E - REVIEW ZONE

Best Player : Roku Digital Video Player (Netflix Player)

2009-06-09T00:19:00.002-07:00

from http://reviews.cnet.com

The good: Affordable $100 price tag; streams Netflix Watch Now and Amazon Video On Demand movies and TV shows to your TV; the combination of Netflix's unlimited subscription viewing (as low as $9 per month) and Amazon's pay-per-view offerings delivers a good range of viewing flexibility and choice; PC-free movie watching; simple setup; includes built-in wired and 802.11g Wi-Fi networking; works with all TVs; upgradeable firmware allows for new features, interface improvements, and bug fixes.

The bad: Though improving, the Netflix streaming library is still just a fraction of its DVD-by-mail offerings, especially when it comes to popular recent releases; the video quality of most non-HD titles doesn't come close to DVD, especially when viewed on large TVs; some titles don't appear in their original wide-screen version; no surround sound; can't manipulate Netflix queue or search Amazon library via TV screen; yet another box under the TV.

The bottom line: The one-two punch of Amazon and Netflix makes the Roku Player an enticing choice for anyone looking for a simple, convenient, and affordable alternative to cable or satellite TV.

Review Samsung Glyde cellular

2009-05-21T05:12:00.004-07:00

Samsung Glyde Phone, Black (Verizon Wireless)

List Price:	$399.99
Price:	$149.99 (with new service plan)
You Save:	$250.00 (63%)

Technical Details

* Sleek multimedia phone with 2.8-inch touchscreen and slide-out, full QWERTY keyboard
* Access V Cast Music and Video service via fast EV-DO data network; GPS-enabled for turn-by-turn directions
* 2-megapixel camera/; Bluetooth stereo music; MicroSD expansion (up to 8 GB); organizer; access to personal email
* Up to 3.5 hours of talk time, up to 250 hours (10+ days) of standby time; only available on Nationwide Calling Plans
* What's in the Box: handset, rechargeable battery, charger, USB cable, quick start guide, user guide

review from http://reviews.cnet.com

The good: The Samsung Glyde offers great call quality, a broad selection of features, and a full alphabetic keyboard.

The bad: The Samsung Glyde's display is too small to do its touch interface justice. Also, the photo quality is poor, and the e-mail support isn't easy to use.

The bottom line: The Samsung Glyde is a powerful cell phone with decent performance, but its touch-screen design and controls don't complement its features.

Specifications: Band / mode: CDMA2000 1X 1900/800 ; Talk time: Up to 210 min ; Combined with: With digital camera / digital player

review of Sharp Aquos LC-42D62U Television

2009-05-21T04:39:00.003-07:00

Best LCD Television

review with Yahoo shopping
Key Features
Screen Size: 42 in.
Television Technology: LCD
Supported Resolution: 1080p
Form Factor: Widescreen
HDMI Type: HDMI Type A
Connector Types: HDMI input, Audio line-in, Composite video/audio input, HD component input, S-Video input
Product Line: Aquos
TV Standard: HDTV
Sound Supported: Stereo
PC Compatible: Yes
Included Accessories: LCD TV stand
HDTV Ready: Yes
Depth: 5.3 in.
Height: 26.6 in.
Width: 40.6 in.
Display Features
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Contrast Ratio: 1200:1
Brightness: 450 cd/m2
Viewing Angle: 176 degrees
Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Tuner Features
Number Of Tuners: 1

Audio Features
Audio Format Supported: Stereo
Additional Features
HDMI: Yes
Additional Features: Brightness Sensor, On-screen Menu

Accessories
Remote Control: Remote control
Included Devices: LCD TV stand

Connectors
Connectors: HDMI input, Audio line-in, Composite video/audio input, HD component input, S-Video input
HDMI: 2 x HDMI input ( 19 pin HDMI Type A )
S-Video Connectors: 1 x S-Video input ( 4 pin mini-DIN )
RCA Connectors: 3 x composite video/audio input ( RCA phono x 3 ), 4 x audio line-in ( RCA phono x 2 )
Component Connectors: 2 x HD component input ( RCA phono x 3 )
Other Connectors Total (Free) / Type: 2 x HDMI input ( 19 pin HDMI Type A )
General Product Info
Subcategory: LCD TV
Exterior Color: Black
Television Type: LCD TV
Base Warranty: 1 year warranty
Warranty Information: 1 year warranty
Weight: 66.1 lbs.
Also known as: LC-42D62U, Sharp LC-42D62U
Manufacturer Part No.: LC42D62U
Dimension: 26.6 in. x 40.6 in. x 5.3 in.(HxWxD)
UPC: 074000363717

review from http://products.howstuffworks.com

Sharp has fitted the LC-42D62U with plenty of high-tech features. The low-reflection Black TFT panel is designed to reduce glare from ambient light sources, and the relatively fast response time produces a minimum of residual screen images, even when watching high-motion content or playing video games. In addition, Sharp's multipixel technology extends the horizontal and vertical viewing angles of the LC-42D62U to approximately 176 degrees.
So what does all this mean to the average viewer? For starters, the picture quality for HD channels is impressive, and there are none of the banding issues that afflict some larger-screen Sharp LCD HDTVs. Colors appear accurate and well-saturated, with no artifacts visible even during fast-moving scenes. However, there are some issues that prevent us from recommending the LC-42D62U without reservation. Image quality while watching standard-definition channels is disappointing, although this is not sufficiently bad to prevent us from recommending the unit. More importantly, the black levels delivered by the Sharp LC-42D62U are disappointing. In many instances, detail is decidedly lacking in dark scenes, even after repeated adjustments.


Value Is it appropriately priced?
Performance How well does it work?
Ease of Use How easy is it to operate?
Features What's included?
Overall What does Consumer Guide® think?

Wii Fit on review

2009-05-14T01:02:00.003-07:00

The Good

* Balance board is a great new peripheral
* Exercises will help your balance and strength
* Beats the repetitiveness of going to the gym
* Some fun balance board games
* Pleasant presentation throughout.

The Bad

* No way to create your own exercise program
* You're forced to unlock most of the activities
* Some games are rather shallow
* Health and fitness assessments can be problematic
* Board is sensitive, but you can still cheat at exercises.
from http://www.gamespot.com

Reviewed by: Randolph Ramsay

Wii Fit takes the whole concept of games as exercise to a new level with the inclusion of a balance board peripheral that can tell you on the fly exactly how well--or how poorly--you're doing with its various activities. As such, Nintendo is heavily marketing this innovative title as a mixture of fitness and fun, and for the most part it works. It's a decent alternative for those bored with the repetitiveness of going to a gym or too self-conscious to join a yoga or aerobics class. Unfortunately, Wii Fit is hamstrung by some odd omissions (such as not being able to create your own program from the available exercises) and questionable health advice, limiting its effectiveness both as a fitness tool and as a game.

Wii Fitscreenshot

The Wii balance board is a nifty and sensitive peripheral.

At the core of the Wii Fit experience is the new balance board, an elegant-looking yet surprisingly sturdy peripheral which features several internal scales that can detect changes in weight and pressure as you're standing on it. The board--which is also quite hefty at roughly 8.8 lbs (4kgs)--interacts wirelessly with the Wii, and takes four AA batteries (which are included). The board has four rubber feet to help prevent it from slipping on smooth surfaces (and even comes with four extra feet that can be used to raise your balance board higher should you have thick carpet on your floors). Like the Wii Remote before it, the balance board is intuitive to use once you get into an exercise or game in Wii Fit, with its extreme sensitivity allowing it to pick up even the most minute shifts in weight. Its sensitivity only goes so far, however, with the board able to take only 330lbs (150kg) maximum weight, locking out the particularly robust from joining in on the Wii Fit fad.

Not that plus sizes need worry that they're missing out on a prime weight-loss opportunity. Despite its moniker, Wii Fit isn't a total fitness solution, with its included exercises focusing more on improving muscle tone and balance than on cardio and weight loss. What it does offer is a better way to track your weight, body mass index (BMI), and time spent exercising both within the game itself and from any other external activities, giving users a clearer picture of how their health is progressing over time. It's no more going to make you super-fit than Wii Sports is going to make you a tennis pro, but it can provide a strong anchor for a more expansive fitness regime should you have the motivation.

As a title focused on health, Wii Fit makes some fairly significant judgments about its users' fitness. This happens right from when your Mii is first registered with the game; after inputting a date of birth and height, you're asked to step on the balance board for a weigh-in (all guided onscreen by a cartoon version of the board). From the height and weight data, a user's BMI is calculated, with the user tagged as underweight, ideal, or overweight depending on the BMI score. A simple balance test then occurs (usually involving having to shift your balance to certain areas within a time limit) before your Wii Fit Age is displayed in large numbers on the screen. Only one Wii Fit Age result can be recorded daily, although you can practice the variety of balance tests as many times as you want.

It's here where Wii Fit could possibly become problematic for some. Judgments such as BMI and fitness levels usually come from doctors and health care professionals, not cartoon versions of a computer game peripheral--and Wii Fit frankly doesn't do a good enough job of explaining the science behind its measurements. While BMI, for example, is a well-established tool for measuring a person's ideal weight, Wii Fit fails to make players aware that variables such as muscle mass and age can significantly affect a score (giving an otherwise healthy person with more muscle an overweight rating, for example). The title also throws the term "metabolic syndrome" around quite often, stating people with poor balance and low health can suffer from it without ever explaining what it actually is. Although most users of Wii Fit will probably not take the game's BMI or fitness age calls too seriously, but there's bound to be some overanxious player who does.

Wii Fitscreenshot

Better be content with your body image before you step on the balance board.

In structure, Wii Fit is most reminiscent of the various Brain Training games on the Nintendo DS, with the title broken down into a series of exercises that players can do regularly to improve their health. These exercises are split into four different categories: yoga, muscle, aerobic, and balance. The yoga and muscle categories feel the most like traditional exercise, with 15 yoga poses and 15 muscle-toning moves to work through. Yoga poses range from the absurdly simple (standing still and breathing--yep, that's all) to the quite difficult and possibly lawsuit-in-the-making shoulder stand. It's a similar situation with the muscle-toning section, with basic lunges mixed in with more strenuous activities such as the parallel stretch and push-ups. Virtual trainers (you can choose from either male or female) guide you through the yoga and muscle exercises, offering praise or criticism depending on how well you're doing.

The aerobic and balance activities represent the fun side of Wii Fit with 18 games to choose from. The aerobic games include hula hoops, Wii Sports-like boxing, step dancing, jogging, and more. The balance activities are what most casual users of Wii Fit will first gravitate to, and include ski jump, ski slalom, snowboarding (where you have to turn the balance board sideways), a table tilt game where you have to use your shifting weight in a Mercury Meltdown-style challenge, and more.

Wii Fitscreenshot

Yes, you can cheat. But why would you want to?

You'll be anchored to the balance board for most of these exercises and activities, with the board giving you on-the-fly feedback on just how well you're performing. Each activity features an onscreen indicator showing you where your weight should ideally be placed, with Wii Fit assigning you a score based on how well you've managed to keep your balance or shift your weight to the appropriate areas. In this, the board is a remarkable piece of tech, with even the slightest quiver of your feet registering as a shift in balance. But while the board is extremely sensitive when it comes to weight, it can't actually track what you're doing with your upper body. This means you can easily "cheat" your way through most of the exercises by simply shifting your weight to where Wii Fit indicates it should be. It's even easier to cheat in the few activities where you don't use the board at all. In jogging, you're supposed to either tuck the Wii Remote into a pocket or hold it in your hand while running on the spot, but you can achieve the same effect by simply waggling the Wii Remote.

But as with any form of exercise, you won't get real results by cheating. Wii Fit's list of yoga and muscle exercises do have the potential to tone muscles and improve balance with regular use, although with only 30 moves in total, it'll get old rather quickly. It's puzzling, then, that Wii Fit initially locks most of the exercises, with time spent using the title the only way to unlock them. New activities are unlocked roughly every 10 minutes of use, which means you'll need five or six hours of Wii Fit play time before you get full access to all of its activities. And any unlocked activity can only be played with the profile that gains it. That means if you have several people registered on the one console, all of them would have to unlock the activities individually. What's even more baffling is the lack of an option for players to create their own workout programs by stringing exercises together. That means you can't choose, let's say, four yoga, three muscle, and two aerobic exercises to create a tailored half-hour program. Instead, you'll have to select an activity using the Wii Remote, perform it, jump back into the main menu, select another activity, and so on. It's jarring, and certainly not the smooth workout experience many were probably expecting from Wii Fit.

This strange lack of functionality extends to the "fun" parts of Wii Fit--the aerobic and balance games. There are scant few multiplayer options in this title, meaning players can't directly take on family and friends in any of the games (two-player jogging being an exception). Considering Nintendo's strong social push with the Wii, this is a strange move. Thankfully, most of the games are quick affairs, although it's still annoying to have to kick all the way out to Wii Fit's main menu to select another Mii to play with. Some of the games themselves are rather shallow, too, and will fail to excite most people after a couple of weeks. Perhaps the best game of the bunch is the table tilt game, which becomes increasingly difficult and can really push your balance control.

Wii Fit's presentation is typical Nintendo, which is to say that it's clean and cheery for the most part. The title looks best with its aerobic and balance games, with a player's assortment of Miis taking centre stage. The character models used for the fitness trainers are rather low-definition, however, and are functional rather than impressive. In-exercise audio is also bland in an elevator-music type of way, although thankfully it's not the thumping dance music you hear blaring out of most gyms. Online is nonexistent here, but the game does feature a Wii Fit Channel function which allows you to check your progress and compare it to other Miis on your Wii without having to start up the full game.

Wii Fitscreenshot

Table tilt: the best game in the Wii Fit bundle.

Wii Fit's included exercises do have the potential to positively impact your health, but thanks to its lack of exercise options, poor support for multiplayer, and shallow health advice, this title isn't a gaming fitness revolution. What it does do is serve as a great introduction to the very impressive balance board, a peripheral which is already being lined up for use in other games. But for a game that's being marketed so heavily on fitness and fun, Wii Fit is a little underweight in both.
http://reviews.cnet.com

Beautiful EAST JAVA

2009-05-14T00:42:00.003-07:00

East Java is one of Indonesia provinces. It is located on the eastern part of Java Island and also includes Madura and Bawean islands. It state in the West neighbor of Bali, across the small Strait of Bali. East Java has a variety of attractions, from temple sites to scenic beaches, a sand-sea, highland-lakes, volcanoes, marine gardens and wildlife reserves. Magnificent mountain scenery include the crater and sea of sand at Mount Bromo, the "sulfur mountain" Welirang and rugged lien Plateau. Little of the former glory of Majapahit Empire, still stands in East Java to day with the exception of temple ruins and some archaeological discoveries. East Java's claim to fame in modern history is its vanguard role in the struggle for independence against colonial forces in 1945.

The administrative center of the province is located in Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia and a major industrial center and port. Its capital, Surabaya is second to Jakarta in size, population and commerce. East Java is also the most industrialized province in the nation. Its economy is based on agriculture, fishery, oil industries, coffee, mangoes and apples. Connected with the rest of Java by good motor roads and train services, there are also air services between Surabaya and other major cities in the country including Bali which is only half an hour's flight a way. It is also easily accessible by road and regular ferry from Bali and Java. Madura Island, famous for its bull races, is part of the province of East Java, though it has its own traditions and language. Fossilized remains of prehistoric animals and the site of the Java man at Trinil, Ngawi, will tantalize the archaeologist, as well as numerous temple ruins dating from the 7th century AD.

Geographically
The wide of East Java area is 47,921 sq km. Two thirds of the area is mountainous with approximately 48 mountains. The highest peak, Mount Semeru is the highest in Java. The Brantas (314 km) and Bengawan Solo (540 km) are the two big rivers. This area is located between 5o 37' and 8o 48' South Latitude and between 110o 54' and 115o 57' East Longitude. East Java is bordered by:
North side: Java Sea
South side: Indian Ocean
West Side: Central Java Province
East side: Bali Strait

Administratively
The East Java Province consists of 29 regencies, 8 municipals and 2 administrative towns with Surabaya as its capital city.

Climate
Its topical climate means that October to April is the wet season, and May to September is the dry season with an average temperature of 20-30 C. The rainfall in East Java is relatively low, on average of 2,000 mm per year.

Demography
East Java province consists of various communities such as Javanese and Maduranese with their culture, tradition and customs.

Population
The population is almost 33 million people occupy about 48,000 square kilometers (including Madura island).

Cultural Attractions of East Java
Angklung: An ensemble of bamboo instruments quite popular in Banyuwangi.
Gandrung Dance: A classical dance dedicated to Dewi Sri, the goddess of rice. Popular in Banyuwangi as well.
Bull Race (Karapan Sapi): a regular attraction at the stadium of Pamekasan, Madura.
Labuhan Sesaji: a thanksgiving ceremony held by fishermen of Muncar, Banyuwangi, and Suro.
Reyog Trance Dance: traditional Ponorogo dance with 15 dancers wearing peacock-feather headdresses and tiger mask.
Tayub Dance: a popular social dance from Nganjuk, 120 km southwest of Surabaya. This dance is usually performed at wedding parties or other celebratory gatherings where the dancers use their scarfs to invite guests to join them.

from http://www.indonesia-tourism.com

Sony PlayStation 3 (30 Gb)

2009-05-14T00:18:00.005-07:00

With the PS3, Sony has actually designed a versatile home entertainment hub, also capable of playing Blu-ray discs, outputting lossless surround sound, storing downloaded music and video, and displaying digital photos. To look at it another way, it's the cheapest Blu-ray player you can buy.

Solid ground

The PS3 is a well-designed, solidly built device that's slightly larger than an Xbox 360 but not particularly bulky or heavy. It runs very quietly, comes with a wireless controller and uses touch-sensitive controls, all of which add to the quality feel.

The main AV connection is the HDMI, which can carry 1080p video to a compatible screen or projector and lossless 7.1-channel surround sound to a receiver. Also available are an optical digital out and a multipurpose AV output that can be fitted with component video and Scart adapters.

An Ethernet port and built-in Wi-Fi make connecting to a network very easy, and there are memory card and USB ports for transferring media files onto the 60GB hard drive or connecting up mice and other peripherals.

Switching on the console brings up a crisp, clear 'crossways' menu for accessing media, games and settings. For our money, it feels slightly more natural to use that the Xbox 360's 'blades' menu. Slip in a Blu-ray disc and it appears at the top of the 'video' menu. Select that and you'll be at the movie menu in moments - there's none of the sluggish chugging we've seen on other Blu-ray machines.

Unfortunately, you don't get a proper remote control with the PS3. Controlling playback with the gamepad is relatively simple, and Sony's official remote will only set you back an extra £18 or so.

We're pleased to report that the PS3's 1080p Blu-ray image is quite fantastic. It's on a par with the £1,100 Panasonic DMP-BD10 and far crisper and more detailed than the Samsung BD-P1000's disappointing offerings. There's an incredible amount of richness (and virtually no noise) on show in good quality Blu-ray discs like Kingdom of Heaven, which suggests that PS3 owners have a bright future ahead of them when it comes to watching HD movies.

Class act

There may well be some top class games in the future too, but at launch the PS3 lacks anything like an exclusive 'killer app' to sell the system to hardened gamers. Motorstorm and Resistance: Fall of Man are solid titles, but nothing new, and the rest are either standard fare or ports of existing games. But concentrating on the PS3 as purely a home cinema product, it's an unmistakeably excellent buy.
(Reviewed by tech.co.uk staff - what home cinema )
from http://www.techradar.com

Nokia E63 review

2009-05-12T05:47:00.002-07:00

BY: AWright, Brighthand.com Contributor
PUBLISHED: 4/13/2009

When Nokia introduced the very thin and powerful Nokia E71 QWERTY smartphone, it probably had no clue that this would be such a popular model. So much so that they could keep it at a higher price point and release a sibling model, the E63, with a lower price and slightly reduced feature set.

The interesting thing is that the Nokia E63 doesn't really feel like a cheaper device when you are using it. It's that good.

Nokia E63
Design and Build
The E63 uses a tablet shape, with a front-facing QWERTY keyboard and a 2.4-inch display.

Unlike the mostly-metal E71, the E63 is a plastic-covered device. It also has a thicker profile (13mm vs 10mm) and slightly heavier weight (126g), making it more compairable to a BlackBerry Curve or Palm Treo Pro.
Nevertheless, the soft-touch paint of the rear, and wide profile are pleasing in the hand. The E63 brought back memories of the Treo 680 that I used to own as it felt simply "hand-friendly."

Beyond that, the 320-by-240-pixel (QVGA) screen offers great visibility in indoor and outdoor conditions. The refresh rate seems a touch faster than what I'm used to with my Nokia N95.

On the downside, the E63 lacks dedicated buttons for volume and power. The volume settings are configured either via the devices settings or a sound-specific application (such as the music player). The power button is the same as the call-end button.

Despite this, the mono-speaker was good enough for listening to music, ringtones, and podcasts.

Nokia E63Keyboard: The QWERTY keyboard is the same that is used on the E71 -- domed keys that offer great feedback and travel. Comapred though to the E71, the spacebar is smaller and there's an extra two keys for common symbols.

I've recently picked up a Palm Treo 750 in order to get an idea of that keyboard versus the E63 and both are similar in terms of key feedback and size. However, the curve noted on the Treo 750 makes it easier to get to some of the buttons on the bottom without feeling like your thumbs are doings some exercises.

Compared to the BlackBerry Curve, the E63 feels the same in hand, but the keys have a longer travel to them. The dome shape on the E63's keys do help here, but you will probably get up to speed faster on the BlackBerry.

Performance
The E63 runs on the Symbian S60 Feature Pack 1 (v3.1) operating system. Having been utilized in Nokia devices for the better part of two years, the Feature Pack 1 implementation on the E63 is about as good as things get.

Device stability is the best I've ever seen -- not one crash. Also, despite the menu-driven aspect of the Symbian S60 user interface, the E63 is very snappy in getting from one screen to another.

Nokia E63 Active StandbyMuch like the E71 and other recent E-series devices from Nokia, the E63 has a modified home screen -- called Active Standby -- which not only offers a view of the day's activities, but also has some "speech bubbles" which denote new SMS, MMS, and voice mail messages. This screen also features a type-and-dial feature, similar to that of BlackBerrys and Treos, where you start dialing and the device immediately begins to search your contacts for the nearest match.

The browser was another area of snappy performance. Nokia's S60 Browser -- a Webkit-based browser -- has seen some tweaks for this device and renders websites quickly. One of the things you will notice is that unlike Apple's Safari Mobile browser (also Webkit-based), you will get the mini-map look only after the page has loaded, not as the default landing. Nevertheless, using keyboard shortcuts, navigating pages that have Flash, complex JavaScript, and more, is pretty much a breeze whether using a 3G or Wi-Fi connection.

Nokia E63 Web BrowserProductivity: Being a Nokia E-series device, this device concentrates more on work than play. Software such as Mail for Exchange works seemlessly with the device to offer push-email and PIM syncing. QuickOffice, Active Notes, a built-in Dictionary, Measurements/Financial Converter, VPN wizard, and support for VoIP systems all make this device very much a work horse.

What I found most interesting is that with all of these features going in one way or another, the device rarely faltered. Battery life was absoutely astounding -- lasting a 4-hour flight with music and gaming and having the energy afterwards to make calls and check email over 3G. One should expect something solid out of a 1500 mAh battery, but that was unexpected.

Beyond the software that is on the E63 by default, the Download! application led me to several more applications. Download! will eventually give way to the Ovi Store, opening the possiblity for even more software to come to this and other Nokia devices.

Camera: The E63's 2.0 MPx camera, while great with the auto-focus and flash, doesn't really add much, as most of the pics are noisy and overly sharpened.

Specifications

Symbian S60 Feature Pack 1 (v3.1)
Display: 2.36-inch 320 x 240 pixels (QVGA)
Wireless:
Quad-band EGSM 850/900/1800/1900
WCDMA 850/1900 (E63-2 model)
Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g
Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate
110 MB internal dynamic memory
microSD memory card slot, hot swappable, max. 8 GB
Micro-USB connector
3.5 mm standard AV connector
BP-4L 1500 mAh Li-Po standard battery
Camera: 2.0 MPx with auto-focus and digital zoom
video at 320 x 240 (QVGA) at 15 fps

Conclusion
The Nokia E63 is really a mobile for the masses. The low cost and ease of use are probably more game-changing than Nokia might have realized. This is easily a great device choice for those who are looking for an unlocked device with the power of BlackBerrys and Treos, but needing something different all the same.

Nevertheless, it's a work device before its an entertainment one. The camera is barely adequate, and the lack of volume buttons seems like a good idea, until the device rings and its a touch too loud (good speaker though).

Again though, these shortcomings aren't a bad thing for $280 (unlocked, unbranded). This would easily be a sub-$100 smartphone if offered by a carrier. Because it doesn't come through one, it's best looked at as either a second phone, or something to purchase if you are already happy with your smartphone plan and are just looking for something a bit newer and very stable.

Pros

* Low Cost
* Stable software
* Solid keyboard
* Outstanding battery life

Cons

* Lackluster camera
* Confusing user interface
* No internal GPS

from http://www.brighthand.com

The Joerny to the Borneo

2009-05-12T05:30:00.003-07:00

1. Zoo Pontianak

Zoo Pontianak located in Jalan Adisucipto, now has more than 50 animal collections, for example owl, albatross, pecuk snake, stork, ostrich, cuckoo and cockatoo. Besides there is also orangutan, various primate types, fox, porcupine, bear, crocodile and others.

The animals comes from contribution of public and confiscation to animal looked after by public without permit from government. Besides also there is contribution and deposit of animal from Sub Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam ( KSDA) what obtained from its(the origin habitat.

Zoo Pontianak stood since the year 1976, initiative by Regional Leader Level Of I KalBar. This zoo build with reasoning of that at that moment marak is done [by] deforestation by the causing entrepreneurs annoyed it forest animal habitat. That the animals not extinct, done evacuation of the animal to place which more safe and as according to its(the original habitat.

This effort also pushed by activity an wood entrepreneur of Italian so called Pausto Oricciu looking after various wild animal types in its(the residency in Jalan Syuhada Pontianak. The animals is looked after [by] without permit. Therefore, Local government takes stages;steps to take over keeping of the animals and accomodates it in a location which its(the name Amusement Centre Rahadi Usman. This garden then is changed function to become Zoo Pontianak.

2. Keraton Kadariah

Empire palace of this Pontianak located in Kampung Dalam Bugis, Pontianak Timur. In building can be met monarchic ommissions like throne chair, clothes, mirror breaks a thousand, keris, desk giok, cannon etcetera. fairish Keraton Pontianak 30 x 50 metre, the biggest keraton in Kalimantan Barat. Wooden belian and built by town founder Pontianak, Sultan Syarif Abdurrahman at 1771, stripper building that is this luxury enough arranged in layers yellows paint symbolising empire highness of Melayu. Deals with building keraton there is mosque Jami built by at the same approximant.

3. Masjid Jami

First mosque built in this acurate located Pontianak town in river side Kapuas, deals with Keraton Kadariyah. Built by town founder Pontianak, Sultan Syarif Abdurrahman in the year 1771.

from http://walkborneo.blogspot.com/

BALI INDONESIA

2009-05-10T06:42:00.002-07:00

A Serene Paradise At Santi Mandala Resort & Spa
by: Made Dertha

What drive people to choose villas for their holidays? Peace, serene, complete privacy and stay off the beaten track are the main reasons. Villas are situated in the countryside offer beautiful natural landscape around them as well. These tendencies involved the enchanting island of Bali in the late 90s.

The financial crisis in 1997 affected the whole of the Asia Pacific region – people didn’t want to spend money. But Bali had a mini building boom. This was largely thanks to a domestic market that saw the island as a safe haven – people started moving their businesses and families here, buying land and then building on it.

In this sense, the financial crisis played a part in kick-starting the villa movement. Bali’s built environment is changing. From concrete building condominiums-like owing planted tropical gardens to the serene, small resort villas style with its natural and friendly surroundings. It was in the late 90s that the concept really caught on, with a raft of boutique style properties springing up based on private accommodations with their own plunge pools and other amenities.

I worked as a tour guide for many years in Bali, and many guests asked me about places which offer serenity and complete privacy for a very restful vacation. I went around and checked out the island in order to gain a resort or villas which appeal to my guest’s desire. I found some nice resorts or villas are situated either in countryside or at coastal areas.

Many people seized the opportunity of the tourism booming in the 80s and 90s, and business of properties zoomed. Many hotels and villas were built, and one of the excellent hotel resorts is Santi Mandala Resort & Spa.

Santi Mandala Resort & Spa is situated on a secluded place at the bank of Panaraga Giri River makes it an evidence as a peaceful retreat in the natural environment of Batuan, just outskirt Ubud – Bali and just 45 minutes drive from Bali’s Int’l Airport. It’s built in the excellent blend of Balinese traditional architecture and international amenities standard, using most local materials as stones, soft fabrics, precious woods, bamboo and alang alang (the most popular grass for roof construction). There is a very good reason why grass is a favorite material for constructing roofs. It keeps out the tropical heat in a way that genteng (stone tiles) cannot. It also provides excellent protection from the tropical deluges that are common during the rainy season.

You will be amazed by the luxury bath room but in Balinese style and the marbles floor. Each luxurious villa (Garden Villas, Jacuzzi Villas and Private Pool Villas) offers complete privacy with private entrance and gardens and modern comforts as Air Conditioning, Refrigerator, Hot and Cold Water, IDD phone lines, Satellite Television, Personal VCD & CD Player, Radio & Music Cassettes, Personal Mini Bar, Room Service and Complimentary seasonal fruits is provided upon arrival along with daily afternoon tea service, either in the rooms or at poolside.

Guests can enjoyed also the services and facilities of the resort as Restaurant, Swimming Pool, Laundry & Dry Cleaning, 24 hours on call doctor, Shuttle Service to the center of Ubud, Money Changer, Rent Cars, Udaya Art Shop and Gallery, Library, Lila Mandala Open Stage, Saba Mandala Meeting Room and Dirga Saoca Spa. Resort Activities as Jogging & Tracking, Cycling, Yoga and Meditation, Wedding Organizer.

Since few years ago I brought hundreds of guests to Santi Mandala Resort & Spa and they leaved Bali with a very memorable holiday, because they enjoyed the excellent services performed by a strong team of friendly staffs.
from http://www.streetdirectory.com

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DIGITAL CAMERA NIKON D60, CANON RABEL XS, SONY ALPHA DSLR-A200 and PENTAX K200D

2009-05-10T01:57:00.003-07:00

Digital SLR cameras on a shoestring

Lori Grunin, Senior Editor April 1, 2009

Remember when it was common to drop $500 to $700 on a nice digital point-and-shoot? These days, with the same money, you can pick up a digital SLR camera. These aren't professional models or the very best that current technology has to offer, but for the photo enthusiast on a budget--or even the avid family photographer--they can be a big leap forward. With larger sensors and generally faster performance than snapshot models offer, these cameras provide plenty of tools to photographers who prefer a camera with more than one button. And if you save your pennies, you can increase their flexibility and image quality in the future with additional lens and accessory purchases. But which to buy from this year's models? Here's my take.

For the best overall value for the money, the Pentax K200D hits all the right notes with a dust- and weather-resistant body, sensor-shift image stabilization, and other premium features. It's biggest weakness is not-terribly-accurate colors and a tendency to underexpose, which can be overcome with some tweaking.
For the best photo quality, the Canon EOS Rebel XS delivers, especially in low light, and its kit lens is the best of the group. It does have some operational annoyances, though, such as hard-to-see AF points in the viewfinder and no spot meter, and it lacks in-body image stabilization.
Though it's not a clear winner in every race, the Nikon D60 seems to have the best overall performance of the group. However, its photo quality and feature set can't match most of the other models for the money.
For the cheapest model that fulfills the dSLR promise--better performance, photo quality, and flexibility than a point-and-shoot--the Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 seems to have garnered its share of fans.

Features
Product name	Nikon D60 (with 18mm-55mm lens)	Canon Rebel XS (black, with 18-55mm lens)	Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 (with 18-70mm lens)	Pentax K200D (with 18-55mm lens)
Price	$525.99 to $599.99	$539.99 to $599.99	$429.95 to $499.99	$566.95 to $812.64
CNET editors' rating	3.5 stars Overall score: 7.2 (3.5 stars)	3.5 stars Overall score: 7.2 (3.5 stars)	3.5 stars Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)	3.5 stars Overall score: 7.7 (3.5 stars)
Average user rating	4.5 stars	4.0 stars	4.0 stars	4.0 stars
Review date	March 24, 2008	August 14, 2008	March 11, 2008	April 28, 2008
The Bottom Line	Despite modest improvements in performance and a couple of new features, Nikon's D60 fails to impress and costs more than some competing models.	The Canon EOS Rebel XS is a good entry-level dSLR, but only its photo quality stands out among the competition.	The Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 is a solid entry-level dSLR that doesn't really stand out in its very competitive field.	Pentax's K200D entry-level SLR gives a lot of bang for the buck and has better performance than last year's model. Despite low noise and pleasingly detailed images, technically inaccurate colors keep it from capturing the gold medal for image quality.
Similar Products	Compare more products	Compare more products	Compare more products	Compare more products
Lens aperture	F/3.5-5.6	F/3.5-5.6	F/3.5-5.6	F/3.5-5.6
Optical zoom	3 x	3 x	3.9 x	3 x
Light sensitivity	ISO 200 ISO 800 ISO 400 ISO 3200 ISO 1600 ISO 100	ISO 200 ISO 800 ISO 400 ISO 1600 ISO 100 ISO auto (100-800)	ISO 200 ISO 800 ISO auto ISO 400 ISO 3200 ISO 1600 ISO 100	ISO 100-1600
Display (projector) technology	TFT active matrix	TFT active matrix	TFT active matrix	TFT active matrix
Video input type	Digital camera	Digital camera	Digital camera	Digital camera
Weight	17.5 oz	15.9 oz	19.2 oz	1.4 lbs
Effective sensor resolution	10,200,000 pixels	10,100,000 pixels	10,200,000 pixels	10,200,000 pixels
Still image format	RAW + JPEG JPEG NEF (RAW)	RAW + JPEG JPEG RAW	RAW + JPEG JPEG RAW	RAW + JPEG JPEG RAW
Display (projector) diagonal size	2.5 in	2.5 in	2.7 in	2.7 in
Manual focus	Automatic Manual	Automatic Manual	Automatic Manual	Automatic Manual
Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications

from http://reviews.cnet.com

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XBOX 360

2009-05-10T01:48:00.004-07:00

The good: Superior selection of games, including several console-exclusive titles; all games in high-definition; easy-to-use Dashboard interface; excellent online gaming and communications via Xbox Live; plays hundreds of (but not all) original Xbox titles; doubles as a superior digital media hub and Windows Media Center extender; online Marketplace allows for easy purchases of downloadable full-scale games, mini-games, movies, and TV shows; latest version offers HDMI output with 1080p support.

The bad: Early versions of the console prone to "red ring of death" system crash; noisy exhaust fan and DVD drive; gigantic oversize power supply; no built-in wireless networking or flash media reader; DVD playback has substandard video quality; support for next-gen HD DVD movies requires a bulky external accessory; 20GB hard drive fills up very quickly; online gaming requires a paid subscription to Xbox Live.

The bottom line: With its extensive digital media features, a superior online service, and an excellent game library, the Xbox 360 remains the game console to beat.

Specifications: Product Description: Xbox 360 - Game console ; Media Type: DVD-ROM ; Processor: 1 x IBM PowerPC 3 cores 3.2 GHz

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FROM http://reviews.cnet.com

IPOD NANO

2009-05-10T00:45:00.005-07:00

Review: iPod nano

Apple's thinnest and, quite possibly, coolest iPod yet

by Christopher Breen, Playlist Magazine

iPods have been around long enough that many of us take them for granted. Yes, they’re small. Yes, they hold a lot of music. And yes, they’re cool. That’s pretty much the baseline for any iPod. It takes something special to break through our now-jaded iPod sensibilities. The iPod nano, with its tiny size, sleek look, colorful display, and responsive controls is that special something.

Product:
iPod nano
Rating

Pros
Responsive controls; clear and bright screen; support for photo viewing; syncs quickly; no skipping thanks to flash memory
Cons
No syncing via FireWire; no support for viewing pictures on an attached television; can't boot a Mac from it
Company
Apple
Price as rated
2GB model

The nano is, in many ways, a hybrid of the iPod shuffle, the now-discontinued iPod mini, and today’s full-sized color iPods. Like the iPod shuffle, the nano uses flash memory (available in 2GB and 4GB configurations, priced at $199 and $249 respectively) rather than a hard drive. The higher-capacity nano holds the same 1,000 tracks as the original iPod mini. And like the mini, the nano dispenses with such higher-end capabilities as audio recording, downloading pictures from a camera attachment, and projecting slideshows to an attached television or projector.

Unlike with full-sized iPods, you can’t install Mac OS X on the nano and boot from it—the Mac OS Installer recognizes the nano but refuses to install to it. (The iPod mini shared this same limitation.) Yet, like a full-sized iPod, the nano includes a crisp color display and lets you view album art as well as pictures downloaded from a computer. And just to show that it’s not a complete “me too” iPod, it sports new Stopwatch, Screen Lock, and Clock features. It’s also the first iPod that includes an unplayed podcasts indicator (a small blue dot that appears next to podcasts you haven’t yet listened to) and a Lyrics screen where you can view any lyrics added to a track within iTunes’ song information window.

And, as you might expect, it sounds as good as any other iPod you’ve owned.

Thin is In

At 0.27 inches from back to front, the nano is about as deep as six stacked credit cards. Bearing dimensions of 3.5 by 1.6 inches, you can hide it beneath a business card (it will, in fact, fit neatly inside a business card wallet). Yet, even with its small size and scant weight of 1.5 ounces, the nano doesn’t feel flimsy or delicate. The stainless steel back and polymer front don’t flex. And while a person whose glove size runs to Large could play a convincing game of “Which hand?” with a nano, the iPod isn’t so small that it’s difficult to use its click wheel or view text or pictures on its 1.5 inch display.

The nano’s thin size has forced Apple to rearrange its ports. While the Hold switch remains on top of the player, the Headphone port is now on the bottom, next to the standard 30-pin Dock connector port. The position of these ports is a problem only when using audio devices with fat connectors. For example, my fat 1/4-inch stereo-plug-to-miniplug adapter wouldn’t fit on the nano when the Dock connector was also attached. While longtime iPod users may be initially thrown by plugging headphones into the bottom of the nano rather than the top, it’s actually an advantage if you carry the iPod in your pocket. When you lift it out of that pocket it’s oriented so you don’t need to flip it around to adjust its controls.

Speaking of the Dock connector, this iPod syncs only over a USB connection (though it can be charged via either a FireWire or USB connection). Apple suggests that this must be a USB 2.0 port, but I was able to sync the nano (albeit, very slowly) when it was plugged into my Power Mac G4’s USB 1.1 port. There’s no question that the lack of FireWire sync is going to be a problem for those with older computers that don’t have such a port. If you fall into this category, either look for a way to add a USB 2.0 port (via a PCI card or PC Card) or consider getting the larger iPod, which syncs with both USB 2.0 and FireWire.

Given the lack of support for FireWire syncing, it’s not surprising that Apple includes only a USB cable in the box (along with the usual Apple earbuds and foam covers, software disc, and documentation). Fortunately, unlike the mini or full-sized iPod, the nano doesn’t ask you to plug it into a power supply (such as Apple’s optional $29 iPod Power Adapter or a FireWire port) when you restore it with the iPod Updater.

In Control

Given its small size, the nano’s click wheel is responsive in normal use. You feel (and hear, in a quiet environment) a definite click when you press the wheel and the center Select button. As with other iPods, the nano scrolls smoothly as you twirl your thumb around the wheel. Like the iPod mini, this iPod can be a little finicky about accepting commands when you press the Select button and the click wheel at the same time (as you must when you reset the iPod by pressing Select and Menu). In my tests it sometimes took three or four tries to force the nano to reset.

Owners of other iPods may initially be thrown off by the responsiveness of the controls. At least one person who tried my nano thought it scrolled a little too quickly, making it difficult to exactly select the item he was after. When I first used the nano I had a similar experience but quickly adjusted to the feel of the iPod and my scrolling became more accurate over time.

Fast as a Flash

While some may complain about the speed of the controls, no one will be upset by how quickly the iPod nano moves from screen to screen. This is particularly noticeable when you’re viewing pictures. When looking at pictures on my 60GB iPod photo there’s a noticeable delay between the time I select a thumbnail image and finally see the “large” view of that image. The larger iPod must spin up the hard drive before it can display the image. Because the nano is flash memory-based, there’s no hard drive delay and images pop to the fore in no time. Similarly, tracks begin playing in short order.

The nano is also quicker to sync than other iPods. I synced the same 903-track playlist on a 4GB nano and a 4GB iPod mini. It took 9 minutes and 15 seconds to sync the nano. The mini took nearly 7 minutes longer to sync, finally finishing the job in 16 minutes and 13 seconds.

Regrettably, battery life isn’t nearly as good with the nano as it is with the 2G iPod mini. In tests where I’d fully charged a 6GB mini, selected the first song in the mini’s Songs screen, and pressed Play, the mini was able to squeeze out over 26 hours of play time even though Apple rated the mini’s battery charge at 18 hours. Apple suggests that the nano can play uninterrupted for up to 14 hours. My first audio play test fell short by just over an hour, with the nano giving up the ghost after 12 hours and 52 minutes. A subsequent audio test hit the 14 hour mark almost exactly. The nano’s battery performed a little better than advertised with slideshows. Apple claims the nano can show slideshows for up to 4 hours. In my test of a looping slideshow of 1,786 photos, the battery lasted for 4 hours and 36 minutes.

On Display

The blue-white LED backlight display is worth closer examination. Although it’s smaller by .17 inches (measured diagonally) than the display on the now-defunct iPod mini, it has greater resolution—offering a resolution of 176 x 132 pixels versus the mini’s 138 x 110 resolution. It also has a slightly smaller dot pitch—the measurement between pixels (a smaller value is better)—than today’s color iPod, providing a dot pitch of .168 mm versus the larger iPod’s dot pitch of .18 mm. These numbers translate into a sharp display, when lit, and one, unlike the mini, that includes Title, Artist, and Album information on the Now Playing screen (the mini offers Title and Artist information only). Regrettably, when the screen isn’t lit, it’s not easy to see what’s on it unless it’s under a direct light (either an indoor lamp or daylight).

Apple makes some accommodations for the smaller display. To begin with, a photo album’s screen, where you view thumbnails of your images, offers a 4 x 3 grid of thumbnails versus the 5 x 5 grid you find on the larger color iPods. This is a wise choice as a smaller grid would make it all but impossible to discern one image from another. Although similar images were difficult to tell apart (multiple portraits of the same subject, for example), I could clearly pick out discrete images.

And because the screen is so small, text can get cut off. Thankfully, the iPod nano takes a hint from the color iPod and, unlike the mini, scrolls selected text in a ticker-tape fashion in a music menu (Artists, Albums, Songs, and Podcasts screens, for example) as well as scrolls track titles in the Now Playing screen.

About the Extras

The nano includes a few extras not found on other iPods, specifically the Stopwatch, Screen Lock, and a new clock that allows you to create multiple analog/digital clocks in the nano’s Clock screen. I’ve covered the functionality of these features in my first look at the nano so I won’t repeat myself.

I will say, however, that the Stopwatch seems a perfect addition to this iPod given its no-skipping-while-exercising nature. And although the Screen Lock feature isn’t bulletproof—a bad ‘un could extract the nano’s music and data by plugging it into his or her computer—it does lock out the functionality of the nano when it’s unattached to a computer. The multiple clock feature, however, feels a little gimmicky.

I’m particularly pleased that the nano adds a Lyrics screen to the iPod’s Now Playing area. In this screen you can view any lyrics that you’ve added to the Lyrics tab of a Song Information window within iTunes 5. Currently the only way to add those lyrics is by hand—songs sold by the iTunes Music Store don’t (yet) have embedded lyrics.

One unexpected extra worth mentioning is not found in the nano’s interface but rather in its box. Included with each nano is Apple’s iPod dock Adapter. This adapter looks similar to the dock cradle adapters include with some iPod accessories. However, it’s not designed for today’s accessories. To assist iPod accessory manufacturers who are forced to come up with a new cradle design every time Apple issues a new iPod, Apple has created a single one-size-fits-all-with-the-right-Apple-adapter specification for companies that participate in the Made for iPod program. This is the first of these adapters and will fit future accessories. (For more information about how the nano gets along with today’s accessories, see The iPod nano: Accessories Addressed.)

Value

If you’re looking strictly for the greatest bang for your megabyte buck, this is not the iPod for you. A megabyte of storage on the 2GB model runs a fraction under $.10 and a little over $.06 for the 4GB nano. (Cost per megabyte is even higher for the iPod shuffle—measuring over $.19 for the 512MB shuffle and almost $.13 for the 1GB model.) Compare this with about two cents per megabyte on a $299 20GB iPod, and you’ll see that people who want the most for their money may pass on the nano’s cool form and handy size in favor of the higher-capacity iPod.

The Lowdown

A clear color screen, responsive and manageable controls, photo viewing, fast syncing, and impossibly thin. In my view the iPod nano is a nearly perfect fit for the middle of the iPod lineup, sounding great and mixing the best features of the shuffle, mini, and color iPod. While some may be disappointed by the lack of FireWire sync and consider the price of admission high given what you can have for $50 more than the 4GB model, your decision to purchase this slick little iPod may simply boil down to this: What are you willing to cough up for cool?

Because there just isn’t a cooler iPod on the planet.

FROM http://www.macworld.com

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2009-05-04T03:18:00.000-07:00

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