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CES 2008: Sharp press conference: surprise, surprise – more massive tellies are on their way

The Sharp CES press conference kicked off with the usual amount of backslapping and general optimism about the state of the HDTV market. And why not – according to Sharps figures and some really rather bland graphs the LCD market is skyrocketing. Sharp expects to have shipped over 74m units by the end of 2007 and 96m by the end of next year, which is probably a lot more than I can count on all my fingers and toes.

(Display Name not set) CES 2008, Gadgets, HDTV, Home cinema, TVs

Review: HP iPAQ 500 Series

The propaganda

Normally, when I think smartphone, I think QWERTY keyboards. I think bulky touchscreen displays and 3G (or better yet, HSDPA) connectivity. So the HP iPAQ 500 Series candybar handset is a bit of a break from the norm. It runs Windows Mobile 6.0 and as such comes with the full range of push email and mobile office applications, media player and Windows Live Messenger, yet it is still barely bigger than any ordinary camera phone.

(Display Name not set) Uncategorized

Review: Creative Xmod

The propaganda

The Xmod is Creative’s first external sound card to implement X-Fi technology. X-Fi has been securing Creative’s leading position in the sound card market for a long time thanks to its excellent sound quality enhancing functions. The Xmod offers a similar feature set to full blown X-Fi cards, incorporating CMSS 3D and Crystalizer technologies to enhance the quality of your sound output in ways an internal sound card can only dream of.

The Xmod is a compact device that consists of one large multipurpose volume dial and a couple of 3.5mm outputs (for headphones and speakers), along with a 3.5mm input, which allows you to use the device as standalone sound enhancer. Xmod is also completely plug-and-play capable, which takes away all the hassle of installing software and fiddling around with settings.

(Display Name not set) Peripherals, Reviews

Review: Creative Live! Cam Optia

The propaganda

The Live! Cam Optia is Creative’s latest entry to the webcam market. With so many instant messaging services offering webcam functionality and the rising popularity of video sharing sites, webcams are practically an essential piece of kit for any PC owner.

The Optia offers the standard 640 x 480 resolution, 30 FPS video capture, along with 1.3 megapixel still image capture. You can tweak the focus manually with the focus ring surrounding the lens. The body of the camera can also be twisted on its arm mount to change the angle it is pointing at. One thing that’s lacking is a built-in Microphone, but Creative does supply a little mic and earpiece combo as well as a software CD packed with a range of programs.

(Display Name not set) Computers, Peripherals, Reviews