gadget news and reviews

HD Radio (Review) + Insignia Portable Player 7

While downloaded MP3s and streaming services such as Pandora have gained traction amongst consumers, radio is still a popular solution to many. More recently, HD Radio has been gaining more buzz as it offers CD quality audio, but with no monthly fees unlike Sirus XM Satellite Radio. I’ll be discussing the HD Radio service and the Insigina Portable Player that iBiquity, the company behind HD Radio, was kind enough to grant us.

HD Radio Service
Founded in 1998, iBiquity Digital Corporation set out to create an In-Band On-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast system and today their product is called HD Radio. The technology offers a variety of benefits over the traditional analog radio. The receiver converts an analog radio wave signal into a digital one and even provides Program Service Data (PSD) such as a song’s title, artist, and album. If you are tuned into a weather or traffic station, it can even display condition alerts or simply a text advertisement during a commercial break. Read More

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 2

Sonic the Hedgehog is finally coming back and at top speed. Sega is bringing the blue speed-demon back to what he does best. This new teaser for the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 4 arcade game shows how the high-octane 2D platformer stays true to its roots. If you’ve been nothing but disappointed with the “next generation” of the Sonic series over the past few years, you aren’t alone. Fans have spoken and Sonic is racing back at top gear to catch up with his loyal followers.

The franchise has struggled to catch up with the current consoles which has resulted in clunky, awkward controls for our favorite blue hedgehog. The new Sonic games have tried hard to look great and expand on the classic gameplay, however flashy changes have proven successful. The introduction of new gameplay elements have proven as overkill, changing the franchise altogether. If any ounce of high-speed gameplay is present in the newer games, it’s only there to tease on how great the game series was. Anybody who still owns a Sega Genesis knows how Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles work at their best.

Read More

Lost Planet 2 (Preview) +

There were high hopes for the announcement of Lost Planet 2 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC given the success and popularity of the original Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. During Capcom’s Press Event at CES 2010, Skatter Tech was able to take a look at the upcoming sequel and check out the dramatic changes that have been made thus far. After playing the demo and getting a walk through of new gameplay mechanics, I’m pleased to say that all of these changes have added to an already great game.

Read More

Netflix Comes To The Wii! 2

Hey Wii owners, have you ever been mockingly asked “so can your Wii play DVDs yet?” Respond proudly because, thanks to Netflix, now it can do even better. Owners have indubitably learned to settle for less since the console’s raw power lacks in comparison to the competition. A few good games, the Virtual Console, and Wii Ware add more value for the, but it still struggles to compete with other consoles when it comes to handling multimedia. Veterans of the console and more experienced players will definitely be glad to see the Wii spreading its wings and building on its potential. Read More

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom (Preview) +

Games like Capcom’s Street Fighter IV and the remake of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 for next-gen consoles have helped in the recent popularity of fighting games. Because of their previous success, Capcom has decided to continue the cross-over fighting genre. The newest addition to the Capcom Versus series for the Wii looks to be the best yet. Skatter Tech brings you an exclusive preview to Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars.
Read More

Mega Man 10 (Preview) +

This is a personal favorite of mine. Mega Man 9 was such a huge success among fans of the “returning” series and the confirmation of a sequel at CES was truly exciting. Mega Man 10 plans to pick up on that 8-bit glory while changing some of the gameplay elements to further improve the overall experience. Mega Man 9 left newcomers crying across the country due to the excruciating difficulty that the series brings back from its roots in the older titles. To them I say, suck it up and earn the M. Buster. Capcom, however, has taken a more sympathetic approach and is bringing you a brand new Mega Man. Read More

OrigAudio Fold & Play Speaker Giveaway 31

Last month we gaveaway a Powermat wireless charger to one of our lucky readers. Today, we’ve got 5 OrigAudio Fold & Play speakers to hand out. If you haven’t heard of these, it’s a portable foldable eco-friendly speaker system that works with iPods, Zunes, or device with standard headphone jack. We’ve got our full in-depth review here as well. (Each cost $15) Here’s how it’s going to work:

Special thanks to Orig Audio (@origaudio) for sponsoring our giveaway!

How to enter the contest (TWO Options):

Option 1:

1. Become a Facebook Fan of Skatter Tech
2. Use Facebook Connect to leave a comment below

Option 2:

1. Follow @skattertech on Twitter
2. Click here to retweet the following message

Some Rules Apply:

• Don’t try to enter more than once. (We have robots!)
• Must live in the United States. 13 and older only.
• Winner is randomly chosen by computer auto generator.
• Entries close after Thursday 01/22/10 11:59 PM (PST).
• Winner will be announced on this post on the next day.
• Winner has 24 hours to respond to DM or Facebook Message.

That’s pretty much it. If you don’t know what Facebook Connect is, it’s simple. Just click on “FB Connect” next to the comment box and login with your Facebook Account. If you do that and become a Fan of Skatter Tech, you’re in! And for Twitter, if you don’t have an account, just get one! It’s quick!

UPDATE: Contest entries closed. We’ll be posting results shortly.

The Results: The winners are: Poline Chuon, David Chang, Dev Butt, Mariela Elizabeth Lopez, and Tuyen Nguyen! We’ll be contacting you shortly to get you your free set of OrigAudio Speakers!

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

Best of YouTube 2009 1

It’s been a long and difficult year, from the worsening economic crisis, Michael Jackson’s death, swine flu, and the Tiger Woods media blitz. Despite that, YouTube kept us entertained. If you’ve been on the ‘internets’, you’ve probably seen all the videos below. But we’ve rounded up the most popular videos and search terms on YouTube for the year according to the owners Google.

Most Watched Videos (Global):

1. Susan Boyle – Britain’s Got Talent (120+ million views)
2. David After Dentist (37+ million views)
3. JK Wedding Entrance Dance (33+ million views)
4. New Moon Movie Trailer (31+ million views)
5. Evian Roller Babies (27+ million views)

Most Watched Music Videos (Global):

1. Pitbull “I Know You Want Me” (82+ million views)
2. Miley Cyrus “The Climb” (64+ million views)
3. Miley Cyrus “Party in the U.S.A.” (54+ million views)
4. The Lonely Island “I’m On a Boat” (48+ million views)
5. Keri Hilson “Knock You Down” (35+ million views)

Read More

OrigAudio Speakers (Review) 5

I’m sure you’ve listened to many speakers, but you probably haven’t heard of OrigAudio. These are unlike any speakers I’ve come across. They are entirely eco-friendly, made almost entirely of cardboard, and even fold up. Once I saw this included on Time Magazine’s list of Top 50 Inventions of 2009, I couldn’t resist but to give these a test. OrigAudio was kind enough to provide us with a review unit. I’ve used these speakers for about a week. There’s some good, some bad, and here’s what I found:

Build Quality
The OrigAudio speakers arrived in a flat box. The packaging is made almost entirely from recycled cardboard. Once pulling the speakers out of the packaging, you’ll need to assemble them. As the name ‘Orig’-Audio implies, much like origami, you unfold them and shape them into cubes. There are pre-cut tabs that fit into slits and lock into place. The entire processes takes just a few minutes. There’s no need for a scissor, tape, stapler, or glue. The two cube speakers actually look quite unique and stand out from traditional ones. There’s a standard 3.5mm headphone jack that plugs right into an iPod, Zune, Netbook, or any device with a headphone jack. The cable is about 3.5 feet long. The speakers sit about a foot apart from one another. While this all seems neat, there are unfortunately a few drawbacks to the design. Since these are cardboard, they are not exactly too durable or stable. There’s an uneven distribution of weight due to the speaker being outfitted to the front face of the cube. The entire unit easily tips over with even the slightest nudge. The cardboard built also makes it susceptible to damage from water or moisture. But then again, I’ve never seen a pair of foldable speakers before. It’s easy to disassemble and pack away with your luggage when traveling. The unit we reviewed featured the Cityscape design, but the OrigAudio is also available in a few other varieties. Read More