I’m absolutely crazy about my Samsung T220 LCD monitor. I’ve been using it for two years now and it still delivers the same bright, crisp images it did when it was brand new. If you haven’t experienced the beauty of an LCD desktop monitor yet, I suggest you check out the new Samsung Series 30 monitors.

Get into the details

These new Samsung monitors have ultra-high 70,000:1 Dynamic Contrast ratio automatic backlight adjustment creates deeper, more dramatic dark tones and brighter, more striking light tones. Now you can enjoy images that echo reality with rich, vivid color and brilliant natural intensity. When it comes down to the details, conventional monitors simply pale in comparison.

Perfect high speed performance

With a response time of 5ms, you can be sure that your monitor will perform perfectly, even in the fastest moving scenes. This stunning, seamless motion imaging presents movies, games, and internet streamed content with precision and without the motion judder, blurring, and ghosting that can occur on a slower monitor, allowing you to enjoy a completely immersive viewing experience.

Control brightness, conserve energy

Magic Eco makes saving energy easy. It adjusts Samsung monitor’s brightness based on how much energy you want to save. You have four energy saving options to choose from: 100%, 75%, and 50% power consumption as well as ‘power saving off’. If Magic Eco is turned off, you still enjoy the option of using Samsung’s Magic Bright feature, engineered to let you manually adjust the screen’s brightness. Take the effort out of saving energy and take control with Magic Eco.

The monitor with great points of view

Love to watch movies lying down or while you’re cooking dinner? The Samsung’s Magic Angle, a new technology that uses 5-step angle management to deliver crisp images and bold color from every direction. So whether your view is from above, below, the side, or even leaning backwards, images stay the same. It’s not magic. It’s Samsung innovation.

Feel the Effects of Color

Enhance images your way using Samsung’s advanced ColorEffect feature. Open your eyes to a completely customized viewing experience as you play with photographic effects that match your mood. Choose from Aqua, Sepia, Green and Grayscale to interact with your display in a whole new way – namely, yours.

The Smart Size

Why should seeing the whole picture be a stretch, or for that matter, a distorted facsimile of the original? With Samsung’s intelligent adjustable image size function, you’ll be able to enjoy images exactly as they were intended, by portraying standard sized content in its original format, on a wider screen.

Customize Your Control.

Samsung’s innovative custom key feature puts enhanced entertainment at your fingertips, literally. By allowing you to assign your favorite function to the customized key, your favorite features are accessed in a flash. Will your customized key bring you Magic Bright, Magic Color, Color Effect, or the Image Size function? The beauty is, you decide.

Goes Off by Itself.

Samsung Monitors aren’t just high performers. They’re eco-friendly, efficiency experts as well. The automatic off timer allows users to save energy by setting the monitor to turn itself off at a specified time. As an added benefit, this ensures optimal performance for lasting reliability and extended life.

MagicBright 3™

Control your screen’s display with just one click. MagicBright 3™ automatically optimises brightness, contrast and gamma correction, based on the mode you choose.

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Tiny desktops

I’m a desktop user through and through, and I love that desktops these days come in such tiny sizes. The Acer Aspire Revo R3610, for instance, provides a complete home theater experience and can be hooked onto the back of your LCD monitor. CES 2010 should showcase a number of these miniature desktops, along with the latest chips from nVidia and Intel.

3D HDTVs

I’d love to own an HDTV, but I bet I can only afford one by the time 3D HDTVs become commercially available. In CES 2009, 3D HDTVs were just concept novelty items, but it’s looking like HDTV manufacturers are serious about coming out with developing 3D technologies, probably because Blu-Ray is coming out with their own 3D models too.

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Interchangeable lens cameras

Cameras with interchangeable lenses are not new, but CES 2010 should be unveiling a number of compact point-and-shoot models with interchangeable lenses, great photo quality, and larger sensors.

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USB 3.0 storage devices

USB 3.0 cables finally made it to the market, as well as two motherboards with USB 3.0, but the transition from USB 2.0 is not quite widespread yet. CES 2010 should see some storage solutions that use USB 3.0 and other USB 3.0-related announcements.

If you’re looking for a reliable LED computer monitor, look no further than the manufacturer of the world’s first LED monitor – AOC (Art of Colors). The new AOC V22+ Verfino is the improved version of the first WLED monitor in the world. With monitors from the Verfino series, AOC provides that a sleek design, top performance, and environmental responsibility can be found all in one product. This 21.6-inch monitor features power-saving White LED backlight technology and reaches an extraordinary dynamic contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1. The AOC V22+ Verfino also has a D-SUB RGB input, digital HDMI port, 2ms reaction time, and an extensive angle view.

Did I mention that this monitor is only 18.5mm thick? Not only does this make the V22+ Verfino the world’s slimmest WLED monitor; its ultra-slim shape also means that there is no mercury in the panel and uses far less energy than other monitors of its calibre. But size is not the only reason why you should consider this monitor. It also comes with a built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam, microphone, and discreet speakers – thus avoiding the inconvenience of buying peripherals for video conferences or VoIP. With its fast reaction time, you’ll be assured of flicker-free presentation and fluid, true to detail imaging.

The AOC V22+ Verfino is now available at all AOC retailers and PC vendors nationwide.

I’ve never been in the habit of carrying a laptop or notebook wherever I go, and if you live in cramped quarters, mini desktop computers are a godsend. The new Dell Inspiron Zino HD is bound to be on a lot of young people’s holiday wish lists this year because not only does it come in 10 interchangeable colors – it’s also a pretty powerful machine. The basic unit has 250GB SATA hard drive, a memory of 2GB4 Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM5, integrated ATI Radeon HD3200 Graphics, and Integrated 2.1 High Definition Audio. With some extra cash, the Dell Inspiron Zino HD can be equipped with Blu-Ray drive, discrete graphics, up to 8GB memory 1, and up to 1TB2 hard drive. Did I mention that it’s only 8×8 small?

No news as to when the Dell Inspiron Zino HD will hit the Philippines yet, but it’s available in the US for a starting price of $229. Find out more at the Dell website.

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Most middle-class households around the world have at least one computer, and all these PCs can eat up a lot of energy. At the beginning of September, Samsung initiated its own global marketing campaign centered around “Less Energy, More Speed”, initially focused on its energy-efficient, 40nm-class, 2Gb DDR3 DRAM. Now a new collaboration between Samsung and Microsoft means you won’t have to worry about your energy consumption. The two companies are now encouraging PC users to purchase more environmentally friendly PC systems. Next year, many PCs should be equipped with Windows 7 and Samsung’s 2GB DDR3 DRAM for better energy savings.

According to James Woo, Country Manager of Microsoft Korea, the Windows 7 OS is designed to be a more environmentally-sound and energy-efficient OS, particularly evident in its managing of memory and when shifting into lower power mode. There’s no doubt that the combined Windows 7 and 40nm DDR3 in new PCs will make users happy, especially when they notice the increase in performance for less power.

Stay tuned for more news about this collaboration.

Wouldn’t it be great to save your hard-earned money and the environment at the same time? Now you can do both with the new Samsung EcoFit P2270G/P2370G Full HD 1080P. This environment-friendly monitor consumes up to 30% less energy than the average monitor, and is manufactured without volatile organic compounds.

Although notebooks might be convenient, their screens are just way too small and difficult to use. The new Samsung Lapfit LD190G/LD220G solves this problem. Its easy-to-connect USB feature lets you enjoy an extended screen view from your notebook or laptop to the LapFit.

Finally, there are the monitors from the Premium Series. The P2050/P2250 has an impressive 2ms response time and superb 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio for vivid viewing pleasure right in your workstation. TV lovers will enjoy how the T240HD/T260HD defies ordinary monitors; it’s got a built-in TV tuner so you can watch full HD TV and work on your excel sheets all in one device. Finally, there’s the LCD TV Monitor 2333HD’s 2High Definition Multimedia Interface. It’s got ultra-fast connections for HD peripherals like Blu-Ray players, digital cameras, digital camcorders, etc. As if that weren’t enough, this device also has premium sound coming from its built-in 2 channel 3W hidden speaker system.

Make sure you buy one of these Samsung HD monitors before November 15, 2009. Samsung will be giving out a free Samsung E1080 mobile phone with every purchase of an HD monitor.

Steve Jobs wants you to spend your hard-earned money on the shiny new machines that were just announced last night. The all new Apple iMac line will set you back by at least P50,000+, but they’re equipped with all sorts of powerful stuff like Intel Core 2 Duo processors starting at 3.06 GHz, a Core i5, or an i7 quad-core processor. They also have LED-backlit display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, perfect for watching high-def movies, photo editing, and video editing. Other specs include 4GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 memory, capacity for up to 16GB storage across 4 SO-DIMM slot, a built-in iSight video cam, mic, and stereo speakers. There are a total of 4 USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port, an AirPort Extreme 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth, and built-in SD card slot. Each new iMac comes with the brand new wireless Magic Mouse, the first mouse with the Multi-Touch technology used on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and the Macbook trackpads.

So if the all-new iMacs sound good to you so far, there are two options available. The 21-inch iMac has a 1920×1080 pixel display, whereas the 27-inch iMac has a HUGE 2560×1440 pixel display. The former has improved graphics with the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics or the ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete graphics, whereas the latter can be equipped with the ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete graphics or ATI Radeon HD 4850 discrete graphics. Both of them have IPS technology for consistent colors across a 178-viewing angle.

If the new iMacs have too many bells and whistles for you, there’s always the new entry-level Mac Mini. Priced at around $599 in the US, it’s got a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2 GB of DDR3 1066 MHz RAM, a 160GB HD, 5 USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800, Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics card, and a SuperDrive. For $799 you can get a better Mac mini with a 2.53 GHz dual core processor, 4 GB of RAM, and a 320 GB HD. Finally, there’s a $999 mini built around the Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server. It’s also got two 500 GB HDs.

Which one do you want for Christmas?

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There’s a new Asus EeeBox out and if you thought the older models were awesome, you’ll want to trade in your bulky CPU towers for this compact device. Despite its size, the Asus EeeBox EB1501 is a powerful machine designed to be the next big thing in home entertainment. It’s got 2GB RAM, a 250 GB HD, a dual-core Atom N330 processor, and Nvidia Ion graphics that enables you to enjoy movies and TV shows in high definition. Just plug the Box into your LCD monitorand sit back to enjoy a Full HD 1080p home experience with 5.1 channel surround sound. Aside from these features, the Asus EeeBox EB1501 has an optical drive, DVD-RW, 802.11n WiFi, 4 USB 2.0 ports (for your monitor and speakers), and an SD reader.

And even if you spend the whole evening marathoning How I Met Your Mother or some other equally awesome TV show, you won’t have to worry about how much power your machine is eating up. The Asus Eeebox EB1501 has an energy efficient Intel Atom processor and Super Hybrid Engine that allows you to save up to 70% as compared to usual PCs.

No word on availability and pricing in the Philippines, but the Asus Eeebox EB1501 should cost around $580 in the US. It’s too bad I just got a new PC last year; if I needed an upgrade, I would definitely get this Box.

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If you’re a fan of the all-in-one PCs that have been flooding the market recently, Shuttle just came up with one that might actually buy. The Shuttle Barebone X50 has just been officially released and will be on sale by the end of the month for €361 or $499. What can you expect from your money? First, it’s got a 15.6-inch touchscreen with a 1366 x 768 resolution, Intel’s Atom 330 dual-core processor, and the ability to choose storage and OS. The Barebone model doesn’t come with a RAM or hard drive but you can outfit it with anything between a 512MB and 2GB RAM and different types of 2.5-inch drives, which means anything from a 80GB hard drive to a high-capacity SSD. It doesn’t come with an OS either, but it includes instructions on how to load one. Sophisticated users can build their all-in-one PC in just a few steps, and customize it according to their needs to boot.

Other features of the Shuttle Barebone X50 include a 1.3 megapixel webcam, WLAN, Gigabit-LAN, a card reader, stereo speakers, a mic, and a fanless 65-watt power supply. Available in black or white.

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Today, I watched a group of young Filipino inventors unveil the first Filipino-made television with an unusual feature: the capability to watch television and access the internet at the same time. Called the Ilumina LCD Interactive Television (iTV), it has the features of a regular 32-inch LCD televisions but enhanced with personal computing functions. The prospect of the Ilumima LCD iTV is very exciting, especially since I’m very fond of multitasking. On a typical evening I’m seated in front of the TV, catching up with local news, world news, or celebrity gossip while I write blog entries and update my social networking sites on the Macbook on my lap.

The brains behind the Ilumina LCD iTV is a group called the Inovent Team, a coalition of young Filipino engineers, industrial designers and programming experts. The beta prototype has been in the works since 2008 and was literally produced from scratch in the garage and dorm of the Inovent team members. The Ultra Alpha Prototype was launched on November 30, 2008 and today (Independence Day), the Ilumina LCD iTV was ready for a soft demo. According to the designers, the Ilumina LCD iTV is a multi-media device with access to Google Gadgets, Plasma widgets, and Mac OS X dock widgets. It is the first convergence product made in the Philippines that synthesizes the functions of an LCD television and the personal computer.

Housed in a uniquely bold and minimalist inspired curved casing, the Ilumina LCD iTV is equipped with a High Definition (HD) webcam, a Blue Ray DVD slot drive, VoIP, DVR, Wifi/LAN, 1.5 tera byte Hard drive, wireless keyboard, and a blue tooth head phone built-in the back of the remote control, which is also motion gesture base. The device allows you to watch your favorite local and cable shows while browsing the internet.

This remote control, which looks rather large and unwieldy, will also act as a blue tooth head phone, and microphone.

Inovent Inc. founder Brian Quebengco describes the new chassis design as “bold and revolutionary. The Ilumina LCD iTV is supposed to have a unique, curve design that lets it stand alone. Currently, however, the beta prototype is made of fiber glass which makes it bulky. Inovent plans to outsource the chassis so they can come out with a sleeker design, as shown in the photo above.

the HD webcam

In a private closed door demo launch today, Brian Quebengco described the Ilumina as a revolutionary product that would change the TV experience of every Filipino. Brian added that the Ilumina LCD iTV aims to “free” the Filipino from the mundane experience of watching television. Unfortunately, I was not able to see all the working features as the motherboard overheated halfway through the presentation.

Before the ilumina LCD iTV died on me, I was able to witness the powering up of the Ilumina LCD iTV which revealed a multimedia interface that allows you to record television shows, download documents from the web, play on-line games, even call your loved ones abroad in the comfort of your living room using the VoIP function. Think of the possibility of the modern family whose loved one is an OFW and will be able to talk to her/his family right there in the living room. This definitely adds value to the iTV as a device that connects families.

The driving force behind the ilumina LCD iTV is “Free Yourself”. The future of the Ilumina LCD iTV will be the center of the living room and it will eliminate a lot of the unnecessary clutter of having too many devices and wires plugged in your TV. Although it still turns on like any regular TV, with a flip of a switch, you can browse the internet, download your favorite TV shows straight to your 1.5 tera byte hard drive and watch TV and talk to someone over Skpye, just to name a few of the functions.

The Ilumina LCD iTV proves that Filipino industrial designers, engineers, and programmers have what it takes to conquer the highly competitive global LCD television industry. Amidst a worsening global economic crisis, it is fitting to launch a purely Filipino inovention , says Brian, because they hope that their inovention would uplift the sagging spirits of the Filipino and give the country something to be proud of.

Brian adds that “it’s what the country needs. For many years, we have been thinking of how to penetrate the market and hopefully have a chance to begin competing against Samsung and Sony. The LCD iTV industry, being very new is our chance. Once this is launched, it will harness the collective talents of our best engineers, designers, programmers, executives, managers, local OEM and EMS manufacturers and slowly build the image of the Philippines as a inoventive country. This will eventually reverse the brain drain we are experiencing. I see a future where the best Filipinos around the world will want to come back and work in Inovent Electronics, Inc. in the Philippines.”

Surely there are other brands out there that claim to be an interactive TV. But is it truly interactive? LG and Sony for instance has a few interactive options. Their interactivity is only 20% of the fully integrated Ilumina LCD iTV. The ilumina LCD iTV is not locked into a system or a content provider.

Really, truly, fully interactive is what Ilumina LCD iTV is about. The Ilumina LCD iTV is expected to hit the shelves in the first quarter of 2010. There is no definite price yet but it could range from 90,000 pesos to 120,000 pesos.

Here is a short video I took at today’s unveiling.

Ilumina LCD iTV specs

High definition (HD) webcam
blue ray DVD slot drive
VoIP
DVR
Wifi/LAN
1.5 tera byte Hard Drive
Wireless keyboard
Remote Control with Blue tooth Phone receiver and motion gesture
Intel Atom

The Inovent Electronics team is composed of Quebengco as its founder and leader; chief marketing “inoventor” Mark Ruiz; senior design “inoventors” Peter Can, Jonas Peralta, and Jaed del Mundo; junior program “inoventor” Ryan Bitanga; and junior “inoventors” Victor Yu and Nikko Garcia, who are undergraduates at the De La Salle University (DLSU) taking up electrical engineering and electronics and communications engineering (ECE), respectively.
For more information, email Brian Quebengco at brian@inoventdesign.com or visit their site at Inoventdesign.com