NAD S717

NAD English company introduced the DVD-S717 receiver, which allows you to create a home theater or stereo system in a small space. The company’s specialists managed to conclude in an elegant, compact casing is a revolutionary design the high quality of its separate components. The result was a best option for the second zone, where the placement of standard components is not possible – for kitchen, office, bedroom and children’s rooms.

 NAD S717 – completely self-sufficient audio-video system. It is equipped with a TV tuner AM / FM with memory for 30 stations: 20 in the FM band and 10 – AM. Three video – SCART-(RGB), component and composite – allow to connect any TV. Two stereo inputs (RCA) are designed to connect your VCR, TV or other analog sources. Digital Out (Optical) allows you to connect to another receiver, CD-recorder and / or computer. There is a way for fans of a powerful subwoofer for bass.

 DVD-receiver plays all the latest formats: DVD-Video, VCD, SVCD, CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3, J-PEG, WMA, DivX-3/4/5. Additional comfort is the entrance for headphones on the front panel. Timer on / off easily perform the functions of the alarm and managed by a convenient remote control. All this makes it possible to configure a variety of systems based on this small device.

iPhone 3G

Less than a year since the appearance of the first iPhone, as Apple introduced the long-awaited iPhone 3G second generation of slightly modified design and a host of new opportunities, access to high-speed wireless 3G,your e-mail Microsoft Exchange server and the support of various programs from third-party applications from the store iPhone Apps. New iPhone 3G – is the iPhone, which we have been waiting for. He still lacks some basic features, but compared to what was a previous model year ago – a device marked a new era of development of mobile communications.

The price of the device we sincerely pleased. New and regular customers AT& T (telecom operator in the U.S.) could buy the iPhone 3G with 8 GB of memory for $ 199, but with a 16 GB for $ 299.If you do not need a phone proshity under the AT& T, you can buy it for $ 399 and $ 499 respectively (in this example shows the price iPhone 3G in the U.S. market).

So, is it necessary to buy iPhone 3G?If you are still not purchased iPhone, waiting for the release of new models, now is the time. If you are the owner of iPhone, but want to enjoy more high-speed mobile communication, then it is necessary to make a decisive step.But if you are a user and the iPhone is not going to use 3G, then you do not need novelty. Because the site is available an update to the Apple Software iPhone, to version 2.0 which also gives access to the mail server, allows you to work with third-party applications, and makes available many new features is absolutely free

Notice a difference in the design of the front of the iPhone 3G is quite difficult.Minor changes: silver ring became thinner and the silver protective netting – they are so small that we do not notice them at first acquaintance with the device. But much more change can be seen on the back of the phone. Apple replaced the aluminum cover on the silvery white or black plastic. The black version (model presented in our review) was very attractive, however, silver lid, could be seen far fewer fingerprints and stains than the brilliant black coating.The white version – does not like.

Edges iPhone 3G took just the form of conical shape to approach the curved back of the lid, which makes the device thinner around the perimeter of, unlike the predecessor, but slightly thicker in the center (1.22 cm to 1.19 cm).Unfortunately, the curved lid makes iPhone 3G slightly unstable when used on a flat surface, which soon begins to irritate. The length and width (13.97 x 6.1 cm) remained the same, although slightly decreased weight (133.24 g to 136.08 g).

When the amount of 8.9 cmand permission to display pixels 480×320 preserve its size, but displays slightly more dots per inch (163 to 160), and shows excellent color, clear graphics and smooth motion.  Glass cover the display, turning the sensor device,sensor interface and support the menu remain untouched.

Governance iPhone 3G undergone some changes, but none of them did not surprise the current user. Button “Home” is located directly below the display, and sound control and lock switch stayed on the left side. All buttons and switches are now silver, not black as it was before. Slot for SIM-card is also on the original site, but Apple added to the iPhone 3G a complete tool for removing SIM-card.Below iPhone in speaker, microphone, and input for the charger, you can also notice two small holes on each side of the slots to connect the charger.

If you think that it is now possible to change the battery in the iPhone – this bug – the battery can not be replaced, so we recommend that you do not even try to (though rumor that this time the battery is not vpayana).We are very pleased that the 3.5-mm connector on the headset is placed flush with the surface of the phone that you can use any 3.5-millimeter headset.

The set included cable to synchronize with your PC, cloth for cleaning the screen, a headset, user manual, as well as the aforementioned device for the extraction of SIM-cards.Apple took care of that for the iPhone 3G is not suitable docking station from the previous generation iPhone, but if you suddenly need it – it can be dokupit separately at a cost of about $ 30.

iPhone 3G not only supports all the features the previous version, but also has a new, so we will concentrate on them.Fortunately, for the first generation iPhone owners, most of the impressive number of new products – except the 3G support and enhanced features GPS – will be available with a free firmware update to version 2.0.

Workaholic always please support Microsoft Exchange Server, providing an opportunity to use e-mail, address book, calendar, technology, remote cleaning devices, access to international contacts, and automatic detection.This is another nice addition, is of interest for a new class of corporate users who now will be able to view a working e-mail on your iPhone.

When selecting menu iTunes store (store iTunes) you get to the main menu, Apps Store, the design which in something like a mobile iTunes Store. You can search by name and category, and you can view a list of submitted applications (Featured applications) or Top-25.There is also a function of inspection, there appeared to have already purchased applications have any updates.We have several applications for the iPhone, only with the help of the U.S. payment card VisaGold – because the iTunes store does not accept the Ukrainian or Russian credit cards, generally in the registration section of the CIS countries are not available,as is the case with the original iPhone, or with his younger brother PLERIN iPod.Download software via the Wi-Fi was able to fairly quickly, for most applications, it took only a few seconds, but remember that it depends on the size of the application.Despite the fact that the songs in iTunes can be purchased only through a Wi-Fi, application no more than 10 GB, you can download and use the 3G or even EDGE (if 3G network is not available).

Downloading data over 3G took about the same time, as well as via Wi-Fi, with a difference in a few seconds to download via EDGE was slow. We are also able to purchase the application through the online store iTunes (7.7).We downloaded Super Monkey Ball and then upload it to the iPhone – with a new tab appears under a menu iPhone. The process was quick and easy. Moreover, navigation through the on-line application shop is quite simple.After downloading the applications on the iPhone screen, there are icons that launch applications. What’s most striking in the shop, is that the title is available in full, the entire width of the screen that occurs primarily through the position sensor device.At the time of writing this review, available 27 pages of different categories. Of course, Apple – this is not the first company that makes the phone using third-party software, but as himself iPhone, Apps Store is unique not only because he does, but how to do.The process is simple so that we can not imagine how I had to perform the same process on a device with Windows Mobile. Of course, before you come to a complete delight, please note that some applications are free, but for some, and will have to pay.

Support phone iPhone 3G wireless UMTS / HSDPA, appeared too late for those who bought the first generation iPhone, and who has had disappointed the slow speed of web surfing via the 2,5 G EDGE, but the higher will be the value of second-generation device.Browser Safari continuously increases the speed of 300 Kb / sec to 500 Kb / sec or more. It is a huge leap above the usual for EDGE speeds of less than 100 Kb / sec. Web pages are usually offered for a minute, via 3G open for a second.

While the current iPhone will find your position through triangulation of nearby cell towers and communications satellites, iPhone 3G uses Assisted GPS, which is supported by the satellites, which allows to better define the current location. Assisted GPS also offers live tracking so that you can track the path to the extent of movement. But even with these additions GPS-function iPhone can not replace the special GPS-device. Google Maps opened the route from point to point in the new iPhone 3G, but the phone does not support the motion of rotation to rotate in real time and is not clear whether such a possibility in the next generation of phones.

Last year, Steve Jobs said that Apple had decided not to include 3G in the first iPhone because of reducing the duration of the device battery life. Now the developers the company was able to solve this problemu. Zayavlennoe the time of the iPhone 2.0 of 3G in the conversational mode is 5 hours, 2G-conversational mode – 10 hours, 3G-Internet mode – 5 hours, 6 hours of work for a wireless connection, 7 hours of continuous video playback and 24 hours of continuous audio playback, and finally 12 and a half days of standby.Terms of the continuous playback of audio and video has not changed since the first iPhone.

iPhone 3G actually supports a number of applications that are accessible through the iPhone SDK. This is expected to cost, as Apple has long promised to open the ON-line store selling software.We anticipate that this will happen on 11 July. For example, some games will work with the light regime of energy conservation and many of them will be compatible with integrated accelerometer.

The latest version of iPhone is equipped with the operating system OSX 2.0 with a set of additional features, including the search for contacts, work with documents iWork, the ability to view PowerPoint-presentations, movement and disposal of large amounts of data, the calculator to perform scientific calculations (in landscape mode), the technology «Parental Control»,as well as support for 16 languages.

Despite all its advantages the new Apple iPhone 3G does have some shortcomings. This lack of MMS, stereo Bluetooth and video recording.We also thought that the new iPhone 3G would cost to add the extended keyboard when writing messages, voice dialing, as well as support for Flash in the browser and of course support for memory cards.

eMagin Z800 3D Visor

If you’re a real gamer, uses the most unusual keyboards, mouse, joysticks and consoles to create the most realistic sensations obtained during the game, you probably have at least a cursory understanding of the 3D stereo glasses, and helmets virtual realitythat enable radically change the understanding of thethat is a real 3D game.

 In general, the virtual reality industry is relatively young, helmets first appeared about 10 years ago.At that time, the notion of virtual reality helmets best described by the market solutions that have been made in the shape of this helmet weighing several kilograms, and resembles a helmet «Luke Skywalker».The quality and ability of helmets the first generation, in those times were simply fantastic, but very high price made virtual reality available only elected. The others remained only envy, and in dreams represent how cool to play Doom 2 in the helmet.

But it was at the very beginning. As a consequence, many manufacturers have submitted their own realization of the effect of virtual reality.Thus, the market appeared inexpensive glasses, glasses which have an active LCD shutter opens with a high frequency, and in sequence, allowing you to create a sense of volume, when the plane of the screen ceases to be a barrier between the user and the virtual game space.Now, the objects can «go» outside the monitor, creating the most unusual effects and unpredictable user reactions. However, such points can only create an effect of the stereo image, but the immersion in virtual reality to get through them is very difficult.In this case, come to the aid of different helmets, which have recently become very similar to the glasses, but because of the presence of their own monitors, and a number of additional devices, we call them helmets.A long time on the market present a model of helmets with built monitors that were completed on technology LCOS (some sort of LCD display panels), which until recently were considered the most advanced in terms of quality,and in terms of the depth of the effect of immersion in virtual reality.Change the situation was relatively recently, when a small company eMagin, – a leader in the manufacture of OLED displays, presented her release a virtual reality helmet, which in many ways as clearly superior to other models presented in the market.
Helmet eMagin Z800 3D Visor is very similar to many other models, but this is just a first impression. In fact, the design of eMagin Z800 3D Visor has many unique features.

 OLED technology has become actively used in consumer devices are relatively recent.Unlike LCD screens, where a bright white light illumination, passing through the gates, and active matrix color filters to generate a picture in OLED technology, each pixel is composed of three microscopic size organic light-emitting diodes, emit light,thus significantly improve image quality,provide the appropriate level of brightness and contrast.In addition, these displays have a sufficiently high response times and resolution (800×600), the same as in the best models of helmets with the active matrix.

The optical design of each monitor provides a unique effect of «presence in cinema» in front of a large screen diagonal of which is 105 inches at a distance of 3.5 meters, which is especially important when watching video, especially in the stereo edition, which creates a real sense of presence in IMAX.

 Incidentally, another unique feature eMagin Z800 3D Visor, the possibility of working in 2D mode, including mode «desktop».In doing so, the quality and clarity of the image remains on the top.

 Understand the characteristics of mikrodispleev, you can begin to consider the overall design of eMagin Z800 3D Visor, which, as we said above, here a lot.

Let’s begin with one of the most important features of a virtual reality helmet, – fixation stiffness and comfort for the user.The point is that during the active game, loose helmet can move on its initial position, which causes change of the optical axes, and consequently the destruction of the stereo image.To solve this problem, the developers of eMagin Z800 3D Visor, a number of interesting design solutions that combine optimal weight of the assembly (total 230 grams), a set of rigid and flexible mountings, as well as an opportunity to adjust the situation mikrodispleev,including the distance between the optical axis,that achieves the highest precision on virtually any user.

 To ensure the most natural behavior of the player in the proposed conditions, the helmet eMagin Z800 3D Visor is equipped with so-called trackers, allowing the device to determine the position of the player in space.With the help of the function mouselook, which is used in modern games for the panoramic view of space. In other words, during the game it is enough to turn heads in the side and you can see what is happening right and left of you.As a result, management of the game becomes more natural and intuitive. In addition, using the tracker, you can manage the position of the cursor on the desktop, which is important for people with disabilities.

And, last, feature, about which we would like to mention – the built-in microphone and headphones, which will create the most complete effect of the presence, but in our view, to the greatest effect, it is better to use additional headsets that support the standard 5.1.

For people, for the first time confronted with a virtual reality helmet, it might be interesting to know how difficult it is to connect and configure it. As a matter of fact it is not complicated, and the connection takes only minutes, including time to install the software.

So, in addition to the helmet in the language has a controller that connects to the VGA output video card. Normal monitor connects to the VGA output of the controller. In addition, you will need to connect the controller to the USB port on your computer. This is necessary for feeding and management of the helmet.Additionally, you can use the audio jacks for headphones and built-working microphone.

 Describe the feeling of using a virtual reality helmet eMagin Z800 3D Visor is very difficult.Those of you who are first confronted with this technology will have a very rich bouquet of positive emotions and a sense of deep immersion in the game situation, then, play 3D games on a standard monitor, you will not be able to.For this category of users, we would like to make several recommendations for the safe, in terms of health, the use of helmets eMagin Z800 3D Visor.In particular, the manual is recommended to use the glasses no more than an hour, after which it is necessary to make a 10-15 minute break.However, we recommend to reduce the active time to 30 minutes with 10 minute intervals, or adjust the time of active game session to the most comfortable level for you, most importantly, remember that if you do not feel tired eyes, it does not mean that you can continue to play.

Those who have already used the goggles and helmets previous generation would certainly appreciate not only the possibility of new OLED displays, which have made the picture more vivid and lively, but also a number of constructive solutions, such as light weight, ease of mounting,flexibility to change the position mikrodispleev, and, of course, an integrated tracker, which is, in our opinion,necessary to create the most complete sense of immersion in virtual reality.

 The combination of the above features, allowing take eMagin Z800 3D Visor helmet first, created in full accordance with the requirements of the modern user.It seems that by creating this product, the developers decided to radically change the market for virtual reality, offering new levels of quality and opportunities for quite moderate money. Incidentally, with regard to price, the helmet eMagin Z800 3D Visor is worth $ 1349.

MSI NetOn AP1900

Despite the fact that the interest of the market to thin clients, PCs and compact monobloc internet terminals there for several years, manufacturers of such systems until recently been reluctant to move their products onto the platform Intel Atom.Activities in the promotion of new products based on it recovered only at the beginning of this year, and one of the first companies became MSI.

The main reason that the Atom does not appear on desktop systems before, was the economic inconvenience of such a step.For Class all-in-one characterized by higher production costs than for netbukov, and for ultra-corporate models – low retail price, which reduces the margin of the manufacturer.If you engage in mass production of desktop PCs based on Intel Atom, a vendor will be less than the processors for the manufacture of netbukov, bringing greater profits.

Another factor that probably influenced the strategy of companies like ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI, was the threat to reduce sales of budget motherboards manufactured by them.Nettopy and monobloc PC is quite capable of simply displace the traditional budget PCs from the office segment of the PC, which brings a significant percentage of their profits to producers.A similar situation may arise, and with corporate laptops Lenovo, HP, Dell and other vendors, who today often do not acquire in order to ensure mobility of staff, and to optimize your workspace.Naturally, from the commercial point of view is the development of the situation would be undesirable.

However, over the past few months, the situation changed. Deficit Atom processor to build the release of CPU by Intel Corporation came to nothing.Manufacturers netbukov begun to provide more advanced model – with a diagonal screen 10 “, more sophisticated design, more functionality, etc., to maintain interest in the segment and to attract buyers to the traditional notebook PCs, the basic model moved to second place.In addition, the update is not far off of the platform: Intel is preparing to release a new chipset for Atom, and a little later – and a new model with an advanced processor architecture.In short, the vendor has a lot of available CPU and chipsets that can be used for the production of desktop systems.

MSI NetOn AP1900 is the class system all-in-one, and is positioned as a solution for Internet cafes, offices and other similar patterns of use not requiring high performance, but critical to ergonomics, energy consumption and the price factor.
MSI NetOn AP1900 actually built on the basis of large 19-inch monitor with the increasingly popular 16:9 ratio and resolution of 1366 × 768, the body which is a PC based on Intel Atom.Its specifications are almost identical to those for most netbukov middle class: CPU Intel Atom N270 (1,6 GHz), Chipset Intel 945GSE from the south bridge ICH7-M, 1 GB RAM DDR2-533 and the graphical kernel Intel GMA 950.Interestingly, the device is not based on the desktop CPU and chipset (Atom 230/i945GC), and their mobile versions, which use energy-efficient processor. Obviously, this is done in order to unify and to save on the development of a new motherboard.

Since the SSD-drives used in PCs of this class has no meaning, MSI has used the traditional 2.5-inch hard drive Western Digital Capacity 160 GB Interface PATA. The device is equipped with a Gigabit Ethernet network controller and Wi-Fi (802.11b / g), a wireless antenna adapter is integrated into the body. At the top of the screen frame are fitted with a web camera with a resolution of 1.3 MP and a microphone, on the sides of the rear wall removed small trends.Also note the pleasant addition of memory card reader and DVD-writer drive LG GT10N.However, using the latter may have some problems: it is equipped with a traditional carriage and placed vertically, so the carriage when loading the disc had to hold the hand that’s inconvenient. Interface connectors are located on the rear and right walls.At the back of the shell removed two connector PS / 2, two USB 2.0, audio in / out and RJ-45 for LAN. On the right side are two more USB 2 connector.0, card reader, supporting media standards SecureDigital, MultiMedia Card, MemoryStick, and xD-Picture Card, as well as the optical drive.Thus, the complexity of the constant connection of peripheral devices, and using a USB-drives and other mobile equipment should not occur.
The set includes a set of wired mouse and keyboard, the latter is «compressed» layout, typical for notebooks. Such a decision seems rather moot: if the table was a place for the PC with a diagonal of 19 “, the full-size keyboard would fit.However, no one prevents the user to connect additional devices.

Design MSI NetOn AP1900 somewhat resembles Apple iMac. Under the screen there is a wide area, doing nothing other than a company logo and button, highlighted with blue LED.Its location and high brightness can be distracting when working in a room with inadequate lighting, and turn off the backlight button, unfortunately, can not.By the same area of the screen itself is quite high above the table, which can be inconvenient, and often a feeling of blank front panel. But the device can boast a small thickness – only 35 mm – and the possibility of mounting on a wall using the VESA-compatible bracket.

MSI NetOn AP1900 Tests show that its performance matches those in the vast majority of netbukov market.The modest increase in productivity compared with the average netbukom provides traditional hard drive, featuring a higher speed recording, as compared with SSD, established in the mobile PC.The device allows you to comfortably work in conjunction with a text editor and web browser. In addition, the CPU performance enough to play the video with a resolution of 1280 × 720 (after properly adjusting the decoder). Naturally, the DVD also problems would arise.The quality of the display to the traditional budgetary TN-matrices: claimed response time of 5 ms, 160 ° viewing angles and brightness of 250 cd / m ². For office use of this enough, but nothing more.For demanding users to speed the company MSI has released NetOn AP1901 with dual-core Atom 330, but they have not yet been marketed.