Quick gadgets roundup

ASUS TV Stick

In today’s technologically modern times, many people are moving away from the traditional television. And why not? Most television viewing can be done online anyway.

But ASUS, a leading name in computing, has decided that television viewing is far from over. They are preparing to introduce a whole new level of what some regard as an essential pastime to many people. The ASUS Express TV Stick is a device that gets plugged into your spare USB port. This then provides you with access to its auto installation software for high quality digital and analog TV reception.

And if you are spoilt for choice on which programme to watch, don’t worry – a nifty pop up feature allows you to save a show and watch at a later stage. Then, when you do want to watch it, all you need is a USB port and a computer and voila! Quick and convenient television viewing.

HP ProBook s-series Laptop

HP has launched a new range of low-priced notebooks, ideal for businesspeople looking for affordability, functionality and fresh features. The new ProBook s-series boasts sophisticated business functionality and features HD graphics and Blu-ray drives. You can even enjoy the option of selecting either an Intel processor or an AMD processor. You can also choose either a 14-inch, 15.6-inch or 17.3-inch diagonal HD widescreen with an aspect ratio of 16:9.

Other exceptional features include an optional Linux-based operating system pre-installed. The Novell Inc’s SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 is perfect for users who are looking for a change from the overriding Windows platform from Microsoft. Additionally, you get a nifty 3D DriveGuard which protects your hard drive, as well as a convenient spill resistant keyboard. What more could you ask for?

GoateeSaver

If you are a modern man who likes his facial hair trimmed to perfection, this may be the ideal gift for you. The GoateeSaver is a wacky but nifty device and great for keeping you looking neat and trimmed at all times, while knocking crucial minutes off your daily shaving regime.

So what does the GoateeSaver do? This quirky device is an adjustable mouthpiece capable of keeping your facial hair straight and even. It also shaves hard to reach places, allowing you to get the pattern you want. And even though your wife, friends and even kids might tease you, perfect facial hair is well worth the jibes.

The Dual Action Electronic Lightsaber

Face it guys. Most of you have at one stage fantasised about partaking in a lightsaber battle in outerspace – a la Star Wars. And now you may be able to do just that, while keeping your feet firmly on the ground. The Dual Action Electronic Lightsaber is a new toy which puts a twist on the traditional, now somewhat boring lightsabers of yore.

This new, updated lightsaber offers something that the older models do not – a second, smaller lightsaber hidden within the hilt. This makes defeating your opponent easier, especially if they are still trying to play catch up with their older models. Hold the extra lightsaber as a dagger, or attach it to the hilt for an uber-lightsaber. Your opponent will definitely have no chance now. But don’t go running to the toy stores just yet, as this lightsaber is only available as from August. Until then, may the force be with you.

Face-off: Desktops vs Laptops

The time has come for you to invest in another, more modern computer. It seems like just yesterday (which could very well be the case) that your current computer was top of the range. And now suddenly, you want a newer, more updated model. The most obvious choice would probably be to purchase a laptop. After all, that’s what everybody else seems to be doing. But do you really need a laptop, or are you just following the trend? Before you make the giant transition from desktop to laptop, take a moment to weigh out your options. Weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of each before jumping onto the laptop buying bandwagon.A laptop’s portability is the biggest differentiation factor. As we all know by now, laptops are portable and desktops are not. But is this small issue of mobility really your biggest worry? Even though a laptop may be mobile, a desktop normally offers twice the power and cost half the price of a laptop. Sure, laptops are the ‘in’ thing, but just how practical are they?

If portability is more important to you than power, then a laptop is your best bet. If, however, functionality, performance and affordability ring true to you, a desktop will be a far better alternative.

Let us look at the advantages and disadvantages of both the desktop and the laptop before deciding which of these two are right for you.

Price: With a desktop, you get more for your money. The price you pay for a medium range laptop would be the same, if not more, than a high range desktop. Plus, think of all the added accessories you would need to upgrade and maintain a laptop. Also, repairs on desktops are much cheaper and easier than laptops. What many of us do not realise is that laptop parts are what they call ‘proprietary’, meaning that if the laptop breaks, only the manufacturing company will be able to fix it. Of course, these companies charge you ridiculous sums of money to repair the damages, which means you have to fork out even more. With a desktop, you get much more reasonable rates, and your local computer store will be happy to offer repairs for a fraction of the price. Convenience and affordability, what more could you want?

Desktop:1, Laptop:0

Performance: In the great battle between laptops and desktops, various factors come into play. Performance should be a key factor when deciding on a new computer. As well as being cheaper, most desktops offer better overall performance than laptops.

Desktop:1, Laptop:0

Portability: A laptop has the edge over a desktop in this department. Portability is one of the main reasons why people opt for a laptop over a desktop. But, remember that as easy as it is for you to walk around with a laptop, it is just as easy for someone else to walk away with it. Yes, laptops are much easier to steal or misplace than their bulky counterparts. So keep your laptop safe, or get some insurance. Keep in mind that insurance will not be able to cover any lost data, so you should always back-up your information.

Desktop:1, Laptop:1

Peripherals: Remember that when purchasing a desktop, you are afforded the added peripherals that go along with it, like a mouse, keyword, WiFi connection and even a printer in some cases. While a laptop does offer a built in mouse and keyboard, those not used to using it will struggle. In this case, you will have to purchase extra accessories, which will cost you more money. With a desktop, you can chop and change your monitor, hard drive, etc. A laptop makes this process that much harder, if not impossible.

Desktop:1, Laptop:0

Space: Let’s face facts: a desktop takes up a lot of space; it has bulky machinery, not to mention added peripherals. A desktop will need a designated space in your office or study, whereas a laptop takes up a fraction of your workspace, and can be moved if things get a little cluttered.

Desktop:0, Laptop:1

Expandability and upgradeability: Desktops offer far more expandability options than laptops. Even though laptops do offer the option, it does not compare to those of a desktop. Most desktops also have hundreds, if not thousands of upgrade options. An example of this would be to add more memory and hard drives that can be replaced. This is more difficult with a laptop, as well as being pricier.

Desktop:1, Laptop:0

Storage: A desktop computer has much more storage space than a laptop, plus it is easy to upgrade to a bigger and more powerful hard drive.

Desktop:1, Laptop:0

Power Saving: Laptops use much less power than desktops. Plus, laptops have the added feature of a built in battery, which means valuable data will not be lost in case of a power failure and they can operate for several hours without power.
Desktop:0, Laptop:1

Selection: There are thousands of laptop models available, but even more options for desktop computers.

Desktop:1, Laptop:1

When looking at the overall score, it is easy to tell that a desktop will be a much more practical investment, but of course, the decision is entirely up to you. If you are looking for something small and portable, a laptop is right for you. If, however, you want a powerful computer to save important data, or a PC for the family, buying a pc would be the best. A good, if not impractical idea, would be to just purchase both. Use the laptop for your everyday business, and the desktop as a backup. Nevertheless, these days, no matter what you decide, there will always be something bigger and better and you will probably have to redo this whole process again soon.

Digital Planet have the latest laptops, computers and their accessories available on one site for your convenience.

jacSharp Win HP’s Battle of the Bands

We like to see technology companies leveraging their funds to help others; that’s exactly what HP have done recently with their competition, Design Your Personal Life.

4 Countries hosted an online competition where anyone could upload a video / music file of their band in action. Then, visitors to the site went about
voting on the artists they liked the best. The top 5 bands from each country were asked to play in their specific countries live event which was filmed.

Here in south africa, jacSharp came through with a great performance and ended up winning the competition. To see what they are all about, watch the
video below:

Dynamite in a small package – The Asus EEE PC

The new Asus EEE Compact Laptop is ideal for those of us in search of an easy to use device, without the fancy frills of its more technologically advanced counterparts.

Not to say that the EEE PC is not modern, it is just a little simpler to use and understand. The EEE PC is a lightweight, easy to use, compact and budget PC that connects you to the internet and does its job with no fuss. It’s ten times easier to use than a Windows machine, starts up twice as fast and costs a fraction of the price – what more could you ask for? If you are looking for a versatile piece of machinery and great value for money, this little beaut is for you. It’s very easy to use, and should appeal to adults and children alike. The menu is set up using simple tabs that offer clear options: Internet, Work, Play, Learn, Settings and Favourites. The EEE PC is useful for those who struggle to navigate their way through a computer’s resources. The seven-inch display is quite easy on the eye, but those used to bigger screens might take a while to get used to it.

Overall, the EEE PC boasts a solid design and is very travel-friendly – weighing in at less than a kilo (0.89kg, to be exact). This compact laptop features a SD card slot, two USB ports, and a VGA port on the right. On the left we have an extra USB port, Ethernet and modem connections, and a head phone and mic jacks. The hard-drive is solid-state (similar to flash-drive technology), which means that a bump or two won’t put your information at risk. The keyboard is a bit cramped and takes some getting used to. This mini notebook can do everything a regular Windows powered PC can do, and for less. The EEE PC is the ideal device for large families who usually fight over the rights to the primary PC.

With a variety of features and programmes, the EEE PC introduces a simple, user- friendly approach to PC handling. Young ones can enjoy word games like Hangman and math games like Tux of Math Command, while teens and parents can enjoy various Microsoft compatible applications, including Documents, Spreadsheets and Presentations. The Asus also boasts a file manager utility, a PDF reader, the Thunderbird e-mail client and a Notes application.

This device can play MP3s and WMAs stored on a memory card, while a built in mic performs great when making Skype calls. The EEE PC also does a good job at MPEG-4 videos and plays surprisingly smooth on the seven-inch display. The Photo Manager, on the other hand, takes a while to load large images.

Surfing the internet is pretty easy and speedy, although not as fast as on other devices. This snappy device handles Web 2.0 powered by Ajax technology or Flash with ease. Most of the applications are quick to load, and the 512 RAM is more than enough to operate the system. On the downside, there is only 4GB of storage space.

There is a lot to like about the Asus EEE laptop; however, there are a few tell tale signs that more could have been done before releasing it onto the market. For example, the webcam cannot work with the preloaded Skype programme or Pignin instant messaging programme. The reason: Asus is still working on drivers for the webcam and promises to launch it soon.

You might wonder why you should opt for an EEE PC as opposed to a laptop with a bigger screen, better specs and more memory. The EEE PC is great as a secondary computer for the household, and a great device for children to learn on. It is also great for people who do not have the time to learn the complicated workings of a regular PC and instead wants a user friendly model that saves time and money. The Asus EEE brings affordable computing to all and it looks great as well.

To finish off, the EEE comes in a large variety of flavours for the discerning user. All the models have the Pentium Celeron 900Mhz as its CPU, but they range mostly in terms of storage space – with the 700-W having 2GB of storage, ranging up to the 702-CW with its 8GB. While not immediately available, the EEE is also going to be released in a variety of colours for those who prefer a more personal touch.

Finally, for the geek at heart, I came across an excellent article which allows you to modify the Linux installation to allow a little more functionality. Of course, if you’re not a Linux fan, the laptop does come with instructions that will allow a minimum size install of Windows XP, which this little machine is quite capable of running. For tips on customising the Asus EEE, visit Laptopmag.com.

The EEE PC is available at most online stores – Digital Planet stocks all the models with prices ranging from R3,200 to R5,200.