Articles by Mitchell Oke

PDAir Zune Metal Case and Screen Protector Review

Since getting my Zune a few months ago, it has been in the very precarious position of having no screen protector, and only the supplied fabric slipcase to protect it from keys, pens and other devices. But when I use it to watch video, it has to go caseless. I was very happy to receive the Zune metal case and screen protector from PDAir, so that I could quit my worrying. I received Black aluminium case and ultra-clear screen protector to try out on my Zune. I asked for the black to go with my black Zune and I am…


Vaja Balance for Samsung BlackJack Review

For years I have seen Judie review many a Vaja case for many a device. I have always wanted one of my own, to smell the leather, see the fit, and have the experience that is Vaja. I was delighted when they sent me a case for my BlackJack. I received a honey yellow case designed to fit the extended battery. The case comes in a nice white Vaja box. While it is no frills, it does look nice, and much better than a plastic blister pack. The case looks amazing. As I said I choose the yellow colour, and…


A Pair of Jacks: Samsung BlackJack and i600 Review

The Samsung BlackJack has been a runaway success over in the United States which doesn?t surprise me at all. Thin, light, black, it covers all the bases. A gorgeous and comparatively large high-res screen, thumboard, and some 3G has been thrown in for good measure. The BlackJack has just recently arrived here in Australia, and when Samsung agreed to loan me one for review I was very excited. My Treo is (or now I should say was) a great Smartphone, but these days with a design like that it is simply too fat. As I read recently about the Motorola…


The LTB 5.1 USB Headphones Review

Up until 3 months ago when I would play computer games (like Call of Duty 2 and Counter Strike) using just a normal pair of earbuds, which worked fine, but I wanted something a little better. LTB produce a pair of 5.1 headphones that connect up over USB, and they sent me a pair to try out. Included in the box are the headphones, USB-to-3.5mm adaptor, driver CD and manual. There was a second driver CD taped to the outside of the box with newer drivers, but I just downloaded the latest ones (for Windows) of their website. The headphones…


The BatteryGeek 130Wh External Battery Pack Review

I have had my MacBook Pro for about 6 months now, and for the most part I have been very happy with it. The one issue that has been with it from the beginning is battery life. While it may be quite a powerful laptop, the 2.5hrs battery life (I have seen less more than once) is just plain slack. Due to the design of the MBP an extended battery isn’t really practical either as it would be a rather awkward hump in the middle of the laptop. There is a solution however. It might not be the most elegant…


Thermaltake iXoft Fanless Notebook Cooler Review

Laptops these days are getting a lot more powerful, and along with that power comes a lot of heat. Some laptops obviously get hotter than others, and my MacBook Pro would be nearing the top of that list. When it?s running hard it can get very hot on the bottom, which is why the term ?notebook? was coined. At full (or even medium) load, my MacBook Pro is definitely not a laptop. Thermaltake, the guys that make computer cases and cooling products, have come to the rescue with a new product that puts your notebook back on your lap, without…


The GPSGate Review

Ever wanted to spy or follow someone without their knowledge like they do in TV shows? All you need is a WM Phone with GPS and a data connection! Plant this in their car and you can follow their every move? GPSGate is a small piece of software that you install on your Windows Mobile device, preferably a phone edition for the always-on data capabilities, that multiplexes a single GPS signal to work with several applications as once, can share an internal GPS receiver over Bluetooth, and also throws in some GPS tracking into the mix.


Resco Explorer 2005 for Windows Mobile Review

The built-in File Explorer in Windows Mobile is to put it simply, lame. It only has a very basic feature set, and add to that there is no registry editor included at all. Resco has come up with a replacement application that should fulfill the needs of even power users, and throws in some features outside the realm of a file manager for that extra value. I installed the application using the CAB files downloaded off the website, but there is an installer for Windows users that makes setup a cinch. The registry editor, FTP client and today screen plug-in…


The Belkin N1 Wireless Router and ExpressCard Review

About 2 months ago the 802.11n Enabler for the latest Macs finally became available, releasing the hidden 802.11n capabilities. This is great for us Mac owners with Core 2 Duo Macs as we can jump onboard the .11n band wagon with some of the already available .11n draft equipment. When Belkin offered their new N1 Wireless Router and ExpressCard for review I was quite excited, as 54Mbit 802.11g is really starting to show its age with the high resolution and high bandwidth video streaming and file transfers. But does it live up to its claims? Read on to find out.


The Treo 750 vs. HTC Hermes

[tps_start_button label=”Start slideshow” style=”” class=””] Recently my dad’s company bought several of their employees Dopod 838 Pro mobile phones (based on Judie?s review actually :-D). His device arrived at the office a few days ago, but he is in Vietnam for work, so one of his colleagues dropped it off. For the last 3 days I have been using it instead of my Treo, to see if I made the right choice months ago. I have come to a somewhat mixed decision based on several things that I?d like to describe below. My basis for these ?ratings? is that I…


Roadwired Skooba Satchel Review

Two weeks ago I started my university course studying for a Bachelor of Creative Technology (Digital Television Production). The reason I bought my MacBook Pro late last year was in preparation for this course, so of course I wanted to take it with me every day. Problem was I didn?t have a nice bag to carry everything in. My laptop backpack was too big and my laptop bag looked pretty lame. Roadwired sent me one of their Skooba Satchels to try out, and it was my hope that it would be up to the task. It needs to be able…


The MacDrive 7 Review

Mitchell’s comments in Black, Chris’ comments in Blue Since my switch to Mac back in December I haven?t had very many problems integrating my MacBook Pro into my life. Except for a few programs that I can?t find equivalents for in Mac OS X, it has gone pretty smoothly. One area that has frustrated me is data storage. I like to have as much free space as possible on my internal drive, so I often use external HDDs. I do this particularly when editing video, as the files created are large, and temporary files for effects and previews quickly add…


The Proporta Cradle for Treo 750 Review

I have owned about 4 Proporta aluminium cases in the past (Axim X5, iPAQ 1930, iPAQ 2210, iPAQ 4350), and I have been extremely happy with their quality and design. When Proporta asked us to take their Treo 750 Cradle out for a spin, I was more than happy to. The cradle comes in a small cardboard box. Inside are the cradle and a miniUSB cable. The second I took the cradle of the box I was disappointed. In all honestly it looked like something I had picked up for $10 on eBay. It is very light, and is very…


The JetArt Cooling Review Part 2 and 3: HDD and CPU Coolers

A few days ago I posted my review of the JetArt VC2600 VGA Cooler, which I was very happy with. I have decided to roll the HDD and CPU Cooler Reviews into one as the HDD Cooler review is fairly short. JetArt HCA06 HDD Cooler Review The HDD cooler is quite simple, attaching to the HDD with four screws and powered by a molex plug. Included in the package is the cooler and 4 screws. The cooler is specifically designed for a standard 3.5? HDD, and is screwed onto the bottom of the drive. It doesn?t extend over the sides…


Spectec SDW-822 miniSDIO WiFi Review

When Judie asked me if I was interested in reviewing the miniSDIO version of the Spectec WiFi card similar to her SDIO one, I was thrilled. My Treo has been pretty well perfect since I got it, except for internet access. Up until recently I have had to make do with only a 10MB data allowance, which is pretty small if I surf with pictures, especially on sites that aren?t designed for mobile devices. With a WiFi card I can surf as much as I like at home without having to worry about going over my 10MB. But therein lies…


Motorola Motofone F3 Review

My Treo 750 is a fantastic device that does email, web browsing, PIM, and if you want it to it can even make phone calls. The price of all this functionality is size. The Treo is by no means a small phone. With the likes of the Dash, the Blackjack and even the JAQ3, the Treo (all models) are quite chubby. Normally I don’t find that a problem. I am addicted to email on my phone, so the tradeoff of size for WM5, thumboard and UMTS (and soon HSDPA) is well worth it. But there are times when I don’t…


The JetArt Cooling Products Review Part 1: VC2600 VGA Cooler

Over the last few weeks I have been thinking about building a new PC. My current PC is fine, but that it part of the problem. It is running too fine. I am afraid if I do anything to it I might mess it up. That and the fact it cost me a fair bit sees me resisting the urge to do anything like modifying it. I decided the best way to get into PC modding was to build a cheap PC, that I could do anything to without worrying about loosing a lot a of money on it. The…


Apple 15″ MacBook Pro Review

Chris Spera’s review in Black, Mitchell Oke’s Comments in Blue and italicized. I’ve been a freelance writer for a while now. Recently, one of the principles at WUGNET (The Windows User’s Group NETwork) remarked to me that I had been writing for them for nearly 10 years. WUGNET is one of the best and only newbie/intermediate-skilled Windows resources still on the Internet. The site provides shareware downloads (screen savers, games, applications and utilities). They’ve also got some really great, free newsletters and one of the most complete Computing Tip databases on the ‘Net. I know… I’ve put most of them…


iMainGo iPod Speaker Case Review

Anyone remember those CD cases released several years ago that contained a flat panel speaker for listening to and sharing your music on the go? With the booming MP3 Player market the CD case has become a think of the past, replaced with hundreds or thousands of songs in a device so small it can slip into your pocket. Portable Sound Laboratories have released a product that combines your MP3 Player with a protective case with integrated stereo speakers to create the iMainGo. The iMainGo is marketed is an iPod accessory, but it should fit many brands of MP3 Player…


Logitech VX Revolution Laser Mouse Review

When I bought my MacBook Pro back in December I was excited that it had built-in Bluetooth, something that I gave up with my previous notebook. It was great being able to sync my PDA/Phone and use a wireless mouse without cables or dongles. The Logitech MX900 has for several years been my favourite mouse because of its excellent shape, multitude of buttons, rechargeable batteries (with charging dock) and Bluetooth. No other mouse had impressed me since, or made me want to replace it. I figured it would be no problem to pair it up with my Mac and get…


iSkin ProTouch Keyboard Protector Review

With the increasing amount of time that people are spending on their computers these days, be it for work or pleasure, eating and drinking in front of the computer is commonplace. With this comes the risk of spilling that coffee or cup of Diet Coke (Judie :P), or dropping crumbs of that cookie into your keyboard, where they will literally put a spanner in the works. Enter the iSkin ProTouch, a product designed to help keep all those nasties off and out of your vulnerable keyboard. The iSkin is a rubber cover that sits on top of your keyboard that…