Electronics Gadget Update

Top technology companies are continuously making advanced, cutting-edge designs. Here are some of the products that hit the market.

1. Nintendo DS Lite
Nintendo DS Lite is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It’s the hottest item in videos gaming right now. It is slimmer, one-third smaller, lighter, has a brighter screen, sleeker version of the hugely Nintendo DS.

2. Sanyo Xacti C6
The Sanyo Xacti C6 is both a 6 Mega-pixel digital still camera, and a digital camcorder, which allows you to capture a 6-megapixel still photo while in movie recording mode. It features 5x optical zoom. According to review, it is the world’s thinnest, smallest and lightest model among video cameras with a Megapixel-or-higher image sensor and an optical zoom lens. It has been ergonomically designed for a comfortable one-handed grip and a fashionable portable item.

3. Thanko’s Silent Mouse
This is the answer for computer users who are irritated of the clicking sound coming from the mouse. How? Both the wheel and the mouse buttons have been silenced. It uses a USB interface and it measures 60x105x35mm with a weight of 90 grams. Thanks to the designer.

4. Fostex Japan’s new eA speakers
This speaker can be placed on any flat surface and still produce a good sound. It can be used with an iPod, notebook PC or even a cell phone. The speakers have a mini jack port and are powered by an AC adapter. I think you can avail them in Japan market. I just don’t know if it is already available but it was expected to hit shelves mid of this year.

5. Samsung’s SCH- i310
This is a mobile phone equipped with a 8GB hard disk drive. Imagine what you can do with your cellphone. It combines a phone, a digital camera, and a MP3 player, where you can enjoy maximum storage in your mobile. I think this will be first released in Europe.

6. Seagrand’s X-Cute XC090 MP3 Player
Two models will be available, a 256MB and a 512MB. It can play both WMA and MP3 files. There is a built-in mic that records in MP3 format. The earphone jack is stereo mini. What’s cool with this stuff? It’s 24mm square dimension.

Timely Playstation Games

At this moment of time it is very hard to choose the best PS2 game because there are too many games to choose from. I am one of the gamers of PS2 games. There are times that we, together with my husband, play until 2 o’clock in the morning.

Here are some of the games that I have loved. Maybe some of your favorite PS2 games are not on the list!

1. God of War
I really love to play this game! This game enables the gamer to think on how to go to the next level.

The main character is Kratos, who is an Ex- Spartan warrior. In this game, if you are Kratos then you’ve just killed the god of war, Ares.

In Greek mythology, Ares was the great Olympian god of war, battle lust, and had turned out to be an arrogant boy and cruel God. He loved battles and violence.

Kratos will be confronted with mythology's darkest creatures like Gorgon Medusa, who is a terrible monster who could turn people to stone; Minotaur, who had the body of a man and the head and tail of a bull; Cyclops, who has a characteristics weapon- the thunderbolt and is the son of Poseidon.
However, nothing can keep Kratos from his terrible vengeance.

2. Prince of Persia
When I first played this game, I like its speed kill function, which allows me to kill quickly an enemy from behind. The game truly provides a variety of action combat, and story-driven puzzles. And these make a rich gaming experience.

The Prince of Persia, together with Kaileena (who is the Empress of Time), is on his way home to Babylon. However his kingdom is in burning arrows, missiles and in smoke. Vizier is expecting for the coming of the two. He wishes to kill Kaileena and make her immortal. The rest of the story is about how the Prince will defeat the Vizier.

3. Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry stars the action-adventure hero Dante, who is a demon hunter and at the same time a half demon shrouded with mystery. He hopes to find and kill the demons that killed his mother. As he seeks revenge Dante will face many demons. And if Dante will be successful, then the “devil may cry!”

The game requires you to use Dante's firearms, such as ebony and ivory, shotgun, needlegun, grenade gun, and nightmare beta; and Devil Arms, which include force edge, alastor, ifrit, and sparda bearing the name of Dante’s father. It also features puzzle-solving, thorough examining to locate items and orbs that will help Dante in his quest.

Devil May Cry puts emphasis on action. I think there have been three games released.

4. Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid has been noted to be the greatest action game on the PlayStation.
This game features a rolling demo mode. In here, the player may watch every scene and understand Codec conversation with no actual playing. The scenes featured special effects in a 3D engine, enhanced music and animation.

This game can be categorized under action games. It systematically spies to get military secrets. Characters were Solid Snake, Meryl, Madnar, Schneider, Dr. Petrovich Madnar, who was the developer of Metal Gear, and many more.

5. Final Fantasy X
What makes this game excellent is that it features enhanced graphics and is interactive. Players are given the chance to develop their characters by defeating enemies and acquiring items.

The game is about Tidus who was thrown into the future a thousand years ago after his city had been destroyed. Other characters were Yuna, a summoner who can summon powerful aeon; Kimahri, who protects Yuna at all times, Lulu; Auron; and Wakka, who is Yuna’s friend; to name a few.

The player will be thrown into the world of Spira, which is under the threat of the evil "Sin". Violence and devastation are for Spira's inhabitants. The goal is to rebuild the world that it is free of Sin.

Sometimes I do play Virtua Fighter, VICE CITY, Grand Theft Auto, Resident Evil, Dynasty Warrior, NBA Live, X-Men, Gran Turismo, and Onimusha.

Revolutionary iPhone

iphone is a combination of mobile camera phone, PDA, multimedia player in which you can enjoy music, audio books, videos, TV shows, and movies, and a breakthrough Internet communications device for emails, web browsing, maps, and searching, into one small and lightweight handheld device.

The iPhone features a 2 megapixel camera. It allows 3-way conferencing, call holding, call merging, caller ID, and integration with other iPhone features. The device uses an embedded touch screen keyboard. It features a built-in battery similar to the iPod. The photo management program allows the user to upload, view, and e-mail photos, which is possible to zoom in and out of photos. The 3.5-inch widescreen display (320×480 at 160 ppi) allows users to watch TV shows and films. It has built in WiFi for accessing the internet through a wireless network via the Safari browser. It has also a built-in Bluetooth. iPhone will be available in 4GB and 8GB flash memory.

Let’s just wait for its release soon!

The Next Generation Console Games

I think many of you have already read the white papers and technical sheets, watched the videos and trailers to get a glimpse on the latest console games. Graphical expectations are only one aspect to really impress gamers to stand out. And I think they are moving more and more towards an open- ended interaction experience.

1. Nintendo Wii
Have you heard of Nintendo Wii? I have known this new next game machine when one of our Japanese circuit designer came to Philippines and visited our company last month. One of the ICS used in the Wii was designed by this Japanese engineer.
What to expect from this console game? Papers say that Nintendo Wii offers better graphics, powerful gameplay, and a whole new interactive experience. I heard that the storage is 512megabyte internal flash memory and can be expanded with an SD memory card. And that it was also designed with state-of-the-art processing technologies that minimize power consumption. Find out yourself its console’s controller, and the Wii remote features.
At this moment, I only have playstations (PS2) at home. I haven’t tried using Nintendo console but maybe this time I will consider it. Let’s see.

2. PS3
It was believed by many that PlayStation 3, as it is now officially called, would be the most powerful console game of the next-generation. What makes them say? How powerful is it? Well it’s time to find out if you are interested! Sony has laid out the technical specifications of the device. It was confirmed by Sony that the machine would be backward compatible all the way to the original PlayStation. Thank you. And with all the new technology in the PlayStation 3 what should we expect of the cost! No matter how much would it cost I assure you it would be worth it! Really, I am excited to get one! Goodbye to PS2.
It has been confirmed that PS3will come out somewhere on November 2006.

3. Xbox 360
This is Microsoft's Xbox new video game console. According to many, this will provide you great digital entertainment experience and will give you hot new games. Features provide a high definition delivering a picture that is clearer, tender and more vital than anything available on Xbox. Graphics are more enhanced. The games are also backward compatible.
This is already available in the market after its released last year.

These three powerful game consoles were destined to battle in the world of digital entertainment. Whatever the future holds, pick what you know is best, what suits you as a gamer!

Tips For Buying Digital Camera

What should I look for when I want to buy a digital camera?

Digital cameras capture and store photographs electronically instead of using photographic film. It records images on memory cards, no developing cost, you can print only what you like, it has LCD viewer and the like. Modern digital cameras are multifunctional, capable of recording sound and/ or video.

In buying, identify what you need. Is it for professional graphics work? Will you want a zoom lens? What is your budget? How much you want to spend? Also knowing what kind of photos you will be taking will help you decide. Before you decide what camera to buy consider the following:

1. Resolution: This describes the detail an image holds. Higher resolution means more image detail. Decide the resolution on what you plan to do with your photos.

Resolution	Print Size
0.3 Mega pixel	3” x 4”
1Mega pixel	5” x 7”
2Mega pixel	8” x 10”
3Mega pixel	11” x 14”
5Mega pixel	13” x 19”

2. Batteries:

The AA batteries are common, however non- rechargeable alkaline batteries are capable of providing enough power for only a very short time. CR2 batteries are lithium based and intended for single use. Most consumers use AA nickel metal hydride batteries (NiMH), which provide an adequate amount of power and are rechargeable. Proprietary batteries are built to a manufacturer’s custom specifications. They are almost lithium ion, which accepts only a certain number of recharges before the battery life begins degrading.

3. Memory/ Storage:

Memory is where pictures are stored as you take them. It determines how many images you can store. If you plan taking many pictures without having access to your computer for downloading, you should plan to buy an extra memory card such as compact flash cards, memory stick, SD/ MMC, mini SD, XD picture card and others, which is determined by your camera.

4. Lens:

The lens may zoom from moderate wide-angle, through normal, to moderate telephoto; or from normal to extreme telephoto. Consider the lens in order to take a good photo, may it be near or far from you.

5. LCD Viewfinder

One of the most important basic design features to consider is the camera's viewfinder. The LCD screen can see what your picture will look like before you take it. Consider LCD quality and the construction of its screen, whether it is fixed or positioned on a rotating mount.

6. Flash

Most digital cameras have a built-in flash. This triggers automatically in low light conditions when set to auto mode. Some cameras include additional features, such as red-eye reduction or night portrait mode.

7. Self-timer

The obvious reason for using a digital camera's self-timer is so the photographer can be in a photo. A self-timer sets your digital camera for a delayed exposure, usually giving you about 10 seconds before it takes the picture. Some models have a custom self-timer, which lets you set the countdown time.

8. Audio recording, Movie mode, TV connections, and Computer connections

Look for these features also.

9. Size

There are three basic sizes of digital cameras. Know what’s the size of your camera that suits your needs. Compact digital cameras are designed to provide a moderate feature set, stylish looks, and a tiny, pocket size. Standard digital cameras are similar to 35mm point-and-shoot models in appearance and features. If you care more about robust features like interchangeable lenses, flashes, and other accessories, you will most likely have to consider a larger-sized camera or professional camera.

10. Formats: Common formats are the Joint Photography Experts Group standard (JPEG) and Tagged Image File Format (TIFF).

11. Digital Camera Brand:

It is a matter of personal preference.

12. Price range

Prices are based primarily on resolution and features. The newest consumer electronics products are always priced at a premium. The best bargains are usually found on last season's models.