Hot off the boat this month is a range of iPhone 3G/3GS cases we’ve not seen in this country before. Brought into New Zealand by Playtech, the Shield brand of cases arrive just in time to quell the fears of all those new iPhone 3GS owners fretting about scratching their beloved toy.

Made of durable hard plastic, the case snaps onto the iPhone quickly and easily and the fit is perfectly snug — not once during our testing did the Shield look like moving, let alone fall off.

The texture of the case is matt and provides plenty of grip while the design is svelte enough not to detract from the sleek form factor of the iPhone itself — something many other cases fail to do. Openings are provided for the camera lens, the volume controls and the top and bottom of the iPhone are full accessible. There’s even a hole that shows off your Apple logo.

The only downside to the compact design is that the front edge of the case is lower than the surface of the screen, meaning the screen is the first thing to come in contact with the floor or desk when placed (or dropped) screen-side down. However, many iPhone cases we’ve tried that have raised edges can actually interfere with operation of the touchscreen, so in our books the trade-off is worth it.

Available in eight colours including a clear plastic finish, the Shield costs $48. If you’re buying an iPhone from Playtech at the same time, they’ll sell you one for $29. Well worth it.

9/10

Posted by Scott Bartley at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

HP’s new HP Mini 5101 boasts a full metal jacket with an anodised aluminium display enclosure and magnesium alloy in the lower case of the Mini frame.
The spill-resistant keyboard is 95% of a full-size QWERTY keyboard.
Starting at 1.18kgs, the 5101 features a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display available in either WSVGA or high-definition resolutions. Customers can also choose either the four-cell battery for lighter weight or six-cell battery for longer battery life.
The 5101 comes with either a 7,200rpm hard drive or solid state drives in 80 or 128GB sizes.
An optional, integrated Gobi-powered HP Mobile Broadband module allows users to connect to mobile 3G networks. Wi-fi is also provided and Bluetooth is optional
HP QuickSync software, planned to be available as a web download in September, allows quick synchronisation of the HP Mini with notebooks or desktops so users can avoid maintaining multiple documents, media files and email. Information also can sync to portable storage devices.
The HP Mini 5101 is available from early August with a starting price of $895 ex GST.

Posted by Ted Gibbons at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Microsoft New Zealand today released a te reo Māori language pack for Windows Vista that is available as a no-cost download.

The release, which coincides with Māori Language week, provides computer users with the ability to adapt their copy of Vista to display many commonly used features in te reo Māori. It covers most of the user interface, such as menus, dialogues and error messages of the most commonly used elements of Microsoft’s Windows.

The Vista software includes grammar and language upgrades in accordance with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (The Māori Language Commission).

Chief Executive of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori Huhana Rokx says applications such as the Māori language pack are crucial as the normalisation of a language is dependent on it being a part of daily life.

”As technology becomes more intrinsic in our everyday lives, the use of te reo Māori helps make the language more visible and accessible. This project also showcases te reo Māori as a living language that can be used in any circumstance - however technical or specialised.„

Windows XP and Office 2003 localisation packs are already available, and Microsoft intends to release a localisation pack for Office 2007 later this year.

Posted by Ted Gibbons at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Given up on that bulky library of VHS tapes from years gone by? Well, why not grab the DVD Maker II USB dongle from AV Labs and turn them all into sparkling DVDs, YouTube videos or files to play on your iPod or PSP.
DVD Maker II provides an interface between your video device and your computer, allowing you to capture those old videos from your video camera or VCR and convert them into MPEG4 format.
With the included CyberLink PowerDirector 6 and PowerProducer 4 media editing software you can create videos with special effects, transitions, titles, and picture in picture. The Magic Tools function will enhance video quality and remove audio noise for quality playback.
Compatible with both PC and Mac and most video editing software packages, DVD Maker II is available now from selected Harvey Norman stores, and online at ascent.co.nz, with an RRP of $149.95.

Posted by Ted Gibbons at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

The new version of Nokia’s Ovi Maps for mobile devices adds features such as high-resolution aerial images, 3D landmarks for over 200 cities, terrain maps and a new route overview in Drive - the turn-by-turn car navigation guide.

Other new options for Ovi Maps include a new point-of-view information service providing live travel, event updates, and a weather service giving 24-hour and 5-day forecasts.

Pedestrian navigation has also been improved. A straight-line guidance takes the person on foot the quickest route between two points. Beeps and vibrations in the walking navigation mode alert the pedestrian when they need to take a turn along their route.

Ovi Maps now extends to the PC or Mac, too. Users can explore relevant locations around the world, and collect, create and pre-plan routes. Ovi Maps on web, www.maps.ovi.com, also enables the sharing of locations, personal content and experiences with friends.

When PC World took a look at the web-based mapping this morning, it was very slow to load and refresh, wasn't at all fond of Firefox and was pegged as still being in Beta mode.

Posted by Ted Gibbons at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

D-Link’s new DIR-685 Xtreme N Storage Router features 802.11n connecticvity, network attached storage (NAS), SharePort™ technology for sharing printers and scanners, and a bright LCD display for viewing digital photos, desktop applications and network performance.

The DIR-685's integrated 802.11n wireless LAN provides a fast internet connection and streaming of music and videos from stored media on the network to a TV and stereo equipment.
Without any cumbersome cables or protruding antennas, this state-of-the-art router can share disk space wirelessly among family members.
Multiple input/multiple output (MIMO) antenna technology ensures that wireless data transfers are fast and reach all wireless devices in the home.

A 3.2-inch LCD screen displays the status of connected devices graphically. Digital photos, videos, weather forecasts and other internet content can be streamed in up to 1.6 million colours. To manage the photo frame feature, D-Link has partnered with FrameChannel, a free web service (internetphotoframe.com) that allows for the customisation of content displayed on the screen, so photos can be easily accessed and viewed.

The DIR-685 storage router also employs D-Link Green™ technology to help conserve energy. This includes automatically recognising port activity, cable length and adjusting power usage accordingly. A scheduler can turn off the router's Wi-Fi module at a preset time, and the power adapter complies with Energy Star specifications for average power savings of up to 30 percent. The NAS drive and the Gigabit ports have power-saving features to make the DIR-685 a green product from the top to the bottom.

Users can optionally add a 2.5" hard drive with up to 500GB of disk space to provide network storage. The network attached storage (NAS) feature supports both UPnP® server functions and BitTorrent™ downloads. A built-in FTP server allows users to access files locally through the home network or remotely over the internet.

Two USB ports utilise new D-Link SharePort USB over TCP/IP technology. This enables multiple users to seamlessly share USB devices -- including printers, multi-function printers (MFP), and external hard drives -- from any location in the home or small office, in a Wi-Fi environment.

The DIR-685 also comes with a 4-port 10/100/1000 Gigabit switch to connect multiple wired devices such as computers, media players and game consoles for fast file transfer and lag-free online gaming.

The DIR-685 is available now for $579.95 incl GST. Units shipped during the initial launch period include a 160GB hard drive at no extra cost.

For more information, see dlink.co.nz.

Posted by Ted Gibbons at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )