Posts filed under ‘Gadgets’ RSS Feed
Gadgets are the wave of the world! Whatever that means, gadgets are oh-so-cool and you should know about every single thing that could make your life easier.
Gadgets | December 29th, 2008 by Staggs
Some of you may be slower than others for not really conforming to the fast-paced world of gadgets. We don’t hold it against you (we wouldn’t dare!) but some things don’t come as naturally as others. Bluetooth headsets are one of those things that I believe people are still weary about.
They don’t work right, its hard to understand how to sync them properly, or the device itself just isn’t reliable. All these reasons are still clouding people’s willingness to commit to this wireless technology. But, rest assured its getting much, much better. With better Bluetooth technology, and better cell phone support, now is the right time to make a commitment to buy a hands-free headset.
Read More »
2 Comments »
Tags: aliph, bluetooth, cell phone, device, handsfree, headset, mobile, plantronics
Gadgets | December 23rd, 2008 by Staggs
Toshiba announced last week that they been working hard on creating a new compact, memory technology called solid state drives (SSD). This technology is a lot like SD-cards people use today in their digital cameras or computers, however those are limited at about 8Gb. SSD will allow much more space to be put into a small, card-like drive about 2-inches in size.
How much space is it capable of? Toshiba is working on a whopping 512-gigabyte SSD, ‘ more than my current laptops hard drive! This technology is very significant; because of its massive amount of space and its minuscule size there are plenty of applications for it.
For one, my laptops hard drive is probably a source of weight, as it has a mechanical arm, it spins, makes noise, etc. An SSD would eliminate a lot of that excess. On top of that, its so small, we can probably have more than one. At 512gb, space at that point is ever expansive, 1Tb or 2Tb of space is easily achievable.
Another cool thing about SSD technology is that it has very long life-span. Toshiba has estimated that your SSD will last up to 1 million hours, or about a hundred years; not bad. Hard drives, due to their mechanical nature, can last a couple of years (its very varied however), certainly not forever.
Like I usually say, with everything good comes some downside. SSD will be very expensive as it is an expanding technology, and its new. For a few years, it will cost a couple hundred dollars to have an SSD over a normal hard drive. But, once its cheap enough for a majority of people, we could see a phasing out of traditional hard drives!
No Comments »
Tags: laptop, memory, solid state drive, ssd, toshiba
Gadgets | December 10th, 2008 by Staggs
Not too often do we hear of a product that sounds damn near perfect with respect to execution and that “leet” factor we look for. Not too often does such a product come from an Internet company. We’re talking about the Kindle, the digital book and reading assistant from Amazon.com.
What Is the Amazon Kindle?
This gadget knows one thing, and only one thing: It is a device that allows its users to purchase books, magazines, newspapers, and blogs, and easily read them. It is a mobile library of 190,000 books (as boasted by Amazon) that is competitively unmatched by other devices.
Read More »
No Comments »
Tags: amazon.com, audible, books, download books, ebook, kindle, leetest 08, wireless
Gadgets | December 2nd, 2008 by d00m
LCD vs. Plasma
It’s that time of year again when shoppers flock to stores looking for gifts and discounts so they can fill their house with the latest and greatest. The holiday season is the time for stores to make money, and for you to save some money. Most importantly this is a time to finally get in touch with this high-definition movement that has been taking place the past 2 years. Since HD-DVD was killed, Blu-Ray has prevailed; it is now safe to get that flat screen TV you’ve been eying at in your neighbor’s house, and complement it with a new Blu-Ray player (keep checking back for our HD holiday guide!)
Another important note is that the FCC will stop broadcasting television analog signals next February and switch to all-digital. This means if your television works through antenna, it won’t once the switch is made. Many people are looking to upgrade their television along with their receiver, so we figured it would be a good idea to come out with our Holiday Guide #1: LCD or Plasma!
Read More »
1 Comment »
Tags: 1080p, ambilight, digital, flatscreen, high definition, holiday 08, lcd, plasma, television
Gadgets | November 29th, 2008 by d00m
The Nikon D90
Photography has been a popular hobby for many ever since it was created back in the late 1830s. Since then, the field has seen many new inventions and improvements that were created in order to make your life a little bit easier. However, never before has the photography enthusiast seen such large strides which are being taken by Nikon and their new D90 model.
The Nikon D90 boasts 12.3-megapixel image quality and the ability to shoot video in a cinematic 24fps mode. The D90 is the only piece of equipment you will need to passionately embrace photography. Best of all, the D90 provides you with professional results without the professional cost.
Read More »
1 Comment »
Tags: 24fps, camera, canon, d90, digital, eos, megapixels, nikon, photography, rebel
Gadgets | November 24th, 2008 by Staggs
The world’s automobile enthusiasts (such as myself) have been waiting for an insurmountable amount of time for an official word about Porsche’s latest addition, the Panamera. The reason people have been talking about the car has been because of its unique four-door sedan style. People have been looking at disguised, spy shots of the car, only to judge it in either disgust or curiousity before Porsche had even gotten any words out.
Big. Rear. End. Not too pretty.
I personally had judged the car as being a complete waste of time for Porsche, and thought that the car wasn’t good looking with the odd, stretched 911 look, as well as its extra 2 doors (making it a sedan). Other looks at the car would have you notice its enlarged rear end… quite ugly! Until today, I had believed that the car wouldn’t last longer than a couple of looks and a lot of side speculation.
Where I went wrong was disbelieving in the legendary Porsche design, and making my judgement solely on looks. Remember the addage “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” This applies to the Porsche Panamera. Having been officially revealed to the world today in several automobile magazines and web sites, the car definitely looks like a worthy addition to the Porsche family. Given the high bar that Porsche holds as having the world’s best handling cars, and unmistakable style and brand, the Panamera can be no less than great.
For the gearheads: the Porsche Panamera will feature a healthy amount of horsepower, starting at 300hp for the 3.6-liter V6 base engine. Or, you can opt for the upgraded sport (S) version: a 4.8-liter V8 engine with an estimated 400hp. And lastly, the ballsy Turbo trim will feature a twin-turbocharged V8 capable of an upwards of 500hp (this is more my taste, yes). Porsche is even developing a V6-hybrid engine that may become an option for the Panamera.
While people are still iffy about the Panamera, it is still a Porsche and will likely be no less than what we would expect — exceptional handling and sporty luxury. Pricing for the Panamera has not yet been released. The car is set to be released sometime in the Summer of 2009. Porsche has set up an official teaser site at Porsche.com/Panamera. There is also an official video!
No Comments »
Tags: car, german, gran turismo, panamera, porsche
Gadgets | November 20th, 2008 by Staggs
If you watch television you’ve probably seen the new Blackberry Storm commercials featuring the tactile touch screen feedback, and sleek phone design. The exciting iPhone competitor is definitely going to pack a punch this holiday season, so I’d suggest at taking a good look at the Blackberry Storm form Verizon service.
Since most touch phones are automatically called an iPhone competitor, the Blackberry Storm is no exception. The device will be held to the high bar that Apple had set with its feature-happy iPhone. Like the iPhone, the Storm has a full-screen display with touch-sensitive functions — there is no keyboard, you use your fingers to type by touching the screen.
Typically, touching the screen just presses a button, but the Blackberry Storm has a special feature called “SurePress” touch. SurePress is Research in Motion (RIM) technology that sends feedback to your fingers when you press a button on the screen. It emulates the feeling of there being an actual button instead of just a flat digital screen displaying a button. This technology would help users that feel like touch screens are insensitive to the human touch become more firm believers that the screen is actually working. This is the single most impressive feature about this phone. The button emulation will work with any button - it will just feel “right” playing with the touch sensitive screen.
Other features of the phone is its ability to be tethered to your laptop to use as an external modem. Although Verizon will charge monthly for this feature, if you’re the kind of person that is always on the go it is definitely something to appreciate. Moreso, the phone is capable of 3G network speed connection, so tethering the phone will be just like a real Internet connection, if slightly slower than what you’re used to.
Another great feature of the Blackberry is its data capabilities. Over the past years Blackberry’s have been the executive right hand, so to speak, taking care of schedules, documents, and emails on the go. They’ve been referred to as “Crackberrys” because of the way its users are addicted to having them around. Even the newly-elect president Barack Obama has a nasty case of the Crackberry; although sadly he will have to give his device up by orders of his presidential security (NYTimes.com article on Obama’s Blackberry situation).
The force behind Blackberry is that it is people’s on-the-go email, schedule, and literally an extended right hand. Check out official specs at Blackberry.com/BlackberryStorm and be sure to check it out in stores now.
1 Comment »
Tags: blackberry, blackberry storm, cell phone, iphone, research in motion, touch screen, verizon
Gadgets | November 13th, 2008 by Staggs
I have always been interested in Netflix, but never had any reason to sign up, mainly because I didn’t like the idea of receiving rental DVDs through the mail. The service is fast, Netflix will ship out your DVD practically overnight and your requested movie will be in your mailbox in no time at all.
The problem I had with Netflix was that it still wasn’t as fast as some on-demand features that my cable company had been offering. Netflix you have to wait for your DVD, while with on-demand services you simply click your remote and a movie will start instantly with the same pause and rewind features of a regular DVD.
But that was a while ago. Now I am really starting to look at Netflix because of their increased amount of services that do allow instant movie watching for low monthly costs - lower than renting a movie through Cable! What has also got me excited for Netflix is their partnership with Microsoft and the addition of streaming high-definition movie rentals through the Xbox 360’s new Live experience coming on November 19th (I covered this a little bit).
Another added bonus is that you can also stream these movies through your browser on a laptop or desktop at home. Or, if you have a home theater setup, you can purchase one of their Netflix ready devices (list of them here) Basically, its any movie you want, anywhere at any time. Sounds great to me. Netflix is definitely a service to be taken seriously. Check out the site at Netflix.com.
No Comments »
Tags: movie rental, netflix, online, service, xbox 360
Gadgets | November 3rd, 2008 by Staggs
Not only are we excited that HP understands the idea of having a laptop to be portable, we are excited that they are doing it a little better than Apple (we’re talking about the Macbook Air here), and a ton better than Sony in comparison to the freakishly huge Sony Vaio we featured.
The HP Mini 1000 will feature a 8.9-inch screen, which is small enough that it makes the laptop fit pretty much anywhere, and is large enough that you have a nice desktop to work with and you won’t be squinting as you would if it were a small smart phone.
If you follow trends at all, this notebook is officially classified as a “netbook,” a smaller-type laptop which its main capability is to access the Internet and hold your important documents along with you. Netbooks are the ultra-portable category of laptops.
Adding to the Mini 1000’s ultra-portable status is its 2.25lbs weight. The Apple Macbook Air is about 3lbs, slightly heavier. The average [reading] book is 1.5lbs, and an average portable laptop is still around 4lbs. The Mini 1000 is one of the lightest laptops we’ve heard of. There are different types of laptops, however, we believe a laptop’s function is to have the ability to be carried comfortably; an 8lb laptop and carry case will definitely bruise your shoulder after even just a little bit of usage.
The real kicker to the HP Mini 1000 is that it’s dirt cheap: it has a price tag of $399 for a basic configuration. The top-end model is $549.99, still very cheap for a mini computer. If you’re looking for a laptop that will go with you from point A to B with the ultimate portability, this will be the pick for you.
1 Comment »
Tags: 8.9-inch, hp, laptop, mini 1000, netbook, portable
Gadgets | October 27th, 2008 by Staggs
Spylicious
Celebrating the coming of Quantum of Solace, Halloween, and all things spy-worthy, I’ve been on the lookout for great gadgets that would be of help on the field to a 00-agent. Oh, there is great stuff out there. But the first thing we need to be a great spy is a way to capture intelligence: I’m talking about pocket-sized cameras that you can conceal in mere seconds.
I was able to find the Agent M DSC Digital Spycam from Minox, a German company, which is stupidly small, but awesomely powered. It is capable of 5-megapixel picture capturing, which rivals most full-sized digital cameras currently on the market. This is great if we need to take a picture of documents, locations, or other things a spy might need to retrieve. I’m not really allowed to go into details here…
Some other specs include that the Spycam has a small memory, only 128mb, and a rechargeable battery. It also comes with a 1.5-inch picture view screen and flash that is attachable. It is almost the size of the camera, so hopefully you take good pictures by looking through the viewfinder, and don’t need a great flash. The actual size of the camera is 3.5″ long, and 1.6″ wide… in other words tiny. To quickly take pictures and conceal the instrument without being noticed - we’ll want one of these.
Check out Payworxx.de/Minox for details on the Agent M DSC.
No Comments »
Tags: james bond, mini camera, minox, quantum of solace, spy camera
