Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Yamaha NS-SP1800BL 5.1 Channel

Yamaha NS-SP1800BL 5.1 channel home theater speaker package is a low cost, convenient way to enjoy the full benefits of 5.1 channel home theater sound. Yamaha NS-SP1800BL 5.1 Channel features advanced Yamaha active servo technology (Advanced YST) is a unique system in which the speaker and amplifier work together to cancel out impedance so the speaker unit has a perfectly linear motion. Advanced

Logitech Rechargeable Speaker S315i

Digital music has revolutionized how you listen to music, because you can listen to your favorite songs anywhere. Logitech Rechargeable Speaker S315i will blow you away with 20 hours of music when you use the power saving mode. That's a full day's (or night's) worth of music without missing a beat. This little beauty powerfully reproduces your favorite songs with accurate highs and every note

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Panasonic Pro AG-HMC150

The cooler than cool Panasonic Pro AG-HMC150 drew big crowds at the 2008 NAB Show. Why? Simply because it offers an unheard of Bang for the Buck, in a 1/3 inch three chip hand held tapeless HD camcorder, while retaining the core versatility of the DVX100B. Panasonic Pro AG-HMC150 sports a 28mm lens right out of the box and a new PH Record mode (21 Mbps) which offers higher resolution with a host

Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD

Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD handheld combines Full HD AVCHD video recording with high resolution 10.6 megapixel still photo capture, giving you the benefits of two professional cameras in one affordable package. Compact and lightweight, Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD is a versatile HD camcorder offering high quality AVCHD recordings, high resolution still photo capture, an easy

Sony HVR-HD1000U

Sony HVR-HD1000U was created to meet the growing demand from users who are looking for mobility and professional appearance. This camcorder features a shoulder mount design and black matte body similar to that of professional camcorders making it perfect for weddings, corporate communications, colleges, universities, and sporting events where appearance makes a difference. Premium design

Sony HDR-FX7

Shoot like a pro with Sony HDR-FX7 High Definition Handycam(R) camcorder. Capture amazing video and still images in high definition with the first HDV 1080i 3 CMOS sensor consumer level camcorder and player in the world. The three 1/4" ClearVID CMOS Sensors provide stunning detail and precision, while a 20x Optical Zoom Carl Zeiss Lens maintains image clarity. Since Sony HDR-FX7 records video in

Canon EOS 7D

Canon basically ceded the entry level pro performance market to Nikon in 2005 with the arrival of the D200 since then, Canon's 30D, 40D, and 50D have taken the slower but less expensive road, with a relatively stagnant AF system, which Nikon leapfrogged. But with entirely new AF and metering systems, a new high resolution eight channel readout sensor coupled with dual Digic 4 image processors and

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Samsung Intrepid SPH-i350 (Sprint)

Samsung Intrepid SPH-i350 (Sprint) isn't much of a looker. It measures 2.4 by 4.9 by 0.5 inches (HWD) and weighs 4.3 ounces. It's finished in black plastic with a dark chrome band around the front panel edge. The 2.6 inch plastic resistive touch screen offers just 320 by 240 pixel resolution. It's small and stubborn enough that you'll need the stylus tucked into the bottom right corner for just

Doro PhoneEasy 345gsm

Doro PhoneEasy 345gsm is a comfortably sized candy bar style phone at 4.9 by 2 by .6 inches (HWD) and 3.5 ounces, coated in a soft touch black or white plastic. The phone has huge rubberized buttons and a bright enough, basic 1.8 inch 128 by 96 colors LCD screen with large fonts. At US$40, with no contract service plans from Consumer Cellular starting at US$10 a month, Doro PhoneEasy 345gsm is

Samsung Instinct HD (Sprint)

First of all, it has an awesome camera. Recorded HD (1280 by 720) and VGA videos were sharp, super smooth, and well lit only the flat colors and slightly pixelated look gave away the tiny cell phone lens. Photos taken with the 5 megapixel still mode looked very sharp outdoors, with plenty of detail in bricks, grass, and tree leaves. There was quite a bit of noise in darker rooms indoors, but

Sunday, December 6, 2009

RIM BlackBerry Bold - black (AT&T)

When you first lay eyes on RIM BlackBerry Bold - black (AT&T), the words "sleek," "sexy," and "cool" don't exactly to come to mind. At 4.5 inches high by 2.6 inches wide by 0.6 inch deep and 4.8 ounces, RIM BlackBerry Bold - black (AT&T) is bulky and wide, making for a bit of a tight fit in a pants pocket. It doesn't exactly take your breath away like the iPhone 3G, but that's not to say it's a

HTC Imagio (Verizon Wireless)

Though HTC Imagio (Verizon Wireless) touts itself as a multimedia smartphone, it is not as flashy as other multimedia focused hand helds. This is not to say it isn't attractive indeed, we love the large touch screen display as well as the smooth edges and tapered corners. But the dimpled bezel surrounding the display, which doubles as the speaker, and the thick plastic casing gives it more of a

Samsung Omnia II (Verizon Wireless)

Like many of the touch screen smartphones available today, Samsung Omnia II (Verizon Wireless) has a candy bar design but it is slightly on the bulkier side at 4.69 inches tall by 2.35 inches wide by 0.52 inch thick and weighing 4.76 ounces. However, there's good reason for the extra size and that's the gorgeous 3.7 inch WVGA (800x480 pixels) AMOLED touch screen. When compared with the first

Sanyo SCP-6760 Incognito (Sprint)

Sanyo SCP-6760 Incognito (Sprint) takes a cue from a few other cell phones before it. We've seen its horizontal flip design on handsets like the LG enV Touch, but this is the first time it's been on a Sanyo phone. The sturdy handset measures 3.7 inches tall by 2.2 inches wide by 0.7 inch thick and is a tad heavy at 4.3 ounces. Its reflective skin catches the light and doubles as a mirror, though

Motorola Droid (Verizon Wireless)

Officially announced on October 28 and set for a November 6 release, Motorola Droid (Verizon Wireless) delivers on much of the hype. The display is gorgeous, the Android 2.0 updates are excellent, and the handset is lightning fast, particularly for an Android phone. We'll refrain from using the dreaded "iPhone killer" expression, but comparisons between the two devices are obvious, and we see the

Samsung Moment (Sprint)

You wouldn't be off base if you initially confused the Moment with Samsung's other touch screen phones. Indeed, with its rounded ends and prominent display it looks a lot like the Samsung Rogue. Yet, a closer look will show that Samsung Moment (Sprint) is larger than its siblings and its color scheme and soft touch material on its battery cover put it more in line with the Hero. The result is a

Palm Pixi (Sprint)

A smaller, cheaper version of the Pre, Palm Pixi (Sprint) is aimed at a younger audience and to those who put a precedent on messaging or are making the jump from a feature phone to a smartphone. You can think of Palm Pixi (Sprint) as the replacement to the Palm Centro. Since it is a more entry level smartphone, you sacrifice some features, such as Wi-Fi and a better camera. In addition, Palm

HTC Droid Eris (Verizon Wireless)

In the hand, HTC Droid Eris (Verizon Wireless) feels like a solidly constructed phone. It measures 4.45 inches tall by 2.19 inches wide by 0.51 inch thick and weighs 4.23 ounces, so it's slim enough to slip into a pants pocket and feels comfortable to hold during phone calls. In addition, HTC added a proximity sensor, a feature that was missing on the Sprint HTC Hero, so now the screen will turn

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Sonos Bundle BU250

The latest Sonos adds a major upgrade the CR200 touch screen remote. If that wasn't good enough and the remote is excellent it can also be controlled by any iPhone or iPod Touch running a free app that's available via the iTunes App Store. The result is a whole house music system that's easier to control than ever before. The catch? The system costs a somewhat pricey $1,000. And while that may

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Vizio VF551XVT

Vizio VF551XVT's big screen LCD looks unassuming for the most part, with the standard glossy black frame surrounding the picture area. But the nondetachable speaker bar along the bottom, with its silver coloring, reflective supports, bulbous shape and see through panel exposing the wall behind the TV, assumes a bit too much, and we predict you'll either love it or hate it. We fall into the latter

Panasonic TC-P50V10

Panasonic TC-P50V10 is one sleek plasma. Its main external differentiator is what the company calls "one sheet of glass" design, where a pane of glass extends beyond the edge of the screen and over the bezel itself, leading to a seamless look that's even more impressive in person than in pictures. (It's worth noting that only the 50 and 54 inch models feature the one sheet design; the larger

Friday, October 23, 2009

HP Mini 311

HP Mini 311 is what you would call an oversized netbook. It's about the same size as the ASUS EeePC 1101HA, Acer Aspire One (A0751h), and Gateway LT3103u in that they all have 11.6 inch widescreens. At 3.3 pounds, it's the heaviest among its peers, although the differences are small. HP Mini 311 is the prettiest though, as HP's signature imprints against a white background is delightful to look

HP Envy 13

HP Envy 13 is crafted from aluminum and magnesium bonded materials, while the MacBook Pro does it from a thick slab of aluminum. Its metals are anodized several layers deep, so the Envy 13 is not only sleek, but durable, scratch resistant, and lightweight as well. Apple and HP aren't the only ultraportable manufacturers that use metals, though. The ASUS UL30A-A1 and Acer Aspire Timeline AS3810T (

Getac 9213

Getac 9213 measures just 12.5 by 9 by 1 inches, and its 3.6 pound chassis offers plenty of relief to full time travelers. It's about a pound lighter than the Apple MacBook Pro 13 inch (4.5 pounds) and the HP Pavilion dv3z (4.6 pounds), but not nearly as cheap. More impressive, though, is that it weighs as little as the Acer Aspire Timeline AS3810T and still manages to incorporate an optical drive

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Sharp LC-52LE700UN

The glossy black finish of Sharp LC-52LE700UN series doesn't break any new ground design wise, and this Sharp keeps the angled edges of its predecessors like Sharp LC-46D85U. A silver fade along the bottom of the frame provides a very subtle accent while a blue-lit triangle, which reminded us of the emblems worn by the crew of the Enterprise, points toward the company logo in the middle of the

Monday, October 19, 2009

Sony Ericsson Cyber-shot C905

Sony Ericsson Cyber-shot C905a has a very sharp and sleek style that really highlights its Cyber-shot namesake. In fact, from the back, the phone looks more like a point and shoot camera thanks to the sliding camera lens cover. Measuring 4.1 inches long by 1.9 inches wide by 0.7 inch thick, the C905a is quite bulky. It's curved at the top and the bottom, has sharp corners, and is wrapped in a

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Nintendo Wii

Nintendo Wii's biggest and most obvious appeal is the ability to use its motion sensing controller to play Nintendo Wii specific games. Nintendo Wii's release lineup includes the highly anticipated Legend of Zelda, Twilight Princess and the addictive pack in party game Wii Sports, as well as a variety of more traditional third party titles (many of which have been enhanced to use the Wiimote

Nintendo DSi

Nintendo DSi is the third iteration of the DS, which was originally released in November 2004. In June 2006, the company refreshed the system in the form of the DS Lite, which dramatically changed the device's overall design and vastly improved screen performance. Rumors of a second redesign proved to be a reality when Nintendo announced the most recent, and what we believe to be the final rehash

Sony PSP 3000

Sony PSP 3000 has the same slim dimensions (2.81 inches high by 6.63 inches wide by 0.63 inch deep) and lighter weight (just over 7 ounces or 200 grams with the battery, game disc, and Memory Stick on board) as its predecessor. The 4.3 inch LCD wide screen remains, and it's been tweaked. Sony says the new screen now delivers better color reproduction, reduced glare, and reduced "ghosting" on high

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Palm Pixi

Overall, Palm Pixi is slimmer than both the iPhone 3GS and the Palm Pre. The phone itself is covered in a rubbery, soft touch material the back actually flexes and snaps off like a piece of Tupperware and the keys are much clickier and more satisfying to type on than the Pre's keys. On the back, there's a 2 megapixel camera with LED flash, as compared to the Pre's 3 megapixel unit. Palm says Palm

Nokia 7705 Twist (Verizon)

Nokia 7705 Twist (Verizon) uses Verizon's standard menu system. That means it's familiar, slow, and kludgy, and requires too many key presses for most tasks. The Polaris 6.1 browser displayed HTML pages well given the smallish LCD. But pages were stiff and slow to navigate using the on screen cursor, and the USA Today home page took more than two minutes to load fully. Verizon loads its instant

Motorola Cliq

Like other T-Mobile Android phones, Motorola Cliq is a bit short on style. With a big, 3.1 inch screen, a rectangular design (with curved edges) and a slide away QWERTY keyboard, Motorola Cliq sits firmly between the clunky T-Mobile G1 and the flashy myTouch 3G. All three phones are carried by T-Mobile. In a brief side by side comparison, the still pre-release Cliq was actually a bit more

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Nokia N86

The overall look of Nokia N86 8MP isn't too different from Nokia N series models of the past, but a closer examination of the phone reveals some nice improvements. For one, Nokia N86 has a higher quality build and a more solid feel than any of its other N siblings, thanks to new hardware refinements like metal edges and tempered glass on the face of the device. The one trade off is the phone is

Nokia 5130 XpressMusic

Nokia 5130 XpressMusic somewhat resembles the earlier 5310. It also sports a slim candy bar design, though it's bit larger (4.23 inches by 1.83 inches by 0.58 inch 3.10 ounces) and it features a glossier skin with a dotted pattern over its speaker one the rear side. The handset comes in two color schemes aqua-silver and red-black. We tested the former, but the features are the same on both models

Friday, October 2, 2009

Navigon 8100T

Navigon 8100T is a bit of a departure from the company's other portable navigation systems as far as its design. It sports a silver brushed metal finish rather than the typical black plastic casing, giving the GPS a more sophisticated look and quality build to match its high end feature list. Navigon 8100T is slightly on the larger and heavier side, at 5.3 inches wide by 3.3. inches tall by 0.9

Navigon 2000S

Navigon 2000S has a very simple design. The unit measures a petite 3.8 inches wide by 2.9 inches high by 0.7 inch deep and weighs 4.3 ounces. It's compact enough that you could fit it into a pants pocket or use it as a handheld navigator, and there is a pedestrian mode as well as a bicycle routing option. Be careful when transporting the system or using it outside of the car, as the portable

Navigon 7200T

Like Navigon 2000S, Navigon 7200T features a slightly new design with a black matte casing rather than the lacquered finish of the company's previous models. It still keeps the compact size, measuring 4.6 inches wide by 3.2 inches tall by 0.7 inch deep and weighing 6.5 ounces, so you can use it in multiple cars or take it with you on vacations for use with rental cars. Navigon 7200T's display is

Monday, September 28, 2009

Toshiba Satellite P505D-S8930

Instead of just a flat solid color, Toshiba used its Fusion Finish on the P505D with its sonic pattern in black onyx. It's a light pinstripe pattern on a glossy black background on the lid, with palm rests, and speaker surround above the keyboard. The speakers sound great by the way, far above the laptop's budget price tag. The keyboard is large and comfortable with a full number pad on the right

Toshiba Satellite L305-S5955

Last year's Toshiba Satellite L305-S5875, which cost $675 and was housed in a nearly identical case, came with a 200GB hard drive, 3GB of DDR2 RAM, and a 1.86GHz Pentium Dual-Core T2390. Therein lies the difference : this year's L305 has a 160GB hard drive, only 2GB of RAM, and an inferior Celeron 900 processor for nearly half the cost. In essence, it has the guts of a Netbook in a 15.4 inch

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Panasonic SC-BT300

Most Blu-ray HTIBs stick to traditional 5.1 configurations, but Panasonic SC-BT300 is a full 7.1 system. The system is made up of two tall boy speakers, four small speakers for the surround or surround back channels, a center channel and the subwoofer. The tall boy speakers stand 40.2 inches high, and the circular stands are 10 inches in diameter. They're big enough to dominate a room, so if

Samsung HT-AS730

Samsung HT-AS730 is a "component style" home theater system, which means that it's basically a full on AV receiver that's boxed up with a matching 5.1 speaker system. No DVD or Blu-ray player is included the implication being that you already have a disc player or game console on hand. The system's receiver looks slick enough, completely masked in a polished black plastic. We were shocked to see

Samsung HT-BD1250

Samsung HT-BD1250 is a 5.1 system the included speaker package consists of four identical smallish speakers for the front surround, a slim center channel and a subwoofer. Samsung HT-BD1250's front or surround speakers feature both a tweeter and a woofer, which is a nice plus on an HTIB system. The four bookshelf speakers sit 8.3 inches high, and have a stand built into the base. The front of the

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Apple iPod shuffle (4th Generation)

To create the world's smallest music player, Apple moved the controls from the iPod shuffle to the earphone cord. This makes iPod shuffle smaller than ever, and the controls are right where you can reach them. So when you want to play, pause, or skip to the next tune, you don't have to fumble for your iPod shuffle just follow the cord and press a button. The VoiceOver feature lets iPod shuffle

Monday, September 14, 2009

Samsung U5

Offered in black, white, red, pink, or blue, the oblong and thin 0.81 ounce Samsung U5 measures 0.9 by 3.5 by 0.5 inches (HWD) and features a tiny, 1 inch grayscale OLED screen. The display attempts to show album art when available, but its size and lack of color work against it. (The animated characters you can assign to appear whenever the player powers up, however, make much better use of the

Samsung Q2

Available in black or white, Samsung Q2 looks slick, but it won't win any body battles against the nano its 3.9 by 2.0 by 0.4 inch (HWD) frame is considerably bulkier than the skinny iPod. That said, Samsung Q2 sports a larger screen, measuring 2.4 inches with a 320 by 240 pixel resolution. (The nano's 2 inch screen boasts the same resolution, so it looks a bit sharper.) Below the screen is the

Sony X Series Walkman (NWZ-X1051)

Wi-Fi enabled, with a touch screen and the integration of popular Web services like Slacker Internet radio and YouTube, the Walkman has evolved into a robust music and video player. There's also built-in noise cancellation, and the player comes with a pair of earphones that sound great when combined with the user adjustable EQ. My only major complaint. The Web experience isn't great Sony's

Sony Walkman NWZ-W202

If you want a display, a radio, or the ability to use your own earphones, Sony Walkman NWZ-W202 isn't for you, but it's an elegant and inexpensive player that's ideal for the gym crowd. The controls are built into the right ear of this 1.3 ounce earphone pair, which is available in black or pink. The earpieces are roughly 2 inches long, with the actual earphones on the inside sealing your ear

Monday, September 7, 2009

Motorola Evoke QA4

Motorola Evoke QA4 is a good looking black and silver lozenge at 4.25 by 2 by .7 inches (HWD) and it weighs 4.5 ounces. The 2.8 inch, 240x400 resistive touch screen slides up to reveal a keypad of bold, white numbers. The number keys aren't physically separated, but they're big enough for it not to matter. Motorola Evoke QA4's big selling point is its touch screen and widget based interface.Along

Sony Ericsson C905a (AT&T)

The 2.4 inch screen features 240 by 320 pixel resolution and displays up to 262K colors. Below the LCD are a five way control pad and six hardware buttons. Unfortunately, the Send and End buttons are in between the others, so careful aim is required. Slide the front panel up and you'll reveal a recessed, membrane keypad finished in matte black. The keys are quiet, but a little too stiff for easy

LG Neon (AT&T)

LG Neon (AT&T) is an attractive phone, with smooth rounded corners, clean lines, and a compact form factor. Measuring 4 inches long by 2 inches wide by 0.66 inch thick, LG Neon (AT&T) is quite lightweight at 3.81 ounces. It's slim enough to fit in the pocket and feels good in the hand. The sliding mechanism is smooth yet sturdy. On the front of the phone is a glossy black finish featuring a

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Samsung Mondi SWD-M100

Samsung Mondi SWD-M100's size. At 4.88 inches by 3.03 inches by 0.63 inch and 6.39 ounces, it's bigger than any cell phone that's crossed our desk in years. It won't fit in your pocket and it will take up significant space in a purse or a backpack. Some reviewers have rightfully griped that Samsung Mondi SWD-M100 is too big, but we don't see any way around it. And in any case, we figure that

Samsung Reclaim SPH-M560

Samsung Reclaim SPH-M560 largely resembles other square texting phones such as the Samsung Propel. We didn't love the odd slider shape when we first saw it, but we admit that's it's grown on us. It may not be pretty, but it certainly is functional as it accommodates the full QWERTY keyboard. Samsung Reclaim SPH-M560 measures 3.9 inches by 2.37 inches by 0.59 inch and weighs 3.5 ounces. It's also

Samsung Solstice SGH-A887

Samsung Solstice SGH-A887 offers a trim design with rounded corners. It's not quite as angular as the Samsung Behold or the Eternity, though it lacks the Highlight's color choice and patterned back side. We wouldn't call it stylish, but it's not unattractive either. It measures 4.3 inches by 2.1 inches by 0.5 inch and weighs 3.3 ounces, which gives it a comfortable and sturdy feel in the hand.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Pharos Traveler GPS 137

The GPS enabled smartphone offered the advantage of coming with its own navigation software and maps, which eliminated the need for fee based location services and a cellular connection. Unfortunately, the benefit of this was lost on the clunky software and the device's sluggish performance. We had higher hopes for Pharos Traveler 137. After all, the smartphone features a sleeker design with a

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Samsung WEP470

Samsung WEP470 is a cheap headset and it makes no pretensions otherwise. Measuring just 1.7 inches long by 0.75 inch wide by 0.43 inch thick, Samsung WEP470 is blocky and rectangular and won't call too much attention to itself thanks to its size and dull looks. Right on the front of the headset is the multifunction call button. It sits just above a thin line that houses the LED indicator. The

Friday, August 28, 2009

Acer G24

Acer G24 24 inch monitor has a bright, glossy, reflective screen, and a smooth, bright orange bezel. The bottom of the bezel is 2.5 inches above the desktop and measures 1.1 inches on the left and right sides, bringing the full panel width to 22.5 inches that's slightly wider than the Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP's 22 inches. The base panel depth measures 1.8 inches about the same as the Dell's but it

Acer H235H

The 23 inch Acer H235H has a flat, glossy, black bezel that contrasts nicely with its glossy blue back. The panel measures 3.2 inches in full depth that's considerably thicker than the 23 inch Samsung SyncMaster P2370, which measured just over an inch deep. The bezel measures 1.1 inches on its left and right sides, and 0.75 inch on its bottom, where a silver Acer logo resides. Under the bezel,

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Acer B273HU

A plain, matte black cabinet houses the 27 inch panel, which has a maximum resolution of 2.048 by 1.152 dpi, a 16:9 aspect ratio, and a 5 millisecond (black to white) pixel response rate. The 14.5 pound enclosure is supported by a square base with a swiveling, telescoping arm that provides up to 4.3 inches of height adjustability and 70 degrees of swivel. A hinge at the top of the stand gives you

NEC EA261WM

Mounted on the lower right hand bezel are four well marked function buttons and a power switch that glows blue when the monitor is in normal operating mode and turns amber when it's in standby mode. The Menu button launches and closes the on screen display (OSD) program, while the Select button activates the highlighted selection and acts as a hot key for selecting an input source. The Reset or

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Epson WorkForce Pro GT-S50

Physically, Epson WorkForce Pro GT-S50 (which comes with a standard one year warranty) is typical for document scanners in its price range. It measures 8.4 by 11.9 by 8.0 inches (HWD) with the input and output trays closed, or 15.9 by 11.9 by 15 inches with the trays extended. Setup is typical as well. Set the scanner in place, open the top cover (which turns into the input tray), extend the

Canon CanoScan 5600F

Setting up Canon CanoScan 5600F is absolutely typical for a flatbed scanner. Install the software, unlock the scanner, and then plug in the power cord and USB cable. I tested the scanner primarily under Windows XP, but also installed it under Vista just to confirm that it worked. Canon says it also provides drivers and a full set of programs for Windows 2000 and Mac OS 10.3.9 through 10.5.x.The

Plustek BookReader V100

Plustek BookReader V100, which comes with a one year parts and labor warranty, is a niche product. Plustek BookReader V100 says it's aimed primarily at libraries and other institutional users that may find it helpful to convert printed books into audiobooks, particularly for the benefit of the visually impaired. It could also see it being of great interest to someone with, say, macular

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Pacific Image Electronics Memor-ease

Beyond these few basics, the driver adjusts all settings automatically, like a point and shoot camera. As soon as you position the film holder, you'll see a preview of the image, and you can watch the brightness, contrast, and other settings change until the driver is satisfied it's found the best settings. When the auto adjust finishes, all that's left is for you to give the Capture command. If

Samsung SC-HMX20C

With its attractive, well rounded, capsule shaped body, Samsung SC-HMX20C looks pretty slick, but its design makes it a bit awkward to hold. The curve of the camera makes one handed operation tricky, it's difficult to keep a steady grip, since you have to slightly unwrap your fingers to reach key recording controls like start and stop and zoom. Alternatively, you can swivel the right handed grip

Pure Digital Flip UltraHD

Pure Digital Flip UltraHD looks like the first Flip Ultra. The original's white casing has been replaced with a slicker matte black, and its gray sides have been swapped out for reflective silver. The retractable USB arm mechanism on the camera's right side is the same, but below it, a mini HDMI jack has supplanted the TV out port (although, unlike the Creative's $230 Vado Pocket Video Cam HD,

Sony Webbie HD

The pocket sized Sony Webbie HD camera is your perfect companion, ready to record antics at a moment's notice. Not only does it record HD MP4 video that plays nicely with sites like YouTube, it also snaps off sharp, 5 megapixel still shots with ease. Cram up to 8.5 hours of HD video footage or thousands of photos on ultra small Memory Stick PRO Duo media. Sony Webbie HD comes in orange, silver

Canon Vixia HV30

Canon Vixia HV30's user interface is similar to that of Canon point and shoot cameras like the PowerShot SD790 IS. It's flat, uses big block text, and has only four colors. The menus are drab compared with those of the Sony and Samsung camcorders, which are projected over images on colorful touch screens in a way that gives them a 3D feeling. What's worse, Canon Vixia HV30, unlike the hard drive

Monday, August 17, 2009

ASUS EeePC 1101HA

It's basically a larger version of the EeePC 1005HA and a lot thinner than the EeePC 1000HE, measuring just 11.3 by 7.7 by 1 inches (HWD). ASUS also did a tremendous job hiding the bulk of the 6 cell battery it's practically flush with the base. The Acer Aspire One (A0751h) and Toshiba mini NB205, on the other hand, have their battery protruding awkwardly from the back. At 3 pounds flat, the

Toshiba Mini NB205-N210

Toshiba Mini NB205-N210's footprint (10.4 by 8.4 0.8 inches, HWD) would have been roughly the size of the Samsung N120 (12GBK) (10.7 by 7.4 by 1.2 inches, HWD) and Asus EeePC 1000HE (10.3 by 7.3 by 1.1 inches) had it not been for the extended battery that sticks out by about an inch (The other two have extended batteries that protrude downward from the base). It's as thin as the Acer D250-1165 (

Gateway NV5807u

Gateway NV5807u is not an eye sore, as the glossy plastics and the subtle patterns within the bluish cover are current with what's out there. Both the HP Pavilion dv6t (1030us) and Toshiba Satellite L505D-S6947 employ similar design techniques in which colorful plastics are infused with artwork a process known as in mold decoration. In my opinion, though, this design is a step backward for the

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Falcon Northwest Fragbook DRX

This 12 pound tank is one of only a handful of boutique laptops that have enough cooling fans to run a 3.33 GHz, Intel Core i7 975 processor the top of the line desktop processor, no less. Surround the CPU with an excellent supporting cast nVidia GeForce 280M GTX graphics card, 6GB of memory, and three internal hard drives (one of which is an 80GB SSD), and its competitors can only watch

Dell Studio 1737

Dell Studio 1737 is an easy system to spot since it's fairly large, measuring 15.4 by 11.4 by 1.4 inches (HWD) and weighing 7.5 pounds. It's the type of system you'll want anchored to your desk, though, replacing your old desktop. The HP Pavilion dv7 (2173cl) and dv7-2170us are each only two tenths of a pound lighter (7.3 lbs) and take up just as much space. If the lightest 17 inch laptop is what

Kodak Zi8

We've been messing around with Kodak's latest pocket camcorder, the Zi8, and find the shooter to be an interesting hybrid. With a flip out USB plug, HDMI out and an easily accessible SD card slot, this is clearly a "premium" mix of features for the class, but the $180 price tag keeps the device firmly grounded in Walmart friendly reality. Other odd perks like a line in jack and 1080p have us

Olympus E-P2

There's not exactly much in the way of specifics on either of these just yet, but the usually reliable French magazine, Chasseur d'Image, has seemingly revealed in its latest issue that Olympus will be rolling out its E-P1 followup, the E-P2, before the end of the year, and that Leica will be releasing its M8 successor, the M9, as soon as September. The real kicker is that the E-P2 is said to be