2008

TuneRanger iTunes Sync from Smithmicro - let the buyer beware

Editorials

TuneRanger iTunes Sync from Smithmicro – let the buyer beware

I received an email offer about two weeks ago from SmithMicro. They advertise a software product called TuneRanger which promises to “Sync, manage and protect all of your iTunes libraries …with the click of a button”. I have my main iTunes library on an iMac and would like to synchronize all of the iTunes music over to my MacBook Pro so that I’d have an identical copy including playlists and any ratings that I’d created for my songs. SmithMicro was offering over 30% savings if I bought within 10 days of the mailing – which seemed too good to be…

Oppo DV-981HD Upconvert DVD Player

Reviews

Oppo DV-981HD Upconvert DVD Player

I have a large DVD collection.  I am not yet all that excited about investing in Blu-ray where I get to pay twice as much for each new title.  Although many HD televisions perform certain image upconvert functions (to improve the way standard TV and DVD images appear on the higher-resolution HD display), they don’t necessarily perform that function very well.  Enter the Oppo DV-981HD DVD Player.  The 981HD was introduced a while back with some state of the art features for the time at a moderate price.  I recently got the opportunity to work with this player and put…

E-TEN V900 WM Pro 6.1 Mobile Device Unboxing

Reviews

E-TEN V900 WM Pro 6.1 Mobile Device Unboxing

I am very fortunate to have such a wonderful working relationship with the folks over at E-TEN, now officially a part of the Acer family!  I received a wonderful surprise the other day.  E-TEN (now Acer, now that the merger between the two has completed) sent me the V900 WM Pro 6.1 mobile device!

Sony Cybershot DSC-W120 Review: A Million Smiling Faces Can't Be Wrong

Reviews

Sony Cybershot DSC-W120 Review: A Million Smiling Faces Can’t Be Wrong

Digital cameras seem to be everywhere these days, and I am pretty sure you are all familiar with the basic premises of composing a photo on them.  Set subjects in place, aim camera, scream “everyone smile!” point, and shoot as everyone smiles or says cheese, or whatever other instruction you gave them.  Pretty simple.  Simple, that is, if you are not trying to take pictures of children.  My six year old and three year old are a mile a minute.  They rarely sit still, let alone, smile on command.  And even if one does listen, it is almost impossible for…

Restoring and Beautifying Photos the Photofiddle Way

Reviews

Restoring and Beautifying Photos the Photofiddle Way

One of my favorite hobbies is working on my family’s genealogy; because it was also my uncle’s and grandmother’s hobby before me, I have access to a treasure trove of photographs, historical documents, family charts and other paraphernalia that they and others had collected. What’s not in my personal files is kept at the Angelo State University library in their canvas wrapped on stretchers, where it is easily shared with me and any other interested familial historians. I guess because I have always had such a relatively easy time collecting and accessing some of (what I consider to be) the…

Revolabs xTag Wireless Microphone Review

Reviews

Revolabs xTag Wireless Microphone Review

I’ve been using voice recognition software for a number of years. Back in my Windows days I used Dragon NaturallySpeaking Speaking. I started with Version 8 and the accuracy improved through my use of Version 9.5. (Version 10 has just been released and it promises to be even better!) When I made the move to Mac a little bit over a year ago I went searching for voice recognition software. I found and purchased iListen from MacSpeech. It worked well enough but was a far cry from the power and accuracy of Dragon. A few months ago MacSpeech updated iListen,…

Urbantool Sportholster - extra pockets during workouts

Reviews

Urbantool Sportholster – extra pockets during workouts

I am in the midst of a 6 month training to complete my first half marathon. When I began my more serious training in the spring I was often faced with a few logistical issues; such as where to put my keys, my phone and iPod? If I was running in my neighborhood the keys weren’t an issue, but I often travel to different parks and cities to keep me from getting bored and give me a good reason to see places I have not seen before. I have tried “hiding” my key on my tire, tying it to my…

MOO Business Cards: MOO MiniCards Grow Up

Reviews

MOO Business Cards: MOO MiniCards Grow Up

Remember when MOO MiniCards hit the scene in late 2006? Everyone on the internet thought they were the cutest thing since…I don’t know what, and many of us ordered sets to keep, trade, or even use as business cards. The deal was that you could access your Flickr account and use up to 100 different photos to decorate the back of each custom card, although another option was that you could also go with just a single favorite photo or multiples of different photos. The front could hold traditional business card information, although you certainly didn’t have to be so…

We take the iStik magnetic 3G Nano case out for 26 miles of road testing

Reviews

We take the iStik magnetic 3G Nano case out for 26 miles of road testing

When the people from iStik contacted us to test a new magnetic iPod Nano cases I was intrigued. They claim it holds your Nano tightly to your clothes via a set of four magnets that attach through your clothing. I was a little skeptical. Would these magnets really hold an iPod Nano 3G with all the jolting that occurs during a run? Even worse, if the magnets didn’t hold the case – you’d be left carrying an iPod during a lengthy exercise session. Since I’m not a runner, I had to rely on two eager volunteers. First up – my…

Brunton Solaris 26 Foldable Solar Array and Solo Portable Power Pack Review: Al Gore Will Love You for This One

Reviews

Brunton Solaris 26 Foldable Solar Array and Solo Portable Power Pack Review: Al Gore Will Love You for This One

With all the news lately about the price of oil, and our oil addiction, it is nice to be able to do a review that not only involves a very cool piece of technology, but is also environmentally conscious.  I actually got the idea for a review like this one a few months back when I was having trouble with my laptop battery.  Wouldn’t it be great, I thought, if I could just slap a solar cell on my laptop and continually charge my battery with the power of the sun.  Of course, it was not that easy, but the…

Review- CellRanger Redux From "Signal-Challenged" NJ

Reviews

Review- CellRanger Redux From “Signal-Challenged” NJ

I used to love watching late night commercials. You know the ones where the product was too good to be true at a too low to believe price. “It dices, it slices and it will stay sharp for one thousand years or your money back! Order now and we’ll throw in five more sets at no additional cost. All this for the low price of just $7.99” or “The Weblo Cooker makes a five course meal in just three minutes! That’s right, from freezer to table in minutes AND the meal will rival the finest restaurant. Best of all is…

Ice Red's Shine and Sirocco Notebook Bags Review

Reviews

Ice Red’s Shine and Sirocco Notebook Bags Review

For the last month or so both my wife, Elana, and I have both been using MacBook Pros almost exclusively. What amazing machines they are. As strong as their aluminum cases are, however, they are still delicate electronic devices that require gentle handling and a good case for transport. New notebooks… new search for the right bags. For the last couple of weeks we’ve both been using bags by Ice Red. Read on for our thoughts…

The Tom Bihn Guardian Dual Function Light Review

Reviews

The Tom Bihn Guardian Dual Function Light Review

There are so many good reasons why you might be interested in getting a clip-on safety light; perhaps because you ride a bike at night, or you walk in darker areas, or simply because you need a way to look inside a big gear bag in a darkened room. The story goes that Tom Bihn spent three months searching for a light that would meet his expectations, and the result of that search was the Guardian Dual Function Light. Make no mistake about it, this is no cheap flasher that will break after a few uses; the Guardian Dual Function…

The Tom Bihn Horizontal Freudian Slip Review

Reviews

The Tom Bihn Horizontal Freudian Slip Review

I tend to think of a “Freudian Slip” by its commonly known definition: “a verbal mistake that is thought to reveal an unconscious belief, thought, or emotion.” Tom Bihn has recycled the term by cleverly (and I daresay unforgettably) naming their horizontal and vertical organizing pocket panels “Freudian Slips.” Both styles are basically “an insert that gives you eleven extra pockets to provide total organization of your files and accessories,” and they are made to perfectly fit inside Tom Bihn’s Zephyr or Empire Builder briefcases, or ID, Ego, or Super Ego messenger bags. A nylon loop attached to the top…

The Tom Bihn Yarn Stuff Sack Review

Reviews

The Tom Bihn Yarn Stuff Sack Review

Don’t let the name of Tom Bihn’s Yarn Stuff Sack throw you off. While it’s true that this Japanese-made Dyneema rip-stop fabric bag was created to work perfectly with their Swift knitting bag, this approximately 9.5″ wide x 8.25″ tall drawstring bag can also manage all sorts of loose gadget peripherals. Let’s take a look…

LapStrap Review

Reviews

LapStrap Review

Lapstrap is a simple concept. Take a length of wide nylon “strap” (comfortably padded – with a nice inner rubber grippy surface), buckle the strap for form a big loop. Now sling the loop through your laptop and close it. What you have is a quick and easy way to carry your laptop without the hassle of opening and closing your laptop bag. What you don’t have is any of your laptop accessories like the charger or external drives. The makers of this device sent me one yesterday, and I’ve been trying it around the office. My initial impression: Great…

Palm Treo Pro First Impressions

Reviews

Palm Treo Pro First Impressions

Today I received a device that could really be a make-or-break product for a company that has been stagnate for quite some time. The Palm Treo Pro really needs to be successful for Palm, as their current line-up leaves a lot to be desired. First off I’ll start with the packaging. Like the box the HTC Touch Diamond comes in, the Treo Pro packaging has a corner lopped off. Why? No idea. It is quite nicely presented though, with the device on display as soon as you take the top off. Included in the sales package is the Treo Pro,…

The Mobile Edge Element Briefcase Review

Reviews

The Mobile Edge Element Briefcase Review

Just in time for fall comes this beautiful new bag from Mobile Edge, the Element Briefcase. With its moss green poly-suede exterior, chocolate faux leather trim, and white contrasting stitching, this bag is neutral enough to compliment any fall or winter outfit. But good looks are one thing; organization and laptop protection are just as important as presentation. Let’s take a look at how the Element measures up… The Element is meant to be carried as a briefcase; two 15″ rolled faux leather handles are on either side, and although a woman with thinner arms could carry it on her…