A whole lot less geeky looking than other models, this new, lightweight (less than an ounce) headset is a perfect pair to your K1 KRZR, especially if you have the RED version. I say less geeky ‘coz the image of one running around and shaking/bopping your head with a wireless piece of plastic stuck on your head is still close to goofyness.

But I like it. I like it a lot. It works really well, with controls for the your phone’s music player built-in the right ear piece. If one of your geeky or non-geeky friends call you, the music will pause and you can use the S9 as a Bluetooth phone earpiece. A mic is hidden in the earpiece. Answer and hang-up the phone with the buttons on the left side and control volume with the same set of buttons.

You can use the unit with all compatible Bluetooth-enabled phones and stream music from a compatible Bluetooth-enabled stereo music phone or from a compatible Bluetooth-enabled MP3 player. There will be an iPod adapter available soon, sold in a set for about CAD$190 (CAD$150 for the headset alone).

Pairing is a very simple process. Turn it on and and if doesn’t find a previously paired phone, it will set itself into “find me” mode automatically. Charging is done with the included mini-USB adapter, the same one used to charge newer model Moto phones.

And oh yeah, I did get a great workout. The unit is water and sweat resistant and cleans easily. I rocked slowly lifted the weights with everything from AC/DC and Led Zep to Black Eye Peas and Nelly.

We tested the first UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC) from Sony – the Sony Vaio UX Mobile Computer – a few months ago. The 1.6lb Vista powered computer comes fully equipped with an Intel Centrino Duo processor, 40gb harddrive, Blue Tooth, Wi-Fi and touch screen not to mention a docking station and a slide out keyboard.

Although the UMPC is a great concept it is still far from where it needs to be to contend with laptops and pdas. Primarily we found the battery life to be far too short and the screen much too small to be used. The pre-installed Norton software caused massive problems because the innitial spalsh page was too large for the screen and all the active buttons were hidden beneath the bottom end. Therefore it was impossible to do anything and we finally had to attach the PC to an external monitor to get past the page. The same happened with numerous other programs. The zoom feature is a great idea but again is not working satisfactory and lead to a lot of swearing.

Needless to say we think you should wait before buying one of these things unless you have a lot of money to spend or you absolutely have to have the newest gadget. The UMPC market is in it’s infancy and we can expect many much better versions of this type of computer to come out in the coming months and years. So try to restrain yourself and go spend those $2500 on an ultraportable laptop instead.

We visits the Vancouver International Auto Show. Cars featured include

• Mercedes S Class CL 550 Coupe
• Volvo C30 Hatchback
• Cadillac Escalade
• 2007 Lotus Exige
• BMW 3 Series Cabriolet
• 2008 Audi TT
• 2008 Dodge Challenger
• Toyota FJ Cruiser
• Audi Q7
• 2007 Tripple White Volkswagen Beetle

Akash reviews the Santa Cruz Light Works Light Pick – a guitar pickwith a light show built in. The perfect gadget for guitarists with a tech fetish.

Akash reviews the most expensive cell phone on the market: the $1500 Bang & Olufsen Serene. Yes, that’s right. $1500 for a cell phone! Then again it’s designed by Louis Vuitton.

So does emptying your wallet on this gadget make you the coolest kid on the block? Watch to find out.

Akash reviews the $400 Bang & Olufsen BlueTooth headset Earset 2. Is it really worth the big bucks or is it all hype? Watch and see for yourself.

ieXbeta.com have been keeping a running tab on compatibility issues with Windows Vista since it’s first Beta release and have a comprehensive list of what programs work, what programs have problems and what programs don’t work under the new operating system.

More on their findings and a few surprises inside.

Not surprisingly most (if not all) major software applications that work with Windows XP work equally well with Windows Vista. The programs that do have problems are mostly lesser known applications and specialized systems that the everyday user would not use anyway. There are also issues with a number of lesser known games.

Anti-Virus and firewalls

Vista touts a stronger firewall and security system than Windows XP and synchronous with the launch of the operating system came the launch of Microsoft’s new security suite OneCare which contains spyware, anti-virus and enhanced firewall protection. As a result many firewalls and anti-virus programs do not work under Vista – most notably F-Secure 2007, AVG Anti-Virus Suite and Zone Labs Zone Alarm suites. One can argue that the malfunctioning firewalls are a minor problem as the built in firewall in Vista is said to be as solid as they get but there should still be the option of installing a 3^rd party firewall if the user so wishes. The “loss” of AVG’s Anti-Virus suite is more alarming as it is one of the only free high-quality anti-virus packages available today. Norton Anti-Virus and Norton Internet Security along with most other well known virus software have no problems.

Ahead’s Nero Burning ROM software already had problems with XP Service Pack 2 and these problems seem to have compounded with Vista. The site states that Nero “causes Explorer crashes when viewing directories that have video files in them, as well as file copy/move operations” and recommends using Nero only if you use a Virtual Machine version of XP within Vista – in other words don’t bother.

Other incompatibilities

Most worrisome is the incompatibility with a number of established software suites – mostly due to hardware driver issues. Steinberg’s Cubase and Nuendo suites, Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X and XI and Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 don’t work at all. Neither does Pinnacle Studio 9.4 and 10 but Vista upgrades for these will be available in March.

Even with the problems mentioned above the overall list shows that software incompatibility is a relatively minor problem with Windows Vista and should not be much of a factor when deciding whether to upgrade. And as Vista takes over as the new standard we can expect that most if not all of these problems (maybe with the exception of Nero which still has problems with XP!) will be fixed. If you are still worried take a look at the ever growing list of tested programs and see if your software is on the “working” or “not working” list.

Windows Vista RTM Software Compatibility List (ieXbeta.com)

My test car was yellow!  Only a Porsche could get away with this bold colour and only the Cayman pulls it off with sweetness!

There are a lot of automotive manufacturer websites that allow you to comparison shop their vehicles. Not only can you compare models from within the manufacturers line-up, you can click to add other makes and models to the “compare to” list.

I did a little experiment of mine, putting the new 2007 Porsche Cayman against a more-than-double-the price Ferrari F430. Sure there are some configuration differences between the two, but your wallet is a whole lot lighter with the German machine.

The Ferrari F430 has a V8, the Cayman a flat-six. The Italian 490hp, the German 245hp (295hp in Cayman S guise). The Ferrari will set you back US$164,000, the Porsche CDN$70,000.

Now sure the specs are completely different, but there is more to a vehicle than numbers printed on a brochure, there is the feel and emotion of driving. The Porsche has plenty of both.

The Cayman, in my opinion, is one of the best styling exercises to come from Stuttgart. No small feat considering the stylish wonders from the company already on the road. The lines are clean and pure, with rear three quarter styling its best feature. I know many people, including myself, that have the Cayman as their computer desktop wallpaper. Porsche knows this too, offering wallpaper downloads on their website, www.porsche.ca .

About the feel. I love the handling of the Boxster (on which the Cayman is based on), in some situations more than the Carrera 2, so I had huge expectations for the Cayman. I was not disappointed. The mid-engine 2-seater is so well balanced that you have to turn off the PSM (Porsche Stability Management) and push the car hard to lose its grip. The feel at the wheel is of shear confidence, leaving the driver to enjoy the drive without tension.

Twist the key, with your left hand of course, this is a Porsche, and you are rewarded with a sweet rumble from the flat-six boxer engine sitting right behind you. There is where “feel” comes in again. The engine revs so smoothly, you would think its smothered in butter. It is in fact, the smoothness of synthetic engine oil. Shift the manual gears through their gate and you can feel the positive linkage through each one. And we haven’t even released the hand brake yet!

Also available in Tiptronic form, the Cayman is more fun with the row-your-own transmission. Sure, with stop and go traffic these days, the smart choice would be the automatic Tip, but Porsches love the open road so be nice to your car and give it some room to play.

The Cayman is not particularly the fastest car to 100km/h in, but the way it does it is what matters most. There is never a hint of complaint nor strain from the Cayman, it is a willing partner for your divulgence in pleasure driving. I did take the Cayman past the pleasure part, pushing it hard into corners and turns that I would normally keep a steady low speed on. The harder I pushed, the more the Cayman responded, actually helping me keep the line in the turns.

When it comes time to stop, the Porsche C-man will bring you to a standstill without any drama and minimum brake fade. Give your dealer another thirteen thousand or so and you can order the fade-free ceramic brakes.

The interior, while cool enough, is not a match to the exterior. The dash is a handsome design, with sculpted lines everywhere, but there has been an extensive use of plastic here. The heating and air-conditioning controls are better now than they used to be in the Boxster.

Standard equipment includes a CD system, six airbags, power windows and locks. Full power seats are an option. If you plan to have someone travel with you and they have a lot of luggage, tell them to stay home as you’ll be able to fit them or the luggage. There is some space in the rear, with some more space up front. Useful for weekend getaways.

Base (5-speed manual): $69,600