Toshiba have just launched the Canvio range of portable hard drives with a 1TB big boy rounding out the selections. The other capacities are 500, 640 and 750 GB. The Canvio units are aimed at consumers looking for a backup hard drive and come preloaded with NTI BackupNow EZ software and have a handy anti-slip rubberized side grip. Here are the numbers on the portable hard drives

* Interface: USB 2.0 with up to 480Mb/s2 transfer rate
* 5400RPM spin speed
* Cache Buffer: 8MB
* 3.1” W x 4.7” D x 0.65” H
* 6.3 oz
* Talks nicely with Windows® XP, Vista and 7
* A re-format allows the units to also talk nicely with Mac OS® X Tiger®, Leopard® or Snow Leopard™

The supplied NTI Backup Now EZ software has a few interesting features including a facility that finds media files and automatically backs them up or it can be set up to keep a full copy of your PC, provides secure backups with a 256-bit encrypted password and has a customizable backup schedule.

The price tags are pretty reasonable too with the 1TB unit marked at $190, whilst the smaller drives rock in at 750GB - $150, 640GB - $140 and 500GB - $120.

Featured Tags external-hdd, hdd, toshiba


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“3D Ready” seems to be the buzz phrase right now, so for those of you keen to go three dimensional and are after a projector, you just might want to take a look at the Optoma HD66 720p 3D ready model. As well as providing 3D in 720p HD res, the HD66 boasts BrilliantColor technology to

produce accurate and vibrant colors on the screen. The HD66 multi-color processing system features a 5-segment color wheel coated with an advanced material that achieves superb color saturation. This saturation and color accuracy is paramount to a quality image.

Here are the full stats on Optoma’s HD66 3D ready projector

* Resolution HD (1280×720)
* 2500 ANSI Lumens
* 4000:1 contrast ratio
* Lamp Life 4000/3000 Hours (STD/Bright)
* Throw Ratio 1.55 to 1.7 (Distance/Width)
* Projection Distance 1.0 to 10m
* 27.2” to 301” diagonal display range
* 2-Watt Speaker
* PC and Macintosh Compatible
* Handles NTSC, PAL, SECAM, SDTV (480i), EDTV(480p), HDTV (720p, 1080i/p)
* Projection Lens F=2.41-2.55, f=21.8-24mm, 1.1x Manual Zoom and Focus
* HDMI, VGA-In, S-Video, Composite Video, Stereo Audio-In and RS-232
* 2.31kg
* 287 x 101 x 193 mm

The really good news is that the HD66 3D projector is available at Amazon where they have it on offer at $670. Not a bad price for a capable 3D projector.

Featured Tags optoma, projector


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We haven’t mentioned Lenovo’s ThinkPad laptops for a while so here’s a little update on some additions to the ThinkPad Edge range. The newbies are a couple of models with 14 inch and 15 inch HD LED displays and Intel Core i3 processors. Here’s the spec for the base 14 inch model, the ThinkPad Edge 14

* Intel® Core™ i3-330M Processor ( 2.13GHz 1066MHz 3MB )
* Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64
* Intel HD Graphics
* 2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz
* 14.0 ” HD Glossy 1366×768
* 250GB spinning at 5400 rpm
* DVD Recordable Drive (Dual Layer)
* 6 Cell Lithium-Ion
* Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 1000

Both the 14 and 15 inch base models will set you back only $650 from Lenovo. There are heaps of options on these suckers, memory upgrades, Bluetooth options and different HDD. All options seem like good value to us plus the units look kinda cool.

If you already own a Lenovo ThinkPad Edge let us know what you think of it.

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Toshiba have just announced the release of a new range of 1080p HDTVs, the UX600. The range comprises of three sizes, from 40 inch, thru 46 and finishing off with the 55 inch big boy. All models are 1080p LED HDTVs with Toshiba’s ClearFrame technology

ClearFrame™ 120 doubles the frame rate of standard LCD TV, 1080p Full HD LCD images are now crisp and clear regardless of image motion.

and Net TV

Net TV™ includes a wide variety of applications that enrich the overall TV experience. VUDU™ Movies provides true 1080p HD, 5.1 surround sound and over 3,000 HD movies on demand. Audio applications such as Pandora® provide personalized “Channels” of the music you like. Social Networking applications including Facebook® and Twitter® allow you to keep in touch, while watching TV.

The Net TV feature sounds intriguing and makes the UX600 a social media and network unit. Here are the full specs on the 55 inch unit

Model 55UX600U

* 1080p Full HD Display
* 3,000,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
* ClearFrame™ 120Hz Anti-Blur Technology
* PixelPure® 5G 14-Bit Internal Digital Video Processing
* Resolution+ Super Resolution Technology
* AutoView™
* DynaLight™ Dynamic Back-Light Control
* Cinema Mode 24 fps (5:5 Pulldown)
* Cinespeed™ LCD Panel
* TheaterWide® Modes
* Color Temperature Control
* Invisible Speakers
* Net TV™
* 802.11 Wi-Fi® Capable
* Included Wi-Fi® Adapter
* Thin Air Lagoon™ Design
* Photo Frame Capability & MP3 Playback via USB
* InstaPort™ Fast HDMI™ Switching
* REGZA-LINK® (HDMI® CEC)
* Gaming Mode
* Sleep Timer
* SD Card Slot
* HDMI™ Digital Inputs: 4 (2 Side)
* ColorStream® HD Component Video Input (1)
* Side A/V: 1
* High Res PC Input (S-XGA, 15 pin, D-sub)
* Dolby® Digital Optical Output
* USB Ports: 2
* Ethernet Port (RJ45)

All three models boast the same set of specs with the exception of size and price. The 40 inch model rocks in at $1400, 46 inches will set you back $1700, whilst the 55 inch unit is set at $2500. But wait there’s more! The 55 inch big boy is on discount over at Amazon, check below for the model and Amazon price.

40UX600U - 40 inch 1080p HDTV - $1400
46UX600U - 46 inch 1080p HDTV - $1700
55UX600U - 55 inch 1080p HDTV - $2000

Featured Tags hdtv, toshiba


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A while ago we told you about 3M’s pico projector the MPro150, and today we bring you its sibling the MPro120. The MPro120 lacks its big brother’s internal memory and is not quite as bright but otherwise it’s pretty similar. Here are the full details on 3M’s MPro120

* 12 lumens
* Displays - VGA, SVGA, XGA, WXGA (1280×800)
* 8 to 50 inch display
* 2 x 0.5 W speakers
* Inputs - VGA, Composite, Component
* Up to 120 minutes battery life
* 5.4 oz
* 4.7 x 2.4 x 0.9 inches

The 3M MPro120 seems like a great little pico projector and is available at Amazon for only $289. Customer reviews give the unit a 3 out of 5 with most complaints being around the unit’s brightness or lack of, however same reviewers admit its main use would be in environments (office or small classroom) where this may not be a problem. If you have one of these pico projectors please let us know what you think of it.

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Dell have just added a new 24 inch WLED-backlit monitor to its range. The G2410H sports a 24 inch 16:9 1920 x 1080 res display along with a host of green features including an Ambient Light Sensor which adjusts brightness to help minimize power use, 3 Energy Modes for a perfect blend of energy efficiency, display brightness and viewing comfort and it uses recycled plastic in its chassis and packaging. For those of us who are more numerically inclined here are the specifications on the G2410H monitor from Dell.

* 24 inch display
* Aspect Ratio - Widescreen, 16:9
* WLED Backlight Technology
* 1920 x 1080 res at 60 Hz
* 1000:1 standard contrast ratio
* 250 cd/m2 brightness
* Max Viewing Angle 160° (vertical), 170° (horizontal)
* VGA and DVI-D inputs
* 570.75 x 184.12 x 463.81~363.81 mm
* 4.02 kg

The Dell G2410H is available over at Amazon for $329 which is not bad for an eco-friendly widescreen monitor. It also sports 4.5 stars out of 5 from customer reviews although there are only four reviews. Overall it doesn’t sound like a bad monitor option.

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Western Digital’s latest portable HDD, the My Passport AV, is squarely aimed at the media-on-the-go types. Apparently the spinning drive is

engineered for the audio/video market, so this drive stays cool even in a hot entertainment center, uses less power, and delivers optimized streaming for smooth video playback.

It hooks up to game consoles, a WD TV unit, even certain camcorders to enable you to view/record HD video at a touch. It’ll talk nicely with a whole raft of Sony camcorders, Blu-Ray players and PS3s whilst still being friends with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 plus a handful of HDTVs. Check out the full list at WD. Here are the other details on the My Passport AV

* stays cool even in a hot entertainment center
* uses less power to operate
* delivers optimized streaming for smooth video playback
* light-weight storage companion for your camcorder
* Play videos, music and photos on your TV
* 320 GB capacity
* USB 2.0 connectivity
* 16.0 x 126.0 x 80.0 mm
* 0.18 kg

The WD My Passport AV certainly looks like a handy addition to a media-fiends home entertainment gadget collection. The 320 GB capacity seems a bit on the small size but its matched with a pint-sized price tag of $110.

But wait there’s more, Amazon have the WD My Passport AV marked down to $80 at the moment if you’re real keen.

Featured Tags hdd, western-digital


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