Western Digital recently release their new line of My Book Live Personal Cloud Storage devices that not only allow Hong Kong computer users to safely store all their important files but allows them access to them from anywhere in the world via a personal cloud storage solution.

WD’s My Book Live drive connects to the home network creating shared storage that users can access within and outside the home. Secure remote access to the My Book Live is available through WD 2go and WD 2go Pro mobile apps for its My Book Live personal cloud storage solution. WD’s My Book Live drive connects to the home network creating shared storage that users can access within and outside the home. Secure remote access to the My Book Live is available on any computer through www.WD2go.com, while the WD 2go apps provide mobile access to files stored on the drive using an iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or Android compatible mobile device.

Combining the benefits of both public and private cloud solutions, My Book Live personal cloud storage allows users to keep media and files safe at home on their own physical drive and yet access them over the Internet with any PC or Mac computer or on tablets and smartphones through WD’s mobile apps.

Availability

WD 2go (free download) and WD 2go Pro ($2.99 USD) are currently available for download from the iTunes Store and Android Market. My Book Live personal cloud storage is now available at selected distributors – VST (852-2786 1836) and Supply Consultant (852-2341 0280).

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price

• 1TB - HK$1,340
• 2TB - HK$1,560
• 3TB - HK$1,990

HP Hong Kong invited Neonpunch to a swanky little do at the Philia Lounge where they showed off a new printer, the eAIO C310, that doesn’t need a PC to print your documents.

A leggy model introduced us to the new printer and then to make things even livelier HP held a lucky draw where someone cold go home with a brand new spanking eAIO C310 and a couple of fun group party games that included; seeing which team can print an email sent from their mobile phone the fastest and who could score the highest number of points on a web game hosted on HP’s website.

We did glean from the presentation was that you can print documents remotely from anywhere in the world using your mobile phone and that the printer had a number of built-in apps that enables you to print out news from wire services and even sudoku puzzles ( there were some other interest apps but we were too busy solving the sudoku puzzle we had test printed out).

To check out the full features and specs of this wireless printer Click Here

The suggested retail price for the eAIO C310 is HK$1,488

Voltron: Defender of the Universe is not only helping the universe out he’s also now helping your data out with this cool looking 2 GB USB drive – and if you think its just another USB drive guess again, it comes with:

• 3.5″ PVC figure with BLAZING SWORD
• Preloaded with a FULL EPISODE of classic Voltron, remastered
• Superfunky Retro Box
• Functioning 2G USB Flash Drive
• Light-up Chest Shield!

The Voltron USB drive is available this month at HK$275/US$35 a small price to play to add him to your USB drive collection. Click here to buy now.

And lets have a look at the opening for Voltron in case some of you need a refresher – and maybe you can explain to us WHY Optimus Prime is doing the voice over for another robot cartoon??!

Acer really loves to stir it up don’t they? Earlier this year they said they wouldn’t compete with Apple, then they show off a 7″ tablet , now Acer founder Stan Shih 施振榮, who doesn’t even work at Acer anymore spoke to the press in Taipei (via Digitimes) to basically say:

Apple’s strong popularity is mainly due to its products such as iPad and iPhone, and these products are like mutant viruses, which are difficult to find a cure for in the short-term, but he believes that PC vendors will eventually find a way to isolate Apple and become immune.

After that slap in the face he goes on to give the best backhand compliment ever, really like William Stryker smiling at the President that “no force will be used” in X-Men 2. But then goes on to predict that US-based PC vendors will throw the towel ion and pass it to China. Read the whole story here.

Sure we could have gone for a Stallone as Cobra image instead but we’re superhero nerds here, so we’ll go with the X-Men analogy.

Say that headline, 3 times really fast!

After creating a load of media buzz with the iPad and iPhone 4, Apple quietly announced another long overdue transformation to their product line, this time, the Mac Mini.

Remember when you told us that Mac’s were too expensive? Have a look at this full-feature desktop that starts at HK$5,588. Yes, you can buy a nice cheap LCD screen at the Wan Chai Computer Mall or go for one of Apple’s sexy ones.

The Mac Mini is armored with a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 320GB worth of storage capacity. The new Mac mini is only slightly wider and deeper than its predecessor, while its weight is essentially the same. It features a compact aluminum enclosure just 7.7 inches square and 1.4 inches thin.

The Mini comes preloaded with the Snow Leopard operating system and also includes a DVD superdrive, a Mini Display port, FireWire 800, and four USB ports. It is both WiFi and Bluetooth capable. Impressively, the device runs cleaner and more efficiently reducing power consumption by 25 percent and requiring less than 10W when idle. Since it doesn’t use any power cables, Apple avers that the new Mac mini is the most energy efficient mini computer.

The Mac mini also adds an HDMI port, to connect to an HDTV, and an SD card slot, so you can quickly upload your photos, audio and video files. These new ports that the Mini-users had long been missing make the Mac mini a formidable media hub. The Mini is equipped with an Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics processor, the same processor found in the new MacBook, to better handle intense video.

In addition to the Mac mini receiving a faster, sleeker, thinner design, Apple simultaneously released the Mac mini server. The server model, priced at HK$7,988, is designed to serve small businesses. The two models are virtually identical, except a few differences in specs; the server model has dual 500GB HDD (1TB total) running at 7200RPM versus the consumer model which has a 320GB HDD that runs at 5400RPM.

The refreshed Mini is a nice addition to the Macintosh line. With the enhancements, the base model makes for a respectable workstation or a companion for your high def TV. And if you choose to use it, the Mac Mini’s eco-friendly low energy consumption will also keep more green in your pocket.

Click here to buy one now.

Anyone who has seen Minority Report will always point out a few cool pieces of technology that you would love to see in real life.

Personal advertisements that are displayed to you as you walk by, the 3D home movies and the cryogenic prisons have, or will soon, be coming true and used in the real world.

But the one that many people remember, is when Tom Cruise’s character uses those funky gloves to look at a computer screen to go through the data received from the Precogs.

Well here it is…for real:

(Editor’s Note: the technology, not the Precogs)

This technology was apparently in development when the Minority Report film was being conceived:

The latest and perhaps realest step forward in the realm of lazy, mouse-free interfaces arrives courtesy of John Underkoffler, who happened to be working in the MIT Media Lab when the producers of Minority Report came through looking for face-melting ideas from four decades in the future. They hired him and his idea, and after the years-long, caffeine-fueled sloppy intercourse of Hollywood and Silicon Valley, he and his company Oblong have emerged at the TED conference with an actual spatial operating system.

What’s even more interesting is that the creator thinks this will be in households by 2015:

Mr. Underkoffler said this gesture technology was already being used in Fortune 50 companies, government agencies and universities, and he predicted that it would soon be available for consumers. “I think in five years’ time, when you buy a computer, you’ll get this,” he said.

In fact, consumers will get the first taste of gesture-based interfaces later this year. As The Times reported last month, Microsoft, Hitachi and PC makers are on the brink of rolling out game consoles, televisions and computers that use gestures to control the machines.

Since we found this on the Dell Motherboard.TV site, we’re assuming that this is also on Dell’s radar and that the question is no longer “IF” but “WHO” will come to market first with this technology?

As Mac users, we hardly ever come across accessories made for Mac. The best we’ve ever gotten was PC accessories colored white and labeled “For Macs”. We know that the one most important reason that we chose to buy a Mac was for the design and looks. What’s the point of getting an overpriced Mac when we’ll have ruin its marvelous looks by pairing it up with mismatching PC accessories?

Well, that time has finally come to an end. Twelve South, a fairly new company, has gone on a mission to develop accessories exclusively for Macs. The result: perfect match and beauty.

So far, they’ve released 3 different accessories. Our favorite, no doubt, is called the Backpack. The Backpack is a gorgeous little shelf that you can attach to the back of your iMac or Apple Cinema Display. This stylish space-saver can keep your peripherals out of sight while still in reach. You can put anything from USB drives, external hard drives, to even a Mac Mini! The best part is that this shelf relies entirely on gravity and two little adjustible clips, so you won’t ever need to hurt your Mac with cruel screws. This means that you’ll be able to hang more than one Backpack on your Mac! Backpacks are available to be purchased on their official website for HK$230 each, or HK$1,200 for 6 plus shipping.

The BookArc (pictured below) is a stand that can hold anything from a Macbook Air to a 17″ Macbook Pro. The BookArc not only can save valuable desk space, but it also can protect your Macbook by hugging it perfectly with silicone cushions. The best part about it is– it’ll look perfect next to your iMac.

Finally, there is the SurfacePad. This is a super-thin black leather cover for your Macbook that will not only protect it from dirt, dust, and scratches, but also transform it into a work of art. Also, the leather padding will definitely make it more comfortable for you to work on your Macbook too!

Both the BookArc and SurfaceArc can be bought in single or 6-packs. The BookArc goes for US$49.99/HK$390, or US$249.99/HK$1,950 for the 6-pack. The SurfacePad goes for US$39.99/HK$300, and US$199.99/HK$1,550 for 6. If you’ve got over spending the extra money for a Mac, what’s there to hold back on spending a little extra to treat your Mac well with these exclusive Mac accessories?

As the recession continues to affect worldwide markets, the PC industry has released sales figures for the second quarter of 2009 through IDC and it looks like HP is at the top of the heap in worldwide sales but Dell who is #2 in worldwide is the leader in the US market.

HP does have a slight gain on market share worldwide with 19.8% of the PC market, with Dell following closely at 13.7%, Acer at 12.7%, Lenovo at 8.7% and Toshiba at 5.3% (Where is Apple and Sony? We don’t have data outside of these top 5)

Comparing numbers in shipments from last year the number has been slowly rising but market share is down specifically for Dell. As shoppers are more cost conscious when buying new PC’s, it seems HP has been giving Hong Kong computer buys more value for money with cross-promotions of scanners and printers and a better quality product that they are able to stand in the forefront. But how long will this last and when the economy begins to get better will more money be spent on higher end computers like Apple’s offerings?

Google has announced the Google Chrome OS. It had to happen, first it was the Chrome browser to take on Internet Explorer, then the Android OS to take on Windows Mobile, just what does Google have against Microsoft anyways.

This is a heads-up Hong Kong, by the second half of 2010 expect alot of your favorite manufacturers to start switching over to the Google OS for certain types of PC’s – netbooks, laptops AND desktops! This is a real turning point for the future of personal computing, while there are many corporations that are tied to Microsoft, over the next few years you will see a big change in the way you buy a personal computer. For better or worse, Google is hopefully going to weld the power that Microsoft has held for the past 30 years much better and help the general public instead of stiffling them with ill-developed products and us buying them because there was no PC alternative.

Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips and we are working with multiple OEMs to bring a number of netbooks to market next year. The software architecture is simple — Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel. For application developers, the web is the platform. All web-based applications will automatically work and new applications can be written using your favorite web technologies. And of course, these apps will run not only on Google Chrome OS, but on any standards-based browser on Windows, Mac and Linux thereby giving developers the largest user base of any platform.

And how does this affect the mobile phone OS Android?

Google Chrome OS is a new project, separate from Android. Android was designed from the beginning to work across a variety of devices from phones to set-top boxes to netbooks. Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the web, and is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems. While there are areas where Google Chrome OS and Android overlap, we believe choice will drive innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google.

Yes, its the day of Michael Jackson’s memorial, but yesterday will also go down in history as the day the walls of Microsoft’s PC supremacy begin to fall down.

Too dramatic? We think its OK, this one time.

Sony Ericsson just announced their upcoming phone, the Aino. Not the best name for a phone if you ask me, but it sure works better than it sounds. This phone has some of the features never even heard before.

With the new fashion led by the iPhone, the Aino, as you may have expected, will feature a big, beautiful touch-screen display. However, it goes even beyond that with a wonderful slide-out keypad as well.

Next, it offers the first ever Remote Play function on a mobile phone. This feature allows you to control and access media on your Playstation 3 with your Aino. Whether you’re right next to your PS3, or your thousands of miles away, you can access your PS3 content via the internet wherever you are.

This phone also features Media Home. This allows you to sync media from your PC to your phone automatically through WiFi. When you place your phone on the charging stand, it automatically will sync the newest media content from your PC to your phone.

Take a look at its awesome specs:

• Network: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900/2100
• Form Factor: Slider
• Display: 3″ touch screen display, 240×432
• Camera: 8.1-megapixel with LED flash, 30fps VGA video recording
• Memory: 55MB internal, up to 16GB with SDHC card
• Battery: Up to 13 hours talk , 380 hours standby
• Misc: WiFi, Stereo Bluetooth 2.0, Remote Play, Media Home

As of now, there are no announcements yet on the price of this phone, but don’t expect it to be anywhere near cheap! It will be available “in select markets” starting in Q4 this year, in Obsidian Black and Luminous White colors.