SUPERSIZED iPOD TOUCH

Apple iPad

Amazing how many great ideas can fit into something so incredibly thin. How many, you ask? Let's see: a Web browser, e-book reader, music and video player, organizer, map viewer, electronic note-taker, and so on.

The intensely rumored Apple iPad is a half-inch thin device with a 9.78-inch LED-backlit Multi-Touch display that lets users interact with applications and content with the use of their fingers. The brilliant 1024 x 768-pixel screen features IPS (in-plane switching) technology to deliver crisp, clear images and consistent color with an ultra-wide 178-degree viewing angle.

It features 12 next-generation Multi-Touch applications, including the iBooks app with Apple's new iBookstore, which will offer books from major and independent publishers. It will also run almost all of the 140,000 apps on the App Store.

Apple also introduced a new version of iWork for iPad. With Pages, Keynote, and Numbers you can create beautifully formatted documents, stunning presentations with\ animations and transitions, and spreadsheets with charts, functions, and formulas. The three apps will be available separately through the App Store.

Reading and sending email is also easy on the large screen and almost full-size "soft" keyboard (the iPad also connects to the new iPad Keyboard Dock with a full-size traditional keyboard).

The 1.5-pound iPad, which syncs with iTunes via the standard Apple 30-pin to USB cable, is powered by a 1GHz A4 processor.

This next-generation system-on-a-chip provides exceptional processor and graphics performance along with long battery life.

The iPad comes in two flavors-one with Wi-Fi (802.11n) and the other with both Wi-Fi and 3G-and three storage capacities: 16, 32, and 64GB.

An environmentally responsible product, the iPad's enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy-efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. The iPad also contains zero brominated flame retardants and is completely PVC-free.

To encourage developers to create new apps, Apple also released a new Software Development Kit (SDK) for the iPad.

CES 2010

LAPTOP BY DAY, TABLET BY NIGHT

Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid

It's a laptop. No, it's a tablet. No, it's both!

Lenovo pushes the envelope of portable computing with the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid. The 3.8-pound laptop can turn into a 1.6-pound tablet by removing the 11.6-inch HD screen from its base.

As a laptop, it runs on Windows 7 with a CULV Intel Core 2 Duo processor. As a tablet, it runs on Lenovo's Skylight Linux operating system with a 1.0GHz Snapdragon processor. It also has a solid state memory, Intel GMA integrated graphics, 1.3-megapixel web camera, two USB 2.0 ports, eSATA port, HDMI, VGA port, and memory card reader.

The laptop and tablet can work independently and both batteries are good enough for five hours of use. Users who begin their browsing session on the laptop can continue it on the tablet if they wish to.

The IdeaPad's base can stand alone without the screen as long as it is connected to another display. But once the screen is connected to the base it will share the power with the tablet.

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Victorinox Infantry Vintage Mecha

Two new models have been added to the Infantry Vintage collection-a Day & Date calendar model and a Small Second model-both featuring mechanical movements.

Housed in the same large and sturdy 44mm case as the current models, the new versions feature a redesigned and richer dial with two levels, new stylish and highly legible hands, and even more dynamic numerals. The case and bezel are brush-finished except for contrasting polished sides and the polished crown protection piece.

The Day & Date (P42,500) model features an automatic mechanical movement driving the hour, minutes, and seconds as well as a calendar indicating the current day in full letters at 12 o'clock and the date at 3 o'clock.

The Small Second (P42,500) model introduces a new feature to the collection, with a small second subdial at 6 o'clock. It is driven by a hand-wound mechanical movement with 46 hours of power reserve.

SECURE STORAGE

Astone ISO Gear 481E

Your data files are priceless so it's always wise to invest in storage that will let you sleep well at night. Enclosed in a black meshed metallic case, the Astone ISO Gear 481E provides the best protection from overheating as well as electro-magnetic interference. The meshed case effectively draws out the heat to protect the hard disk inside.

The 481E supports 3.5" SATA hard disk drives with capacities up to 2TB. The eSATA allows data transfer up to 3GB per second while the USB 2.0 allows up to 480 mbps transfers. This external HDD is hot-swappable and Macand PC-compatible.