February 16th, 2010. Filed under: Reviews-3 Storage.
Verbatim computer peripherals are well known, and I have used their computer mice and recordable disks for years. This will be the first hard drive from Verbatim that I have ever used, and it offers a new feature: an always-on “cholesteric” display. It’s a very small 2.5” hard drive that is USB powered and operated in a sleek package. This is nothing new, but the drive also includes a microchip that reads the partition information of the drive and displays the partition name and available space on a display. Continue reading
Tags: external, hard drive, InSight, USB, Verbatim | No Comments »
February 14th, 2010. Filed under: Accessories-3 Reviews.
I am an avid iPhone 3G user, but my chief complaint about the device is the battery lifetime. All of the extra hardware that makes the iPhone great (GPS, WiFi, 3G GSM, accelerometer, digital compass, etc.) drain the non-replaceable battery within a day of charging, with moderate use. Not surprisingly, a slew of add-on products from manufacturers such as Dexim have hit the market to append the poor battery performance of the iPhone. The Dexim P-Flip offers an extended battery in the form of a foldable dock. Continue reading
Tags: battery, Dexim, dock, iPhone, P-Flip | No Comments »
February 10th, 2010. Filed under: Accessories-3 Reviews.
As an iPhone owner, I’m familiar with the Griffin line of iPod/iPhone/Apple accessories. I’m also familiar with the shortcomings of the iPhone’s speaker, and that holding or cupping your hand around the speaker port will enhance (or at least change) the sounds coming from it. A friend of mine even suggested building a wave-guide to enhance the sound from the iPhone speaker. Griffin has done just that with its passive amplifier dock, the AirCurve. The iPhone sits in this plastic dock that has an acoustic wave-guide positioned directly under the speaker port. Modeled after the human ear canal, the waveguide amplifies and equalizes the sounds before ejecting them out the front of the device. It is completely passive and requires no batteries. Continue reading
Tags: AirCurve, Griffin, iPhone, iPod, speaker | No Comments »
February 10th, 2010. Filed under: Enclosures-3 Reviews.
The EnhanceTech TS800 IP is an enterprise-level solution for iSCSI attached storage. Resembling a full-size ATX case, the TS800 contains three gigabit network controllers, an onboard computer and web server, a RAID controller capable of level 6 arrays, and a hot-swap backplane with room for 8 SATA drives. The novel aspect here is the use of the iSCSI standard, essentially using an existing TCP/IP network infrastructure to pass packets of data that mimic a more traditional SAS solution. Part of this process is specialized software on the client end to attach the device as a volume. Continue reading
Tags: EnhanceTech, iSCSI, TS800 IP | No Comments »
February 10th, 2010. Filed under: Other-3 Reviews.
Handheld rotary tools have long been a staple for every modders toolkit. One brand of handheld rotary tool has become so popular that like Kleenex, the brand name is often used to describe all handheld rotary tools. For those who are confused, I am talking about none other than the Dremel. Not all “dremels” are created equally and today we will be taking a look at the newest member of the Dremel family, the Dremel 4000. Continue reading
Tags: 4000, Dremel, handheld, rotary, tool | No Comments »
February 2nd, 2010. Filed under: Enclosures-3 Reviews.
I have been familiar with ThermalTake products for years, having built my first custom computer using one of their Xaser-II cases. I’m also familiar with their typical over-engineering. In the case of the Xaser-II, the front door was made of ¼-inch cold-rolled steel, and weighed close to five pounds. Throughout the years, that case has served many purposes and held together perfectly due to its stellar build quality. Up now is the BlacX Duet, an external hard drive dock for internal SATA hard drives. The “Duet” is for two drives being simultaneously accessible by eSATA and USB with this product. Continue reading
Tags: BlacX, dock, Duet, eSATA, hard drive, hdd, Thermaltake, USB | No Comments »
February 1st, 2010. Filed under: Accessories-3 Reviews.
More and more laws are being enacted to require a hands-free device to be used when using a cellphone will driving. While some people do not mind a Bluetooth headset hanging from their ear, many people find this unbearable. While thre are a few other options, one popular solution is a Bluetooth speakerphone . Today we will be looking at one such product from Motorola, the T325 In-Car Speakerphone. Continue reading
Tags: Bluetooth, hands free, Motorola, Speakerphone, T325 | No Comments »
February 28th, 2010. Filed under: News.
