After somehow destroying my 20-inch LCD TV in a cross-country move, I needed to face down the task of replacing it. I didn’t want to spend a ton of money and I didn’t need a huge TV but I did want something a little bigger than 20 inches. This TV has been a great replacement. There’s a built-in HD tuner, two HDMI connections, two component inputs, two composite inputs, VGA connection, and an S-Video hookup. The picture is very nice, surprisingly nice for a sub-$400 TV. The regular price is $549 but it’s been on sale quite a bit since it’s a Best Buy brand — it’s been as low as $379, as referenced in an earlier CrunchDeal. If you’re looking for a great TV for a bedroom or den, this is an outstanding, inexpensive option. Insignia® – 26" 720p Widescreen Flat-Panel LCD HDTV [BestBuy.com] → Read More
We’re not too keen on gift guides here at CrunchGear and it’s probably more painful and tedious than writing up the latest Hello Kitty contraption. Alas, we don’t have much of a choice so here’s my gift guide where I’ll cover the be all and end all of gear bags, a variety of phones from all the major carriers, a few gaming recommendations and my choice of DSLRs. Keep your fingers crossed, folks. It’s gonna be a wild and crazy ride. I’m constantly looking for a laptop bag or backpack that will do everything I need it to do and store all the gadgets I find myself stuffing into my current bag. I have A LOT of gear, which I will exclude for fear of John or Nicholas mugging me on some random occasion. My Ogio laptop bag has done a great job, but I think it’s time to put her out to pasture. The seams are giving way and I don’t blame it since I have about 20 or 25 pounds worth of gear. → Read More
Ski/Snowboard season is in full swing and if you haven’t picked up a new jacket or you’re looking for one to ask for the holidays then look no further. The Double Daffy from Quiksilver features Plantronics stereo sound and voice via Bluetooth. That means you can crank out your tunes and take calls while carving up fresh power in the back country. If you get lost or something then you may be able to make emergency calls too. If that helps sway your decision. It’s out now for $370. Product Page → Read More
I found out about Glide’s TwistTogether Lamp a few weeks ago and got mine in last week and I guarantee it’ll be the coolest gift you can give anyone this holiday season. Read more about them here. → Read More
What can I say, Oregon is a hotbed of talent. Heh. Granted, Dakine was started in Hawai’i, but Hood River is now home to Dakine’s HQ and for good reason. It’s centrally located to Mt. Hood, the Pacific is a few hours away and the kiteboarding capital of the world, Columbia Gorge, is right in their backyard. So is it any wonder that they make top of the line gear? Whether you’re taking a day trip to the mountain for a hike, hitting the freshly powdered slopes or jumping on a plane they’ve got you covered. Here are a few packs that are sure to keep your gadgets out of harms way. → Read More
Askmen.com got their top 10 hottest tech women of 2007 all wrong when they failed to include geeksugar, in my honest opinion. Anyhoo, geeksugar put together a gift guide for the geeky girl in your life and you should probably pay attention since we all know you’re scrambling around trying to figure out what her cup size is and whether she likes edible panties. To each his own, but these are some sure fire ways to score brownie points with the little lady. Geeksugar does a great job covering the basics from condoms for the BB Pearl to a fashionable Kodak camera wallet to a Mango Tango Faux Croc Laptop Bag. Check it out and you’ll thank her later. Trust me. geeksugar’s Gift Guide: Great Gadgets for Girlfriends [Geeksugar] → Read More
Looking for the best FPS game on the Wii? This is it. Is it perfect? No. Is it even close to something you could find on Xbox 360, PS3, or your PC? Probably not. But for the Wii, it’s a big step in the right direction. For starters, you can play online. Cool, no? The controls are also pretty intuitive and add to the gameplay experience. They’re not overdone or gimmicky, which is a huge plus. If you’re in the market for a Wii shooter this holiday season, this game is a great choice. Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 [Amazon.com] → Read More
I was born and raised in the 503 and I make sure everyone knows about it. So it’s pretty obvious that I’m a treehugger because, well, Mother Nature never gets old like video games or stupid ass TV shows. But it seems the path we’ve chosen may lead to the deterioration of Mother Earth, which is a shame considering all she’s done for us. But I digress as I usually do when talking about eco-ish stuff. As an Oregonian I try and be as eco-friendly as possible. The same goes for db clay based in NE Portland, who you may remember started the whole duct tape billfold craze way back when. I remember those guys peddling that stuff at Saturday Market. I just wish I was cool enough back then to have picked one up. *sigh* Nevertheless the guys at db have introduced the Version 3 line of wallets made from Tope, which is their custom eco-friendly textile. But what is it? → Read More
Xmas is a special time of year where I get so stressed out from gift guides, deadlines, family members, parole officers, bribed city officials, girls and bartenders that I go a little crazy. No, I go a lot crazy, the whole season. And giving me things I want makes it better, but I only want things I can’t have. Here, then, is a list. Some things you can’t un-see, but I wish there a way to un-view the opus by Brazilian auteur Marco Fiorito he artistically titled 2 Girls 1 Cup*. It’s an art film, though one I recommend you do not view. I want to un-see it, Eternal Sunshine-style, but I cannot. → Read More
This notebook replaced my Macbook. I feel no personal shame. This one is lighter, has a better graphics card, and has a much longer battery. I have nothing against Apple, the Macintosh product line, or the City of Cupertino and I quite like my iPod Touch. But I’m a PC kid. I can’t shake it, despite numerous flings with Macbooks, Mac Minis, and various G3/4/5 desktop systems. It’s far and away the best notebook I’ve owned. Sure, Vista has basically become the bane of my existence and the thing comes preloaded with more bloated commercial software than all the old AOL CDs in all the mailboxes in the country, but after you uninstall almost everything and learn to turn the feeling of getting screwed repeatedly by a half-assed operating system from a raging fire into a dull numbness, life begins to seem tolerable again and, dare I say, enjoyable — especially when you don’t have to carry an AC adapter with you everywhere or feel weighed down by the astonishingly light-but-strong carbon fiber casing. You can buy one here or read more about it at the link below. Review: Sony VGN-SZ650N/C thin and light notebook → Read More
Oh yah! Yesterday was December 6, 2007! That means that Comcast has added several new channels to its HD lineup, including History Channel HD! That is so awesome! Here, in the photo above, we see a still from tonight’s Tuskegee airmen documentary. Those guys kicked ass. Yes, that is my TV. Yes, I got a good deal on it. Yes, you can get the same deal now if you’re diligent in your shopping. And yes, it’s worth every penny. If you’ve been on the fence on buying an HDTV, now is the time. At $600 for a 37-inch LCD, you can’t go wrong; the prices are roughly the same as CRTs of the same size five years ago. And make sure you’ve got the HD add-on to your cable or satellite package. That gets my recommendation, for sure. → Read More
I’m sure most of you grew up reading Calvin and Hobbes and December 31, 1995 was a sad day as its run ended after 10 glorious years. My brother and I both collected C&H and I’m positive they’re stored somewhere in our parent’s house, but those were paperback and I’d much rather have a hardback copy. Why not surprise a fan with this box set or introduce a whole new generation to Stupendous Man? Seriously. Just writing this recommendation brings back fond memories of this comic strip. I was always excited on Sunday mornings, but I always had to wait for my brother to finish else I’d get a beat down for my indiscretion. It’s on sale now at Amazon for $67.50. Product Page → Read More
with prices starting at $80 and topping out at $230. It’s the perfect gift for any student, road warrior or anyone, really. It also comes in a myriad (Not so much a myriad, but you get the point. Available in white, black, red and green) of colors. Product Page → Read More
I don’t want to play the “peace on Earth, goodwill towards men” card but I would like the following five things, which I think would benefit other people besides just me. 1. Mandatory Online Cancellation Policies If a company lets you sign up for service and manage your account online without talking to anybody, it should be mandatory that they let you cancel the service online too. I’m looking at you, Real Player, Sirius Satellite Radio, Comcast, almost every bank, most credit cards, Vonage, and thousands of other digital charlatans. No more using the “for your security, you must call us on the phone to cancel your account” excuse. Bullshit. If signing up online, putting our account information online, and letting us pay our bill online is safe then let us cancel online too. I’m sick of talking to retention people. → Read More
I’m a camera guy. I like to have a good picture-taker with me at all times, mostly because my friends are always doing something stupid, or hot, or funny, and I like to moments to last. I’m also a flickr fanatic, so I want something that looks good, because I’ll be sharing. → Read More
Let’s face it: most of us geeks want to be writers. I, personally, want to write pornographic Monchichi fan fiction, but you might have a novel in you or even a tech book. Here’s what you gotta do. Go get yourself a copy of Scrivener and start plotting out your Dune meets Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whisle Stop Cafe magnum opus. This program allows you to place all of your ideas on virtual note cards that can hold anything from character sketches to entire scenes. Mix and match all you want and buck the linear editing style we’ve all grown to hate. Because you can “fill in” your story, you don’t have to worry about looking at a long blank screen and can place your ideas into proper perspective. It’s only $39.99 online. Product Page → Read More
Just to follow up on my Xbox 360 Elite and HD DVD player recommendation from yesterday, I wanted to recommend Assassin’s Creed for both the Xbox 360 and PS3. But it seems as though the PS3 crowd are having some troubles with Altair freezing in mid-jump along with a handful of other glitches. This, however, should not detract from the game itself, which is fantastic. The AI in AC is unlike any I’ve seen before. For example, if you’re walking through a crowd and bump into someone a little too hard then the surrounding guards will take notice and come pummel your ass. On the other hand, you can easily find allies within that same crowd that will help you escape. I can’t stop playing it and any plans I have for the night have been forgotten or rescheduled. The introduction alone is worth the money. Game play is smooth and graphics are wicked crisp. The story line is very intriguing and without doing any prior research into the game it caught me off guard. You don’t need me to really review this for you. The hype is well deserved and it’s just that damn good. Take a Leap of Faith or grab a Gamefly subscription and check it out. BTW- Ubisoft is looking into the glitches for the PS3, but it just goes to show you that the Xbox 360 far superior. Heh. → Read More
I never thought I’d see the day that I stopped throwing down $2 (minimum) for a strong cup of coffee at the local coffee shop. Now, I throw down $8 for an entire bag of beans and have my coffee waiting for me in the morning-time. Here’s what’s great about this machine. You put the beans in the built-in grinder, it grinds them into a fine powder, and makes the coffee. That’s it. It’s simple. It takes under a minute to get everything ready to go and then the coffee’s ready shortly thereafter. It’s delicious, too. So delicious that I’ve stopped using creamer altogether. The carafe keeps the coffee warm for hours and there’s a permanent filter so you don’t have to keep buying the paper ones. At $150, it’s a bit on the expensive side but it’s totally worth it if you drink coffee every day. There’s a timer function, too, so you can (say it with me) set it, and forget it. You’ll wake up in the morning to some delicious, delicious coffee. DGB-600BC [Cuisinart] → Read More
