It was about the time that someone comes up with standalone device for easy transfer and recording of all those high-definition and standard-definition home videos and digital photos to DVD discs. That someone happens to be legendary Sony itself. Sony?s back with a new DVD recorder called VRD-MC6 – the next generation multi-function DVDirect DVD recorder. Why all the hype about this particular model? Well, it is Sony and that alone brings big expectations regarding features and indeed, VRD-MC6 is really unique for couple of reasons. Before we take closer look at it let me share with you a public secret – device is nearly 60% smaller compared to its predecessor and comes with a 2.7? color LCD display that is great for previewing video files, and enables you to view up to half a dozen digital photos simultaneously.

Shige Nakayama, manager of the DVDirect business at Sony, explains ?Many customers still have their old home movies on tapes and are looking for an easy solution to archive their personal digital imaging content on DVD discs. With the larger built-in LCD color screen in a smaller body, the new DVDirect model makes it easier for customers to transfer the content to DVD discs for archiving, enjoying and sharing with family and friends.?Want to transfer AVCHD quality videos to DVD discs in their native 1080i HD resolution? No problem.
Simple connect the VRD-MC6 directly to a Sony hard drive or Memory Stick media-based Handycam camcorder and leave the rest to this cool gadget. Burned DVDs then can be played back on compatible Blu-ray Disc devices( other players, computer optical drives and PS3 consoles).

DVDirect DVD recorder is ( tigthly) packed with many other features.??It supports Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick Pro Duo media, SD/SDHC and xD-picture card media formats which means?you can use the VRD-MC6 to record digital photos to a DVD as a slideshow directly. What about ability to transfer standard-definition home videos to DVD discs? ?Thanks to Digital Video (i.LINK/FireWire/IEEE-1394) connectivity, Composite Video inputs, and USB support this task is breeze.

DVDirect VRD-MC6 will be available on the market?this September?with the price tag of about $229.

Chinazrh via from Gadget

Is there are such a thing as too many information and data? In this information age, we keep gathering thousands and thousands of different types of data such as photos, music, video etc. When it comes to storing this precious( I hope it is, at least some percentage) data, there is good and bed news. Good news is that cost of storage devices going down everyday. Bad news is that is getting harder and harder to find( and share with someone) specific file on multiple hard drives when you need it. Don?t panic! Leyio data gadget might be an answer to your need for easy sharing of all these ones and zeros with other human being.

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Chinazrh via from Gadget

Digital photo frames are really cool gadgets for showing off your favorites photos without spending money on paper prints. There are many of them available on the market but they mostly differ only in size of LCD display. This digital photo frame brings you something new. Beside photo display feature it has internet information display. Now you can have Your main screen for work and second display for, well, everything else. Keep it on your office desk and proudly display your family photos, keep up to date on the weather from up to 5 worldwide cities and keep on top of important daily events with integration of your Google Calendar.

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Chianzrh via from Gadget

Special Report: Global Financial Crisis

Special Report: President Hu Attends G20 London Summit

China’s business climate index, a main gauge of macro-economic outlook, continued to fall in the first quarter, but the decline was much smaller than that for the previous quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Thursday.

The quarterly business climate index slipped from 107 at the end of last year to 105.6 in the first quarter this year, the NBS said. It was the third drop in a row as the deepening global financial crisis continues to hit the Chinese economy.

But the decline was much smaller than a drop of 21.6 points in the last quarter of 2008, according to the NBS.

The index ranges from zero to 200. A reading above 100 shows economic expansion, while a reading below 100 indicates contraction. The survey began in 1998.

The index for industrial sector rose from 98.5 to 99.8. The manufacturing sector was 98.4.

The index for the areas of transportation and postal service was up, but the service sectors edged down.

The entrepreneur confidence index, a gauge of the understanding, views and projections of business people, rose 6.5 points from three months ago to 101.1 in the first quarter.

The index reflects confidence in real estate, transportation, retail, information technology and software. In reflected decreased optimism in tertiary sectors including lodging and catering, according to the NBS survey.

A series of economic indicators have showed signs of recovery of the world’s third largest economy. The industrial output rose 11 percent year on year in February, ending a sharp fall in January, for which the NBS did not provide the exact data.

There was also a decline in energy generation, a key indicator of the economic health. It slipped 0.71 percent from a year ago to 286.73 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in March, according to statistics released Wednesday by China National Power Dispatching and Communication Center (CNPDCC).

The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) of China’s manufacturing sector rose for the fourth straight month in March to 52.4 percent, up 3.4 percentage points from a month earlier, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) announced last week.

It was the first time the PMI rebounded above 50 percent since July 2008, when the index fell to 48.4 percent.

A reading of above 50 suggests expansion, while one below 50 indicates contraction.

“The continuous rebound of the PMI not only shows the government economic stimulus package has begun to take obvious effect, but also indicates a stabilizing and warming economy,” said NBS head Ma Jiantang.

==== Key figures for 2009 ===

? GDP to grow by 8%
? CPI to rise around 4%

? Fiscal deficit budget of 950 bln yuan

? To allocate 42 bln yuan to offset unemployment

? Urban unemployment rate under 4.6%

? Urban employment to increase by over 9 million ? 43 bln yuan to build low-rent houses ? 120 bln yuan added to boost agriculture

==== China’s CPI up 1% in Jan. 2009 ====

Even if you do not believe in old saying ?The Truth will set you free?it still does not mean that you can not have some fun with this interesting gadget. This kit can easily be compared with Pinocchio?s nose since it does some thing. It detects if you telling truth or lie.

Yes, it is lie detector. The Truth Wristband measures the user?s galvanic response to a question, and will go from blue to red which will reveal if the user is telling the truth. Hmm, I see very good use of this device. Every politicians should wear one of this when making public speeches so finally we would be clear about all promises they make. What about accuracy? Well, that is something that you have to find out yourself.. if you are ready to face the truth. The truth is , this kit is going to cost you $44.95 and you can get it from maker shed. It is DIY kit so some assembly is required.

Chinazrh via from Gadget

All the enthusiastic gimmick lovers seem to be already encumbered with a great deal of miscellaneous gadgets, but do they have what seems to be a good solution to our earth pollution? Called NTT DoCoMo, this turns out to be a solar powered mobile phone, so you can charge it whenever it is sunny.

This solar hybrid mobile phone can be also used in a rainy season as this is a water resistant replica which can be immersed in water up to one meter but for 30 minutes. When the battery of solar powered NTT DoCoMo is flat you can easily charge it over just 10 minutes of sun light while its panel produces about 1 minute of talk time.

This ecologically friendly solar powered mobile phone features an 8 mega pixel CCD camera designed to capture high quality pictures even in those bad lighted areas. Even if objects around you are moving, you will be able to take clearly visible pictures.

You may easily stay connected even if your cell phone is fully wet, so this appears to be a nice bathroom gadget. Starting from September, the DoCoMo solar hybrid handset is expected to be available in Japan. This stunning cell phone is scheduled to be showcased at Wireless Japan 2009 exhibition.

Chinazrh via from Gadget

I?m sure this is a feature some of you have seriously considered at least once. But would actually use a cigarette lighter phone? The phone in the picture here comes with a cigarette lighter but we doubt it?s the real thing. If you?re having any safety questions then you should know that the lighter is located on the back of the SB6309 and it comes with a protective cover. Simply slide it and light up your next cigarette.

Or you could choose a smartphone instead and quit smoking. I certainly hope that nobody will actually consider creating such a phone. But just in case this proves to be more than a joke, we?ll be ready to offer you all the hidden details. In case you stumble upon the official site of the phone you should also be aware of the fact that it could potentially harm your PC. The world malware has been used more than once!

Chinazrh via from Gadget

As if zoos didn’t have enough problems these days, now they have to compete with the inevitable flood of disappointed children who, upon entering a zoo for the first in their lives, become utterly confused about the lack of televisions.

There are no prices available for this line of televisions, although we can tell you that, in addition to the panda, there are giraffe, elephant and polar bear models.

The sad thing, now that I think about it, is that for those last two models, that may be the only tomorrow’s youth gets to experience a polar bear or elephant.

Chinazrh via from Gizmodo

The next Cronkrite you certainly aren’t, but this $400 “pro-level” PCM-M10 recorder from Sony might give that semi-serious blogger gig you have based in the garage a bit more chutzpah when you’re making interviews out in the field.

With the lower price point, the PCM-M10 is now the cheapest flash-based recorder in the Sony lineup. Another first is that the recorder is the first to feature a built-in speaker for playback recordings. One more first? The PCM-M10 is the first player in the line to produce MP3 files. Finally!

In other words, says blogger Brad Linder (who may or may not have interviewed Sony execs with this thing for his overview), this thing has all the same software features as the more expensive PCM-D50, except that reocrder checks in at roughly $600. Oh, and there’s the drawbacks to consider too at that price point. Mainly, cheaper materials, Linder says, especially in the area of the headphone jack and some of the plastics.

Still, seems to be quite the rig for the price. But you’re still no Cronkite (and neither am I, for that matter).

Chinazrh via from Gizmodo