Belkin

Belkin Headphone Adapter for iPod Shuffle

When Apple first released its current generation iPod shuffle, I complained about the impact of its design on the ability to use third-party earbuds. Sure, the shuffle has a sleek design and the voiceover feature is really neat, but the fact that it lacks physical controls ties the user to the stock earbuds.  After using high quality buds such as those from Etymotic it was a bitter pill… too bitter in fact and I initially returned my shuffle to Apple. Well it’s a few months later and Belkin has released an adapter that lets you use any headphones with the…


Belkin Breaks iPhone Users out of Case Boredom with New Lineup Review

Just the other day I was discussing the state of the current lineup of iPhone cases with a fellow blogger.  We were both remarking how disappointed we’d become with the current stock of cases available on the market.  It just seems as if there hasn’t been anything new released for quite some time. Well Belkin has come to the rescue. I knew that Belkin was one of a select group of case manufacturers that had planned to launch an entire new line of cases in conjunction with the launch of the iPhone 3G S. I recently received 3 review samples…


Should the FTC have a say over blog content?

If you read Gear Diary, you are probably familiar with product reviews on various blogs. But do you ever consider why your favorite website is reviewing product X? Or whether product X has been overly generous to buy goodwill in the blog world? The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cares. How will this affect you? Read on and find out.


The Belkin TuneBase FM with ClearScan for iPod Review

One of the complaints that I’ve heard when doing FM transmitter reviews in the past, was that it can be hard to find a clear station to transmit through in larger cities. My biggest complaint has been that even when I’ve found a good station to hijack, the quality of the streaming music is all too often degraded to a point where it’s no longer a pleasure to listen, or the signal is so faint that I have to crank the volume on my receiver to get any sound – assuming the signal is clear enough to not be loaded…


The Belkin Compact Surge Protector Review

Can you ever have enough electrical outlets in your home office? Perhaps – if you had a hand in designing their layout when your house was built. But for those of us who weren’t even born when our homes were built, deciding which devices get powered – and where it will happen – can be a never-ending balancing act; ensuring that the devices which are plugged into the walls are protected from power surges only adds to the fun. We’ve covered other Belkin surge protectors here in the past, including the Clamp-On and the Concealed; now we’ll take a look…


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 Belkin TunePower for Zune Review

So far I have been averaging about 11 hours of battery life from my Zune; and while that’s decent, it doesn’t inspire confidence for those long stretches of time when tunes are desired but there is no ready power source available. Well, Belkin has a solution, and it’s called TunePower. According to Belkin, “TunePower keeps the music playing even when your Zune player?s internal battery is drained. It offers a great solution for long flights, train rides, hikes–any time you want to extend your music and video playtime. A foldout kickstand positions the Zune at the perfect viewing angle, and…


The Belkin ClearScreen Overlay for Microsoft Zune Review

It just looks like a naked black Zune lying there, right? But looks can be deceiving.This particular Zune has a Belkin ClearScreen Overlay in place, which means that even when it is rattling around the bottom of my Whiskey Chloe Edith, it’s screen will not get scratched by the keys or other pointy objects riding nearby.


The Belkin CushTop Review

When I bought my latest laptop I envisioned spending more time sitting on the office couch, versus time spent sitting at my desk. In this lovely fantasy, I would no longer sit with my back half-turned to the room; instead I would have my feet propped on an ottoman, with WiFi streaming to the laptop on my lap, and Gizmo (my Yorkie) curled at my side. CNN would be on the television, and I would would have my ever-present cup of Diet Coke and small bowl of chocolate covered espresso beans somewhere accessible – but not so near that I…


The Belkin Folio Kickstand Case for Zune Review

As many of you know, I bought a Zune shortly after they became available. While it has managed to stay amazingly scratch-free due to its durable casing material, I still don’t feel comfortable letting it roll around in the bottom of my bag. Shortly after it arrived, the hunt for a good case was on! One of the cases that caught my attention was the Belkin Folio Kickstand Case for Zune. Unlike a case that will just hold and protect the device, this one has another trick up its sleeve. Composed of smooth-grain black leather with black stitching, the case…


The Belkin Concealed Surge Protector Review

I could whine about the fact that my elderly home doesn’t have enough electrical outlets for all my gadgets, but the fact is that even a newer house probably wouldn’t have enough outlets in the exact places where I would need or want them. Add to that problem a pressing need for surge protection, and it becomes obvious that a power-strip of some kind would be my best solution. But which one? Let’s look past the ancient six-plug power strip that I’ve been using – obviously it is not the proper solution for the thousands of dollars in computer hardware…


The Belkin Clamp-On Surge Protector Review

As you are a reader of Gear Diary, it’s pretty likely that your house is something like mine–an impossible flood of electronic gizmos, gadgets, and geegaws, both portable, and not, but all requiring a simply astonishing amount of plug-in space for wall current.? Around our stereo area it can get bad, sure; the receiver, TV, VCR, DVD, TiVo box, satellite box, etc; you need some hefty power strippage to deal with it. But for me where it gets really bad is my desk.? I work from home, so in addition to all the “usual” computer equipment that I have maintain…