gadget news and reviews

February 08 PS3/Wii/360 Games +

After the big holiday season, upcoming games seem to have died down for the moment. But be hopeful, there are a ton of hot games such as Super Smash Brothers for the Wii and Gran Turismo 5 for the PlayStation 3 heading down the pipeline for 2008!

Nintendo Wii:

• Sega Bass Fishing – Sega

Play Station 3:

• Devil May Cry 4 – Capcom
• Go! Sports Skydiving – N/A
• Conflict: Denied Ops – Eidos
• FIFA Street 3 – Electronic Arts
• The Club – Sega

Xbox 360:

• Turok – Touchstone
• Devil May Cry – Capcom
• Frontlines: Fuel of War – THQ
• Lost Odyssey – Microsoft
• The Club – Sega
• Culdcept SAGA – Namco Bandai
• The Spiderwick Chronicles – Sierra Entertainment
• Dark Messiah: Might and Magic Elements- Ubisoft
• Conflict: Denied Ops – Eidos
• FIFA Street 3 – Electronic Arts
• Dark Sector – D3Publisher of America
• Turning Point: The Fall of Liberty – Codemasters
• Universe at War: Earth Assault – Sega

Games List: Nintendo Wii | Sony PS3 | Microsoft Xbox 360
Purchase Games: Amazon’s Selection (ships free+ no tax)

Proporta: Alu-Leather Creative Zen Case +

Skatter Tech recently got a hold of Proporta’s Alu-Leather Case and Advance Screen Protector for the Creative ZEN. I put them to the test right away by carrying it around to see how well the Proporta accessories would protect my gizmo. I was quite pleased as the case was quite rigid while it maintained a fairly fancy look and the screen protector adhered and fit the screen perfectly. The Creative ZEN digital audio player slides into the case and is held in place by to well padded clamps. The case is enclosed by a strong flap which is fastened with a magnetic clasp. A lightweight yet strong aluminum sheet is embedded into the leather both on the bottom and top flaps to provide additional support. Proporta provides an attachable belt clip which can be easily removed if you don’t plan on using it. The headphone jack and the USB port have been left open therefore listening to music and/or charging the device won’t be a problem. No functionality of the ZEN is lost and even the SD card slot is reachable without having to remove the device from the case.

The Advance Screen Protector for the Creative ZEN has been pre-cut exactly to fit the square around the screen. Although the protector achieves its goal of guarding the screen, it fails to cover any other portion of the top of the player such as the controls. Proporta provides a cleaning cloth and a application card in the packaging so that the screen protector can be applied easily and properly. The main issue we faced was the fact that screen clarity is lost due to the graininess of the plastic sheet. Although it isn’t a problem for browsing through music, it can become very irritating if you plan to watch videos.

The leather case and screen protector are available for purchase from Proporta’s website for $34.95 and $9.95, respectively. However by using the coupon code “skattertech” (no quotes) during checkout you’ll get a 10% discount bringing the price of both items to just $40.41. Overall we were quite satisfied with both these products, however if you own a Creative ZEN and you feel you know of a better way to protect your device, please let us know by replying in the comments.

Links: Proporta Alu-Leather Case | Advance Screen Protector
Coupon Code: skattertech

MacWorld 2008: iPhone Update 2

If you are an iPhone owner and you have not already heard, a major update (v1.1.3) became available last Tuesday during MacWorld. The update brings many anticipated features such as the ability to SMS multiple people at once and watch iTunes Rental Movies. The upgrade added an easier interface for bookmarking web pages through the Safari browser and the ability to add shortcuts to websites called “web clips” to home screen. The home screen also got a bit of a makeover, now allowing icons to be re-arranged and moved to multiple pages.

“iPhone doesn’t stand still—we’re making it better and better all the time,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’ve delighted millions of users with this revolutionary and magical product and it’s great to share these improvements with them.”

The most notable upgrade is probably the Maps application. The iPhone can now utilize cell phone tower data to triangulate your exact location. We tested this feature a few times, but unfortunately it didn’t function as well as I had hoped for it to perform. In most scenarios the best it could do was to narrow down my location the the city I was in. In reality it wouldn’t be of much help. Hopefully it will do a better job when it’s used in areas with stronger cell phone signals. Another neat addition to the Maps was the new “hybrid” view feature which will display satellite images with a overlay of street names.

If you’ve got an iPhone and you would like to upgrade it, just connect it to a machine running the latest version of iTunes (v7.6) and press “Check for Updates” on the iPhone page. It should download a file about 150MB in size and then install the new firmware. It took us over 10 minutes to update our unit. Although it was successful, the installer wasn’t very clear about what was going on during certain points. Just be sure not to disconnect your iPhone if it is taking too long since that could brick the unit. Anyways if you have an iPhone spend a few minutes “upgrading” since it’s got quite a few neat features.

Links: Apple iTunes | Apple iPhone

iSkin CERULEAN F1 Bluetooth Earphones +

There’s been a lot of stereo bluetooth headsets being released over the past few weeks, especially since many phones now support the technology. I had a chance to play with iSkin’s CERULEAN F1 Bluetooth Earphones this week at MacWorld. iSkin’s gizmo can be paired with both an iPod and a Cell Phone at once, allowing you to listen to music and answer calls without removing your earphones. To offer further freedom, the F1 has volume, playback, and answer/end controls embedded in the headset. The earphones will pair with any device such as laptop which has Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support. The headset weighs just 35 grams yet has a fairly powerful 15mm driver for crisp and clear sound. According to iSkin the earphones will work up to 33 feet away from your device and with the built in controls, you won’t even have to touch your iPod. The CERULEAN F1 should also work with VOIP application such as Skype, eliminating the need of multiple bluetooth devices for different devices.

The headset offers 6 hours of music playback and 10 hours of talk time. The gizmo can be charged using USB cable with a computer or with an included DC wall charger. Both the Cerulean F1 and the TX iPod Adapter are available for purchase from iSkin’s website (iSkin.com). The earphones themselves cost $129, however if you would also want an iPod adapter it will cost $189. We’re trying to get a hold of one of these, so check back for a in-depth review soon!

Links: iSkin CERULEAN | iSkin Store

Proporta: Alu-Leather Case For iPod Touch 1

I recently reviewed Proporta’s screen protector for the iPod Touch, which I highly recommended all owners to purchase. Although that was good step towards protecting your iPod, it won’t be able to protect the other parts of the device from rough handling or drops. This is where Proporta’s Leather Case for the iPod Touch plays a role. The iPod touch slides in and the case’s clamps hold the device in place and it’s actually quite durable. As the implied in the title with the word “Alu-,” Proporta has actually embedded a strong lightweight aluminum sheet in between the leather layers to protect the iPod Touch even further. The case will be able to protect the iPod Touch from a fairly good amount of pressure. Proporta also includes a belt clip which can easily be removed. All ports and buttons are accessible and no functionality will be lost. As seen in the picture, the bottom is left open so headphones can connected even if the case has been closed.

As I’ve mentioned before, it’s a good idea to spend a few bucks to protect your $300-400 investment. Especially since it is something you’ll be carrying around with you everywhere you go. Purchasing a screen protector to go along with this case will offer just about all the protection you can get without loosing usability. If you aren’t a fan of leather cases, take a look at our review of iFrogz’s Silicone Case. Anyways the Alu-Leather case by Proporta is available for purchase on their website. It will cost you $45.95 USD, however you’ll receive a 10% discount if you use the promotion code “skattertech” (no quotes) during checkout. If you know of any better products or have a case you would like us to review, please leave us a comment or send us an email.

Links: Proporta Alu-Leather iPod Touch Case
Promotion Code: skattertech

Kensington Bluetooth Stereo Headphones +

Last week Kensington announced a slew of new accessories, one these being a new wireless bluetooth stereo headphones. The headset can be used to listen to music and with built in microphone, it can also answer phone calls. The Kensington Bluetooth Stereo Headphones (K33436US) has built in “easy access buttons” to play/pause or skip tracks as well as to answer/end phone calls. In addition the headset can be paired with a Windows or Macintosh machine for use with applications such as Skype. The device will pair with any Bluetooth 2.0 device that supports the A2DP protocol. According to Kensington, the Bluetooth Stereo Headset will work up to 66 feet away from your wireless device and will offer an impressive 23 hours of music playback and 19 hours of talk time. The headphones have a MSRP of $79.99 and are available for pre-order, however it wont hit retail stores until March.

Pre-Order: Kensington Bluetooth Stereo Headphones – $79 (no tax + ships free)
Links: Kensington.com – (Product Page)

MacWorld 2008: iPod Touch Upgrades 2

Although the iPod Touch features just about all the hardware components that the iPhone has, except for the cellular chip, but despite this it lacks many essential applications. Fortunately Steve Jobs came to the rescue yesterday when he announced a major software update which would bring Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather and Notes to the iPod Touch, brining on par with the iPhone. In addition the upgrade will also include some of the features that were added to the iPhone upgrade such as web clippings, customizable homepages, and iTunes movie rentals support. Unfortunately the upgrade isn’t free as previous firmwares have been. Newly purchased devices will have the upgrade pre-installed, however current owners will need to pay $19.99 to get the extra features.

“These amazing new mobile applications make iPod touch not only the best iPod, but the best Wi-Fi mobile device in the world,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “With its revolutionary touch interface and software, plus its stunning 3.5 inch screen, iPod touch is evolving into the first mainstream Wi-Fi mobile platform of the 21st century.”

With the new Mail app and a WiFi connection, you now can check your POP3 or IMAP email accounts to read and compose messages. The Maps feature can now track your location using an IP Trace via a WiFi Hotspot and offers a Hybrid view to see Satellite Images and Street Names at the same time. And rental movies purchased from iTunes will transfer to your iPod Touch, but will retain the same 30-day retention and 24-hour limit after playback begins. This is a good improvement, but it should have already been in the iPod Touch when it was first released. Secondly the fact that they are charging $20 for the upgrade is even more annoying. Especially since newly purchased units with the upgrade will retain the same price. If you just purchased your unit and it is still eligible for return try to see if the Apple Store will offer the software upgrade for free, if they don’t agree return the unit and get another one.

Links: Apple iPod Touch | What’s New

MacWorld 2008: MacBook Air 4

After a week’s worth of speculation of the big announcement, Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs presented us with a ultra-portable notebook entitled the MacBook Air. We were on the show floor and had a chance to mess with the tiny laptop. We got a few pictures of the MacBook Air, its SuperDrive (aka CD/DVD reader+writer), and a few comparison shots with the Dell 15-inch m1530. The first thing you’ll notice when you hold the MacBook Air is that it doesn’t have any easily visible ports. The device only has a MagSafe power cord connector on the left and a USB port, headphone jack, and a proprietary connector on the right. The notebook weights just 3 pounds since it even lacks a CD/DVD drive. Keep reading for more pictures and to find out what it offers. P.S. The price tag won’t be as exciting.

“We’ve built the world’s thinnest notebook—without sacrificing a full-size keyboard or a full-size 13-inch display,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “When you first see MacBook Air, it’s hard to believe it’s a high-performance notebook with a full-size keyboard and display. But it is.”

MacBook Air Specifications:

• Intel Core 2 Duo 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz
• 13.3 inch Glossy LED Backlit (1280×800)
• 2GB 667MHz DDR2 RAM
• 80GB 4200RPM HDD or 64GB SSD
• Optional External SuperDrive
• Large Multi-Touch trackpad
• Intel GMA X3100 144MB
• 1 USB 2.0, Audio Line Out, micro-DVI
• WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1
• iSight webcam and omni directional mic
• Backlit Keyboard and Optional Remote
• Over 5-hours of Expected Battery Life
• Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard

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MacWorld 2008 Keynote +

We’re at the Keynote and here’s what is happening:

9:15 am – Leopard sales reach 5 million. (20% of Mac users have upgraded!)

9:20 am – Time Capsul announced for backing up computer via Time Machine. The device is a new AirPort Extreme with a HDD. Available in 500GB and 1TB for $299 and $499, respectively.

9:30 am – iPhone SDK in February. iPhone with GPS location. Custom main menu.

9:45 am – iTunes Movie Rentals. Works on Mac/Win and iPhone/iPods. $3.99 for New Movies and $2.99 for Older Movies. 30-day Retention on Movie, but 24-hour limit once playback begins.

9:50 am – High Definition movies for $4.99 via iTunes Movie Rentals. (5.1 Surround Sound!)

Note: Sorry for the delay, we are experiencing difficulty with our servers.

- iPod Touch gets iPhone apps such as Maps, Mail, Notes, Stocks, and Weather.

- Apple TV price reduced to just $229.

Around 10:00 am – Steve Jobs announces the MacBook Air! 13″ LED backlit display. “World’s Thinnest Laptop,” which is .16-inches to .76-inches thick. Huge Multi-Touch touch pad. Magnetic MagSafe charger. Monitor output via microDVI adapter. WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR. 80GB HDD or 64GB SSD. 5 hour long battery life! 2GB RAM Standard. Looks like one USB port and external CD/DVD reader+writer. We’ll get pictures of the unit posted ASAP.

Update: Watch the full Steve Jobs Keynote Here

MacWorld 2008 Coverage +

Skatter Tech will be in San Fransisco tomorrow covering the MacWorld 2008 Keynote and Expo! Check back throughout the day to find out what Apple launches and for live pictures of their new products.

Links: Apple.com | MacWorld Expo