2008

The Sony Walkman Review: Now with Bluetooth

There it was.  At last!  Writ large upon the outer wrapping of the new Sony NWZ-A828K Digital Media Player (which most of you will know as a Walkman).  There were the words I have longed to hear from a media player for so many years.  The box read: WIRELESS. Enjoy music wirelessly with the supplied Bluetooth stereo headset. Yes, that is right folks.  This will be my first media player review without the patented Bluetooth rant.  And really, having found a media player with Bluetooth, I might as well end the review right here.  Nice job, Sony!  But no, as…


Choosing an Online Dating Site

All the lonely people Where do they all come from? All the lonely people Where do they all belong? – “Eleanor Rigby”, by Paul McCartney I don’t think that anyone necessarily plans to be alone and lonely; sometimes it just happens. Perhaps it’s because they got caught up in a career race, or they live somewhere with a limited dating pool. Maybe they’ve been dating the wrong person, they’re divorced, or perhaps it’s because they have simply postponed couplehood until nearly everyone they know is paired up, and the ones who aren’t simply don’t look appealing. However it happens, there…


Kensington C170 Keyboard with USB Ports REVIEW

Is it time to replace the keyboard that came with your original desktop? Or perhaps the white keyboard that came with your iMac is so junked up that a black keyboard might be a nice alternative… The Kensington C170 Keyboard with USB Ports is the newest offering from Kensington. This keyboard features three built-in 2.0 USB ports; one on the back and at the top rear along the back concealed behind a sliding door which also houses a mini-USB connector.



The Newer Tech Guardian MAXimus RAID Mirrored Data Redundant Solution Review

Do any of us need any more signs to be written on any more walls that redundant backing up of our data is the single most important thing we can possibly do? I hope not, because it seems that hardly a day goes by without another harsh reminder being driven home that it is imperative. Just this weekend many of us read with horror about the colossal explosion at The Planet, which affected over 9000 servers. Did you catch that? Servers, not sites. Although most of the servers suffered no data loss, that was not true in all cases. My…


Nokia N82 Review

Over 6 months ago I reviewed Nokia’s flagship phone, the N95 8GB, which I thought was fantastic. It was essentially a refresh of the N95 (which I wasn’t enamoured with), fixing the built quality, battery life, and a few other niggly little things that turned me off. Since then the N95 8GB has been my main phone. I was surprised to find myself switching back to it after less than a month of owning the BlackJack II, that’s how much I liked it. Over the last week I’ve been using the N82, which is basically an N95 inside a candy-bars…


First Two Days Out With The Eee

I wasn’t planning to write about my experience with the Eee this soon but I’m so excited about this thing I just couldn’t wait. Yesterday morning I headed out the door with just the Eee in my bag, leaving the MacBook Pro on my desk at home. While it probably isn’t as good for my self-imposed weight loss program, it did feel nice to have a lighter bag. I chucked the AC adaptor in my bag so I could charge the unit up at university should I need to. On the train I hooked up my USB HSDPA modem so…


HTC Advantage X7510 Review

When I first began my adventure into mobile technology, it started with Handheld PCs. H/PCs, as they are known, were made from the late 90s to 2003 by a variety of manufacturers, most notably NEC and Hewlett Packard. The devices were more-often-than-not a clamshell form factor, with a built-in keyboard and VGA or HVGA screens. They were powerful and business friendly, especially in light of the fact that at that time, Pocket PCs (as they were known) did not have built in keyboards. Through a variety of market changes and marketing blunders, the H/PC soon became a non-factor in the…


The i-mate Ultimate 8502 Unboxed and Discussed

This is one i-mate model which I think a lot of people have been eager to explore, the Ultimate 8502 which features a full QWERTY thumbboard on its lower half. Those who prefer the Treo or BlackJack form factor will appreciate the 8502’s candy bar style as well as the fact that using the keyboard does not require rotating the device 90? to the left and then sliding it open. In other words, this is the type device people who text and drive generally prefer; not that I would ever do such a thing… All pictures are thumbnails, you can…


The iwavecube™ personal microwave REVIEW

With Father’s Day rapidly approaching, here’s a way to affirm him with a unique desktop gadget – the iwavecube™ personal microwave. While Dad is toiling away in his home away from home, having his very own personal microwave in his cubicle will certainly bring immeasurable joy. Considering how nasty shared use office kitchen microwaves can be, he’ll appreciate your thoughtfulness. With a iwavecube™ personal microwave in the corner of his 8×8 cubicle, Ole Dad could be sipping on some reheated Starbucks coffee, a SmartOne or instant soup for lunch; or freshening the air with popcorn while reviewing TPS Reports.


The i-mate Ultimate 6150 Unboxed and Discussed

Meet the Ultimate 6150. As you may recall, this was the device that I felt was the most “old-school PDA-like” back in January when I first saw it, because it didn’t have a built-in keyboard or an extended numeric pad. Instead, the 6150 has a relatively clean front panel. But as usual, I am getting ahead of myself; let’s start with the unboxing… All pictures are thumbnails, you can click on them to enlarge; a gallery with even more photos is at the end.


Ivideosongs.com Review: The Website Every Budding Musician Needs to See!

I still remember when I started seriously playing the guitar.  I was in seventh grade.  At that time, we were given a choice of band, chorus, or guitar.  But you had to pick one.  Well, by then I had already determined that I was done with the clarinet, so I would not be joining the band.  And I had no illusions about my ability to sing  (I was always the kid in my fourth grade concert who stood in the back lip syncing).  So, it was off to guitar for me, and I was pretty excited about it.  I mean,…


Review: Coghlan’s 0.5 W LED Headlight

After writing the review for the Coghlan’s LED Micro Lantern, Coghlan’s offered to send me 2 new LED headlights to review.  Today I am going to take a look at the 0.5 Watt LED Headlight from Coghlan’s. The wattage of this headlight is serious. If you need to be able to see anywhere you point your head at night, then you should get this light.


Ford Shelby GT500 and Bullitt Mustangs: Pony Power

… Like Steve McQueen All I need’s a fast machine And I’m gonna make it all right … Sheryl Crow Four decades after hitting the big screen and redefining the on-screen car chase, the Ford Mustang Bullitt returns to the streets in 2008, blending the best Mustang ever with the latest Ford Racing technology. Not only did we spend a week with the Bullitt, but we also got our hands on the Shelby GT500 Mustang, an icon of true American musclecar partnered with a legendary American racing spirit.


The 2008 Scion xB Gold Rush Mica Release 5.0

In recent months I’ve been looking at getting a new car.  Actually, at first, I was looking at used cars, but, eventually, I ended up looking at new hatchbacks.  I was replacing a sports car and the point of the exercise was to get a vehicle that would save me gas, and be a little more utilitarian without totally giving up the fun factor.  After doing tons of research on the Internet, I ended up buying a special edition of the 2008 Scion xB – the Gold Rush Mica Release 5.0.


Final Thoughts on the BlackJack II

In March I bought a BlackJack II off eBay US, since I wanted a cheap smartphone with a keyboard. It was very cheap, had HSDPA (important) and ran Windows Mobile 6, so I was pretty happy. But not long after I got it I realised it just wasn’t quite right, especially after having used the Nokia N95 8GB for several months. I found the BlackJack II too have a rather poor radio, it’s signal strength was always pathetic. Worse than that, often when it would lose signal it would not reconnect to the network properly, therefore calls, messages and emails…


Adobe Premiere Elements 4 Review

[Note: This is the second of two articles relating to to the Adobe PhotoShop Elements 6/Premiere Elements 4 Bundle.  Click here to see my review of Adobe Photoshop Elements 6]. My video camera, a Sony Handycam, is slightly over six years old.  I bought it in anticipation of the birth of my first son.  Oh did I have plans for that camera.  I would take videos, capture them on my computer, edit them, and make amazing home movies of my new baby which I could share with friends and family.  Oh the plans. Unfortunately, my plans did not account for…


The Beyza Cases MacBook Air Thinvelope Leather Case Review

Back in April, when I first posted about the Beyza Cases MacBook Air Thinvelope Leather Case, I made the comment that if they created “this same style case, but with white stitching for the MacBook Pro 15, then I [would] have to put my order in immediately.” My contact Ali wrote to say that although they weren’t planning on making the Thinvelope for the MBP, the tan one did come in the color combination I wanted, and he would be sending it “ASAP, with your name. Maybe you’ll get a MacBook Air.” Not very likely, I thought at the time;…


The MWg Zinc II Unboxed and Discussed

It was almost a year ago that Clinton posted his review of the O2 Zinc, and since then a lot has changed. As I mentioned in my MWg Mobius posting, O2 was purchased by eXpansys, and as part of the purchase eXpansys acquired everything and has now rebranded the company as MWg. Today I’m going to share my early thoughts regarding the MWg Zinc II which I was given at the Mobius event; the second part of this review will come in a few weeks and will cover the software and overall user experience. But first, the unboxing… Anyone who…


Reviewed: Skullcandy Link Hydro Pack

For the past two weeks I’ve been testing a new backpack from Skull Candy. This pack is perfect for anyone who is on the go because it integrates a hydration system and the ability to play your mp3 player (iPod/iPhone supported) through stereo speakers located on the pack straps! How did it all work? Read on. One part of this backpack that I REALLY love is the integrated speaker system. Imagine heading on a hike/bike or walk and not having to worry about wearing headphones that might block out the sounds of your surroundings. I do a lot of hiking…


Nikon to Nokia – a photographer’s journey

Despite an occasional straying here and there, I have been shooting with Nikon camera gear just about my entire career as a photojournalist. In this millennium many of my duties have been restructured, with tasks added as well as getting a new title – editor. But all along I have been shooting Nikon. Until this week. My first digital Nikon camera was the Coolpix 950, then on to the D1 digital SLR (which I hear is being called the “classic”). A host of other D-SLRs have come and gone and with this most recent Christmas, the Nikon D300 (which I…