gadget news and reviews

Microsoft Arc Mouse (Review) 1

Microsoft’s Arc Mouse is rather one of the better looking mice on the market with a unique design and slick build. With curvature for optimal comfort, a foldable design for travel, and wireless connectivity, the Arc Mouse aims to reach the hands of many users at an affordable price. If you are on the go, a laptop’s touchpad doesn’t always get the job done. While portable mouse comes handy, does Microsoft’s Arc Mouse live up to the claims or is it just a waste of well-earned cash?

Microsoft Arc Mouse Specs:

• 2.4 GHz Connectivity
• 30 ft. Wireless Range
• Snap-in Transceiver
• Scroll Wheel & Back Button
• Battery Indicator

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CES 2010: Powermat (Preview) 2

Last November we published our in-depth review of the Powermat. We thought it was awesome, but it was expensive and wasn’t necessarily hassle free. Earlier this month during the Consumer Electronics Show, we met up with Powermat. They showed us their new lineup of products for 2010. With some new unique products, I’m quite confident that they’ll have a successful year. One of my personal favorites was a special wireless charging enabled battery that replaces the one currently in your phone. You’ll essentially be able to charge your phone with the mat without cords, sleeves, or any other accessories. That’s not all, they’ve got more in stock so keep reading for details.

The New Mats:
When we last reviewed the Powermat, they had two offerings: the “Home and Office” and a “Portable” version. While we didn’t particularly have an issues with the Mats, they came up with new ones anyways. The new Home and Office model is offered in three sizes: 1X, 2X, and 3X. They can charge one, two, and three devices, respectively. While I didn’t have the chance to spend too much time with the new model, it was noticeably sharper looking and slimmer. I felt that a single charger defeated the purpose of advertising a cable-free solution since a cable would need to go to the mat anyways. You could save some cash and just plug in a single device if that’s all you need to charge. However, the dual and triple Powermats make sense. Read More

iFrogz EarPollution Timbre With Mic (Review) +

Over the past few weeks, Skatter Tech has published reviews of two iFrogz EarPollution headphones. So far, all these headphones have been unique in their own way, both functionally and artistically. Now it’s time to see what iFrogz brings to the table with earphones.

Admittedly, headphones are not for everyone. Some find them too bulky and overbearing, and prefer the alternative being earphones. iFrogz offers a variety of products each varying in aesthetics, style, and quality. Today I’ll be focusing on the Timbre earphones. Advertised for its sound quality and a built-in microphone, let’s see if these affordable earphones really live up to their name. Read More

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

Verbatim Tuff ‘N’ Tiny (Review) +

In technology, slim and small rules. Compact gadgets simply get more attention. For flash drives, it’s always nice to get more gigabytes in a smaller package. Fortunately, ultra-portable flash drives such as this Verbatim Tuff N Tiny and the Super Talent’s Pico are beginning to gain popularity. I truly found myself appreciating the convenience of the Verbatim’s size even though real-life transfer speeds were a bit slower than I had hoped. And for those wondering, this is a standard flash drive. It will fit into any USB 2.0 port on your desktop, laptop, or netbook without any special adapters. Read More

Audio-Technica ATH-ANC3 Earphones +

No stranger to the audio world, Audio-Technica is a major player in today’s high-end consumer and professional market. Reaping in a well deserved Innovations Design and Engineering Award at this year’s 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Audio-Technica is spearheading the active noise cancelling market with the brand new ATH-ANC7b QuietPoint headphones. While Skatter Tech wasn’t able to acquire this award winner for review just yet, Audio-Technica did graciously provide us with their ATH-ANC3 active noise canceling earphones. If you’re thinking, “Earphones? Did you guys just settle for cheap, low-end, earphones?” While that might have been your initial thought, the sound that followed was quite impressive.

Packaging & Accessories:
The ATH-ANC3 comes packaged in a neat and professional looking box which displays the earphones and active noise control unit through a plastic window. The box advertises, “Up to 85% noise reduction (20dB) of background noise,” and displays a little diagram of how the active noise cancelling technology works. We know this product is for users who are always on the go, citing pictures of an airplane, commuter train, and office desk on the packaging. Read More

iFrogz EarPollution CS40 (Review) +

Aside from a wide range of unique iPod accessories, speakers, and apparel, iFrogz also has a large selection of headphones. Each of these headphones are unique and focus on different features and styles. For this review, I took a look at the EarPollution CS40, a member of the iFrogz Comfort Series. Unlike other EarPollution headphones, this series comes in one general style with different color schemes available. Although a bit cheaper than the other models, these headphones focus less on style and more on simplicity. The question is, can the CS40’s come through on their promise as the most comfortable headphones out there?

EarPollution CS40 Comfort Series Specs

• Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
• Speaker Driver: 40mm
• Cable Length: 1.6m
• Plug Size: 3.5mm
• Sensitivity: 115dB +/- 3dB
• Impedance: 32 ohms +/- 15%
• MSRP $40 (Available for $20-$25)

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iFrogz EarPollution DJ Style (Review) 5

Aside from a wide range of unique iPod accessories, speakers, and apparel, iFrogz also has a large selection of headphones. These are appropriately named EarPollution and are available in countless styles sure to compliment any personality. This review pertains to the DJ Style series with the Billionaire theme. Although it’s great to have options when finding a style that artistically represents you, I was pressed to figure out whether the DJ Style focused too much on looks and not enough on quality.

DJ Style Billionaire Specs

• Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
• Speaker Driver: 50mm
• Cable Length: 1.2m
• Plug Size: 3.5mm
• Sensitivity: 105dB +/- 3dB
• Impedance: 32 ohms +/- 15%
• MSRP: $50 (Available for $35)

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CES 2010: The Peregrine +

Gamers rejoice, the inventor of The Peregrine, Brent Baier, has come from the future to bring you the latest in gaming tech. The Peregrine gaming glove is proof that the once thought Sci-Fi technology is coming closer and closer to reality. This device will immerse the gamer into a completely new gaming experience that has only before been imagined. The Peregrine is a comfortable flexible glove that uses innovative technology to completely replace the keyboard. Read More

Verbatim Tuff Clip (Review) +

A USB flash drive is an essential gizmo and  just about everyone should own at least one. Flash Drives come in millions of varieties including truly ultra-portable ones such as the Super Talent Pico or with high-grade security such as the IronKey. The Verbatim Tuff Clip on the other hand has a more traditional form factor, but it’s aimed for those with an active lifestyle with an added clip.

Build Quality: 2.5/5 stars
This flash drive looks and feels different from a conventional USB flash drive. Both sides of the Tuff Clip feature ridges along the body for a better grip. The USB connector recedes into the body for protection. While it may seem like a neat idea, it turned out to be quite annoying. If you weren’t holding both the back portion and front portion of the drive when inserting into a computer, the connector kept sliding back into the chassis. this issue could have easily been avoided with a simple click and lock feature when extended. Moving forwards, there’s a clip on top that fastens onto a backpack, belt loop, or ring. The spring-loaded clip automatically snaps closed once fastened onto something. Verbatim describes the Tuff Clip as a “clip n’ carry” with a “rugged design”. While I would agree with the first statement, the Tuff Clip is definitely not rugged. When I read about this model, I expected it to offer the strength of the clip to be comparable to an average carabiner. I was quite wrong. The clip looks like it’s flimsy enough to break off if it becomes snagged on something.

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