Canon Pixma Pro9500 Mark II Review

Canon is famous for offering series updates to its high-end imaging products rather than completely refreshing them. The latest example of this behavior? The Canon Pixma Pro9500 Mark II. A wide-format photo inkjet designed for working photographers, graphics pros, and serious hobbyists, the latest iteration of the Pro9500 builds on the original's success, with a ten-tank pigment ink system, borderless printing up to 13x19, and Canon's Ambient Light Correction system.

It all adds up to a serious printer with serious capabilities that should appeal to serious photographers or at least, to those who can spring for its serious price.

Panasonic launches first Blu-ray car player

If you are fond of tripping by car then Panasonic has something in store for you. It is the CN-HX900D HD movie player for a car. It is a Windows powered GPS, CD / DVD player with 5 channel amplifier. Also player has Bluetooth, One-Seg tuner, 7-inch LCD (1.280x720) and 40 GB hard drive. Good news for the iPhone users. CN-HX900D has iPhone / iPod compatibility.

Also consumers need to hook up the unit with the CY-BB1000D. It is an optional Blu-ray player. CY-BB1000D supports everything except Blu-Live.

The price of the CN-HX900D and the CY-BB1000D are not available yet. They are expected to hit stores by fall 2009.

Kyocera EOS with full body flexible OLED display

Kyocera developers who resident in San Diego and Bangalore have gratefully shared their groundwork that incorporates mobile phone technologies of tomorrow. At the first glance the Kyocera EOS concept phone doesn’t seem to have more than seven or ten percents of parts our eyes got used to. If EOS was an end product, it wouldn’t need to be plugged for a recharge, would feature very innovative ergonomics and tactile sensations of human’s skin. All that though is achieved by technologies that are already used today but have never before been united in a mobile phone.

Kyocera EOS can be highly qualified by a number of different measures. The user experience, as mentioned above, doesn’t include charging the phone - thanks to kinetic charger. All the shake and vibration EOS goes through the day enable nano-scale piezoelectric generators. Free electricity as a result.

Then there is a huge OLED display. I don’t have to explain all of its advantages, right? One though provides EOS with its main feature - flexibility. OLED displays can be twisted and folded. So is EOS. When it receives a call, you can answer it without unfolding the phone, but you can unfold it to check out all the menus. That must be a pleasure I reckon. Partly because semi-rigid polymers are skin-like, but mostly because of the sheer ingenuity of the thing.

Kyocera plans to use the developed technologies wisely and present them apart on different devices. Sure they say they will take EOS out of concept stage one day, but not any time soon.

Pioneer's latest Blu-ray burner was released

Pioneer announced the release of its latest Blu-ray, DVD and CD writer on Tuesday. It is BDR-2203. The burner is SATA-attached and can write to dual-layer Blu-ray discs at up to 8x speeds. For example, single-layer 25 GB Blu-ray disc will be burned in just 15 minutes. Also DVD recordable discs can be written at up to 16x speeds. CD-Rs can be recorded at 32x speeds. The maximum speed of rewritable CDs rated at 24x.

Pioneers burner comes with CyberLink PowerDirector, PowerDVD and Power2Go. This software allows Windows users to edit videos recorded on their HD camcorders. Also it allows inserting photos, songs and other home videos. The price of BDR-2203 is near 250 USD.

Sanyo PLC-WXE45 projector - for home or for office?

Do you remember the Sanyo PJ Network Interface? - the network that combines projectors into one working group controlled over the Internet. Each projector in office, in educational institution or even at home can be switched on and off from a PJ Network account. Anyway, there is now one more PJ Network capable projector from Sanyo. The announced PLC-WXE45 model will set you 1,795.00 USD back. The main thing to about Sanyo PLC-WXE45 is that it is a short throw projector.

Short throw mean that the projector’s focal length is small, which in turn means it doesn’t have to be placed far away from the wall, blackboard, whatever you are projecting the image on. There are actually modes for blackboards and color boards by the way. Space saving design Sanyo expects to be popular in offices and studying rooms, but along with utility PLC-WXE45 delivers nice performance.

Resolution is great for a short throw - WXGA 1280 x 800, but that is aspect ratio 16:10 which is, well, better for watching moves at home rather than for your work presentations. Other specs include 500:1 contrast ratio, 2,000 Lumens, VGA port, composite / S-video connection. In safety proportions it can ask for a PIN code and won’t work without it’s remote nearby so stealing the projector alone makes no sense. All that, especially WXGA resolution and color surface mode make it a nice gadget for home, but will it be as popular at offices and schools because eighteen hundred dollars is bit steep, and it doesn’t have a speaker by the way.

Maxtor Black Armor 160GB 2.5" External Hard Drive - 5400, 8MB, USB 2.0

The BlackArmor portable hard drive is the always encrypted, government-grade, secure portable storage solution designed for carrying your sensitive business and personal data with you. Featuring hardware-based full-disc encryption technology, it not only prohibits access to your data without the password, but eliminates tedious manual security procedures that are required in other technologies. When its USB cable is removed from the computer, the drive automatically locks.

Not even a professional data recovery service can access or restore your data without the correct password. Plus, should you choose, permanent deletion of the encryption key allows for secure repurposing of the drive. Easy automated backup software, multiple computer sync and Windows compatibility.

This Drive Holds
- 40 two-hour DVD-quality movies or
- 160 hours of VHS-quality video or
- 110 days of around-the-clock MP3 audio or
- 40,000 vivid digital photos or
- 228 action-packed games!

Specifications
- Capacity (GB) : 160
- Interface : USB 2.0
- Spindle Speed (RPM): 5400
- Buffer Memory : 8MB
- Type : Retail
- Dimensions : 5.17” x 3.32” x 0.67”

Golden Ant CPU Heatsink Cooler

If you are an extreme gamer, power user or multimedia enthusiast, usually you will have a powerful PC with VGA card like NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS and AMD or Intel processor inside of it.

The heat on the PC need to circulate especially the processor must be cool to make your system run smoothly. Golden Ant CPU Heatsink Cooler Cooling Fan is one of the best cooler for your CPU. With higher airflow, static pressure and torque, your CPU will more durable and stay cool.

It’s also low start-up voltage, so it’s more save for power consumption. With excellent wind tunnel design, stable and reliable rotation make it easy for thermal heat dissipation with low noise. For the price you only pay for $33.02. Is it expensive? No I guess, because it’s more to save your processor with this cooling fan rather than using the standard cooling.

Turbo NAS TS-809U-RP - 16 TB from QNAP Systems

NAS systems seem to never be ideally perfect, reliable, widely compatible or easy to use. Even though there are pretty big names in the business like LaCie, Addonics, Western Digital, etc. we still were able to find a thing or two to mend in their products. This is really annoying because NAS systems are what seatbelt is to a car driver - not the most exiting thing in a car but truly life-saving. There we are then, with a new NAS gadget from QNAP Systems - model TS-809U-RP Turbo NAS.

The presentation of TS-809U-RP Turbo NAS was held today in Taipei, so there is not much to say about different tweaks and upgrades - only very basic numbers which are impressive. Numbers in turn show not only performance of the Turbo NAS, but also grater stability and enhanced feature list. The stats are: 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2 GB DDR II memory. Storage space as giant as 16 TB of 8 SATA hard drives with hot-swapping and Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (S. M. A. R. T.). Network redundancy is provided by two Giga LAN ports. The rest of the long list of NAS' features is probably less interesting, so here are best bits of it: automatic policy-based IP blocking, RAID 0/ 1/ 5/ 6/ 5+spare/ 6+spare, Online RAID Capacity Expansion and Level Migration. One of my favorite features is the "Surveillance Station" - Turbo NAS can playback live image from up to four IP-based cams. No problems with OS' ether - Windows, Mac, UNIX, Linux. Well done, QNAP!

Samsung unviels I7410 OLED touchscreen with built-in projector at MWC

The Mobile World Congress 2009 is starting just after this weekend on February 16 and is anticipated not any less than CES of this year was. Three days of MWC are going to be fruitful with new and upcoming mobile phones. Here is the first one that is going shine soon. Quite literally I have to say. Samsung I7410 and Samsung W7900 is the same phone with two names - one for European market and one for Korean. Why shine? Because it will have a built-in projector, basically the same we find in home theatres but smaller of course. The rest of functions is also quite cool so we are looking forward to have more info on it when it officially comes out soon in Korea and then in Europe.

Samsung's DLP Pico projector makes I7410 and W7900 two very complete multimedia gadgets. 127 cm is the top size of possible projected image. In a sunny day this figure will be smaller but anyway this will work perfectly well in twilight. This feature will be great for a special occasion, but for every day use I7410 has enough other things stacked up. Like an OLED touchscreen or 5 Megapix camera. I'm not even sure whether it is better to watch high resolution photos projected on a wall or on an OLED display. I am sure though that Internet capabilities and Email add-ons this baby has need touchscreen favor. But on the other hand Samsung I7410 features also Power Point presentations that plausibly should refer to its Pico projector.

I can't stop thinking that cutting edge display, projector, 5 Megapix camera and all the rest hidden inside are not going to cure its looks. Frankly Samsung I7410 or Korean W7900 doesn't look sophisticated. However I can imagine what figures it will have on the price tag. Whatever they will be, developers should think of a way to redesign it by the moment it goes on sale. And that huge projector opening makes I7410 the thickest touchscreen at the market. Therefore I fancy thinner body with lower price but without projector.

Tritton AX Pro Headset for Gamers with 5.1 Surround Sound

Gamers from all over the world will be happy to receive an ideal headset for their gaming experience. Creation of such headset is not an easy task, and electronic gadgets manufacturers try to solve the problem using new technologies. Tritton Company produced their AX Pro on the basis of the earlier model - Tritton AX360. The new gadget was innovated and added new technical features.

The design of the headset is quite standard: there are adjustable headphones that are covered in a gray, glossy plastic. Under the left ear cup you can find the detachable microphone.

Moreover, for the separation of front, center, rear, and subwoofer audio streams there are four drivers in each ear cup. The headset features an in-line volume adjuster in the wire of the left ear cup. Xbox 360 controller is connected from here and after it you can adjust the microphone volume as you wish. The headset comes with soft, cloth-covered earpads and an extra pair of spare leather-cushioned pads. You will need to choose the pair that suits you better. However, the headphones are quite heavy, and gamers will feel its weight during long game-play.

The technical specifications of the AX Pro Headset are:
• It features 5.1 Surround Sound
• It works with Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PC gaming
• It is compatible with devices that has a digital optical or 3.5mm analog 5.1 outputs
• It has microphone mute switch and volume control for game chat
• It features Dolby Digital and Dolby Prologic
• Noise canceling and sound isolation technology
• Excellent sound possibilities
The sound of the headset is beyond expectation: you will hear all the details of the game and experience its reality. The headset has many wires and if you do not like it, you will not be comfortable enough using it.

The advantages of the headset are: good sound quality, it is compatible with most gaming consoles; it may be used for chatting.
The shortcomings are: the headset is quite heavy, it needs a lot of wires, it doesn't operate with the Wii, and headphones require power.

Plantronics Discovery 655 Headset makes amendments

Plantronics Discovery 655 represents simple updating of the previous version of the firm. However the new model brings its innovations and amendments with enhanced design and optimized complete set. It occupies place of honor in the class of headset gadgets. Having an extended shape it successfully comes to the end with a little microphone that allows you contact with ears.

The main functions of the garniture are being controlled by the main button, that allows answering/finishing the calls, switch off/on of the device, call’s redialing and activating of sound set.

Additional buttons on the surface help you to control volume of the sounds and it isn’t any efforts to use them thanks to the acting relief arrows. As well as the majority of same gadgets Plantronics Discovery 655 uses DSP technology for transmitting crystal clear voice in a best way and escaping noises and echoes as much as possible. Its lightweight makes only 9 grams. It very easy recharges from your PC and includes the innovative charging pocket. It is the most appreciate accessory of the headset. It is intended to fix the device on clothes. Mini-USB socket’s mission consists in connection for recharging the device and fastens to the headset with the help of special clip. Thus the Plantronics Discovery 655 is compatible with new models of Motorola phones and different smartpnones and communicators of the new era. Cylindrical adapter is just that device which function consists in recharging the device from AAA lithium ion battery that is also included in the set. A comfortable ear loop is a very useful thing to fix the gadget reliably on the ear but you could also use the garniture without it.

I should notice that this device works enough well with the most phones and provides high quality sound. Easy to operate and comfortable for wear it approaches for business activity and road walks. We can blame to it that this headset doesn’t support usage of multiple devices at once. It is checked up on experience that Plantronics Discovery doesn’t tires your ears thanks to its design and lightweight. As to gel ear tips, the device includes 3 such of them. Choose the best size for you by your wish.

Best quality and luxury design - Audio-Technica ATH-W5000 headset

Japan Company Audio-Technica designs and manufactures usual and noise canceling headphones, wireless and wired microphones, mixers, range of different electronic products for professional and home use.

New Audio-Technica ATH-W5000 wired headset is truly a step to perfection. Wide known for their exceptional comfort, Audio-Technica as well never sacrifice the quality. This way they beat two aims, delivering both comfort and sound quality. ATH-W5000 is a new improved model, it is perfect headset for watching TV, gaming, listening to music.

This gadget comes with specific design, wood shell is something what distinguish it from another models, closed design make you feel little bit isolated from the world, providing with great comfort and sound quality. About this luxury headset we can say three things: it works really great, looks fabulous, and price is really good. It comes enveloped also with taste, luxury and rich, hard shell case, natural Spanish skin, expensive ebony wood, 24 carat gold, high- end electronics

Main features:
Ebony housing for excellent acoustic, ultra comfortable soft leather ear pads, 53mm neodymium magnet drivers, high quality Oxygen free copper coils for best signal, easy magnesium frame, damping system for best bass reproduction, special cable with elastomer which keep the wires free from meshing, comes with protective case for safe storage, gold plated connectors for best corrosion protection, low noise and best conductivity.

Main specification:
*Features double air damping System
*Driver diameter - 53mm
*Frequency response - 5 - 45,000 Hz
*Sensitivity - 102 dB/mW
*Impedance 40 ohms
*Max input power 2000mw
Summary: this gadget will satisfy the most scrupulous user, who is damned to enjoy:
*Excellent, rich, precise acoustic characteristics
*Who is fond of craftsmanship things made of expensive materials
*Who wants ultra comfortable and light weighed luxury headset (only 340 grams)
*For people who can permit to pay 4 - digit price for that excellent gadget

It is quite expensive to experience new sound level, extreme comfort and fit. Tremendous power, astonishing design, excellent output.
High price for really good thing.

Solar ChumAlong with sunflower principle

Start getting prepared for summer days today, because now we can have one more solar gadget to play with. This is Solar ChumAlong solar panel which is not a breakthrough of course. We have seen a lot of these things along summer seasons, liked them frankly speaking. Solar ChumAlong is a bit different however. It has borrowed some of its features from huge and expensive solar power stations and yet has missed some everyday needed stuff. So ChumAlong is a compromise for free of charge solar energy but not a great whole-rounder with 400 USD price tag.

Solar ChumAlog has only one very strong feature to differentiate it from the other solar panels. Just like a sunflower, ChumAlong follows the sun as it moves along during the day. How important that is? Well, in a perfectly sunny day it can produce up to 50 percents more power than it would gather in static. Overall solar tracking system produces plus 30 percents to average figures. Making this possible made ChumAlong this expensive. Positioning requires a special Micro-controller Technology, worm gear axis shaft and optical sensors. And there we are, 400 USD for a portable solar panel. It is also easy to adjust and light to carry, but it has some drawbacks also. Solar ChumAlong is capable of producing 5 W only. And probably the worst thing is that the device doesn't come with a battery which you will obviously need, hence add at least another 30 USD for 12vdc battery expenses.

I can only advice Solar ChumAlong for those who know in advance that they will be able to leave the thing in the sun for the whole day. Active use can make it pay for itself in one season period if it hopefully doesn’t break down. In rest - a great thing for all your electronic gadgets.

Very efficient Sharp Aquos D Series - is that what you want?

TV is a sort of gadget that will not loose a piece of its popularity until something better is invented. It is mostly entertaining and hardly ever particularly useful, but we can't just say "no" to it. This is how an ordinary TV becomes a great thing for environmentalists to worry about. But usually they don’t manage to do it faster then developers do because saying about a TV: "This one is environmentally friendly", they guarantee themselves good sales. The latest "green" LCDs now are Sharp Aquos D series models, but as we think, they are not cutting edge, they are too late I'm afraid.

Sharp will let Aquos D models flow in the Japanese market on February 20th. There will be three of them differing mostly by their size: 32" for 1556 USD, 26" for 1230 USD and 20" for 1007 USD. The 32 inch model has better contrast ratio - 3000 : 1, and the other two models both have 1500 : 1. The part of Sharp's work on new Aquos D models that viewer will actually see is also 1366 x 768 resolution, 450 cd/m2 luminance, HD quality, and so on, and so, on. But the main part of Aquos D, the side that developers are showing off, is hidden behind the screen and shall never be seen until you look at how much you have to pay for electricity this month. Aquos D will save you more that 50 percents of average expanses on the same-sized LCD. This is not only economical, but green because it doesn't use that much electricity born in difficult labor. And the plastic is also less damaging when recycled.

However, even though no one can deny a huge work made by Sharp, they didn't beat OLED technology because they didn't have a chance. They got close to it with efficiency measures, but are far away with performance. It is clear now that OLED is the future by any standards, why then to go much further with LCD?

Peddle YoGen MaxT to keep your laptop alive

Earlier on we noticed that alternative energy source battery chargers are steadily gaining their popularity. Under alternative energy source battery chargers I mean of course those which use any energy source except for the one coming from the plug. Hence the most popular sources are wind power and solar power. Mechanical (kinetic) power is a bit less popular in portable gadgets but is used widely in modern-day hybrid vehicles. However wind and solar power sound odd in winter so Easy Energy decided to step in with a kinetic power charger. They call it YoGen MaxT and it is up to charge your notebook for a period limited only by your personal physical abilities.

Well actually even when the foot needs some rest, YoGen MaxT can help it with some rest. The paddle it has charges AA batteries, and they in turn power the notebook so it doesn't shut down as soon as the paddle stops. Easy Energy has its proprietary chargers which are very thin. On the picture their cover is seen as two jutting out parts at the both sides of the foot. Underneath the foot there is a tunable high ratio micro-transmission device. The tuning range of power output it provides is a really good thing to have if you are using different electronic gadgets and each requires its specific power input.

The YoGen MaxT folds in a handy box and will not be abusive in a trip even in a short one. In a folded form its dimensions are 170 x 184 x 49 mm. The width and height increase little bit when YoGen MaxT is set to work. Also the number of AA batteries is optional - up 12 of them and in standard it has a number of adapters for the plug and a battery indicator.

It really seems to me that YoGen MaxT is a quality product and as a portable charger will be great at least until it is worm enough for solar chargers. But also it might look hilarious to peddle the box on public and in a video Easy Energy has presented, YoGen MaxT is clattering loud which sure is not good. Such a way then its future will be defined by its price.

Camera hidden in a belt buckle

When you are up to a secret video and audio recording, you have a full set of possibilities. Every modern cell phone has a voice recorder inside, many of them have cameras. However, it would be clearly obvious that you are recording if you are holding phone in your hands. There are some special gadgets that are carefully designed for making discreet recordings, so it would be smart to use one of them. Usually they look just like ordinary things - pens, pencils, watches… This one looks like a belt buckle, and it really is a buckle - however, not the simple one. Details follow.

This buckle has a secret hidden inside of it - tiny video and audio recorder. While looking like a usual accessory, it turns out to be an ultimate spy tool. Inside of this buckle rests a useful gadget that can record video and audio, and is beautifully camouflaged! Wireless cameras are a no-go in places where they can be detected by wireless camera detectors, so when you are forced to use another way of recording - put it on your belt and it will film everything you want, with practically no risk of getting caught. Miniature camera records video in 3GP video format (176x144, QCIF) with sound, which can be saved on the microSD card from 128 MB up to 2 GB. After that, recordings can be played on PC or on your mobile phone. It can live 3 hours on one battery charge, but if you want to record a 3 hour length video you'll need some spare cards - 1 GB microSD card can only take up to 33 minutes of video. It is available in two models: classic one, called Buckle DVR, and strangely shaped one called Obaba DVR.

This gadget, named Ajoka Obaba Buckle DVR Camera, will be very useful for investigation or evidence collection. It can't be seen by wireless camera detectors, it is comfortably hidden inside your belt buckle - a perfect companion in such missions. However, not everything is so bright. Camera records in a very small resolution - even modern cameraphones can do much better. It will be very difficult to see small details, if not impossible at all. Quality was sacrificed to the size and comfort - so if you want almost invisible camera that is not detected by any sensors then you can give this gadget a try.

NVIDIA Quadro NVS 420 fuels four displays simultaneously

As is turns up, graphic cards have to do a lot more than just support latest DirectX 10 games and playback HD quality content. For instance, it would be great for a modern GPU to meet needs of a businessman who has to do presentations at work on big screens or plausibly uses more than one screen at the same time every day. All these via a laptop, or why not, a small form factor PC. Such a way GPU developers have a little bit different target group to satisfy, and here is what NVIDIA got for them. This is an upcoming NVIDIA Quadro NVS 420 graphic card. It will come out in February for 499 USD as manufacturer suggests.

NVIDIA Quadro NVS 420 GPU may be aimed for multi-display functions and to fit some small dimensions, but of course it has enough guts to for almost any PC game out there. In fact, it has 512 MB in it and 11.2 GBps bandwidth speed, so, should be enough for a couple of years. However the main thing still is how it handles a number of widescreen displays. Thanks to NVIDIA nView display software, Quadro NVS 420 can support up to four 30 inch displays at 2560 x 1600 resolution. More specs are: 4 x DisplayPort, 4 x Dual Link DVI and CUDA Parallel Computing Processor with 16 cores. This is how NVS 420 comes up to 499 USD, but I can easily find a whole new small form factor computer for that kind of money. I think Quadro NVS 420 is utterly expensive even though it can be a good value for money with all that gear stuffed into SFF GPU. And here is one more issue. How it is going to be cooled down by a small-sized fan and yet be quiet enough not to be annoying?

Motorized Pro-Motion keyboard

Computer experience is a truly hazardous thing to human's health in long-term outlook. No need to name all the harm day-to-day hours at computer can do. It comes from practically every gear whether it is a monitor, or a keyboard and even system units can get on nerves with too loud sound or even smell sometimes. However, a probable solution to cure RSI and CTS we normally get from our keyboards have already arrived. RSI and CTS are medical terms for Repetitive Strain Injury and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Overall they mean that wrists are harmed by computer work and there hardly is a cure except for giving up PC work maybe.

This is much easier to prevent this sort of things rather then to cope with as they occur, so Smartfish Technologies made their own user-friendly keyboard. It is called the Pro-Motion keyboard.Researches from Smartfish Technologies decided to fit a keyboard with motors, which may sound funny. But the Pro-Motion keyboard should be taken seriously and there is nothing similar to compare it with, so Smartfish Technologies are plausibly opening a new branch in keyboard evolution.

Pro-Motion keyboard is able adjust itself basing on personal particularities each person has. Doing a small study, Pro-Motion keyboard can move up, down, change the angle and so on. Motors are being operated by a Dynamic Positioning Controller. It requires installing some software and that's about it. All the advantage of having HSS' (Hospital for Special Surgery) experience in work is set up. Such a way, Smartfish Technologies say, it eliminates any risk of getting RSI or CTS as time passes.

Pro-Motion keyboard is compatible with both: Mac and PC. Gadget is connected via a USB port and can also download software upgrades from the Internet. Smartfish Technologies provides the whole product support and gives five year warranty. All for about 130 USD and Pro-Motion keyboard is already available.

Announced user-friendly abilities are not yet tested by a neutral lab, but there seem to be no doubts in their success. And also, we haven't mentioned stylish design of the aluminum finished body. The thing is though, a lot of computer work is done in offices but employers are not going to provide staff with Pro-Motion keyboards, so bring yours.

Ectaco iTRAVL: A Talking Travel Companion and More

Not since the days of the Grand Tour taken at the turn of the last century has travel to numerous countries on a single trip been so popular. Part of the reason lies in the fact that travel budgets have been reduced so that making the most out of any trip you take now makes good financial sense. But having the language skills necessary to communicate freely in the countries you need or want to visit is another matter entirely.


Now, thanks to the Ectaco iTRAVL, a remarkable new award-winning travel handheld, everyone has instant access to the resources needed to travel in comfort and style. Using an advanced combination of native-speaker voice narration, advanced speech recognition and speech synthesis, iTRAVL understands and speaks up to several million words and phrases instantly to save precious time when seconds really count.

Perfect for use in hotels, restaurants and shops, on the street when asking for directions, iTRAVL delivers the detailed facts you need and includes a translating Dictionary, Talking PhraseBook and Travel Guides to put the power of complete understanding to work for you.

But iTRAVL isn’t only great on the road, it even lets you increase your knowledge of foreign languages before and after your trip with a built-in Language Teacher system that uses speech recognition modules and learning games to let you speak like a local in no time at all. An Mp3 player for your favorite audio files and AudioBooks lets iTRAVL inform and entertain on long journeys. And with a talking calculator to perform instant currency conversions, you can easily check for the best exchange rates and save money while having the time of your life.

Asus improves world's first Blu-Ray output PC audio card: Xonar HDAV1.3 Series

Asus Xonar HDAV1.3 SeriesDecember '08 was the month when VHS tapes have officially gone for ever from Wal-Mart shelves, but luckily, now we have even more toys to play with instead of old-fashioned VHS players. It is now all about Blu-Ray image and sound quality. The latest news show that end users have got a handle on buying Blu-Ray disks because December '08 sales of those are 400 percents (1.5 million pieces) higher than a year ago. So, what do we have here is a new gadget that will help us enjoy every last bit of Blu-Ray quality sound on our PCs.


It is a new audio card from Asus called Xonar HDAV1.3 Series that is one of the first audio cards that bring ultimate sound performance to PCs. Well actually we know of course that the first one was Xonar HDAV1.3 and Xonar HDAV1.3 Series is an enhanced version.

The result of installing an Asus Xonar HDAV1.3 Series audio card must be very pleasing because what it does is: first – eliminating downsampling. It means that high quality audio tracks will not be decayed into lower quality. Second – Xonar HDAV1.3 Series allows to playback much more lossless format files like, for instance, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD, Dolby Digital Plus. Maximum output to AV receiver is 24bit/192KHz. Xonar HDAV1.3 Series is also compatible with most of current Video Graphic Cards on sale and distributes audio and video steams via single HDMI cord.

The results are good of course, but they are not achieved by Asus alone. Asus was working closely with ArcSoft and C-Media. As the outcome, Xonar HDAV1.3 Series has Arcsoft's TotalMedia Theatre software and C-media's bespoke AV200 audio processor. As usual, ASUS didn't give out all the info about upcoming audio card, so there is no word about MSRP and release date.