gadget news and reviews

ContourHD Wearable Camcorder (Preview) +

Extreme sport enthusiasts have had moments they’ve wished to capture on film whether it was the amazing ski-run or the the scene from a paraglider. Holding a normal camcorder is bulky, ties up one hand, and makes it harder to balance. Not to mention the dangers of damaging the camcorder or getting hurt. VholdR hopes to solve those issues with their new wearable ContourHD 1080p camcorder that can survive through the harshest of conditions.

A quick look at the VholdR’s website reveals recordings of the camera in action during base jumps, mountain biking, and backcountry ski trips. The ContourHD 1080p camera mounts onto just about anything: bike handlebars, ski helmets, goggles, or even cars. It is clear that this camcorder can go places that other 1080p camcorders can not. It sports a dual laser for alignment with a 180 degree rotating lens. This ensures a calibrated shot even if it’s mounted sideways. Unlike competitors such as the Go Pro Camera, the ContourHD does not look like a boxy point and shoot camera shoved in a waterproof case. Instead, it packed in a sleek and stylish black anodized aluminum body that’s shock resistant. VholdR claims that it can hold its own through snow and all types of debris. Plus, its not bulky either, it weighs just 4.3oz. To stay compact, the camcorder uses a microSD (16GB max) for storing recordings. One charge is expected to last for capturing 3 hours of content. The ContourHD is ready out of the box since it comes packed with a 2GB microSD card. Read More

CES 2010: Netgear Press Confrence Live 2

We’re at the Netgear’s Press Conference. Let’s get started! It’s about to start soon.

9:00 AM – It’s started. Netgear’s sarcastic spokesperson is on stage

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CES 2010: LG Press Conference Live +

We’re at the LG Press Conference and it’s packed. Only a few could make it in, but here’s what’s happening

8:12am - At the LG Press Conference

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Eye-Fi Wireless SD Card (Review) +

Eye-Fi is a Wi-Fi enabled SD card that enables any standard digital camera to wirelessly upload photos and videos to the web and your computer. Traditionally, one would copy photos on a memory card over to a computer, then upload images to their favorite picture sharing sites such as Flickr. The product aims to eliminate some of those steps. It’s simple, once setup properly, snap a photo and images will automatically be uploaded straight from your digital camera to just about any media sharing service. The model we were provided was the Eye-Fi Explore Video.

The Setup
Just plug the card into your computer using the included USB card reader or your own. There’s a small application you’ll have to install on either your Macintosh or Windows machine. The program will take you through a quick setup process to configure your card for WiFi networks. Although the card will automatically connect to unsecured networks, you’ll have to plug it into a computer each time you want to configure it for secured ones. The card also automatically connects to Wayport public hotspots for free for an year with this model. (There are about 10,000 Wayport locations, e.g. McDonalds) Read More

Threadsy – Pull Yourself Together +

Threadsy is a new web service, which was recently launched during TechCrunch 50, that aggregates all online communication into one place. It pulls data from email accounts, social networks, and instant messaging protocols together into one screen. I assumed it would be a bit overwhelming at first as many of you may, but Threadsy’s organization actually makes it work. Threadsy currently supports emails from Gmail (including Google Domain Apps), AOL Mail, Yahoo! Mail, and Hotmail. There’s full support for IMAP too. It pulls in Facebook and Twitter for social networking and Meebo for chat accounts. If you’ve used Meebo before, you’re probably well aware that it supports AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, MySpace, and Facebook all through a web browser. Read More

Netflix Finally Reaches The PS3 +

Since launch, Sony has advertised the PlayStation 3 as a household center for entertainment. In addition to Blu-Ray playback, Sony soon took it a step further with a few software updates giving it access to tons of Movies and TV Shows through the PlayStation Network Store. It even supports DLNA streaming to share music, photos, and videos between computers on your home network. Despite those features, it lacked something that Microsoft was able to put into the Xbox: Netflix Streaming.

Fortunately Sony has caught up with the times and has partnered with Netflix. They plan to offer PS3 owners and Netflix subscribers streaming access to their library as early as next month at no additional cost. This will be a great complement to their snail mail Blu-Ray rental service.  To enable your PS3 for the service, you’ll need to get a special free disc from Netflix that will enable the service. Let’s hope there will be more features such as this one coming down the line. Hulu please?

Links: Netflix.com/PS3

Back To School: JanSport Revolt +

With school starting just around the corner, students everywhere are looking to purchase new backpacks to start the year. We would like to thank JanSport was kind enough to provide us their Revolt day pack for this review. An important aspect of backpacks these days is included protection for laptops and electronics. And with that being said, it must be done without adding too much bulk or weight to make the bag uncomfortable to wear. The Jansport Revolt is fairly lightweight, looks great, and was spacious.

The day pack features the new “Biovent” padded shoulder straps and the “Ventech” cushioned back panel. This is essential for those who have longer commutes as it helps reduces strain and adds some comfort. Plus the design is suppose to improve airflow between you and the bag, to keep yourself cooler. After a few days of use, I actually have to say that I actually found it uncomfortable. I continued to use it for another week and breaking it in helped it become a lot better.  The bag weighs just under 2 pounds and can hold up to 2001.6 cu in, which is about the average size for a backpack. The Revolt also has adjustable chest and waist straps, to help transfer the weight.

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InvisibleSkinz for LG enV Touch +

Last week we reviewed the ZAGG invisibleSHIELD for the Apple iPhone. And as we mentioned there, we highly recommend purchasing cases to protect expensive gadgets. But even with the best cases, there are a couple of drawbacks. These include reduced functionality, extra weight, and loss of the original design. An alternative option, that has become increasingly popular, is using Invisible Skinz. It’s a piece of durable, but barely noticeable film that safely adhere themselves to the device. The film will help ward off  scratches and wear and tear. The best reward of using a skin instead of a hard case would be that the device would look just about the same as before adhering anything to it.

Installation: Time Consuming + Difficult
Getting the InvisibleSkinz film on the LG enV Touch isn’t a few minute job. It actually took us about 45 minutes to get everything installed properly. It comes with a few pieces of film, which was a bit of a puzzle to figure out which went where. (15 included pieces) Installing it requires using a “SHIELDspray” liquid solution, to be applied to both your hands and the film. One thing that may worry many is actually getting this liquid all over your device. I can assure, after installing this type of product on many devices, that using a proper amount of solution won’t cause any issues. Just be sure to avoid getting any solutions into any critical openings. If the device is off and allowed to dry for a couple hours after installation, there’s nothing to worry about. Applying the film was pretty difficult, you only have a short window of time to get it adjust to the right spot. If there are any bubbles caught between the film and the body of the phone, just squeeze them out with the included tool. There’s also a ton of smears and small particles making the entire thing look horrible after you finish. However if you wait patiently overnight or a day, most of those work themselves out. Read More

LG enV Touch (VX-11000) Review 129

Bringing back the “enV” name, the LG enV Touch (VX-11000) is the upgrade to the popular LG Voyager (VX-10000), which was released in late 2007. The phone keeps the same form factor as its predecessor, but is now slimmer and more stylish. The enV Touch has many new features, normally found in more expensive devices, such as video editing and a office document viewer.

LG enV Touch VX-11000 Specifications:

• Provider: Verizon Wireless (1.9 GHz /800 MHz CDMA)
• Displays: 3-inch 800 x 480 pixels & 1,600K colors
• Camera: 3.2 Megapixel Camera w/ Autofocus, Flash & Image Editor
• Music: MP3, WMA, Unprotected AAC/AAC+
• Memory: 250Mb (internal) / 16GB microSD (external)
• Battery: 260 Minutes Talk Time & 408 Hours Standby
• Other: Bluetooth 2.1+EDR | Stereo Speakers

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foneGEAR Mini Blu Headset (Review) 2

Every bluetooth headset hitting the market today seems to be getting new wild features, for example an LCD display for Caller ID. All the average consumer honestly needs is the ability to talk. foneGear has taken this approach with their Mini Blue (fG876) lightweight headset with no unnecessary extras. The Mini Blue isn’t exactly the most innovative feature-packed unit, but it’s simple and it works!

foneGear Mini Blu (fG976) Specs:

• Battery: 4 hrs talk | 75 hrs idle
• Range: 30 foot wireless range
• Wireless: Bluetooth 2.0 EDR+
• Weight: 0.4 oz (11g)
• Charger: AC Adapter

The layout of the Mini Blu is as simple as it can get. It’s got a multi-function button on the front which acts as the talk/end button as well as turns on/off the unit. On the side, you’ll find a plus and minus button to control the volume level. The volume down key doubles as the redial button as well as the mute control. Even after testing the headset with multiple phones, we still had issues getting the redial and mute functions to work properly. An LED indicator can be found on the front, which lights up red while charging and flashes blue while it’s on. The audio quality was decent, but not too great. The audio would crackle and the listener would also have a hard time hearing us if we turned up the volume too high. Despite this, the quality of voice calls on the Mini Blu is more than enough for most consumers.

The headset can be worn on either ear and was quite comfortable. The actual speaker portion is surrounded by a soft rubber, therefore will be easy on the ear even after hours of use. The headset is fastened to your ear with a thin plastic around-the-ear hook. With this hook, it is close to impossible for the headset to fall off even if you are actively moving. This can not be said for other headsets we’ve reviewed such as the Samsung WEP200, which is quite hard to keep in place. Read More