So as mentioned, I’ ordered and received my Toshiba Tablet PC,

well it’s here! I want to be careful of what I load so it stays light, mean and useful.

Its loaded with a CD-R/DVD, loads of RAM and power, built in thumb print scanner and SD card reader. Best of all, a wonderful stylus that allows me to draw on the screen. It just rocks.

The thumb print scanner seemed useless, until I realized that my ridiculously long password is a thing of the past, I just need to swipe my finger,, I’m starting to like that convenience.

As for the stylus control, it could be a tad tighter, but it’s still miles better than even the best Wacom pad (trust me, I’ve been using them for years!)

The SD card reader being built in is just great, it’s already saved me from having to go home with loaded cards, I just blast em in there and keep taking pictures!

Here is the software I’ve loaded so far (you have to keep reading). Read the rest of this entry »

That’s right, maybe you’ll be in Kuala Lumpur for the next Formula one race in a week making me jealous. While there it’s likely you’ll be standing in some torrential downpour. Rather than getting out your MPoleskine or Palm pilot, why not go with a Rite in the Rain notepad?

Why,, because it’s waterproof! Umm,, that’s about it. But hey, don’t just take my word for it. Ben over at The Consumerist believes in testing,, lots of testing. As he apparently is out of scantily clad females he instead used himself as the guinea pig, and (don’t worry, he doesn’t take anything off, it’s work safe) he shows you just how waterproof these notepads are.

It made me think that these are really great, not just for the simple task of taking notes at an F1 race (someday), but for people out in the field working in environments, that, well maybe aren’t the most favorable. Read the rest of this entry »

Anyone with an iPod knows that they attract scratches like flowers attract bees. The first time you put an iPod into your pocket with some loose change you can kiss goodbye to that mirror finish and flawless screen. This has created a flourishing market in cases and protectors (and not a few interesting mods)

Unfortunately most of the solutions to this problem bulk up the iPod and prevent it docking with any of the items in the other, equally flourishing market of iPod accessories. The answer? Stickers!
Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s contest entry #11, a very comprehensive review of the Bluetrek G2 by Jabbran Syed. The contest closes today so if you were thinking of giving it a go this is the final call ($600 gadget winner will be announced tomorrow).

About Bluetrek:

“Launched in 2003, the Bluetrek G2 was the first Bluetooth headset to offer a weight of 12g for a talk time of 9 hours, an excellent design and a comfortable ear-hook. The Bluetrek G2 is still a reference in the market in terms of specs and performance. It has been a best-seller in several European countries, sold by most major retailers in over 40 countries, and also chosen by major European operators. The Bluetrek G2 also boasts a very low return rate.”

Specifications:
• Operation range: Up to 10 meters
• Weight: about 12 grams
• Size: Length 67.5 * Width 19.5
• Reversible hook for either ear with smooth material for long hold
• Capacity: Up to 9 hours talk time and 300 hours stand-by time
• 9 hours in HV3/7:30 hours in HV2/6:00 hours in HV1 (HV level set by mobile phone)
• Bluetooth specifications: compliant V1.1
• Profiles: Headset profile, Hands-Free profile
• Activation of voice recognition on the mobile phone
• Volume adjustment

Package contents:
• Bluetrek® G2 Bluetooth® wireless headset
• Charger
• Instructional manual

As you can see from the picture above the Bluetrek headset looks sporty and sleek. The main body colour is grey and there is a very attractive chrome face plate in the middle of the headset, this face plate acts as a multi-function button. In the middle of this is a clear plastic button which also tells the power status through LED lights. These LED’s lights tell us when the headset is pairing with another Bluetooth device (searching) or turning on/off.

There are also two small silver buttons one is on top and the other underneath, the one on top is to turn the volume up and the one underneath you guessed it, to turn the volume down. These two buttons are placed in good positions as you can see from the pictures above because as pressing one whilst the headset is in your ear, you do not interact with the other button, thus not causing any problems whilst on a call. There are two silver buttons opposite each of the volume buttons, but they aren’t actually buttons, they are placed there to make the design of the headset look complete by looking like identical buttons! The headset weights about 12 grams making it very light and sometimes you forget it’s on your ear!

From the picture you can see the speaker housing is made by plastic, but it actually feels like rubber and also acts like it as it is quite flexible thus making it more comfortable. Also I’ve shown you how flexible the speaker housing actually is to give you an idea of the build quality of this product.

Moving on to the ear loop which as you can see from the pictures above is really flexible assuring maximum comfort and is also attached to a hinge which is securely connected to the main body of the headset. This allows for the ear loop to be turned enabling the device to fit into your right or left ear quite easily. Although the ear loop is very flexible it seems to have some sort of wire running through it allowing the user to fix it into a position they want.

I tested the Bluetrek G2 Bluetooth wireless headset with my Samsung D500 mobile phone. Pairing the headset with my mobile phone was easy and the Bluetooth headset gives sounds as to when it searches for a device, connects and turns off making it a little easier to understand what its doing rather then just looking at the LED colours. In order to search for a device with the headset in this case my mobile phone, I held down the multi-functional button in the middle of the headset until it flashes red and blue alternately, and when it’s found the device your looking for, all you have to do next is enter the default pass code and the two devices will be paired.

The quality of the sound was very good; better then most headsets I’ve tried. When you receive an incoming call all you have to do is place your finger on the middle button for a few seconds and it accepts the call immediately transferring it to the headset which is very clear. To end the call it’s the same procedure, so there should be no complications. Keeping my finger pressed on the middle button for a few seconds allows me to call the last number that was dialed or received without having to touch my mobile phone which I thought was a cool feature. There were no problems with the sound quality for incoming and outgoing calls as they were both clear. Also the speed of the sound transferring from the mobile phone to the headset was really fast so there were no delays in that part.

This headset can also pair itself to more then one mobile phone at once, one to receive calls on and one to make calls from. This headset also has voice dialing, also it can redial the last number which could be one you dialed out or one which was received and also it can reject calls.

The range of this device is up to 10 meters (distance from the mobile phone to the headset), after this the sound quality reduces and you may hear noises of hissing or breaking up. The Bluetrek battery takes about 2 hours to charge and from this you receive 5-7 hours of talk time. The stand by time is impressive at 6 days.
Below are pictures of the headset whilst it is on charge and searching for a device.

Conclusion
Overall I think this headset is very good, it certainly is better then a lot of other headsets currently on the market. The sound quality is very good and so is the build quality. It is flexible in the right areas; it’s easy to use and well ergonomically designed.

This guest post review was written by Jabbran Syed, thanks Jabbran.

Now it’s time for contest entry #10 courtesy of Kyle, the UE Technologies’ Television Remote-Control Watch Review.

Back in days of yore, one must venture across thy humble living room – only to fetch the magic brick which commands your hillbilly miracle box. Universal Electronics provided the solution to this growing crisis, and engineered a television remote small enough to fit in your watch. While this concept isn’t entirely new, the idea hasn’t become entirely widespread in anything other than Chinese econo-electronics – cramming most of our discarded technologies into ugly calculator watches.

Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s contest entry #9, a review of the Nike+ sports kit, thanks Oscar. The contest will be closing soon and the draw made so if you’d like to send us a review of promotional picture now would be a good time .

I’ve never been that excited about running, but then again who is. But I thought it was time to get off my rear end and start doing something good for my health. So I went out and bought the wireless Nike+ sports kit. When I brought it home it sat in the package for about a week until I opened it one day to see what this thing could do. The Nike+ kit is so easy to use that I really didn’t even need to read the instructions. First, you have to plug in the receiver to the bottom of your ipod nano. Then you have to put the sender in your running shoe. I didn’t have a pair of Nike+ running shoes that have a precut hole in them, so I just cut a hole in my own shoe to accommodate it and it works just fine.

Read the rest of this entry »

Spend a lot of time on the computer? Who doesn’t these days. After awhile you’ll probably develop wrist pains. A quick and easy way to exercise your hands and fingers everyday is to spend a few minutes with the Gyroflex Pro.

The Gyroflex Pro uses gyroscopic inertia (centrifugal force’s younger cousin) to increase strength and coordination in your hand, wrist, arm and shoulder. It also aids in the prevention and rehab of certain injuries, helps with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and reduces stress.

To use the Gyroflex Pro, just pull the starter cord and hold on tight. After a few sessions you’ll improve your coordination, strengthen your grip, build your forearms, and really exercise your hands and fingers.

Specs & Features:

• Measures: 4″ x 1.375″
• Weighs: 10 oz.
• Build strength while improving coordination
• New easy grip outer sphere for better control and prolonged usage.
• Generates up to 32lbs of pressure when maximum RPM’s is reached
• Exclusive new design for ease of starting.
• Increases total arm strength
• Improves coordination
• Aids in prevention of carpal tunnel syndrome
• Reduces stress

I know a graphic artist who wears a rollerblading wrist guard because he has Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Honestly, it looks a little dorky. Walking around your office while wearing a rollerblading wrist guard isn’t exactly the best way to meet girls. Maybe I’ll buy him a Gyroflex Pro and try to save his nightlife from social destitute.

Besides graphic artists, anyone who has to do repetitive hand motions all day like secretaries, computer analysts, porn movie fluffers and athletes, can benefit from this little ball.

Be Social: digg story | methodshop

Here’s contest entry #6, a very indepth review of the Trust Silverline 751b Surround headphones, thanks Andy.

This isn’t that much of a review of a cool gadget, nor does it describe a novel device or something that hasn’t been reviewed before. It’s more of an awareness riser, which at some point might even seem to be an advertisement, as the product is incredible.

A few months ago I went out, looking for a 5.1 headset. I entered a shop and had two choices: the Trust ones and some USB phones from TEAC. I have used USB 5.1 headsets before, and was pretty disappointed: always that wait time when plugging in, a big CPU hog, always had to change application settings to use the new audio device… far too much hassle for my lazy self.

At first I couldn’t decide, because I didn’t know the manufacturer and it sounded like just another cheap Chinese craplastic product. But then, the price, the fact it wasn’t another crappy usb device and the design convinced me, so I paid the 35 euros and went home.

What I found in the box: Read the rest of this entry »