It’s the end of the year, and we’ve covered a lot of ground in the last 12 months, much of it with snarky reviews. Let’s look back, shall we, at a handful of these reviews, just for fun. We’ve seeen phones, cameras, iPods, cases, and combinations thereof. These items we liked (usually), and we think you’ll like them, too. The rest can be found here or here. → Read More
No disrespect to the original, but BHIC does a damn good job here. Give it a minute before you hit the jump for the one and only. Looking to switch carriers? T-mobile near the top of the list? Well, the deal just got sweeter because they’re waiving the $35 activation fee for n00bs until the end of the year. So scoot on over to your local store or check out the site. The Curve, Sidekick LX, N95, Stripe and Shadow are good choices for your impending exodus. → Read More
Tell CG what you got for Christmas! I got a Noon Solar bag and Omega GMT Seamaster. My son got this crazy hot wheels thing with a dragon that knocks a car off of a track. I remember when my parents used to give us twigs and dirt. Those, my friends, were the days. → Read More
Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night. From all of us at CG to all of you in TV-land, here’s to a great year gone by and a great year ahead. We couldn’t have done it without you. Now, let’s hear it for the CG team: → Read More
Hate opening Photoshop, that resource hog, just to resize an image? Me, too! That’s why I use Picnik, an online photo editor that uses the magic of Web 2.0 to—get this—edit photos. It can grab photos from your Flickr, Facebook, Picassa, Photobucket and Webshots account, or edit photos you have on your computer. There’s a premium version, too, that, for $25 a year, gets you access to a bunch more photo filters and effects. I personally don’t use the premium, but that’s only because I rarely do anything beyond cropping, resizing, etc. Better still, the Picnik team seems to be a fun bunch. The site is peppered with little witticisms and whatnot that make you realize the people behind the curtain aren’t total jerks. I appreciate that. Picnik → Read More
It may be a little late to be recommending things for Christmas, but if you find yourself with a couple of extra dollars come tomorrow and have been in the market for a decent sound system and you live in an apartment, then I’d recommend you check out the Onkyo HT-SR800. It’s one of those all-in-one home theater deals, only it doesn’t suck (according to some of the folks over at AVS Forum, my home away from home). For $400, you get 7.1 channel processing, two HDMI inputs (and one output) with full 1080p support and the speakers and subwoofer to go along for the ride. It’s not bad for the money and takes all of the guesswork out of figuring out how to make your little home theater sparkle. Additionally, HALA MADIRD. Onkyo HT-SR800 [Onkyo] → Read More
Check the calendar, last-minute Christmas shopper. You’ve only four days (if you count today) till D-Day, so here’s a gift that should be easy to find at pretty much any retailer: “Blade Runner (Five-Disc Complete Collector’s Edition).” This is the final, that’s-all-she-wrote version of the cult classic starring Harrison Ford. Director Ridley Scott and some mega fan had complete creative control over the project, so rest assured that this version of the movie is exactly what Scott originally had in mind. That it’s in HD only adds to the value: $28 for pretty much the best sci-fi movie ever made. Blade Runner [Amazon] (HD DVD version) Blade Runner [Amazon] (Blu-ray version) → Read More
Do I really need to endorse this one? It’s Van Damme in HD. Sure, it’s not his best movie (“Blood Sport” gets my vote), but it’s in HD! He does the splits as he does in every movie. Pick up Universal’s “Timecop”, you know you want to. Amazon → Read More
<img src="http://old.crunchgear.com/wp-content/pbucket/work to the outside world is from a laptop. I'm hunched over pecking at the keyboard all day and my body's once supreme alignment is no longer. I really need to start taking care of myself better or I'll end up like Biggs and I wouldn't wish that upon my own worst enemy. There are a plethora of laptop stands on the market, but I was looking for something a little more classy and way hotter. Naturally I checked to see what Rain Designs had and I instantly fell for the mStand. It’s made from a solid piece of aluminum and my only regret is that I don’t have a MacBook Pro for the matching anodized look. It looks almost exactly like the iMac stand doesn’t it? → Read More
I really love home theater stuff. I’m a nerd for it. And that means that, perhaps like you, I’ve run out of HDMI ports for my gear. My TV has but one, and I’ve got three different devices that vie for it, much the same as how girls vie for my attention. The solution is the XtremeHD HDMI switcher by the geniuses over at XtremeMac. Looking very much like my Apple TV, the XtremeHD, lack of leading vowels aside, is a simple machine that works flawlessly, and is just what the doctor ordered. For the HDMI situation, not the girls who chase me. → Read More
It’s a pretty decent looking digital watch that also happens to be a Wi-Fi hotspot locator. Oh how’d I’d love to have one of these! Sorry, this is a geeks-only device, and it’s $30 on Think Geek. Wi-Fi finding watch [Think Geek, thanks, Ro!] → Read More
I know you read this blog, Mom, to keep tabs on me. And because you’re proud that I’m the only guy here yet to make dick jokes, so I’d like to draw your attention to an auction on eBay. You might remember when growing up that Knight Rider was one of my favorite shows after the Dukes of Hazzard and The A-Team. I always wanted to drive KITT, and now I can. See, KITT is up for auction, one of the original four used on the show. And there’s only one bid at $20,000! We can do this! In fact, we can split it. If you just want to give me a $10,000 eBay gift card, I’ll take care of everything else. K? Thanks Mom, you rule! Matt Oh, yah, here’s the auction. [eBay] → Read More
in my holiday gift guide, but the more I play it the more I realize what an exceptional game it is. When you first play you are put through an evaluation process to determine your Expression Potential, which is a score that represents your ability to use and command the English language. You get to pick one of four coaches who focus on different aspects of the language and help you to improve where you see fit. I haven’t unlocked all the games yet, but I’m definitely learning a thing or two everyday. The falling blocks game pisses me off. I can’t finish the game in the allotted time when there aren’t any blocks to spell the words! *ROAR* Parents, get this for your kids on the Wii or DS. When they fall asleep you should borrow that DS or Wii and play yourself. Trust me. You won’t regret it. There’s also a My Spanish Coach and My French Coach. Wouldn’t hurt to get the little ones either of these, too. Product Page → Read More
are $34.95. Even when things are in sleep mode or turned off they’re still using up juice and costing you cents every day so maybe the Smart Strip would do you some good. It says it will turn off your peripherals automatically and works with the sleep mode function on computers. If it can actually save up to 260 watts per hour then sign me up. Grab one for $32.95. If you want to know exactly how much power your devices are using then plug em into the Kill A Watt and see just how efficient or inefficient they are. The LCD will give you important stats like the kilowatt-hour and shows you volts, amps, watts, Hz and VA. It’ll give you a rough estimate as to how much you’ll be paying at the end of the month. It’ll set you back $29.95. The TerraPass store is full of other eco-friendly gadgets so check it out and help save the earth. Seriously. → Read More
I’ve been hunting for a new winter coat because, well, I don’t like to wear my wool coat all the time. I don’t like getting it wet and sometimes I just want something I can throw on and go batshit crazy around the city in, but I still want to look fashionable, too. To be honest, I’m looking for a new coat because, in my drunken stupor last week, I left my umbrella at the bar or in the cab and I’d rather spend $400 on a new coat than $20 on an umbrella. Heh. I dig the looks of Merrell’s Universal jacket and all of its features. It has a Gore-Tex pro shell 3-layer that’s waterproof and breathes easily along with 8mm seam seals. I don’t imagine any moisture seaping through the front zipper, either, thanks to the bonded storm flap and pit-zips are nice because I get hot very easily. And the five cargo pockets should be sufficient enough for my gadgets. Product Page → Read More
I’m pleased to announce the two winners in our Holiday Horror contest: * beaudeal’s Holiday Horror: Canada has too much snow * XDonBoard’s Holiday Horror: Rompin’ through the desert with illegals and no cash! These two crazy kids got the most total votes and comments. Special thanks to AT&T and TeleNav for the great prizes. → Read More
If you’ve been left hungry for new content due to the writer’s strike, I suggest you check out HBO’s “The Wire.” If you’ve ever found yourself caught watching a predictable episode of “Law & Order” or “CSI” then rest assured that “The Wire” could flay those shows alive. It’s arguably the best show on TV ever and the first four seasons are available on DVD for under $50 each. And the best part, the fifth, and final, season starts Jan. 6. Filming is complete and it’s wholly untouched by striking writers and retarded network execs. The Wire on Amazon → Read More
. BTW – On the hill, when she looks up at him and says something in Czech? She’s saying “I love you.” Product Page → Read More
Over the river and through the woods indeed — the next few weeks are going to be some the nastiest travel weeks ever. Take snow, sleet, the flu, poor logistics, and a few million roadside assistance calls and you’ve got a nightmare waiting to happen. We want to make your holiday travel a little easier and, thanks to the good people at AT&T and Telenav, we have two Blackerry 8310 with three months Telenav service to give away to two lucky — or actually unlucky — readers. → Read More
I’m a satellite radio guy but that doesn’t mean I don’t listen to regular radio now and again. Thanks to HD radio, you can now listen to commercials, Soulja Boy, and commercials 24/7 in CD quality, ensuring you’ll never miss a song you’ve never really heard before but is apparently very popular as a ringtone and, as a result, gets played on terrestrial stations with intense frequency. Now, the folks at the HD Radio Alliance et al have put together a buying guide to keep you abreast of the latest in HD radio technology. To recap: XM FTW, but HD radio is apparently just super so give it a listen. Buyer’s Guide → Read More
