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SanDisk Cruzer Micro 16 GB USB Flash Drive
2009-08-18 17:56:00
I actually have lower capacities of this drive.  Flash drives are pretty ubiquitous these days, but still extremely helpful.  What makes the SanDisk Cruzer Micro 16 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive nice is the little features it comes with. The first thing you will notice is the nice, simple, white slide on the front of the SanDisk Cruzer Micro.  This pushes the USB port out to insert into the computer USB slot.  This is much better than the mechanical swivels around the USB port.  Those invariably break.  Next, once you plug the SanDisk Cruzer in, you will notice the orange light appear, illuminating the slide.  This lets you know it is operational. Next, the U3 smart software launches automatically. This is a really nice feature all around.  First, you can eject the card very easily, instead of following Microsoft’s archaic eject sequence.  Next, you can add a ton of prepackaged apps for the drive.  This allows you to run apps right off of the drive.  This is an incredibly convenient...
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Black and Decker LI4000 SmartDriver
2009-08-17 17:35:00
Once again, there are things that come onto the market and you slap your head and say, “Why didn’t I think of that?”  Then you remember that these companies spend millions on R&D and you say, “Oh yeah.”  Well, the Black & Decker LI4000 3.6-Volt Lithium-Ion Smart Select with Exclusive Magnetic Screw Holder is one of those tools.  It conveniently holds your screws for insertion, so you don’t have to.  Duh. It’s so easy a monkey could….er a non construction worker type person could use it.  It has a nice depth selection feature that will screw it in to the right depth.  Neato.  And of course, the magnetic screw holder just about makes it a no brainer type tool.  Here’s a vid to show you exactly what I mean:

Omron NE-U22V MicroAir Nebulizer Review
2009-08-17 17:35:00
Asthma and other breathing conditions can really make life a pain.  Doing a nebulizer at home is really the only option when operating the compressor units.  They are loud and bulky.  Well, Omron has come out with the Omron MicroAir Vibrating Mesh Nebulizing System NE-U22V system that will change all that for you.  I’ve been using it for a little less than a year.  Here’s my review of the unit. I’ve had occasional asthma through my life.  Last year, however, I had a bizarre set of issues that made me get a nebulizer for breathing treatments.  I opted for the Omron NE-U22V.  I am really glad that I did.  This thing is tiny.  It fits in the eyeglasses sized container.  The other thing about this unit is that it is silent.  I kid you not.  The reservoir has a metal pole inside it.  That metal pole contacts a metal mesh top.  And that metal mesh top vibrates super fast. What you get out of that is super fine mist.  I’ve never seen mist this fine.  That allows for...
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LG enV Touch
2009-08-17 17:35:00
Photo Source: Skatter Tech This phone is very popular and there are reasons for it.  My wife has the enV3, which I think is okay.  She seems to really like it though.  But back to the LG enV Touch .  Two large displays seem to grab your attention, but can they keep it? The consensus seems to be yes.  The front touch screen offers convenience.  Flip the phone open to reveal a very nice keyboard.  The interior screen is also very nice.  But the UI is a little dodgy.  And this really underscores the design overall on the layouts.  This is something that Apple does very well on the iPhone.  Not so much here.  Also, the lack of wireless (c’mon Verizon!) is a big disappointment.  The front resistive touch screen is well done.  And those menus and speed are pretty good.  But the addition of Dolby mobile sound software and a nice 3.2 megapixel camera are welcome.  Overall, nice phone with a few annoyances.

O.R.B Bluetooth Earpiece Ring
2009-08-17 17:35:00
I mostly think bluetooth earpieces look stupid.  But I have to say that the O.R.B. bluetooth earpiece looks nice.  The fact that it converts to a ring with screen is pretty wicked.  Oh, and it’s not a concept. They are saying that the O.R.B. will be available in early 2010.  We shall see.  But I have to say that I like this design much better than other bluetooth earpieces that I have seen.  Yeah, how it keeps from falling off your ear remains to be seen.  But I love the design and the fact that it will be using bone conductive audio.  You can find something similar in the bone conductive Tooth Tunes toothbrush. Anyway, the really cool feature about this earpiece is that it converts to a ring when not in use.  The deluxe version also features a flexible oled screen that wraps around the ring.  That screen will offer up caller ID, texts, and calendar notes.  And yes, the ring will come in different sizes.  Retail will be $129 for base unit and $175 for deluxe with oled screen.
More About: Bluetooth , Ring

Kodak Zi8 Mini HD Video Camera
2009-08-17 17:35:00
Miniature HD video cameras are really the rage these days.  They offer exceptional image quality in a tiny package.  Kodak has come out swinging with the Zi8.  It offer 1080p video with image stabilization. The Zi8 also records in stereo with an external mic jack.  And it offers up to 32GB internal SD card to be added.  The Zi8 also includes smart face tracking.  Watch out dumb people.  Export utilizing the HDMI jack.  All in all, pretty nice for $179.  Here be the specs: Sensor type 1 / 2.5?type 5 MP CMOS Lens 6.3 mm, f/2.8, fixed focus lens 35 mm equivalent: 61 mm (1080p), 46 mm (720p/60 fps, 720p, WVGA), 42 mm (still) Zoom 4X digital Display 2.5?type LCD Storage 128 MB internal memory*, SD/SDHC card expansion slot Focus modes normal, macro Focus range normal: 100 cm?infinity macro: 15 cm White balance auto File formats video: H.264 (MOV), AAC LC still: JPEG Capture mode 1080p (1920 × 1080, 30 fps) 720p/60 fps (1280 × 720, 60 fps) 720p (1280 × 720, 3...
More About: Video , Camera , Mini , Video Camera

TiVo AG0100 Wireless G USB Network Adapter
2009-08-17 17:35:00
Remember the “old” days when you hooked your TiVo or satellite up to telephone wire?  Ahh, forget that with the TiVo AG0100 Wireless G USB Network Adapter for TiVo Series 2 and Series 3 DVRs.  Now you can kick the wires out altogether.  Allows pretty flawless wireless service for your TiVo. This product just works.  It is really easy to install - like 5 minutes - and should give you good performance.  The high majority of users love it and rave about the ease of installation.  You can also start enjoying TiVoToGo.  This allows you to view media on a Windows computer from your TiVo box.  Pretty neat.  By the way, it does support WEP and WPA.  Please use the latter.
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Nissan Leaf Electric Car Leapfrogs
2009-08-17 17:35:00
Nissan is really trying to go full bore with its new Leaf electric car.  It will allow you to go up to 100 miles on a single charge.  But will people buy it? Nissan will be putting a lithium ion battery into the Leaf.  Now, before you groan.  Nissan is cutting the size in half while also increasing power and range twice.  Pretty impressive.   The batteries will take around 16 hours to recharge, unless you are doing a higher power charge, like the video below demonstrates.  They are also saying that it will be competitively priced, whatever that means.
More About: Nissan , Electric , Electric Car

Pentax Optio WS80 Waterproof Camera
2009-08-17 17:35:00
Wouldn’t you like a camera that can actually take just a little mother nature? The Pentax Optio WS80 can only go down 5 feet of water though. Start moving into deeper territory and you’re looking at an expensive paper weight. The Pentax WS80 is 10 megapixels (sigh, tech moves way too fast) and offers 5x optical zoom.  Goes for around $250.  Here are the detailed specs: Focus System: Type: TTL contrast detection autofocus Focus modes: 9 point AF, Spot AF, Auto Tracking AF, Macro, Infinity Landscape, Pan Focus, Manual Focus Manual focus: Yes Macro focus: Yes Focus lock: Yes, by pressing the shutter release button half way Focus range Normal: 1.31? to infinity Macro: 0.33-1.64? (wide to mid zoom) Lens: Type/construction: PENTAX zoom lens, 10 elements, 8 groups (4 aspheric elements) Optical zoom: 5X Focal length (equiv.): 6.2-31.0mm (35-175mm) Digital zoom: 5.7X Combined zoom: 28.5X Intelligent zoom: Approx 5.9X at 7M to 28.5X at VGA LCD/Viewfinder: LCD screen: 2.7? TFT col...
More About: Camera , Waterproof

Roller Coaster Rollerblader Insanity
2009-08-17 17:35:00
So, roller coasters are so boring, right?  I mean, it’s just not enough to be seated and hurtling at 60 mph.  Nooooo, what we need is to be standing up, with only a rail connect on some rollerblades.  Yeah, that sounds about right. Dirk Auer isn’t what we call mainstream.  No, he likes to butter both sides of his bread.  And he likes going fast and making his adrenal gland burst out of his skin.  Just check out the video.
More About: Insanity , Roller Coaster

Is your cell phone what you think it is?
2008-06-06 22:02:00
(Credit: CNET) Being a native New Yorker, I’ve seen a lot of knock-off products, such as designer clothes, bags, fragrances, watches, DVDs, and even sneakers. But I had no Idea cell phones were a part of the list of bootleg products. According to Phone Scoop and RCR Wireless News, …
More About: Cell Phone , Cell , Cell-phone

Limited Edition Tony Hawk T-Mobile Sidekick LX hitting the streets
2008-06-06 01:00:00
T-Mobile Sidekick LX Tony Hawk Edition (Credit: T-Mobile ) What do Dwyane Wade, Diane von Furstenberg, and LRG have in common? Give up? They all have their own special edition T-Mobile Sidekick model, and now you can add professional skateboarder Tony Hawk to that list. Today, T-Mobile and Hawk introduced the …

Sony HT-IS100: Home-theater system with supertiny speakers coming to Americ
2008-06-06 01:00:00
The HT-IS100 uses the same petite speakers found on 2007's DAV-IS10. (Credit: Sony ) Sony’s HT-IS100, a 5.1-channel home-theater system that includes five speakers that are just 1.7 inches in diameter, will be coming to the U.S. next month. If it looks familiar, there are two reasons: The unit was announced for the Japanese market just a couple ...
More About: System , Theater , Home , Home Theater

WWDC 2008: iPhones, 10.6, and a new .Mac?
2008-06-05 15:57:00
Next Monday, Apple CEO Steve Jobs could announce a new iPhone and a new operating system at WWDC. (Credit: Apple) Expect to hear new details about the future of Apple’s Mac OS X and Web business next week at the Worldwide Developers Conference–and we think there might be a …
More About: 2008

Vudu goes wireless
2008-06-05 06:53:00
The Vudu Wireless Kit ($79) (Credit: Vudu) Like TiVo, Xbox 360, and Sonos, the Vudu on-demand movie player was one of those home entertainment products with a frustrating lack of built-in wireless networking. If an Ethernet connection wasn’t nearby, you were forced to invest in a pair of powerline networking adapters or a hard-to-configure wireless bridge to ...

Acer likes Linux for laptops
2008-06-05 03:51:00
Yahoo and Microsoft used the press to negotiate for several months regarding a potential merger. Now it appears Acer and Microsoft are having a public spat. Or, if they aren’t yet, Acer’s comments Wednesday will likely start one. In an interview with VNUNet.com, Acer Vice President of …
More About: Linux , Laptops

Unboxing the new Flip Mino
2008-06-04 21:31:00
We got our hot little mitts on the newest gadget from the folks at Flip video, the Mino. First impressions? The new touch controls take some getting used to, but the fact that they’re backlit will be incredibly handy for folks who want to shoot in dark rooms. The …

For visually impaired, instant news alerts via phone
2008-06-04 21:31:00
A new service from Audiopoint will make it easier for the visually impaired to be instantly notified of headlines and new e-mail messages, without ever having to log on or look at a screen. Brian Lichorowic, CEO of the voice technology company, said that as far as he knows, the …
More About: News , Phone

Solar briefcase charges gadgets on the go
2008-06-04 15:15:00
If you spot Reware’s shiny new briefcase on the commute to work, it’s probably doing more than reflecting the sun. It’s using that energy to charge portable electronics tucked inside. Reware, maker of the Juice Bags line of solar-charging bags, released the Juice Bags ProFolio this week. …
More About: Gadgets , Solar , Briefcase

Majority of Americans still clueless about Blu-ray
2008-06-04 03:15:00
A new report released Tuesday says that less than half of high-definition television owners in the U.S. know what Blu-ray Disc is. While that’s an improvement over a year ago, it still means that more than half of that group–the target audience for high-definition video vendors–still has no …
More About: Americans , Clueless

The iPhone name game: 2G, 3G, or 2.0?
2008-06-03 21:13:00
The sequel is imminent–but what will it be called? (Credit: Apple) There’s near universal agreement that Steve Jobs is going to unveil the next iPhone at next week’s Worldwide Developers’ Conference keynote in San Francisco. Whether it’s next week, next month, or next year, however, it raises a thorny semantic question: what will it be called? ...
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Mio looking to capture new audience with GPS camera
2008-06-03 21:13:00
(Credit: GPS Business News) Mio Technology is hoping to take GPS to new places, more specifically, beyond the car. At Computex 2008 (Asia’s largest technology trade show), Mio unveiled a new concept product called the “PND (portable navigation device) camera” that integrates a GPS radio into a digital camera. …
More About: Camera , Capture , Audience

Google denies report of Android phone delay
2008-06-02 23:52:00
Google denied a report Monday that phones using its Android software have been delayed to 2009. The Street reported the delay, citing an unnamed source. But Google denied the report. A view of Google's Android mobile-phone software, demonstrated at Google I/O. (Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET News.com) …
More About: Google , Phone , Report

A $46,600 camera for a good cause
2008-06-02 17:42:00
(Credit: Leica) In collaboration with Leica, auction house WestLicht Photographica is looking to fetch $46,600 for a first-series production Leica M8 digital rangefinder. While it is not clear if this camera was the very first unit assembled in its maiden year of 2006, it has the serial number 3100000. …
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Sharper Image to close remaining 86 stores
2008-06-02 08:27:00
Bankrupt gadget retailer Sharper Image plans to close all its remaining stores, its new owners announced Sunday. The company expects to sell $50 million in inventory as it shutters 86 stores across the United States, the joint owners of Hilco Organization and Gordon Brothers said in a statement. The group, …
More About: Close , Stores , Sharper Image

Dish/EchoStar sues TiVo over DVR patent
2008-05-31 01:20:00
This blog was updated at 1:20 p.m. PDT with a statement from TiVo. A month after an appeals court confirmed that Dish Network’s DVR software had indeed violated a TiVo patent, Dish is retaliating with a lawsuit of its own. (Credit: Dish Network) The Colorado-based satellite TV …
More About: Tivo , Patent , Echostar

New RCA Small Wonder video cams now available
2008-05-30 22:07:00
The EZ210 (Credit: RCA) The latest iteration of RCA’s Small Wonder video cameras is now available. Along with Creative’s just-released $99 Vado, the new trio of Small Wonder s is competing with Flip Video ’s popular budget cams, which–by some estimates–have snagged up to one-eighth of the overall camcorder market. We liked how previous Small Wonder models had a flip-out ...

Best Buy's Geek Squad jumps on 'Sex' fever
2008-05-29 21:24:00
A goofy marketing gimmick plants Geek Squad 'agents' in select cities' theaters near screenings for 'Sex and the City,' designed to help male patrons escape the chick flick. (Credit: Geek Squad) The movie spinoff of Sex and the City hits theaters Friday, and if the …
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Can Tru2way succeed where CableCard failed?
2008-05-28 21:18:00
If the industry press is to be believed, Tuesday’s announcement that Sony would be producing TVs with Tru2way compatibility was a watershed event–the electronics world equivalent of the Magna Carta or the Treaty of Versailles. But let’s step back a bit and examine what this really means. Tru2way …

ZOMG: Amazon.com drops Kindle price 10 percent
2008-05-28 02:37:00
Q: Is $360 versus $400 that big of a deal? A: On a slow news day, apparently, yes. (Credit: Amazon .com) We’re not talking an iPhone-level price cut here. Still, blogs here, here, here, here, and here are really excited about the 10 percent discount Amazon.com is offering …
More About: Price , Kindle