Sound effect
Audio specialist Bose has further tweaked its proprietary noise-cancellation technology to create the QuietComfort 15 headphones (below), which the company claims are its best performing yet. The headset has an ergonomic around-ear design to maximise comfort. Microphones are placed inside and outside the ear cup; a design that is supposed to measure, compare and react to noise by producing an opposing signal. A single AAA battery powers the headphones for about 35 hours of use. The QuietComfort 15 headphones cost HK$2,780.
Small is big
Samsung Electronics and CSL have jointly released the NC10 mini-notebook (above), with a built-in 3.5G modem and antenna. Exclusively sold at CSL's 1010 and one2free shops, the NC10 is primed for high-speed internet access using the operator's Next G mobile broad- band network. The 1.33kg netbook, which runs Intel's Atom chip and Microsoft's XP Home software, has a 10.2-inch display, a 160-gigabyte hard drive, 1GB of system memory and a webcam. The NC10, originally priced at HK$3,980, costs HK$780 with the relevant CSL subscriber plan.
Candid collectible
It's not unusual for Leica enthusiasts to own more than one of the minimalist-designed, German-made cameras, so the M9 (below) may have a ready market. Leica touts the new model, an update of the 2006-released M8, as the world's smallest full-frame digital rangefinder camera. The M9, which measures 139mm by 37mm by 80mm and weighs 585 grams with the battery, uses an 18-megapixel Kodak image sensor that enables high-resolution 35mm-format snaps. Its control is an intuitive, four-way switch and dial combination used in conjunction with the 2.5-inch display on the back. M9 buyers receive a free copy of Adobe's Photoshop Lightroom digital workflow software. The Leica M9 costs HK$57,000 (additional lenses cost extra).
