News: Toshiba Announces Sleek Consumer Line-up

Posted on February 6th, 2012

Unveiled today by Toshiba (New Zealand) Pty Limited, the range boasts a number of new, high-performance treats, including the latest …full story

News: Kiwi IT Firm Joins Top NZ Companies on German Stock Exchange

Posted on February 3rd, 2012

A Kiwi company founded in a bedroom eight years ago with just $10 start-up capital has now been listed on …full story

IFA Berlin: Ford gets in SYNC

Ford announces SYNC technology for the 2012 Ford Focus

At the IFA show in Berlin Ford Motors announced that its SYNC in-car voice activation technology will be incorporated into the 2012 Ford Focus and New Zealand can hope to see that model reach our shores by the end of the year. SYNC was first unveiled at the 2007 Detroit Motor Show and has been incorporated into US Ford cars since 2008.

SYNC provides for handsfree Bluetooth calling and voice control of in-car and connected entertainment devices. As of this year, the technology is pre-programmed to recognise 10,000 voice commands in 19 languages.

SYNC is based on a Windows Embedded Automotive Software platform from Microsoft but also includes partnerships with Gracenote, NAVTEQ, Nuance Communications and Sony.

SAFE SYNC: Ford SYNC provides for emergency assistance calling with integrated GPS positioning, and will even call automatically if an airbag is deployed or the car's fuel system shuts off in an accident.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mobile phone integration

To make a mobile call users hit the “Push to Talk” button on the steering wheel and can then access their mobile phone’s contact list by voice command.

You ...full story

Posted by Ted Gibbons on September 19th, 2011 in News | | Tags: , , ,

Samsung NP900X3A Ultra-Thin Notebook – Review

Laptop and notebook computers tend to be much the same and, to be honest, kind of hard to get excited about.

Samsung obviously thought the same when it came up with the refreshingly different NP900X3A that takes quite a few leaves out of Apple’s design book for the Macbook Air. That, by the way, isn’t a bad thing.

While the NP900X3A moniker isn’t catchy like Air, Samsung’s design for the notebook is impressive and very memorable.

The computing innards are encased with dark charcoal grey Duralumin, a light yet strong metal alloy used in the Hindenburg airship and German war planes during the first part of the last century.

The result is a super-slim Sammy that stands out in a sea of dull devices and one which is also lightweight at 1.3kg, yet sturdy.

Kudos to Samsung for following through the design strategy with the connectors: the NP900X3A comes with tiny micro HDMI and gigabit Ethernet ones so as not to spoil the slim lines. They’re neatly mounted in pull-down ledges that hide away when ...full story

Posted by Tone on September 17th, 2011 in Computing | | Tags: , , , , , , ,

Nintendo 3DS – Review

For years the dominant force in handheld gaming consoles, Nintendo’s traditional patch has recently been under siege as portable gaming moves to smart phones and tablets. This means the Japanese gaming giant has a lot riding on its latest console – Nintendo 3DS, the world’s first 3D handheld gaming console.

Crucially, it seems Nintendo has managed to develop a compelling enough piece of kit to distract gamers from Angry Birds long enough to pay attention. The Nintendo 3DS delivers 3D gaming on a 3.5-inch display that uses parallax barrier technology to create a glasses-free 3D experience.

The 3D effect is generally convincing and certainly adds an extra element of enjoyment to the game play on the device, as well some engaging depth to the user interface. It stands up well under the action of launch titles Street Fighter IV and Pilotwings Resort, but being a stereoscopic display, you need to view the image from the right angle and distance to get the full 3D effect. The illusion is otherwise shattered and you end up ...full story

Posted by Tone on September 14th, 2011 in Gaming | | Tags: , , , , , ,

MartinLogan debuts new hybrid loudspeaker

US-based speaker designer MartinLogan has revealed its latest hybrid electrostatic floor standing loudspeaker.

The Montis takes its design cue from the company’s flagship CLX loudspeaker, featuring curvilinear XStat electrostatic technology, a Vojtko crossover and DSP engine with a blended woofer system.

The company’s in-house design and engineering team developed the ‘extremely precise’ 24-bit DSP engine along with a 200-watt class-D amplifier which it claims produces‘stunningly detailed low-frequency performance reaching down to 29Hz’.

Integrated low-frequency equalization below 100Hz allows precise tailoring to enhance bass for individual room acoustics.

“Superb bass is only part of the Montis’ high-end appeal,” the company says.

“The electrostatic transducer features advanced MicroPerf stator technology giving the latest-generation Curvilinear Line Source electrostatic transducer almost twice as much exposed diaphragm surface as a traditional electrostat of the same size.”

The loudspeaker also demonstrates many of the manufacturer’s proprietary designs such as XStat and AirFrame technologies, vacuum bonding, MicroPerf stators, low-distortion aluminium-cone woofer and advanced Vojtko filtering.

The new speaker is released internationally this month in three hand-rubbed finishes; black ash, dark cherry and high-gloss black cherrywood.

Local details are yet to be revealed, the nearest MartinLogan dealer is Australia’s Kedcorp, but the US starting price ...full story

Posted by Tone on September 14th, 2011 in News | | Tags: , , , , , ,

Anthem makes a Statement with new mono amp

Canadian high-end audio manufacturer Anthem has unveiled a new mono amplifier to challenge the idea that Class D amps are not fit for a true audiophile rig.

The Anthem Statement M1 features advanced load monitoring and power factor correction technology massive peak output even over a 120V/15A line.

The company claims the new mono amp is a true ‘double down’ amplifier with 1000 watts into eight ohms and 2000 watts into four ohms and total harmonic distortion remaining under 0.1 percent from 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

“Class D amplifiers provide tremendous value over traditional amps because of their efficient output from a smaller form factor, and the M1 is no different,” the company says.

“Occupying only a single rack unit, Anthem also outfitted the new Statement amplifier with a heat pipe cooling system that allows multiple M1s, with feet removed, to be rack-mounted directly on one another.”

Taking in to account that not everybody has the ideal 240-volt mains, the new amp features a digitally modelled time constant of the circuit interrupter, allowing a peak output of 2400 watts without tripping the breaker or generating too much heat.

No local details are yet available for ...full story

Posted by Tone on September 12th, 2011 in News | | Tags: , , , , ,

IFA Berlin: Consumer Electronics puts on a show

Berlin’s giant IFA Consumer Electronics show (and now white goods too) has kicked off claiming to be the biggest ever. This year’s event is the 51st staging of the show and also celebrates the 80th anniversary of the very first demonstration of the TV.

Dr Rainer Hecker and the IFA Lady in Red

Dr Rainer Hecker and IFA's Lady in Red at the show's opening press conference.

Times have been tough for the industry generally with flat or declining markets around the world and while optimistic forecasts are being made for the second half of 2011, they are tempered with a healthy dose of, “we just don’t know”.

One big claim on the table is for a 690% forecast rise in 3D TV sales to 21 million units this year. That’s off a base of just 2.7 million in 2010. When asked what this forecast was based on, Dr Rainer Hecker, chairman of the supervisory board of the German Association of Consumer and Communications Electronics, trotted out the idea that consumers would want to future-proof themselves, there was now more 3D content available and the increased availability ...full story

Posted by Ted Gibbons on September 1st, 2011 in News | | Tags:
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