Technology on The Right Hook
HP Pavilion dm1 – Laptop
It’s been a while since we spoke about laptop computers and so this week I’m looking at HP’s Pavilion dm1.
When you’re looking to buy a computer of any description, the important things to look at are – processor, memory or RAM and storage capacity – these are the things that will impact its performance and the general usability of the computer.
The HP Pavilion dm1 has a 1.65GHz dual core processor, 4GB of RAM and 320GB hard drive – which is good by any standards
It has an 11.6 inch screen, and a very comfortable keyboard – which I think is key for most people when looking at laptops smaller than 15.1. It also has a TouchPad which allows you to use pinch zoom and other multi touch gestures, but I would recommend buying an external mouse. The battery life is up to 9.5 hours.
The system runs Windows 7 and works just as you think it should and would. It’s great for writing and also, watching movies – the screen isn’t too small.
One thing it didn’t have though, was a disk drive – which may be a push or pull factor for some.
It has a HD TrueVision Webcam that’s brilliant for Skype and the internal mic picks up sound clearly.
The laptop also has a little sticker on it, which states it has a Beats audio system installed, but personally, I didn’t notice any major difference between the sound from that and any other laptop I looked at.
If you’re looking for a personal laptop to use, check your emails, surf the Internet and watch movies online, this is a strong contender.
Prices start at around €449
Samsung Multi – View
The Samsung MultiView MV800 is a new compact camera with a large touch screen that swivels over the top of the camera and has a rear shutter button giving you the ability to take self portraits and other shots from creative angles.
Samsung MultiView MV800 Features
Making the MV800 stand out is the MultiView flip-out 3 inch touch screen which makes it possible to shoot from all angles and take perfectly framed self-portraits. The touch screen is used to operate the camera and it can also be used as a kickstand to prop up the camera. Despite the MultiView screen the MV800 is packed into a very small body. You can even personalise the screen with your own choice of wallpaper.
The camera has a 16.1 megapixel sensor and a 5x optical zoom lens, which is a 35mm equivalent of 26 – 130mm. Videos are recorded in 720p HD with Zoom Noise Reduction and the camera takes MicroSD cards.
The MV800 is packed with some unusual features to take interesting pictures. Picture in Picture Shot does exactly as it says, you take one picture, then take another to fit in that picture. Funny Face feature means you can bend, stretch and warp portrait pictures of your friends and family. Face Tracking will also ensure the distorted face remains the same even if you move the camera.
Other features include Live Panorama, Magic Frame, Pose Guide, 3D Photo, Intelligent Portrait and Smart Filter 3.0 which includes miniature, vignetting, soft focus, old film, half tone dot, sketch, fish-eye, classic, retro, oil painting, ink painting, cartoon, cross filter and zooming shot. Photo Editor lets you rotate images, add effects, and crop out distracting elements in the background — all on the display. The Beauty Shot allows you to edit out facial imperfections.
- MultiView 3 inch touchscreen
- Slim design
- 16 megapixel sensor
- 5x optical zoom (35mm equiv: 26 – 130mm)
- Smart Touch 3.0
- 720p HD movie recording
- Picture in picture
- Live Panorama
- Funny Face mode
- Magic Frame
- Smart Filter 3.0
- 3D photo mode
- Pose Guide
- Photo Editor
- Storyboard Maker
- HD Movie with Zoom Noise Reduction
- Intelligent Portrait
