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Archive for October, 2009

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Asus UL30A Thin and Light Laptop

October 13th, 2009

Asus UL30A | Gadgets for womenIf you are a fan of mobile computing but picky. You find a notebook to be too small and a full size laptop – too big. You want a thin computer that has great battery power to do basic stuff, nothing like creating or editing video. You are in luck – check out Asus UL30A thin and light laptop.

Thin & Lights are between notebooks and full-size laptops. They run ultra-low voltage processors and often have compromised performance in exchange for a slim form. But that is not true in the case of UL30A which delivers what you are looking for in thin and light.

UL30A comes with a 500G SATA Hard Drive and 4G of RAM. The processor inside is 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Ultra Low Voltage processor. UL30A measures 12.9 x 9.3 x 1 inches and weighs 3.7 pounds. It is a little less than 1 inch thin and feels really solid and compact. The back of the laptop is covered with aluminum. The keyboard has a little bit of flex, but feels nice and comfortable to type on.

The 13.3 HD LED LCD backlit display is nice and bright. HD video looks great on it. Like in all thin and light laptops, there is no optical drive. But there are plenty of ports and connections for your periferals: HDMI, USB, SD card slot, 802.11n as well as bluetooth..

The multi-gesture touchpad is made of the same glossy plastic material as the rest of the palm rest. Even though it is a little dimpled for your fingers, it does not provide as much traction as other touchpads.

The battery life is fantastic: allows for 6-7 hours of playing videos. Asus claims you can get up to 11 hours. UL30A comes with Vista Home Premium (32 bit) but you can upgrade to Windows 7.

Get Asus UL30A on Amazon for $889.99

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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1

October 13th, 2009

Cyber-Shot DSC-WX1 | Gift ideas for ChristmasIf you do not have patience for slow electronics, you might want to check out the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 camera. It is one of the fastest point-and-shoot cameras on the market. The camera is very compact, has 10.2 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor and takes great photos in low light conditions. When using its Twilight mode, the camera fires off 6 shots and then compiles them together to make one photo. Result – impressive photo quality. And yes, Sony f/2.4 G Lens might have something to do with that quality too. Don’t expect it to take pictures in “no light” conditions howerver. In good lighting conditions, the camera is good, but not spectacular.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 has several shooting options including burst mode (10 frames per second). The feature works as advertised, but the impatient among us should know that after the burst, you will wait for 2 to 3 seconds for every picture to be saved on your memory stick. Better put this camera down and do something else, like taking wide angle panorama shots next time or admiring the camera’s anti-motion blur mode. You can see the results of your handy work on a 2.7-inch LCD Plus screen which is plenty clear.

Parents are always struggling to capture their kids (especially babies) in the process of smiling. No such frustrations using this Cyber-shot DSC-WX1. It will take a picture only during the “smiling moment” if you press the Smile Shutter button. You can select adult and child priority and indicate the degree of Smile Detection Sensitivity. Freaky! If only this camera had an ability to read children’s minds, it would have been completely perfect. This camera even has a Pet Mode. Overall, there are several “intelligent modes” available on the camera and they can be used together or separately.

5x optical zoom will work when you take pictures or capture HD quality video. I am not sure how useful video capturing is on a point-and-shoot camera, but if it matters to you, you’ve got it. 720p high definition MPEG4 format video will look pretty good on large-screen television. Your 2GB card will fit about 29 minutes of video.

DSC-WX1 has in-camera retouching tools to enhance your photos, trim them, correct red eyes, etc. In just seconds you can add music to your pictures and produce slide shows with standard visual effects. Why do you need a computer? Maybe, to share your pictures and video online? Sony has Picture Motion Browser that will keep you entertained for hours sorting your creations, organizing them by face, place, etc.

Despite all the intelligent features and impressive technology, some customers are not impressed with movie quality in low light conditions. There is no compression control on the camera. You get a proprietary USB/Composite cable with your camera – no surprise with Sony products. There is no USB charging and no HDMI.

All in all, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 is a great, fast-performing snapshot camera that falters in picture quality. It is better than most cameras in its category. Get yours on Amazon for $320.25.

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Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Mini Docking Speaker for iPod

October 12th, 2009

B&W Zeppelin Mini | Gadget Gifts for MenB&W Zeppelin devices are known for the sound quality, award-winning design and advanced technology. Say hello to the new Zeppelin Mini iPod sound system. It has a very compact and attractive design – perfect for smaller spaces. Attach any iPod or iPhone to the dock and you are ready to rock. A docking arm rotates 90 degrees and is handy for watching videos. If past performance is any indicator, the sound should be pretty spectacular. Zeppelin Mini has DSP (Digital Signal Processing) technology to thank for it. Two digital amplifiers provide plenty of power.

You don’t need to use iPod with the sound system – you can easily stream music from your PC through the USB socket. The sound system comes with dual full-range, 3-inch glass fiber drivers, aux input jack, and a 2.0 USB port. Use a remote to change tracks, volume, and mode. Sync your iTunes and the docked iPod. You even get firmware upgrades. And if you take it to another country, it automatically adjusts to a different voltages. What can I say – B&W Zeppelin Mini is an ultimate gift for an audiophile.

The new Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Mini iPod sound system is rumored to be released in early November. Available for pre-order from Amazon for $399.95.

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Bebook Electronic Book Reader

October 12th, 2009

Bebook electronic book reader | Gadgets for womenBebook Electronic Book Reader is currently sold out on Amazon. The 5 inch Bebook Mini just became available in the US, priced at $199. It has the same features as the original Bebook, but smaller display. No worries – the display is crystal clear and uses e-ink technollgy. The screen refreshes quickly and menus are user-friendly. Bebook Mini lacks WiFi but still will work if you download content from you PC through a USB port.
Bebook Mini had attractive price before Amazon reduced their Kindle price to $259. Another attractive option is Sony’s $199 Reader Pocket Edition.

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-10-11

October 11th, 2009

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VholdR ContourHD 1080p Full HD Wearable Camera

October 11th, 2009

ContourHD 1080p Wearable Camera | Gadgets for MenSkiers, boarders and bikers – all your dreams come true with this wearable camera. Shooting video on the slopes, capturing wow! moments in the terrain park or documenting a trip will be easy as pie if you use ContourHD. And did I mention, it is HD? Yes, it is the only full HD wearable camera on the market. It features four HD settings (1080p, 960p, and two at 720p) with two frame rates (30fps and 60fps) and four configurable settings (metering, contrast, exposure, and microphone sensitivity). You can upload your videos to VholdR.com and share them with your friends and family. The camera comes with video edit software.

CoutourHD camera fits nicely in the palm of your head. The body is made of aluminum keeping overall weight at 4.3 ounces. It also makes the camera water resistant. I would not attempt to use it while diving, however. ContourHD fits onto a series of mounts for your goggles, helmet, handle bars, vehicle or anywhere else you want.

The lens has a wide angle and dual lasers for alignment. Lasers! The lens itself rotates 180 degrees to accommodate different mounting positions. And the lasers will let you know where the camera is pointing and how it is oriented, since it is mounted on your head and all. Turn on the lasers and rotate the lens until they are horizontal. That’s it! You have lined up your shot.

Using the camera cannot be easier. All you need is a single (huge!) button on top of it. Slide it forward and begin recording. Slide it back when you are done. The video is captured to an internal MicroSD memory card (compatible up to a 16GB card) – 8 hours of video.

Connect your camera to the PC (or Mac) using a USB cord. Estimated battery life is about 3 hours. Re-charging takes about 4 hours.

Well, skiers and fellow enthusiasts? Are you excited? The camera will be available on November 16 for $329.99 You can pre-order it on Amazon right now.

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The Altec Lansing iMT620 inMotion Classic

October 11th, 2009

iMT620 iPod Dock | gadget gifts for menThe Altec Lansing iMT620 inMotion Classic is a very attractive portable stereo system. It is iPod and iPhone compatible and also includes digital FM radio (no AM radio). It has a battery that will give you 5 hours of music if you take the system on the road.

The angular design of the speakers is quite modern. Silver plastic runs around the edges. The quality is very good – there is no flexing or creaking. There are large buttons on top of the system to control playback, volume, and for chosing audio source. High-contrast LCD shows the song and artist information. It is clear enough to read from afar. However, you might find that you don’t use the LCD display very often.

The system comes with a remote control which is very well-designed. It repeats the controls from the top of the speaker and has additional buttons to navigate your iPod and for 4 radio presets. Unfortunately, there is no button to jump to the next album/artist. Do not try to use the remote from too far away – does not work very well. The remote itself is quite small and might not be very comfortable to use for some people with bigger hands.

Kick-stand folds up or down and will work as a handle. It is quite sturdy, but don’t use it with your iPod: there is nothing to prevent it falling out of the dock. When you swing the handle under the speakers, it will prevent the system from turning on accidentally.

The iMT620 system utilizes Expanded Sound Stage technology. At the touch of a button you can widen the sound field. The sound is clear and rich. Don’t look for a strong baseline however. It is a portable system, after all. The good news is that there is a wide range of volume. Radio pickup is quite good too. Interestingly, when you put your iPod into the speakers, it immediately starts playing a random song. I am not a big fan of this spontaneous entertainment.

All in all, it is a great system. But its power and sonic range makes it better for a bedroom or a kitchen, not a family room. Rechargable battery makes it easy to take the speakers anywhere you want to go and get 5 hours of music. Customers complained that the performance is spotty with iPod Touch. Another oddity is that if you are using your iPhone with the speakers and your iPhone auto locks, you will not be able to use the remote to navigate through menus: the remote is not all-powerful afterall, and will not unock your iPhone. I’d call it a work-out feature because you have to get up and manually unlock your iPhone to empower the remote control to navigate your iPhone. It does not look like that iPods got this work-out feature.

Get yours for $112.39 on Amazon.

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Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor

October 9th, 2009

Forerunner 305 - Gadgets for menForerunner 305 is an ultimate gift for an outdoor person, biker, gym-goer or a runner. It is a fusion of GPS and heart rate monitor and the design is pretty nice. It looks like a watch and it fits like a watch on your wrist. It tracks you by GPS (quite accurately, I might add for a small device like that), and monitors your heart rate. It will even alert you to maximize the effectiveness of your workouts. It is bigger than a watch, but it is not for just telling time. And it would be better if the device was monitoring the heart rate, not a chest strap that then transmits the data to the device. But the strap is very flexible, quite comfortable and offers more reliable data.

According to reviewers, this is the best GPS tracking device of this size yet: takes 3 minutes to lock on your location after power up. It will not let you get lost in the trees either – tested and confirmed. And it is very easy to use. Forerunner is waterproof in case you enjoy a run in the rain. The display is smaller than previous models, but resolution is much better. The buttons are easy to use even while excercising.

Forerunner’s Training Assistant tells your precise speed, distance and pace. Choose from 3 workout modes to fit your goals. You can even excercise with the Virtual Partner to make your workouts more competitive. During your workout, Forerunner 305 will display an array of data, like calories burned, distance, elevation, grade, and heading, as well as multiple lap and pace modes. Reviewers mentioned, that pace readout varies a lot.

The 305 adds the ability to track heartrate, lap heartrate, average heartrate, and heartrate zones via the included coded heartrate chest strap. With the purchase of a separate wireless cadence and speed meter, you can also track bike performance data. Set your target zones and Forerunner 305 will monitor your workout. But don’t worry – you will not get overloaded with information. You control how much or how little data you see on your Forerunner’s display.

After your workout, download the data to your computer through a USB port and analyze it. You can use the data for route mapping and route sharing too. Use Garmin’s MotionBased service to share courses, maps, workouts. If that’s not enough, consider using Garmin Training Center software to set up your workouts the way you like them and upload them to the device. Forerunner 305 will combine Training Center data and your uploaded data to guide you through your workout for maximum results. It will tell you where to turn, which path to take because, hey, it knows which hill you need to get best results. Forerunner 305 is compatible with TrainingPeaks.com – a web service to help athletes train for an event.

A map will display current direction and path. Zoom in and out, mark locations along your route, use “go to location” feature and get routed back to the location of your choice.

Garmin Forerunner 305 is a fantastic hi-tech gift for someone who enjoys running and takes it serously. Buy it for yourself – you will never have as much fun working out as when wearing Forerunner 305. Get yours on Amazon for $139.99.

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HTC Hero Android G3 A6262 Smartphone

October 8th, 2009

HTC Hero-gadgets for menHTC Hero is another great-looking Android phone coming to the neighborhood near you in a couple of days. It is very sleek-looking; made of metal. Like many other phones, it has touch screen and virtual keyboard. The absence of real keyboard makes it thinner than the predecessor. The phone is 0.57 inches thick. The virtual keyboard itself is pretty intuitive. The phone display has the usual 320×480 HVGA resolution.

HTC Hero White | gadgets for menWhat is exciting about HTC Hero is customization on steroids. You can customize your home screen with all kinds of widgets which you can see at a glance. Good bye bulky menus. But don’t stop there! Personalize the widgets themselves selecting size and design that fits your personality. If you are giving it as a gift, personalize it to fit the person you are giving it to and be sarcastic or romantic.

HTC Hero Black | gadgets for menThe phone has a new profile feature – Scenes. With Scenes, you can create personalized profiles and switch between them depending on your mood. Who needs a mood ring if you can have a mood phone, which also can ring depending on your mood?

Change the perspective you look at things. In your inbox view all your conversations, collections of notes and documents (including email attachments). Your photo album connects to Facebook and Flickr.

All your social networking connections are integrated, of course. It plays music (dah!), and has a web browser. The feature integration is seemless and simple. HTC Hero consolidates all different ways you communicate into one display when you view people: you see different ways to get in touch as well as all your interactions. It is a breeze to check for social network updates and event notices as well as the latest pictures your friends uploaded to a photo sharing sites.

Dialing is simplified. Dial a number or first few letters of their name. Search will look through everything – even your Twitter posts. The phone has stereo Bluetooth, Windows Mobile, built-in Google maps, GPS, wi-fi.

The camera is a little underpowered – 5mpx. The trackball in the middle of the phone serves like the sutter. When using a phone camera, you have to have a finger on the trackball to take a picture. It is a little uncomfortable and results in camera shakes.

All in all, the phone is very modern-looking and fast. User interface is fantastic. The phone is packed with great features. It is pricey unlocked: $669.91 in black and $621.10 in white on Amazon. It looks like it will be $179 on Sprint with a contract.

HTC Hero Android G3 A6262 Smartphone will be available on October 11.

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Pandigital 8″ Digital Picture Frame with Pantouch

October 6th, 2009

There are literally hundreds of digital frames out there. Why this one? Well, storage size and functions. It has 1GB of memory, it can read 6 different SD card formats, and it plays avi video files. Those are the biggies for me. It has little speakers and will play music if you would like along with your picture slideshow. The picture resolution is 800×600 px (4×3 ratio). It has a touch screen. You can have a date and clocks displayed too. If you do not want to touch the screen, there is a remote control. Pretty cool frame.

This photo frame replaces the 512MB model. Get yours on Amazon for $99.48.

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-10-05

October 4th, 2009

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Zune HD Video MP3 Player

October 4th, 2009

New Zune HD has beautiful design. It is virtually weightless, has a beautiful OLED screen and comes in black and platinum. The battery life is great. It holds up to 10 hours of 720p high definition video; 48 hours of standard definition video; 8,000 songs; or 25,000 pictures.

Video looks fantastic on a 3.3-inch OLED screen with 480 x 272 resolution and 16:9 display. OLED screens have gorgeous deep blacks and the Zune HD screen is noticeably better compared to other devices like Blackberry Storm or Touch. In direct sunlight the screen does look washed out, but indoors it looks spectacular.

Videos on the player are downscaled to fit the screen at 480 x 272–not HD resolution. Buy videos once and watch on multiple screens: on your Xbox 360, Zune player, and PC. The convenience of on-demand, only on Xbox 360. Shortcuts will take you directly to favorites, recently downloaded or played music, videos, and more. Quickplay cuts through the clutter and brings up front the content that you care about most.

The built in accelerometer (which allows whatever is displayed on your screen to rotate according to the devices orientation) is excellent, allowing 3 directions of usability. The rotating is incredibly smooth.

Like other devices, Zune HD has an FM tuner. Unlike other devices, it is HD radio. Better sound for sure. Of course, not all stations are HD yet, but we will get there. It also works with Audible and will download your favorite podcasts. If you like a song on the radio – tag it, and buy it instantly through Zune store over wi-fi. Unlike Apple products, you can sync your Zune with your PC over wi-fi too. Another syncing option is by using Zune Sync Dock Connect (sold separately).

Microsoft offers a cool feature – Zune Pass subscription. You pay $14.99 a month for all you can download music. And every month you can download 10 songs which you will own forever (no DRM). To make sure you do not forget to download your free songs, you get a reminder every month from Microsoft to make sure you take advantage of this deal. If you don’t, they do not carry over to the next month. It can work with Smart DJ to make a playlist with some of your music and some music off the Zune Marketplace. The Marketplace selection is a little lacking, but you can get music at Amazon or anywhere else too. If you subscribe to playlists, they are updated every week.

I think, it is an excellent device. However, if you prefer apps, get an iPod Touch. But if you are into music, this is the best music player out there, in my opinion (given, you subscribe to Zune Pass).

Unfortunately, Zune HD is available in US only.

Buy on Amazon:

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Roku digital video player

October 4th, 2009


This is an awesome present for a person who enjoys watching movies. Roku Player is a tiny box. It works with any TV, unless it is a family earloom. Installation is very simple – connect it to your television via cable (HDMI or component) or wi-fi and you are good to go. You have to have an internet connection too, of course, because Roku box will use it to stream video directly to your television.

You need at least 1.2 Mbps to watch movies instantly on the Roku digital video player with decent quality. The faster your connection, the better the quality (although this rule-of-thumb peaks out at about 5mbps). Roku will automatically detect your bandwidth speed and adjust the streaming so there are no interruptions. The experience is like watching a DVD: you can watch, play, fast-forward, rewind, pause and resume play later.

Roku Player integrates with Amazon Video on Demand as well as Netflix. If you have a Netflix account you can watch Instant View movies. Any movie you can buy or rent on Amazon, you can buy or rent on Roku. If you buy a movie on Amazon, it is always in your library and you can watch it at any time on your Roku. Selection? 50,000+ movies and TV shows.

You have 3 buttons: Netflix, Amazon, and Major League Baseball. Yes, for $20 (currently) you can watch any game, even when the game is over. You can fastforward, rewind, or watch the game live. The unique feature though is that you can pick play-by-play announcers too – home team or away team. That is something a true fan can appreciate. And if you have enough bandwidth on your internet, you can watch games in high definition. Roku supports all HD formats except 1080.

The Wall Street Journal, CNET, WIRED, and other publications rave about Roku player. Roku plans to add video podcasts in the future. The box is PC and Mac compatible, but you knew that already becase you do not need to connect it to a computer at all. And they have great customer service, from what I hear.

If you have a Netflix account, it is no-brainer.
You can get one on Amazon for $99.00. There is $118 package that includes cables

Specifications

  • Networking: Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) with WEP, WPA, and WPA2 support; 10/100 Ethernet (RJ-45)
  • Video Outputs: Composite video, S-Video, Component video (Y/Pb/Pr), HDMI
  • Video Modes: 16:9 HD (720p), 16:9 anamorphic (480p), 4:3 standard (480i)
  • Audio Output: Stereo (L/R RCA), Digital Optical (Toslink), Digital over HDMI
  • Remote Control: NEC protocol, supported by various universal remotes
  • Power Input: 5V, 1.5A provided by included AC adapter
  • Power Consumption: 5 watts peak, 3 watts in standby
  • Size: 5 x 5 x 1.75 inches (130 x 130 x 41 mm)
  • Weight: 11 oz (300 grams)
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Fake TV Burglar Deterrent

October 3rd, 2009

This gadget is very inventive and cool. It makes your house look occupied when you are out of town. Fake TV creates an illusion that someone is home watching a high-def television. The gadget creates effects of scene changes, fades, swells, flicks, on-screen motion, and color changes. So, the illusion is very real even though the size of this gadget is very small.

It is a series of flashing LEDs. You aim it at the window. Best to pick one that is not near a street light. Fake TV has a built-in light sensor and timer, it automatically turns on at dusk. Most televisions do not work with timers– they turn on with push buttons. Burglars know this, making FakeTV very effective.

This might be a good gadget for you or for someone you know if:

  • If you are selling your house and it is vacant, you might want to make it look lived in.
  • If you have a vacation home
  • If you are a frequent traveler
  • If you live alone and come home late
  • If you want to give safety-minded someone a fun gift

Of course, if someone thinks you have a high-def television in your house and break in later, you are out of luck. Better think this whole thing through. If you want to get yours on Amazon, it will cost you $34.99.

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Verbatum InSight Hard Drive

October 3rd, 2009

This is a very modern-looking hard drive. It has piano black glossy finish. The LCD is always on and displays a personalized drive name and available free space – even when disconnected. You can rename the drive easily from your computer. All info is updated every time you connect or disconnect it from a PC or Mac.

Simple to install, simple to use, an eye candy. Comes in 500GB ($118.99) and 320GB ($98.24) versions.

InSight hard drive is small enough to carry around in your brief case. It is also faster than a lot of similar drives and supports both USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 at 5400 RPM. You have to be proficient in Drag-and-Drop technology to use it. Nero backup software is pre-installed and easy to use if you plan to back up files. Of course, you don’t really need it for backup, but it is nice to have if you prefer simplicity.

Get yours on Amazon.com:

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