Products & Gadgets

N97: Social networking handset

The world's largest mobile phone maker Nokia has long been working hard on products that could win back consumer's from Apple's iPhone. And this touchscreen handset is the companys latest effort.

With Web 2.0 compatibility, the N97 is designed for the social networking generation. The handset supports a feature that Nokia calls "social location", enabling integrated A-GPS sensors with an electric compass to automatically update users' social networks, or allowing them share their location via photos or videos with friends. The home screen can also be personalized with widgets from the user's favorite websites.

The phone has a 3.5-inch touchscreen with a 640 x 360 (16:9) display, which means consumers can easily scroll between wall posts, update their status and alert friends on the move. The product also features a sliding keyboard, enabling users to write messages directly onto Facebook walls with ease and comfort.

Equipped with 32 GB of internal memory, a 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss optics camera, and a microSDHC memory card slot, users can easily take, upload and tag their favorite pictures onto Facebook with a title and location in a matter of seconds.

The product includes Nokia Music Store, Nokia Maps, and the N-Gage gaming platform.

Lenovo Zhaoyang R2000

Want a notebook that is as hard as a rock? The Lenovo Zhaoyang R2000 might be a good choice for you. Designed for use in extreme environments and industries such as defense, public security, firefighting, oil exploration, transportation and medicine, the Lenovo R2000 is no doubt one of the world's "strongest" laptops.

The product can endure any falls from as high as 0.9m onto a cement surface, thanks to the AL-Mg alloy fuselage and a solid screen treatment that can absorb 83 percent of the impact power, according to the company. That means you could throw your R2000 up in the air to celebrate your birthday or release your anger and not have to worry much about breaking it.

The product's waterproof and dustproof design also enables the laptop to work in extreme environments that would cripple most other electronic products. In addition, fingerprint recognition and a TPM security chip provide the best security for your data.

Amazon's Kindle DX e-book

Amazon's Kindle e-book made quite an impression when it was first appeared in 2007, and the company recently made a major upgrade to this popular product.

Compared with Amazon's previous models, the new version, Kindle DX, is two-and-a-half times larger. The product also has new features such as a built-in PDF reader, auto-rotate capability for easy reading no matter which format the digital book/magazine comes in, and enough storage space to hold an average of 3,500 books.

It has 3.3GB of storage space, and boasts 3G connectivity that allows users to wirelessly shop the Kindle Store, downloading or receiving new content in less than 60 seconds, as long as there is a decent signal. The Amazon Kindle Store stocks up to 275,000 books to date, including 107 of 112 current New York Times best sellers.

Since the display works using real ink without a backlight, it reads as naturally as printed words on paper, doing away with common electronic reading device complaints such as eyestrain and glare.

Q-SOUND solar-powered Bluetooth headphones

Anything that can help save energy or protect the environment is set to win consumers' favor. And the new Q-SOUND headphones definitely makes the most of days when the sun is beating down.

The product, though just a concept at the moment, makes use of a headband filled with solar cells absorbing valuable rays for power. The solar cells are made from a flexible plastic, making them easy to bend around the head.

The Q-SOUND incorporates Bluetooth, which allows the user to sync their Bluetooth enabled mobile device for some wireless sound action. Not only can the user listen to their music, but they can also take phone calls from a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone.

The company said that one hour of sun exposure could build up 2.67 hours worth of active use.

(China Daily 06/01/2009 page6)