With standard SSDs not within a good price range yet, Seagate have decided to offer a half-step upgrade. They’ve released the Momentus XT, a hybrid SSD/traditonal spinning HDD. All models offer 4GB of SLC NAND SSD memory which the unit uses if it thinks using SSD would benefit the user. This clever trickery is performed by the Momentus XT’s Adaptive Memory technology.

Adaptive Memory technology enables the drive to tailor performance to the user. Whether you are gaming, editing digital media or crunching numbers, performance is optimized and ready for your next move.

The Momentus XT sports three capacities of spinny HDD, namely, 250, 320 and 500 GB which rotate at 7,200 RPM. Here are the rest of the details on the Seagate Momentus XT.

* Model Number ST92505610AS/ST93205620AS/ST95005620AS
* Interface SATA 3Gb/s
* Cache 32MB
* Capacity 250GB/320GB/500GB
* Areal density (avg) 394Gb/in2
* Height 9.7mm (0.378 in)
* Width 70.10mm (2.76 in)
* Length 100.55mm (3.959 in)
* Weight (typical) 105g (.227 lb)
* Spin Speed 7200 RPM
* Average latency 4.17ms
* Random read seek time 11ms
* Random write seek time 13ms
* I/O data transfer rate 300MB/s

The hybrid Momentus XT seems like a great idea to us, opening up SSD benefits to users for good prices, with the 250GB model available at Amazon for $118. Of course if you have already invested in the Momentus XT do let us know what you think.

Amazon Prices

250GB – ST92505610AS – $118
320GB – ST93205620AS – $126
500GB – ST95005620AS – $135

Featured Tags hdd, seagate, SSD


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AT&T have got a new smartphone out there, namely the Samsung Captivate. The Android based 4 inch AMOLED unit will set you back $200 with the usual two year plan or $500 sans plan. Here are the specs on what looks like a decent smartphone from AT&T

* Android 2.1 OS
* 4 inch 800×480 res AMOLED capacitive touch screen
* 5 MP Camera with 4x zoom
* 802.11x connectivity
* Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity
* GSM, UMTS networks
* GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA high-speed data
* 1 GHz processor
* Music player with streaming radio
* IM AOL®, Windows Live, GoogleTalk, and Yahoo!® Messenger
* POP, IMAP4, SMTP email
* 5 hours 50 min talk time
* 340 hours standby
* 4.5 oz
* 4.18 x 2.5 x 0.39 inches
* 16 GB internal memory expandable to 32 GB (microSD)

It certainly has all the features you’d expect from a decent smartphone. Here are a few reviews of the Samsung Captivate for you to mull over.

infoSync – 85% – screen, OS speed positives, iPhone 4 better negative
CNET – 4 stars out of 5 – screen, 16GB memory positives, lack of apps and no flash negatives
phoneArena – 8.5 out of 10 – screen, processor speed positives, photo and call quality negatives
PCMag – 4 out of 5 – processor speed, syncing options positives, flash, lack voice dialing over bluetooth negatives

Pretty good reviews all round for the Samsung Captivate. If you’re keen then check out the product info ovet at AT&T.

Featured Tags at&t, cellphone, samsung


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Here’s an iPod docking system from JBL called the On Stage Micro II. Simply drop your iPod into the slot and listen to the funky tunes from the unit. It’s currently retailing for a snip under $100 at Amazon, so if you’re keen here are the specs on the the iPod dock from JBL

* Compatibility: iPod mini; iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G; iPod classic 3G, 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G; iPod touch; iPhone 1G, 3G, 3GS
* Four neodymium-driven Odyssey and slipstream port design provide full-range, accurate sound
* New RF remote provides reliable control from distances up to 50 feet
* 3.5mm auxiliary input for external audio devices such as iPod shuffle, MP3 players, etc.
* Power with included power supply or four AAA batteries for portable use

Whilst all sounds good for the On Stage Micro II, a review over at PCMag gave the unit only three stars out of five with audio performance a negative and portability a positive. Unfortunately with audio performance the most important criteria for docking units this has put a damper on the JBL’s On Stage Micro II, yet a customer review on Amazon (four stars) rates the Micro II’s performance and only dislikes its volume or lack of.

If you’ve played with a JBL On Stage Micro II iPod system, let us know what you reckon.

Featured Tags ipod-dock, jbl


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MSI have a CULV in their current notebook lineup, namely the X420. We haven’t seen much action on the CULV front these days, but the manufacturers still churn out the odd one. The X420 lacks an internal optical drive but of course this reduces the unit’s weight and size with it scoring a 0.95 inches on the width front. Here are the rest of the details on the MSI X420 notebook

* Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor SU7300 1.3GHz 800 MHz 3MB Cache
* Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium
* 14″ WXGA / Glossy Type 1366×768 display
* ATI Radeon HD5430 1GB DDR3
* Internal Speaker ×2
* 4GB (2GB x 2) DDR2
* 500GB SATA HDD
* Gigabit Ethernet
* Built-in 802.11b/g/n
* Bluetooth
* 2 in 1 (SD/ MMC) Card Reader
* 1.3 MP Webcam
* USB 2.0 X 2
* Graphics Card Output (15-pin, D-Sub) X 1
* Mic-in X 1, Headphone X 1
* Battery Pack 8 cells
* 13.79″ (L) x 9.22″ (W) x 0.95″ (H)
* 4.5 lbs with (8-cell battery)

Some good specs on the MSI X420, but with an Amazon price tag of $695 we think it just misses the mark. PCMag agrees with us giving the X420 a three out of five stating old tech CPU and memory mis-management as negatives yet battery life, size and weight were all in favour of the X420. The unit gains a 7.5 editor’s rating at Computer Shopper where concerns were expressed over performance again yet the switchable graphics option and weight were considered positives.

If you happen to have an X420 from MSI then let us know what you think.

Featured Tags laptop, msi


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If you’re after a cheap (under $500) HDTV then the Westinghouse LD-3255VX is right up your street. Whilst it doesn’t sport any of the bells and whistles of it’s more expensive counterparts in the world of LED HDTVs, it does rock in with the bare minimum.

* 720p LED HDTV
* 1.0″ edge design and feather light 14.6 pounds
* Energy Star 5.0 compliant, uses 10% less energy than a 60 watt light bulb
* 100,000:1 contrast ratio, 22% increased color gamut
* Model: LD-3255VX
* Display Size: 32 inches
* Height: 21.0 inches
* Width: 30.2 inches
* Weight: 14.55 pounds
* Native Resolution 1366 x 768
* Supported Video Formats 480p, 720p, 480i
* Supported Refresh Rates 60Hz
* Widescreen
* Aspect Ratio 16:9
* Video Inputs Composite, HDMI
* PC Interfaces Analog VGA, HDMI
* Built-in TV Tuner NTSC, ATSC

As you can see nothing special yet a solid basic specification for the LD-3255VX from Westinghouse. We tried to find some reviews from the HDTV but only found this one from PCMag which gave the LD-3255VX 3 stars out of 5 citing lack of 1080 res and narrow viewing angles as issues yet the price, energy efficiencyand slim form factor of the LD-3255VX were positives. Over at Amazon, there is currently one customer review giving the Westinghouse model 5 stars. The reviewer admits that the LD-3255VX probably isn’t suitable for a living room but will fit in smaller rooms quite nicely.

If you already own one of these LED HDTVs from Westinghouse, drop us a line to let us know what you think or if you’re keen as to get your mits on one, stroll over to Amazon where they are off-loading the Westinghouse LD-3255VX HDTV for only $350. Better be quick!

Featured Tags led-hdtv, westinghouse


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HP have added a new model to their Mini 210 netbook range with the 1142CL. The unit sports over 9 hours of battery life from its 6-Cell lithium-ion battery and has a 10.1 inch WSVGA LED display. Here are the full details on the latest HP Mini 210.

* Product Number XA523UA#ABA
* 1.66GHz Intel Atom Processor N455
* 1GB DDR3 System Memory (1 DIMM) max
* Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150
* 250GB (7200RPM) HDD
* Multimedia Drive
* 10.1” diagonal WSVGA HP BrightView Infinity LED Display (1024 x 600)
* Integrated 10/100 Ethernet LAN
* 802.11b/g/n WLAN connectivity
* HD Audio
* stereo speakers
* integrated microphone
* 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards
* 3 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0
* 1 VGA (15-pin)
* 1 RJ -45 (LAN)
* 1 Headphone-out/Microphone-in combo jack (compatible with 3.5mm 4-conductor jack with stereo audio and mono mic)
* 10.55 in (L) x 6.9 in (D) x 0.9-1.11 in (H)
* 2.99 lbs
* 6-Cell 66.6WHr Lithium-Ion Battery

The upgrading of the Mini 210 from HP shows the competitiveness of the netbook market. If you want to win you’ve can’t afford to fall behind, as each manufacturer tries to squeeze more bang for buck from their models. The 1142CL Mini 210 will set you back $370 (list price) and certainly sports the features you’d expect from a new netbook.

We could only find one online review of this new Mini 210 over at PC Mag where they gave the 1142CL 3.5 stars out of 5. They stated a dodgy touchpad, badly placed memory slots and its looks as negatives whilst the Mini 210′s fast HDD, large battery and competitive pricing as positives.

If you have managed to have a play with HP’s latest Mini 210 do let us know what you think of it.

Featured Tags hp, netbook


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Today we took a look at desktops and came cross the new DX4840 range from Gateway. The DX4840 sports i3 or i5 processors, Windows 7 and at least 4GB of memory. Here are the specs on the DX4840-02e model

* Intel® Core™ i5-650 Processor2 3.2GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 3.46GHz (4MB L3 Cache)
* Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
* 4096MB DDR3 Dual-Channel 1333MHz Memory
* Expandable to 8GB
* 640GB 7200RPM SATA hard drive
* Integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator HD
* 16X DVD+/-R/RW Super Multi Drive
* High Definition Audio with 5.1-channel Surround Support
* Available Expansion Slots 1 – PCI-E x16, 2 – PCI-E x1, 1 – PCI
* Dimensions (System) 16.23″ (H) x 7.09″ (W) x 16.27″ (D) or 412.24mm (H) x 180mm (W) x 413.2mm (D)
* Gateway® FHX2300 23″ Widescreen LCD Display (1920 x 1080 resolution & 16:9 Aspect Ratio)
* External Ports (10) USB 2.0 ports (4 Front, 6 Rear), VGA, (2) PS/2 Ports, HDMI™, (3) Audio Ports
* Multi-in-One Digital Media Card Reader with Photo Frame Button
* 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 port)
* 25 lbs. (11.3 kg)

It also rocks in at $800 which isn’t a bad price for a desktop with all these features. We managed to find one review for you to check the full deal on the Gateway DX4840-02e over at PC Mag where they gave it a 4 out of 5, quoting integrated graohics and bloatware are negatives whilst on the upside were the machine’s performance and included monitor.

Featured Tags desktop, gateway


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