That depends on what they mean by “traditional PC”, and I doubt this rig can run Left 4 Dead 2 at the integrated display’s native resolution. However, the Wind Top is promising as an HTPC, as it’s compatible with the standard VESA wall mount, like your typical HDTV. It can also play BluRay discs and burn DVDs, and the lowest-end model features 4GB of DDR2 RAM and a 320GB hard disk. While the multi-touch interface (courtesy of Windows 7) is unproven and thus won’t win me over, the inclusion of a wireless mouse and keyboard makes the sub-$800 price tag seem even more reasonable.

Complete specs below for the new MSI Wind top AE2220 series is available at MSI’s US website.

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( The 46th SID International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition, dubbed Display Week 2008, will take place Sunday, May 18 through Friday, May 23,2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, California, USA )

The zTouch 3.0 demo unit – as well as a 15″ point-of-sale device – will be on display at the SID International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition from May 20-22 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. F-Origin and PVI will be exhibiting the zTouch 3.0 demo unit at booth number 627 on the showroom floor. In addition, Scott Liu will be speaking at the Exhibitor Forum to explain the details and benefits of the F-Origin solution for PVI’s ePaper displays. The forum, titled “A Human Interface for eReader – PVI’s Innovation in Making eReader more User Friendly,” will take place in West Exhibit Hall B at 12:00 PM on May 20th.

Additional zTouch 3.0 Features:

-Extremely high-design flexibility
-High durability
-Simple interface touch gestures
-Low battery consumption
-Variable touch sensitivity and high resolution
-Optimal light throughput
-Handwriting recognition and variable touch sensitivity
-Software-controlled activation level
-Easily integrated with virtually any operating system

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OK, I did have a look at Jayvee’s post speech notes on the Macworld 2008 Keynote Address by Steve Jobs and it was kinda funny. I did not catch the live feed as I was busy working. So here’s some bits to get your blood raising first. Oh the drama…

1. The new slim MacBook Air – Yeah, the yuppies and die hard Apple fans around the world will want one. Thin is in….Along with their iPhones, they will be typing away at your nearby Starbucks. This new super-thin laptop costs $1,800, is less than an inch thick, has a 13.3-inch screen, and turns on the moment it’s opened. Its also got an 80-gigabyte hard drive, with an optional 64GB flash-based solid state drive if you have spare change. Too bad an optional external CD/DVD drive goes for $99. This notebook goes on sale in 2 weeks.

2. Steve confirms Apple is diversifying into online movie rentals, where an alliance with all six major movie studios will offer films over high-speed Internet connections within 30 days after they’re released on DVD. More money in the coffers of 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers, Walt Disney, Paramount, Universal and Sony indeed.

3. The price of Apple TV drops from $299 to $229. Duh, Asian users don’t even us that.

4. iPhone - getting mapping upgrades, ability to switch around icons on the iPhones home screen and users can have up to nine home screens. What? They have not launched real iPhones in China yet and they have not capitalize on the big Olympics that’s coming up soon.

5. Something new called Time Capsule that allows Mac users to back up their data wirelessly on a 500-gigabyte drive ($299) or Terabyte drive ($499).

6. iPod Touch music players – get new software where they will be able to process e-mail and perform new mapping functions.

via

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The CES 2008 may be over but here’s something to remind us of the whole gadget fanfare last week and what cool designs are up for 2008. iRiver has already revealed a whole range of players at CES 2008 last week and they include the iRiver P10, iRiver P20, iRiver Homme and this upcoming iRiver SPINN Media Player.

The sexy design of the new iRiver SPINN Media Player is pretty much a fusion of the old and the new. Its has features like the current players in the market ie plays MP3s, MP4 movies, has an FM tuner, 3.2″ AMOLED display, Bluetooth 2.0, dictionary and stores up to 16GB of flash memory. What sets it different from the rest is the interesting analogue toggle knob which iRiver touts as an “Extremely Intuitive User Interface.”

Well, all I have to say is “What, no touchscreen? “

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The Sony Rolly Music Player is already available in Japan for 39,800 yen (US$364), so its hoping to garner more sales on American soil around Q2 2008 in the USA, according to CES 2008 updates. This dancing egg-shaped speaker features programmed moves via the PC software or it can dance by itself. It plays streaming music from any A2DP device in stereo via Bluetooth, spports MP3, ATRAC or ACC files, has 2GB internal memory and it can last 5 hours of music, or 4 hours of dance and music of playback. Careful your cat or dog doesn’t get jealous or it’ll get a good chomping.

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Ceylon Messenger – $49.99
The new Belkin Ceylon Messenger bag brings modern style and functionality to your laptop for local outings to the coffeehouse or the bookstore. Unlike heavier, bulkier laptop bags of “mobile warriors,” the Messenger is slimmer and lighter, yet still provides plenty of room for your laptop and accessories.

Backpack – $59.99
Belkin’s new Backpack boasts a slim design that allows you to carry your laptop and other notebook accessories without added bulk. Its plush inner lining protects your laptop from scratches and is soft to the touch.

Laptop Hideaway – 49.99
Belkin’s new Laptop Hideaway is stylish storage that keeps your laptop and accessories accessible, organized, protected and out of the way. Its large handle allows you to easily carry your laptop, power cord, and magazines from room to room.

Desktop Internet Phone for Skype – $99.99
Belkin International, Inc., today introduced its new Desktop Internet Phone for Skype, which allows you to make free Skype Internet calls without having to turn on your computer. Simple to setup and easy to use, the new phone brings the Skype experience to more people and at an affordable price.

SOHO KVM – From $159-$269 (depending on ports)
The Belkin SOHO KVM lets you share one monitor, keyboard, and mouse between two or more computers, saving space on your desktop. Its new design incorporates a built-in USB 2.0 2-port hub and touch sensitive buttons on the front for convenient switching.

DisplayPort Cable – $59.99–$109.99 (depending on cable length)
Belkin International, Inc., today announced its new DisplayPort (DP) Cable, a high-definition digital audio video cable for computing displays, graphic cards, and laptops. Expected to replace DVI and VGA, DP is considered the HDMI(TM) equivalent for computers, providing both high-definition digital audio and video via one cable.

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Here’s a video of LG’s latest mobile digital TV system called MPH at CES 2008 that is slated for a US rollout in 2009. MPH, or Mobile Pedestrian Handheld, enables you to watch TV even on vehicles traveling at 140 miles per hour. Cool….If they can put it up on Japanese bullet trains, we’ll go loco. Check out the video from Engadget.

“MPH™ is designed to deliver the Mobile-Pedestrian-Handheld applications that digital TV broadcasters are seeking,” said Dr. Jong Kim, president of LG’s Zenith R&D Lab, which collaborated with the LG DTV Lab in Seoul and with Harris Broadcast Communications Division on the development of the system. “We believe broadcasters will appreciate both the superior performance and unparalleled flexibility of our MPH™ system.”

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The fun of analyzing the past 12 months is…it’s easy! But forecasting 2008 requires separating dreams from reality…early adopters from mass market. For the early adopters the home entertainment network is here. The converged mobile content/communications device is here. Content when you want it, where you want it, how you want it is here. For the mass market…it’s an awkward transitional period. 2007’s Time Magazine’s Person of the year was … You.

The yous of the world are connected and have the choice of an almost limitless variety of online content – written, photo, music, video. Personal content is gaining momentum. The long tail of entertainment is moving more rapidly than Chris Anderson envisioned when he wrote his first book. The entertainment shift is making micromarket segmentation more important to manufacturers and suppliers.

Consumer advocacy/protection groups historically viewed Microsoft as the big evil one located in Redmond, WA but with tentacles around the globe. Ironically, we don’t view the kind, fun-loving kids of Google in the same manner even though they touch almost everyone on the earth in one way or another multiple times…every day.

They’ve helped us get over concerns of privacy. In just a few minutes you can find out almost anything/everything you want to know about any company, any individual. Get over it ! To help even more they are going to make a move to build out the communications infrastructure and they’ll begin offering location tracking “services” all just to help…you!

But how can you consider any of the Googlites activities/efforts could ever be used for evil when they have vowed they will do everything in their power to regreen the planet?

Because of the glut and demand for content, Time Magazine’s person of the year for 2008 will undoubtedly be…Storage !

Storage for the home. Storage for the mobile device. Storage for the personal stuff.

While everyone still has closets, drawers, storage sites stashed with dusty analog content; the cost and work of bringing it into the digital era is more than anyone wants to contemplate. But today’s stuff is a different matter!

The new product, new technology buzz of solutions for the home is just beginning this year and it will have a ways to go before it reaches mass market. A few manufacturers like HP are delivering first generation home network storage solutions that kinda work with and for the customer rather than in their own engineered manner.

By the end of 2008, 1TB/2TB home servers will become normal. 250GB storage in notebook and desktop systems will become standard. 80GB mobile devices will be “expected” as we use them to carry our music, photos, video, web shows, TV fare. The biggest winner in this HD space will be the one who does more than just offers higher capacity, cheaper bit buckets. The edge will go to the producer who can deliver diagnostic and health maintenance intelligence, not the one who can simply squeeze more data on a single platter.

At home and away the demand is going to be connected to/using your content in new and different ways. Simplifying the process and making it cheaper, more reliable, more flexible is going to make it easier to kiss fixed providers goodbye …like the cable guy!

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I can never get enough of disk space. Apart from keeping my MP3s and Hong Kong Series close, I also lug around a lot of pictures taken with my Nokia N95. So I was delighted when this new Buffalo 100GB TurboUSB drive was launched. It makes throwing out my old Kingston 1GB and 2GB drives bearable since the extra space will put less weight on my jeans.

This expensively priced drive from Buffalo, a Japanese company, uses Buffalo’s TurboUSB technology which makes it 24% faster than ordinary USB drives. The new Buffalo USB SSD flash drive is about as big as a business card and weighs about 2 ounces. Pricing lists the 100GB for $952, 64GB for $665 and 32GB for $312.

Now that is what I call cool technology. Get it on your Christmas shopping list pronto.

Buffalo 100GB TurboUSB drive via

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Here is a nifty portable DVD recorder by Canon. The Canon DW-100 allows you burn on DVDs the tons of wedding or crazy videos you took of your children with ease. The Canon DW-100 supports MPEG-2 Video in SD as well as HD video recorded with the AVCHD codec, Blu-Ray disc players as well as PS3’s, connects to any PC or Mac through the USB 2 connection. No word on the digital or optical zoom specs but expect it in stores this March 2008.

Dimension : 179×70×275mm
Weight: 1.9kg

Canon DW-100 DVD Recorder Simple

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