gadget news and reviews

Dual Screen Wallpaper In Vista 7

Last month I posted a tutorial describing how to setup an extended display in Windows Vista for laptops. I received an email asking exactly how I setup a background which extended over from one display onto another. So setting up dual screen wallpapers in Vista is what I’ll be going over in this quick tutorial.

Before picking a background to use, you’ll need to know the total resolution of your two displays. So for example if you have two 1280×800 displays and they are sitting besides each other, the total resolution would be 2560 x 800. You would then have to find an image of that resolution to make it fit correctly. If you’ve already got an image, skip to the setup procedure. If not, a great place to look for large backgrounds is InterfaceLift. This website offers tons of free high resolution wallpapers for just about every setup. Since we are looking for wallpapers for dual displays, head on over to the dual monitors section and select the resolution of your setup to filter the results. Browse through the gallery, pick some wallpapers you like, and save them to your computer.

Setup Dual Screen Walpaper:

1. Right-click on desktop & click Personalize
2. Open the Desktop Background settings
3. Browse to & select the background you want
4. Choose ‘Tile’ under positioning settings

If all goes well, your dual screen wallpaper should span across your first display onto the second!

Some problems you may encounter are if you have different sized resolutions on each of your displays. One solution for that would be to pick an image larger in height and width than the larger of your two displays. Doing so should ensure that the image stretches across your entire viewing area. There are also some applications which will allow further customizations, for example choosing different images for each display. This tutorial covers the simplest method to getting this done without any extra software. We welcome all tips and suggestions so please let us know if you have any other cools tweaks or tips. And as always if you have any problems please leave a comment and someone will assist you!

Aliph Releases Jawbone NoiseAssassin +

Last week Aliph announced a new version of the noise eliminating Jawbone bluetooth headset. The new model is 50% smaller than the original and supposedly produces better results. The headset uses military-grade NoiseAssassin technology which will virtually all outside noise may it be from a car passing by or a plane flying overhead. The Jawbone’s “Voice Activity Sensor” detects the user’s speech and separates it from external sounds. This technology allows the eliminating over 10 times more unnecessary noise than other headsets on the market. This is a must have device for those who constantly make important calls while commuting. The person on the other end of the phone probably won’t even have the slightest idea that you aren’t in sitting at your office desk.

“In creating the new Jawbone we focused on improving our audio performance beyond the marketing leading noise solution that we already had, and elevating the design to a point where it would appeal to a broad range of consumers who would love to wear it,” – Hosain Rahman (CEO)

In numbers, the new Jawbone weighs just 10 grams, offers 4 hours of talk time, can last on standby for 8 days, retain a connection up to 10 meters from a bluetooth device, takes 1 hour for a full charge, and runs on the Bluetooth 2.0 protocol. The headset comes with different sized ear buds and ear loops to ensure a sung fit for your ear. From personal experience I can testify that the original Jawbone was quite impressive and if what Aliph claims is true regarding the new model, this might just be one of the best headsets on the market. If you are interested in purchasing the new Jawbone, it is available in AT&T retail stores and online at Jawbone.com for a price of $129.99.

Links: Jawbone.com | Aliph Technology Demo

P.S. I’ll try to get a hold of a unit soon, so check back soon for an in-depth review.

Wicked Lasers Nexus 95mW (Review) 8

Exactly 48 years ago today, the first laser diode was demonstrated by Theodore Maiman at Hughes Research Laboratories. Today lasers are being used all the time and can be found in devices such as CD/DVD burners or laser printers. A couple of months ago I reviewed the 5mW Wicked Lasers Core laser pointer. Today Skatter Tech brings you an in depth review of the 95mW Nexus Green Laser Pointer thanks to the folks over at Wicked Lasers. This green laser isn’t the average laser you can pick up for a couple of bucks at a retail store. The Wicked Lasers Nexus is powerful enough to melt plastic, light matches, pop balloons, and can be seen from over 50 miles away. (The beam is actually visible at night!)

Wicked Lasers Nexus Specifications:

• Output Power: 95mW
• Beam Diameter: 1.6mm
• Laser Lifetime: over 5,000 hours
• Power Consumption: 500mA
• Battery Supply: 2 x AAA (1.5V)
• Battery Life: 90 minutes
• Body: Black Polished Brass
• Wavelength: 532nm
• Size: 13mm x 144mm

The Nexus 95mW is bright enough that the target is clearly visible even in bright daylight. The actual beam isn’t so visible during the day, but is clearly visible when indoors. At night this laser pretty much resembles a Star Wars light saber. The beam doesn’t seem to ever end if you shine it into the sky at night. This is excellent for pointing planets or stars. It’s power might not be the best for all situations, for example a PowerPoint presentation. The laser will probably be much brighter than your projector and will most likely blind the audience. At night the Nexus can literally light up an entire room.

Read More

LG VX9100 enV2 – Verizon Wireless 181

Last week Verizon Wireless announced the true successor to the popular LG enV (VX9900), the LG enV2 (VX9100). I was wrong to have previously concluded that the LG Voyager (VX10000) was the replacement. The Voyager seems to have been a “premium” version of the enV meant to take on iPhone sales, while the compact and affordable enV2 remains in the same class as the original. When the VX9900 originally was released it was quite a robust and powerful phone featuring the latest technologies, however the enV2 doesn’t seem to have any revolutionary features. The phone seems to be merely a simple upgrade to its predecessor with a new user interface, a compact body, a better build quality, and other minor improvements. There’s plenty of good and some bad, so lets get started.

LG VX9100 Specifications:

• Provider: Verizon Wireless (800MHz / 1.9GHz CDMA )
• Form Factor: Laptop-like w/ QWERTY keyboard
• Internal Display: 2.4-inch 320 x 240 pixels
• Media: MP3, WMA, AAC plus WMV, MP4, 3GP
• Imaging: 2.0 mega pixel camera and camcorder
• Other: Bluetooth, microSD (8GB max), stereo speakers
• Battery Life: 320 Mins Talk-Time or 520 Hrs standby
• Dimensions: 4″ H x 2.13″ W x .65″ D (inches)
• Price: $130 after $50 rebate plus a 2 year contract

LG enV2 Body: 4/5 stars
The enV (VX9900) was a more compact version of the LG V (VX9800) and now the enV2 is even smaller. The phone is quite small and can fit in just about any pocket. It’s a bit heavier than I had imagined (4.23 oz), but it’s still lighter than the enV. The enV2 is a whole lot shorter and thinner than the enV, however it is slightly wider. Both the front and back are pretty flat and all edges are smooth and rounded. It’s a pretty good looking phone and is easy to handle as well. On the front you’ll find a tiny display at the top and improved numeric keypad right below. The backside of the phone has the removable battery and the 2.0 megapixel camera. The right side of the phone has the 2.5mm headphone jack and microSD card reader/writer while the left side has the volume toggle keys and the camera button. As for the inside of the phone, the top portion features the 2.4-inch display with stereo speakers on the sides and the bottom portion has the QWERTY keyboard. And finally a micro-USB port can be found on the bottom under a socket cover for charging and data transfer. The only thing that I found disappointing was the extremely small screen on the front which has been rendered almost entirely useless. I feel that there would have been more to gain by making the keypad a bit smaller and by adding a larger screen.

Read More

May 2008 – Wii/PS3/360 Games +

After last month’s launch of Grand Theft Auto IV for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, which seems to have received best score of all time for both consoles, these new games are probably going to go unnoticed. And Wii users are still probably rejoicing with Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart.

Nintendo Wii:

• Emergency Heroes – Ubisoft
• Wii Fit – Nintendo
• DECA Sports – Hudson Entertainment, Inc
• We Ski – NAMCO Bandai Games America, Inc
• Castle of Shikigame III – Aksys Games
• Blast Works – Majesco Sales, Inc
• Bloom Box – Electronic Arts
• Iron Man – Sega

Play Station 3:

• The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian – Disney Interactive Studios
• UEFA EURO 2008 – Electronic Arts
• SlingStar – SCEA
• Enemy Territory: Quake Wars – Activision
• Monster Madness: Grave Danger – Southpeak
• Haze – Ubisoft

Xbox 360:

• Iron Man – Sega
• Wits & Wagers – Microsoft
• The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian – Disney Interactive Studios
• UEFA EURO 2008 – Electronic Arts
• Enemy Territory: Quake Wars – Activision
• Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition – Capcom

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

Nokia N95 8GB Review 12

I recently got a hold of the brand new Nokia N95 8GB (N95-4) smart phone running the Symbian OS. This phone is the most powerful and feature packed phone I have used to date! It truly dominates the Apple iPhone on just about every aspect with features such as a 5 mega pixel camera, 3G enabled, GPS navigation, and plenty more. The only issue I ran into was getting comfortable using the interface since I hadn’t used a Nokia phone in ages. It’s not at all that I don’t like Nokia, but there really haven’t been any quality phones from them available through my service provider, Verizon Wireless. Despite that, the phone constantly kept me at the edge I kept discovering new things that it was capable of doing.

Nokia N95 8GB Specifications:

• Type: WCDMA 850/1900 + WiFi
• Display: 2.8-inch with 320×240 resolution
• Form Factor: Two-Way Slider
• Battery Life: 5 hours talk & 12 days standby
• Main Camera: 5 megapixel w/ flash & auto-focus
• Storage: Built-in 8GB Flash Memory
• Special: WiFi, GPS, 2nd Camera, Home Network
• Other: Bluetooth and Standard Headphone Jack
• Dimensions: 3.9″H x 2.09″W x 0.83″D
• Price: $550 – $650 for an Unlocked Version

The Body – 4/5 stars
From looking at the images, you’ve probably realized that this isn’t exactly the best looking phone. It’s a bit bulky and definitely doesn’t look attractive. Keep in mind the reason you are probably purchasing this phone is for it’s features. On the front of the phone you’ll find the large 2.8-inch display with four-way controls, send/end buttons, the left/right soft keys, and a couple other short cuts. Above the screen is the secondary camera with its flash for video conferencing and self-portraits. Sliding the screen up will reveal a numeric keypad while sliding it in the opposite direction will reveal multimedia controls. The power button can be found on the top of the phone while the mini-USB and charging connections are on the bottom. A standard 3.5mm headphone jack can be found on the left side of the phone besides an infrared transmitter. A volume toggle, media button, and camera key are all on the right side. The 5 mega pixel camera is on the back above the battery compartment which also holds the SIM card.

The Screen – 5/5 stars
The N95’s 2.8-inch screen can only display at a maximum of 320×240 pixels, but is extremely bright and sharp. Just about anything displayed on the screen such as the menus, photos, or videos all look wonderful. The screen also looks great out doors and glare isn’t as bad as it is on other phones. And for those of you wondering if the screen is touch capable, it isn’t. Although I felt it would have been neat for such a large, the control system is fairly easy to use once you get a hang of them. Read More