Wayne Bridge Turns His Back on the England Team and World Cup 2010 February 25th, 2010 | by: Daryl

World Cup broadcasters around the world have been denied a potentially juicy World Cup 2010 soap opera storyline, because Wayne Bridge has made himself unavailable for England selection, and so definitely won’t be going to South Africa.

“I have thought long and hard about my position in the England football team in the light of the reporting and events over the last few weeks,” Bridge said in a statement released by his lawyers.
“It has always been an honour to play for England. However, after careful thought I believe my position in the squad is now untenable and potentially divisive.”
“Sadly therefore I feel for the sake of the team and in order to avoid what will be inevitable distractions, I have decided not to put myself forward for selection.
“I have today informed the management of this decision. I wish the team all the very best in South Africa.”

If you’re unfamiliar with the “the reporting and events over the last few weeks” that Bridge is referring to, then welcome back from the deserted island you’ve been living on. Basically it came to light that John Terry allegedly (are we still saying allegedly here? better safe than sorry) had an affair with Wayne Bridge’s former partner (and mother of Bridge’s children) Vanessa Perroncel. Terry was subsequently stripped of the England captaincy, but remains an important part of the team.
It’s very very tempting to interpret Bridge’s statement as “there’s no way I’m playing alongside that John Terry.” Could be that’s exactly what he means.
The interesting twist here is that with Ashley Cole injured, Wayne Bridge had a shot at going to World Cup 2010 as England’s first choice left back. Chance of a lifetime, but a chance he’s very much turned down today.
- Read more about the Three Lions at England World Cup Blog.http://www.worldcupblog.org

The near future of high-tech industry (your excursion to CES 2010)

Alexandra | 7:39 pm | January 26, 2010 | New Laptops

The last Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has become the main source of information about new technologies and products from the world’s largest product designer and manufacturers.  The show was held in Las Vegas, and this place wasn’t chosen by chance. The U.S. market is traditionally considered as one of the most important for many large companies that design and produce electronics.

Judging by the general show trends, 2010 will be the year of Android smartphones, Tablet PCs, and rapid development of three-dimensional television. And like a year ago, at CES 2009, manufacturers introduced a lot of notebooks and netbooks in a classic form factor. Developers still believe that this market is very promising. For example, MSI management expects 50% growth of notebook shipments in 2010.

Lenovo attracted visitors by the unusual Ideapad U1 laptop. This device, which is actually a hybrid of tablet and netbook, has a 11.6″ display that can be disconnected from the keyboard and work independently as a Tablet PC. Ideapad U1 is expected in shops this summer at a price of about $ 1000.

You could see new netbooks based on Intel Pine Trail hardware platform from all major manufacturers at CES 2010. Most of those devices had similar characteristics and were running Windows 7. The Samsung N127 netbook based on OS Moblin can be mentioned as an exception.

One more piece of news from Intel. The company launched AppUpCenter, a new online store of applications for compact portable computers. All users of netbooks with OS Windows can join this service.

Among the huge number of laptops that were presented at CES 2010 there are some unusual ones. Samsung demonstrated a prototype laptop with a 14″ transparent OLED-display. It’s difficult to imagine who may need such a computer, but this invention of South Korean engineers may find application in other industries. Also Dell showed a workable concept of Studio with a 16″ OLED-display, which response time is 0,004 ms. And Asus amazed visitors by its new NX90 Bang & Olufsen edition laptop.

So CES 2010 gave us a general idea of what devices we should expect this year. Evidently experts expect the increase in sales of portable computers (both netbooks and notebooks). Marketing specialists pin hopes on tablet PCs, but demand for them will depend not only on technical specifications, but also on pricing policies. http://smart-parts.net

Dell starts sales of the world slimmest laptop with 13 inch screen

Alexandra | 1:23 pm | February 25, 2010 | Laptop News
Dell starts sales of its ultra-slim business laptop — Dell Latitude 13. The company representatives state that it’s the thinnest laptop in the world with 13-inch-diagonal screen.

Dell Latitude 13 can be used as a good helper by those who travel a lot. This gizmo is based on Intel CULV Celeron or the Core 2 Duo processor and offers a DVD-drive, which may be replaced by Blu-Ray. Also users can choose between a hard drive or SSD-drive. In any case the user data will be protected by Computrace, a special program that sends information about stolen and lost laptops to the special website via the Internet.
The notebook’s dimensions are 330 × 230 × 19.7 mm, weight is about 1.5 kg.
P.S. Acer is also going to release its new ultra-slim laptop that will be a strong rival for similar laptops from Apple and HP. This gadget will be only 19 mm thick, which is less than Apple MacBook Air and, of course, it’s much less than the size of similar models from HP.

Hiddink Segera Teken Kontrak dengan Turki

 

Muchamad Syuhada - Okezone

Foto: Daylife

ISTANBUL - Guus Hiddink semakin laku keras di pasaran. Dia kini dikabarkan segera membuat kesepakatan dengan Timnas Turki. Seperti dilaporkan Goal, Selasa (16/2/2010) media di Turki ramai membicarakan kedatangan Hiddink. Bahkan ada yang berani menyatakan kalau ahli ramu strategi asal Belanda itu segera terbang ke Istanbul guna meneken kontrak. Hiddink sendiri masih terikat kerja sama dengan Timnas Rusia. Namun, pada Sabtu kemarin dia mengumumkan tidak akan melanjutkan kontraknya yang berakhir pada 30 Juni mendatang. Selain Turki beberapa negara lain juga sudah mengajukan tawaran kepada Hiddink. Korea Utara, Nigeria dan Pantai Gading, ketiganya sama-sama merindukan sentuhan tangan dingin pelatih 63 tahun itu. Kemungkinan Hiddink melatih klub juga terbuka lebar. Juventus yang belum lama ini mengajaknya bergabung masih membuka lowongan di akhir musim. (msy)

eTouch 626Pro, Qwerty Dual GSM Rp1 Juta

Selasa, 9 Februari 2010 - 10:56 wib

 

Stefanus Yugo Hindarto - Okezone

eTouch Mobile memperkenalkan produk andalan terbarunya masih tetap bertemakan ponsel QWERTY. Produk tersebut adalah eTouch 626Pro ponsel beraliran Dual On GSM-GSM ini pun menyasar segmen pasar bagi mereka yang suka akan hiburan. Pasalnya, ponsel ini telah dilengkapi dengan kamera 1,3 MP, video ringtone, TV built-in, Facebook dan Chatting. Plus fitur unik berupa aplikasi Al Qur’an, video ringtone serta motion sensor. Membuat eTouch 626Pro tampil beda dengan ponsel sejenis lainnya.

Dari sisi penampilan, eTouch 606Pro akan membuat Anda bangga saat menenteng ponsel ini di muka umum. Seluruh permukaannya dibalut oleh warna hitam yang terlihat elegan dan mewah. Ponsel qwerty serba hitam ini juga telah menggunakan sistem navigasi Trackball. Yang menarik adalah desain di sekitar Trackball dibuat menonjol sehingga pengguna dapat lebih nyaman dalam menggunakannya. LCD-nya berukuran 2,2 inci TFT display sebagai visual utamanya mampu menyajikan gambar yang terang. eTouch 626Pro ini dilengkapi dengan 2 stereo speaker out sehingga menghasilkan suara yang keras. Dan tidak hanya itu, sebagai ponsel hiburan, eTouch 626 pro juga dilengkapi dengan port 3,5 mm sehingga anda dapat menikmati audio melalui headset kesayangan.

Facebook & Chatting (e-Buddy/ MSN) masih merupakan menu utama di ponsel ini, juga tidak ketinggalan browser Opera Mini. Namun yang menjadi daya tarik ponsel ini adalah hadirnya aplikasi Al-qur’an dengan ayat-ayat yang lengkap. Di aplikasi ini Anda dapat membaca serta mencari ayat yang diinginkan.

Ponsel ini juga memiliki fitur yang terbilang unik-unik mulai dari video ringtone yang dapat menjadikan video anda menjadi sebuah ringtone serta Motion sensor dimana anda dapat memilih sesuatu di ponsel ini hanya dengan menggoyangkan ponsel ini ke kiri atau ke kanan. Tidak hanya itu, fitur unik lainnya juga masih ada di ponsel ini dimana anda dapat merubah suara anda menjadi suara wanita, anak, kecil atau pria dewasa dengan fitur bernama inflection function.

Kelebihan lain dari ponsel ini ada pada kameranya yang hadir pada bagian belakang dengan resolusi 1,3 MP (1280 x 960) pixels. Bila hendak mengambil gambar namun kondisi cahayanya kurang memungkinkan, anda tidak perlu kuatir karena kamera ponsel ini telah didukung dengan flashlight.

Sebagai ponsel yang ditujukan untuk segmen entertainment, eTouch 606pro juga memiliki fitur multimedia yang komplit mulai dari TV tunner built in (yang support untuk siaran TV di beberapa negara lain), MP3/ MP4 player, foto viewer, voice recorder, hingga FM radio (Tanpa harus menggunakan headset). Untuk audio outputnya, ponsel ini memiliki kualitas speaker out yang mampu menghasilkan suara yang keras, serta untuk kenyamanan anda menggunakan Bluetooth headset juga tersedia koneksi Bluetooth yang support A2DP.

Network : Dual on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Mhz Quad band
LCD        : 2.2 inch TFT
Ringtones : Polyphonic 64, MIDI, MP3
Camera : 1,3 MP
Connection : Bluetooth (A2DP), GPRS class12, USB Memory T-Flash (MicroSD), TV tunner, FM Radio, MP3/ MP4 player, JAVA, Facebook, eBuddy, G sensor, Al-qur’an Dimension : 109 x57 x 14 mm
Battery   : Li-ion 1400 mAh
Harga    : Rp999.000 (srn)

Gateway VR46, Notebook Juara Motor GP

PC asal Amerika Gateway meluncurkan laptop eksklusif terbarunya VR46. Notebook itu terinspirasi semangat kemenangan sembilan kali juara dunia Moto GP Valentino Rossi.
Dengan desainnya yang stylish dan unik, notebook itu ditargetkan bagi pengguna yang mencintai eksklusivitas dan memiliki mobilitas tinggi.
VR46 didesain oleh Aldo Drudi, desainer Valentino Rossi. Karyanya sukses menarik banyak mata dengan lambang yang menjadi ciri khas Valentino Rossi.
Matahari dan bulan menggambarkan energi, serta panas dan cahaya dibawa dalam semangat kemenangan. Sedangkan kelima lidah api yang terpancar dari lambang matahari mewakili masing-masing lima benua di mana MotoGP digelar.
Warna cerah dunia Valentino Rossi itu muncul di produk Gateway. Sedangkan nama laptop terinspirasi oleh angka favorit sang pembalap, yaitu 46.
“Valentino Rossi memiliki karakter sejati dengan kepribadian yang kokoh. Ketenangannya dan gayanya yang modis baik di dalam maupun di luar arena balap adalah yang kami tawarkan dengan laptop Gateway VR46,” kata Presiden Direktur Acer Indonesia Jason Lim.
Notebook edisi khusus mengabadikan prestasi Valentino Rossi itu, mengusung fitur Dolby Sound Room sehingga dapat menikmati suara multi saluran. Dipadukan HD display dan HDMI mampu memberikan hiburan kualitas tinggi.
Notebook dengan layar 11,6 inci ini dirancang tipis, ringan dengan ukuran keyboard full-size. Sementara Touchpad multi-gesturenya memudahkan pergerakan layaknya motor balap yang tangkas.
VR46 memiliki stamina baterai hingga 8 jam untuk satu kali pengisian. Perangaat ini didukung prosesor Ultra Low Voltage Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 sehingga memiliki konsumsi energi yang lebih efisien dan hasilnya baterai yang lebih tahan lama.
“Gateway memiliki keahlian khusus dalam menciptakan perangkat yang sesuai untuk memenuhi kebutuhan pengguna modern,” tambah Lim.

Gateway pertama kali masuk ke pasar PC Indonesia pada akhir Maret 2009.[ito]--inilah.com 25/2/2010

Stained Glass Supplier By Steven Weber

Finding a good stained glass supplier can be tricky. The craft is after all, an art form. In a supplier, you are essentially looking for an artist, or access to a good artist - or art-house - when you are looking for a stained glass supplier. You can use stained glass for many things in your life. Glass is beautiful when used around the home. It is also great to used for business decoration. There are lots of places of business that can improve the looks of their establishment by incorporating the works of a good stained glass supplier in their decor.
When you are considering working with a glass supplier, you will find that it's not best to shop with price as your only determining factor. You want the glass you end up purchasing to be good looking, and solidly crafted. If you go with the cheapest option, you will find that you will be disappointed, and will wish that you had sought out a better vendor.
What Steps Should You Take to Find a Good Seller?
When you're looking for a good seller, you should look around on the internet. You should first do a local search, and then a national one. You will find that there are often many local artisans that work in stained glass. Even if you live in a small town, you will probably find one or two. But just in case you don't find what you're looking for in your local area, you will definitely find a stained glass supplier to meet your needs by looking around online. You will probably be able to complete most of your shopping via the internet, and for custom orders, you can communicate with the person selling clear across the country via email communication.
It might take some time to find the supplier that you're looking for - that creates stain glass in the style and fashion that you like - but eventually you will find someone good. You might even find several artists or art-houses to buy from.
What are Some of the Best Ways to Use Stain Glass in Your Home or Place of Business?
Stain glass is excellent when used in windows, as light catchers on a front or back porch, as welcome signs hung over the door of places of business, and restaurants. Decorative glass is always an excellent addition to any Church, or even for local theaters, and museums. Glass is a great way to add character to any place of business.
What Businesses and Organizations Should Especially Consider the Use of Stain Glass In Their Establishments?
There are many businesses that should always feature at least a little stained glass in their design. These businesses include cafe's, coffee shops, restaurants, museums, Churches, theaters, dress shops, jewelry stores, kids shops, and many more. Finding a stained glass supplier should be a priority for these businesses.
What Are the Most Important Qualities You Should Look for Your Stained Glass Supplier to Have?
Instead of looking for price first, the first thing that you should look for is a provider that has had some formal training or the equivalent to many years of good experience. You next want to work with someone that is in good standing with local fine business bureaus. Choose someone with good references and good work, and you won't be disappointed.

Steven Weber is an avid home hobby artist who works with glass, metal, and clay. On his website he offers more information about stained glass suppliers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Weber

A Football Souvenir For the World Cup - What Are Tomorrow's Antiques?

By Paul Jeffrey 

 

Remember 1966? You might not. Perhaps you've seen the grainy footage of Geoff Hurst banging in the fourth goal in the Cup final against Germany and the commentator saying 'They Think It's All Over, it is now'. Well this is 2010 and we are all hoping for England to do well in the World Cup in South Africa.
Anyone with a ticket from the 66 World Cup or a programme from the final is the owner of a great football souvenir. Even programmes and tickets for the games from the early rounds can fetch good prices. This kind of football memorabilia changes hands for a lot of money and football gifts from each world cup final become more collectible with time. In 1966 the England players were all awarded medals when they won the competition. In 1998 Bobby Moore's wife Tina, who was married to Bobby for 21 years sold his medal at auction to secure the financial future for herself and her two children. The medal was estimated at between £60,000 to £80,000.
Shirts signed by players during the big tournaments are also highly treasured by collectors, as are match day balls.
On a smaller scale, any product that was made specifically for an event like the World Cup will, if kept in a decent condition, gain value with age. In 1966 the mascot 'World Cup Willie' was everywhere, available as a soft toy, a jigsaw puzzle and even endorsing breakfast cereals. Nowadays a collector with 'Willie' merchandise from 1966 is able to see items for hundreds of pounds.
Serious collectors buy products and don't even take them out of the boxes, ensuring they retail their value and authenticity. Who would have though movie merchandise from the original Star Wars films would be so valuable today. The same can be said for football souvenirs from the World Cup.

We think this is going to be a collectible football souvenir for the future. Funny, rare and quirky.
Click here for more news on football souvenirs.  (ezinearticle.com)

Future Apple Products Won't Differ Much By Robin Chung

Apple is a 50 billion dollar company. At some point, little over 10 years ago it was a failing technology maker at the verge of bankruptcy. What has happened in between? Well besides an updated design and ease of use department, a new business strategy has emerged.
Most people don't like change. It's unfamiliar territory and brings many mysteries and potential hazards. But many companies don't realize that and as a result try to reinvent the wheel with every new product release. Take for example the music player business. First they try to add a button for every action, then they remove every button that doesn't necessarily has to be there and now a touchscreen display seems to be the way to go. Of course the industry is changing everytime but it's awkward that a big company can release such a huge amount of products that all have a completely different feel to it. Users don't like that because of two reasons. First of all when they buy a product it's outdated almost instantly. And second of all the public has to adjust themselves to use the product almost every time.
Apple knows this and have adjusted their roadmap accordingly. How? Well by adding two or three clear product lines in a particular market. For Apple in the music business they have the: iPod Nano/Classic (clickwheel), iPod touch (touchscreen) and the shuffle (control by headset). And here's the thing, I just wrote this out of the top of my head! I know that if I buy a nano that I can expect a curtain way of user control. And it won't change because the next iPod Nano will still use the clickwheel, it's simply its trademark. Just like the iPod Touch will always keep the touchscreen. So what does that mean for future products from this company? It's simple don't expect huge product transitions. Here's a simple table:
iPod: Controls stay the same for appropriate models, small refinements.
iPhone: Visual appearance will stay similar, small hardware and software refinements.
Mac: Better hardware, same price.
Those are the three major revenue streams for Apple. The iPad launch is a different story. Here Steve Jobs clearly showed a new product line, which differs completely from everything before it. But guess what, the next iPad will look similar to this one. Users are used to it and don't have to adjust themselves each time Apple announces something new. As a result the following almost overtime applies: once an Apple, always an Apple. This is simply because the users are familiar with the products and are pleased with it.

Future Apple products.
I'm Robin Chung, author of the dutch book Tegenlicht. I have a website that brings interesting reading material from all kind of subjects like health and gaming. The website also includes a forum, so you can discuss the articles, and you can order my book from there. http://www.robinchung.com.

Be Careful About Relying on Technology By Bruce Hosea

I'm a techno geek and love gadgets. The latest fad item will usually find its way into my collection of toys. In an emergency this can be a blessing and a curse. If you rely on Global Positioning Systems to tell you where you are going and where you are, what do you do if the battery fails? When was the last time you looked at a map?
My flying students used to rely on navigation equipment to the exclusion of basic map reading. I would occasionally fail systems in the simulator and see if they could react. There was usually a period of bewilderment and anger.
We all get comfortable with technology. Do we still have the skills that these new systems were designed to replace? If we only know the "new" way, we may be in for a shock. This applies to emergency planning. Do you have a back up plan?
What communication system will you rely on during an emergency? What happens to your lighting plan when your fancy tactical flashlight runs out of battery power? Do you have a candle and some matches?
This all sounds so simple. Recently the eastern part of the U.S. was blanketed with snow and many homes were without power. What would you do? There were no lights, no recharging power for cell phones and radios. Many of us do not have a backup generator. Do we have a backup plan?
This all goes back to a Family Action Plan. Play the "What If" game to figure out the possible outcomes and possible solutions. Not every solution is feasible or cost effective so you must decide what level of risk you can accept.
Remember: Technology is a good tool, but don't forget the basic skills.

Ordering Flowers Online For Delivery By Ken Bolt

When we think of ordering flowers online, it is usually for Mother's Day, or as another gift for someone who lives across the country from us. It's unusual to consider ordering flowers for our wedding online. Why is that? Maybe it is because we don't quite grasp the concept of ordering flowers for delivery as a gift and ordering flowers for delivery to the church for our big day as being the same. Do we know that it will be someone from a florist in our area filling the order and delivering the flowers? Are we afraid of some sort of mis-communication will take place and we will receive the wrong flower arrangement? That can happen anywhere.

Ordering flowers online is not much different than ordering flowers directly from the local florist. Florists made arrangements with each other years ago. If you ordered a bouquet of flowers to be delivered to your grandmother on her birthday from your local florist, that local florist would call the florist in the area closest to your grandmother's house to make the floral arrangement and the delivery. The same thing happens when you order flowers online. The online florist will make the floral arrangements through the florist in your area who will also deliver them to the location you have specified.

You don't have to worry about them going through the postal system or UPS. FedEx doesn't even deliver the floral arrangements for you. You will have the flowers you ordered brought fresh and to the door by the local florist who has been contacted by the online florist. When florist first started working with each other around the country and possibly even around the world, they started with the FTD florists. Times have changed, but the way florist work together to make fresh flower deliveries has not. They have had this practice in place for over 100 years and they do it well.

So now you don't have to worry about where the florist is located when ordering flowers to be delivered. The florist can be in Burlington, Ontario, but you will still receive a fresh bouquet of the flowers you ordered at your door.
About: Brant Florist has been owned and operated by The Bolt family since 1977. Doyle, Tim, Elaine and Ken Bolt treat every customer the way they would like to be treated. Staff are well trained, have years of experience and are always professional. The shop has been processing internet orders since 1996 with a computerized network to manage and record all orders. The shop was originally established in 1961 by Mr. and Mrs. Jones. That is over 45 years of successfully serving customers like you.

You can order your flowers online for world-wide delivery by visiting Brant Florists 24hr website at http://www.BrantFlorist.com or learn more about flowers and other interesting floral facts at their specialty blog http://TheFlorister.com today!

Soccer Speed Drills By Geoff James

There are few skills in soccer more important than speed. As a forward, you need to be fast to beat your defenders to the opponent's goal. As a defenseman, you need to have enough speed to overcome the other team's offense. As a goalie you need to be quick on your toes to stop the ball from reaching your net. Regardless of your position, speed is essential in soccer.

Thankfully, there are many simple drills you can practice to keep your body at its best.

Downhill Sprints - Running down hills is some of the hardest sprinting around. This will help you develop coordinated speed. The ideal hill will force you to full-out sprint without being so steep that you feel the need to slow yourself down. Do at least 3 sprints, taking breaks on the uphills or combining the downhills with:

Uphill Sprints (Resistance Training)- It takes a lot of power to spring UP a hill. Run 10 yards then rest if your hill is longer than that. If combining ups and downs, be sure to rest sufficiently between sprints. A few sets of 3 should be more than enough.

Alternative Start Sprints - Set up two cones or markers 20 yards apart. To raise intensity for these sprints, make it a race between players. The idea is that you don't start from standing but from some other aerobic activity/position. You could have team members do 5 push-ups, high knees, a header, start lying down, or sit on their hands. From that starting position, the player rockets into his sprint to the other cone, where someone else is waiting to continue the freestyle relay.
Give your fastest players soccer medals for their constant hard-work and energy

Brazil Lost the World Cup! By Dave Bartholemew

Yes, you read that correctly... Brazil lost the World Cup! But when was that and how come they still haven't got over it?

OK, you'll have to go back a while. Sixty years in fact. The thing was they were hosting the event. The one and only time that Brazil host the World Cup and they go and lose it. Lose it to near neighbours Uruguay in the final in front of over 199,000 people!

That crowd is a record by the way, a record for any football match. The final was held at the Estadio Maracana in Rio de Janeiro on July 4th 1950 and obviously Brazil were clear favourites to win. But it was more than that. The nation did not hope for a win... they expected it. A team containing the 'three musketeers', Ademir, Zizinho and Jair in attack just could not lose.

And they scored first, two minutes into the second half, Friaca's goal was met with the loudest roar of all time.

The crowd were silenced however in the 66th minute as Uruguayan legend Schiaffino equalised.

With Brazil continuing to press forward Ghiggia caught them on the break with the winner on 79 minutes.

The unthinkable had happened. Brazil had beaten beaten at home in their own footballing citadel, The Maracana. A huge stadium built for this day.

In a crowd of nearly 200,000 people there was utter silence and disbelief. The effect on the Brazilian nation of that defeat is still felt by many today. At the time Brazilians did not believe they could become a great nation until they had won the World Cup.

And to this day they still regard it as shameful.

Incredible isn't it? The Brazilians have won the World Cup a record breaking 5 times, in Ronaldo they have the highest scorer in World Cup history.

Brazil have seven of the past Golden Ball winners, four of the past Golden Boot winners, more than any other nation.

And yet they still haven't got over that defeat in the Maracana stadium 60 years ago!

I guess only victory in 2014 (when they again host the event) will finally satisfy them.
Looking forward to South Africa 2010? Head on over to WorldCupFootballNow.com for all the latest news and gossip. And grab your free World Cup Legends book!

Mini Digital Camera? How to Select the Best Camera For Your Needs

By Mindy Debra Carlson
If you're interested in buying a mini digital camera, no doubt you must be wondering: what sorts of things are important to look for when buying ultra-compact cameras?

The thing to look out for is what features the camera offers. Technology is rapidly advancing and digital cameras now come with a wide variety of details that add function to the camera depending on what kind of photography you will be doing. Will you need a mini digital camera for long zoom? Will you frequently be working in different lighting conditions? Are you just looking for a camera to capture simple family moments?

These are the questions you need to be asking yourself to determine what features you'd like to come with your new camera. If you aren't working the field of photography, obviously you won't need a camera specifically geared for complicated shots.

The next, and perhaps the biggest thing most people look for, is picture quality. This is measured by megapixels, which are one million pixels: the standard unit of measurement when calculating picture quality. Back when cameras were first making their transition from film to digital, pixels were important because of the technological differences.

The more megapixels a camera has, the better the picture quality will be on the camera, although it's wise to keep an eye on the price when looking for picture quality, as a higher megapixel count will also mean a more expensive camera.

In addition to the aforementioned things, personal comfort and compatibility should be taken into account when buying a mini digital camera. As the "mini" in its name implies, these are miniature versions of digital cameras, specially designed to be small for quick and easy use. But how small is too small?

The ideal camera is large enough to be held accurately in hand and small enough to be kept in an easy to access area. The individual's experience is of course the best assessment of comfort, so be sure to get a feel for your camera before deciding if it's right for you!
More mini digital camera reviews at my website, MiniDigitalCameraGuide.com.

Shoppers Guide to Buying Acer Laptops

Here's a brief buyer's guide about Acer laptops that can help consumers learn more about what to look for when purchasing these laptops.

The first thing to look out for is the quality of the display screens.

One of the things that sets Acer laptops apart from other laptops is the quality of the display screens offered. Acer offers display screens that range in length diagonally from 13.3 inches to 15.6 inches. These screens offer 16:9 resolution and crisp picture clarity that make them perfect for watching DVD's. In addition, the display screens are durable enough to withstand everyday use.

The next thing to look for is the amount of internal and external memory that each laptop offers.

Acer laptops have more than enough memory to handle everyday tasks. This is true because most Acer products have at least 3-4 GB of RAM and 320-500 GB of storage space. This is more than enough memory to surf the Internet or watch TV programmes online.

In addition, be sure to have a look at the operating system that comes with the laptops.

Some consumers prefer the Windows Vista operating system over the newer Windows 7 operating system. Furthermore, many consumers prefer a Windows work environment over the Mac Snow Leopard operating system that Apple laptops feature. As a result, be sure to have a look at the operating system that comes with the laptops. Doing this will allow you to find the operating system that best meets your needs.

Furthermore, be sure to look at the software that comes with the laptop.

By Phil Martins
Most Toshiba laptops have only basic software pre-installed. This is also true with most Acer laptops as well. Most Acer laptops have basic software pre-installed that makes it possible to test the machine out at home. As a result, be sure to look for a word processing software package and an Internet security software package to get the most out of these laptops.

Finally, be sure to also have a look at the processor that comes with the laptop.

Many laptops these days feature an Intel Core 2 Duo processor that works fairly well. Acer laptops feature this processor and they do a good job handling everyday computing tasks. Those who need more computing power should invest in products such as Sony laptops that feature an Intel Atom Z540 processor.
Find a range of electrical products including; Acer laptops, laptops and netbooks from leading brand names.

All Whites name best for Mexico test

All Whites name best for Mexico test
(AFP) Tuesday 9 February 2010
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New Zealand today named their strongest possible squad for their 2010 FIFA World Cup™ warm-up against Mexico in Los Angeles next month, with only two players missing from the team which clinched qualification last year.

Goalkeeper Mark Paston - one of New Zealand's heroes in the 1-0 two-leg qualification victory against Bahrain after saving a penalty - is still recovering from a fractured leg. Defender Ivan Vicelich is serving a one-match suspension and has been replaced by Tommy Smith of English club Brentford, while goalkeeper Glen Moss returns from suspension.

Attacking midfielder Craig Henderson, who recently signed for newly promoted Swedish premier league side Mjallby, has also been brought into the squad. Plymouth Argyle striker Rory Fallon - who scored the winning goal against Bahrain - has been included despite a dispute with the club over his availability for the friendly.

"We haven't played for nearly four months now and we could be a little rusty," New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert said. "Mexico won't do us any favours but that gets us back to the reality of what we're going to face in South Africa in June."

New Zealand will play Mexico on 3 March and travel to Europe in late May for further warm-ups against Serbia and Slovenia.

New Zealand squad
Goalkeepers: Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory/Aus), James Bannatyne (Team Wellington)

Defenders: Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers/England), Andrew Boyens (New York Red Bulls/USA), Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix), Tommy Smith (Brentford/England)

Midfielders: Andy Barron (Team Wellington), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix), Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), Simon Elliott (San Jose Earthquakes/USA), Michael McGlinchey (Motherwell/Scotland), Craig Henderson (Mjällby AIF/Sweden)

Forwards: Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United/Australia), Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle/England), Chris Killen (Middlesbrough/England), Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion/England) fifa.com

Legends fuel FIFA World Cup fever

Legends fuel FIFA World Cup fever
(FIFA.com) Tuesday 9 February 2010

It is a climax experienced quadrennially and enjoyed incomparably. It is one that only the FIFA World Cup™ can deliver.

With the competition’s 19th instalment only 122 days away from kick-off, anticipation is building intensely among football enthusiasts. "Although some critical voices continue to make themselves heard, I have long been convinced that this will be a successful World Cup", said FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter at the latest FIFA Football Committee meeting yesterday. A series of footballing legends also expressed their excitement to FIFA.com.
The anticipation is huge. It will be an African World Cup and I'm really looking forward to it, because it’s going to be very colourful and very entertaining.
Franz Beckenbauer


“The anticipation is huge,” enthused Franz Beckenbauer, “It’s been this way since the Final Draw in December, when we found out who would be playing who. It will be an African World Cup and I'm really looking forward to it, because it’s going to be very colourful and very entertaining.”

Cameroonian great Roger Milla revealed his ecstasy that Africa is being given the opportunity to play host to the tournament. “In Africa, we are so happy to have received this World Cup - we could not believe we would get it. Every time I come to Zurich, I thank President Blatter for that,” he said.

Milla may have obvious reason to be thrilled that a country from his home continent will host the FIFA World Cup for the first time, but a number of non-Africans echoed his delight. “It was the right decision to finally have an African country hosting this tournament,” said Sir Bobby Charlton, who inspired England to the world crown in 1966.

“I'm sure that this FIFA World Cup will be a major success. I've been to South Africa a lot of times and people will enjoy it down there. I'm extremely happy that I will go to this year’s World Cup. As always, I hope that England will do well."

Mexican great Hugo Sanchez concurred: "I'm very happy for Africa. The continent had to wait so many years for this occasion. To have South Africa hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup is not only very good for football, but also for the whole African continent.”

Naturally, Pele, who long pushed for an African nation to be granted the right to host the FIFA World Cup, is relishing the extravaganza. “Everybody knows that I’m very confident and happy because I was the one who was fighting for the World Cup to be in Africa,” he said. “They deserve it.”

So, how far can the African teams go at this year’s FIFA World Cup? “I’m confident that an African team can reach the semi-finals,” opined Beckenbauer. “Ghana are strong, Côte d'Ivoire are strong and the South Africans have home advantage.”

Pele, who boldly - but ultimately wrongly - predicted that an African team would win the FIFA World Cup by the turn of this century, also foresees sides from the home continent causing upsets.

“Some years ago, I talked about the improvement of the African teams. Unfortunately, they showed their improvement in the Olympics against Brazil, when they beat us!” he exclaimed, laughing, referring to Nigeria’s elimination of a star-studded Seleção en route to gold at Atlanta 1996.
I’m personally very sorry that the World Cup is this year, in 2010, because ten is my lucky number and I wish I could play!
Pele


“Its difficult to say what will happen this year, but maybe we will see a surprise. The African teams have tough groups but if they qualify for the knockout stage, there’ll certainly be a surprise.”

And while Pele would like to the Africans excel, he naturally wants Brazil to emerge triumphant. “I’m personally very sorry that the World Cup is this year, in 2010, because ten is my lucky number and I wish I could play!” he joked. But as I’m not going to play, I hope that Brazil will go all the way and that we will see an exciting Final.”

Goalscorers

Goalscorers

There were 725 goals scored over 268 games by 399 different players, for an average of 2.71 goals per game. England were the highest scorers in the European section with 34 goals. Malta did not score any goals.

Note: Goals scored in the play-offs are included.
10 goals Theofanis Gekas
9 goals Edin Džeko Wayne Rooney

7 goals Miroslav Klose David Villa

6 goals Marc Janko
Wesley Sonck
Lukas Podolski Robbie Keane
Elyaniv Barda
Euzebiusz Smolarek Stanislav Šesták
Andriy Shevchenko

5 goals Timofei Kalachev
Zvjezdan Misimović
Dimitar Berbatov
Milan Baroš Søren Larsen
Jonatan Johansson
Roman Pavlyuchenko
Milan Jovanović Milivoje Novakovič
Alexander Frei
Blaise Kufo
Serhiy Nazarenko

4 goals Zlatan Muslimović
Michalis Konstantinou
Peter Crouch
Frank Lampard André-Pierre Gignac
Thierry Henry
Michael Ballack
Angelos Charisteas Omer Golan
Alberto Gilardino
Tomas Danilevičius
Simão Sabrosa

3 goals Erjon Bogdani
Eduardo
Luka Modrić
Ivica Olić
Ivan Rakitić
Tomáš Necid
Nicklas Bendtner
Jermain Defoe
Steven Gerrard
Theo Walcott
Konstantin Vassiljev
Nicolas Anelka
Franck Ribéry Levan Kobiashvili
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Sándor Torghelle
Eiður Guðjohnsen
Yossi Benayoun
Ben Sahar
Sergei Khizhnichenko
Sergei Ostapenko
Māris Verpakovskis
Marius Stankevičius
Mirko Vučinić
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
Dirk Kuyt John Arne Riise
Nani
Andrei Arshavin
Konstantin Zyryanov
Branislav Ivanović
Nikola Žigić
Zlatko Dedič
Juan Manuel Mata
Gerard Piqué
David Silva
Olof Mellberg
Tuncay Şanlı

2 goals Erwin Hoffer
Vagif Javadov
Elvin Mammadov
Gennadi Bliznyuk
Sergei Kornilenko
Vitali Rodionov
Dmitry Verkhovtsov
Émile Mpenza
Senijad Ibričić
Martin Petrov
Dimitar Telkiyski
Mladen Petrić
Efstathios Aloneftis
Constantinos Charalambidis
Chrysis Michael
Václav Svěrkoš
Christian Poulsen
Joe Cole
Sergei Zenjov
Mikael Forssell
Karim Benzema
William Gallas
Vladimir Dvalishvili
Dimitris Salpigidis
Georgios Samaras
Vasilis Torosidis
Roland Juhász
Kevin Doyle Richard Dunne
Glenn Whelan
Alberto Aquilani
Daniele De Rossi
Antonio Di Natale
Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vitālijs Astafjevs
Aleksandrs Cauņa
Ģirts Karlsons
Andrejs Rubins
Mindaugas Kalonas
Dejan Damjanović
Stevan Jovetić
Mark van Bommel
Rafael van der Vaart
Warren Feeney
Kyle Lafferty
Grant McCann
Steffen Iversen
Morten Gamst Pedersen
Rafał Boguski
Ireneusz Jeleń
Mariusz Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski
Marek Saganowski
Hugo Almeida
Bruno Alves
Liédson Gheorghe Bucur
Ciprian Marica
Diniyar Bilyaletdinov
Aleksandr Kerzhakov
James McFadden
Miloš Krasić
Nenad Milijaš
Marek Čech
Marek Hamšík
Martin Jakubko
Ján Kozák
Valter Birsa
Robert Koren
Zlatan Ljubijankič
Nejc Pečnik
Cesc Fàbregas
Álvaro Negredo
Marcus Berg
Zlatan Ibrahimović
Kim Källström
Philippe Senderos
Arda Turan
Emre Belözoğlu
Semih Şentürk
Artem Milevskiy
Yevhen Seleznyov
Andriy Yarmolenko
David Edwards

1 goal Armend Dallku
Klodian Duro
Hamdi Salihi
Ildefons Lima
Marc Pujol
Óscar Sonejee
Robert Arzumanyan
Gevorg Ghazaryan
Hovhannes Goharyan
Sargis Hovsepyan
Vahagn Minasyan
Henrik Mkhitaryan
René Aufhauser
Andreas Ivanschitz
Stefan Maierhofer
Franz Schiemer
Martin Stranzl
Roman Wallner
Maksim Bardachov
Aliaksandr Hleb
Vyacheslav Hleb
Leonid Kovel
Pavel Sitko
Ihar Stasevich
Steven Defour
Moussa Dembélé
Marouane Fellaini
Gill Swerts
Daniel Van Buyten
Zlatan Bajramović
Vedad Ibišević
Sanel Jahić
Sejad Salihović
Emir Spahić
Stanislav Angelov
Valeri Domovchiyski
Blagoy Georgiev
Radostin Kishishev
Dimitar Makriev
Stiliyan Petrov
Ivelin Popov
Ivan Klasnić
Niko Kovač
Niko Kranjčar
Mario Mandžukić
Ognjen Vukojević
Demetris Christofi
Marios Elia
Konstantinos Makrides
Ioannis Okkas
Martin Fenin
Marek Jankulovski
Radoslav Kováč
Jaroslav Plašil
Zdeněk Pospěch
Daniel Pudil
Libor Sionko
Daniel Agger
Leon Andreasen
Daniel Jensen
Thomas Kahlenberg
Morten Nordstrand
Jakob Poulsen
Gareth Barry
Rio Ferdinand
Emile Heskey
John Terry
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Andres Oper
Raio Piiroja
Sander Puri
Vladimir Voskoboinikov
Egil á Bø
Arnbjørn Hansen
Bogi Løkin
Andreas Lava Olsen Súni Olsen
Shefki Kuqi
Jari Litmanen
Niklas Moisander
Roni Porokara
Daniel Sjölund
Hannu Tihinen
Mika Väyrynen
Yoann Gourcuff
Sidney Govou
Alexander Iashvili
Levan Kenia
Thomas Hitzlsperger
Marcell Jansen
Simon Rolfes
Piotr Trochowski
Heiko Westermann
Kostas Katsouranis
Ákos Buzsáky
Zoltán Gera
Tamás Hajnal
Szabolcs Huszti
Gergely Rudolf
Veigar Páll Gunnarsson
Heiðar Helguson
Indriði Sigurðsson
Kristján Örn Sigurðsson
Sean St Ledger
Aviram Baruchyan
David Ben Dayan
Klemi Saban
Salim Tuama
Mauro Camoranesi
Fabio Grosso
Giampaolo Pazzini
Andrea Pirlo
Rinat Abdulin
Ruslan Baltiev
Zhambyl Kukeyev
Tanat Nusserbayev
Roman Uzdenov
Kaspars Gorkšs
Kristaps Grebis
Deniss Ivanovs
Vladimirs Koļesņičenko
Andrejs Perepļotkins
Aleksejs Višņakovs
Jurijs Žigajevs
Mario Frick
Michele Polverino
Saulius Mikoliūnas
Alphonse Leweck
René Peters
Jeff Strasser
Boban Grnčarov
Filip Ivanovski
Ilčo Naumoski
Goran Pandev
Aco Stojkov
Serghei Alexeev
Valeriu Andronic
Denis Calincov
Gheorghe Ovseannicov
Igor Picuşceac
Veaceslav Sofroni
Radoslav Batak
Andrija Delibašić
Eljero Elia
John Heitinga
Nigel de Jong
Joris Mathijsen
André Ooijer
Robin van Persie
Arjen Robben
Chris Brunt
Steven Davis Jonny Evans
David Healy
Gareth McAuley
Thorstein Helstad
Erik Huseklepp
Jakub Błaszczykowski
Paweł Brożek
Michał Żewłakow
Deco
Edinho
Raul Meireles
Pepe
Miguel Veloso
Iulian Apostol
Răzvan Cociş
Dorin Goian
Ionuţ Mazilu
Florentin Petre
Dorel Stoica
Cristian Tănase
Vasili Berezutski
Sergei Ignashevich
Pavel Pogrebnyak
Igor Semshov
Andy Selva
Kirk Broadfoot
Scott Brown
Steven Fletcher
Ross McCormack
Zdravko Kuzmanović
Ivan Obradović
Marko Pantelić
Neven Subotić
Zoran Tošić
Ľuboš Hanzel
Filip Hološko
Erik Jendrišek
Miroslav Karhan
Peter Pekarík
Martin Škrtel
Miroslav Stoch
Andraž Kirm
Aleksandar Radosavljević
Dalibor Stevanovič
Marko Šuler
Xabi Alonso
Joan Capdevila
Santi Cazorla
Andrés Iniesta
Juanito
Carles Puyol
Albert Riera
Marcos Senna
Samuel Holmén
Daniel Majstorović
Anders Svensson
Eren Derdiyok
Gelson Fernandes
Stéphane Grichting
Benjamin Huggel
Marco Padalino
Hakan Yakin
Halil Altıntop
Mevlüt Erdinç
Sercan Yıldırım
Servet Çetin
Oleksiy Gai
Oleh Husyev
Yaroslav Rakytskiy
Craig Bellamy
James Collins
Joe Ledley
Aaron Ramsey
David Vaughan
Sam Vokes

2 own goals Kakha Kaladze (both for Italy)

1 own goal Ildefons Lima (for Ukraine)
Jón Rói Jacobsen (for Serbia)
Veli Lampi (for Russia)
Petri Pasanen (for Russia)
Julien Escudé (for Romania)
Avraam Papadopoulos (for Luxembourg) Kevin Kilbane (for Bulgaria)
Aleksandr Kuchma (for England)
Mario Frick (for Wales)
Ian Azzopardi (for Sweden)
Brian Said (for Portugal) Seweryn Gancarczyk (for Slovakia)
Michał Żewłakow (for Northern Ireland)
Dorel Stoica (for Serbia)
Ján Ďurica (for Northern Ireland)
Ashley Williams (for Germany)

UPDATE NEWS 9 PEBRUARY 2010

hai all friends blogger on news elektronik happy new year for all and i hope information in this blog better day for day. specially laptop toshiba, panasonic, sony, hp, etc  and some ipod mp3 , electronic tool accesories,

LONG TIME I HOPE ALL VISITOR IN MY BLOG IS MY PARTNER IF WRONG OR REJECT THIS NEWS i hope always permittion


UPDATE NEWS 9 PEBRUARY 2010

Egypt, Nigeria set up showdowns

(FIFA.com) Tuesday 26 January 2010

Day 16 - Egypt and Nigeria added their names to the list of CAF Africa Cup of Nations semi-finalists after winning nail-biting matches on Monday. Egypt beat Cameroon 3-1 after extra time in Benguela, while Nigeria needed to be perfect on penalties to overcome Zambia after a goalless stalemate in Lubango.

Egypt’s march of dominance at the Nations Cup continued as the team’s record unbeaten run at the event now stretches to 17 matches, and Ahmed Hassan celebrated his Egyptian record 170th international appearance by scoring twice in the victory. Unlike their two wins over the Indomitable Lions at the 2008 tournament in Ghana, this one went into extra time, but the Pharaohs advance to continue on their quest for a third continental trophy on the trot.

In the other quarter-final, unheralded Zambia matched two-time champions Nigeria stride for stride but neither team was able to score after two hours of football. It all came down to a dramatic penalty shootout with goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama’s diving save from young full-back Thomas Nyirenda seeing Nigeria to their fifth semi-final in the last six Cup of Nations.

Both winners now face regional rivals as Egypt must take on Algeria, the team that denied them a place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, Thursday in Benguela, while Nigeria meet neighbours Ghana the same day in Luanda.

Results
Egypt 3-1 Cameroon a.e.t. (Hassan 37’, 95’, Nagui 92’; Emana 26’)Zambia 0-0 Nigeria a.e.t., Nigeria won 5-4 on PKs

Goal of the dayEgypt 2-1 Cameroon , Mohamed Nagui (92’)
Mohamed 'Gedo' Nagui has come on as a substitute throughout this Nations Cup and contributed to the success of the Egyptians with vital strikes. His goal just into the start of extra time against many people’s pre-tournament favourites was symbolic of the deep talent at the disposal of Egypt as well as the error-ridden way the match was headed. Nagui profited from a shallow back pass by right back Geremi Njitap to his goalkeeper Carlos Idriss Kameni, sliding in to steal the ball and steer it into the net for the go-ahead goal. The two teams had battled through a niggly encounter and were still even, but the poacher's goal proved the turning point.

Memorable Moments
Jersey No. 170A landmark day for Egypt captain Ahmed Hassan looked at one stage to be turning into a nightmare as the diminutive midfielder got a touch to, but failed to stop, an in-swinging corner from Achille Emana from bulging his net. It was the goal that gave Cameroon the lead as Hassan marked his 170th international appearance, which is also an African record. The veteran stormed about the pitch for the next 11 minutes before producing a swerving 35-metre shot that caught out Kameni and gave Egypt an equaliser. Cue the celebrations, as Hassan waved a jersey with the figure ‘170’ on both the front and back in a mixture of pride and relief.

Third goal unlucky
Samuel Eto’o refused to get drawn into blaming the referees after Egypt were given a late third goal from a free-kick that many questioned. It could have turned into a tale of woe from Cameroon after Hassan’s 95th-minute strike put the result beyond their reach, but the Indomitable Lions captain accepted his side were outdone by a better team on the day. “Mistakes are part of the game, there is never a match in which there are no mistakes by the referee or the players,” said the three-time African Footballer of the Year afterwards.

Goalkeeper duel
With Nigeria ahead 4-3 in the penalty shootout, Zambia net-minder Kennedy Mweene stepped up to try and even the score against his opposite number Vincent Enyeama. Mweene is a regular penalty taker in the South African league for his club Free State Stars and showed his acumen with a competent conversion. But Nigeria had one kick left to go to win the game. And amazingly enough, the roles were reversed as Enyeama had the responsibility of the fifth kick from the Super Eagles. The hero who had already saved a kick successfully sent Mweene the wrong way and Nigeria to the semi-finals.

A cruel fate
Nigeria were reduced to 10 men when Onyekachi Apam was sent off in the 112th minute, but even before then Zambia had most of the run of play. Particularly in the second half, the Chipolopolo threatened the Super Eagles goal far more than the other way around. So how cruel was it then to watch the brave underdogs fall short in penalty kicks as their inspirational young coach Hervé Renard went about the pitch trying to comfort his promising team? Nyirenda, whose penalty was solid but the only unsuccessful one on the night, was just one of the stricken players.

The stat16 – The number of years since Nigeria last won the CAF Africa Cup of Nations. Their last success was in the 1994 edition in Tunisia , the same year they made their debut in the FIFA World Cup finals.

What they said
"I still have a lot of thinking that I will have to do before we get to the World Cup finals. A lot of these youngsters in my team still have to prove themselves in the squad to go to South Africa .” Cameroon coach Paul Le Guen after their CAF Africa Cup of Nations exit.

“It was a really, really crazy game. Zambia played so well, and we had a difficult time breaking them down because they are technically and tactically very strong. They made it very hard for us.” Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama.

Next matches
Ghana - Nigeria (28 Jan. 16:00 GMT )
Algeria - Egypt (28 Jan. 19:30 GMT )

Have your sayHave Egypt reached a stage now where they are untouchable in the Nations Cup? Can Algeria stop them like they did on the way to the FIFA World Cup? Click on 'Add your comment' and share your opinion with other football fans from around the world.

Iwabuchi, Japan's young livewire

(FIFA.com) Friday 11 December 2009

Long considered one of Japanese football’s finest prospects, Mana Iwabuchi is fast becoming a shining star in women’s football. FIFA.com turns the spotlight on the precocious forward who has been voted AFC Women’s Youth Player of the Year for the last two years.

“My strengths are my pace and dribbling skills, so unsurprisingly my hero is Lionel Messi. One day I’d like to play for Barcelona,” says Iwabuchi. “I’m also a fan of Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero. As for female players, I admire Marta,” adds the 16-year-old, who like her role models is short in stature (1.53m) but lightning fast.

At the FIFA U-17 Women World Cup New Zealand 2008, Iwabuchi put in a series of outstanding performances, helping Japan to reach the quarter-finals and winning the adidas Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. This was the first time a Japanese player, male or female, had picked up the prestigious award, and it represented a milestone for the East Asian nation.

My strengths are my pace and dribbling skills, so unsurprisingly my hero is Lionel Messi. One day I’d like to play for Barcelona

Japan forward Mana Iwabuchi.

During the tournament in New Zealand FIFA.com featured a story on Iwabuchi, entitled 'Japan's Mana from heaven' which brought the world’s attention to the youngster for the first time. However, observers of women’s football in Asia had already spotted her emerging talent when she led her team to the final of the 2007 AFC U-16 Women’s Championship in Malaysia.

At this year’s edition of the AFC U-19 Women's Championship in China, she was handed the No10 shirt and went one better, leading Japan to the title and scooping the Most Valuable Player award in the process. That recognition was only fitting, after she scored the only goal of the semi-final against Korea DPR and then fired the winner with three minutes to go against Korea Republic in the final.

Looking back at the event, Iwabuchi says, “Our manager had to scold us because of our inconsistency. There was also a time, against North Korea for example, when all he had to do was tell us to stick to our game plan and we would prevail.” She takes pride in her individual accolade but is quick to pass on the praise: “I think I got the award due to the fact that our team won the title, so I consider this as team effort. I’m really happy about it.”

Freedom the keyFor young Mana, one of the key factors behind her emergence has been the “freedom to play”. Reflecting on last year’s FIFA U-17 Women World Cup, she says, “Our brief was to feel free to express ourselves, and that applied to both the team and the individuals. I really enjoyed being part of that group.”

Iwabuchi revealed that the U-20 side was encouraged to decide on their own objective for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Germany 2010 and that the collective decision was “to aim to win a medal. We have become confident because we won the title in Asia, so we are looking forward to next year.”

Looking ahead, the teenager is at pains not to get ahead of herself: “First I’d like to get my strength up to a par with other players, then become a mainstay of the Japan team and perform well at the Olympics. Sure, I dream about playing abroad, but I’m not in a hurry. I’d like to go overseas but only when I’m confident enough. I’d like to turn out for Barcelona.”

Iwabuchi is not the only rising star in women’s football in Japan. Natsuko Hara was the 2005 AFC Women’s Youth Player of the Year and, though still only 20, has played for Japan at every age level. Hara and Iwabuchi both play for NTV Beleza in the L.League, the women’s equivalent of the J.League. Much is now expected of this gifted duo and an improvement on the top-four finish Japan achieved at the Beijing Olympics should not be discounted at the next Women’s Football Tournament in London come 2012.

Japan held to goalless draw

(AFP) Tuesday 2 February 2010

Japan were held to a goalless draw by Venezuela in their first home game of the season on Tuesday as they prepare for South Africa 2010.

Japan were the first team to qualify for international football's biggest prize while Venezuela failed to reach the finals after finishing eighth in the South American group.

Venezuela had the first chance of the match when 17-year-old debutant forward Fernando Aristiguieta missed a header from close range in the ninth minute following midfielder Giacomo Di Giorgi's long-off effort.

But it appeared to be the best chance for either side in a game bereft of clear scoring opportunities.

Mitsuo Ogasawara, playing for Japan for the first time since the 2006 World Cup, fired a sizzling shot from outside the area, forcing goalkeeper Leonardo Morales to save in the 16th minute.

Ogasawara and Brazilian-born Marcus Tulio Tanaka missed a couple more shots, while Aristiguieta failed to catch up with Caracas defender Hose Manuel Rey's free kick to end a goalless first half.

Venezuela piled on the pressure in the second half but managed just one shot on goal through defender Giovanny Romero.

Sota Hirayama, who scored a hat-trick in an Asian Cup qualifier against Yemen last month, was sent on with Sanfrecce Hiroshima striker Hisato Sato in a fruitless attempt to lend the Japanese some rhythm.

Overall, Japan hit a total of 12 shots on goal and Venezuela four.

"I was disappointed that we couldn't win because Venezuela put wonderful pressure on us. But as an early game of the season, it was a nice game," said Japan coach Takeshi Okada.

"Mitsuo struggled in the first half as the combination with the others was not so good but he did very well in the second half.

"We have three more games this month (in the East Asian championship). We are going to level up our team through the championship, looking forward to the World Cup," Okada added.

Japan will play China, South Korea and Hong Kong in the championship starting in Tokyo on Saturday.

Review Sony Vaio VPC-X11S1E/B Notebook

Review Sony Vaio VPC-X11S1E/B Notebook
by: Florian Wimmer 27.01.2010

So small and yet a notebook.

Be careful when you lift the Vaio X. It is so unexpectedly light that it might just fly out of your hand. That would be shame as the 11.1 Inch-subnotebook with Intel's Atom CPU is well designed. Find out in our detailed test if there are more reasons to take good care of Sony's subnotebook.

Sony Vaio VPC-X11S1E/B Notebook
Sony Vaio VPC-X11S1E/B Notebook

The letter X has established in the portfolio of many manufacturers as a symbol for thin and lightweight subnotebooks. Also Sony's Vaio VPC-X11S1E fits in that category: Just 1.4 centimeters in height and 760 grams of weight make the tiny notebook an ultraportable device and let it fit in almost any pocket. To still be able to offer some performance, Sony incorporates an Atom-CPU and an SSD-harddrive.

Our test sample came with an Atom Z540 at 1,86 GHz, an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500 and a 128 GByte-SSD manufactured by Samsung. The price for this configuration was quite expensive: 1499 euros.
Case
The design is classic and timeless

To allow the light and thin design of the Vaio X Sony uses a combination of different materials: The bottom part and the display lid are made of carbon fibre. The wrist-rest is made of aluminium and is unfortunately rather quickly covered in fingerprints.

In our sample the lid didn't protect the screen very well from pressure: Its effect was soon and very largely visible on the screen. The just 4 millimeters thin screen can also be easily bent, which results in color distortions.

The rest of the case feels quite solid, it cannot be bent and also stays in form when the user lifts up his notebook on one corner.

The monitor's hinges look quite broad when compared to the overall size of the notebook and keep the monitor stable after just a short tettering. Although the monitor opens smoothly, the hinges are nevertheless so firmly adjusted that the display doesn't need any further closing-mechanism.

Our test sample is colored completely in black. If you want something a little more extravagant you might select a golden finish in Sony's own Sonystyle shop. In all other aspects, Sony's design is quite classic: Rounded corners, a silver Vaio logo and a milled stripe across the display lid are the only details that Sony grants the otherwise simple case.
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Connectivity

Being very slim case, the case cannot house too many ports, but, provides everything that's necessary:

On the bottom there are the battery and, beneath it, a SIM-card-slot for mobile internet.

On the front two card-readers can be found below the status-LEDs, one for SD-cards, the other for the Memory-Stick-family.

Sony put a headphone jack, two USB 2.0-ports, a Kensington-Lock and, behind it, the DC-in on the left side.

On the right only two ports are located: A LAN-port and the VGA-port. Because of the LAN-plug being to high for the thin chassis, Sony uses a foldable LAN-port: The lower part of the plug has to be opened before the connector fits into the plug.

Front: Two card readers
Front: Two card readers

Left: Headphone-out, 2xUSB, Kensington Lock, DC-in.
Left: headphone-out, 2xUSB, Kensington Lock, DC-in.

Right: LAN-Port, VGA
Right: LAN-Port, VGA

Although this port is cleverly constructed most users will, anyway, prefer WLAN. Sony uses Intel's WiFiLink 4965AGN card, which supports the standards 802.11 a,g, and draft-n. The card allows data rates up to 300 MBit per second – also users with high speed DSL-access should be satisfied.

Furthermore Sony includes Bluetooth standard 2.1 including Enhanced Data Rate as well as a WWAN card for mobile internet and support for HSDPA, HSUPA, UMTS, GPRS, and EDGE.

Accessories

Besides a micro fibre cloth for the wrist-rest and the monitor Sony includes a recovery-DVD, so users can recover the installed operating system Windows 7 Professional even if there are problems like a defective SSD.

At Sony's homepage users can buy a lithium ion battery with 8200 milliampere hours, which doubles the battery runtime. Of course this battery needs more space and a part of it protrudes the back of the Vaio X. Sony charges 229 euros for it while the standard battery only costs 129 euros.

A special leather sleeve for the Vaio X is 99 euros, a bluetooth mouse with matching design costs 69 euros.

Software

There was a test version of the McAfee Security Center preinstalled as well as Microsoft's Office 60 days trial and Norton Online Backup, which is also limited. Besides that Sony includes only few full versions: Vaio Photo- and Videosuite, MusicStation and EverywAir, which helps you in setting up your wireless internet are the only give-aways. Due to the missing DVD drive there is also no DVD player software included.

By installing hardly any software on the system, the operating system is kept light. In contrary, we criticized other Sony systems for being excessively and ineffectively equipped with software. On the other hand Sony could have included at least one full version that brings a real advantage. MusicStation and Photo- and Videosuite are nice give-aways yet their functionality is already included in Windows through Media Player and Photo Gallery.
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Input Devices

Keyboard

For some time almost all Sony laptops come with a so called chiclet keyboard. That helps to tell the keys apart while writing and also looks stylish. Of course you cannot expect a full-size keyboard in an 11.1 inch machine but Sony's X series nevertheless possesses a suitable typing device.

You have to get used to typing due to the relatively hard key stroke but all keys are sufficiently sized and are located where you would expect them. The Page Up- and Page Down-keys as well as the Home and End key are only accessible through a combination with the “Fn”-key. In exchange there is a second “Fn”-key located next to the arrow keys, so, that one can also activate it with the right hand.

Volume and brightness are also controlled through combinations between the “Fn”-key and the “F”-keys as well as switching to an external monitor. Above the keyboard sits the Wireless switch, known from other Sony devices. It switches LAN, WLAN, and WWAN on and off.

Touchpad

The touchpad sits in the middle of the wrist-rest and is separated optically and hapticly by a small sill. The touch sensitive surface is quite small especially as there is a scroll bar on the right and the lower side that is not detached from the rest. During our test however, the scroll bar was never activated by accident but rather just when you lift your finger and lower it again on the very right or lower part of the touchpad.

Sony does not follow the trend to include Multi-Touch gestures with it's current X-series: The touchpad did not react to the input of two fingers at the same time.

The two buttons located underneath the touchpad are also a bit small yet they operate well and give good feedback on the keystroke.

Keyboard
Keyboard

Touchpad
Touchpad

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Display

11.1 inch is the size of the Sony Vaio VPC-X11S1E's LED backlighted display. The resolution is 1366 x 768 pixels, which is no problem thanks to the scalability of Windows 7. But if you would like to install Windows XP for instance, you have to get used to small symbols and small writing as the DPI value is quite high with 141.2.

The screen has it's brightest area at the lower middle, where the illumination reaches 275 cd/m². Further to the top of the screen it gets darker, in the upper right corner it bids only 239 cd/m². The overall average is 257.7 cd/m² which is a good value.

244
cd/m² 254
cd/m² 239
cd/m²
250
cd/m² 260
cd/m² 250
cd/m²
273
cd/m² 275
cd/m² 274
cd/m²


Information
Maximum: 275 cd/m²
Average: 257.7 cd/m²
Illumination: 87 %
Black: 1.47 cd/m²
Contrast: 177:1
Brightness on battery: 260 cd/m²
Distribution of brightness

We didn't exactly like the high black value of the screen: 1.47 cd/m². It results in a rather meager contrast of 177:1. Subjectively that isn't so noticeable, but colors were a bit dull.

It's still possible to work in bright light.
It's still possible to work in bright light.

The screen has a non-glare finish. That in combination with the good brightness makes it possible to work outdoor or in bright light without disturbing reflections disturbing.

Horizontal and vertical viewing angles describe the angle in which one can sit in front of the screen without the colors changing. The bigger this angle the more you can vary your position in front of the screen.

The X11S1E offer good horizontal viewing angles but if you move the screen up or down colors will change quite soon. That is annoying especially because of the mobile layout of the device: When you change the position of the device you might have to also change the inclination of the monitor.

Blickwinkel Sony Vaio VPC-X11S1E/B
Blickwinkel Sony Vaio VPC-X11S1E/B

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Performance

The new Atom CPUs based on the Pinetrail architecture did not yet make it into Sony's X-series. Instead an older Atom Z540 based on the Silverthorne architecture is inside our test sample. The single core processor calculates with 1.86 GHz and has built-in hyperthreading, meaning it can work on two tasks at a time. If you have more money at your disposal, you can also get a Z550 with 2 GHz.

The graphic chip is the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500 which is integrated in the chipset. The chip uses up to 760 MByte of the RAM, according to the usage.

2 GByte DDR2-533 RAM can be used as main memory. The memory consists of one module of 2 GByte and cannot be upgraded as the system only supports a maximum of 2 GByte of memory.

* Systeminfo CPUZ CPU
* Systeminfo CPUZ Cache
* Systeminfo CPUZ Mainboard
* Systeminfo GPUZ
* Systeminfo HDTune

System information Sony Vaio VPC-X11S1E/B

Due to the specialization of the notebook in mobility and not on performance you have to cut back on expectations. Despite of browser games you should not try to play any games on the Vaio X: Even in the nine year old benchmark 3DMark2001 the system can only reach 1090 points. In the next version 3DMark03 the system only manages to achieve 370 points. That is too little performance even for the most unambitious gamer.

We evaluate the application performance with the tool PCMark05 and get a result of 1547 points. Together with the other tests determining the CPU performance like the benchmarks SuperPi and WPrime we get a rating of 60% for the application performance. That's sufficient for simple tasks like writing texts or surfing the internet, but, as soon as things get a bit more challenging, image manipulation for instance, you should not rely too much on the Vaio X unless you have a lot of patience.

To see how the system deals with a video in HD resolution, we downloaded a cinema trailer in Full HD from the internet. Unfortunately the Vaio X was not up to the task: The sound went smoothly, but, the picture was lagging behind even when we plugged in the DC and set the energy saving options to “high performance”. Also high definiton flash videos played directly within the browser, for example via gametrailers.com, constitute a problem for the Vaio X: They stuttered along.
Cinebench
Rendering Single 563 points
(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(2)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(3)(0)(1)(3)(7)(3)(6)(4)(5)(3)(4)(0)(2)(4)(0)(0)(1)(1)(1)(5)(2)(2)(1)(0)(0)(1)(4)(1)(2)(2)(1)(2)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)
Rendering Multi 934 points
(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(1)(0)(1)(0)(0)(3)(0)(0)(3)(0)(0)(3)(2)(1)(2)(4)(1)(2)(0)(2)(2)(0)(2)(2)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(3)(0)(0)(3)(2)(0)(1)(0)(2)(0)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)(2)(0)(2)(1)(0)(2)(2)(0)(1)(1)(0)(2)
OpenGL 32 points
(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(2)(3)(0)(8)(6)(12)(4)(3)(2)(1)(1)(1)(3)(1)(1)(0)(0)(1)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(2)(1)(3)(0)(1)(1)(0)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(4)(1)(0)(0)(0)(2)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)
Help
... in comparison
Cinebench R10 Rend. Multi (32bit) in comparison
Sony Vaio VGN-P11Z/R (min)
635
...
Asus Eee PC 1000HE N280, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950
891
Asus Eee PC 1008HA N280, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950
892
Asus Eee PC 1005PE N450, Graphics Media Accelerator 3150
894
Sony Vaio VPC-X11S1E/B Z540, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 500
934
Asus Eee PC 1201N 330, GeForce 9400M (G) / ION (LE)
1516
Samsung X120 SU7300, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 4500M
1642
Asus U2E-1P017E U7500, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) X3100
1976
...
mySN QXG7 (max)
19189
PC Mark
PCMark 05 1547 points
(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(2)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)(1)(0)(1)(2)(1)(3)(2)(1)(0)(2)(1)(4)(1)(1)(2)(0)(1)(1)(2)(3)(1)(2)(2)(1)(2)(4)(1)(3)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(2)(0)(0)(0)(1)(1)(3)(2)(2)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(1)(1)(3)(2)(1)(1)(0)(2)(1)(0)(0)(2)(1)(0)(0)(1)(1)(2)
Help
... in comparison
PCMark 05 in comparison
Acer Aspire One 751 (min)
692
...
Toshiba NB200-113 N270, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950
1493
LG X110 N270, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950
1509
HP Mini 2140 N270, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950
1532
Sony Vaio VPC-X11S1E/B Z540, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 500
1547
Dell Latitude 2100 N270, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950
1586
Asus Eee PC 1002HA N270, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950
1616
Asus Eee PC 1005HA N270, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950
1617
...
Alienware M17x (max)
9615
2.4
Windows 7 Experience Index
Processor
Calculations per second
2.7
Memory (RAM)
Memory operations per second
4.2
Graphics
Desktop performance for Windows Aero
4.5
Gaming graphics
3D business and gaming graphics
2.4
Primary hard disk
Disk data transfer rate
6.4
3D Mark
3DMark 2001 1090 points
(0)(0)(1)(2)(1)(0)(1)(1)(1)(0)(2)(6)(3)(4)(4)(7)(2)(3)(3)(4)(4)(7)(3)(1)(2)(1)(0)(2)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(3)(2)(4)(0)(1)(1)(0)(0)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)
3DMark 03 370 points
(2)(4)(5)(8)(15)(18)(7)(7)(4)(3)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)(2)(2)(2)(1)(1)(0)(1)(0)(2)(1)(0)(2)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)
Help
... in comparison
3DMark 03 in comparison
Samsung Q30 (min)
116
...
Toshiba R400 U2400, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950
165
Asus Eee PC 900 353, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 900
289
Asus Eee PC T91 MT Z520, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 500
363
Sony Vaio VPC-X11S1E/B Z540, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 500
370
Acer Aspire One 751 Z520, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 500
395
Asus Eee PC 1101HA Z520, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 500
413
Sony Vaio VGN-P21Z Z520, Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 500
418
...
Alienware M17x (max)
58095


HDTune: Samsung MMCRE28G8MXP Benchmark
Transfer Rate Minimum: 65.1 MB/sec
(10)(7)(15)(9)(11)(12)(8)(9)(6)(10)(5)(10)(8)(11)(10)(24)(13)(21)(19)(23)(17)(23)(19)(19)(13)(26)(32)(25)(20)(19)(14)(18)(18)(11)(13)(8)(2)(9)(2)(4)(3)(4)(4)(3)(2)(2)(1)(0)(2)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(1)(1)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)(1)(1)(2)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(2)
Transfer Rate Maximum: 68 MB/sec
(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(2)(0)(3)(5)(0)(2)(2)(4)(4)(4)(2)(16)(5)(20)(13)(12)(16)(9)(11)(27)(13)(17)(13)(15)(3)(5)(3)(4)(4)(13)(8)(16)(17)(21)(13)(11)(33)(23)(20)(12)(15)(13)(6)(7)(4)(1)(13)(13)(8)(15)(6)(6)(6)(8)(5)(1)(1)(7)(2)(4)(1)(0)(3)(4)(3)(0)(0)(1)(1)(0)(3)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(1)(1)(2)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)
Transfer Rate Average: 67.3 MB/sec
(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(2)(1)(5)(1)(3)(2)(5)(5)(5)(15)(17)(31)(16)(33)(18)(14)(21)(10)(7)(9)(6)(9)(6)(20)(23)(28)(26)(17)(24)(28)(20)(17)(8)(12)(6)(12)(10)(12)(8)(11)(9)(6)(5)(7)(5)(1)(4)(4)(2)(5)(1)(2)(1)(1)(0)(1)(2)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(1)(1)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)
Access Time: 0.2 ms
(9)(12)(3)(2)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(2)(2)(4)(7)(15)(6)(7)(6)(22)(18)(6)(7)(22)(52)(31)(29)(30)(37)(38)(38)(17)(26)(22)(12)(4)(18)(4)(13)(5)(7)(7)(7)(5)(8)(2)(1)(1)(1)(2)(2)(4)(1)(1)(0)(1)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(1)(2)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)
Burst Rate: 59.4 MB/sec
(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(1)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)(2)(0)(0)(2)(0)(1)(5)(0)(3)(1)(3)(1)(7)(3)(2)(6)(3)(2)(4)(3)(3)(2)(6)(3)(9)(3)(8)(5)(8)(6)(5)(10)(8)(11)(9)(11)(3)(13)(16)(12)(7)(8)(21)(15)(12)(12)(15)(21)(8)(14)(20)(21)(12)(15)(9)(9)(8)(13)(13)(9)(15)(7)(9)(6)(5)(5)(5)(5)(4)(5)(3)(3)(5)(0)(0)(0)(2)(3)(3)(1)(1)(0)(3)(3)(5)(1)(0)(3)(0)(0)(2)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(3)(1)(0)(2)(0)(2)(2)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)
CPU Usage: 6.3 %
(14)(0)(27)(15)(52)(68)(55)(26)(47)(44)(22)(26)(14)(20)(14)(11)(15)(12)(10)(4)(4)(4)(3)(7)(4)(3)(3)(2)(2)(1)(3)(2)(3)(3)(2)(2)(0)(1)(0)(2)(2)(2)(2)(3)(1)(2)(0)(2)(0)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(2)(2)(0)(1)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)

The hard drive in our test sample was a solid state drive by Samsung. The drive has a capacity of 128 GByte. In general, SSDs do not offer a higher data rate than normal hard drives. But, while the data rate stays the same across the whole SSD drive, it falls towards the end of a hard drive.

So, the Samsung SSD achieved an average data rate of 67.3 MByte per second and also a considerably lower access time compared to common harddrives: 0.2 milliseconds.

Therefore, the Windows Startup should also speed up. We wanted to know it exactly and measured the time necessary to boot the system. The result: After just 37 seconds the Windows desktop comes up, not bad indeed. A look into Windows' own diagnosis system revealed that it took 71 seconds until all programs were loaded.

More hard drive capacity turns out to be quite costly, because Sony only offers SSDs for the Vaio X. E.g., upgrading to 256 GBytes costs 390 Euros. However, downgrading to 64 GB only saves 10 euros.

DPC Latency Checker Sony Vaio VPC-X11S1E/B
DPC Latency Checker

DPC latencies

With the program DPC Latency Checker we evaluated the system's DPC latencies. Too long latencies hint on synchronization problems with external devices, e.g., sound crackling of external sound cards, or lagging of graphic cards.

Unfortunately the Vaio X11S1E's amplitude went into the red area several times. So, the user should check each driver to find out which one causes the communication delay.
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Emissions

System Noise

The tiny outlet on the back is partly covered by the monitor once the notebook is opened. But, this doesn't seem to impede the fan from doing it's job. At least it never gets too loud: We recorded hardly audible 28.3 dB(A) when the system is idle. Furthermore, the fan sits at the rear of the case and emits the already low noise mostly towards the back.

Even if maximum performance is needed the small fan just reached a noise of 35.9 dB(A) which is still a very good value. No wonder that our rating for loudness was almost perfect: 95 percent.

The only thing impeding a 100 percent rating is the high frequency soundscape of the fan: When a lot of power is needed, an unpleasantly high pitched noise is audible.

Loudness
Idle 28.3 / 28.3 / 28.3 dB
HDD 28.3 dB
Load 31.5 / 35.9 dB

30 dB
silent 40 dB
audible 50 dB
loud
Key: min: , med: , max: (15 cm distance)

Temperature

Despite of the low noise level, the fan does a good job: The system stays well cooled most of the time. The overall maximum temperature is 50.5 degrees Celsius at the left bottom side. But you will have to stress the system as much as it would hardly ever occur during everyday usage of the Vaio X. 50.5 degrees are not perfect but considering the thin case still alright.

During idle status, the maximum temperature is 40.6 degrees Celsius in the left upper back part. Thus the laptop gets noticeably warmer, but, can still be put accordingly to it's name on the lap.

The DC device does not heat up too much with the maximum temperature being 40 degrees. All in all the temperature of Sony's Vaio X11S1E reaches a good rating.

41.9 °C 41.2 °C 36 °C
40.3 °C 39.8 °C 33.4 °C
31.1 °C 31.8 °C 29.2 °C



38.1 °C 46.2 °C 50.5 °C
37.3 °C 46.2 °C 47.2 °C
29.4 °C 31.6 °C 32.1 °C

Maximum: 41.9 °C
Average: 36.1 °C Maximum: 50.5 °C
Average: 39.8 °C
Power Supply 40 °C | Room Temperature 22.5 °C
The loudspeakers are hidden behind a cover at the bottom.

Loudspeakers

The small stereo loudspeakers are on the bottom. As they share a single grille, they can hardly create a stereo effect. Furthermore, the desk dampens the soundscape.

In addition, neither the maximum volume is very high nor the power of the bass. The speakers will be sufficient for occasional internet videos and Windows sounds but only very unambitious user will be able to enjoy music and movies.

But, the headphone jack on the left side is considerably well positioned, at least for right-handers, and also supplies a decent sound. Thus a set of small earphones should be added to the price and weight of the laptop if you really want to enjoy multimedia content.
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Battery Runtime

Minimale Laufzeit (Classic Test)
Classic Test

The small 4 cell battery with 33.6 Wh is integrated in the bottom part of the laptop and comes from Sony's own production. It's a lithium ion battery with 33.6 watt hours. A 8 cell battery is also available. According to Sony's marketing it should double the runtime.

Even with the standard battery the manufacturer promises up to 8 hours of battery life. We did the reader test in Battery Eater Pro that simulates a minimum load by reading a text. Additionally we switched the energy saver mode on and WLAN off. We got 7 hours and 34 minutes which comes closed to the promised 8 hours.

To find out the minimum battery life we also used the Battery Eater tool. This time it calculated a 3D graphic and the energy saving functions were turned off and the screen brightness maximized. The notebook kept running for 170 minutes or 2:50 hours. A good result as well considering that the Vaio X is too weak to use it for such challenging tasks anyway.

Most people will use the Vaio X for websurfing via WLAN. On battery we could do so for 312 minutes or 5 hours and 12 minutes.

Battery runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness) 7h 34min
(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(3)(0)(2)(3)(3)(2)(3)(2)(9)(3)(4)(6)(5)(9)(3)(6)(3)(5)(2)(4)(4)(2)(2)(1)(6)(2)(1)(0)(0)(3)(0)(3)(0)(1)(1)(0)(1)(0)(0)(1)(1)(0)(2)(1)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(1)
Surfing with WLAN 5h 12min
(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(1)(1)(3)(8)(9)(3)(6)(6)(8)(3)(4)(3)(2)(2)(4)(4)(0)(1)(3)(0)(2)(0)(0)(2)(2)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)
Load (maximum brightness) 2h 50min
(0)(0)(1)(10)(13)(25)(14)(14)(6)(1)(4)(6)(3)(4)(4)(2)(3)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)

When it comes to power consumption the Vaio X has to be modest to be able to achieve such running times: A minimum consumption of 4.0 watt and a maximum of 11.5 watt under full load really is an excellent value. No wonder Sony can attach the Energy Star Seal on it's device.

When switched off the Sony laptop only uses 0.1 watt of energy that is within the measuring tolerance to 0.0. In stand-by mode the consumption is 0.3 watt which is still quite passable.

Sony and it's costumers can be more than content with battery life and power consumption. To bring so much battery power in such a small case really is an achievement.

Current consumption
Off / Standby 0.1 / 0.3 Watt
Idle 4 / 6.5 / 7.8 Watt
Load 9.1 / 11.5 Watt

Key: min: , med: , max:
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Verdict

Sony charges quite a lot for it's slender device: The extremely stylish computer is offered for 1499 euros and more. Considering you could buy five better equipped notebooks instead, is it really reasonable to go for it? Well it's definitely an experience to have the razor-thin and light as a feather Vaio X in your hands: Suddenly all netbooks in the world seem plump and oversized.

Allowedly, the field of application is small: Writing texts, surfing the net, maybe a bit of simplest image manipulation, that's it. Still it feels good when other laptop users carry around their huge laptops while you can take this not even 1.4 cm thin notebook out from almost any bag.

Furthermore, Sony grants it's dwarf a more or less decent display, a battery that is quite strong considering the size of the notebook and a quite timeless design, which you will still like in a few years time. Furthermore, all necessary wireless connections are integrated, but, that's what can be expected in view of the high price. Regarding wired connectivity: There are not plenty of ports, but, that's alright in consideration of the size.

The loudspeakers are rather useless when it comes to multimedia, there is no microphone-in, the touchpad is tiny and the fan can become quite noisy: Seems like you will have to live with some flaws when you decide to buy such a thin device. Those who think the Dell Adamo XPS is still too big and do not require the performance of a MacBook Air, should take a look at Sony's designer piece. That is whoever has the necessary petty cash.

Freesias

Meaning

Innocence
Origins

Freesias are native to South Africa and are named for Friedrich Heinrich Theodor Freese, a German student who studied African plants in the 19th century. They belong to the Iridaceae family.
Availability and Vase Life

Most freesias are available year-round, depending on their variety. Their colors include white, purple, yellow, red and orange, and their average vase life is 4-7 days.
Care and Handling

Upon receipt, cut the flowers' stems in a clean underwater cutter or sink. Freesias are both ethylene-sensitive and fluoride-sensitive. Also, avoid using fluoridated water throughout the care-and-handling process, and do not mix freesias with freshly cut narcissuses or daffodils, which emit a substance that can shorten freesias' vase life.
Design Uses

Freesias' unusual, appealing shapes make them suitable line flowers for any arrangement, and their wide range of color varieties increases their versatility. They also make fragrant additions to bouquets and body flowers.