Archive : Consumer Electronic

Review : AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition CPU Processor Based on AMD‘s flagship Deneb processor die, the 720 has the full 6MB compliment of L3 cache. It also runs at a reasonable 2.8GHz frequency. As a Black Edition chip, it even has an unlocked CPU multiplier for easy overclocking. There is, however, something missing. AMD has disabled one of Deneb’s four cores. The Phenom II [...]

Review : Intel Core i7 970 CPU Processor The Core i7 970 is a bit cheaper than Intel’s top six-core chip, the Core i7 980X. But it’s still a tough ask given that AMD will sell you its own six-core Phenom II X6 1055T CPU for around one third the price. What the AMD chip doesn’t give you, however, is the very latest technology. The Core i7 970 sports literally the most advanced [...]

Review : Intel Core i5 655K One of a pair of new K Series processors aimed at overclocking addicts, the Intel Core i5 665K’s stand out feature is an unlocked CPU multiplier. Previously only found on ultra expensive Intel Extreme Edition models, an unlocked multiplier allows for CPU overclocking without stressing other parts of the system. Indeed, it’s the unlocked multiplier that [...]

Sony Bloggie Touch Review Flip Video may have been the first out of the gate with a touchscreen pocket video camera, but Kodak, Samsung, JVC and now Sony have followed — all with more compelling packages than Flip’s offering. Sony’s new Bloggie Touch features a snappy 3-inch touchscreen LCD, an f/2.8 lens with auto macro, and full HD 1080p resolution recording at 30 frames per second. There’s [...]

Apple iPod Touch – 4th generation As a portable media player/gaming device/mini-tablet computer, Apple‘s iPod Touch has been blowing us away since 2007. As far as design goes, the fourth-generation model is noticeably lighter and thinner than previous generations but still maintains a sturdy feel with curved, chromed steel backing. The curve is a little less pronounced than the second- [...]

Apple TV Review Apple has unveiled its completely revamped Apple TV, featuring a much smaller design, and is due in late September. It will cost AU$129, which is a large decrease from the current AU$329 price of the old Apple TV. The new design is about a fifth the size of the original Apple TV, and its connectivity has been stripped to just five ports: HDMI, optical digital audio output, USB, Ethernet [...]

Dell Inspiron N301 Review Good: Good performance for a sub-1k notebook • Slim design Bad: Average battery life • No in-built optical drive Design Inexpensive notebooks have the habit of looking, if we’re going to be blunt, a little on the cheap side. Dell‘s Inspiron N301 — part of the company’s Inspiron 13z series, which initially made it quite tricky to track down on Dell’s [...]

Samsung ST600 Review ameras with its unique dual-LCD implementation. Featuring a 3.5-inch rear touchscreen and a 1.5-inch display in front for framing self-portraits, no other camera manufacturer has emulated the ST550. Users who find the 1.5-inch front screen too small will rejoice at the latest addition to the ST family. The ST600 is an improved camera over its predecessor and features a higher-resolution [...]

Apple iPod Nano (6th generation) Review Apple has shrunk the Nano. Last year’s fifth generation model already stripped a lot of the superfluous weight from the device, but this iteration is now just 21.1 grams. This version is more akin to the Shuffle than any previous models, at least in terms of physical size. Gone too is the click wheel that characterised previous Nanos. Apart from the different [...]

Blackberry Curve 3G review Improved connectivity and great email, but overpriced Forget the natty BlackBerry Torch and the much-mooted Clamshell 9760. If you’re a workaholic and looking to snaffle one of RIM’s emailers, then the Curve 3G 9300 fancies itself as the ultimate proposition. An entry-level smartphone, the new Curve adds HSDPA to its arsenal, while sticking with the tried and tested [...]