Gadget corner
Home storage
Computer-savvy families are turning to servers to organise their growing digital media libraries, in the same way that businesses manage corporate data. Designed for the home, the sleek Linksys by Cisco Media Hub NMH405 (below) makes playing videos and music and viewing photographs easy. Its automated backup software ensures digital libraries are stored and protected and can be dipped into from any machine hooked up to the system. It has a 500-gigabyte hard drive, a display for showing available space and network status, and a 6-in-1 card reader through which to transfer content onto the device, without the need for a computer. The Linksys by Cisco Media Hub NMH405 sells for HK$3,699.
Smart contender
Striking first, Nokia has released the N97 (below), the Finnish handset maker's flagship smartphone and a rival to Apple's soon-to-be-released iPhone 3G S. Like its competitor, the N97 supports high-speed HSDPA cellular networks, has 32 gigabytes of memory and a 3.5-inch touch display with virtual keyboard. The iPhone's multi touch interface, however, remains the most efficient and user-friendly. Still, the N97 has some outstanding specifications. It is video-conferencing-ready with two cameras, including the main 5-megapixel snapper with a professional Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. Users get a lot of memory, thanks to an expansion slot for a 16GB microSD card. Applications and games are available for download from the Ovi.com portal, Nokia's answer to Apple's online App Store. The N97 costs HK$5,948.
L for leather
Crocodile leather has long been popular among urbane sophisticates. Sony has extended its appeal to a notebook computer with the limited-edition Vaio VGN-CS36GJ (above). The laptop, with rounded corners and flashy lighting effects, is covered in faux-crocodile skin with gold-coloured trimmings. It has a 14.1-inch display, a 320-gigabyte hard drive, a gigabyte of RAM, a webcam and Wi-fi support and runs Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system and Intel's Centrino processor technology. The Vaio VGN-CS36GJ is priced at HK$10,480.
