Great Wall's Voleex C10: Fierce and Agile

I have been a Great Wall car owner since 2010 and am so far satisfied with the Peri we bought a few years ago and now, I am able to get my hands on Great Wall Car's new compact hatchback known as the Voleex C10.  This came as a service unit while our Peri is undergoing repairs and parts replacement.

Great Wall's Voleex C10 is a small city car which competes well with the new Toyota Yaris. The first thing you'll notice is how good the Voleex C10 looks. Its front grill gives it a fierce look, and it reminds me of Hannibal Lecter's mask. The C10's face makes it very noticeable on the road.

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Canon IXUS 110 IS Review, Specifications and Personal Impression

Yesterday I met with a friend to return a Canon IXUS 110 IS digital camera that was lent to my wife for her to review. This Canon digital camera shoots a maximum of 12.1 megapixels and that's large for the small size of its body. The PureColor LCD II screen is quite large at 2.8 inches with a 16:9 aspect ration so pictures taken can be seen clearly.

Available colors for the Canon IXUS 110 IS

The Canon Digital IXUS 110 IS was lent for seven days to us and it came with an sd card, a rechargeable lithium ion battery and a battery charger. One great thing about its specifications is its wide-angle zoom lens that has a focal range of 28-112mm and 4x optical zoom. This premium point-and-shoot digital camera is very attractive and easy to carry around. Its great for macro shots as you can move the lens as close to the subject and still get a very clear and crisp shot.

The Canon IXUS 110 IS has a 2.8" PureColor LCD II

For a point-and-shoot digital camera, this one is able to shoot HD videos at 1280x720 pixels at 30 frames per second (fps). It has 18 pre-set modes which delivers good results and has a Digic 4 processor. When I used the Canon IXUS 110 IS to take pictures in the 2009 Honda Challenge Cup last week I was generally satisfied with its performance. It is perfect for fast paced events when you can't afford to make adjustments in your camera.

The only two exceptions for my satisfaction are that 1)its battery life is not that long. It would not last until evening if you started using it continuously from early morning, 2) and with continuous use, you can feel its body slightly heating up or starting to feel warm. But, the first exception can be remedied if you had an extra battery while the second one does not at all affect the quality of the pictures you take. The Canon Digital IXUS 110 IS is available in the Philippines for a suggested retail price of (PHP) P23,950.00.

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Epson EB-S6 and Acer X1160Z Specifications

This week, I started searching for a multimedia projector for our church and, with the allotted budget, was left to choose among two projectors which have the same price - P29,995.

I am blogging about this so it will be easier for me to compare their specifications:

1. Epson EB-S6 3LCD Multimedia Projector specifications:


Projection system (3LCD) 0.56-inch with MLA

Optical
Native resolution SVGA (800x600)
Aspect ratio 4:3
Resolution supported VGA up to SXGA
Brightness High/Low: 2200 ANSI lumens/1750 lumens

Projection lens
Throw ratio 1.45 - 1.96:1
Type Digital zoom/Manual focus
F Number 1.44
Focal Length 16.6 mm
Zoom type Manual focus /1.35 x digital zoom
Offset 9.6:1
Lens protection A/V mute slide

Lamp
Type 170W UHE - E-TORL
Life 4000 hours/3000 hours (Low/High brightness mode)
Colour Reproduction Full-Colour (16.77 million colours)
Fan noise 28 dB/35 dB (Low/High brightness mode)
Contrast ratio 2000:1
Screen size Projection distance
30" to 350" [0.87 to 10.5 m]
60" screen 1.77 - 2.4 m
Keystone correction Vertical: ± 30°

Input
Computer 1xD-sub 15-pin (RGB)
Video 1xD-sub 15-pin (component),1xRCA,1xS-Video
Audio 2xRCA (red/white)
USB Display/Control 1xUSB B

Output
Built-in speaker 1 Watt monaural
Other functions
Direct Power On/Off Yes
Security Kensington lock Padlock & Security Cable Hole Kensington lock
Other functions 2-in-1 USB Display Auto Source Search, A/V Mute slide, Auto Detection of RGB, Password Protected Function, 8 Colour Modes, High Altitude Mode, User logo, Freeze, E-Zoom, Help, Test Pattern

Power requirements
Power supply wattage 100 - 240 V AC ±10%, 50/60 Hz
Power consumption lamp on 231 Watts
Power consumption stand-by 4.3 Watts
Weight 2.7Kg

General
Operating temperature (High Altitude Mode over 1500m) 5°C to 35°C / 0 to 2286m
Dimension (D x W x H) 245x327x92mm (excluding feet)
On-screen menu 33 Languages :
English / French / German / Italian / Spanish / Catalan / Portuguese / Dutch / Danish / Polish / Hungarian / Czech / Romanian / Slovenian / Norwegian / Swedish / Finnish / Russian / Ukrainian / Greek / Turkish / Arabic / Thai / Indonesian / Croatian / Slovak / Bulgarian / Malay / Vietnamese / Japanese / simplified Chinese / traditional Chinese / Korean

SUPPLIED ACCESSORIES
Power Cable 1.8 m
Computer Cable 1.8m D-Sub 15-pin (Male/Male)
USB Cable 1.8m USB A/USB B
Remote Control With 2xAA type batteries
Password Protect Sticker Included
User Manual Included



2. Acer X1160Z Multimedia Projector specifications


Model X1160
Specifications Display DLP™
Resolution (Native) Native SVGA (800 x 600)
Resolution (Maximum) Maximum SXGA (1280 x 1024), WXGA (1,440 x 900)
Contrast Ratio 2000:1
Brightness 2,000 ANSI Lumens (Standard)
Weight 2.3 Kg
Dimension 267 x 187 x 80 mm (10.5" x 7.4" x 3.1")
Lamp Type Osram 160W User Replaceable P-VIP Lamp
Lamp life 4,000 Hours (Eco)
Scan Rate 50 - 85 Hz (Vertical); 31k – 69k Hz (Horizontal)

Features
Digital Zoom 2x
Projection Screen Size (Diagonal) 0.64cm (25") to 7.62 m (300")
Projection Distance 3.3’ (1.0m) ~ 39' (11.4m)
Throw Ratio 50.4"@2m
Aspect Ratio 4:3/16:9 Compatible
Keystone Correction +/-40 Degrees (Vertical)
Noise Level (in Normal Operation) 33 dBA (Standard mode)

I/O Connectors
Computer Input Analog RGB/Component Video (D-sub) x 1,
Composite Video (RCA) x 1, S-Video (Mini DIN) x1,
USB (Type B) x 1

Video Compatibility NTSC (3.58/4.43), PAL (B/D/G/H/I/M/N), SECAM (B/D/G/K/K1/L), HDTV (720p, 1080i), EDTV (480p, 576p), SDTV (480i, 576i)

Power Consumption 255Watts (operation). <8 Watts (Standby)

Accessories AC power cord, VGA cable, Composite video cable, Remote control, Battery for remote control, Lens cap, User's guide (CD-ROM), Quick start guide, Security card

I hope that when the check is released i would be able to decide which one we will be getting for our church.

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Our New Multimedia/Video Projector: Sharp Notevision M10S

Today, after many months of prayer, our church got a used video projector from our mother church. It is a Sharp Notevision M10S (PG-M10S) Projector. It was passed on to our church because its lamp needed replacement and our mother church opted to buy a new projector with higher brightness or lumens. The specifications of the projector we got are:

Brightness (Lumens) : 800 ANSI
Contrast (Full On/Off) : 800:1
Variable Iris: No
Audible Noise: 39.0 dB
Weight: 1.4 kg
Size (cm) (HxWxD) : 4.8 x 23.1 x 17.8
Std. Lens:
Focus: Manual
Zoom: No
Throw Dist (m) : 1.2 - 6.8
Image Size (cm) : 91.4 - 508.0
Optional Lenses: No
Digital Zoom: Yes
Digital Keystone: Vertical
Lens Shift: No
Warranty: 3 Years
Performance:
H-Sync Range: 15.0 - 91.0kHz
V-Sync Range: 50 - 85Hz

After searching online for the lamp, it dawned on me why our mother church decided to purchase a new multimedia projector - because the cost of the 130W UHP projector lamp of the Sharp Notevision M10S (PG-M10S) Projector is close to price of the brand new one they bought. So, buying a new one was more practical. The price of the lamp in the U.S. is $469.95, converted in Philippine Peso, that's almost P25,000. A new projector with 2000ANSI (brightness/lumens)is available at P29,000++.

Well, still, we are thankful that it was given to us and I hope when our church is financially able, we would be able to get its lamp replaced or purchase a new projector, whichever comes first.

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Asus Eee PC 1000H, Lenovo S10, MSI Wind Reviews

My family and I went to SM Marikina to get a few groceries and buy some photo paper so we went to the mall's Cyberzone. As we went there, I couldn't keep myself from looking for an Asus N10J. But instead of finding the Asus N10J what I found was the Asus EeePC 1000H.

Let me say first that all netbooks I'll be mentioning in this post are the ones that carry the Intel Atom N270 processor. Now, with that aside, let as start by comparing Asus EeePC 1000H with the MSI Wind and the Lenovo S10. Below are the specifications of what I have found and their prices.


The source is from a local computer store in the Philippines, but there are links below to reviews from one web site using a single method to compare Asus Eee PC 1000H, MSI Wind and Lenovo S10.

Asus Ee PC 1000H specifications and price:

* 1.6GHz N270 Intel Atom Processor
* 160 GB Hard Drive
* 2GB of DDR2 RAM 667MHz
* Windows XP Home operating system
* 10” WSVGA LED-Backlit 1024 x 600 LCD
* Ports: 3 USB 2.0, 1 VGA monitor out, headphone jack, microphone input, SD card reader (SDHC compatible), Kensington lock slot, Ethernet 10/100
* Bluetooth
* Webcam (1.3 MP)
* Battery: 7.4v 6600mAh 6-cell battery
* Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n
* One-year warranty
* Size: 10.47 (W) x 7.53 (D) x 1.12 ~ 1.50 (H)
* Weight: 3lbs 2.5oz, 3lbs 11oz with AC adapter
* P26,900

Lenovo S10 specifications and price:

* 1.6GHz N270 Intel Atom Processor
* 160 GB Hard Drive
* 1.5GB DDR2 RAM 667MHz
* Windows XP Home operating system
* 10.2" WSVGA AntiGlare TFT with integrated camera 1024x600
* Bluetooth
* Webcam (1.3 MP)
* Intel GMA 950 Integrated Graphics
* 4-in-1 Media card reader and ExpressCard slot
* 3-Cell Li-ion battery
* Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n
* One-year warranty
* Size: 9.8" x 7.2" x 1.2" (including feet)
* Weight: 2.64 lbs (with 3-cell battery)
* P24,999

MSI Wind specifications and price:

* 1.6GHz N270 Intel Atom Processor
* 160 GB Hard Drive
* 2GB DDR2 RAM 667MHz
* No Operating System (add P3,500 for Windows XP Home OS)
* 10" WSVGA (1024 x 600) LCD
* No Bluetooth
* Webcam (1.3 MP)
* Intel GMA 950 Integrated Graphics
* Wireless: 802.11 b/g
* 3-Cell 11.1v 2200mAh Battery (6-cell plus P5,000)
* One-year warranty
* Size: WxDxH 10.2" x 7" x 1.3"
* Weight: 2lbs 8.6oz
* P20,999

The source of these specifications and prices are from the same store. One additional thing to note - the store that provided this information offers and upgrade option: ...all Intel Atom powered netbooks purchased between October 1, 2008 and December 30, 2008 is eligible for a chassis upgrade (charge is based on difference in prices between the new chassis and the original chassis) to handle New Intel® Atom™ 330 platform, the dual core Atom processor. I am still about to explore what this means and I will be doing so before I make a purchase this December.

Below are links to reviews using the same standards courtesy of notebookreview.com:

Asus Eee PC 1000H review
Lenovo S10 review
MSI Wind review

Based on the reviews, I read that Asus Ee PC 1000H had the best performance. I guess that's why it is the most expensive among the three netbooks. So far, after looking out for the best netbook that carries the Intel Atom, so far, my mind has changed and I plan to buy the Asus Eee PC 1000H (a cheaper 1000HA model will be coming out soon which is the same netbook without the bluetooth and the n wireless capability).

But if I had more dough I would choose the Asus N10J for its longer battery life and dedicated 256MB video memory option.

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My Wife's New Phone

Yesterday my wife and I got a new dual active sim phone. This is because we recently bought PLDT landline sim's for each of us so we can contact each other easier. Currently, I am using two phones, one for my globe sim and the other for my PLDT sim. She doesn't want to be holding two phones because she finds it inconvenient so we decided to get her a My Phone T22. Below are the specifications of the unit.

Specifications:

Network: GPRS/GSM 900/1800
Camera: 2.0 Megapixels CMOS
Display: 240 x 320 pixels, 2.8", 262K colors TFT
Connectivity: Bluetooth 1.2 with A2DP, USB
Memory: 2MB Built-in User Memory
Expansion: Micro SD/T-flash memory card slot
Device Control: Touch screen and Alphanumeric keypad
MEssaging: SMS, EMS, MMS, E-mail
GPRS: Class 12, WAP 2.0 browser
Sound: 2 stereo speakers, 3D-surround effect
Multimedia: MP3/MP4 player/Video Recorder
Battery: 1000 mAh
Dimension: 112 x 50 x 15 mm
Weight: 117g

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