LCD vs LED TV

After inviting a group of journalists to a sneak preview at its head office, Samsung Electronics Indonesia let us play around with one of its LED TVs.

I said I was interested. “Can I see the largest LED TV you have?” I asked Shinta Wardiastuti from corporate marketing, in my email. After a few days, I received a huge box, almost as large as my refrigerator. Thereafter, courtesy of Samsung Electronics Indonesia, I have been able to watch TV broadcasts, DVD movies and even YouTube on a 55-inch screen.

Yes, a huge 55-inch TV. I almost regretted asking for the biggest model as I had to make space for it in my tiny living room. It will be a relief when they take it back early January, although I will miss it. But I will feel more at ease because not only can I reclaim the space, I will no longer have to worry about protecting this Rp 60 million ($US6,000) item.

Samsung, reportedly the worldwide leader in LCD and LED TVs, currently offers three different series of LED TV. These are the B8000, B7000 and B6000.

The numbers have nothing to do with size. Instead, they indicate their features. The B8000 has the most features. The one that has dominated my living room is the UA55B7000WR.

Setting it up is extremely easy. The TV can be hooked up to a conventional aerial, a TV cable network, a DVD player, a Blu-Ray player — it has the full 1,920 by 1,080 resolution, a PC and a number of other digital media players.

It has two gigabytes of internal memory, it supports USB 2.0 and it can play movies from any equipment using the USB connector. It has an RJ-45 port to connect it to our home network, or we can use an optional wireless adaptor, both DLNA and LAN. It has Samsung’s media player named Medi@2.0, which also supports Internet@TV, the Content Library, USB 2.0 Movie and wireless DLNA.

Incidentally, my wife once refused to use the netbook, saying the screen was too small for her. When I hooked up the same netbook to this LED screen, she still refused it because it was way, way too big!

At first, I could watch any TV broadcasts off the air. It turned out that I had to tell the TV tuner to scan them first. Once the scanning was completed, I could watch local TV broadcasts.

Although I was using an indoor antenna, some of the local stations had sharp images. I did not hook it up to my cable TV decoder because the only location spacious enough for it was too far from the end of the cable.

The TV, which uses SRS TrueSound HD, relies on a pair of down-firing speakers and a subwoofer for audio. But, honestly, you should hook it up to a home theater system to really enjoy the sound.

The infrared remote control, which is also quite large, illuminates when buttons are pressed. It is loaded with functions, but amazingly, it is simple to use for straightforward operation.

One problem with the cable TV services is that the volume levels are not the same across the channels. As we move from one channel to another, we often have to scramble for the volume control button because the sound suddenly becomes very loud. This also happens with lots of commercials, as the stations want to ensure the commercials capture our attention. The good news is that all these three LED TVs have an auto volume leveler.

While the list of specs is more than two pages long, another important feature of the latest LED TVs from Samsung is their slimness. They are less than 3 centimeters thick. They can easily be bolstered on the wall easily.

Samsung even supplies the kit, including the fire resistant cable that is stronger than necessary to sustain the 22.4 kg weight of the LED TV.

The big question now is what makes the LED TV different from LCD TV? Not much. The LCD panel on an LCD TV has many Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL) tubes behind it to light the display. The LED panel uses Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) for the same task. The diodes are far more expensive to make, compared with the CCFL, so they are used on the top and bottom of a typical LED screen to provide lighting.

One of the innovations of the Samsung LED TVs is the LEDs are located on all four edges. Samsung calls it “edge-lit LED”. It sounds a simple solution, but the Korean company has deployed almost all of its researchers to develop the technology and design the super-thin LED TV.

Among others, they had to design the Light Guide Panel/Plate (LGP) to direct the light from the LEDs into the transistors in the panel.

In addition, the engineers also had to create Samsung’s own chip, as they were obsessed with the idea of developing the best TV on earth. The results were these three series, each with its own 40-, 46- and 55-inch versions.

Are there real benefits in moving from LCD to LED? There are. First, an LED TV is more energy efficient. Samsung claims that it uses 40 percent less power than a comparable LCD TV. No mercury is used in the production. In terms of picture quality, the LED also has a far better contrast level. This gives us a darker black than what the LCD panel can achieve.

So, if money is not an issue and you are looking for a full HDTV TV, go for a LED TV. You will not be disappointed.

Wow! Is It Really a Computer?

This particular computer - or netbook, to be more precise - never fails to make people say, "Wow!" And when they lift it from my hand, sound a louder, "Wow!"

Who would not go "wow" to this very thin netbook? It is only 13.9 millimeters thick and weighs only 699 grams. It is easy to think that it is a mockup, not a real computer.

But, press the power button and a green light flashes. The very thin screen comes alive and Windows 7 Professional loads in less than 60 seconds. Wunderbar!

Courtesy of Sony Indonesia, I had a full week to tote this computer around, awing friends and clients.

Now, let us have a look at what makes this super-thin netbook float effortlessly.

Let us start with the processor. Unlike the netbooks of yesteryear, this one comes with Intel Atom Z540 under the hood. The clock speed is 1.86 gigahertz and it has 2 gigabyte of RAM.

The hard disk is made by SanDisk Corporation. It is a solid state drive (SSD), because it would be impossible to fit a conventional hard drive into the case.

The SSD capacity is 64 gigabytes. Be careful, though, as the system and other Sony applications already take up around 20 gigabytes.

The size of the wide-format, backlit screen is 11.1 inch. Most netbooks are still 10-inch, and only a few such as Dell Mini 12 has a larger screen.

Windows 7 allows us to use the medium font-size, which makes the characters on the screen fairly readable without requiring us to change the 1366 x 768-pixel resolution. Turn on the Media Gallery, and we are wowed by stunning colors. For a netbook, the audio is not disappointing, either.

What other amenities are available? This netbook was launched a couple of months ago and comes with two USB ports, a headphone jack on the left, and a VGA output port and a specially designed Ethernet (RJ-45) clip on the right.

The RJ-45 port is designed differently, as an ordinary port does not fit into the thin chassis. A pair of card readers is on the front side. The touchpad is a multi-touch with two ordinary looking buttons. Although, there is no switch to temporarily disable the touchpad.

In regards to connectivity, it has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. There is a hardware switch on top of the keyboard to turn them on or off. A utility helps turn both or either one on.

The standard battery has eight cells. Most other netbooks now only have six cell-batteries.

Originally, they used three-cell batteries, which had a bit more than one hour battery life. With the eight-cell battery, Sony claims the netbook has up to 3.5 hours of typing time without being tethered to the wall outlet. By the way, the power brick is small.

There is also an optional battery pack that attaches to the underside and functions as a stand. Sony says it provides 14 hours of working without the AC adapter. The two feet at the back can be flipped open to lift the rear of the netbook for a more comfortable typing angle.

Two colors are available - black and gold. The gold is certainly more attention grabbing.

What to watch for? Although Sony has stress-tested the carbon-fiber body of its X Series, you should not abuse it.

You will need to handle this beauty with care. It would be a pity to scratch the attractive brushed aluminum cover.

The underside, toward the rear, gets hot over time. This is expected for a computer as thin as this. You just have to be aware.

The good news is, unlike the bottom, the keyboard only becomes slightly warm.

No product is ever flawless. But this one seems to be mostly composed of good things: A stylish design, incredibly thin and lightweight, a Windows Experience Index of 2.4, a bright LED backlit screen, a smooth keyboard and Windows 7 Professional.

Oh, but there is one thing about this netbook that I can complain about: It costs US$1,399 at bhinneka.com. That, to me, is a serious issue.

Google faces China lawsuit over book scanning

A Chinese novelist is suing Google Inc. over its project to scan books into its online library.

Mian Mian, a counterculture writer known for her lurid tales of sex, drugs and nightlife, filed suit in October after the U.S. search giant scanned her latest book, "Acid House," into its library.

The two sides were due in a Beijing court on Tuesday, said her lawyer, Sun Jingwei. He said the author wants damages of 61,000 yuan (US$8,950) and a public apology.

A Google spokeswoman in Beijing, Marsha Wang, said the company removed Mian Mian's works from its library as soon as it learned of the lawsuit. Wang said Google had no further comment on the suit.

Google's ambitious effort to make printed works available online has faced opposition from writers in the United States, Europe and elsewhere.

In China, a government-affiliated group, the China Written Works Copyright Society, is calling on Google to negotiate compensation for Chinese authors whose work is scanned into its library.

Mian Mian, who lives in Shanghai, shot to fame in 2000 when she published the novel "Candy," which caused a stir with its graphic depiction of heroin use. Most of her work is banned in China, though pirated copies are widely available.

Google, based in Mountain View, California, negotiated a $125 million settlement last year with American authors and publishers. It is waiting for final court approval after objections by U.S. regulators and other companies that said it might hurt the growth of the electronic book market.

The Chinese writers' group said Monday it has found more than 80,000 works by Chinese authors scanned into the library. The group said it would hold talks with Google in January on resolving the dispute.

Honda Tif, another Cheap Hatchback Car

Following the path of Volkswagen and Toyota, Honda today announced a concept model of their upcoming small car in India. The Honda small car is likely to be called the Tif. Last year Honda released a premium hatchback Jazz. Jazz was well received, although the price levels were high. Since Indian customers are more interested in hatchbacks and small cars, Honda sees this small car as their next big thing in India.

The concept car shown at the Delhi Auto Expo is different from other small cars. The car designed 5 persons has special design toward the back side. The Honda DNA as explained by the officials provides better driving comfort and control for car.

The Aerodynamic design of Honda Small Car Tif similar to other Honda models like City, Jazz in India. The front Grille is similar to all new Honda Civic and City. Honda Small car will be positioned at the entry level premium hatchback segment for a price of around $ 7,000. There is no confirmation regarding the launch date and exact name of the car.

Apple tablet device coming in January

Speculation intensified Monday that Apple Inc. will soon unveil a tablet-style gadget for consuming music, movies, books and other media.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is planning to take the wraps off such a device this month and begin shipping it in March.

That jibes with several online reports that the company has scheduled an event for Jan. 26 or 27 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, one of Apple's customary spaces for product launches.

The gadget, which online pundits have at different times christened the iTablet and the iSlate, is to have a 10-inch to 11-inch (25-to-28-centimeter) touch screen, said the Journal, citing unnamed people briefed on the matter.

Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said the company does not comment on rumors and speculation.

Apple, which is based in Cupertino, California, has so far stayed out of the "netbook" category of small laptops with relatively weak processors and sub-$500 price tags. The company has said it doesn't know how to make a good computer for less than $500, but has indicated it has been considering alternative ideas for that space.

Analysts have predicted Apple's new gadget could cost anywhere from $500 to $1,000, with or without a cellular data plan included.

Also on Monday, Sprint Nextel Corp. said it has made a multiyear deal with a startup called Skiff for a thin electronic-book reader that operates over Sprint's high-speed 3G network as well as Wi-Fi.

The Skiff Reader will have an 11.5-inch (30-centimeter) screen, larger than those on competing devices including Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle, Sony Corp.'s Reader and Barnes & Noble Inc.'s Nook.

Sprint and Skiff tout the device as the thinnest to date, at just over a quarter of an inch thick. The reader's entire page will be a touch screen, unlike the Kindle, which uses physical buttons for navigation, or the Nook, which has a small built-in touch screen separate from the book page.

The Skiff Reader will connect to its own online content store. Skiff said it is also working with other electronics manufacturers to put its technology into a variety of devices.

The companies are planning to demonstrate the device at this week's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Its price and availability date were not disclosed. (AP)

Indonesia fourth biggest facebook users in the world

Indonesian facebook users were ranked fourth in the world last year with more than 14.6 million users, according to http://www.nickburcher.com, citing a facebook statistic.

The website said the U.S. had more than 101.3 million facebook users to top the 2009 ranking, followed by the UK with over 22,6 million users and Turkey with more than 16,9 million users.

The statistic also showed that Indonesia facebook users grew more than 1,500 percent in 2009. (tjp)

Hi World :)

Hi world,

this is my first published blog.

I'm the author, George Richard and i come from Indonesia.

At this blog, you can find anythings from other country.

I felt so nice when i decide to do this blog :)

Hopefully, this blog will be better day after day and i need your advice to make this blog growing up!

Happy reading :)