Couple of things I bought recently

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Bought a few things off the internets and thought I should share. :)

Memory Stick Pro Duo Adapter $1.16
You can never have enough of these. Although I don’t own any device that actually uses memory pro, it is the only thing that fits into laptops for Sony cards. So if I’m using M2 for my phone or Memory Pro Duo for my PSP or PS3, to transfer files from my computer to my memory cards, I need one of these babies. No problem… it was less than 2 bucks. :)

SDHC MicroSD/TransFlash TF to PSP Compatible Memory Stick MS Pro Duo Adapter/Converter (8GB Max.) $3.42
This, I bought so that if I needed more space on my PSP, I could use MicroSD instead, I’m too cheap to buy 8GB M2 or memory pro duo, and 8GB MicroSDHC is much cheaper (4GB’s too) so if I wanna get cheap and only buy MicroSDHC from now on I can. (Sony Ericsson Satio is using MicroSD btw, so does that mean M2 is going extinct?? :O)

Sony M2 to Memory Stick MS Pro Duo Memory Card Adapter $1.42
For my PSP. :) I don’t buy Memory Pro Duo cards anymore, only M2 and MicroSDHC (Yes, that’s right, not even SDHC…), it’s those two all the way.

Memory Stick Micro M2 Flash Memory Card with PRO Duo Adapter – 4GB $15.22
A 4GB card for my phone or psp, whichever. Actually 4GB for my PSP would be good if I had modded it. Need to get a modded psp soon! q_q

PQI MicroSD/TransFlash SDHC TF Memory Card with Card Adapter – 4GB (Class 6) $10.72
A cheap 4GB card. Yey! :D These babies are getting cheaper by the day, I just read an article about Toshiba and Sony coming out with 1TB and 2TB memory cards. MEMORY CARDS, not drives! O_O Imagine carrying your entire computer and then some on a memory card. That would be an expensive loss if you dropped it in the gutter or something. -_-() Right now, I spotted a $19.99 for a 4GB micro SDHC at Futureshop, so I saved about 10$ but I have to wait a few weeks, still waiting for it cause they’re backordered, should get by the end of this month, they say. :S That’s the tradeoff for half price I guess. :/ Guess Chrono Trigger’ll have to wait longer. Anyway, this could be a good use for cameras, DS and with my microSD to memory pro duo adapter, for the PSP too.

Protective Pouch for 2.5″ SATA HDD (Black) $2.49
Recently bought Jon a 2.5″ 500GB portable HDD, Simpletech, Espresso colored (aka black) for… $115.99 at BestBuy, great deal, since it’s a portable 500GB, the Western Digitals and Seagate ones with same capacity are over $149.99, so $115.99 is a steal. It is awesome, takes two USB ports to power up which I surprised me but it’s understandable since it needs something to power it… why not another USB? ^_^ …Which is why I bought him a $2.50 pouch to protect it cause it’s super light, super sexy and should get protected since it holds 500GB worth of awesome stuff and its cable too.

Matte Glare-free Screen Protector for iPhone 3G (2-Pack) $2.76
Jon bought an iPhone 3GS for himself and knowing him… has not bought screen protector or carrying case or silicone/crystal case for it yet. I took the liberty to buying the screen protectors (it comes in packs of 2 which is awesome because I might screw up the first time ^^;; but also, I could give it away or sell it to someone if I didn’t screw up…) Anyway, one of these screen protectors probably sell for $5-7 dollars if you buy it at a store or if you order it online, with shipping, that’ll be the cost. I got two for less. :3

All from Dealextreme, free shipping, in US dollars

And lastly, the links that I brought up before:
- $19.95CAD 4GB Micro SDHC at Futureshop: here
- $149.99 Simpletech 500gb Portable Hard Drive at BestBuy, was $115.99 but sale’s off so :( : here
- $124.99 500GB Western digital black 500GB portable drive is an alternative, it’s on sale this week for that price in case you wanted something almost as good: here
- Article of Toshiba and Sony crazy memory cards of 1TB and 2TB: here

A butterface laptop

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I’ve been laptop shopping and I can’t resist the awesome specs. I go into Futureshop and I go, ‘Out of all the laptops I’ve looked at, I would get this one… because of its specs and price, BUT…’ And here’s the BUTT: it’s BUTT UGLY. Ladies and gents… I present to you the HP DV6 – Artist Edition.

HP DV6 - Artist Ed.

Let’s look at the specs…
- AMD Turion X2 Ultra ZM-82 Dual-Core (2.2GHz)
- 2MB L2 Cache
- Altec Lansing with SRS Premium Sound
- ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 (1024MB!!!)
- 500GB (5400RPM)
- Vista Home Premium 64-Bit with SP1
- 2.93kg or 6.459lbs

Everything’s good about it (Vista, meh and for me, 6.5 lbs is also meh.) but for a gamer dude, this is awesome. It’s got 1GB video card, uses an AMD (will get hot probably), got awesome speakers and has good cache (hard to find a laptop with more than 1MB cache these days… :S). It’s like my baby but without the bluray, the 2lbs extra, the 5.1 speakers for less than 1000$.

BUT. It’s ugly. And there’s no way you can do much about it except take it apart and replace the top. It’s a butterface. Honestly. -_-() I’m a girl (sorta) and I think it’s ugly. Unless you’re him and you take your laptops on the street and sit your butt on that dirty floor (with your baby! :O) then you shouldn’t get this laptop. Or you know, if you got that ‘it’s the insides that count and not the outside’ cliché thing that doesn’t work in this society (sorry :( ), you should buy this laptop.

I'm so cool with this laptop. I look like a gamer that can pwn your ass with my 1gb video card... not really. :S

Knot fair for us people who want both looks and specs… and price. Knot fair…!

Pics: HP@Flickr

Bad news, guys… RAM is still expensive :(

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First of all, the sale is over on FutureShop. :’( So no more getting the new baby for $549.99, which is a bummer. Second of all, I bought the ram for 39.99$ at FutureShop, free shipping because the purchase was over $39. Now… the bad news is… there’s only one slot for the laptop, so I can’t add another stick of ram in there. I need to get a 1x4gb ram and replace it, and right now on tigerdirect, a 1x4gb of ram is… $230 or more. So that’s a total bummer. Guess I’ll have to make do with the Vista basic on 2gb of ram. A 1x4gb stick of ram is not available at FutureShop nor at BestBuy. Bah! T^T

New baby

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The title is new baby but it’s not my baby, per se. It’s a new baby for Jon that he told me to buy while he’s away. And so, I present to you, the HP Pavillon dv2.

I bought the 2gb one from Futureshop, here’s the link for $549.99.

It is the only laptop using AMD’s new Neo Ultrathin processor, a new processor produced by them that is like its name, ultra thin. This laptop is less than 1 inch thick, it’s smooth and has piano black finish so it smudges easy but looks really nice. I got the 2gb version for a reason guys, the 4gb is $849.99 because it has Vista Home Premium instead of Vista Home Basic, 2gb more of RAM and comes with a cute external DVD writer. I’m cheap, so $300 more for the software and an external DVD drive I could live without. What I can’t live without is the 4gb ram… my solution: buy the RAM separate and install it yourself for $40 tops. Yey! $300 difference. O_O

It also has the AMD Radeon x1250 graphics card, if you look for a laptop under 4 lbs and less than 900$, this is a good card. It’s not the best card, but it can play Star Craft just fine. I know because I tried it yesterday and failed a mission. Humiliating, but had to try it out. -_-()

What I have not tried is running Photoshop or at least its portable version to see if it can handle it, I will do so tonight. For now, at this price and at the weight that I want it at, I think this is a pretty good buy. This is a good laptop if all you’re going to do is surf the net (use Chrome!), go on word and show off how thin it is (Will try tonight, but for now… don’t do this all at once). Don’t put it on your lap for long periods of time though, it heats up. Maybe get a laptop cooler for $15 (here or this one here)? But in short, for a cheap business student, it’s perfect. ^^;; (Because netbooks suck.)

One itty bitty down side is the on button. It is on the side of the laptop, but you need to push it on one side and not press on it to turn it on. I haven’t taken it out yet so I don’t know if it would turn on by itself. When and if I do, I shall complain about it. :)

Now onto the most important question:
Should I get the white one or a black one if I were to match with JonJon? :D What I’m thinking is maybe I could get the white one with 4gb and external dvd drive and share the dvd drive. Or black one, 4gb with external? Or just screw the dvd drive, save the $300 and use it to engrave the backs of our laptops? The white one for $599.99CAD is available at BestBuy. The white one for $899.99 (4gb) is available at Futureshop. I haven’t a CLUE why the white one is $50 more. Oh wait, I just thought of something racist. Never mind…

And to conclude… some eye-candy:

Images credit: HP_PSG via Flickr

Computer that brings yours to shame

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It’s been a while since I’ve posted. I wanted to post about cameras since Vijeta requested but I honestly don’t know anything about cameras since I’m not a photography expert. -_-() Anyway, last Monday, I bought a new computer. It was my bro’s birthday and he’s been complaining about getting a desktop and since I just started my intern and am getting paid regularly and so… I put together the ultimate computer for less than $1000CAD ($956.74CAD)! But then again, I got taxed 5% and had to pay another 50, so it came out to 1004$ which is still good, ruined my little ‘less than 1000$’ thinger, but it’s pretty damn close! -_-()

Anyway without further ado, my new baby:

From left to right (top down):
- Gigabyte EP45-UD3L ($104.99)
- Corsair XMS2 2x2GB ($56.39)
- Arctic Cooling Alpine 7 LGA775 300-2000RPM 36CFM Heatsink Fan ($12.66)
- Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentfield ($230.45)
- Corsair 550W Power Supply ($95.70)
- Radeon HD4870 1GB ($165.36)

Missing:
- Samsung 20", 5ms, 15000:1, 1600*900 ($149.88)
- Western Digital WD10EADS Caviar Green 1TB SATA 32MB Cache 3.5IN Hard Drive OEM ($95.88)
- Coolermaster Elite RC-330 ATX Blk Case ($45.43)

Together: $1004.58

What would’ve been more perfect but more than 1000$… Would be to:
- Add additional screen (Samsung 20", 5ms, 15000:1, 1600*900 (+$149.88))
- Switch to Seagate 1TB, read an article that said Seagate 1TB is faster than the WD, whether or not it’s quieter, we’ll have to see (Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB, same price: $95.88 but not available at DirectCanada anymore)

These prices are from DirectCanada.com. I just checked, a bunch of these items are ‘not available’ so get them while it’s hot. :D

Oh yes, did I mention that it was free shipping too? (OMGEEZ!)

Can you build a better one for 1000$CAD? B)

Three phones I'm eyeing at the moment

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They are of course, all Sony Ericsson. Heh. My dad just got a new phone from Fido, and since I’m the cell phone/technology expert in the house, I was playing with it all night and … dreaded it. The navigation sucks, music player sucks, menu sucks, resolution sucks 128*160 and apparently good reception? I was in the basement uploading songs and my w910i had 4 bars and the Nokia 3500 (Dad’s new phone) had 2. Sony Ericsson for the win! Battery life? Don’t know and don’t care. I’ve been using my w910 for over a year now and charge it max twice a week and it’s still good. I hardly ever have it die on me, borderline red but it’s all good. I can’t use a non-SE phone. I just can’t. I shall explain in another post since I’m digressing. -_-() And the winners are…

Number 1 – Sony Ericsson Satio (Idou) SE Satio (Idou)

Ah, the love of my life. This is the first promoted 12 megapixel camera phone. I can’t say released anymore because Samsung beat them to it by releasing their own 12 megapixel camera. But bigger is not always better, especially when it comes to megapixels, it really depends on the other features of the camera provided. I’m no expert but autofocus, flash (LED or xenon, this one has xenon which is > than LED) is a must and make pictures look a lot better. Just look at it! Don’t you want to touch it and stroke it and marvel at it for months like I am?! When and How Much? This baby is coming out Q3-Q4 of 2009, maybe around my birthday (October 5th! C’mon, Sony, send me a bday gift *_*) time and I’m estimating way over 800CAD at initial market price. Best wait until the spring for the prices to drop to 500-600CAD, and drop to 450 by next fall. Don’t know if I can wait that long. O_O … I know my wallet can though. -_-() Still, it’s nice to dream. Other specs this beauty’s got… GPS Wifi Touch screen Great nav with gallery Lotsa features for camera Sandy’s approval of awesome, style and sexiness ^_^b

Number 2 – Sony Ericsson C901
SE C901

This phone is out! It’s green version isn’t just yet but the hippies would go wild for it. The green version is called C901 greenheart, it is essentially the same phone in terms of specs and looks except the parts are all recycled material, 100% recycled and ecofriendly. W00t! And the Greenheart doesn’t come in black. Whether or not it’s any cheaper I don’t know. This phone, I’ve been eyeing for months too, but not for me, it’s for Jon. He wanted something newer, thinner, sexier… BUT wanted candybar, as in non-flip or slide (he doesn’t like that), needs LED flash (he loves the Light application on his w810i) and an overall better phone. The w810i is hard to beat and so I’ve been eyeing all the Sony Ericsson candy bars for something better than it and this is it. Specs It’s got a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus (nudge nudge, this is important, the w810i has it too!), LED flash, a youtube application which I have no idea how to use it and why would they have one -_-() but it sounds cool “I guess”. It’s candybar, doesn’t have touchscreen (unlike the SE G900 which needs you to take out a stylus to press on the left-right navs, which is annoying, I find), Geo-tagging (cell-ID), face and smile detection on camera and google maps, which sounds pretty awesome. Color This baby comes in black for the non-Greenheart and since I’m cold blooded and evil, I’d like the black one. Also, Jon requested a black phone this time since his w810i is white and getting old. He kept it pretty clean, in my opinion. He’s been using it for over 2 years and it’s still pretty white. (Sandy wouldn’t be allowed to use white phones. T^T) But if you use phone for a while (in Sandy’s opinion, > 6 months ^_^;;), then maybe you should go for the silver or black. The Greenheart is only available in Ocean White. Price I’ve searched on ebay. Average price for the C901 is 380-400CAD (+S&H)$. It is pretty pricey but I think it’s worth it. You’re paying for the… camera which sounds awesome, the high res screen 240*320, the slim body (13mm thin), the C901′s 9 which is a scale for SE phones that indicates its build quality on a scale of 1-9, 9 being the highest in build quality so it should be pretty sturdy and just… an overall really good phone, makes me want one too! 3: The Greenheart version has yet to be released, as GSMArena stated on their C901 specs page, it should be released any time soon as it is now Q2 of 2009. And lastly,

Number 3. – Sony Ericsson C510 SE C510

This one is a cheaper version of C901. It is also candybar, available in black and has 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash. It is also uber thin, 12.5mm to be exact and has been released as of February 2009. The price for this phone on ebay now is 250-280CAD. This one has the same resolution as the C901 but lacks the google maps and perhaps the build quality is lower since it is in the 5 range. However, it is much cheaper and an overall great price for what it’s worth. Thin, good camera and uber stylish, it is Sandy’s alternate to the uber expensive. d^_^b So those are the phones that I am eyeing for myself and Jon. Hope it helped you guys get to know Sony Ericsson phones more and to look more carefully when buying phones. The Satio is uber sexy, not out yet and highly anticipated in the mobile phone world and hopefully SE’s saviour in these harsh times. The C901 is a great build phone with great specs and looks, available now for approx 400CAD and if you want, you can wait for its environmentally friendly Ocean White GreenHeart version to come out very soon but either the same price or close to it. The C510 is the cheaper alternative that offers both style and performance with its 3.2 megapixel camera, thin physique and low price of $250-280CAD on ebay.