Swedish Tech Report

I have been using the Ati Radeon 4770 for a week now and have been really enjoying the experience.  The card that I had in this computer before was a NVIDIA 9800 GTX, but it was not performing the way that I wanted to, so I was puzzled about what to do and when. Especially since my warranty ran out on the card a couple of months ago. I have a always been curious the ATI Radeon 4770 since I have always thought that it offers a lot of value for the money.  The version that ATI have sent me has 512 MB DDR Graphics Memory, HDMI support and DVI output.

Specifications of the 4770:

• DirectX®10.1
• 512MB, GDDR5
• 640 Stream Processors
• ATI Stream Technology
• 51.2 GB/s Memory Bandwidth
• DVI, DVI, TVO
• ATI CrossFireX™ Technology (up to 2 GPUs)
• PCI Express 2.0 x 16

I have used it with a range of different processors ranging from the AMD Athlon X2 250 to the AMD Phenom II 955 black edition. One thing that I clearly remember form my meeting with AMD at CES 09 was the focus on media capbility when you combine an AMD CPU and ATI graphics card.

The game that I currently play on my computer is Transformers. As a big Transformers fan I love playing this game. It has some true cool special effects that shows of the gaming capability on a computer.  The 4770 handles it perfectly. So far it has been a great value for the price.

Another thing is media conversion. I am one of the few people that actually own and use a Zune.  The units that I have currently is the Zune 120 and the Zune HD. Personally I feel that the 120 is my personal favorite. It has the stability and space that I need daily… My Zune HD does not really measure up to that at the moment.

If I would compare it to one of my previous graphics cards i n this desktop computer the 9800 GTX…  This one handles framework conversion much better then any of my previous graphics card. Before I could get dropped frameworks when I used software such as WinX DVD Ripper and Cucusoft Zune DVD Converter but now with the 4770 it handles it much better then before.

Other items such as the playback of DVD is much better then before.  It is much more fun to watch a DVD now on my desktop. It handles the quality and colors much better then before. Magical time…

One thing that we can all talk about on a  computer is the sound level… When I have this card installed in my computer it almost feels like I can sleep in the same room as my computer.

That is my first week of impressions after using this card. Check back in a couple of weeks for a full review.

Engadget has published a review of the Motorola Droid. The much anticipated smartphone of this year. Is this the smartphone to get?

With the DROID, the company has perhaps created its most attractive and intriguing piece of technology yet. Forging an alliance with both Verizon and Google, Motorola has come up with a second compelling reason to count the phonemaker down, but certainly not out, while the other two giants have finally found a seemingly worthy device to position against the iPhone. So we must pose these questions: is this the phone which will catapult Android into the mainstream? Is it the device that will pull Motorola back from the brink? And — most importantly — is it the lynchpin Google and Verizon have needed to challenge the leader in mindshare in the smartphone market? After putting the device through its paces, we think we can give you the answers you seek — so read on to find out!

I got the Palntroics Discovery 975 while I was in Stockholm and recently Sony Ericsson sent me the Satio on long term evalution deal. A phone that simply has an awesome camera.
We all know about the deal when you have a phone that is in one word awesome, but there is one thing missing a good Bluetooth connectivity option. The Satio so far has worked extremely nice for me.
I had to put the Plantronics Discovery 975 in pairing mode. Next step for me was to start searching for it with the SATIO. When I first open up the software I switched Bluetooth on and moved on to the next page. Here I turned on searching mode on the SAITO and within 15 seconds it was turned on and I could start using it.
Right now it works extremely well. I do not have any issue with receiving calls and making htem. It has good range between the phone and headset. As Tony the tiger says “Immmmmmmmmmm looooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvinnnngggggggg itttttttttttttt”:-)

I asked my local PR representative about reviewing this external hard-drive since:
• My Western Digital 500 GB passport had gotten all beaten up after usage.
• I was looking for something new.

This drive made me think for something new. It got great reviews over the new and I wanted to try it. It took a couple of weeks for them to find a sample for me but when I did get it my impressions was simply a wow. I wanted to move 179 Gigabyte from one computer to another. This move took me around 55 minutes over USB. Something that I really enjoyed since with the Western Digital Passport it took me around one and a half hour to move about the same amount of data.

I love that the hard drive has the curvy edges. Feels much better in the palm of my hand.

Now enough talk about the usage. I have to say that I am impressed with the hard drive. The material is sturdy and does not give any real issues with regards to quality.
What I like is that they ship it with a USB cable that has output for power aswell. What I found interesting is that you do not need this cable with all computers. Different computers does not bout outputs.
They ship it in both blue and red colors, and the version that they sent me is the blue version. I am happy that they did this one looks good
So far a good external hard drive. Check out here for my full review within a couple of weeks.

Apple timed the release of Windows 7 with three new commercials. Not beeing the Apple fan boy I still think that these are good. What do you think? Is this enough for you to not get Windows 7 and instead get OS X?

Chris over at Slashgear reviews the HTC Tatoo. A small, feature packed and with a great price to with it will make a spalsh in the market.

While the first handful of Android devices were tasked with showing the platform’s high-end potential, the HTC Tattoo – like the Huawei Pulse – now fleshes out the budget end of the market. That fits in perfectly with Google’s initial goal for Android, a free OS that makes cheap phones cheaper but that’s also capable enough for flagship devices. Feature-phones watch out: Android is gunning for you now

I have been using the Sony Ericsson Satio for the last week.  A feeling that I have gotten when using the device is that it does not feel like I have a typical Sony Ericsson phone in the palm of my hand. It has the same Symbian operaing system that the Nokia N97 has but with a different shell and layer on top of it.

It certainly has the stability that one want in a device. It does not feel like a first generation firmware, instead it feels like if they have added a second generation firmware on top of the device.

The camera software on the device is perhaps the most exciting one that I have seen so far. It does not feel like important parts such as the camera has been neglected, they have focused a lot on important parts such as the camera speed and stability.

This is just one the short but many updates:-)

Xavier Lanier over at Notebooks.com has gotten ahold of the Alienware M17x and reviewed it for our pleasure. It offers the features and capabilities that one might want in a

There’s no question that the Alienware M17x delivers a great gaming experience, but this notebook isn’t for everyone. If you’re concerned about battery life or mobility you should avoid the M17x. It’s too heavy to carry around and it’s difficult for some people to even move from room to room. Do not buy this notebook with any delusions that you’re strong enough to schlep it around campus. Plan on buying a netbook or lightweight notebook to use outside of your home in addition to your M17x.

The Zune HD & AV Dock is a very functional accessory that I see has already dropped to $75 on Amazon ($89.99 suggested retail price). I think it is worth the $75 price and you may even be able to find it for lower soon. Remember, the Zune dock also charges up your Zune HD while docked in place. I plan to take it on business trips with me so I can enjoy my own personal content on the road and use it as my HD movie player in the future. There are a couple of missing features (Zune Marketplace and Internet support) that we might see added in a future update and I look forward to seeing where it goes from here.

Check out the full review over at The Mobile Gadgeteer.

For the last couple of weeks I have been playing one of the most anticipated games of this year. Halo OSDT . It is one of the most anticipated games of this year. My review unit of the game was actually delayed because they sold so many copies of the game here in Sweden so that they did not have any review units availible for reviewers.

First impressions:

My first impressions was that it is a solid game.  They have keept the great stuff from the earlier games but added features such as going back to the roots but at the same time keeping the great fighting moments from the earlier versions.

Compared to the other Halo games that has been released this one goes outside the box by redefining what Halo stands for. There is six hour of fun in this game, a new cooperative mode called Firefight and a disc that contains maps and other fun stuff.

In this game you will not be Master Chief but instead you will be the Orbital Shock Dropper. These are highly-trained but not exactly super soldiers, that do not have all the strengths of the super chief.

When playing the game I have noticed that you can only aim one weapon at once.  When the health bar has gone down you have to find a health pack that powers it up once more. If you compare it to the Master Chief  you will notice that they do not take as many bullets or handles the fall as good.

Compared to thearlier versions you have a new and exciting storyline ahead of you. Bungie have not done the traditional Halo storyline. Instead they have created a great game that is driven on the character.

The game starts as a group of Halo OSDT soliders are going to burn through the  atmosphere and going into the battle for New Mombasa into tiny one man pods. When playing the game you will notice that the other soldiers call them as Helljumpers.

There is just not the typical Halo faces you will meet new faces such as Buck, the squad leader, Dare the tough girl that has a mysterious history and a couple of other that has specialized combat modes.

The person that you will play as is The Rookie a quiet and inexperienced soldier.

The action in the game take places as  the Covenant is having a hard time and making the Prophets of Regret make an emergency slipstream escape. This happens just as your squad is transporting to earth. When you are playing the game you will notice that there will be a shockwave and everything goes black.

To be able to survive under the game you have to be able to find the other Halo OSDT that has been scattered around the city. They have added an excellent soundtrack that adds to feeling of being lonely and being out there. To be able to find the other OSDT around the city to your help you have the city’s Al which is responsible for the cities facilities.

You are playing a murder mystery that allows you explore the darkness around the city.

When you find the other Halo OSDT soldiers a switch is flipped and you will find other soldiers and a new way of fighting. You will get to know alot of new enemies that you did not know about before. The odds will be against you, but if you have the fighting spirit you will learn more about it:-)

You will get to fight during two different periods night and day. These are exciting times, because you will get to know more about the artistic feeling of the game.

Conclusion: It is a great game that allows you to experience more of Halo. The feeling and the fighting of the game will make you feel that you have a great game right in front of you.