Of all the things that can happen during Chinese New Year this week, I accidentally made the data on my network attached storage (NAS) device unreadable – and could easily have wiped out all the years of reports, financial statements and holiday pictures I’ve stored on those two 1TB drives.

After days of pulling hair out, I eventually salvaged everything. But the entire episode prompted me to ask if I was really as prepared as I thought if I had accidentally deleted my data or, in this case, plugged my drives into a new NAS without backing things up.

The answer lies in a series of software tools you can use at home, before really going to the pros in data recovery for help. Here are a few that I tried out while panicking through my attempt at rescuing my data.

Before we start, let’s remember to always back up important data, like your wedding day photos or your personal financial records.

A note to all small business owners like me – RAID – or mirroring your data on multiple hard drives on your NAS is not backup. You have to have more than one copy of your data on another DEVICE, not just another drive. That means even if your NAS dies, you have a portable drive somewhere with an up-to-date copy of the data.

Looking back, I don’t know what possessed me to plug two 1TB drives from an old QNap TS-209 II NAS into a new QNap TS-419P+ NAS. Perhaps it had to do with the retailer at the store confidently telling me that sure, I can just plug in the drives and they’d be recognised by another QNap NAS. Or perhaps I was overly confident about QNap.

Either way, I ended up with two 1TB drives that could not be recognised by the new NAS or the old one, when I tried plugging them back in. Not even with QNap’s Live CD, which boots up your PC with the company’s version of Linux, or when I plugged a drive into a Windows PC supporting the Linux EXT2/EXT3 file system, could I try to extract the data on the disks, which had not been formatted.

The reason: the disks had been re-partitioned by the new NAS during setup and the partition information for the portion of the disk containing the data could not be read by almost any other device.

1. iCare Recovery
The first tool I used, fearing the worst that the data on my drive cannot be read again, was iCare Recovery and the plan was to go “nuclear”. Heck, just read me the sectors on the drive and see what you can recover. That’s what this tool, iCare Recovery, does quite well in.

Like with other such demo versions, I could see some of my files with a test and I was super elated to be able to save a couple of them at least. I bought the software digitally for US$62.95 in my haste. Hey, having some data back is better than none. At this time, I had given up hope of folks from QNap replying (it was during Chinese New Year earlier this week, but they still haven’t replied today at the time of writing) or from help from its online forum.

So I went ahead and scanned one of the drives with iCare Recovery. It found loads of stuff, really too much in the end. These included long-ago deleted files when one of the drives was used in another computer. Now, that should tell you how scary things are – “delete” and “format” don’t really wipe data, not all of it anyway.

The main problem, though, was that iCare worked more or less in the assumption that this was a last gasp solution. It sorted things out according to the type of files it thinks the bits and bytes are. So, you get thousands of files, all renamed to something unrecognisable and ordered as, say, JPEG files or PDF documents.

At least with pictures, I could still run them in thumbnails, but I had to recognise ALL the hundreds of thousands of files individually. Worse, I had to open some of the files, like PDFs, to see what they were first. I gave up after an evening doing this. Getting a whole load of data in a mess was just slightly better than no data at all.

2. R-Studio
I looked to R-Studio, another application which took an even more detailed look at the hard disk and could return everything in the right directories with the right filenames.

I was suffering from tonsillitis during this time, and you can imagine, even with that, my mood lifted knowing I could get at least most of my data back. I clicked on the “buy” button immediately when I found that I could recover several files – like my yearly statements to the tax man – with R-Studio.

The bad news about R-Studio was that it took a lot of system memory to do the job. It would take my quad-core i7 CPU three hours to scan one disk, but worse, it would crash for lack of memory when trying to enumerate and list the many thousands of files in the drive. I stuck a spare 4GB RAM module into my existing 6GB machine to make 10GB but I still had problems showing all the files I wanted to recover.

It was frustrating being so close yet so far. The software would stop and do nothing for half an hour if I tried to list more than, say, 40 per cent of the files. It had detected an astonishing “17TB” of data – most of it including repetitive entries – from a 1TB drive and was trying to load that data in the PC’s memory because it doesn’t want to write to any of the disks to prevent more damage.

The downside: my machine was too slow to run R-Studio. Stopping the file listing halfway, I could get back perhaps 70- 80 per cent of the data but I was not sure they were the latest versions (several versions could have been detected when I stopped the process).

TestDisk
Finally, more in hope than expectation, I downloaded TestDisk, an excellent open-source recovery tool (free!) after reading the experiences of fellow QNap users in the forum. I hadn’t expected much from a small 3.3MB application after supposedly more sophisticated tools had not been the answer.

To my surprise, TestDisk even has a “GUI” that lets you avoid typing in commands by moving through the options available on a menu with your keyboard. It’s easy to use and guess what, it managed to find the lost partition on the disk “troubled” by the QNAp installation procedure.

This meant I could mount the drive and read the partition containing my data files and select them to be copied elsewhere. All I had to do was simply select the folders which I wanted to back up to an external drive and that’s all, 100 per cent of my data could be returned to what it was.

The only advice I’d have here is to hide the deleted files – otherwise you’d also copy over deleted files that include the annoying temporarily files that Microsoft Office generates when you have an open Word document, for example.

I’m just so glad that I managed to get the data out of the corrupted disks. Indeed, I learnt that there are many ways to get your data back. Unfortunately, instead of trying the least desperate measure, I panicked and went straight for the nuclear option and ended up spending unnecessary dollars.

Still, this somewhat illuminating episode also shows that you can sometimes save the data on your own drives, before deciding to send them to third-party companies. Okay, not everyone has Edison Chen-type photos but hey, it’s always better if you can solve things yourself, say, when you need the data over a long holiday, for example.

Share your own data recovery stories here and give others tips!

If 2011 was remembered for shiny new tablets that made people part with their hard-earned cash, then 2012 may just be the one where the craze for these thin and light yet powerful and affordable ultrabooks takes off big time.

At the annual CES show just concluded earlier in the week, a good number of laptop makers joined the fray with their takes on what people would be carrying to meetings and classrooms in the coming months.

Perhaps having seen Asus, Acer and Lenovo whip up demand for such ultra-light PCs in the closing months of 2011, the likes of Sony, Dell and HP showed of their versions of the ultrabook at CES this year. Lenovo too came up with a quite surprising “yoga-like” ultrabook cum tablet.

Here’s a sneak peek.

Sony Vaio Ultrabook

credit: Engadget

The venerable Vaio brand finally has an ultrabook join the family, after Sony showed off a Vaio Ultrabook at CES. Actually, “Vaio Ultrabook” is what journalists have called the device so far, as it is really still unnamed yet.

Little more is known about this new entry except that it’s a 13-incher with a glossy screen and has the typical chiclet keyboard common on many Vaios.

From what observers seem to have discovered, there seems to be a Ethernet port along with a VGA port, a sorely missing feature on some ultrabooks that lets you connect your machine to a projector.

Early photos from CES do seem to suggest that Sony’s new Vaio looks very much like a thin MacBook Pro, but that’s not a bad thing, considering many people buy Macs and install Windows and Parallels on them. Just watch out for lawsuits, Sony!

Dell XPS 13

Looking pretty too is Dell’s new XPS 13, the US laptop maker’s entry into the ultrabook market. What distinguishes it from others here is a machined aluminium finish, coupled with a carbon fibre composite base, which gives it rigidity while keeping relatively light at just 1.36kg.

It boasts a 13.3-inch screen (1,366 x 768 pixels), which seems like regular issue, but this is protected by a piece of hardy Corning Gorilla glass that will come in handy for a bit of rough and tumble on the go.

Like many ultrabooks before it, the XPS 13 will feature both Core i5 and Core i7 chips, and will sport 4GB of RAM as well as 128GB or 256GB solid state drives.

No indication of prices yet from Dell Singapore, but the XPS 13 is expected to go on sale in March. We expect this sleek-looking ultrabook to be quite popular this year.

HP Envy 14 Spectre
Perhaps the prettiest of them all is HP’s Envy 14 Spectre. It breaks the mould here by having a 14-inch screen instead of a regular 13.3-incher, yet manages to keep things slim and light by having an ultra-thin frame around the display.

It’s slightly heavier than the Dell at under 4 pounds (1.8kg) but for a laptop with a 14-inch screen, it is surely one of the lightest. Powered by Intel’s Core i5 and i7, and with 128GB and 256GB solid state drives to choose from, the Envy 14 Spectre really ups the ante for the already respectable Envy line.

No word yet on availability in Singapore, though the machine is up for pre-order in the United States. I’m sure many Envy users would love to see the Envy 14 Spectre come in black as well!

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga
Finally, we have the IdeaPad Yoga, which is a pretty innovative take on the increasingly common “transform” device. At first glance, it looks like another slim 13-inch ultrabook, but that’s because you haven’t discovered the hinge design here that lets the screen flip around all the way back – like a yoga master – to transform into a tablet.

Once it’s in this position, the pre-installed Microsoft Windows 8 OS automatically runs in tablet mode. Here, a 10-point finger or gesture input gives you the convenience of a regular tablet touch interface.

The screen runs at a sharp 1,600 x 900, according to a report by Geek.com. Plus, the “target price”, according to its video, is under US$1,200, which makes it very attractive when it is launched later this year with Windows 8.

A year of choices
The good news is, whatever form or shape you prefer in an ultrabook, you’ll have a lot to choose from in 2012. It has taken a while for PC makers to challenge Apple’s innovative MacBook Air, but the next 12 months should see a lot of them wowing back users with both sexy machines and an innovative edge provided by the laptop- and tablet-friendly Windows 8 OS.

As technology users welcome 2012 everywhere, it’s clear the year that had just passed was filled with no little controversy and memorable incidents.

From Steve Jobs’ death to the delay of the much-awaited iPhone 5, from the rise of Android devices to Nokia’s return with its Windows Phone devices, and finally, with the potent mix of mobile devices and social media that  helped ignite protests in the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street, but also encouraged the thuggery of the London riots, 2011 was a big year in technology.

The next 12 months look to be just as interesting, as existing technologies mature and grow, while other new trends emerge. Here are five things to look out for in 2012:

1. The arrival of the “transform” device
Just a few years ago, it was unfathomable that people would junk their desktop PCs for laptops. Because the portable device had a smaller screen and usually lesser computing prowess, the portable device never matched up to the silent giant under the desk.

These days, however, with power-efficient yet advanced CPUs and graphics chips, laptops can do the job just as well, plus they can be hooked up with a monitor, keyboard and mouse easily to transform into a desktop PC in a jiffy.

The same is happening with tablets and smartphones. In 2012, there will be more devices like the Motorola Atrix, first unveiled in early 2011, that basically turns into a laptop once it is docked with a laptop dock. The Atrix taps on its dual-core chip to run Webtop, which is based on Ubuntu Linux, to give users a regular desktop OS look and feel. It runs the OS you prefer at any time, all in one device.

Essentially, you only need one smart device – your phone or tablet – to do everything you need in future. What you will have are many docks or keyboards and screens to hook up to this increasingly powerful (expect quad core gizmos in 2012, starting with the Asus Transformer Prime) yet portable device in your hands.

Desktops and laptops will definitely still be around, but the mobile gadget is set to be the central device in your life.

2.  Windows 8 brings “touch” on everyday PCs
Related to this portable device rush is Windows 8. The upcoming Microsoft OS, expected this year, is being billed as the biggest upgrade in years for one reason – it is going to unify both mobile devices and PCs with one OS.

It works with touch, and features a Windows Phone-like tile system, where users will be given a panel of information and the ability to go into the nitty gritty only if they wish to. The big icons and friendlier interface also mean that this is the first time the Start button and taskbar – at least in their present forms – will be out of the picture.

Along with Windows 8′s arrival, expect computing of all types – from smartphones to laptops to desktops – to tap on the novel OS.

What to expect? Look to something like the Samsung Slate PC, which crams a powerful Intel dual-core CPU into a thin, portable tablet that can be hooked up with a keyboard and screen to become a full-fledged desktop. It runs Windows 7 now, but come next year, devices like these will sport the even more touch-friendly Windows 8.

3. Tougher times for Apple
It’s not just Steve Jobs’ passing that will affect Apple for the coming year, but also the fact that it is a company that wins big because of the very sharp innovation curve that it sets out each year.

When the iPod was commoditised, the iPhone became the next big thing; when Android smartphones managed to grab huge chunks of market share in 2010, the iPad became the market-conquering portable gizmo in a class of its own.

The question in 2012 is: what next? Surely, there’d be new versions of the iPhone (after the disappointing iPhone 4S) and iPad (which still has a good lead over all over Android rivals). But can these upgrades keep Apple at the top of the pile, or will it see its innovation and design lead cut short in 2012?

The emergence of the Windows-based Ultrabooks in 2011 from Asus, in particular, is a clear answer to how fast the competition is catching up, in this case, with the MacBook Air.

In the next 12 months, Apple will find the going even tougher. Users are often willing to accept Apple’s closed “my way or the highway” approach because of the perceived better design and innovation from the company, but it has to keep coming up with new winners to redefine the field. In 2012, it needs another big winner to pull away.

4. Say hi again to a smart TV
It’s been prophecised several times before, but 2012 could finally see the arrival of smart TVs that do more than just show your cable TV programmes or Blu-ray movies in all their 60-inch Full HD glory. These TVs could be the conduit to many services and apps that were just becoming common in 2011.

Yes, Facebook will be there, as will Twitter and other PC-based services and apps that you had seen on your 2011 Samsung or LG TV when you were free enough to venture into some of its sub menus. But what about YouTube, or rather, a YouTube-type service – on steroids?

Think of an app that is smart enough to offer the same multi-tasking you’d expect on a PC screen, say, talk to a friend on a chat window while watching a live football match, or checking out background information from Wikipedia on the JFK assassination, if you are watching a documentary on it on a National Geographic app, for example.

Not so new, I hear you say? The main difference this time is that the intelligence is built into the TV and possibly delivered straight to the screen – over the TV’s Net link – instead of via a third-party set-top box and third party broadcaster.

Sure, it’d be a leap of faith for content executives who have always preferred to work with their favoured “platform partners”, i.e. broadcasters like StarHub and SingTel.

But for indie channels and content owners looking to jumpstart their work by showing their programmes direct to viewers, they can now create their own content and app and reach out to viewers – in the same way cellphone app developers sell their apps direct to users.

Creating a smart TV programme would thus involve skills needed to develop an app for, say, the mobile phone or tablet. Will this model work for TV? Well, it’s already proven already by Apple and Google in their respective app marketplaces, and what’s there to stop you paying S$2 for a movie on a smart TV, just like you’d buy an app on your phone?

If rumours hold true and Apple decides to create its own TV set in 2012 or if Google takes YouTube to the big screen by signing up more content creators as it has done in 2011, then the next 12 months could see big changes in the way video content is created, delivered and consumed in the big screen in the living room.

5. Fibre broadband takes off in Singapore
This is a banker of a trend, because we know that 95 per cent of the city will be covered by the fibre optic network this year. Going by the long waitlist to turn on a fibre broadband service now – up to a month with M1, we are told by users – the demand for light-speed downloads is going to be even higher in 2012.

It helps, of course, that the network has finally forced open a market that once was dominated by SingTel and StarHub.

Take M1, for example. It used to have to rent the network from the two telcos, but now it can get wholesale access at the same price as its bigger rivals, and it can price its services competitively, as a result. Its S$39-a-month 100Mbps fibre plan sold at computer expos in 2011, for one, has become the benchmark to follow in 2012.

It’s that time of the year again.

Christmas is a time of giving and receiving, and every year at Techgoondu we want world peace and justice. This year I want to add to the list a fairer society, better public transport, and affordable public housing.

And in case those big dreams fall a little short of our lofty naive ideals, well, there’s always geek toys and gizmos that we can console ourselves with. And still keep dreaming big dreams — they are worth fighting for, aren’t they?

In the meantime, here’s what the goondus would like this Christmas:

Raymond wants:

Wait a minute, Raymond already had an entire article’s worth of tech stuff he wanted to buy. Check it out.

Alfred is dreaming of:

Oppo BDP-95 Blu-ray player

I know we’re going into an age of lossless tracks and HD video downloads, but if you are looking for a universal player that plays back your Blu-ray discs, SACDs and regular CDs, there is only one that every AV geek is talking about right now – the Oppo BDP-95.

At US$999, it looks expensive compared to the US$90 Blu-ray player at electronics stores, but this Oppo player is packed to the gills with the most high-end features (like streaming and 3D support) and also audiophile-grade goodies, like two, yes, two, separate top-notch Sabre32 DACs to handle both movies and music.

Oppo players are so solidly built – yet relatively inexpensive, considering all the stuff thrown in – that they have been cloned and repackaged with more expensive-looking chassis and sold for several times more!

B&W 802 Diamond speakers

I heard these speakers at the showroom once and the sound has never left my mind. A live performance is what you’d expect to hear – you sense the scale of an orchestra, the sound is so airy and real, and bass is impossibly extended and deep. Even movies sound amazing – yes, the showroom also used them for a Blu-ray movie.

But what do you expect of speakers so big that the average Singapore apartment can never accommodate because of their size and their power? Even if you had more than 20-grand (Singapore dollars), these B&W 802 Diamonds won’t sound good in most homes here, unless you have a big listening room, so this is definitely a “dream-worthy” item. Maybe it’s time to upgrade the house first!

Aaron is drooling over:

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9

I’ve never fancied lugging around a 10-inch screen wherever I go. So when Samsung unveiled the 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab, I knew it was going to be the top on my Christmas wish list. It’s more portable than the iPad and shares the same features as the larger Galaxy Tab 10.1 including the latest Android Honeycomb OS.

Compared with a 7-inch tablet, the 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab packs more screen estate for displaying both e-books and webpages in their full glory without excessive scrolling. At just under $250 for the 16GB version with a data plan, this slate is a steal too!

Asus Zenbook UX31

This skinny ultrabook will give Apple’s Macbook Air a run for its money. Measuring just 3mm thick at its slimmest, the Zenbook is a head-turner endowed with a gorgeous metallic design, a 1600×900 pixel display and a solid-state drive for top-notch computing performance. The exceptionally well-crafted machine feels more solid than the Macbook Air and boasts of Bang and Olufsen’s ICEpower audio technology.

In some ways, the advent of ultrabooks such as the Zenbook represents the coming out party for PC makers who have shown that they too have what it takes to deliver great industrial design.

Lester craves:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Game of the year? Quite possibly. Skyrim has been released to rave reviews across the board, and dedicated gamers have ratcheted sales beyond expectations.

Dragons are popping up all over the land of Skyrim, and you- as the Dragonborn- are the only one with the power and skill to stop them. Adventure across a staggering open-ended world and do just about anything you like. Take a long hike across the landscape that starts off as a forest that peters into vast snow fields. Embark on sidequests, slay dragons, raze entire towns, or help anyone that asks for it- the choice is yours.

Skyrim’s wide-open gameplay brings something to everyone. The graphics alone are enough to halt even non-gamers and to intrigue them into playing. Skyrim will provide hours of fun- actually, that’s more of a caveat than a statement, because Skyrim is so open, so wide, it’s easy to get sucked into gaming for hours to come.

Google Galaxy Nexus

Yes, it’s due to be out only in January 2012, but Google’s Galaxy Nexus is already generating mobile tech-lust for this user. Google’s latest Nexus iteration brings the Android experience mobile users have come to love and expect in a gorgeous form factor that’s packed with incredible top-end smartphone specs.

Being the model phone for Android 4.0, the Galaxy Nexus will no doubt be the phone for Android fans that want the pure Android experience. Improved Gmail integration, enhanced text-to-speech and smoother multitasking are welcome features, and the Galaxy Nexus won’t disappoint.

For those who can’t wait, and require a suitable stocking-stuffer, the Motorola Droid Razr is a comparable model. Already touted to be one of this year’s best Android smartphone, the newest, sharpest Razr shows that a sleek, fashionable smartphone can exist alongside powerful hardware. Just wait for the Android 4.0 update to the released, and it’ll be a lean, mean mobile beast.

Chi-Loong desires:

Guild Wars 2

If Lester can get away for wanting the Google Galaxy Nexus that isn’t out yet, I can certainly get away with craving a game that is due next year that I’ve been awaiting as a patient fanboi for the longest time.

No, it’s not Diablo 3 or Starcraft 2:Heart of the Swarm (though that is high on my list), it’s Guild Wars 2.

For MMOs, I’ve played World of Warcraft, Warhammer Online, and Rift, but nothing kept me as enthralled as the original Guild Wars, which I’m almost ashamed to say I sunk in almost 1700+ hours over a five year span. I plead guilty that I was a major addict of the game at one point.

I’ve really fond memories of the game, and I’ve high hopes for ArenaNet’s Guild Wars 2.

Now if only I could invent a time machine to take me into the future to get a copy of this game now…

Games for Change

What would a Techgoondu Christmas wishlist be if it didn’t have an interesting entry that tied back to our tongue-in-cheek introduction of wanting, you know, good things for the world?

What if you could marry my one big vice, gaming, with something I really believe in, like changing the world to become a better place?

And this is how I became a fan of Games for Change, a global non-profit organization dedicated to using games to serve as tools in humanitarian or educational efforts.

It’s how I got to know about indie games such as Fate of the World (available on Steam) and We Topia. Watch:

Food for thought, certainly.

And on that note, we here at Techgoondu wish all our readers a very merry Christmas.

If you’re a fan of Dell’s Alienware range of “bling-in-on” gaming desktops, you’d be happy to hear that the PCs now come with Intel’s top-end Core i7-3960X or Core i7 3930K six-core CPUs in Singapore.

On the new Alienware Aurora R4 desktop, the LGA2011-based CPUs are water-cooled, and factory-overclocked to between 3.9GHz and 4.1GHz as well, which seem alright, unless you’re the type who regularly pour liquid nitrogen into your PC for extreme speed. 

Among other goodies, the geeked out chassis packs in a motherboard with the enthusiast X79 chipset and up to 32GB of quad-channel DDR3 RAM.

Of course, we know graphics are the main thing for games such as Battlefield 3, so this Alienware lets you add on some of the most powerful options. Think of an Nvidia GTX 590 card, or two of AMD’s 6950s in tandem, pumping out the high-res eye candy on screen.

What we’d like, of course, is an option for a single AMD 6990 or two AMD 6970s in there as well. But for that, you’d have to build your own rig, instead of ordering Dell’s 20kg behemoth, because Dell Singapore doesn’t offer them as an option when we checked.

And prices? The basic S$3,499 version comes with an overclocked Core i7-3930K CPU, 4GB RAM (you’ll want more, really!), 1TB hard drive and an AMD 6870 graphics card.

We know you can get more horsepower for that price if you build your own geeked out rig from components at Sim Lim Square, but hey, not every gamer’s a builder these days.

Plus, you won’t get the bling, which comes in one of six impossible-to-miss colours. Or the trademark ALX chassis with an alien head at the front and “breathable vents” that open up.

What we really want is this particular model with the mirror finish (below), but somehow Dell’s website doesn’t have an option on this. We’ll check back and update this once we find out from Dell.

Bowers & Wilkins Zepplin Air

This gorgeous audio dock from audiophile specialist B&W sports a signature design and promises punchy tunes packed with oomph. You can be assured of room-filling sound and strong vocals that will rise above accompanying music, whether you’re listening to jazz crooner Norah Jones or pop rock band Maroon 5. The speaker also supports Apple’s AirPlay technology that lets you play tunes from an iPhone or iPod over a wireless network. A front dock connector is also on hand for folks who wish to hook up their Apple devices directly to the speaker.

Bose SoundDock 10

Some folks may not take too well to its chunky looks, but the SoundDock 10 delivers the audio goodness that matches the flair of the Zeppelin Air. You can expect the same audiophile qualities that are usually associated with a Bose speaker system: tight bass and pristine vocals that maintain their composure even when pushed to the max. To ensure better stereo separation — the bugbear of compact audio docks — the SoundDock 10′s drivers are projected outwards at an angle to amplify the subtleties unique to each stereo channel.

Jawbone Jambox

Don’t be fooled by the size of this tiny boom box. The Jawbone Jambox is one fiery speaker that sounds bigger than it looks. Besides belting out an astonishing amount of bass from its compact enclosure, it also manages to maintain its cool at high volumes. Vocals aren’t too bad either – you can expect clear renditions that remain distinct amidst a busy sound stage in rock numbers from Radiohead. Tunes can be pumped through the speaker via a headphone jack, wirelessly over a Bluetooth connection or Apple AirPlay. While this chilli padi of a speaker won’t replace bigger sound docks and desktop speakers, it offers one of the best portable audio experiences available.

Focal Bird 2.1

Audio purists will feel right at home with the Focal Bird from French audiophile company Focal. The system comprises two satellite speakers and a power amplifier that doubles as a subwoofer. The Focal Bird 2.1 supports multiple audio sources with its array of analogue and digital connectors, and includes a wireless transmitter that lets you “stream” your tunes from an iPhone to the speaker system. The advantage of a 2.1 system is room-filling sound, as well as a strong stereo image that’s almost non-existent on a sound bar or dock.

If you need to use a Windows program occasionally on a Mac but don’t want to cough up US$80 for Parallels Desktop 7, a new Mac app by NES Software might be worth considering.

Dubbed WinOnX, the US$4.99 app is based on the Wine open source project that lets users of Linux and Unix-based operating systems run Windows applications through a software compatibility layer. As a former Linux user, I depended on Wine to run Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office and some utility applications.

WinOnX is simple to use. Just launch any Windows installer file and WinOnX will be fired up immediately. After you’ve gone through the installation process, a launcher for your Windows program will be created in the Applications list and Start menu.

To be sure, WinOnX will not run all Windows applications. You may hit a wall with newer titles like Adobe Acrobat X Pro which can’t be installed. Internet Explorer would not run, while Firefox 3.6 worked flawlessly. Adobe Acrobat Reader was successfully installed, but the software could not run beyond its splash screen.

I had better luck with Office 2007 – Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel 2007 worked like a charm, though the same could not be said for PowerPoint 2007 and the Microsoft Office 2010 productivity suite. As a guide, if a Windows application is not supported by Wine, don’t count on it to work in WinOnX.

NES Software CEO Hisham El-Emam said in an e-mail to Techgoondu: “Our offer is that we open the doors to the Windows universe for 5 bucks”.

“Seventy percent of the Windows programs will work and the rest will run buggy or not at all. We think that’s a fair deal. In case you need run a specific Windows program we always recommend to use Bootcamp or Parallels. But for occasional use WinOnX is the fastest and easiest way to try it out,” he added.

We think it’s a fair deal too. WinOnX is available from the Apple Mac App Store and requires Mac OS X 10.6 and later to run, but do check out Wine’s list of compatible Windows software before taking the plunge.

Singapore Expo is a long way away for most people, other than folks living in the east, so before you head down to Sitex, Singapore’s last quarterly IT bazaar for 2011, check out some of the standout deals that people have been putting up on brochure sites.

Yes, in the past, you had to squeeze your way through the halls for some small bargain, collecting loads of brochures on the way. Today, you can check out what’s on offer online before heading down for a more targeted trip.

Here are some great deals so far at this weekend’s show. We’ll update this page as we get more info.

D-Link’s DIR-825 router and DNS-320 network attached storage (NAS)

These are some of the best bang for buck gear that you can hook up your home with if you are looking for both high performance and value for money.

A great router for homes, the DIR-825 (S$129) supports dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) Wi-Fi and comes with four gigabit ports that are necessary for today’s fast PCs and large file transfers. Not too long ago, similar routers cost a whole lot more, likely closer to or more than S$200.

The DNS-320 is another favourite NAS of home networking buffs because it’s not only good looking but also extremely speedy and feature-packed. Supporting two hard disks, it even lets you convert the backup device from a non-RAID to RAID 1 configuration easily, so you can mirror your hard disk content for safer backups.

Needless to say, it also comes with a bit-torrent client that you can use to download to your heart’s content, especially with that S$39-a-month M1 fibre plan offering 100Mbps to homes. At S$109, the DNS-320 is a definitely worth checking out for folks looking to set up their own NAS for the first time.

>> Download the brochure.

Pay S$48 for an Apple Magic Trackpad and memory upgrade with an Apple iMac

Buy an iMac at nubox’s stand, one of several offering Mac computers at the show, and you can pay just S$48 for a double memory upgrade (usually from 4GB to 8GB) and have an Apple Magic Trackpad to add to the style of your Apple computer.

The offer goes with several models of the iMac, from the entry level 2.5GHz version with a Core i5 chip and 21.5-inch screen costing S$1,648 to the top-end S$2,748 version with a 3.1GHz Core i5 chip and 27-inch screen.

Also noteworthy to folks opting to run Windows on a Mac: Parallels Desktop 6 and Windows Home Premium (OEM) are being bundled at S$238 (usual S$298). The package of software lets you run your Windows programs right on your Mac desktop as if they are Mac programs.

>> Download the brochures.

Print anywhere with an HP printer
Printers are a mainstay at each IT show in Singapore and this Sitex expo is no different. One interesting all-in-one machine worth checking out is HP’s Photosmart Premium Fax e-All-in-One, which lets you print remotely using the Internet. It also comes with all the useful features expected these days, like Wi-Fi support, so you can share the printer at home easily without worrying about wires.

The S$369 printer is going for S$299 at Sitex, so it may be worth checking out.

>> Download the brochures.

Buy Microsoft Office, get a wireless mouse free
This is the type of deal that will be welcome news to new PC or laptop owners. Microsoft is dangling a free Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 (usually S$39.90) as part of a deal with its Office 2010 productivity software, which will be nice to install on a new PC.

The Office packages you can buy at the Microsoft booth include Office Home & Student Edition 2010, which costs S$199, and the Office Home & Business Edition 2010 which retails for S$298.

>> Download the brochures.

Nokia N9 at S$98 at StarHub

Nokia’s neat-looking N9 is going for a nice S$98 at StarHub’s booth, along with other Android favourites now like the Samsung Galaxy S II (S$218), HTC Sensation XE (S$198) and Motorola Razr (S$48), if you sign up with a high-end mobile plan.

Worth queuing up? Well, if you plan to spend a day at Singapore Expo anyway, no harm doing so!

>> Download the brochures.

Share with us other great Sitex deals you have spotted in the comments here!

Folks looking out for an ultrabook this holiday season has yet another choice on top of the increasingly crowded segment – the Lenovo U300s. Eschewing the wedge-shaped design championed by Apple and ASUS, Lenovo’s take on the ultrabook is a sensible book-shaped machine that has a nice heft and overall feel. We go hands-on!

Hardware and design
Measuring 14.9mm thin and weighing in at a mere 1.32 kg, the U300s has an understated design that at the same time looks classy and sophisticated. A “Clementine Orange” colour option jazzes things up a bit, but isn’t that bright as to look out of place in a boardroom.

Unlike the Zenbook, the design of which is unabashedly inspired by the MacBook Air, Lenovo’s take is more like a traditional laptop. It looks like a bound hardcover book, and one-piece magnesium alloy roll-cage feels sturdy enough to withstand frequently jostling.

Open up the U300s and you’ll find a nicely spaced chiclet keyboard. But Lenovo’s experience at making the excellent ThinkPad keyboards didn’t shine through: the keyboard is noticeably shallower than standard laptop keys.

But the keyboard has a redeeming quality: it helps the laptop stay cool! Lenovo engineered and upside-down fan which draws in from the keyboard, ensuring that your hands stay cool while typing.

Underneath all that, you get your choice of Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, up to 256GB of solid state storage, and up to 4GB of RAM. Unfortunately, while a USB 3.0 and HDMI port are present, you won’t find an SD card reader on the U300s. Unlike the Toshiba Protégé Z830, the U300s also lacks an Ethernet port.

“Enhanced Experience”
Instead of an ostensible skin over Windows 7 (like Dell’s Stage), Lenovo has added in under-the-hood enhancements to the U300s, which the company termed “Enhanced Experience 2.0”.

For one, the U300s is said to boot up in just 10 seconds, and can last up to 8 hours on a single charge. If left idle, Lenovo claims that the system can sustain up to 30 days of standby. Plus, Lenovo RapidCharge technology can charge the U300s to 50 per cent capacity in just half an hour.

Price might be a problem
Despite several omissions, the U300s is a fine piece of work. The only problem? Its price. Starting atS$1,899 for the Core i5 variety, Lenovo is cutting it too close to S$2,000. The local price for the i7 version has not been announced but Lenovo executives confirmed that it will definitely go above S$2,000.

Toshiba has a similar premium pricing strategy, while ASUS continues to undercut the rest of the ultrabook pack, with a better spec’ed 13-inch ultrabook starting at just S$1,498.

The U300s will have some convincing to do on the showroom floors, but with some luck, Lenovo’s ultrabook might just break through with its stylish design and unique enhancements.

This story first appeared on Techtalk, our technology content partners at Yahoo! News Singapore

Asus and Acer may have been slightly earlier to the game, but the battle for the slimmest, lightest and most powerful laptop is just getting hotter with new arrivals like Toshiba’s new Portege Z830.

Shown to the media in Singapore last week, the latest in the Japanese laptop maker’s thin-and-light Portege line is just 15.9mm thin and weighs a feather-light 1.12kg. On that frame are a 13.3-inch screen and 128GB solid state drive, along with either an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 chip.

The Core i5 model will cost S$1,999 while the Core i7 model will go for S$2,599, when the laptop goes on sale at the Sitex computer bazaar on November 24, 2011 in Singapore.

As expected, Toshiba has pulled out nothing when it comes to connectivity. There’s USB 3.0, HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet LAN and even a fingerprint sensor for business users. What’s also included: the stiff Honeycomb Rib design on the new Portege’s magnesium alloy cover that protects against abuse (for those rough users).

The only thing that seems to compare unfavourably, at least on paper, against Asus’ highly-regarded Zenbook rival, is that the 13.3-inch screen on the Toshiba machine comes with only 1,366 x 768 resolution instead of the Taiwanese firm’s 1,600 x 900 (on high-end models). Even with that sharper screen upgrade, Asus’ Core i5 offering costs S$1,498, while its Core i7 option goes for S$1,998 – S$500 to S$600 cheaper.

But take note that these prices are will likely come with free bundles, like RAM or other upgrades, during the Sitex show. They may even drop if the competition is stiff enough.

Either way, there are now lots to choose from – besides the MacBook Air – if you want a full-powered laptop that’s also easy to carry around. And that’s good news for anyone who likes choice.