Guest review: John Ha I recently bought a Macbook to replace my aging Windows XP laptop. I figured that, like any new computer migration, I would load the applications I needed and then copy the data from my old laptop to the new one. I have a large USB thumb drive and a couple external hard drives, so no sweat – just use them to migrate everything. So when my brother told me he would lend… → Read More
Quicksilver isn’t known for their technical wear outside of the water, but the Opus is one bitchin’ jacket with a couple nerdtastic components. It’s made from Schoeller fabric and Quiksilver’s own Quik Repel material; it’s water-resistant and shields the body from low temps and wind. I did a little bit of research into Schoeller and they seem to be pretty big in the performance/technical… → Read More
Ask any geek of a certain age and predilection what they dreamt of back in high school and they’ll say, in order, a date to the prom and a color laser printer. Now that everyone with $100 and a pulse can get a fairly nice inkjet printer, Samsung is offering the CLP-315, a $184 color laser printer that is about as big as a standard all-in-one printer but with the added benefit of printing at… → Read More
There are only a handful of gadgets in my possession that can’t be charged over USB: TV/Cable/Blu-ray player remotes and my DSLR. My Xbox 360 controller was a battery hog once upon a time, but the Nyko Charge Base took care of that. The remotes aren’t as taxing on batteries as my SLR — that puppy is constantly draining my supply of batteries. I could always cut back on the amount of… → Read More
What’s worse than having your Xbox 360 controller die during the middle of a game? Not being able to find replacement batteries, of course. Rechargeable batteries are a viable option, but those don’t seem to last as long as we’d like, right? They can be spendy as well. → Read More
Yeah, I know, it’s a USB hub. But this little guy from Targus is pretty neat. It’s geared towards the Mac crowd with its color scheme, but that shouldn’t deter Windows or Linux folk. → Read More
We’ve reviewed a lot of home audio solutions, and they all offer different benefits and drawbacks. The big trend is “music everywhere”, whether through powerline networking or wirelessly. Most of these products require a specific music source to feed into the system. Sonos brings something rather more complete to the goal of “music everywhere”. Read on for the… → Read More
Short Version: The EOS wireless audio system is dead simple to set up and use, although a high price tag and so-so sound quality might keep some people away. → Read More
eStarling offers the Impact7 (7″, 480 X 234 pixels) and Impact8 (8″, 800 X 600 pixels), a pair of WiFi-enabled digital photo frames. They’re easy to use, functional, and nice to look at. They include a remote control, and each frame gets its own email address to which you can email photos. You can also easily subscribe to RSS feeds of photos (your own, or any public feed). Read… → Read More
Short Version: Are you an iFamily? Got lots of iDevices between you, your iDo, and maybe some iKids? Is your house sooooo big that it’s just too much trouble to walk to where your computer is to charge said iGadgets? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the Griffin PowerDock 4 is 4U. If you are Brady-sized, you will need two of these. → Read More
Short Version: I love wirelessness. I was using Bluetooth to connect handhelds, phones, and headsets since ~2004. While smart phones have mostly killed the PDA, their media capabilities scream for a good set of wireless headphones. Sadly the Samsung SBH-700′s are not those headphones. While the specs sound impressive, talk time up to 9 hours, play time up to 7 hours, standby time up to 140… → Read More
Short Version: The first time you put on noise canceling headphones, you can’t believe your ears. When you flip the noise canceling circuitry on, it’s like hitting a mute button on the world (note: does not work on significant others, only constant noise. And no, your SO’s blathering does not count as a constant din.) I never realized how loud my office was until I put on these… → Read More
Quick Version: The QuickCam Vision Pro from Logitech is perhaps the easiest-to-use webcam I have seen in a while. There is no software required to run it, so you simply plug it in via the 6-ft USB cable, and you’re good to go. It works automatically with MSN Messenger, Yahoo, Skype, and other applications. → Read More
Microsoft’s latest revision to its flagship “Explorer” line of mice features the new “Bluetrack” technology, which Microsoft says will track on just about any surface, including many that have been problematic in the past. Is the Explorer all they say or should you save your money for a competitor? → Read More
I know, I know. The VGA HD AV cable has been out for three years, but I was in between TVs and only had a monitor to game on. I’ll keep this review short and sweet. → Read More
Short Version: The Dirt Devil AccuCharge 15.6 Volt Stick Vac is a powerful, cordless, rechargeable vacuum cleaner that really, really sucks. It’s priced quite nicely at $65.99, too. → Read More
Casio’s G-Shock recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and for good reason, they’ve been constructing solid time pieces that are technically sound and built like tanks. Types like John won’t be giving up their fancy Omegas or whatever other watch that has a ginormous face, but they’re not meant to. Come along as I take a look at five unique pieces with varying degrees of functionality. → Read More
Short version: A pre-built Windows Home Server box that offers a bit more than standard NAS’s. → Read More
Quick Version: The Logitech Illuminated Keyboard sports a sleek design combined with a number of functional enhancements that make it a cut above most others. While the illuminated keys are the main feature, the first thing you’ll notice upon removing it from the box is how extremely slim the keyboard is. It’s a good 75% slimmer than your traditional keyboard, and has a modern shape and style… → Read More
Mophie’s Juice Pack for the iPhone 3G is without a doubt a must-have if you can swallow the high price tag of $100. But I’d gladly pay the extra $100 knowing that I can leave the office or my apartment and gallivant around town without fear of having to find a power outlet by mid-day. → Read More
There isn’t too much to talk about here, but this gorgeous little case from Acme Made deserves a look from anybody looking for an expensive but lovely little gift for a spouse or lady friend. Pictures and such after the break. → Read More
If you have multiple batteries for your (post-1997) Apple laptop and prefer not to tote around multiple power adapters then Fastmac may have a solution for you. The U-Charge is a lightweight, cost effective, and compact charger for iBooks, PowerBooks, MacBooks and MacBook Pros, with a nice little bonus feature: it can charge a battery without the help of a laptop. No more swapping batteries just… → Read More
By now most of you have heard of the Eye-Fi Wi-Fi SD memory card and what it’s capable of, right? Okay, good. Earlier this year, January to be exact, Lexar announced that they had teamed up with Eye-Fi to bring a Lexar branded SD card with Eye-Fi technology by year’s end. Well, the time has come — Lexar’s Shoot-n-Sync card is finally here and I’ve been testing it out for the last… → Read More
Short Version: As music games go, both Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero World Tour are impressive, fun, and either would make a great addition to any gamer’s lineup. But which one is best for you? → Read More
To the point: A nice plasma that offers a quality image, good colors, and a great scaler. Too bad it’s overpriced. → Read More
Monster Cable’s second foray into the in-ear monitor area is much, much better than their first go-around with the Turbines. Knowing that Monster Cable loves to gouge folks on overpriced cables, one has wonder if their headphones are overpriced as well? Perhaps, but it depends on who you’re asking. → Read More
Short Version: It’s small, it’s inexpensive, and it pulls double duty as a three-port hub and mini-USB device charger all in one. → Read More
Starting your own watch company is hard. Unlike, say, hiring a factory in Taiwan to make a bunch of MP3 players for you, creating a watch takes patience, an understanding of the history of horology, and a willingness to risk failure. Thankfully, Buscum Ducis’ Svan van Der Zande has all of these attributes. → Read More
Have a case of the Mac Sweats? Embarrassed by the wet stains on your lap after hours of using your MacBook? Targus has what you’re looking for, friend. → Read More
Short Version: A versatile HD camcorder that’s perfect for home videos, but not so much for budding video professionals. → Read More
Austin, TX
Seattle, WA
San Diego, CA
Menlo Park, CA
Berlin, Germany
Boston, MA
