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Private screeningSamsung DL100 portable DVDPortable DVD players are nothing new, but Samsung has shrunk the package to a slender inch thick. A memory stick reader is included as standard, so you can access pictures, videos and even MP3s stored in this postage stamp-sized format. Powering the LCD screen can use up to 30 percent of your battery, but the Samsung`s Smart Inverter Control adjusts power consumption based on the screen brightness required. CDs sound pretty good through the virtual 3D speaker system; and you can hook up your player to a TV, projector or hi-fi. In-flight entertainment. Vital statistics: 25x17x2.4cm, 10 inch screen, 10-bit video, 24-bit audio, memory stick reader, Li-Ion battery (approx. 8hrs), remote control, plays DVD/VCD/CD-RW, R15 000. In the sticksMTN Instant OfficeFor those wealthy enough, poor enough or lucky enough to have accommodation outside the reach of Telkom the MTN Instant Office device allows you to connect phones, fax machines and PCs to the cellular network for voice calls and Internet access. The A5-sized Instant Office is made by Ericsson and has an external antenna which will connect to the nearest cellular network node up to 5 kilometres away, or up to 30 kilometres away with the optional Yogai aerial. Subscribers can choose whether to use the MTNdataFAST (HSCSD) service at normal call rates or the MTNdataLIVE (GPRS) service and pay for total data throughput. The call of the wild. Vital statistics: 14x19x5cm, 300g, up to 30km range, serial and phone cables, MTN network only, free with ProCall300 package or better. Heartstopping valvesAOpen AX4B-533 Tube motherboardKorean tech giant AOpen is flying backwards into the future. Its new motherboards sport on-board vacuum tubes to recreate the rich, detailed audio effects associated with classic valve amplifiers invented in the 1930s. But the rest of the board is strictly hi-tech, designed around Intel`s Pentium 4 chips. Other great innovations on the board include a trip switch instead of a fuse to guard against power surges, a chassis intrusion detector and a troubleshooting avatar called Dr Voice that tells you if anything is malfunctioning at component level. The Tube motherboard forms part of AOpen`s ultra-quiet Bare Systems component range that includes PC cases with noise dampened screws, fans and drives. Pumped up performance. Vital statistics: 533MHz front side bus, PC1600 DDR SDRAM 2GB max., 6 X USB2.0 ports, Sovtek 6922 Dual Triode audio tube, AC`97 2.2 audio codec (5.1 channel), surge protection trip switch, Dr. Voice II, Award BIOS, 305x244mm ATX form factor, R3 000. Strapless outfitJazz Wireless speakers J9940wMost audiophiles get a pathological thrill from handfuls of spaghetti snaking across the floor. But for true aesthetes, and those with tragically hip feng shui homes, the Jazz Wireless speakers are a delight. The set of five speakers, totalling 180W of music power, each include a small, shielded radio transmitter that connects to a base station attached to your hi-fi. Equally suited to a full power DVD experience and a delicate bit of Brahms, the speaker system uses the 2.4GHz radio frequency range to eliminate radio interference and carry the signal for 20 metres. Music, unplugged. Vital statistics: 180 watts, 5.1 channels Dolby Digital/DTS/Dolby Pro Logic, RF 2.4GHz, 20m range, remote control, R4 100.
02 September 2002
Private screening
Portable DVD players are nothing new, but Samsung has shrunk the package to a slender inch thick. A memory stick reader is included as standard, so you can access pictures, videos and even MP3s stored in this postage stamp-sized format. Powering the LCD screen can use up to 30 percent of your battery, but the Samsung`s Smart Inverter Control adjusts power consumption based on the screen brightness required. CDs sound pretty good through the virtual 3D speaker system; and you can hook up your player to a TV, projector or hi-fi. In-flight entertainment. Vital statistics: 25x17x2.4cm, 10 inch screen, 10-bit video, 24-bit audio, memory stick reader, Li-Ion battery (approx. 8hrs), remote control, plays DVD/VCD/CD-RW, R15 000.
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