Tech Special: Gateway EC Series - Ultra light yet Powerful

Gateway has been producing great new models for the past couple of months ever since the revolution of the netbooks started. Now with the power of the new CULV chips in the market they have come up with a series that is both beautiful and bold without the heavy feeling one gets in their pockets when they purchase it.

The newly launched EC series of Gateway gives their consumers the power to choose between the 11.6" models to 13.3" models that they boast can last well over 8+ hours with heavy computing and a video card from Intel that promises to deliver High Performance 3D graphics.

Here are the things that the EC Series 11.6" models have to offer:

Easy-Carry All-Day

Want the freedom of all-day computing combined with an easy-carry size? Then the 11.6" Gateway® EC Series Notebook is made for you. Boasting Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium SP1 and energy-saving Intel® Core™2 Solo ultra-low voltage processing, our cherry red EC1801i laptop puts power in your pocketbook: 2GB memory, a 320GB hard drive, a media card reader, multiple ports including HDMI™, and a wealth of connectivity thanks to Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g/draft-n wireless and Bluetooth® 2.1. And this EC weighs only 1.35kg. Connect, create and compute when you want, where you want, with the 11.6" Gateway® EC1801i Notebook.

Specifications

Processor:	Intel® Centrino® Processor Technology Intel® Core™2 Solo Processor SU3500 (1.4GHz, 3MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
Operating System:	Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium SP1 32-bit
Display:	11.6" HD Ultrabright™ LED-backlit TFT LCD 1366 x 768 resolution; high-brightness (200-nit); 16:9 aspect ratio
Chipset:	Mobile Intel® GS45 Express
Memory:	2GB 667MHz DDR2 dual-channel support (1 × 2GB) Expandable to 4GB (2 DDR2 slots total, 1 DDR2 slots available)
Hard Drive:	320GB 5400rpm SATA
Color:	Cherry Red
Media Reader:	Multi-in-1 media card reader, supporting:Secure Digital™ (SD), MultiMediaCard™ (MMC), Memory Stick™ (MS), Memory Stick Pro™ (MS Pro), xD-Picture Card™ (xD)
Video:	Integrated 3D graphics, featuring Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD (Intel® GMA 4500MHD) with up to 1759MB of Intel® Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0 (64MB of dedicated video memory, up to 1695MB of shared system memory), supporting Microsoft® DirectX® 104
Audio:	Optimized 2nd-generation Dolby® Sound Room® audio enhancement, featuring Dolby® Headphone, Dolby® Natural Bass, Dolby® Sound Space Expander High-definition audio support Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF) support for digital speakers MS Sound compatible Built-in microphone
Network:	10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN, Wake-on-LAN ready Intel® Wireless WiFi Link 5100 (dual-band quad-mode 802.11a/b/g/draft-n) Wi-Fi Certified™ network connection, featuring MIMO technology Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
Pointing Device:	Multi-gesture touchpad supporting: - Circular-motion scrolling - Pinch-action zoom - Page flip
Webcam:	Integrated 0.3 megapixel webcam
Ports/Other:	3 USB 2.0 1 HDMI™ port with HDCP support 1 VGA 1 headphone/speaker/line-out jack with S/PDIF support 1 microphone-in jack 1 RJ-45 LAN 1 AC adapter connector
Dimensions:	22.1-30mm H x 285mm W x 204mm D
Weight:	1.35kg with 6-cell battery
Battery:	62.16W 5600mAh 6-cell lithium-ion battery pack
Warranty:	1-year parts and labor limited warranty
Software:	Gateway Recovery Management Microsoft® Windows Live™ Essentials Wave 3 Microsoft® Works Microsoft® Office Home and Student 2007 (60-day trial) Norton Internet Security™ 2009 (60-day trial)

Based on my research this laptop has been pegged with a starting price of P 35,892.00 both from Villman and Asianic.

Where to Buy:

Find this Gateway product in a retail store near you

View Retailers

This will definitely be a good competition for the other CULV laptops that have been released by other more known brands. With ACER as their main partner along with eMachines, one can definitely learn to trust Gateway.

Tech Tuesday: Cheapest 12 Inch Notebook But Powerful enough for HD Graphics

MSI has done it again. Just recently here in the Philippines we got to see the new Wind U200 series hitting the market and is selling like hot cakes. Two reasons why: Very affordable price and Excellent Specs.

In terms of pricing the U200 series comes in a price range of Php18000 ($391) to Php22000($478). This is due to the Dual Core Processors that run on Low Voltage and of course Low cost. However, unlike the old netbooks that we have seen in the past, these 12 inch laptops are quite capable of handling what a normal laptop would with a Windows Experience Index Score of 3.2. Battery life runs at 4 - 6 hours and is equipped with Windows 7. It doesn't have a DVD or CD Drive which is also why the netbooks in the past have also been able to be priced quite low but in the modern age of wireless fidelity who really needs it.

Here are the current specs out in the market right now based on MSI's Website:

• Intel® Core™2 Duo processor, with Intel® wireless technology
• Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium
(MSI recommends upgrade to Genuine Windows Vista® Business)
• 12.1" 16:9 Glittering Crystal Frameless Screen
• 1366*768 HD Ready Display for clearer and sharper images
• 1.3kg ultra lightweight and ultraportable design
• 6.5 hrs* extended battery life
• HDMI Output
• LED power-saving backlight technology
• Brand new msi Ergonomic De-stress Keyboard

And if you still aren't sold on the idea of getting one here is a video review to help you get a clearer picture of what to expect and I have to say you had better make a decision fast since this one is about to be sold out before the month of January even ends:

Tech Tuesday: Microsoft Office 2010

With the release and full integration of the new Windows 7 Operating systems, Microsoft has also been busy with the preparation of the launch of the new Office 2010. Today we are going to have you sit back and watch what Microsoft is promising to give to you this time around with their new developments with their Office Series.

Confirmed features of Office 2010 include:

• Refined Ribbon interface and Backstage View across all applications
• Background Removal Tool
• Letter Styling
• New SmartArt templates
• New text and image editing effects
• Screen Capturing and Clipping tools
• Live collaboration functions
• Jumplists in Windows 7

So without further delay here is Microsoft to tell you and show you more of what to expect with MSOffice 2010:

Tech Tuesday: Sony Vaio X Series

While going through the mall the other week I got wind of and was able to try out Sony Vaio's hot new gadget. A bit pricey though but a definite eye candy. Though I have to say without a Disc Drive and it being wafer thin at 11 inches this is probably the netbook(mini-notebook) for those with the guts or the money to extravagantly splurge on it.

To show you what a pricey netbook from Sony can give you, here are the specs:
- 2GHz Intel Atom Processor
- 533Mhz Front Side Bus Speed
- Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 500 dengan Intel® System Controller Hub US15W Chipset
- Up to 128GB Solid State Drive
- 2GB DDR2 SDRAM
- QWERTY keyboard, 82 kyes with 1.2mm stroke and 17mm pitch
- Display 11.1 inci x-black widescreen LCD dengan teknologi backlight LED 1366 x 768 Resolution
- Intel High Definition Audio
- WiFi Atheros 802.11b/g/n
- Bluetooth
- VGA Port
- Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband Built-In (3G Modem)
- 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T
- 2 x USB port
- microphone
- headphone jack
- Memory stick dan sdcard slot
- Webcam Motion EYE
- Windows 7 professional
- Electro-Static touch pad
- Durable Battery: Up to 3.5 hours
- Power Requirements: 38 watts or less

here is a commercial from youtube that I found about the x series:

Tech Tuesday on Empty Streets: Netbook Accessories

With the netbook or should I say mini - notebook craze going on many have started looking for accessories that would match their sleek and stylish gadgets. Many do this for both practical and personal reasons. I myself will look around for cool bags that would match my style and sense of practicality.

With these things being said, I found it rather hard to find something I would consider as value for my money. Fortunately enough for me I found a rather cool site that answered this need.

GearZap.com

In this website I found all the cool accessories one could wish for. From netbook sleeves (finding the right size was a pain the butt before), bags, fashionable mice (plural of mouse :)), and much much more.

I would say to check it out cause I found the prices rather affordable and they have a cool selection of stuff to pamper that new baby of yours. :)

Till the next time. :) xoxo

Tech Tuesday on Empty Streets: HP Mini 311

HP is joining the 11.6 Netbook craze with their new model HP Mini 311. The first company to have done this is Acer and soon to follow is Asus. But the HP mini has something more to offer this time with NVIDIA ION powering their mini notebook along with that of the Intel Atom N280. This is something that a lot of people should definitely check out before pulling out that credit card of yours as you start purchasing it as a personal gift for yourself this Christmas :) Here in the Philippines I was able to spot one at eHub in Park Square Glorietta for a cool price of 28,000 Pesos.

Here are more of the specs for all you techies out there:

• Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition with Service Pack 3(1)

• Intel® AtomTM Processor N270(3) • 1.60GHz(4) • 512KB L2 • 533Mhz FSB(4a)

• 1024MB DDR3 System Memory (1 Dimm) • Max supported =3072MB

• NVIDIA ION LE for Windows XP with up to 319MB total graphics memory

• 160GB (5400RPM) Hard Drive (SATA)(7)

• HP Black Swirl Imprint finish & HP Webcam with integrated digital microphone(15)

• 11.6" Diagonal HD LED(8) BrightView Widescreen Display (1366 x 768)

• Integrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector) (9)

• 802.11b/g WLAN(10a)

• 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards(17a)

• Altec Lansing Speakers

• 92% full sized keyboard • touchpad with scroll zone

• Touch Pad with dedicated vertical Scroll Up/Down (note: no on/off button)

• 3 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0

• Headphone-out/Microphone in combo jack (compatible with 3.5mm 4-conductor jack with stereo audio and mono mic)

• HDMI

• 1 VGA (15-pin) • 1 RJ -45 (LAN)

• Unpackaged: 11.4 in (L) x 8.03 in (D) x 0.78-1.20 in (H) • Packaged: 13.6"(W) x 4.3"(D) x12.2"(H)

• Unpackaged: 3.22 lbs(12). • Packaged: 5.3 lbs

• Kensington® MicroSaver lock slot • Power-on password • Accepts 3rd party security lock devices

• 65W AC Adapter • 6-Cell Lithium-Ion battery

• HP 90W AC Adapter - KG298AA#ABA • HP PT06 Mini Battery - VP502AA • HP USB Essentials Port Replicator - NK398AA#ABA

• 1-Year Limited Hardware Warranty with Toll Free Support (NA) • 1-Year Free Hardware Technical Support • 30-Days Free Limited Software Support with 1-Year (from date of

purchase) Free Limited Software Support with Product Registration.

Here is a cool review of the HP Mini 311 that I found on Youtube for you to watch:

Tech Tuesday on Empty Streets: GSM vs CDMA

I have to admit that when it comes to mobile phones I am quite the fanatic and would love to get my hand on every single one of them out there, however, many such as myself have come across the two network types known as GSM or CDMA. I found that these two are completely different and that the phones that work with them or is designed for each technology type is different. One example would the that GSM uses a SIM card to function as with the CDMA there is only the need for registration of the phone.

Across the globe GSM is the most favored as based on research is the first wireless technology used for mobile phones and is the least expensive to set up compared to CDMA. CDMA on the other hand came out a couple of years after and is commonly favored by Countries like Japan and Canada as many of the users claim that it is more seamless and better to use. EVDO which is the faster data transfer rate version of CDMA allows users to enjoy seamless internet browsing and internet tv channels hitting speeds close if not above 1Mbps. GSM Fanatics claim that GSM is better because of the convenience of simply changing sim cards at the locality of where you shall be.

But luckily for a lot of us that seem to be a bit clueless still here is video that I found on youtube that discusses more about this particular topic.

Tech Tuesday on Empty Streets: Windows 7 Preview

With the release of Windows 7 this month, many have been asking around as to what to expect with this new Operating System that Windows is coming up with. One thing that I can say to look forward to is the promise that Windows has made with regards to the system requirements is guaranteed to be much lower than that of Windows Vista, while maintaining the visual candy that it promises to deliver.

Here is a video demo and review that I have found on Youtube that further talks about what one would expect from Windows 7:

Tech Tuesday on Empty Streets: Samsung W880

I was wondering what Samsung would be coming up next in terms of what mobile phone technology. As always Samsung has always come up with a surprise. With their Samsung W880 one can see the merger of both a very powerful 12 Megapixel auto-focus point and shoot camera and touch screen technology. I just love it whenever something like this pops up and causes me to change what I would want for Christmas. For now though one would have to wait as the release of the Samsung W880 is only going to be done this year in South Korea.

Here are the specifications of this Camera First before Phone:

General	2G Network	GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
		CDMA2000 800 / 1700
	3G Network	UMTS 2100
		1xEV-DO 800 / 1700
	Announced	2009, September
	Status	Coming soon. Exp. release 2009, October
Size	Dimensions	115.8 x 56.9 x 16.3 mm
	Weight	-
Display	Type	AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	480 x 800 pixels, 3.3 inches
		- TouchWiz v2.0 UI
		- Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
		- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
Sound	Alert types	Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3, WAV ringtones
	Speakerphone	Yes
Memory	Phonebook	Yes, Photo call
	Call records	Yes
	Internal	4GB
	Card slot	microSD (TransFlash), up to 32GB
Data	GPRS	Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
	HSCSD	Yes
	EDGE	Class 12
	3G	CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
	WLAN	No
	Bluetooth	Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
	Infrared port	No
	USB	Yes, v2.0
Camera	Primary	12 MP, 4000 x 3000 pixels, 3x optical zoom, autofocus, xenon flash, LED flash
	Features	Mode dial, variable apperture, tracking touch autofocus, face, smile and blink detection, Smart Auto mode, image stabilization, Beauty Shot
	Video	Yes, 720p@30fps
	Secondary	Videocall camera
Features	Messaging	SMS, MMS, Email, IM, Push Email
	Browser	WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
	Radio	No
	Games	Yes + downloadable
	Colors	Black
	GPS	No
	Java	Yes, MIDP 2.0
		- T-DMB TV receiver
		- MP3/WMA/AAC/WAV player
		- DivX/XviD/H.263/H.264/MP4/WMV player
		- Organizer
		- Voice memo
Battery		Standard battery, Li-Ion 1100 mAh

With that being said here is a video for you to watch with regards to how this phone is like:

Tech Tuesday on Empty Streets: Touch Screen Technology Explained

I have often wondered and marveled at the miracle of modern science and one of the things that fascinated me was that of the emergence of touch screen phones and laptops. So I did a little research into the topic and below is a summary of what I have found out.

Think of the screen as a multilayer sandwich. On top is a thin plastic or glass sheet with a resistive coating on its bottom. The plastic or glass floats on a thin layer of nonconductive oil, which rests on a layer of glass coated with a similar resistive finish. Thin bars of silver ink line the horizontal and vertical edges of the glass. Direct current is applied alternately to each pair of bars, creating a voltage field between them.

When you touch the stylus to the screen, the plastic pushes down through the gel to meet the glass (called a 'touchdown'). This causes a change in the voltage field, which is recorded by the touch screen's driver software. By sending current first through the vertical bars and then the horizontal ones, the touch screen obtains the X and Y coordinates of the touchdown point. The driver scans the touch screen thousands of times each second and sends this data to any application that needs it. In this way, a Phone or Laptop knows when you're tapping an on-screen icon to launch a program or gliding it across the screen to enter data.

Here is a video about how the IPhone touch screen technology works:

Tech Tuesday On Empty Streets: Samsung Blue Earth

Samsung has really out done themselves and with good reason this time. They have created the ultimate eco-friendly phone to date with the Samsung Blue Earth. The Samsung Blue Earth not only is made fully of recycled materials, but the way it charges is what blows the competition right off - It is charged through its own solar panels at the back of the phone. Coupled with the latest touch screen software technology, one is truly going to wonder what this Telco Giant is coming up with next. For now, the techno savvy people of the world can do a lot of good for our environment by switching to a phone like this. Going green no longer is something to be considered as boring - Samsung Blue Earth made that pretty clear. Now it is cool to be green or should I say Blue :)

Here are the specs of this eco-friendly baby:

General	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 2100
	Announced	2009, September
	Status	Coming soon. Exp. release 2009, Q4
Size	Dimensions	108 x 53 x 14 mm
	Weight	118.9 g
Display	Type	TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	240 x 400 pixels, 3.0 inches
		- Accelerometer sensor
		- Smart unlock
Sound	Alert types	Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
	Speakerphone	Yes
Memory	Phonebook	2000 contacts, Photocall
	Call records	40 received, dialed and missed calls
	Internal	180 MB
	Card slot	microSD (TransFlash), up to 16 GB
Data	GPRS	Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
	HSCSD	Yes
	EDGE	Class 12
	3G	HSDPA 3.6 Mbps
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
	Bluetooth	Yes, v2.1 with A2DP
	Infrared port	No
	USB	Yes, v2.0
Camera	Primary	3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels
	Features	Geo-tagging
	Video	Yes, QVGA @ 30fps
	Secondary	Yes
Features	Messaging	SMS, MMS, Email, RSS reader
	Browser	WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
	Radio	Stereo FM radio with RDS
	Games	Yes + downloadable
	Colors	Blue
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support
	Java	Yes, MIDP 2.0
		- Made of eco-friendly materials
		- Eco Walk app, Eco mode profile
		- MP3/WMA/eAAC+ player
		- H.263/H.264/MP4/WMV player
		- Find Music recognition service
		- Organizer
		- Document viewer
		- Voice memo
Battery		Standard battery, Li-Ion 1080 mAh
	Stand-by	-
	Talk time	-
		Solar Panel for battery charging

And to further enlighten you to what this little blue baby has to offer, here is a video review for you to watch and be amazed ;)

Tech Tuesday on Empty Streets: LG BL40 Chocolate

I now have my perfect xmas wish list gadget for this year and this time it has fallen to that of the LG BL40 Chocolate. The next of the LG Black Label line and it offers so many fun and cool stuff that I just can't wait to try out.

Here are its specs to show you why I love it so much:

General	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 900 / 2100
	Announced	2009, August
	Status	Coming soon. Exp. release 2009, 3Q
Size	Dimensions	128 x 51 x 10.9 mm
	Weight	129 g
Display	Type	TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	345 x 800 pixels, 4.01 inches
		- Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate
		- S-Class Touch UI
		- Multi-touch input method
		- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
		- Gesture controls
Sound	Alert types	Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
	Speakerphone	Yes
		- 3.5 mm audio jack
		- Dolby Mobile sound enhancement
Memory	Phonebook	1000 entries, Photo call
	Call records	Yes
	Internal	1.1 GB storage
	Card slot	microSD (TransFlash) up to 32GB
Data	GPRS	Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
	HSCSD	Yes
	EDGE	Class 10, 236.8 kbps
	3G	HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, DLNA
	Bluetooth	Yes v2.1 with A2DP
	Infrared port	No
	USB	Yes, v2.0 microUSB
Camera	Primary	5 MP, 2560 x 1920 pixels, Schneider-Kreuznach optics, autofocus, LED flash
	Features	Geo-tagging, face, smile and blink detection
	Video	Yes, VGA@30fps (MP4)
	Secondary	Yes
Features	Messaging	SMS, EMS, MMS, Email, IM
	Browser	WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
	Radio	Stereo FM radio with RDS; FM transmitter
	Games	7 + Downloadable
	Colors	Black
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support
	Java	Yes, MIDP 2.0
		- MP4/DivX/XviD/H.263 player
		- MP3/WAV/eAAC+ player
		- 3D image gallery
		- Document viewer
		- Organiser
		- TV out
Battery		Standard battery, Li-Ion 1000 mAh
	Stand-by	Up to 400 h (2G) / Up to 370 h (3G)
	Talk time	Up to 6 h (2G) / Up to 5 h (3G)

And as always here is a video to entice your senses even more: