Microsoft Silverlight

Today, Microsoft announced the first public versions of its Silverlight application for creating and experiencing rich, interactive applications online. There are two different versions of the cross-browser plug-in: Silverlight 1.0 beta (download for Windows or Mac) and Silverlight 1.1 alpha (download for Windows or Mac).

The big difference between 1.0 beta and 1.1 alpha versions is that the 1.1 alpha allows developers to create Silverlight applications using .NET technologies such as C#. If you don't care much about that new advancement, you probably won't be too excited about some of the sample Silverlight applications that have been created.

To be fair, the downloads of the client only went public today, but the Silverlight gallery of applications is quite slim--eight for the 1.0 beta and seven for the 1.1 alpha, several of which are identical. The two that jumped out at me were the Grand Piano (for 1.0 beta) and Chess (for 1.1 alpha) applications. Grand Piano lets you play a full octave of a virtual piano via keyboard or mouse, and Chess provides a gaming environment with pluggable AI and two gameplay algorithms in both C# and JavaScript.

Samsung i400 Slider Phone.. Slim, Sexy & Smart

Let's see here. On the surface, the newly announced i400 looks like any other sexy Samsung phone with its slim profile and sliding form factor, but delve a little deeper and you'll discover that this isn't just any phone. It's a smartphone.

Powered by Symbian S60, the Samsung SGH-i400 has the same undeniable appeal as the Ultra Edition series, but it's also got a heck of a lot more functionality to it, thanks to the Symbian-ness. You also get all the latest toys like a 2-megapixel camera, music keys, stereo speakers, a 2.3-inch QVGA display, Bluetooth 2.0 (with A2DP), GSM/GPRS/EDGE, and a microSD expansion slot good for up to 4GB of extra space.

Sony Walkman goes Drag & Drop

Some people have avoided getting a Sony MP3 player because of the dreaded SonicStage software that is required to transfer music to and from their portable devices. With the Sony B100 Walkman, however, you will be able to cast SonicStage aside in favor of good ol' drag-and-drop.

It hasn't been confirmed, but it appears that the B100 will show up via USB Mass Storage, allowing you to plunk in your musical content without having to go through that hideous SonicStage filter. what's more, the B100 will handle MP3s, non-DRM WMAs, and possibly even AAC. They might even abandon ATRAC while they're at it.

No word on price or availability, but Sony might actually make some headway against you-know-who with this development.

Getting Compaq V3000TU series

If you ever consider to get a laptop, in particularly the Compaq V3000TU series, here are few thing you should know.
I just bought a Compaq v3204TU, a Centrino Core 2 Duo (1.66GHz), although I wanted the AMD Turion version, but since it's not in stock, I just have to go by Intel. Well so far I'm quite satisfied with it. But the default RAM is 512MB and the machine is loaded with Windows Vista Home Basic and people! If they say the minimum requirement is 512MB, it's not true. It's running very slow and the UI are jerky!
I had to up my RAM to another 512MB to make it a 1GB, then only the Vista are to run smoothly. It did make a huge different, I can't wait to up it 2GB next month. I found a shop that's selling the 1GB RAM at RM160, it could go cheaper I think. Another thing to get is the Cooling Pad. The harddisk is located at the front near where your palm is going to rest, and it gets heaty quite fast. There's also a nice cool Compaq 'Quick Media Button', but it makes a tick sound which you can't turn off.
Anyway, for the price of RM3299 for this machine, I think it's worth it, aside upgrading the RAM. Check out the spec at NotebookReview.com

Sirocco Gold

Nokia has recently unveiled an absolute beauty, the stunning Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold. Combining highly desired communication devices with organic designs inspired by surfaces found in nature, the Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold pays attention to details and selection of materials. Fine white gold accents enhance the 18-carat gold plating while the sapphire-coated, scratch-resistant glass display helps to ensure that the beauty of the Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold endures.

The crafting of each Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold draws from techniques by watchmakers and jewelers. A smooth sliding mechanism reveals a high-resolution camera (2.0-megapixel) and the intuitive and ergonomic keypad. Further highlights of the Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold include a color screen (up to 262K-colors), and a wide array of messaging functionalities. The Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold is also complemented by a coordinating desk stand and color-matching Bluetooth headset.

Mobile Innovation Meets Avant-Garde Design

Prada is a widely recognized Italian label usually associated with luxurious fashions. Now in collaboration with LG, we have a new phone model KE850, more commonly referred to as the Prada phone.

The unique thing is that it's the first completely touch screen mobile phone. LG and PRADA have worked closely together on every aspect of the product, from handset development to marketing combining the attention to detail and uncompromising quality of PRADA design with the trademark technological innovation of LG mobile.

PRADA’s involvement extends beyond exterior aesthetics to the key elements of the user experience such as the advanced touch interface, ring tones, pre-loaded content, mobile phone accessories and the exclusive leather case, inspired by the classic Italian craftsmen tradition.

The PRADA Phone by LG introduces the world’s first advanced touch interface which eliminates the conventional keypad making the overall usage experience a highly tactile one. An extra wide LCD screen maximizes visual impact, allowing the user to benefit from several key features of the phone, including the 2 megapixel camera featuring Schneider-Kreuznach lens, video player and document viewer capacity. Above all, these features contribute to the phone’s beautifully sleek and simplistic appearance.

Glowing icons on the face of the phone disappear when not in use to reveal a pure, un-adulterated black exterior. The phone is ultra thin (just 12 mm), nonetheless it hosts an array of additional multimedia functions, including an MP3 player and a music multitasking function for messaging. It also boasts an external memory slot, allowing the user to increase memory capacity for images, music and film clips.

Check out the website at: www.pradaphonebylg.com

Sony Ericsson goes green with W999i.

You know that Sony Ericsson are entering the 'Skinny' phone market, but what you didn't know that they have change their feel from Orange to Green. Well, its not a bad taste, after all green is my favorite color.

W999i is the latest Walkman edition from them, judging from the series number, will this be the last one? This model is 12.5mm thick. It also combines the the same SureType-like keyboard as the business oriented M600. Other than that it has the same 2.0 Megapixel camera, 2.4-inch color display and high-speed HSDPA connectivity.