Best computer news

Sony Bloggie Touch Mini-camcorder Reminds us of a Smartphone

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:54:18 +0000

Only one thing comes to mind after a glance at the new Sony Bloggie Touch: is it a smartphone? As the follow-up to last year’s MHS-PM5, the $200 Sony Bloggie Touch MHS-TS20 shares the same minimalist design as an iPhone and a Google Nexus. The front of the handheld camcorder is dominated by a 3″ 230k-dot capacitive touch screen. So you do most of the navigations through swiping. There’s only one button below the LCD. The power button is on one side while the HDMI connector is on the other. The flip-out USB connector is revealed by pressing on the release latch. Unfortunately, there’s neither removable battery nor expandable memory slot.

You will find a nice big lens on top of its curvy back brushed metal casing. And that’s clearly distinguishes the Bloggie Touch from the competitors. The f2.8 lens has much needed auto-focus and macro mode. It can also record panoramic video with ease at twice the resolution compared to previous Bloggie. Sony cites the Bloggie Touch’s low-light performance to be equally impressive thanks to the Exmor CMOS sensor. The on-board accelerometer allows video to be shot in both landscape and portrait mode – a feature first found on iPhone. We are still waiting for a mini-camcorder that does 1080p60 for those fast motion recording, but 1080p30 and 720p60 will have to suffice for now until Sony decides to quadruple the built-in 8GB memory (4GB also available) to 32GB. Still, we would suggest you check out the formidable Xacti VPC-PD2 (hint: optical zoom, built-in flash) first before making a decision.
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iPod nano Welcomes Multi-touch, Says Goodbye to Click-wheel

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:54:18 +0000

After five generations of nano, Apple now dumps physical button navigation in favor of multi-touch interface. The iPod nano’s form factor is long due for an update, but that click-wheel is obviously standing between miniaturization and innovation. So it’s logical to let go of the wheel. This move could signal the end for the legendary click-wheel should Apple also decide to phase out the iPod classic in near future. There’s a lot to like about the new 6th generation iPod nano. With a tiny 1.54″ touch-sensitive display and a size not much bigger than the shuffle, it looks a lot like those cheap photo frame keychains.

The software interface is completely revamped, resulting in something that is reminiscent of iPhone’s home screen. You are allowed to have 4 pages, each of which contain 4 icons. Like the iPod touch and iPhone, you can customize each screen by moving these icons around. Trying to scroll through the song list is by swiping in either up or down direction. During playback, the album art dominates the entire screen. Apple did remove a few things, notably the camcorder, H.264 video playback, and ability to run iPod games. FM radio, pedometer and VoiceOver stay. There are now seven colors to choose from, down from nine of previous generation. iPod nano 8GB will retail for $149 and the 16GB for $179. From the looks of it, the capable yet compact iPod nano 6G could cannibalize iPod shuffle even if the latter is now only $49.
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This Robot Flash Drive Looks Familiar

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:52:59 +0000

This 4G robot USB drive kind of looks like C3-PO if he was captured and buffed to death. I’ll bet they just wanted to remove his mouth to shut him up. Product page ($25 via GeekAlerts)

iPod touch 4 Almost Completely Matches Specs of iPhone 4

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:44:21 +0000

It isn’t news that the touch has quickly overtaken nano as the most popular iPod. The Apple iPod touch has access to over 250,000 apps, many of which are games that go for less than $10 and some are even free. Now the iPod touch – as a portable game player – outsells combined worldwide sales of Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. In many ways, the iPod touch is just as important to Apple as iPhone. It isn’t a surprise that Apple matches the new iPod touch 4 features with that of the ~~infamous~~ iPhone 4.

Being only 0.28 inches thick, the fourth gen. iPod touch is basically razor-sharp version of iPhone 4, only without the phone part. The two now share the same Retina Display (another way to saying a 3.5″ IPS-based LCD boasting 960 by 640 pixels); the same speedy Apple A4 chip; the same 3-axis gyroscope to make motion tracking more accurate; ability to record 720p video with its back camera; and ability to run FaceTime with its front camera. The iPod touch 4 will have iOS 4.1 built-in. However, future updates for touch will likely not be free whereas iPhone 4 will definitely get ‘patches’ and major iOS as free download. Pre-orders are available right now. 8GB will go for $229; 32GB for $299; and 64GB for $399. Curiously, Apple skipped 16GB altogether.
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ioSafe SoloPRO Waterproof / Fireproof USB 3.0 Hard Drive Review

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:43:12 +0000

While most external storage customers don’t mind the fact their data is more vulnerable than if it was inside because of the added convenience / portability it offers; there is a group of people who want MORE protection than simply sticking the drive inside a case. For this group IoSafe has many makes and models. One such model is the 1TB SoloPro USB 3.0 model, which boasts not only tank like amour chassis, but water AND fire proof abilities! Lets see how good this tank really is! Read on for my full review.
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Logitech Z305 Laptop Speaker – A Bus-powered 360-degree Sound Bar

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:43:12 +0000

Those hoping to turn a netbook into a portable movie theater are setting themselves up for disappointment. Those severely underpowered netbook speakers are so lame that they alone create a new aftermarket opportunity for audio upgrades. As a follow-up to the Z205 clip-on speakers, Logitech’s Laptop Speaker Z305 sound bar is a no-brainer way to give any netbook a boost.

The extremely lightweight Logitech Z305 attaches to the back of the screen. This design is different than say the Z205 in that the Z305’s speakers are actually facing away from the user. Logitech cites this bus-powered speaker projects sound more uniformly in all directions. Both forward- and backward-firing drivers provide sound output that is more tonally balanced. So you won’t hear high and mid frequencies dropping out when you move to the side of the speaker. All Logitech wanted to do is to make a 360-degree sound system, but everything is still marketing hype for now. Still, let’s hope the $59.99 is worth every penny.
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iMac With Multihug Technology

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:43:03 +0000

This plush iMac has skipped right over mulitouch and gone straight for a huggable UI. That means less cuts and bruises from trying to hug your favorite Apple product. Unfortunately, it’s also priced like an Apple product. Product Page ($290 via Technabob)

Best of August 2010 – Everything USB

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:37:27 +0000

Featured Reviews

USB 3.0 News

Other USB Gadget News

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PhotoFast iPADock for Apple Fanboy Family

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:37:27 +0000

PhotoFast is a name often associated with innovations, particularly in niche USB adapters. It’s the same company that came up with the idea of a JBOD microSD card reader and a flushed USB 3.0 ExpressCard. Now PhotoFast is back again with iPADock – a dock that is universally compatible with any iDevices. This is the kind of device for everyone in the iFamily owning more than one iPhone and iPad.

The PhotoFast iPADock has two full-sized slots for iPads. There are two smaller slots for two iPhones or iPods. Swap out the iPads and you can sync and charge up to four iPhones or six iPod nanos simultaneously. Besides a versatile dock, the iPADock also doubles a USB 2.0 hub and a multi-card reader – presumably iPad-compatible. The massive accessory comes with a 4A power brick in order to power all these. PhotoFast is currently taking pre-orders for $80 if you want the iPADock by the end of September. But better check out the video first after the jump.
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Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Desk 3TB External Hard Drive Review

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:05:43 +0000

When it comes to storage the old motto “Bigger. Faster. Better. MORE!” is in full effect; or at least Seagate seems to think so as their FreeAgent GoFlex Desk just got a huge storage boost! Today I am going to look at their all new THREE Terabyte version of their Desk version which not only boast customizability but an industry leading capacity. To me the questions I want answered are: is this down right awe inspiringly huge portable storage device as good (or better) as its little brother the GoFlex Portable; and does all that size come with any downsides? Let’s find out!
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