gadget news and reviews

SlingBox Solo + iPhone SlingPlayer (Review) +

I rarely begin a review by drawing final thoughts right off the bat, but the SlingBox Solo simply rocks. For those that haven’t heard of SlingBox, it’s a little set-top box that streams a residential Satellite or Cable TV feed over the internet for remote viewing on a Mac, PC, or mobile device. That means being able to enjoy the TV content you receive at home from just about anywhere that has internet access. Asides from wishing for a few additional features in a future iteration, this was simply one of the few products that worked so well right out of the box that it deserves commendation. There are usually many pitfalls set-top boxes wind up in, but fortunately, SlingMedia got it all right. Read More

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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Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2 Netbook (Review) 2

The IdeaPad S10-2 Netbook is likely Lenovo’s final model running on Intel’s Atom Diamondville processors as most new models are taking the leap to the Pineview series. Although this might be at the verge of getting “outdated” as the new IdeaPad S10-3 series is just beginning to hit shelves, these will begin to drop in price and will still be worth every penny. With a 6-cell battery offering nearly 8 hours of juice on Windows XP and 7 hours with Windows 7, it’s quite impressive. I’ve been putting it to the test for the past few weeks and here’s what we found:

The Specifications:

• Processor: 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270
• OS: Windows XP Home with SP3
• RAM: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz
• Screen: 10.1-inch LED Glossy 1024×600
• HDD: 160GB at 5400RPM
• Video: Intel GMA 950
• Wireless: WiFi 802.11b/g
• Battery: 6-cell Lithium-Ion
• Card Reader: 4-in-1
• Ports: 3x USB, VGA, Ethernet
• Weight: 2.65 lbs with 6-cell

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Apple Announces The iPad 4

Apple just finished up their Press Conference at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco and finally announced their poorly kept secret: the iPad. There’s a lot that the media expected, however details such as the price range was quite impressive. So here’s what it can do:

“iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way”

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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

Project Voldemort: Building An i7 Gaming Rig +

When I first set out to build a gaming computer I had to sit down and ask myself a few questions. They were questions such as, “How much do I want to spend?” and, “What am I trying to achieve exactly?” These questions and a few simple others led me to the final question, ”What’s dark, snake-like, powerful, and intimidating looking?” AHHHHH! RUN! IT’S GODZILLA… and Lord Voldemort. I decided that instead of building a monsterous and rampaging Godzilla of a computer that a tidy and composed, yet just as powerful “Lord Voldemort” of a computer would suit my style better. My Voldemort computer would need to be powerful, stealthy, and sleek while still having that element of intimidation to strike fear in to those who see it. I progressed with these goals in mind to take the next step of collecting the various horcruxes I would need in order to raise the Dark Lord (without actually killing anyone, of course). 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

Sprint Overdrive (Preview) +

During the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Dominic Raad and I attended Sprint’s Hottest Spot 4G event. Although we arrived late since Microsoft’s Press Conference lasted longer than expected due to a power failure, we still made it to the event. Steve Ballmer made it to the stage and presented to the audience at Sprint’s event immediately after his own keynote even though we didn’t make it there on time. Sprint’s CEO, Dan Hesse, hosted the event and Best Buy’s CEO, Brain Dunn, joined him on stage as well. The topic was of course their new 4G offerings and a the new Overdrive personal WiFi hotspot, much like Verizon’s MiFi. Read More

CES 2010: Sharp Press Conference +

At CES 2010, Sharp unveiled a line of new products, including their new “Quad-Pixel” technology and new line of Sharp’s AQUOS televisions. Quad-Pixel technology features an additional color, yellow, into the conventional RGB spectrum. This allows for better colors such as greater gold, deeper Caribbean blues, and amazing shades of yellow. With RGBY, a user can see an impressive one trillion colors, rather than the traditional one billion with RGB. As the presenter put it, in terms of time, it would take 32 years to count one billion seconds, but 32,000 years to count to one trillion. Read More

SanDisk Extreme 32GB SDHC (Review) 2

SanDisk was kind enough to lend us one of their most expensive memory cards, the SDHC 32GB Class 10. With an advertised 30MB/s transfer speed, we couldn’t resist to put it to the test. The capacity alone is enough to heighten any hard-core photographer’s interest. But the cost, convenience, speeds, and compatibility are important factors to consider. So after some benchmarks and real-life use tests in an entry level DSLR camera, here’s what we found.

Performance:
If you are a professional photographer, it’s a pain when your DSLR camera has to freeze up for a few seconds to wait for the data to get copied over from the cache to the memory card. It’s annoying when you realize that you finally have a great camera but the cheap included memory card is a bottleneck. Although speeds aren’t necessarily an issue for casual consumers, those making their way into professional photography will find many situations when fast write speeds are necessary. Sports games and keynote presentations are great examples of when the burst mode demands fast write speeds. SanDisk’s Class 10 SDHC memory cards hopes to solve those problems. Read More