MIO Digiwalker C720t

Has been said that getting there is half the fun, all the fun, or just time wasted reaching the fun. Regardless, you still need to get there, and the DigiWalker from Mio is a capable GPS device. Today there are dozens of proficient navigation units, so what makes the C720t warrant your attention?

Certainly, it works well as an in-car GPS unit. The small but clear 4.3-inch TFT display proved visible in sunlight, and the touch-screen interface functioned intuitively. The articulating mount truly sucked, affixing itself to the windshield like a limpet.

Voice prompts were surprisingly helpful for navigating through traffic in unfamiliar territory. The Point of Interest database is 12 million large, and the unit comes with a three-month subscription to Clear Channel's Traffic Messaging Channel that helps drivers route around traffic jams.

As well as providing roadway information for the U.S., Canada, and much of Mexico, the DigiWalker also stores data on walking, biking, and hiking trails. The unit is compact enough to pocket, and the lithium-ion battery provides juice for an afternoon's trek. A storage pouch is included.

While these primary functions are critical, Mio adds one truly cool feature to its slim, 6.7-ounce package: a two-mega-pixel camera. It snaps acceptable shots and can stamp photos with longitude and latitude coordinates (geotags). The images can be reviewed on the screen or transferred to a computer via SID flash card (you supply) and then used to enhance Google Earth.

The unit lists at $600, but can be found for as low as $450. Check out technical specifications at Mio-Tech-com.

Mio Digiwalker C720t Specifications

1. Power Cradle Connector
2. Mini USB/Power Connector
3. Power (Charge) LED Indicator
4. Bluetooth LED Indicator
5. Power Button
6. Camera Shot Button
7. 4.3" Touchscreen
8. TMC Antenna
9. 2.0 Megapixel Digital Camera
10. Speaker
11. Earphone
12. SD/MMC Memory Card Slot

Mio Digiwalker C720t Specifications

Hardware

• CPU Samsung 2443--400MHz
• GPS Chipset 20-channel SiRF StarIII
• TMC Yes (U.S. only)
• Memory / ROM 64MB
• Memory / RAM 2GB
• Memory Slot SD/MMC
• Display Type 4.3" TFT w/touchscreen
• Display Resolution 480 x 272 pixels (QVGA)
• Display Orientation Landscape
• Battery Lithium Ion
• Battery Capacity 1300mAh
• Bluetooth® Technology Yes
• Wi-Fi No
• Infrared Port No
• USB Yes
• Camera Yes
• Microphone No
• Speaker Yes
• Earphone Jack Yes
• Depth 126mm
• Width 19.9mm
• Height 81mm
• Weight (grams and ounces needed) 210g
• Software

Operating System Win CE.Net 5.0

• Navigation Software and Maps MioMap v3 Preloaded U.S., Canada and Major Roads of Mexico Map
• Picture Viewer Yes
• Audio Player Yes
• Calculator Yes
• Calendar Yes
• Contacts Synchronization Yes
• Other Preinstalled Software Card Scanner

2.0 Megapixel Digital Camera
The 2.0 Megapixel Digital Camera takes great pictures and supports our newest feature, PhotoPOIs. This feature embeds position data into digital photos to create PhotoPOIs and allows for navigation to photographed locations. A satellite connection must be established in order for the feature to work.

TMC Support with Deluxe Device Holder
The C720t comes bundled with the Deluxe Device Holder and a 90 day free trial subscription to Traffic Message Channel (TMC). The Deluxe Device Holder has a built-in Traffic Message Channel (TMC) receiver for receiving real time traffic incidents in real-time. Click here to activate your 90 day free trial subscription, and to learn more about the TMC service coverage area. The TMC service is currently available in the US only.

Media Player
Integrated media player for entertainment on the road. Easily store content on SD memory cards and enjoy photos, video or music when you're traveling.

Hands-Free Calling
Connect your device with your Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone to make hands-free phone calls. By importing your contact list from Microsoft Outlook; making calls is as simple as selecting your contact from the list.

20-channel GPS Receiver
The highly sensitive SiRFstarIII GPS receiver provides accurate navigation, even in challenging environments such as forests or large cities.

Easy to use
With intuitive and large icons for data input and menu navigation, you will quickly be comfortable with the controls and can use the device to its fullest. Just turn it on and go!

Expandable Functionality with Memory Slot
SD/MMC memory card slot for additional maps.

Clear Display
The crisp 3.5" LCD color display provides navigation information at a glance, even in bright sunlight.

TeleAtlas Maps
The latest map data from Tele Atlas offers excellent coverage and high precision. From tiny country roads to complex highway crossroads. With Tele Atlas maps you can rest assured that the roads you need can be found in your device.

Points of Interest
Set the radius around your current location to for example 500 meters, and then set the category to restaurants. Instantly you will see a list of restaurants within 500 meters. Click on the restaurant, and you’ll get their phone number so you can make a reservation. You can also find hotels, parking spots, gas stations, and many other points of interest.
Portable Design
With a slim design, the device slips easily into your pocket, purse or briefcase.

Supports Import of Outlook® Contact Lists
Transfer contacts from Microsoft® Outlook® for instant navigation to their address.

Ready out of the box
Everything needed for a great experience is in the box. Including pre-loaded maps and complete accessories.

Pantech Dual-Slide PDA Phone

LOOKING FOR A phone that combines a unique design with a good close of functionality?

The Pantech Duo from AT&T Wireless, Business users will like its good selection of office software. while its cool, dual-sliding design will satisfy gadget lovers.

About the size of a bar of soap the Duo IS One Of bar Most compact phones with a QWERTY keyboard that ever seen. Even better is its dual-sliding sliding-design. Sliding the front panel vertically reveals the alphanumeric keypad and sliding it to the right uncovers the keyboard.

Granted small isn't always best. The Duo's keyboard is a bit cramped though easy to use. Similarly. the 2.2 inch screen is not ideal for viewing text documents. The Duo runs Windows Mobile 6 and and, despite the limitations of the small display it's nice to have the option to edit and view files. You can also sync POP3 and IMAP e-mail accounts, as well as send and receive Microsoft e-mail via Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes. The phone's sound quality was subpar

The battery lasting hours. 40 minutes. but that's Poor compared with other PDA phones. Still this Unit proves that you don't always have to trade from for function the Duo gives you both.


AT&T states the battery will provide UP to 3 hours Of talk time.

Gateway FX541XT

FX541 - An Extreme Machine for Serious Gamers

The FX541 is Gateway's fastest, most powerful desktop. Engineered for next-generation gaming and high-end applications and optimized for high-definition media, the FX541 Series delivers pure, raw quad-core power. Ideal for extreme gaming, digital content creation and advanced multitasking, it is designed for enthusiasts who want the latest in cutting-edge technology but don't want to spend a fortune.

GATEWAY'S FX541XT has much in common with its predecessor, the FX540XT While it's a fine performer with DX9 titles, it's best avoided if you're playing DX10 games at high resolutions. Still, the FX541XT has a great component lineup, even if it sounds like Cape Canaveral during a space-shuttle launch. Plus, the three major differences between the models are nothing to sneeze at.

The FX541 includes an NVIDIA SLI-capable motherboard, dual PCIe x16 slots with SLI support and dual Gigabit Ethernet for maximum online gaming performance. The FX541XT offers a factory over-clocked processor and runs dual NVIDIA 8800 GT factory limited warranted(3) over-clocked video cards in SLI mode for maximum performance.


Pricing and Availability

First is price. Coming in at $3,499, the FX541XT is a slightly better bargain, despite having nearly identical specifications, such as a Core 2 Extreme QX68SO processor (overclocked to 3.66GHz), 4GB of DDR2 RAM, the ever-handy Blu-ray/HD DVD combo optical drive (which also burns conventional DVDs), and Windows Vista I Home Premium Also included is the second major upgrade: a total of 1.5 terabytes of hard drive space, spread across two 750GB drives in a RAID Level 0 configuration. Already. you have a lot more room for storing applications, music, and photos, as well as any TV programs you've recorded using the included TV tuner.

The third big change is probably the most significant, the graphics cards. Gateway has ditched the previous pair of 768MB nVidia GeForce 8800 GTX cards in favor of two 512MB GeForce 8800 GT cards in a Scalable Link Interface (SLI) configuration, offering more speed-at least in some respects for less money.

Although you'll get better DX9 performance, you'll also wind up with worse DX10 performance at extreme resolutions, which is a downer if you go nuts over the latest gaming titles. Because of the reduced price and the bumped-up feature set, however, we still recommend the FX541XT, albeit with a pair of earplugs to drown out its distractingly loud running noise even when it's idle.

Last but not least, the Gateway FX541 Series includes a 700 watt power supply, ensuring it can support any additional high-performance hardware or future expansion requirements.

Nintendo's Wii Fit

SWEATBANDS SNAPPED tight and short shorts riding high, I took Nintendo's $90 Wii Fit a home workout program disguised as a video game for a test run. I can see why Wii Fit is a hit.

The game lets you choose from 48 activities in four categories: yoga poses, strength training, aerobic exercise, and balance games.


To perform the calisthenics. you stand or lie-on the Wii Balance Board. Its four pressure sensors determine where your feet are, monitor your center of gravity, and check your weight.

Before getting started, I had to build my Wii Fit profile by entering my height, weight, gender, and birthday. A basic body Lest then measured my balance before

the software presented me with a fairly accurate Body Mass Index (BMI) score, my weight in pounds, and a "Wii Fit Age" (more a measurement of my game skills than of my actual fitness level). You can weigh in again anytime you want, set goals to lower or increase your BMI, and arrange for the game's calendar to chart your fitness progress.

As you spend time exercising, you earn Fit Credits that unlock activities one by one. Each workout takes roughly 1 to 5 minutes. Unfortunately, each Wii Fit player Must unlock each workout solo. I was frustrated at the lack of a two player mode and at not being able to create a custom workout; that means you have to complete the activities back to back.

Clearly Wii Fit isn't a replacement for a gym membership. But if you want a fun, family-friendly workout option, Wii Fit is definitely fit for the task.

Wii Fit Nintendo Makes working out in front of your TV interactive and fun. List: $90

Zooming Olympus SP-570 UZ

With pocket-size point and shoot cameras peaking, camera makers have emerged from their R&D labs with a new generation of hybrids: mutants with superior vision. These cameras blend the simple controls of pocket models with high quality optics and advanced features typically offered only on digital single-lens reflex units. The unfortunate moniker given to these cameras? Megazooms.

These unit's defining features are larger tenses and high-power Optical ZOOMS. You also get manual control over ISO settings, aperture, and shutter speed. Don't expect to slip one of these behemoths into a pocket. These chunkier models fit in a camera bag or camping pack. Another contender, Nikon's new Coolpix P80, was released too late to make our tests; look for an online review.

Many megazooms add image stabilization to the lens; and if ever you need image Stabilization, it's when you're zoomed in on a far-away subject. The greater the magnification, the less movement it takes to blur a shot. Even With image stabilization, you should use a tripod, especially in low light.

Want high-end features? The slow-motion mode in Casio's Exilim Pro EX-F1 shoots 60 full-resolution photos per second and (much-lower-resolution) video at 1200 frames per second. The EX-F1 can also capture 1080i high-definition video, making it a great hybrid of a Still and video camera.

A megazoom's responsiveness (how quickly the camera takes the picture after you press the shutter release) falls short of a digital SLR's lightning fast reaction. Nevertheless, these plus size point and shoots bring you close to the experience of using a digital SLR, and they do so for much less dough.

THE OLYMPUS SP-570 UZ offers Intuitive controls and a nice range of both manual. and beginner friendly

Olympus's $500 megazoorn has the greatest magnification rating in the collection of six cameras we tested for this roundup. At 20X, photos taken 30 feet from the photographer look like close-ups. The SP-570 UZ's range is stunning: This model covers the equivalent of a 35mm film camera's range of 26MM to 520mm; it"s great for taking both wide angle pictures and very detailed macro (close-up) shots.

The zoomy monster isn't a one-trick pony by any means. It has a servo-controlled zoom; 23 scene modes: manual ISO, aperture, shutter, and focus settings; and a "guide" mode to step you through the photographic process.


Four buttons for basic functions line the left edge of the 2.7 inch screen; five additional buttons arrayed like a directional pad control the flash, the self-timer, and the macro mode. You adjust the servo-controlled zoom by turning a ring on the lens; a small motor moves the lens. I found that the motion of the lens which doesn't move exactly in proportion to your turning of the dial took a little getting used to.

In low light, the autofocus would scan from one end to the other trying to sharpen the image, and sometimes it took up to 2 seconds to lock on to a focal point. But in daylight, Olympus's iESP targeting system (which the autofocus controls use) worked remarkably well and produced clear shots even at the maximum zoom, aided by the image stabilization built into the lens.

Amazing Canon PowerShot S5 IS

The oldest high-zoom digital camera in our roundup is hardly a dinosaur. Like its 2008 competitors, Canon's $400 PowerShot S5 IS-released in May 2007 resembles a smaller digital SLR in look and feel. Its optical zoom maxes Out at 12X.

The S5 IS comes with excellent optical image stabilization. This feature worked brilliantly except at maximum zoom in, at which point image blurring occurred. The face-detection technology is clever, too, but sometimes it's just as easy to set the focus yourself. The camera has a basic video editing feature stich assist for piecing together panoramic images, and color adjustment and white balancing for low-light shots.

The chunky handgrip offers a stable hold with easy access to every control with either your index finger or your thumb. A convenient, dedicated button for recording movies sits next to the camera's viewfinder, and an ingenious power/mode lever allows easy toggling between modes. The only control 1 missed was a ring for manual focusing; you must use a directional pad, which can be difficult and time consuming.

The flip-out LCD screen on the SS IS is a tremendous plus. It's large, bright, sharp, and fully articulable. That's especially fortunate because the camera's electronic viewfinder displays a picture worthy of a gas station security monitor; it's pretty much useless for anything other than gross composition.

The 12X zoom is quick and quiet, and the autofocus was snappy except at maximum zoom; sometimes it had to search for the proper subject whenever I decided to zoom way in.
Picture quality varied. Otherwise good images occasionally suffered from a noticeable degree of noise at anything above midrange ISO. In addition I detected an odd blurriness around the periphery of many of my images.

Despite including a handy function menu for the most common options, the S5 IS has some "hey let's just throw it in" features that clog menus (a wolf-howl sound effect for the self-timer-really?). For every great feature that it offers (image stabilization, stereo microphones), another is missing (manual focus ring, RAW file support). But the good far outweighs the bad, and the S5 IS is a solid camera for aspiring amateurs.

Saitek X52Pro

Best controller for flight sim fans

IF YOU WANT TO FLY the virtual skies in style, Saitek’s X52 Pro is the Gulfstream of flight controllers. This joystick and throttle combo is designed for any kind of flying, whether you’re hauling passengers in Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX) or blowing away Messerschmitts in Ubisoft’s IL2 Sturmovik: 1946.

Like the original X52, the Pro version includes seven control axes, 19 programmable buttons, three hat switches, and a mouse control. You also get a three-way mode switch that triples each button’s functionality. Set up one set of commands for take off/landing, another for air combat, and another for ground attack.

The X52 Pro also supports adjustments to accommodate both small and large hands. This new model replaces the loose springs of the original with much more precise controls, and adds a fully programmable LCD on the throttle. Out of the box, the display lets you adjust radio settings in FSX, and it’ll display the current song playing in Windows Media Player. The LCD includes drivers for only those two programs, however. A software-development kit is included for those who want to customize the LCD for additional games, but it requires C++ programming knowledge. Unless Saitek updates the joystick’s software, most users will need to rely on hard-core users and the gaming community to add support for additional games.

For the full-on flight-control experience, you can pair the X52 Pro with Saitek’s $149 Pro Flight Rudder Pedals. This USB based pedal set offers both rudder-control and toe-brake support. With its wide design and adjustable pedal size, this add-on is also comfortable to use.

Affordable portable NEC NP100

THE NEC NP100 projected sharp text and vivid colors In simple slide presentations.

FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS who want a budget conscious projector that's suitable for road-show presentations, the 5.3 pound NEC NP100 is a solid choice. At $499, it's one of the least expensive portable models on the market.

This DLP (Digital Light Processing) projector features a native SVGA (800 x 600 pixel) resolution and a bright rating of 2000 ANSI lumens for use in small to medium-size rooms with low ambient light. The production model I tested projected a bright, 64 inch diagonal image at a distance of about 9 feet from the screen, fine for typical slide presentations.

In our image-quality tests, the NP100 produced generally good results with sharp text and well rendered color graphics when hooked up either to a notebook PC's VGA port or to a DVD player's composite-video port. Another plus: The NP100's manual zoom lens and focus ring are easy to adjust.

The NP100's credit card size remote control has some very practical automatic adjustmerit, digital zoom, and keystone correction controls. However, the small remote is the only way to access the projector's onscreen menus (for tweaking brightness, contrast, and other variables), which some users may find confining. The projector comes with a handy storage slot for holding the remote when it's not in use.

To keep the price low, NEC omitted a few features. The NP100 comes without a carrying case (one is sold separately), it lacks mouse support (for slide pre- given from a podium), and its remote has no built-in laser pointer. Despite these minor limitations, the NP100 could be your gear of choice for simple on the road presentations.

New CPUs for Pocket-Size Computers

GRAPHICS GIANT nVidia has jumped into the chip business with a processor family called Tegra that will compete primarily against Intel's Canteens Atom chips, released in April. Tegra and Atom are designed to power mobile Internet devicespocket-size computers suitable for Web browsing and other activities.

"This is a complete computer on a chip. It has CPU, graphics, GPU-all the imaging and all the peripherals necessary to build a mobile Internet device," says Michael Rayfield, general manager of nVidia's Mobile Business group. Devices that require ultralong battery life, strong Web browsing, and high-quality video are likely candidates to use the chips, according to Rayfield.

Members of the Tegra line include the 800-MHz Tegra 650, the 700-MHz Tegra 600, and the APX 2500 for cell phones and smart phones.

The heart of a Tegra chip is its Arml 1 processor core. The chip also contains a GeForce graphics core, a highdefinition video decoder, and other components, so it can perform functions normally carried out by several different chips.

THE TINY TEGRA will compete with Atom chips from Intel

Since a single chip has all of these capabilities, system makers can produce smaller devices that use less power, for longer battery life.

To illustrate Tegra's spacesaving virtues, nVidia demonstrated an Asus Eec PC with its motherboard removed and replaced with a Tegra based board measuring 43 millimeters squire. The only other component that the computer needed to be fully functional was a battery.

'The Arm processor core relies on a different set of instructions than do Intel x86 processors, so software written for a PC or laptop can't run an Arm-based Computer. But Arm processors have long been used in mobile devices (including Apple's iPod Touch and Nokia's N800) and generally consume far less power than x86 processors, making them ideal for small, portable devices.