Laptop Gear


CoverBee Netbook Case Review

Netbook popularity continues to grow every day, but cute netbook cases are still pretty hard to come by.  I love my tech toys, but I also love to accessorize them.  I like cases that look fresh and feminine, something different than the traditional, boring flat black leather or neoprene.  There is no reason that cases can’t be both functional and attractive! There are a few companies out there that understand the desire for a pretty laptop case, and CoverBee is one of them.  CoverBee is a company from Holland that is dedicated to creating functional, fashionable cases for laptops of…


Uniea Omniverse Universal and Omniverse Hard Drive Case Review

Netbooks are all the rage, but protecting a netbook as you carry it isn’t always easy thanks to their small size.  Regular laptop cases are too large for most netbooks, and most sleeves that come with netbooks (if they are even included!) are cheap and provide very little by way of protection. The end result…  it’s difficult to just throw your netbook in a bag. All this makes a sleeve or case that offers real protection an essential purchase when buying a netbook.  Uniea sent me their latest Universal Case for 10.2 inch netbooks; let’s take a look.


Emergency Radio for iPhone and iPod Touch Review

Currently number 2 on the list of the iTunes App Store’s top paid applications, Emergency Radio allows you easily follow the action of over 900 police, fire, EMS and other emergency frequencies.  Whether you want to keep tabs on what’s going on in your own backyard or listen in to the happenings on the other side of the country Emergency Radio streams a a variety of emergency services feeds right to your iPhone.  Time to put that old Radio Shack scanner on Ebay.


No More Excuses! Back Up Your Data the Easy Way with the Clickfree Transformer

Sure, we say we’re going to diligently backup our data.  Heck, sometimes we even actually do it. It starts out with the very best of intentions.  You backup all those files daily.  Then weekly.  Then, monthly. Soon enough, though, you’ve fallen off the cart.  You’re going to softball games, soccer games, working on…One.  Last.  Deadline. Then two, maybe three months go by since your last backup.  We are all guilty of neglecting our poor data.  Usually around that time is when — gasp! — everything is lost.  We become victims a file corruption.  A dead hard drive spun into oblivion. …


The Speck Products See Thru Slim Hard Shell Case for MacBook Air Review

I usually keep my MacBook Air nekkid as a jaybird because I love its skinny form factor, but the scratches I’ve begun to notice appearing on its metal shell have been causing me a bit of consternation lately. In an effort to keep my svelte beauty’s skin unblemished, I agreed to give the Speck Products See Thru Slim Hard Shell Case for MacBook Air a try.


Macally BookShell Pro2 Review

I’ve always been interested in protecting my baby MacBook Pro, but I didn’t like the look of the plastic hard cases, and I used an elastic neoprene sleeve for a while. I then searched the internet again, in the hopes of finding a cover for my MacBook Pro that was protective, and at the same time stylish. However, all I could find were really variants of the plastic case model. Until I stumbled across Macally.


Waterfield Netbook Sleeve for HP 2140 Review

Although it runs Windows, and I happen to be a Mac guy, I have been very happy with my HP 2140. It’s incredibly light, remarkably sturdy (thanks to its aluminum body), and it actually gets decent run time with the three cell battery and even better with the six cell. Since I swapped out the hard drive in favor of an SSD drive, the diminutive notebook has no moving parts and requires less care than most other notebooks. (Despite this I still tend to be exceptionally careful with my devices.) One of the problems with the HP Mini note is…


Review: USB Fever Super Travel A/C USB Wall Chargers

When I came across the Super Travel A/C USB Wall Chargers from USBFever.com, I thought they were a great idea!  So I asked USB Fever to send a set to me, I received it yesterday, and I like it even more than I thought I would.  This charger is going to save me from carting 3-4 charger adapters along, plus it will also save precious power outlets in my hotel room when I go to DC in a week.


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…


The Microsoft Arc Mouse Review

I have been a fan of the ever shrinking computer since I was in college.  Laptops, netbooks, PDAs, my motto these days is small, compact, and light.  The whole time, however, there has been one thing the gnawed at the back of my brain…probably due to the numerous hand cramps I have gotten over the years.  There is just no good way to control the mouse.  This started with the eraser tip controller, which worked well enough, if you don’t mind rubbing against a tiny rubber nub in the middle of your keyboard (which was also prone to accidental swipes). …


USB Fever/iPDA Auto Charger/FM Transmitter for 5G iPod Review

Some of the best things about having an iPod is being able to play YOUR music just about anywhere, any time you want.  If you’re the kind of person that has the music in them all the time, allowing it to resonate in your ears when you want or need it to is important (hence, the reason why you bought your iPod in the first place). Like many older cars, my 2001 Honda CRV doesn’t have any kind of a built-in MP3 connection.  What I do have is a cassette deck and an AM/FM radio. As such, I’m left with…


Digital Innovations dvdDR Premier Cleaner Review

Digital Innovations sent me some accessories which may help keep those holiday gifts working like they did the day they were received.  I was sent an array of products; first, I will cover the dvdDr items. First up are the dvdDR Premier Disc Repair and Cleaning products.  Anyone who has had CDs, DVDs, Video Game Discs or BluRay Discs can attest that they will not read properly if they are gummed up with fingerprints or other foreign material like the goo from your son’s PB&J.  While the time tested – and probably not safe – breathing on the disc and…


Tricking Out The MSI WindOSX – Part 2: Noreve Leather Case

I’ve now got MacOS X installed on an SSD drive in my MSI Wind. No moving parts means that it really is a device that can be thrown into a bag and taken anywhere. So what it needed was a good case to protect it from the bumps and bruises of daily life; boy did I find the right case! I’ve always been a fan of Noreve‘s leather cases. They use superb quality leather, they offer polished and professional styles, and they clearly employ excellent craftspeople. Best of all, it just so happens that they have a case designed especially…



USBFever Foldable Multi Notebook Stand Review

Have you ever wanted to use your laptop but couldn’t stand how hot it is when sitting on your lap?  How about using a notebook in bed?  The USBFever Foldable Multi Notebook Stand may be just the thing you need for those two situations and more. I was sent the black version of the Multi Notebook Stand. The Multi Notebook Stand is very adjustable and will work for almost any notebook, except maybe desktop replacement notebooks.  You can also adjust it to lie flat, so you can use it to support a projector or act as a dinner tray. 


StarTech USBVGA Dock Review

I’ve been a portable computer advocate for YEARS.  In fact, until my most recent job, every computer that I’ve used for work AND personal use over the last 12 years has been a laptop.  Personally, aside from a cost perspective and justification, I don’t know why corporations continue to buy desktop computers.  Laptop/portable computers tend to make a workforce more productive, and more efficient. When I got my MacBook Pro in 2006, the one big problem that I thought I saw with it was the lack of a docking station for it.  While its nice that its pretty much a…


Hauppauge HD PVR Model 1212 Review

Would you like to record video from HDTV without having any DRM(Digital Rights Management)?  If so, the Hauppauge HD PVR may be for you. Similar in size to the Mac Mini, the HD PVR is a small and light box.  In the front, you have a SVideo, Composite Video, Left and Right Audio for connectors.


Reviewed: Tom Bihn Organizer Pouches

It never fails that when I pack my gear, there are always small items which will sift to the bottom of my bag’s cavernous pockets. This doesn’t even take into account all of the times when I have needed a particular something, and no matter how neatly I thought I had it packed, I couldn’t find it when it was time. Well, no more. Tom Bihn makes a variety of Organizer Pouches, and I think that it would be safe to assume that there is something for everyone. Let’s take a look… Cordura Organizer Pouches


Jetart Coolstand 3 (NC 6000) NoteBook Cooler and Stand Review

When I bought my laptop a few years ago, I proudly brought it home, tore open the box, and set it up on my desk.  I was so excited to give it a try.  With a crack of my knuckles, I sat in the chair and reached for the keyboard, which sat flat on my desk.  I had to slouch a bit and sloop my shoulders inward in order to reach.  I then craned my neck to view the screen, which was below my eye level and slightly askew.  While this setup did result in many fantastic articles and 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…