Death note. The most controversial anime of all time.

Yagami Light is an ace student with great prospects, who's bored out of his mind. One day he finds the "Death Note": a notebook from the realm of the Death Gods, with the power to kill people in any way he desires. With the Death Note in hand, Light decides to create his perfect world, without crime or criminals. However, when criminals start dropping dead one by one, the authorites send the legendary detective L to track down the killer, and a battle of wits, deception and logic ensues...

-I'm sure that everybody has watched this anime. It is very cool. It makes you wonder on many things. :)

-Kean"every moves are counted, every attacks are calculated, every skills are mastered."

Clannad! A must see :)

Tomoya Okazaki is a third year high school student resentful of his life. His mother passed away from a car accident when he was younger, causing his father to resort to alcohol and gambling. This results in fights between the two until Tomoya's shoulder is injured in a fight. Since then, Tomoya has had distant relationships with his father, causing him to become a delinquent over time. While on a walk to school, he meets a strange girl named Nagisa Furukawa who is a year older, but is repeating due to illness. Due to this, she is often alone as most of her friends have moved on. The two begin htanging out and slowly, as time goes by, Tomoya finds his life shifting in a new direction.

-Over all, I give this anime a 2 thumbs up. :)

-Kean"every moves are counted, every attacks are calculated, every skills are mastered."

Windows phone 7 series

Since a long time ago, the software for Microsoft mobile phones seems just a less powerful version of the Windows software for PCs. Users never accepted the less attractive interface, the slower performance, and boring menus with a “corporative style” that require several clicks to execute any function or task.

For that reason, Microsoft introduced Windows Phone 7, the last version of its operating system for smartphones. It is supposed to transform a cell phone in a sort of electronic manager that anticipates the users’ needs. For example, this new OS include tools to consult the contacts network and users’ data automatically in order to find scheduled meetings, photos, and messages from friends; then, this information can be presented in an attractive way with a visual aspect similar to the interface of the Zune music player, instead of the traditional interfaces based on personal computers.

The development of this new OS required the humble recognition on the part of Microsoft (the biggest sotware maker of the world) that the clumsy architecture of Windows Mobile was a failure in the market. This way, the company needed to start from scratch in order to hopefully be able to compete with Apple and the iPhone.

According to Terry Myerson, the VP in charge of Windows Phone engineering, “to be entirely candid, the iPhone opened our eyes as to some things that needed to be done that were not in our plan… Some execution had really gone astray”. It is not clear yet whether the new Microsoft software is really a challenge for Apple, or simply it will end up being just a niche product with a poor result in the industry, just like happened with the Zune and its weak impact compared with the Apple iPod.


-Kean
"every moves are counted, every attacks are calculated, every skills are mastered."

3D without special glasses :)

The new Sharp gadgets will show bright and clear three-dimensional images without needing special glasses, which were required (so far) to use this type of technology.

The bad news is that those gadgets only will work with 3.4-inch displays, which should be placed at a distance of 30 centimeters (12 inches) from the user’s eyes.

Yesterday (April 2), Sharp Corp. introduced some displays for mobile devices (which are able to show three-dimensional animations), as well as touch-sensitive panels where you can browse a gallery of 3D pictures, and a small screen connected to a 3D video camera.

In recent months, some 3D movies in domestic formats and TVs with 3D technology have been introduced in the market, too. In fact, at this time, companies like Sony Corp., Panasonic Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics are selling or plan to launch 3D TVs around the world. But, the great thing about the Sharp technology is that the upcoming gadgets won’t require glasses anymore. Cool!

-Kean
"every moves are counted, every attacks are calculated, every skills are mastered."

Compactflash :)

The membership organization CompactFlash Association, which is in charge of managing the standardized enclosure of the CompactFlash (CF) mass storage devices, has made public an update with the 5.0 specification for this type of products with a clear improvement: A greater storage capacity that now could reach (in theory) up to 144 petabytes. Although it will be very complicated we see CF cards with this capacity, the new range of 48-bit addresses will allow to overcome the limitations of the previous specifications.

Shigeto Kanda, Canon representative and CFA chairman of the board (by the way, the CompactFlash Association website is a really really basic and old-fashioned site), pointed out that “the higher capacity and higher performance of CF cards enabled by the 48-bit addressing feature in the CF5.0 specification will further increase the value of DSLR cameras. The Video Performance Guarantee feature of the CF5.0 specification will help CF cards to expand into new markets such as high-speed movie equipment like professional video camcorders.”

As was pointed out in the official announcement, the new benefits of the 5.0 specification are mainly supported by the new range of 48-bit addresses, which allows to overcome the previous limitation that established a maximal storage capacity of 137 Gbytes for a CompactFlash card. Again, it will be very complicated the production of 144-petabyte cards in the short term, but of course, the new feature adds a margin of evolution to the industry.

Besides the theoretical increase of the capacity, additional improvements for the ATA standard have been added, as well as a better execution control and the so-called “Video Performance Guarantee Profiles” (recording guarantees for storing video), which is a field where CompactFlash cards had lost ground (at least temporally) with other formats such as SDHC that is currently more popular among the DSLR (Digital-SLR) and digital video camera makers.

Compact flash is very useful for others that are very outgoing. :)

-Kean
"every moves are counted, every attacks are calculated, every skills are mastered."

Aspire Ethos. A must have this summer. :)

The company Acer has introduced two models of the new laptops family under the name Aspire Ethos.

The Acer Aspire Ethos 8943G and the Acer Aspire Ethos 5943G will come with Intel processors ranging from Core i3-330M, to the Core i5, to the Core i7-820QM. Regarding graphics, the laptops will have ATI Mobility Radeon HD5000 graphics adapters.

The first model has a FullHD 18.4-inch screen while the second one comes with a 15.6-inch screen and resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels.

These computers will have one or two hard drives with capacity ranging from 640GB to 1.28TB, up to 4 Gbytes of DDR3 RAM memory, gigabit ethernet, 4 USB 2.0 ports, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, HDMI port, Blu-Ray recorder, 8-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit pre-installed.

It is also effective and accurate for users that are outgoing, because it is very light and comfortable to use. It is one of the most desired laptops this year. :)


-Kean
"every moves are counted, every attacks are calculated, every skills are mastered."

Phone with psp games? :)

There is an interesting nonofficial announcement coming from Japan: Several journalist have made public that Sony is planning to develop a smartphone where users will be able to play PSP games. In addition, apparently, Sony would be creating a device with a wide range of features, so it would not be easy to define it as a netbook, or an e-reader, or a handheld console (like PSP); actually, it would be a combination of all of them.

These projects are the reaction of Sony to Apple strategies, particularly regarding the iPad and iPhone. So, this is an interesting competition that, hopefully, will benefit the end users. But, at the same time, it could be interpreted as an obvious and meaningful evolution of the PSP, a console that has had strong competitors since it was launched commercially.

As you can imagine, the new smartphone that would be able to play PSP games won’t include slots to insert game cartridges. Instead, they could be connected to the online shop “PlayStation Store” (which is currently accessible by using a PlayStation 3 or PSP console) to download games developed for PSP. Sony Ericsson is working on this smartphone and, most likely, it will impact the mobile market in a strong way. However, it is not clear yet whether the whole PSP catalog will be supported, or only a reduced number of games. Apparently, the original games developed by Sony will be totally supported, but maybe third-party games could have some limitations, at least initially.

For the moment, the only thing we can do is to wait for official announcements and watch for the way how these projects move forward, since Sony is constantly surprising us with innovations and unexpected products. After the launch of the PSPGo, which has had very little success, the company needs a new product with a “wow” factor: That would be an opportunity to recover fans and increase earnings.


-Kean
"every moves are counted, every attacks are calculated, every skills are mastered."

USB external hard drive: USB 3.0 SSD Aviator -2

Approximately one year ago, the first SSD drives were introduced: They constitute a new storage system that leaves some magnetic and mechanical parts behind in order to adopt an innovative, faster, silent and efficient way of storing information; however, this technology is still an expensive option with (relatively) low storage capacities and, for that reason, it has not been adopted massively in the market yet. Anyway, this is a great technology with many advantages. For example, the installation of the external SSD drives is a really easy process and they can be connected to any PC or laptop in seconds.

A new enhanced product in this category is Aviator-2. It is an external SSD drive with a faster transfer speed and an improved performance, thanks to its USB 3.0 port. In fact, a new major feature of the USB 3.0 specification is the SuperSpeed bus that can provide a transfer mode at 4.8 Gbit/s.

The maker Active Media Products has introduced the first product of this new generation: An external SSD drive that, initially, will be available in 64GB and 128GB versions. Besides, this drive is supposed to support transfer rates of up to 4Gbits/sec (10 times faster than the USB 2.0 specification).

Also, this external SSD drive comes in sizes that are smaller than usual sizes. Specifically, the dimensions are 5.3 x 3.3 x 0.6 inches (135 x 84 x 15 mm); actually, it could be carried in a pocket of a regular jacket. The price of the Aviator-2 is about US$ 260 (190 EUR) for the 64GB version and US$ 453 (333 EUR) for the other version with a storage capacity of up to 128GB.


-Kean
"every moves are counted, every attacks are calculated, every skills are mastered."

Apple launches a 27 inch LED monitor.

Rumors come and go all the time about Apple and its products. This time, some news are appearing regarding a possibility: Apparently, the Cupertino company would be preparing the launch of new 27-inch LED Cinema Displays and, besides that, an update in its Mac Pro line.

As for the displays, there won’t be changes (technologically speaking) because, according to some reports, the new displays will be similar to the 24-inch ones that currently exist in the market, which were introduced in October 2008.

With this, the company would pretend to introduce another additional screen with similar size to the 27-inch iMacs that have had a successful reception. This thinking is really logic, so the introduction of a device with these characteristics to generate some additional money for Jobs and his company is not an unrealistic plan, but rather a reasonable move.

But why now and not before? Well, a possible reason is that Apple would have been waiting for a fall in the high price of LCD panels that support a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, but apparently, the new products are being developed since a long time ago.

On the other hand, regarding the Mac Pro computers, the updates are related to the use of Intel Xeon Processors: The Xeon 5600 Series (12 cores) will be used in new Mac Pro models, while another version will be using a single processor model, with only six cores and a lower price.

This is really a must have :)

-Kean
"every moves are counted, every attacks are calculated, every skills are mastered."

Mini vaio :)

That is a new medium-end netbook whose price has not been revealed yet; however, we think that, as usual with the Vaio lines, the price will be higher than the average prices of other netbooks. The launch was confirmed by some British representatives of the company Sony. The Sony Vaio M will be introduced as a computer with a 10.1-inch screen and a battery that will be able to provide energy during about 8 hours before needing a recharge.

Screen will be LED-illuminated (of course!) and, although at this time we don’t know what resolutions it will support, judging by the size of the monitor, it is very possible that the default resolution will be 1024 x 600 pixels. Once again, a Pine Trail chip will be the heart of the processor for this new netbook. Specifically, we are talking about the Intel Atom N450 at 1.66GHz.

As you can imagine, the operating system of the Sony Vaio M will be Windows 7. The storage capacity is defined by the 2.5-inch hard drive that will be installed by default inside the Sony Vaio M; that is to say: 250GB. In addition, those netbooks will have a single RAM module (pre-installed) with a capacity of 1GB (at least it will be the standard feature for the basic version).

Regarding connectors, there is no surprises; just the regular things of a normal computer. This new Sony Vaio M will come with Bluetooth support (a “must-have” feature nowadays), three USB 2.0 ports, and network card compatible with Wi-Fi systems.

This is a very compact edition of sony vaio because you can use the benefits of a big one with a very comfortable size. less hasle. :)

-Kean
"every moves are counted, every attacks are calculated, every skills are mastered."

750 hard drive :)

Toshiba’s Storage Device Division has introduced a 2.5-inch ultra-compact hard drive which, according to the company, is the first one offering a capacity of 750GB. The model MK7559GSXP has three platters into the 2.5-inch diagonal space and is designed for laptop computers where the size is a very important point.

The storage unit has an areal density of 839.1 Megabits/mm2 (541.8 gibabits/inch2) and a media transfer rate of 1,363Mbps.

Toshiba believes that the big capacity, speed, and reliability will transform the Toshiba MK7559GSXP into a product to be used potentially in several markets including set-top boxes (or TV codifiers/recorders) and video recorders.

This kind of hard drive will allow you to enjoy multiple files in your pc. This hard drive is very affordable and is very effective if you want to gain more memory for your pc. :)

-Kean
"every moves are counted, every attacks are calculated, every skills are mastered."

Brand new pc? :)

Toshiba, the Japanese maker, launched the new Toshiba Tecra M11 which is intended to be used in productive tasks and online environments. However, this laptop wouldn’t be appropriate for playing games.

This new laptop will come with the latest Intel processors, although the selected lines are not so powerful as the Intel Core i7 is.

Instead, the Toshiba Tecra M11 will come with Intel Core i3 and Intel Core i5 processors. There will be up to 4 available versions, so the end user can choose the better option.

In addition, these new computers will come with 3GB of DDR3 RAM at 1066MHz and a 320GB hard drive.

By incorporating these processors, we will be able to use an Intel GMA 3150 graphics chip or an Nvidia graphics chip (in particular the NVS 2100MS).

This new edition of toshiba will be able to take you to a whole new world of latest technology.

With it's new features it is very effective for role playing games. :)

-Kean
"every moves are counted, every attacks are calculated, every skills are mastered."