Your best autumn/winter companion

By Dionysus Translated by Ann Lee

Lenovo ThinkPad X300

The ThinkPad X300 is extremely thin and light; the sleekest ThinkPad yet, it has a built-in DVD burner that's only seven millimeters thick! The computer also has a 13-inch, LED monitor and a 64GB SSD hard drive, which is impressive considering it is only 1.86 centimeters thick and weighs 1.33 kilograms. The recommended retail price is NT$119,000 (tax included). Go to www.lenovo.com for more information.

DVDBOX

A 24-hour Automatic Movie Rental Machine

DVDBOX is a video-rental machine that will soon be seen at convenience stores and shopping centers like Carrefour, the MRT mall, HSR stations, hotels, hospitals, and fast food joints. The 24-hour machine allows customers to rent a movie anywhere they go and return it to any machine. The rental fee is NT$100 for 3 days-2-nights; if you return it one day before the due date, then you'll receive a NT$20 discount on your next rental (2 days in advance, gets a NT$40 discount). What's more, everyone will get a 50% discount off their first movie rental from DVDBOX. Check out www.dvdbox.com.tw for more information.

These trendy cakes made especially for Mother's Day were designed by nine international pastry chefs. The cakes come in a rainbow of colors and flavors, and even include "health conscious" cakes; one of these 'green' cakes is made with flaxseed and chlorella, another has tofu biscuits; neither contains cholesterol and they're made with all-natural ingredients. The Strawberry Hibiscus Cake is a delicately made treat topped with fresh strawberries. 7-Eleven's Chocolate Mousse Cake, another tasty choice, is making its debut in Taiwan. Cake prices range from NT$299 to NT$1,200. To reserve a cake, order from now until May 5th, at least five days in advance. Some stores offer delivery service and give a 5% discount when you purchase two cakes at once.

Starbucks' 10th Year in Taiwan

For the coffee chain's 10th anniversary in Taiwan, Starbucks is offering an array of limited edition merchandise available at stores city wide; goodies include coffee mugs and traveler's cups, all with a 10-year anniversary logo on it. Some mugs are painted with trees, while others have flying butterflies, which showcase the beauty of Taiwan. You can purchase the limited-edition butterfly 'to-go card' (NT$100) and coffee mug (NT$350). There is also a new cake for sale, in celebration of ten years in Taiwan; the cake, Classic Coffee & Chocolate Cake (NT$80), is made with Italian ground coffee and rich, creamy chocolate.