The Cowon A2 is a portable media player/recorder with a 30GB hard drive, a widescreen 4-inch LCD, and an integrated FM tuner. Its video and audio playback capabilities are good, the design is attractive, and the interface is fairly easy to use, but we’re a bit disappointed in what we feel is the device’s main feature: video recording. There are also some file-compatibility issues that need to be worked out before we can get really excited about this product.

Video playback is stunning with a crystal clear image even when being interpreted into widescreen from the native resolution. The display can be toggled between 4:3 and 16:9 or can be left on automatic so the player makes up its own mind. The unit supports playback of AVI, WMV, ASF, MP4 and video made with Divx 3.11 to 4.5, Xvid and Windows Media 9 codecs with reasonable resolution limits imposed on each. There are very few video formats that this unit doesn’t display, the only two major ones being Quicktime and Real Media. There is no noticeable slow down on any of the formats when played on the LCD screen and no audio lag. The video playback function also supports SMI subtitle files which make watching foreign films possible and also opens up a world of possibilities for those with hearing disabilities. Unfortunately, SMI is not the most widely used subtitle standard but there are free programs available on the internet for easy conversion. Video can also be played back via a television set with the flick of a switch and maintains its quality of image and sound reproduction.

Record video directly from external AV devices (TV,VCR, camcorder). Just connect your A2 with included AV cable then start recording.USB 2.0 support allows fast file transfer to the built-in hard disk, and the “USB HOST” feature allows you to transfer pictures from your digital camera (with UMS support) to your A2 without computer. You can record voice memos or important lectures with A2′s built-in high-fidelity microphone. You can also directly from any analog sound device such as a CD player with the lin-in cable.

Specifications:

Video Playback File Format : AVI, WMV, ASF
Video Codec : DivX 3.11 1) / 4/ 5 2), XviD 2), WMV9 (MP@LL) 3)
Audio Codec : WMA 4), MP3, AC3 5.1 Downmix
Audio Playback MP3, OGG 10), WMA 4), FLAC 10), WAV with 5 bands EQ, BBE, Mach3Bass, MP Enhance, and 3D Surround 5)
Photo Viewer JPEG 6), PNG 7), BMP 8 )
Text Viewer TXT (EUC-KR, EUC-JP, GB2312, Big5, ISO-8859-1, UTF-8)
FM Radio 76 ~ 108MHz with preset
TV Recording ASF (MPEG4 video and MP3) : Up to 640X480, 30fps
Line-in Recording MP3 : Up to 44.1KHz, 192Kbps
TV Out NTSC/PAL
DivX Certified Yes
Subtitle SMI Format
Playback Time Video : Up to 10 hours
Audio : Up to 18 hours
LCD 4″ 480×272, 0.183mm pitch, TFT LCD (16:9 Wide)
Storage Hard disk (20GB/30GB) 9)
PC Interface USB 2.0 (Max 480Mbps)
USB OTG USB 1.1 (Max 12Mbps)
USB USB 2.0

AIBO (Artificial Intelligence roBOt, homonymous with “companion” in Japanese) was one of several types of robotic pets designed and manufactured by Sony; there have been several different models since their introduction in 1999. Able to walk, “see” its environment via camera, and recognize spoken commands, they are considered to be autonomous robots, since they are able to learn and mature based on external stimuli from their owner or environment, or from other AIBOs. Artist Hajime Sorayama created the initial designs for the AIBO.

The AIBO has seen use as an inexpensive platform for artificial intelligence research, because it integrates a computer, vision system, and articulators in a package vastly cheaper than conventional research robots. The [RoboCup] autonomous soccer competition has a “RoboCup Four-Legged Robot Soccer League” in which numerous institutions from around the world participate. Competitors program a team of AIBO robots to play games of autonomous robot soccer against other competing teams.

A colour camera (350,000 pixels), sensors, stereo microphones and speakers allow full interaction with your new companion – Numerous touch sensors, you can use to train your AIBO – Built-in Wireless LAN – AIBO can playback MP3 music files, internet radio, call out your schedule, record movie clips with its camera and be remotely controlled via PC – Faster reactions to voice commands and improved obstacle avoidance – House sitter mode – AIBO records and emails pictures and sounds of any movement or sound whilst you’re out – Supplied with AIBO Mind 2 Software so that your AIBO is ready to live and learn The robot also comes with Wi-Fi on board, so that it can connect wirelessly to the Internet, or be managed by the owner from a remote PC.

Specifications

Components Body, Head, Leg x 4, Tail – CPU 64bit RISC processor – Main Storage / MB SDRAM – Program Storage Medium Memory Stick™ Media for AIBO – Input/Output PC Card Slot Type 2 In/Out – Memory Stick™ Media Slot In/Out – AC in Power Supply Connector Input – Image Input CMOS Image Sensor (300K pixel) – Audio Input Miniature Stereo Microphones – Audio Output Miniature Speaker – Built-in Sensors Temperature Sensor – IR Distance Sensor – Acceleration Sensor – Pressure Sensors (head, face, back, legs and tail) – Vibration Sensor Power Consumption approx. 9W

With dimensions of 1.1 inches tall by 23 inches wide by 6 inches deep, the revamped PlayStation 2 is downright tiny. In fact, it’s less than a quarter of the size of the original console. Sure, Sony cheated by off-loading some of the system’s bulk to an external power transformer (a laptop-style power-brick AC adapter), but the superslim miniconsole still represents an impressive feat of miniaturization. Another design compromise: the new PS2 is a top-loader. The disc bay pops open like a Discman, and you snap the disc onto a spindle. (Like the old PS2, the new one can be set up horizontally or vertically, though the latter configuration needs a special stand.) It looks a bit cheesy and requires extra headroom, but the spring-loaded disc door won’t fail as easily as the motorized tray found in your DVD player.

Backward compatibility with the original PlayStation games is a big reason for Sony users to stick with the PS2. The PS2 uses the original PlayStation?s CPU as its I/O processor. We played about a half-dozen PlayStation games on the PS2, and all played and looked pretty much the same as they did on our original PlayStation, though several seemed to be a bit more responsive on the PS2. The PlayStation 2 can use older PlayStation memory cards, but they work only with older PlayStation games. New cards are available that work with the PS2′s new memory format. The dual-shock controller also serves to control DVD playback–the drive in the PS2 handles standard DVD movies as well as games. Sony has built a lot of functionality into the PS2.

Connection to your television can be done by either composite, S-Video, or component video cabling. Video output and analog audio outputs are integrated into one bundle via an A/V Multi-Out. On tap for both video gaming and DVD playback is an optical digital output that can pass Dolby Digital and DTS bit-streams from corresponding discs. Included with the PS2 is a set of composite video/analog audio cables. But if you have the ability to take advantage of S-Video or component video connections, do it! The extra amount of detail afforded by the latter connections is worth every penny that the cables will cost you.

From an aesthetic perspective, the Sony PSP is a gorgeous device. It’s one of those gadgets you immediately want to get your hands on but vigilantly want to protect once you set it down. Weighing essentially the same as the Nintendo DS (6.2 ounces, including removable battery) and measuring 6.7 by 2.9 by 0.9 inches (WHD), the body feels well built and solid in your hand. Although not a lightweight, it’s by no means a brick, nor, we suspect, would it be especially durable in a fall; you’ll want to treat the PSP just as gingerly as an iPod or a Palm-style PDA.

The PSP proves itself a good, not great, multimedia companion. For starters, we found that the headphone sound volume is not very high, which could be a problem for those listening to music or watching a movie on the subway. Storing music and photos on the Memory Stick Duo is not very intuitive. It is necessary first to create a main directory named PSP and subdirectories for music, photos, and video, or the PSP will not acknowledge that the files are present. You don’t get the full complement of playlist and EQ features you would see on a dedicated music player. And unlike with dedicated portable media players (such as the Archos Pocket Video Recorder line), there’s no way to capture video content from TV and get it on the PSP directly. Practically speaking, for video you’ll be limited to what comes out on UMD.

Games and officially licensed movies come on Sony’s proprietary UMD (Universal Media Disc) media, which are housed in protective cartridges. The UMD drive is grafted to the back of the unit; you load it and snap it shut just as you would a camcorder. The top edge also sports infrared and a USB 2.0 port that you can use to link the device to your PC or Mac, though no USB connection cable is included.

On the plus side, you’ll never have to worry about having an outdated version of the system software: Simply connect to any wireless network with Internet access and choose Network Update. The PSP automatically goes out over the Internet to search for and apply the latest patches. That said, we wonder why a device that can get you online so easily lacks a built-in Web browser.

Rock in color

Be captivated by the refreshing blue OLED screen of the ZEN Stone Plus as you interact with and personalize your player. The perfect companion to avid sportsmen, the player captures personal bests with its stopwatch function, while letting you run to the invigorating beat of the music.

Choose from any of the six glossy shades, all of which complements the player’s shiny sleek finish nicely. And with its 2GB and 4GB capacity, this lightweight player allows you to indulge in up to 2,000 songs1 as you head for your daily workout or run. Simply switch to radio anytime you fancy a change.
You can even pamper and protect your player with the attractive ZEN Stone Plus Keychain Case or the colorful ZEN Stone Plus Skin with Clip. All these and more are yours to choose from the ZEN Stone Plus accessories range.

The tiny display utilizes OLED technology. It is monochrome, which makes it contrasting enough so that messages are easily readable despite the small font. Display contrast is adjustable. Although the player and the screen are miniaturized, the menu is not deprived in settings. One can choose the current time, date and day of the week to be simultaneously displayed as a backdrop. The customizable button that we have mentioned above can be set to showing the backdrop, turning on the voice recorder or the stopwatch according to user’s liking. Display backlight turns off after a specifiable time. After that one may run into an unpleasant situation – every time a button is pressed it will have to be pressed again, because the first time it only turns the light back on. There are only to choices here – get used to it or don’t turn the light off.

Wireless LAN, Wireless Internet
Integrated WLAN capability means new possibilies! Entire world is in front of you to be discovered. Just touch the screen and start exloring. Pocket-sized COWON Q5W will assist you throughout your journey. Your exploring experience will only be better with its huge 5-inch 16million color LCD touch screen.

“Jamming a Web browser, Bluetooth, a text editor, and a zillion other features into a PMP is a solid idea, but the interface must be done right. Unfortunately for the Cowon Q5W, running a dated-looking minimally functional version of Windows doesn’t cut it. The 5-inch touchscreen looks great, and the audio is excellent and offers flexible options, but the design (inside and out) is decidedly technophilic. With a few firmware updates, this could be a decent travel companion for the tech-savvy, but it’s too big and heavy to be carried with you everywhere, and the touchscreen interface doesn’t compete with offerings from the likes of Apple and Samsung.”

The top edge of the Cowon Q5W includes conveniently located buttons for controlling volume, a power switch that doubles as a hold button for disabling onscreen controls, two built-in speakers, an infrared sensor for the included remote control, and a pinhole microphone for creating voice recordings. A useful (often necessary) stylus pen for the Q5W’s touch screen is conveniently housed in the top-right edge of the player. Packed into the left edge of the Q5W are jacks for a 3.5mm headphone cable, a 2.5mm headset cable (for voice recording), a power adapter input, a USB-to-PC port, a USB host port, and the oddest feature of all: a fragile, retractable antenna that we first thought was for the FM radio, but is actually used for Wi-Fi reception. The back, bottom, and right edge of the Q5W are bare, save a small proprietary port on the bottom for the player’s AV cable output and optional GPS dock

‘The Q5W powers up in about 20 seconds, booting first into Windows CE and then launching Cowon’s extremely thin interface layer — two icon-filled panes on either side of the screen and several inches (diagonal) of wasted space in the middle. While clearly designed for fingers, the icons should have been made much bigger, and the rest of the menus could use a lesson in finger-friendliness. You can exit Cowon’s interface into Windows CE, but it’s ironic to see such an outdated-looking version of Windows on a device from one of the industry’s most cutting-edge manufacturers. And the OS is pretty sluggish on the 600-MHz Alchemy Au1250 processor and 128MB of RAM.

Power, precision and comfort for serious gamers

Fine-tune your audio senses with the Fatal1ty Gaming Headset, co-developed with world gaming champion Jonathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel. Sleek, black and with a streak of fiery red, equip yourself with a world-class gaming arsenal that gives you the edge above all others. From the generous head padding to the enclosed plush earcups, your gaming sessions just became a whole lot more comfortable. At the heart of this gaming headset are two large 40mm Neodymium drivers for realistic explosions and piercing gunfire. And as what you hear is just as important as what you say, the Fatal1ty Gaming Headset boasts a flexible and detachable noise-canceling microphone boom that allows it to be used as a regular pair of headphones. With the in-line volume control, you can easily control your sound level or mute the microphone.

Gain the competitive edge over your opponents with the premium headset developed with the expertise of Johnathan ‘Fatal1ty’ Wendel. Slip on the Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming headset, and enjoy crisp sound and lightweight comfort. And issue crisp, clear orders to your team with the military grade, noise-canceling microphone.

The padding on the headband and ear cups is a blessing – it really feels like the set is hugging your noggin. There’s plenty of space for your lugs in the cups too. There’s a volume control on the cable, and the mic can be clipped in or removed – although as it’s mounted on a bendy cable, you can wind it out of the way if need be. Neat design, great sound, ’nuff said.

For the serious gamer, the Fatal1ty Gaming Headset does make the difference between victory and defeat.