Reviews

The Ectaco jetBook Universal Portable Reading Device Review

eBooks, Reviews

The Ectaco jetBook Universal Portable Reading Device Review

With all of the hullabaloo over the Amazon Kindle 2‘s recent release, one might think that there were no other eBook readers on the market; not so! Those who eschew DRM protection and who can do without the convenience of an online content store (I’m thinking of Amazon‘s and Sony‘s, specifically) should pay particular attention to the Ectaco jetBook, a reading device capable of handling .txt, .pdf, .fb2, .jpg, .gif, .png, .bmp, and MP3 file formats. According to the literature I picked up at CES, the EPUB format is expected in Q1 2009*.

Neek Speaker Review

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Neek Speaker Review

One thing I like to do when cleaning house is listen to podcasts or music.  I don’t have much of a stereo system in my home, and I wouldn’t want to make to have the whole household suffer from me listening to the latest from one of my many Linux podcasts.  So most of the time I have earbuds or headphones on while working around the house.  Sometimes, it’s just not convenient to wear the headphones, so I need a small speaker. With that in mind, when I saw the Neek Speaker I couldn’t help but wonder if it would…

Can Ooma Replace My Vonage Office Line (Saving $65 per Month)?

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Can Ooma Replace My Vonage Office Line (Saving $65 per Month)?

Just like nearly every business on earth, we’re constantly on the lookout for ways to save money during this economic depression. Recently I’ve been reading about a new device called Ooma. It carries no monthly fee (though you do pay extra for features such as second line, conferencing, enhanced voicemail and screening). In my office I use Vonage unlimited VOIP (voice over IP) to make unlimited outgoing calls for $65 per month. Voice over IP is a technology that allows for making regular voice calls via your landline phone using an Internet connection. Last week I installed Ooma so I…

BlackBerry 8220 + T-Mobile Wi-Fi + UMA = Surprisingly Good

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BlackBerry 8220 + T-Mobile Wi-Fi + UMA = Surprisingly Good

Quite honestly when I started reviewing this T-Mobile BlackBerry 8220 a month ago there were a few people who laughed at the phone. They’d heard the build quality was so-so and told me the first time I jostled the phone it’d disintegrate in my hand. I’d read a few online remarks downplaying the overall screen quality. Imagine my surprise when I completely fell in love with this affordable BlackBerry.

SplashData's File Magic Review

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SplashData’s File Magic Review

Applications that allow you to transfer files from your Mac or PC to your iPhone or iPod Touch and back again aren’t unusual these days. There are many currently available, and a number are quite good. File Magic comes a little bit late to the game, but it’s clear that the folks at SplashData took their time to think through how to best manage this task; they have come up with one of, if not the best, solutions.

Altec Lansing Backbeat 106 Headphones Review

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Altec Lansing Backbeat 106 Headphones Review

Anyone who knows me, knows that I listen to a lot of podcasts and music.  I also do the majority of my listening while wearing headphones.  That means that I’ll go through at least 1-2 pairs of headphones per year – sometimes more, as I usually wear them when riding to work in the mornings and evenings on the bus on my daily commute.  So when Altec Lansing introduced their new cloth covered headphones, my ears were in for a treat. By cloth covered, what I mean is the headphone cables are all covered in a cloth weave,  What this…

BlackBerry Pearl user describes the Storm upgrade experience

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BlackBerry Pearl user describes the Storm upgrade experience

Thinking about buying a BlackBerry Storm? My sister Lynn recently traded in her BlackBerry Pearl for a Storm. I asked if she’d give her un-filtered feedback for those of our readers who might be in a similar situation: Well, after much deliberation, I decided to give the Storm a try. I have had the Pearl for almost a year and the keyboard was driving me crazy. Although I was getting used to it, I was envious of how quickly my kids could text and be onto their 3rd message before I’m done with my 1st. Don’t get me wrong—I liked…

Nokia E63 Review

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Nokia E63 Review

About six months ago I bought the best phone that I have ever owned: a Nokia E71. Obviously this is a personal thing, since the E71 wouldn’t suit everyone’s needs or tastes, but for me it just fitted into every situation I put my phone in. It is the perfect messaging device, with it’s QWERTY thumboard that has excellent feel and feedback, it has outstanding battery life thanks to it’s enormous 1500mAh battery, it is as thin as possible without being uncomfortable to use, it has an bright, rich display, that while low on dimensions and resolution, looks absolutely great…

The HTC Touch HD One Month Later

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The HTC Touch HD One Month Later

[Ed. note – This is a joint review between Mitchell Oke and myself. My comments will be in black, and Mitchell’s will be in blue italics. Before reading this, you might want to first read Mitchell’s article “HTC Touch HD = Stands for Hot Damn!!” and my “HTC Touch HD Walk-Around and First Impressions” and “A Quick Tease: the HTC Touch HD and Nokia N85″] It seems like it’s been ages since there was a Windows Mobile phone with a nearly 4″ screen. The last one I can remember was my much loved HTC Universal, and that was back in…early…

Nextar Z10 Microprojector Review

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Nextar Z10 Microprojector Review

One thing that I saw come out of CES was this cool little Z10 projector from Nextar; it literally fits in the palm of your hand. This little projector is capable of 640×480 and is based on LCOS technology.  LCOS, or Liquid Crystal on Silicon, is the technology being used in most micro projectors and the small modules being made to add to new cellphones.  This allows you to have a very small and pocketable projector.

FreshFridge IC2127 Refrigerator Purifier

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FreshFridge IC2127 Refrigerator Purifier

Like a lot of guys – I have this habit of keeping stuff in my refrigerator just a little too long. Jennifer and I have this fun game that we like to play called “guess the expiration date”. She randomly pulls stuff our of my refrigerator. Asks – do you know when this expired? To which I typically respond something guy-ish like – you mean milk goes bad? So as you could imagine my refrigerator often has an interesting odor that lingers. When I spotted the FreshFridge for $17 on Amazon I just had to give it a try.

Febreze Odor Removal Appliance = awesome

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Febreze Odor Removal Appliance = awesome

On a whim I ordered this Febreze Odor Removal Appliance from Amazon for $22. My kitchen always has this “interesting” assortment of (burnt) smells and I was hopeful that the Febreze would do more than pump out a scent to mask odors.

Hawking Technologies HWUN3 Review

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Hawking Technologies HWUN3 Review

Hawking has been around a while, and while most laptops have built in WiFi, they may not have Draft N or 802.11N.  You may also have a desktop without WiFi that you want a Internet connection on without using Ethernet; this may fit the bill.

Kindle Case - Another Option

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Kindle Case – Another Option

Like Judie, I unboxed my Kindle VERY carefully. The Kindle wasn’t inexpensive, and having read Rob Bushway’s tale of woe, I didn’t want a repeat. So… while I had not initially bought a case for my Kindle (hello Amazon, talk about cheap! Include SOMETHING case-wise for crying out loud), I did order the standard case as quickly as possible. The Kindle came Wednesday and the case arrived yesterday. It is sweet!

Unboxing the Amazon Kindle 2

eBooks, Reviews

Unboxing the Amazon Kindle 2

I was starting to feel like I was one of the last people to get theirs, especially after enviously reading Dan’s emails and Doug‘s post about their Kindle 2s, but today my Amazon Kindle 2 finally showed up. I also got the Cole Haan Brown pebbly leather cover to go with it, since Amazon neglected to include even a cheap plastic one. The big box is the leather cover, and the smaller box is the Kindle 2; go figure. I opened everything with an expectant, yet slightly wary eye; I had dropped serious coin on this gear, and if it…

V-Moda vibe II: Earphones with a Fashion Sense

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V-Moda vibe II: Earphones with a Fashion Sense

In recent months, I’ve had the privelege to try out a number of different earphones/earbuds.  In a former life, I did the “band” thing – writing, recording, performing.  The end result of all this is that I tend to be extremely picky about my audio equipment.  In some ways, however, it’s like the old saying – I don’t know art but I know what I like. Enter the vibe II – earphones that try to be a little of both – an excellent audio delivery system and art. images courtesy of V-Moda

Vaja 4G Nano iVolution Grip Case with GoClip Review

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Vaja 4G Nano iVolution Grip Case with GoClip Review

I honestly think that Apple makes the best MP3 player on the market.  I know there are a lot of people that would like to debate that point, but in my mind, and in my opinion, even though they didn’t release the first player, they were the first ones to get the experience right.  They win; but again, that’s a personal opinion… Recently I bought my daughter a 4G (RED) Nano for Christmas.  Her grandparents “bought” her a white and red Samsung Propel (she got a Visa gift card that we used to purchase the phone).  It was a, uh-hem……

The Rivet Clip System Review

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The Rivet Clip System Review

It’s an issue that has been around since people first started carrying mobile devices: What’s the best way to carry your phone or MP3 player so that it will be easily accessible, less likely to be stolen, and less likely to be forgotten? An obvious answer might be to keep the device inside a case that attaches to the wearer’s belt, but some don’t want the hassle of a bulky case; they need something that offers a little bit more flexibility. With that in mind, say hello to the Rivet Clip System, specifically the Kingpin, Shift and GoClip.

2009 Chevrolet Tahoe 2-Mode Hybrid

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2009 Chevrolet Tahoe 2-Mode Hybrid

My relationship with the new fullsize GM hybrid SUVs continues to be a love/hate one. I love the fuel savings and cleaner emissions delivered by these “green beasts,” but I hate that consumers still cannot get one for less than 50 grand.