So what have I got in store for this issue of Claud talks Gadgets?

• A cool MP3 player
• Latest TVs
• Get a second screen for your lappy!
• A bad ass but very portable DSLR
• Many phones!
• And new macbook pro + iPhone 3GS

Let’s find out… keep scrolling after the fold.

Starting off is my second third ‘bestfriend’ that I cannot leave without, especially for long rides on public transport. It’s green, very portable, wireless, super sound quality and very long lasting gadget I’m going to talk about is my Sony W-series Walkman NWZ-W202 MP3 Player.

Ever since I collected mine from Sony Showroom, I cannot leave home without it. My previous MP3 player was a green creative stone which I got tired of charging and having to spin the yellowing earpiece wire around the tiny thing. Now with the Sony W-series Walkman, I do not have to worry about charging (not so often) nor distracting wires! Freedom to jog in the gym, freedom to board/ alight train and freedom to move without having a dangling wire! The battery life for this is amazing too! I can listen to it throughout 4-days of commuting and still there’s battery to last. I charge it like once a week only.

Next up is something I wish to own but can never afford to! (Cause I would buy a macbook pro if I have that sum of money. I can live without TV for a few months but I cannot live without my lappie even for a day!) So yes, its a super sexy and amazing TV! The Samsung LED TVs was launched not too long ago and I’ve had 4 good hours with 3 amazing LED TVs when they had their movie night.

The image quality is amazing! The 5 LED Tv displayed at Samsung flagship store at Vivo City will sure to capture anyone’s attention when you enter the store. The paintings come to live and will blow your mind away! LED TVs though expensive, it consumes lesser power than the normal LCD TVs and the Samsung LED TVs come pack with amazing features such as the content library where everyone in the family can enjoy some entertainment or transform the TV to a digital art piece when you have guests over for dinner.

If you don’t believe that these LED TVs is so damn good, go check them out at Samsung Vivo City lah!

Samsung Lapfit Wide LCD Monitor (LD190)

The recent WWDC made me regret not getting an extra display for myself! I wanted to catch the live updates on Gizmodo and join in a chat on tokbox. But can’t keep up to the happenings on my mini 13″ macbook screen! If I had an extra display than, I would have done all that! *sadness*

And than Samsung came along and offered a review unit of their latest Samsung lapfit wide screen LCD monitor! And I am a damn happy woman! I can see my work stuff in full screen mode, and have other happening updates going on in the extra display! Hope they’ll give a super duper discount to buy in this review unit after the testing period. I want to keep it!

If you are having the same problem as me, working on a lappy and needing more screen space, head on down to PC Show today, tomorrow, Saturday or Sunday! Bring along the coupon below… Get Samsung Lapfit LD190 at PC Show 2009 and get free Takashimaya vouchers! Just print out the below coupon and show it before payment. And if you bring a friend along to buy, you and your friend gets an extra $10 voucher! Shiokness lah!

What are you waiting for? *Promotion only available at PC Show hor!

More about the lapfit can be found at Lester’s blog and DK’s blog.

Done with the non-photographying gadgets, next few that’s coming up all have got photography linked to them. Yes! Claudia simply loves taking photos! My fingers have been happy snapping away during my recent trip to Bangkok with a light and another amazing devices!

Yes! Its the one that I would like to swap my Nikon D40 with! Its the Canon 500D DSLR. When I first held the prototype at the Canon blogger event, I knew I’ve got to give this a test drive! And I did! And I regretted doing it! Cause now I’ve got to save money to buy it! BUT!! When I finally got the money to, Canon’s going to release another better one!! The frustration of the fast paced technology advancement!

Some shots taken with Canon 500D. Click to view larger image.

More photos can be found here.

Samsung BeatDJ mobile phone

This phone is for those who loves mixing their own ringtones and blasting your favorite music out loud! The sound quality from the Samsung BeatDJ is amazing for a mobile phone. Powered by Bang & Olufsen ICEpower speakers, people around you might appreciate more when you start blasting in public. I strongly do not recommend you to do that though. Keep the blasting and showing off this cool phone among your peers when you’re at your private party or home.

Samsung BeatDJ phone is now available in the market.

More reviews of the Samsung BeatDJ phone can be found at:

• Tech65′s blog
• Joseph’s blog
• The Lilttle Match Girl’s blog

Nokia N97

My new found love that I cannot leave home without! After surviving two days with it at ad:tech Singapore, I think I have found my iPhone replacement! It fits (almost) perfectly to my current lifestyle and needs, both for work and for play! I’ve got much to share about this nifty gadget. More detailed review will come soon!

Some shots taken with the Nokia N97. Click on photo for bigger view.

The LG Viewty Smart phone

I don’t know how I should put this phone. I’m using it more like a standby camera rather than a phone. Cause I’ve got too many phones now! Seven to be exact!

I’m not commenting much about the performance of the Viewty Smart as a phone since I’ve got few much better ones, but I have to comment that their camera is not bad. Capture speed wise not as fast as the Nokia N97 nor my Samsung Innov8, but the quality of it with low ISO setting is pretty good. Than there’s the “Beauty shot” and “Art Shot (cool)” which I dig! Just look at this shot of pretty molemole! Makes her even more pretty lah!

Some shots taken with the LG Viewty Smart phone. Click on photo for bigger view.

Nothing much I can say about this phone for now. But do watch for a review of it later in the month. You can find this at PC Show yet, launching only next week at CommunicAsia. Which I can’t make it! *sulks*. Will be out of town next week.

And finally! I want one of these two below to be my birthday present! *hint-hint* Yes! I want one of those “Most affordable lineup ever”!

Announced few nights ago on WWDC09, the new Macbook Pro and iPhone 3GS. I don’t think I need to say much about them lah! Google for more information! Or you can bing it! *coughs*

I think I’ve finally found the mobile phone I want! After trying out few other to-consider-getting phones, finally I found one that meets my needs!

Features I need in my mobile phone…
(+) Auto focus camera that produces good quality photos
(+) True web browsing feature that loads flash
(+) Good sound quality
(+) Loud enough alarm that plays mp3
(+) Comfortable and big enough buttons for my fat fingers
(+) Fuss-free user interface

The Samsung Innov8 (GT-i8510)

And this phone has got all of the above! I want to buy this phone! I’m so unwilling to part with it now that I’m loving it.

This phone fits perfectly into my palm and feels oh-so-sexy! The body feels steady yet sleek. The sliding of the phone is super smooth too. Unlike some of the slide phones where you feel a jerk when the phone is slide open. When you hold the Innov8 in your hands, you’ll just not want to let it go. (At least for me lah!) It was love at first sight for me.

Samsung Innov8 comes with a 8.0megapixel auto focus camera with super cool feature for a cameraphone! With options such as face detection, smile detection and blink detection, you’ll be able to capture perfect shots of your friends and yourself (perfect for camwhoring) almost all the time! With good lighting of course! Don’t expect good take at night or at dimly lighted places. There’s also scene modes for you to choose from. It’s almost like a point-and-shoot digital camera!

Easy-acess to video, camera and play mode

To switch between the different mode for your camera, all you need to do is the push of a button! This make switching between photo taking and video taking super easy. There’s also flash option for your videos and you can try doing slow-motion videos too!

One feature which I find pretty neat is the panorama shots. Usually cameras with such feature allows user to have the previous shot as preview and you’ll have to join the shots on your own and when you’re done, you’ve to press the shutter button again. But using the Innov8, all you need is press the shutter for the first take and just turn yourself to capture the shots. Below’s a video of the panorama feature in action…

This is how a panorama shot looks like…

In the day…

Click to view 2800×400 version

And at night…

Click to view 2800×400 version

You can take vertical panorama shots too!

that’s my messy room

You should be able to notice that the photos aren’t as sharp and clear, but that’s the not-so-good thing about this feature. Only the first shot is auto focused and the remaining shots are not. But still a pretty cool option to have.

Couple more test shots from the Innov8 camera…

Model at Canon VIP event

Parking FAIL!

Being categorised as an infotainment phone by Samsung, this small black beauty does have super powerful sound quality! Great for listening to music and watching your favourite movie on the go. But please please please use a earphone! It supports the standard 35mm audio jack! Spare a thought for others near you, they don’t want to listen to what you’re playing on the phone, no matter how good the audio quality is!

35mm audio jack at the side of the phone

This irritates me a little, when I have my earphone plug in, I can’t fit the phone into my pocket! Not so friendly for those who likes to have their music plugged in while you’re on the go.

Below’s a short video showing you the audio and video quality of the Samsung Innov8 phone.

Before this phone was released, I was upset that most of the slidephones comes with small keypads or not so comfortable to use ones. I’m so glad that the Innov8 keypad fits nicely for my fat fingers!

I simply cannot use phones with hard to use buttons. I’ve absolutely no problem with this one! (See I’m really loving it!)

With so much powerful features packed into a tiny phone, with a tiny and slim battery, the battery has to be charged daily. If you’re a hardcore information and content consumer, I’ll advice you to buy an extra battery or bring along your charger everywhere you go. From what I’ve tested, the battery will run low after about an hour listening to mp3 + total of an hour plus for web browsing + roughly 30 SMSes + less than 30 mins of talktime + about 20+ shots of photos w/o flash. Something like that lah! That’s a typical day for me with the mobile phone.

This phone is 99% perfect for me already. And when I showed my uncles during our recent dinner, they are all tempted to change too! Perhaps I’ll have a Samsung Innov8 outing one day when I get my own!

Now I can’t bear to part with the review unit lah! Singtel! When are you going to have another promotion for the Samsung Innov8? I missed the launch promo leh! Quick have another one! I want to buy! Wahahahaha!

There’s a whole lot more cool feature for this phone! If I continue, this will be the longest post on my blog ever lah! Here are few other links I found with reviews of the Samsung Innov8. Can go check it out if you’re considering getting this phone too.
>> Video review by PhoneArena
>> Hands-on with Samsung Innov8 by Mobile Burn
>> Smasung I8510 blog and forum