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One of the 3 Seventh Generation Gaming Consoles (together with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii), the Playstation 3 (PS3) produced by Sony is a continuation of the PlayStation series and a successor to the ever-so-popular PlayStation 2 (PS2). The PS3, although not as popular as Wii and the 360, is still widely known as the gamer's console, has a totally different graphics engine as compared to PS2. This means that the games, although on both PS2 & 3, would have totally different graphics, eg. on Fifa 08.

One of the unique features of the PS3 is its built-in network system, known as the PlayStation Network. It has a total contrast as to the old-feature, the one that depends on the game developers for network games. The PS3 has also fulfilled the players' desire for a console with a graphics engine that would change the old 3D versions of gaming. With the graphics processing done by the NVIDIA RSX, which can output resolutions from 480i/576i SD up to 1080i/1080p HD, the graphics of a PS3 game would most definitely dwarf that of the other consoles.

One other unique feature is the disk inserting method of the PlayStation 3. In all other game consoles, the disk is to be put on a standard disk tray, having to move it in and other of the game system. The new PS3's way of inserting disk is a slot loading system, where the disk tray is omitted and the method of inserting is just to slot the disk into a small slid on the console, and the disk would somehow be "magically" sucked into the system. It is a 2x Blu-ray Disc drive for all games, movies and other multimedia.

Personally, I don't own one, but then again, I played it several times in shops / other people's homes. My experience, well, it's not bad a console and that having wireless controllers mean that players have the freedom to move around the wireless range of the PS3 without being restricted by wires. All those season console gamers would have most definitely encountered the fact of wires become entangled with the other controllers. With the wireless controllers, this problem no longer stands and it is much more convinient for players to have more mobility while gaming. The games are also quite cool, with new compelling exclusive games (such as Metal Gear Solid 4, etc) released exclusively on the PS3, players should get their hands on their own version of the PS3. There are 5 PlayStation 3 hardware models with different sizes of hard disk drive on retail shelves, namely 20GB, 40GB, 60GB, 80GB and 160GB models.

However, there seems to be this tiny drawback to the PS3. Buttons such as the power button and the disk eject button seem to be quite a nuisance, especially since they are just grooves on the console, it is exceptionally hard to press on them. This becomes quite a nuisance when the game hangs and you have to restart the console without switching off the main power supply. Despite having played the PS3 for quite a long time, it still poses a problem for me to reach for those buttons and get them to work. Perhaps it could be the problem with that particular console or it's a design fault throughout all consoles.

Anyway, Sony PlayStation 3 is a much anticipated gaming console that broke several sales record with its release in 2007. Despite the minor problems with the buttons, PS3 still manages to stand true to its promise, to bring the best of gaming to the room. The advantages of having a much better graphics definitely outweigh the slight design faults and is a console worth buying.

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The appearance of the new generation of iPod Nanos is subject to a wide spectrum of responses. Some are irked by the fact that it resembles cheaply-made MP3 player models, especially those in wilder colours such as orange or pink; others are immediately taken by the sleek shape of the player and what they see as a very well-finished shell. I belonged to the latter category; the first time I caught eyes of the iPod Nano 4th Generation, I was utterly sold. In fact, my original plans to try to save up for a 32GB iPod Touch were completely shelved after I beheld this gorgeous gizmo. What captivated me was the Now Playing Screen; while the Classic range of iPods features the usual titles on one side and the album art on the other, this range of Nanos has the album art take up virtually the entire screen, allowing for it to be displayed in its full glory. The crisp graphics certainly made the Now Playing Screen even juicier; it makes all the effort of setting album art for your songs absolutely worth it.

One cannot deny, of course, that the capability of the new iPod Nanos to detect its orientation is also a very fascinating and attractive feature. It allows one to watch videos in a fuller resolution, it makes it more convenient to watch videos or use the Cover Flow option since you can hold the Nano either way, and it’s cool to play games by tilting your iPod around. Not that the iPod Touch and iPhone don’t have these options, but the portability of the Nano is, of course, a plus. It is a pity that one can’t download applications onto the Nano, but I guess that is the trade-off for keeping the trademark click-wheel. In my opinion, however, it is not an entirely unreasonable trade-off; the fact is, many hardcore iPod fans (such as me) love the click-wheel to bits and cannot fathom not having it on their iPods. The fourth generation of iPod Nanos is hence perfect because while it maintains the use of the click-wheel, it manages to incorporate the full album art display of the iPod Touch and iPhone and still maintain its portability as a Nano as well.

The only real qualms I had about the new iPod Nano was the fact that when I dropped it on tarmac once, part of it was scratched off because of the jagged surface of the ground. The chipped-off bits were tiny but still suggested that the shell was somewhat less resistant to damage than one would expect from a chrome exterior. What this really means, however, is that you should take better care of your iPod Nano, keep it away from roads, and to buy a plastic cover if you are an utter klutz and need some iPod armour anyway.

I also had slight problems with the fact that it is rather hard to find good accessories for the new iPod Nano. I did find a handful of silicon cases and skins, but I am yet to find any leather holders or stick-on skins. Perhaps this will change with time, but if you must have these accessories you might want to hold your purchase until these frills actually get a more widespread release.

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Media gadgets powerhouse Logitech does not seem content to manufacturing mice which work on the standard 2D surface. With the addition of their new top-of-the-line MX Air to their mousing arsenal, Logitech has opened an entire niche in the mouse industry. The unique selling point of the Logitech MX Air Rechargeable Cordless Air Mouse is that, well, it works as well in air as compared to being used on a table surface.

The Logitech MX Air is a gyroscopic mouse. This means that, other than being used in the standard way, the MX Air can be lifted off the surface and be used to control the cursor on the screen like a laser pointer. This is most certainly targeted at home theatre entertainment users. The MX Air has a sleek and futuristic design, which looks nothing like conventional mice. It has a touch-scroll which has replaced the conventional scroll-wheel, extra multimedia buttons and is fully wireless.

I had some misgivings regarding the touch-scroll strip which replaced the scroll-wheel. It makes use of a technology called inertia scrolling. Sliding your index finger along the strip will allow you to scroll documents, achieving the same effect as rolling back on a scroll-wheel. However, as you flick your finger faster on the touch-scroll strip, it accelerates your scrolling speed exponentially. This causes some inconvenient scrolling of web browsers and documents sometimes, although I would admit, it is a very classy feature.

The four extra mouse buttons are self-explanatory – Back, Select, Play/Pause and Volume. These are basic entertainment and multimedia mouse functions, perfect for that Home Theatre PC (HTPC) to watch Blu-Ray movies or stream online video content. The Logitech MX Air is fully wireless; all that is required is for you to stick a USB receptor into your computer. The signal strength is strong - I had no problems operating it even at distances of up to 7-10 metres. The MX Air is equipped with a rechargeable battery and comes with a very stylish charging stand.

The mouse makes use of mechanical gyroscopes in the air, meaning that even if you tilt the mouse sideways and move it up, the mouse will still register a horizontal cursor movement. This is definitely a very considerate feature and will reduce the disorientation while in midair. The myriad of functions and controls that the MX Air possesses can only be fully explored once you have the mouse and start to experiment on it yourself. For example, holding down the Volume button in midair and then traversing the mouse sideways will adjust the volume. This is a power-packed addition to Logitech’s growing family of versatile mice.

One important fact to bear in mind before deciding to buy this is that, while the whole concept of gyroscopic mice is very attractive and very appealing, the MX Air will take some getting used to. A user of standard mice will find it disorientating once you lack that sense of security that the solid table gives you. Apart from this, this mouse also commands a very exorbitant price tag of approximately US$120-140.

If money is of no object to you in securing an attractive and functional mouse for that HTPC, the Logitech MX Air Rechargeable Cordless Air Mouse will be the perfect choice for you. This Wii variant of the mice fraternity is a very handy device which would complement a HTPC very well.

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As a result of my gaming habits, the mice that I usually prefer with my desktop are usually Razer-made. Be it the older Krait or the newer Lachesis, Razer gaming mice have grown on me. However, recently I purchased a Logitech G5 Laser Mouse from eBay and I have found myself using this more than my current Razer Lachesis. An extremely versatile mid-range gaming mouse, it would definitely appeal to the casual user as well.

The Logitech G5 has an impressive 2,000dpi (dots per inches) sensitivity. That statistic does not seem too impressive beside Razer’s representatives – Copperhead and Lachesis, which have up to 4,000dpi. One thing to note is, however, 2,000 is more than enough even for gaming enthusiasts and certainly overkill for the casual user. Gamers can get the most out of their gameplay with this sensitivity, especially for the first-person shooters (FPS) crowd who require more control over their crosshairs. Clicking small spots on the monitor is now made much easier as you have finer control over the cursor, thus making this one very accurate device.

I mentioned that the Logitech G5 Laser Mouse is extremely versatile, and one aspect where this is evident is the SetPoint software that is bundled along with the mouse. SetPoint allows ‘dpi switching’, which means that you can set the dpi at which the mouse operates at, be it 100 or 2,000dpi. This is definitely good news to casual users, who will most likely run it only at 1,000 to 1,500dpi for daily usage. This dpi setting can be altered on-the-fly, with a simple click of the middle buttons below the scroll wheel. Furthermore, it allows you to save profile settings, meaning that you can assign new functions to every single one of the six buttons and save these changes. The first thumb button could be assigned to open Mozilla Firefox, for example, while the second could be used to open iTunes.

Another feature that I really liked was the use of polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) mouse feet. Mouse feet are smooth pads at the bottom of the mouse surface which is in contact with the mouse pad (or table surface). The polytetrafluoroethylene mouse feet are ultra-smooth and this basically means that the mouse literally glides across your mousing surface. Coupled with a decent mouse pad, the G5 would be a very comfortable mouse to use. I am using this with the Razer Destructor gaming mat and I can safely say that I have never used a mouse that is smoother than the G5.

This last feature is undoubtedly my favourite – the Logitech G5 Laser Mouse allows users to use small weights to customize the total mouse weight. Often, I’ve come across mice which are either too cumbersome or too light to be used comfortably. The G5 comes with weights that can be slotted into the underside of the mouse to make it a little heftier for the user to have more control over the device. This, coupled with the polytetrafluoroethylene feet, strikes a good balance between sensitivity and control for the mouse and is definitely the G5’s winning point.

I would be elated if Logitech had added two more side buttons to the G5. The two thin mouse buttons might be useful for the casual user, but it is hardly enough for the gamers. I would prefer more buttons to bind commands to and hopefully the successor versions of the G5 would implement this. Apart from this, the Logitech G5 Laser Mouse is an excellent mouse and I have been a happy user for the past two weeks.

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'Beyerdynamic' is a name known and respected by true audiophiles around the world. Beyerdynamic audio products are famous for the quality and design, as well as durability. Beyerdynamic stands as among the top few brands like Sennheiser, Audio-Technica and Grado for high-end audio equipment. One of the more affordable pair of headphones from Beyerdynamic is the DT231.

When accessing a pair of 'cans' (the insider term for headphones), most important aspects to consider include quality of sound, comfort during use, portability, durability d cost. In my opinion, the DT231 has very good value for money and, overall in the above-mentioned aspects, fare very well for a mid-range pair of headphones.

The DT231 looks very lightweight. The cups of the headphone are compact and look nothing like the more bulky Grado designs. Whilst some hardcore listeners may not like this 'softer' feel but instead prefer the trusty weight of heavier cans, the compact size makes it a very portable set of headphones. This means that it can be easily brought around in a bag, or even around the neck, making it the perfect companion for your iPod. Comfort-wise, this set does not pose any serious problems. The headband does not constrict the top of the skull and the cups fit snugly around the ears. As with any other headphones, the ears get warm after long hours of listening but I thought the material of the ear muffs could be selected specifically to trap less heat. There were occasional periods when I felt that the headphones was pressing slightly too tight on the top of my ears, resulting in a very slight ache after long hours of use.

When I plugged this into my computer using a Creative Audigy 2 Value sound card, I was quite taken aback. The retail price of the DT231 is slightly less than US$100, but after using it for a day, I was convinced that the DT231 was a steal from Beyerdynamic. This price range is considered low to medium-class for premium brands like Beyerdyanmic, however from the quality of sound from the DT231, it sounds more like a medium to high-end set of headphones. For me, bass is one big factor in sound quality and the DT231's bass is solid and reverberating - just the way I like it. Music is clear and crisp, both high and low pitches are a joy to hear, even at loud volumes. Another feature that I really liked is the excellent noise cancellation. Basically the DT231 is closed, meaning that once you put it on, it isolates your ears from the environment. This makes for excellent outdoor use as it cancels out background noise and enhances the clarity of the sound.

For a pair of headphones under US$100, this pair of headphones has one of the best sound quality in the market. More expensive headphones from Grado and Audio-Technica may not be able to best the DT231's melodious quality. Beyerdynamic DT231 Headphones should be your choice if you want to pay the minimum for superb quality. I have never looked back since I purchased my set.

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