Lenovo: The new Ideapad U-Series Ultrabooks Launch

Im glad I held firm and not give in into buying a Mac Air months earlier when I was desperately in need of a light, slim and powerful laptop.

Look at the slew of ultrabooks hitting the market now! All sleek, all light and all comes fitted with the best specs there is for each of their individual class and pricing.

I got myself anAcer Aspire S3, first of the Ultrabooks to hit the Malaysian market when I wasappointed as the Acer Aspire S3 Brand Evangelist (post>HERE).

Shortly after, I attended the Asus Zenbook launchand I had to admit that the Zenbook is delicious too. (See mini comparison >Asus Zenbook vs Aspire S3). However, the Acer Aspire S3 is RM2599 (i5) while the Zenbook is RM4499 (i7) so it wasnt really fair to compare both.

Im grateful for my Aspire S3, given the hectic and on- the- go lifestyle I keep. It hanged on me mostly on Firefox 8.0 so after consultations with some techies I finally got rid of! it yest erday.

I substituted it with Safari for Windows and it seemed to be working fine for now.

But I digress.lets get back to the Lenovo Ideapad U300s!

Of course, I just had to take my Aspire S3 out and did another comparison.
Whos slimmer?
LEFT: Acer Aspire S3 (13.1mm at itsthinness and 17.5mmat its thickest). RIGHT: Lenovo Ideapad U300s (uniformly 14.9mm).

LEFT: Lenovo Ideapad U300s. RIGHT:Acer Aspire S3.

Keyboard.

Im anal about this as a comfortable & responsive keyboard is a must for me.

Lenovo Ideapad U300s.

Acer Aspire S3.

Next, the trackpad.
Lenovo Ideapad U300s.

Acer Aspire S3.

The U300s trackpad has a low-friction surface that makes it easy to drag the cursor across the screen and pull off multi-touch gestures. Other than the usual pinch-to-zoom, you use four fingers to open the master window that shows all the windows and docs you have open and you swipe left or right with two fingers.

Everything is better illustrated in this video. I apologise for low quality video but youll get the gist of it laa..

More pictures of the dimensions.

Front: Lenovo U300s on top, Aspire S3 below.

Back:Lenovo U300s on top, Aspire S3 below. For the Aspire S3, both the USB ports and HDMI plus the cooling vents are at the back while the Lenovo Ideapad has kept it completely clean, maintaining all interface ports at the sides.

Right side: Lenovo U300s on top, Aspire S3 below. Aspire S3 card reader, Lenovo U300s HDMI, ear phone jack, power socket and a USB port.

Left side: Lenovo U300s on top, Aspire S3 below. Aspire S3 ear phone jack, U300s another USB and the air vent.

Back.Lenovo U300s on the right, Aspire S3 on the left.

MrJimmy Chin, Product Manager demonstrating the weight of the Ideapad U300s.

More information on the Lenovo Ideapad U300s.

Seems that all ultrabooks place heavy emphasis on the startup and the resume from sleep time.

One last picture of the Acer Aspire S3 and the Lenovo Ideapad U300s.

Availability: The Lenovo Ideapad U300s Ultrabook is sold starting from RM3299 and is available from late November onwards.
Lenovo Ideapad U300e Ultrabook is TBC at a later date and will be available from Jan 2012 onwards.Lenovo Ideapad U400 is sold from starting from RM2999 and available from late November onwards.

Specification: (from www.lenovo.com/)

At a glance:

• Up to 2nd generation Intel Core i7 ULV processor
• Up to Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
• LenovoEnhanced Experience 2.0for Windows 7 with RapidDrive SSD technology

• 13.3 HD display
• Up to 8 hours battery life*
• Starting at 2.9 lbs
• Up to 256GB SSD storage
• Up to 4GB DDR3 memory
• U300s Tech Specs

MORE:

• Slim, Ultrabook design for easy mobility, from just 0.6 thin
• Minimalist, one-piece aluminum shell, available in Graphite Gray or Clementine Orange
• Long battery life* with up to 30 days standby time
• Lenovo RapidCharge brings battery charge to 50 percent in 30 minutes
• Boot in as little as 10.5 seconds with RapidDrive SSD technology**
• Breathable keyboard uses Intel Advanced Cooling Technology to improve airflow so PC can run cooler on your lap
• Cool-touch palmrest and intelligent glass touchpad with easy scroll, zoom and rotate functions
• HD graphics and stereo speakers with SRS Premium Surround Sound
• USB 3.0 port, HDMI output and 1.3M (720p HD) webcam
• Intel Wireless Display (WiDi): wirelessly stream content from your laptop onto a big screen (require! s TV ada pter)
• BIOS-embedded anti-theft protection

Comments please! You have seen the Acer Aspire S3, the Asus Zenbook and now the Lenovo Ideapad U300s. Which would you prefer??

What are Alkaline Foods?

Alkaline foods refer to the foods that help increase our bodys alkaline levels by raising the amount of oxygen your blood receives. The alkalinity of foods is measured based on the pH scale, which ranges between 0 and 14.

photo credit: constructiondealmkting

Our blood has a natural alkalinity level measured at a pH of 7.365. This means we are naturally slightly alkaline. In order for our body to enjoy its peak health, we need to maintain the right acid-alkaline balance. Unfortunately, our alkalinity is easily reduced as our body takes in too much acid, which is found in stress, parasites, toxins, and the wrong foods. So to restore our bodys natural pH balance, we need to eat more alkaline foods.

Benefits of Alkaline Foods

Alkaline foods are known for their ability to revitalize the body in many ways. Here are some of its benefits:

• Increase our energy
• Promote mental clarity
• Build strength and stamina
• Lose excess and unwanted body fat
• Increase muscle mass
• Promote brighter, clearer eyes
• Make skin clearer
• Helps improve physical performance

In short, alkaline foods can help the body function at its best. These foods can help your body better deal with any health challenges you may be facing. If youve been feeling low, tired, or sluggish, raising your bodys alkaline levels will help restore you to your optimum energy level and maintain your wellness.

We may not be aware of it, but for most of our lives we have been pushing our bodies slowly toward a state of deterioration by eating lots of acidic foods. Thus, it is important to know which foods a! re alkal ine and which are acidic.

Examples of Alkaline foods

• Raw green and leafy vegetables
• Fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro, basil, cayenne, and ginger
• Fruits, especially watermelon, cucumber, young coconut, and avocado
• Sprouts such as broccoli, mung bean, and alfala
• Alkaline water
• Vegetable shakes and juices
• Young coconut water

Examples of Acidic Foods

Unfortunately, most of the foods we like to eat or often eat are mostly very acidic. And if we are already acidic, eating more acidic foods will further make our bodies sick and weak. Highly acidic foods include:

• Sugar
• Junk foods and processed foods
• All kinds of meat, including chicken meat, fish meat, and lobster meat
• Grains such as wheat, pasta, bread, flour, and rice
• Dairy products such as cheese, butter, and milk
• Peanuts and cashews
• Alcohol
• Foods with trans fat

A Balanced Alkaline-Acid Diet

Seeing as many of the usual foods we eat are acidic, we can counter their effects by loading up on alkaline foods or even by using alkaline water as our main drinking water. Remember that we dont have to stick to a fully alkaline diet and completely avoid acidic foods. After all, our body needs both alkaline and acid, with the right balance. We just have to find a way to eat more alkaline foods than the acidic foods we usually consume. Ideally, we should eat meals with 70% to 80% alkaline and 20% to 30% acid foods. This should be enough to restore our body to its natural pH balance.If You enjoyed this post, you might like:

A 48 Hours Food Guide to Eating in Penang

Penang is world famous for its abundance of hawker food. But sometimes having too many choices might not be a good thing because you will have a hard time to decide which to savour, especially if you are not a local. Heres a Penang food guide for 48 hours from breakfast to dinner, carefully handpicked by vkeong only to feature the best of Penang has to offer!

Day 1, Breakfast (Seow Fong Lye Chee Cheong Fun):

Begin your day with Chee Cheong Fun at one of the oldest food stall in Penang with over half a century of experience at preparing these steamed flat rice noodles. The special prawn paste has a unique flavor second to none and is made by adding their own secret ingredients and then recooking it.

Chee Cheong Fun (since 1955)
Seow Fong Lye Cafe
94C, Macalister Lane, 10400 Penang
7:30am to 12:30pm.
GPS Coordinates: N5 25.022 E100 19.741

Day 1, Lunch (Kheng Pin Cafe Lor Bak):

The best Penang Lor Bak (five spice rolls and other fried goodies) is at Kheng Pin Cafe, where ! freshnes s along with the use of authentic ingredients without preservatives are the key to its deliciousness. Prawn Fritters and Fried Squids are also highly recommended.

Kheng Pin Cafe
80, Penang Road,
Georgetown, Penang.
GPS Co-ordinates: N05 25.019 E100 19.486
Opens from 6.30am till finish

Day 1, Lunch alternative: Lam Ah Cafe Fried Oyster

A very good fried oyster can be found at Lam Ah Cafe at Lebuh Chulia. Two versions are available here according to your liking: dry and crispy or moist and starchy. The crispy version is is the one to try, tastes amazingly crunchy that gives the crisp crackling sound with each bite.

Mr. Gan Crispy Fried Oysters
Lam Ah Coffee Shop (opposite Beach Road fire station)
Lebuh Chulia
GPS Coordinates: N5 24.925 E100 20.365
Business hours: 10:30am to 4:30pm
Closed on Sundays and public holidays

Day 1, Tea Break (Toh Soon Cafe):

Toh Soon Cafe is a small coffee shop situated at a back lane along Campbell Street that serves a variety of bread and toasts, homemade Hainan coffee and nasi lemak. The uniqueness of Toh Soons toasts is the preparation method by using a super old charcoal stove. And the homemade Hainan coffee is thick, aromatic and satisfying. Order it iced for a pure cuppa enjoyment.

Toh Soon Cafe
Campbell Street, Off Penang Road,
George Town, 10100 Penang
GPS Coordinates: N5 25.118 E100 19.916
Business hour: 8am to 6pm (Closed on Sundays)

Day 1, Dinner (Sin Guat Keong Mantis Shrimp Char Koay Teow):

The Char Koay Teow stall outside Kedai Kopi Sin Guat Keong is one of the oldest in Penang that has been around for more than half a century. The same oil used to deep fry the mantis prawns are also used to fry the noodles, which explains the rich seafood flavor. Because of that, they are one of the four street food Kings at Kimberly Street.

Mantis Prawn Char Koay Teow
Stall outside Sin Guat Keong Coffee Shop
GPS Coordinates: N5 24.990 E100 19.969
Open 6pm onwards, days off not fixed

Day 1, Dinner alternative: Sky Emperor Chicken Feet Koay Teow Soup

If you do not fancy something oily then you can give Sky Emperor Koay Teow Soup a try instead. And you cant go wrong with their signature braised chicken feet too. The chicken feets soft, juicy and succulent texture are able to soak more flavor while being braised compared to any other meat hence the unforgettable taste. You simply wont find this kind of flavor outside Penang!

Sky Emperor Chicken Feet Koay Teow Soup
Lebuh Kimberly, Penang
GPS Coordinates: N5 24.983 E100 19.973
Business hours: 7pm onwards

Day 2, Breakfast (Nasi Kandar Kampung Melayu):

Kampung Melayu Nasi Kandar might not be as famous as the rest but their curry dishes are excellently cooked with generous but balanced amo! unt of s pices, making them pleasantly rich in taste. They serve about 10 to 15 different curry dishes daily and the variety changes every day. The roti canai here is equally good and has its own following as well.

Kampung Melayu Nasi Kandar
A-29, Ground Floor, Rumah Pangsa,
Jln Kampung Melayu,
Kampung Melayu, Air Hitam
GPS Coordinates: N5 24.007 E100 17.067
Open 6:30am to 12:30pm (days off not fixed)

Day 2, Breakfast alternative: Swee Kong Cafe Apom Manis

For the past 80 years, this stall at Swee Kong Coffee Shop in Pulau Tikus has been using clay pots and charcoal stoves to bake the Apom Manis. The traditional recipe for apom does not contain egg but the owner decided to modify the batter to include eggs for the extra fragrance. Not only they are cheap and delicious, you will also find the apom here extra aromatic due to the use of clay pot and charcoal.

Apom Manis Stall
Kedai Kopi Swee Kong,
Solok Moulmein, Pulau Tikus
GPS Coordinates: N5 25.828 E100 18.757
Business hours: 6am till finish (around 9-10am)
Closed on Thursday and occasionally on Monday

Day 2, Lunch (Ayu Mee Udang Teluk Kumbar):

Ayu Mee Udang is the most popular Mee Udang restaurant in Teluk Kumbar dishing up noodles with seriously huge sea-fresh prawns. Although slightly expensive and priced according to market price, the Mee Udang Special here is highly recommended. It comes with a thick tomato-based broth which is cooked with the prawns briefly to allow flavors from both worlds to infuse. And the resulting dish is simply sublime.

Ayu Mee Udang
936B, Lengkok Kg. Masjid Satu,
Teluk Kumbar, Pulau Pinang.
GPS Coordinates: N5 17.316 E100 13.699
Business Hours: 1pm to 11pm daily

Day 2, Lunch alternative: Pitt Street Eel Fish Ball Koay Teow Soup

Have you ever tried Koay Teow Soup paired with eel fish balls? At Carnavon Street there is a a restaurant that has been hand-making delicious fish balls using local eels for decades. Besides the fish balls another thing to appreciate here is the handmade pork fillets that are specially prepared by the lady boss, it surely tastes better than the normal ones served with minced meat!

Pitt Street Homemade Fish Ball Koay Teow Thng
183, Carnarvon Street,
10100 Penang
GPS Coordinates: N5 24.863 E100 20.034
Business hour: 9am 4.30pm. Closed on Sun & Mon

Day 2, Tea Break (Penang Road Famous Cendol & Asam Laksa):

Penang Road is one of the streets in Penang where food stalls and coffee shops are concentrated at. Among them, the Penang Road Assam Laksa and Cendol are not to be missed. Try the laksa first for some hot and sour sensation, then indulge in some sweet, cool and refreshing ais kacang or cendol. One bowl is never enough.

Penang Road Cendol and Assam Laksa
Joo Hooi Cafe ()
475, Jalan Penang
GPS Coordinates: N5 25.027 E100 19.839
Business hours: 11.30am to 5pm (Off days not fixed)

Day 2, Tea Break alternative: Tamil Street Ais Tingkap

A rare and one of its kind drink called Ais Tingkap can be found at Tamil Street. The catchy name is translated from the the given name of Window Sherbet by the Englishmen back in the! 1930s. This bright red concoction is mildly sweet and very cooling on a hot afternoon. Besides drinking only, you will also enjoy chewing the basil seeds and slurping the jelly-like bits of getah anggur (gum resin).

Ais Tingkap (Window Sherbet)
Lebuh Tamil/Tamil Street, Penang.
GPS Coordinates: N5 25.068 E100 19.878
Open daily 12pm to 8pm (Closed on Sundays)

Day 2, Dinner (Siam Road Char Koay Teow):

If there is one and only one Char Koay Teow to eat in Penang, them Siam Road Charcoal Char Koay Teow would be my choice. Here, my requirements for a delicious plate of Char Koay Teow are fulfilled with flying colors ingredients are pleasantly fresh, a lot of lard is used, cooked on strong charcoal flame hence brimming with wok hei. And the best thing is its reasonable price compared to the other more popular ones around.

Siam Road (Jalan Siam) Char Koay Teow
Located at the end of Siam Road
GPS Coordinates: N5 24.925 E100 19.219
Business hours: 3pm to 11pm (Closed on Mondays)
Note: Stall will shift to along Anson Road after 8pm

Day 2, Dinner alternative: Old Green House Prawn Noodle

Keh Liao (add extra toppings) Prawn Noodles at Old Green House restaurant. Here you can add up to 10 different toppings ranging like roast pork, meat balls, braised egg, Chinese sausage, chicken feet, shrimps and etc. For those who are game enough to try, even pork intestines and pork skin are available too. Toppings aside, fresh and prawny but not stinky soup is the key factor to a good bowl of Prawn Noodle, and you will be glad to find that these two requirements are nicely met here.

Old Green House Restaurant ()
223 Burma Road
GPS Coordinates: N5 25.421 E100 19.261
Business hours: 8pm to 4am (Closed on Sundays)

* All information are up to date as per each recommendations posting date.
** Meant to be used for reference only. I am sure you could come up with a better guide if you have done enough research.
*** Lastly, enjoy Penang food!