What is it?

The HP Pavilion dm1 laptop tries to bridge the gap between tablet and fully fledged laptop.

In a world where Ultrabooks are now posing a very real threat to laptops while also being portable and tablets are capable of satisfying most users’ needs while too being extremely portable, the day of the Notebook could be getting shorter every day.

How does the Pavilion dm1 fit into this ever growing and crowded laptop/tablet market?

Hardware

The Pavilion dm1 is a real looker, its matte black (Glossy on the screen bezel) style with silver trim is sure to turn many heads as it actually looks more expensive and premium than it truly is.
With the dimensions of 29.2 x 21.5 x 3.2cm, and a weight of just 1.6kg, the Pavilion dm1 is ideal for students, writers or anyone on the go really. Even for couch surfing it’s perfect.

Don’t let the size and weight put you off the dm1 however, inside it’s still powerful enough to perform most tasks you could throw at it. It combines portability with power fairly well.

Connectivity-wise we have a HDMI port, SD Card slot, headphone & mic jack, VGA, Ethernet and three USB 2.0 ports. Again, given the size this is quite an impressive array of connection options – suitable for almost any device or display.

Along the front-bottom of the laptop are the speakers, powered by Beats Audio (more on those later) while the bottom contains the battery and intake fan.

Build quality is solid overall, the laptop feels well-built and sturdy, although there is a noticeable amount of give on the lid and on the G & H keys along with audible creaking.
Not enough to mar the entire experience but if it’s definitely not in the same league as a MacBook Air in terms of that reassuring sturdiness – then again, it’s nowhere near as pricey.

The trackpad does the job, but won’t win any awards. It supports two finger scrolling and pinch to zoom gestures among a few others but these can be somewhat finicky to use. The dedicated left and right mouse buttons are quite loud and plastic-ey, they feel very cheap.

Typing on the keyboard isn’t the most pleasant experience either, the keys feel hollow and again we’re forced to use the word cheap.
There’s a nice amount of travel on them given the laptops size and they’re well-spaced, but they’re quite sharp on the corners which makes it somewhat hard to slide your fingers across them – not what you want when trying to type.

Software & Performance

The Pavilion dm1 contains a 1.65 GHz AMD Dual-Core E-450 processor which according to AMD has been specially designed to work in laptops, in order to make power consumption lower while still maintaining performance.

This is on a much lower level than Intels i5 or i7 chips, they run the price up much more than the cheaper AMD chipset.

Don’t expect to be playing Crysis on this thing, but some graphically light games aren’t completely out of the question – we managed to play Portal just fine.

Be warned though that in order to keep the size and weight low, this laptop doesn’t have an optical drive – not a deal breaker these days as they are dying out in laptops but just know that you’ll be using USB drives/cables for all your data needs.

The dm1 handles most of what the average user will throw at it on a daily basis, it was capable of tabbed browsing with music playing in Zune while transferring files to and from SkyDrive without any noticeable slowdown.

Try to open up too many programs at the same time however and the strain does start to show, just like if you throw more and more tabs in your browser or more file transfers it will eventually struggle – sooner than we would have liked.

Overall though it’s more than fast enough for most users, anyone who wants more should be looking at higher end laptops to begin with.

The 11.6 inch screen has a resolution of 1366 x 768, which is great for the size. Movies look crisp and clear in HD, we have no faults here. Viewing angles are great and the hinge actually folds down parallel to the keyboard – a bit unnecessary but not a complaint.

Wrap Up

The HP Pavilion dm1 is a great machine for its size and class, the lack of an optical drive and sub-par keyboard shouldn’t deter you from this hidden gem.

With the inclusion of Beats Audio that produces impressive sound, a really nice design and good range and number of connectivity options, the Pavilion dm1 is the perfect laptop in its price range.

You can contact the author of this post, Luke Hoare Greene at Luke@TechTV101.com or Follow him on Twitter.

Recently on the road and realised that I needed a file that was back in the office but everyone was already gone home….step in the iTwin.

The iTwin is “The USB Drive Reinvented”. It is two ends of a cable without the cable. It works as simply as plugging in a USB flash drive. There is no capacity limit. You can access/upload/edit all of your files.

All access is encrypted with AES-256 and you can remotely disable lost iTwins.

Winner of the reddot design award in 2011 which has previous winners which include the iPhone 4 and BMW 5 Series.

So all you need is two computers connected to the internet and running Windows.

The iTwin was developed by iTwin Inc., headquarter located in Singapore with a department in the USA.

“iTwin facilitates data transfer and access between two computers connected to the Internet. The two identically designed parts of the device are plugged into the respective USB port of each computer. This permits files and folders to be exchanged independently from the location of the two computers, also allowing for reciprocal data processing from each of the devices.
The 256-bit AES encryption guarantees a secure connection. The housing is made of recyclable aluminum and carries a logo inspired by Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam”. Its similarity to a USB stick conveys a high recognition value and promises easy operation. The unit occupies minimal space and can be carried along anywhere. For transport, the two elements are interlockable.”

As mentioned above, the iTwin requires both computers to have access to a broadband wired/wireless Internet connection. Do note that this product (currently) only works on Windows systems, respectively XP, Vista and 7. Both computers must be online (as in: connected to broadband internet, the PC itself can be in sleep mode to save power). I see a MAC update seems to be available.

Should you buy one? Yes if a plug and play option is what you’re looking for but no if you are tech savvy enough to know how to operate a VPN (if you have to ask what VPN is you’re in the plug and play category…..)

No, this isn’t yet another Ben Heck creation, but rather one by PS3HAX.net member “Pirate”, which took 3-years to complete. It features water cooling, a “720p/1080i screen, 4 USB ports, 500GB HDD, and built-in keyboard and speakers.”

For more infor head over to www.ps3hax.net

It isn’t just the humans who are fond of attaining the beautiful ‘size zero’, but there are a gamut of other devices, which wish for ‘slim and trim’ look. As the reviews, the newly-introduced slim and trim beauty is Microsoft’s Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000, which is claimed to be world’s slimmest and thinnest mobile keyboard.

The Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 has been crafted so that it doesn’t lack in style in the face of being sleek. Alongside a curved layout, the device is also built-in with a handy Bluetooth number pad, which help user remain productive doesn’t matter where they are.

Chris Kujawski, industrial designer for Microsoft Hardware, was quoted to have said that the design tenets of clean, compact and refined in actual fact pave way for the keyboard success. The design doesn’t have anything superfluous. All that did not come up with the ideas have been removed and as a result, we are here with an advanced, sophisticated and compact keyboard, which can easily and perfectly connected with Bluetooth computers.

As the features, the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 is only some millimeters thick as compared to the AAA size battery. The 6000, in order for ease, shrinks down towards the front. Its curved design boasts providing higher economic typing than the straight keyboard layout. This layout also claims to provide a natural wrist posture in conjunction with a slight 6 degree curve.

This stand alone Bluetooth device also helps you get rid of the lack of a number pad that you feel when you sit in front of your notebook or netbook. You can make use of it with the keyboard or by itself. Besides, the device is too handy to carry anywhere around with the in-built carry case.

The Keyboard is also a great addition to the PS3 using the Bluetooth connectivity and can sit nicely on the living room table as a web browser text inputter. When it comes down to a portable, sleek, good response time keyboard, you couldnt go wrong getting this one. We rate it 4 out of 5, with it losing the point only for the fact it uses aaa batteries instead of a rechargable option.

This dainty device is available for € 66.99 from Expansys.ie

This Rocks!! Iron Man is lighting the Apple! Etsy.com’s creative sticker makes your MacBook be unique by making decals for your machine
The sticker’s material is lucid.The area of mac logo is acutally cutout, but they still provide sticker for apple logo if you want it to be covered,which would also make it awesome.

Every order will be customized to fit in your MacBook perfectly, please select the right item.

13 inch MacBook:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39560573

17 inch MacBook:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39675992

If you want a special size sticker, contact them and they can help you out! Sweet!!

Microsoft is no stranger to the webcam business, and its latest offering shows why the company is still often at the forefront. The LifeCam Cinema is the first consumer webcam to offer both a 16:9 aspect ratio and a native 720p imaging sensor. With a modest retail price of only €53 Euro at Elara.ie

The Good

• Great video quality with the 720p sensor.
• Excellent ergonomic design.
• Simple, effective software package.

The LifeCam Cinema comes out of the box with only a creatively designed user manual and the webcam itself. We immediately noticed the construction quality of the webcam was top-notch. The USB cable is very long and has a helpful built-in cable organizer. The top of the webcam contains the microphone as well as a small button that opens Windows Live Messenger.

Microsoft clearly put some thought into the design of the LifeCam Cinema. The rubberized, flexible base that attaches the LifeCam to displays and notebooks works extremely well, and the adjustable angles that the lens can accommodate make the camera very easy to position.

Features and Audio/Video quality

We started testing the webcam by simply taking still shots, videos, and audio-only samples. We were consistently impressed with the audio and video quality of the LifeCam Cinema. Audio was consistently crisp during a variety of recording tests ranging from music, TV, to spoken voice. To test image quality we took a still shot of some our audio and video collection in the office. In an unusual twist, still image quality paled in comparison to the full-motion video quality, which of course occurs at 25 frames per second in 720p resolution; there were noticeable compression artifacts in individual captured frames where full video hid most of the flaws.

Software and User experience

Installation and setup of the LifeCam Cinema was simple. After installing the CD and plugging the webcam in, we were ready to go. The software is very minimalist and extremely easy to use. In a rare move from Microsoft, users are greeted with a pleasant user interface that is surprisingly bloat-free. We found that the special effects and features worked well, too. Whether users want to add a hat to someone’s head or make them look like they’re in front of a fun-house mirror, the software has the support for it.

There are only three main functions to the software and they simply let users record still shots, audio, and video. Once a clip is saved it appears in a timeline below where it can be deleted or exported to an editing program or to e-mail. The settings menu allows users to change resolutions and color and focus settings, but we found setting adjustments to be unneeded. The autofocus works as promised on the LifeCam Cinema, and the lag time between refocuses is very small.

A word on operating system support: officially, the LifeCam Cinema is meant for Windows and will only see its full feature set there. However, as a generic USB video device it should also work on Macs.

Wrapping up

It’s hard to dispute the LifeCam Cinema as a great webcam offering from Microsoft, at least in its intended video role, the company has combined excellent moving image quality with a well-designed hardware concept; the only caveat is photo quality, which thankfully isn’t the focus of these products. At its price, we would consider this webcam to be a bargain.

Video game consoles like the Xbox or PlayStation are easy to use because they offer special game controllers designed to play video games. Unfortunately, most computers are saddled with an ordinary keyboard designed for general use. If you prefer a specialized keyboard optimized for video game playing, consider Microsoft’s SideWinder X6 Keyboard.

The most prominent feature of this product is its detachable numeric keypad that uses magnets to attach to the left or right side of the keyboard. Left-handed users who rely on typing numbers will find this feature alone worth the price.

The second most noticeable feature is its backlighting that makes the keys glow with a reddish hue in the dark. A knob on the top of the keyboard lets you adjust this backlighting so you can see all keys comfortably under various lighting. Turn the lights low, crank up the backlighting, and you’ll be able to play your favorite video games in total darkness while still seeing your entire keyboard at the same time. For added convenience, you can twist a second knob that lets you adjust your computer’s volume.

All of these features work with both Mac OS X and Windows XP/Vista. However, the most advanced features are reserved strictly for Windows users. First, there’s a special Cruise Control button that lets you replicate the action of multiple keystrokes without holding those keys down.

For example, if you’re playing a video game that forces you to type Ctrl+F4 to make a character in a game perform a certain move, you can assign this Ctrl+F4 keystroke to this Cruise Control button. Now you can press the Cruise Control button once and this mimics holding down the Ctrl+F4 keys for an extended period of time. Press the Cruise Control button a second time and you can stop this repetitive action.

More useful is the ability to record macros and assign them to one of thirty available keys or one of the twelve function keys. For non-game playing, this macro feature lets you record typed text and play it back again. For video game playing, macros let you record multiple keystrokes, such as a keystroke that makes a character on the screen move and a second set of keystrokes that make that same character shoot.

Instead of pressing two (or more) sets of separate keystrokes to make a character move and shoot, you could just assign this action to a single function key. Then before your opponent can react, tap this macro key and your character moves and shoots faster than you could make it by pressing so many individual keystrokes. Macros give you programmable shortcuts to playing all your favorite video games.

With thirty separate programmable function keys, you should have plenty of keys to assign your favorite video game moves. Since you may have several favorite video games, this product offers a switchable mode that creates three separate programmable banks.

Switching to bank 1 lets you program all thirty function keys for playing a game like Call of Duty. Switching to bank 2 lets you assign completely different functions to those same thirty function keys, except geared for playing another game like Civilization. Switching to bank 3 lets you assign still more functions for playing a third game like Spore. By letting you switch between three completely different programmable keyboard layouts, this product gives you the ultimate flexibility in assigning shortcut keys for playing any type of game.

The SideWinder X6 keyboard is the type of product that hardcore gamers will appreciate to play their favorite games faster and easier than ever before. The product’s €49.82(www.elara.ie) price tag makes it affordable to the average user who may want to create shortcuts for using common applications, or who just may want the keyboard for its detachable numeric keypad. If you’re tired of using an ordinary keyboard to play games, the SideWinder X6 may be the gaming keyboard for you.

The enterprising DIY’er has created a combo hardware and software solution that allows you to plug in your dusty carts directly to your rig, and see the ROMs appear as standalone files which you can then load into the emulator of your choice. Apparently there are still some kinks to work out (like getting data rates up for larger games), and Matthias already has plans underway for a multi-system solution. Still, this is impressive stuff, even if it means we’ll have to repurchase any titles we’re missing from reputable online auction houses.
Hey, at least it’ll cut down our visits to “Russian porn sites.” Check out the video of the whole thing in action after the break.

Specifications & Features

The mouse uses a rechargeable AA battery for power and has a snap in mini transceiver. The Explorer Mouse uses BlueTrack technology and can track on virtually any surface. The design of the mouse is ergonomic and design for right hand use. Connectivity is 2.4 GHz wireless offering 30-foot range and Microsoft says the mouse will go three weeks between charges.

Testing & Use

Power for the mouse comes from a removable and rechargeable AA battery. This is a great feature because in a pinch on the road you can plug in a normal AA battery and keep working. The BlueTrack technology uses a blue incoherent light beam and the mouse features blue lighting effects for visual appeal. The Microsoft Explorer Mouse is a full size mouse, but it is designed with mobile users in mind.

The shape of the mouse is much like any other traditional mouse for general PC work with a right handed ergonomic design and customizable buttons. The thick design of the mouse means that you end up palming the mouse, which is comfortable. However, if you prefer to use your fingers more than your wrist for mouse control the thick design makes that harder to do. Tracking capability is the main claim to fame for the Microsoft Explorer Mouse, and it tracks Excellently. If you have no mouse space at all, you can use your lap, arm, face, head, or even massage your neck and shoulders with the Explorer Mouse. It took some practice to adjust to surfing the Web with a back-scratcher, but it really can be done, We even Tried tracking on a 50 inch LCD Screen and On all surfaces, the Microsoft Explorer Mouse tracked flawlessly.

In short, we found Microsoft’s claim to be true: The Explorer really does work on virtually any surface. The Explorer Mouse is an innovative peripheral with a stylish design. When the novelty of trying to make it work on every surface in your home or office wears off, chances are you’ll still be pleased with the mouse — it’s comfortable to hold, it offers excellent tracking and scrolling, and it’s easy on the wrist. Plus, that sexy blue light will match many desktop systems’ tower LEDs. The fact that you can take it with you and use it on just about any surface is icing on the cake.The dual side buttons on the Microsoft Explorer Mouse are located well. You can reach them easily when you need them, but they are out of the way and don’t get hit accidentally when you are surfing the web or working.

Microsoft also gave the scroll wheel a left and right click function and the wheel can be pressed down for an additional click function as well. The scroll wheel is very similar in feel to the Logitech G9 scroll wheel.

Set Up / Installation

To get started, you’ll need to install the (Windows XP or Vista or Mac OS X 10.2 and up) IntelliPoint 6.3 software found on the bundled CD. The easy-to-configure software lets you customize the mouse’s five buttons — left, right, wheel click, and front and rear thumb buttons. Options are provided for setting four-way scrolling with left and right wheel tilt for horizontal scrolling, a feature increasingly common in medium- to high-end mice. You can assign buttons to more common functions such as Copy, Paste, Shift, and custom macros, as well as for one-click access to popular Vista features like Flip 3D (which i have only started using because of the mouse!)

Our Verdict

The Microsoft Explorer Mouse deserves your attention for its BlueTrack sensor technology that lets you use it on surfaces where other mice fail. Laptop owners, or anyone else who uses a nondeskbound computer, will benefit from Microsoft’s innovative new technology.

The Cost of the mouse is around €47.39 on www.elara.ie

Its Brilliant!
9/10

Get it here..
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