Gadget corner
Lite relief
Taiwanese personal computer maker BenQ has entered the growing market for mini-notebooks with the Joybook Lite U101 (below). This may appeal to consumers who are used to seeing things in widescreen - the Joybook has a 10.1-inch display. Its other features, however, are pretty standard for a PC expected to be used mainly for internet access and e-mail, and include Intel's Atom processor, a 160-gigabyte hard disc drive, 1GB of memory, Microsoft's Windows XP Home operating system, a 1.3-megapixel webcam and Wi-fi support. The Joybook Lite, which weighs just 1.05kg, costs HK$3,999 at Fortress.
Well-connected
If 'dead spots' - areas in your flat where no signal is received from your Wi-fi router - are a problem, then it could be time to upgrade. Cisco Systems has released the WRT160N (right), also known as the Ultra RangePlus Wireless-N Broadband Router. Made under the 'Linksys by Cisco' brand, this sleek gadget delivers a more robust signal at faster speeds so you can maintain wireless internet connection over a wider or more congested area than when using other routers. To protect your data, it encodes transmissions with industrial-strength 256-bit encryption. The WRT160N router sells for HK$649.
Hip Flip
Research In Motion's BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 (right), the company's maiden clamshell BlackBerry, would make an ideal first smartphone for the uninitiated. This flip phone comes with Wi-fi connectivity and has GPRS and Edge network support, allowing international roaming. It can access up to 10 personal and work e-mail accounts and has an advanced media player. It also boasts a 2-megapixel camera and a background noise cancellation function. With two displays, the handset weighs 102 grams and is thicker than the BlackBerry Bold, its candy bar-style brother. The BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 is priced at HK$3,688 but new subscribers to mobile network operator CSL can get it for HK$1,688.
