accounting/finance software.

#56 Yahoo Maps

This free online mapping service provides directions and allows you to determine the route you want to use. But it only works in the United States and Canada. In New Zealand, we have Wises, Yellow Page Maps and Trade Me’s Smaps to choose from.

#55 Western Digital Raptor X

Although it only has 150GB of storage space, it’s the world’s fastest SATA hard drive. It also has a crystal-clear lens on the drive to let you see into the inner workings and witness the drive in action. Click the above link for more information and pricing.

#54 Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000

This ergonomically optimized keyboard swells upward in the middle so you can position your hands and writs naturally. It’s a very popular keyboard and the price is also good. If you don’t have one yet, click the above link to check out.

#53 Webroot Sky Sweeper 5.0

This US$29.95 (NZ$46) anti-spyware catches more stuff than most of its competitors. Click the link for more security software.

#52 NoScript 1.1.4

This free Firefox add-on blocks hazardous JavaScripts site-by-site in Firefox. Click here to download.

#51 StumbleUpon

This free browser add-on can help you discover great websites by transporting you to a random site that fits your preference. Check out at http://www.stumbleupon.com/

The 100 Best IT Products of 2006 – Part 4

Let’s start from #70 today… (Data Source: PC World)

#70 In2M Mvelopes Personal 3

This is an online service for managing your spending. It costs US$8 (NZ$12) per month with 2 year plan.

#69 Rhapsody

An online music service allowing you to listen to over 2 million songs for free – www.rhapsody.com

#68 Cerulean Studios Trillian 3.1

Yes - another free instant messaging software. It has a beautiful interface and supports AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo Messenger, and IRC - http://www.ceruleanstudios.com

#67 Samsung LN-S3251D

This 32” LCD TV from Samsung is one of the best. It has a price tag of US$1,799 (NZ$2,743). Looking for a LCD TV? Then click the link for LCD TVs of all sizes.

#66 Corel Painter IX.5

The Corel Painter IX.5 is a very popular painting and illustration software and is currently sold for US$199 (NZ$303). You can download the free trial from here. If you still prefer graphics software from Abode, click the link for pricing and information of all Adobe Multimedia & Graphics software.

#65 Meebo (alpha)

And another free instant messaging service! By using Meebo, you can connect to AIM, ICQ, Jabber, GTalk, Yahoo! Messenger and MSN when you’re away from your own PC. – www.meebo.com

#64 Dell UltraSharp 3007WFP

How big is your current monitor? If you’re using 17” or 19” models, this 30” Dell LCD monitor may seem like a billboard to you. It has a native resolution of 2560x1600 and costs NZ$2,899. If 30” is too big for you, click the link for LCD monitors of all sizes from all major brands.

#63 Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe

This US$200 (NZ$305) motherboard supports AMD Socket 939 Athlon 64 FX/Athlon 64 X2/Athlon 64/Sempron CPUs, True Dual X16 SLI graphics, RAID and six SATA ports. Looking for other AMD and Intel motherboards? Click the link to check them out.

#62 T-Mobile SDA

A mobile phone that has a Windows Mobile, supports cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and costs US$300 (NZ$457). Unfortunately, it’s exclusive to T-Mobile in the U.S., but click the link for all the Smartphones which are available for Kiwis.

#61 Kosmix.com

Do you only use Google to search something? Kosmix is another search engine which may catch your attention. It categorises search results into major content areas of Health, Video Games, Finance, Travel and US Politics.

The 100 Best IT Products of 2006 – Part 3

Which one are we up to now? # 80… (Data Source: PC World)

# 80 Nuance Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9

This is probably the best voice-recognition software ever, though it won’t make keyboards obsolete. It costs US$199.99 (NZ$307).

# 79 Nero 7 Ultra Edition

CD/DVD burning software that lets you copy data, edit high-definition video, encode 7.1-channel audio, play with a dance-music synthesizer and lots more.

# 78 flickr

It’s a photo-sharing site to store, search, sort and share your photos. Check it out at www.flickr.com and by the way, it belongs to Yahoo!.

# 77 Sage Software Simply Accounting Basic 13

This entry-level small-business accounting package only costs US$49.99 (NZ$77).

# 76 BitDefender 9 Standard

This is one of the best antivirus software solutions for your personal computer at a very good price. Click the above link for more information and the latest pricing.

# 75 Z-Wave

A home automation starter kit that uses one of the leading home-automation technologies and costs about US$130 (NZ$199).

# 74 Network Magic

The Network Magic can help you configure your network with minimal hassle. You can download it for free at www.networkmagic.com or subscribe to the premium version at the price of US$19.99 (NZ$31) per year.

# 73 Yahoo! Music Engine 1.1

Yet another product from Yahoo!. Subscribe to Yahoo! music engine and you can listen to anything in the service’s library.

# 72 EMC Retrospect Professional 7.5

This backup software from EMC lets you back up as many as three PCs and only costs NZ$202. You may also want to consider Symantec Norton Save & Restore which is very good backup software at a much cheaper price. Click the above link for more information and pricing.

# 71 Canon PIXMA iP6600D

This colour bubble jet printer from Canon can print your photos directly from compatible digital cameras, memory cards or mobile phones. And it has superb print quality so why go out to print if you have one of these at home? Click the above link for more information and the pricing.

The 100 Best IT Products of 2006 – Part 2

Let’s continue our journey of the 100 best products of the year. (Data source: PC World).

# 90 iriver Clix

The US$199 (NZ$305) digital audio/video player from iRiver plays music, video and photos. It has 2GB storage and is smaller and cuter than the video-enabled iPod - despite the smaller-sized display (2.2-inch). You can transcode files from the TV shows you’ve recorded for free. The Clix includes FM radio and flash games, and it holds about 28 hours of audio files and 4.5 hours of video files. Click here for other MP3 / video players.

# 89 Microsoft Xbox 360

Xbox 360 – I don’t need to say much about it, right? It currently has a price tag of NZ$720 for the complete system and NZ$550 for the core system. Xbox 360 has a pair of 3.2 GHz CPUs, 512 RAM and built-in wireless and can run games in high definition.

# 88 Mindjet MindManager Pro 6

This data-organising software is for people who love “mind mapping” – using software to organize and manage information through flow charts. It costs US$349 (NZ$534). Click here to download a free trial.

# 87 Epson Perfection V700

The flatbed V700 has a maximum optical resolution of 6400 dpi. It’s an advanced total film, document and photo scanning solution for the professional user and you can click the above link for the latest pricing and more information.

# 86 Salling Clicker 3

The US$23.95 (NZ$37) Salling Clicker 3 can turn your Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone or PDA into a remote control for changing presentation slides or switching songs on a media player. Cool! - http://www.salling.com/Clicker/windows/

# 85 Qnext 2

This free P-to-P communication software is not just for instant messaging - this Java-based suite also supports videoconferencing, VoIP, file sharing, music, photo sharing, and remote PC access. Visit http://www.qnext.com for more information.

# 84 HP Pavilion MD5880n

Have you ever seen HP’s TV before? Probably not, because HP doesn’t release its TV products in New Zealand – shame!! The HP MD5880n is a 58-inch 1080p digital light projection TV set which costs US$3499.99 (NZ$5,373).

# 83 LaCie d2 Hard Drive Serial ATA

This 400GB external hard drive has an external SATA-150 interface and a 7200-rpm. It outperformed most USB 2.0 or FireWire 400 drives and costs US$400 (NZ$614).

# 82 EvDO

EvDO is a wireless radio broadband data standard adopted by many CDMA mobile phone service providers including New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Korea and the United States.

# 81 Kodak EasyShare Gallery

Although the photo printing service is not cheap (NZ$0.79 for a standard 6” x 4” print), Kodak’s print quality is one of the best.

The 100 Best IT Products of 2006 – Part 1

Today is the 1st of September. Can you believe it? Two-thirds of 2006 has already gone. Now it’s time for us to review some of the best IT products of the year. The results are based on PC World’s “The 100 Best Products of the Year” award and products are rated on their design, performance and specifications. Let’s start from the bottom and work through to Number 1 over the next few days.

# 100 Sysinternals RootkitRevealer v1.7

It’s a free Antispyware and you can download it from here. The file is only 210KB and doesn’t require an installation.

# 99 NewsGator FeedDemon 2.0

RSS Reader software for Windows, costing US$29.95 (NZ$46) to buy. There are lots of free RSS reader software in the market so you have to ask yourself if this one is worth the money? You may want to find out for yourself by downloading the free trial from here.

# 98 Greasemonkey

A free Firefox extension which allows you to add community-built scripts to the Firefox browser. There are hundreds of useful scripts which can be downloaded for free. Click here to download.

# 97 ThinkFree Office Online

A free service that lets you create, access and edit Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint documents within a Web browser. Still prefer Microsoft Office? I do. Click the link for the special pricing on Microsoft Office 2003 products.

# 96 Amazon A9 Toolbar

There are so many browser tool bars you can choose from, but the Amazon A9 Toolbar allows you to share bookmarks among multiple computers and store notes about sites. Click here to download. Of course it’s free!

# 95 WordPress

A free blogging tool! What makes it stand out? Photos and art are resizable on the fly inside the editing space, and dividing a blog entry into two parts is simple. You know where it is, right? – www.wordpress.com

# 94 Serious Magic Ovation

Do you remember how many boring PowerPoint presentations you have had to attend? Or how many (boring) PowerPoint presentations you have made while your audience fell asleep? This Serious Magic Ovation is a PowerPoint add-on that imports PowerPoint slides and adds fancy video effects to make your otherwise boring presentations much more attractive. It costs US$84.95 (NZ$131) and you can visit www.seriousmagic.com for more information. Don’t have PowerPoint yet? Then you must buy one from by clicking here - Microsoft Office 2003.

# 93 Del.icio.us

This is both an excellent way to store and categorize your bookmarks as well as an impressive social experiment. The free Del.icio.us invites you to share your favourite links with friends and larger communities. Check it out at http://del.icio.us/

# 92 NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX

The previous products are all software products and most of them are free. Now let’s move onto some serious hardware products. The NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX is a power graphics card - it’s not cheap, but the payoff is excellent gaming performance. I have introduced the Gigabyte NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX into my post on 18 August 2006 (scroll down the page for the post). Want to know the latest price and more information of this video card? Click the above link.

# 91 Fujifilm FinePix E900

The Fujifilm E900 is a very good point-and-shoot digital camera. It has a 9 megapixel Super CCD and 4x optical zoom (32-128mm). Click the link for digital cameras from Fujifilm and other brands.