Belkin responded to the Mechanical Turk Shilling Incident (as it’s now called around the office.) Their response? “We’re sorry, we didn’t know it was going on, and we’re doing something about it.” Read the full note from Belkin’s President Mark Reynoso below. → Read More
I just contacted Belkin to confirm but this doesn’t look good. A site called The Daily Background found evidence that Belkin Bizdev guy, Michael Bayard, is paying folks 65 cents to write good things about Belkin routers. Why? I’m not sure. I sure didn’t mind Belkin routers in the first place and 65 cents isn’t a lot of money for a paragraph. Maybe a flat buck or a USB hub instead? Is false praise really that cheap? → Read More
Belkin’s charging hub is a beast, but I’ve found it to be quite useful at home and in the office. With a 360-degree rotating plug it fits in wherever I need it to. Three outlets and two USB ports make it an ideal gadget for all your power needs. Buy.com is offering a $10 MIR until the 14th dropping the total cost of the device to $10 with a $5 shipping fee. Rebate form via DealNews → Read More
As a dilettante musician I enjoy the concept – if not the process – of recording my reedy, whiny voice to digital files. Until recently, that process was fraught with trouble and high quality recording equipment was difficult to obtain and expensive. Now anyone with a six-string and a dream can record fairly acceptable audio with something like the Belkin GoStudio. → Read More
It’s gonna be a long, cold, dark, cord-filled winter for those of you waiting for wireless HDMI devices from the likes of Belkin (FlyWire shown above) and Monster Cable. Electronic House is reporting that the technology’s not quite there yet. An unidentified owner of an A/V store in Manhattan told EH the following: “HDMI is not perfected yet. I was eagerly awaiting shipments from both Monster and Belkin but I understand there have been more difficulties in getting various products to talk to each other in this fashion.” It was thought that Belkin would reveal ready-for-market devices at CES in January this year but company spokesperson Melody Chalaban says that Belkin is “now planning a spring launch and expect it to be perfect then.” Monster is expected to reveal its devices sometime in the second quarter of next year. UPDATE: Apparently the FlyWire devices from Belkin will be available in late January, so that’s a good sign. Melody Chalaban sent over an e-mail saying the following: “Just saw your post about FlyWire being delayed. Yes, it’s been delayed due to compliance issues, and it will be available late January 2009. I was misquoted in the original post from Electronic House.” So that’s late January, not a spring launch as originally reported. Sorry for the mix-up. → Read More
New iPods mean new cases and boy, oh boy, does Belkin have some new cases. There are about 12 different types of cases, along with many different and varied color options and whatnot. They’ll be available in mid-September (so, like, next week) and will run for between $14.99 and $29.99. Hit the jump for a gallery of photos. → Read More
Disregard this post from yesterday about the Belkin JoyPod except for the part where I said “it’s absolutely possible that it could be phony” and the other part about taking this info with a grain of salt because yes, my friends, she’s a fake. I shoulda known, too, because the language used on the fake material looks totally made up. I’ve never seen such an odd mishmash of letters! At any rate, the lovely and pleasant-tempered Belkin PR Manager, Melody Chalaban, just sent over the following: Hi Doug, Saw your post on the Belkin "JoyPod," and I want to note that he “JoyPod” is not a Belkin product, but simply a false rumor. We have no plans to release such a product. But, if you know who started this rumor, tell them to call us! I don’t know who started this rumor but mark my words: It’ll be a cold day in H-E-double-toothpicks before he or she ever steps foot inside the Internet again. Anyway, sorry for the confusion and sorry to get the…um… zero of you who commented on yesterday’s story all riled up. → Read More
UPDATE: In answer to the question posed in this post’s title: No. This is fake. The above image was sent to TouchArcade.com and, while it’s absolutely possible that it could be phony, the implications of an actual, real iPhone/iPod Touch control pad accessory coming from Belkin could make the portable gaming industry a bit more interesting. Take this info with a grain of salt until it’s confirmed, though. According to the tipster who sent this in to Touch Arcade, testing will begin on this device in October. It’d also apparently work with App Store games, plugging into Apple’s SDK, so developers would be able to write games to specifically take advantage of the eight-button (six on the front, two on the back) “JoyPod” (as it’s being called). The JoyPod would also feature audio output and a dock connector. → Read More
The Asus Eee PC has been successful with “ordinary” people, too. You know, the kind that buy laptop cases at Target — or even the Eee itself. Owners of the tiny netbook will be able to buy three stylish protective cases this September, all for under $25. From left to right, the polyester Mini Laptop Quilted Case will run $19.99, the neoprene Mini Laptop Carrying Case will run $24.99, and the Neoprene Sleeve will run $12.99. They’ll each be available in four different colors; the three seen in the above photo – jetset red, plum berry, and techno blue — along with black. → Read More
Perfect for people with such luxuries as “fireplaces” and “money” comes the $999 Belkin FlyWire device. It basically allows you to hide your cable box and other digital eyesores in a nearby closet so your hoity-toity guests don’t accidentally spill caviar on your Persian rug when their leather shoes get tangled in a bunch of cables. Dubious about wireless HD? Belkin quells your fears with complex words… “Operating in the open 5GHz band, FlyWire offers a completely robust connection. It intelligently manages its own connection, adjusting both frequency and power to avoid interference and overcome impedances. Because FlyWire does not compress video, it transmits video content with no latency. Even the most demanding AV applications, like video games, will not be impaired by the wireless transmission.” → Read More
I like to think of myself as a bit of a musician. I enjoy belting out a good tune now and again and have even been known to gig professionally (back when I was 16 in high school and thought I was Bob Dylan. This, friends, is what prevented me from getting laid until age 20.) I’m no pro by any means. Luckily, Belkin’s TuneStudio is not for pros. It’s for mid-level amateurs who know they need XLR inputs and a good recording medium but don’t want to have to think about phantom power, levels, or multiple inputs. → Read More
[photopress:scaled.IMGP6185.JPG,full,center] Umm. It’s bigger than I expected. I’m not sure what the likelihood of it traveling with me is, but for use at home or the office it’s perfect. [photopress:scaled.IMGP6188.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMGP6189.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMGP6190.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMGP6191.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMGP6192.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMGP6194.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMGP6195.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMGP6193.JPG,thumb,pp_image] → Read More
If ever there were a tiny gadget that could take my breath away, it’s the Mini Surge protector with USB from Belkin. And I thought my Monster Outlet to Go was awesome. This has two USB ports (just for charging) and three AC outlets. I’m getting myself one immediately. It’s only $25. You should get one, too. Product Page → Read More
[photopress:2293571765_048cac2126.jpg,full,center] Zune owners are a proud lot. I know several, and they rightly justify their purchases. At first it was all about “not an iPod”, but now that the Zune Marketplace has matured, the Zune is a great way to go, and you can ask any Zune fan about it. Take my friend Josh for example, who made this literal casemod from a Belkin Zune case. He wants people to know he has a Zune. That’s pride, friend. Josh’s photo [Flickr] → Read More
We get a lot of schwag at conferences like CES, some better than others. My favorites, though, came from Belkin, who’s understated schwag bag was brimming with simple Belkin-branded goodies, like these Belkin mints and this Belkin lip balm. Sure, there was a really cool USB hub and other stuff, but the point is they’re smart enough to include useful stuff with their logo. That’s what schwag is supposed to be, so for their achievement, we salute Belkin. → Read More
