MP3 Player :: iPod Shuffle

The iPod Shuffle (trademarked, marketed and stylized as iPod shuffle) is a digital audio player designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is the smallest model in Apple's iPod family, and the first to use flash memory. The first model was announced at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 11, 2005; the current third generation model, introduced on March 11, 2009, weighs 10.7 grams (0.38 oz).

Third generation
The third generation iPod Shuffle was released on March 11, 2009 and is said by Apple to be "jaw-droppingly small" and "The first music player that talks to you" with dimensions of 45.2 x 17.5 x 7.8 mm (1.8 x 0.7 x 0.3 in). It is available with a silver or black brushed aluminum case similar to the second generation iPod Shuffle. This makes it the first iPod Shuffle that is available in black—although the black is more of a dark grey, especially in comparison to the black iPod Touch. It features VoiceOver technology that allows song names, artist names, album names and playlist contents and names to be spoken in 20 different languages using the Text-to-Speech incorporated in iTunes 8 and 9. It also has gained support for multiple playlists, in contrast to previous versions of the iPod Shuffle, which allowed only a single playlist.

The third generation iPod Shuffle features a polished steel attachment clip, adopting for the first time the polished steel finishing previously found only on the larger iPods, rather than the brushed aluminum used in the second-generation iPod Shuffle. It also no longer has volume or track controls on the device itself. Instead, the packaged iPod earbuds now include a three-button device on the right earbud cord. This adds the functions of changing between playlists, hearing the song title and artist of the track playing, as well as play/pause, track changes and volume control. It is not possible to change songs or volume with current third-party headphones, since they lack these controls. However, since the iPod Shuffle begins playing music automatically when it is turned on, third-party headphones may still be used in "autoplay" mode (with no volume or playback controls). Some future third-party headphones and headphone adapters will include full support for the iPod Shuffle. The official headphones contain a chip designed by Apple to control the device. DRM is not however present in the chip as there is no encryption used; third-party headphone manufacturers can reverse-engineer the chip although this will not enable their products to ship under the Made For iPod program.

On September 9, 2009, Apple introduced three new colors for the iPod Shuffle: pink, blue, and green. The Apple Store also offers a 4 GB model made of polished stainless steel.


A Third generation iPod Shuffle

Tablet PC :: Apple iPad

The iPad is a tablet computer developed by Apple Inc. Announced on January 27, 2010, it is similar in functionality to the iPhone and iPod touch, running the same operating system (iPhone OS) and almost all of the same applications.

The iPad has a larger 9.7-inch (25 cm) LED backlit multi-touch display with a pixel resolution of 1024x768, 16 to 64 gigabytes (GB) of flash memory, a 1-gigahertz (GHz) Apple A4 processor, Bluetooth 2.1, and a 30-pin dock connector to sync with iTunes and connect wired accessories.

Two models have been announced: one with 802.11n Wi-Fi and one with 802.11n Wi-Fi and 3G (which can connect to HSDPA cellular networks), and Assisted GPS. Both models may be purchased with three different memory capacities.

As Apple's first device to use its iBookstore service and companion iBooks ebook reading application, the iPad has been compared to Amazon's Kindle.


An iPad featuring the iBooks application


Starting March 12, customers in the US can pre-order the iPad. The iPad is to go on sale in the US on April 3 for the Wi-Fi version and at the end of April for the Wi-Fi + 3G version. Consumers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK will be able to buy both the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G versions of the iPad in late April. The launch date is slightly later than anticipated, as the Wi-Fi model was expected to be released worldwide at the end of March. The Wi-Fi + 3G iPad will be unlocked so it can be used on other mobile carriers that support GSM micro-SIMs. 3G will be provided in the U.S. by AT&T and sold with two prepaid contract-free data plan options: one for unlimited data and the other for 250 MB/month at half the price. The plans will be activated on the iPad itself and can be canceled at any time.


The iPad's home screen


The iPad's home screen

Notebook :: Sony VAIO notebooks

VAIO is a sub-brand for many of Sony's computer products. It was originally an acronym for Video Audio Integrated Operation, but since 2008 amended to Visual Audio Intelligence Organiser to celebrate the brand's 10th year anniversary. The branding was created by Timothy Hanley to distinguish items that encompassed the use of consumer audio and video, as well as being conventional computing products. One example of this was the Sony VAIO W Series personal computer, which functioned as a regular computer and a miniature entertainment center. Although Sony made computers in the 1980s for the Japanese market only, Sony withdrew from the computer business around the turn of the decade. Sony's re-entry to the computer market, this time globally, under the new VAIO brand, started in 1996 with the PCV series of desktops. The VAIO logo also represents the integration of analog and digital technology. The 'VA' represents an analog wave and the 'IO' represents digital binary code, thus some would call it VA10 or Va-ten.

Personal notebooks

All personal notebook models come with Windows 7 Home Premium installed. Unlike the business range, XP downgrade options are not available on all models.

• AW Series

18.4" high-end multimedia range, with 1080p resolution screen and SSD options. Replaced the AR series.


• F Series

16.4" consumer entertainment range. There are options for a Blu-ray disc reader or burner, and an option for a Full HD widescreen. The notebook is the second largest in Sony's current range, the first being the VAIO AW series.


• NW Series

A 15.5" entry level laptop for home users. Successor of the NS Series. Includes an HDMI port and a 16:9 display. The higher-end models include a Blu-ray Disc reader.


• CS Series

A 14.1" notebook marketed as a mid-range, more configurable computer compared to the lower end consumer models, such as the NW Series.


• Sony vaio cw

A 14" notebook that is customizable compared to the pre-built NW series. Successor to the CS series. Can be customized with up to a Core i5 540M, 8 GB of DDR3 SDRAM, a Blu-ray burner, nVidia graphics and 500 GB hard drive.


• X Series

An 11.6 " ultraportable that uses the Intel Atom Z550 and has 2 GB of DDR2 SDRAM @ 533 MHz. Not only is this the first computer launched in the United States that uses the 2 GHz Atom Z550, but it is also one of the most expensive computers to use an Intel Atom processor, competing with Sony's own VAIO P Series.


• P Series

An 8" ultraportable range that uses a Intel Atom CPU Z520-Z550 dependant on model, and has 2 GB of DDR2 SDRAM @ 533 MHz.


• W Series

A 10.1" sub-notebook, aimed at a young audience. Available in White, Brown and Pink using a Intel Atom Processor N280, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 160 GB HDD, Windows XP Home.

Business notebooks (VAIO Professional)

Business notebook models usually come with Windows 7 Business installed (some higher models feature Windows 7 Ultimate. All business models have an XP downgrade option and full driver support).

• TT Series

Ultra portable 11.1" professional notebook. Successor of the TZ Series. The smallest notebook computer to accommodate a Blu-ray Disc drive at 11 inches.


• Z Series

13.1" Ultra portable, featuring a WXGA++ display with a 1366 x 768 and an optional 1600 x 900 resolution and integrated WWAN. (Replaces the high-end models of the SZ Series.)


• SR Series

13.3" ultraportable, for home and business use. (Replaces the low-end models of the SZ Series.)


• BZ Series

Robust business notebooks with Trusted Platform Module and biometric fingerprint security technology. (Replaces the BX Series.)


• G Series

11.1" ultra portable notebook employing Trusted Platform Module technology and biometric fingerprint security features. Weighed only 1.1 kg and was made from CFRP and had an ultra thin LED backlit screen. This notebook brought many technologies that are now on mainstream notebooks to the consumer.

From the second quarter of 2008, all higher end models (AW, FW, Z, SR, TT and BZ) have incorporated a cylindrical spine, with no ports on the back of the computer. Generally, the AC adapter port is located on one end of the cylindrical spine, and the power button on the other.