Gadget World

ATI TV WONDER 600 HD USB (HDTV TUNER)

2009-11-04T09:02:00.000-08:00

TV tuners have been on the market for quite some time, but most of them were separate PCI cards or bulky all-in-one video cards, and were absolutely incompatible with notebook computers. Only recently companies started to realize that there is a growing demand for TV tuners compatible with laptops. Large proportion of people, including a large number of college/university students, prefers laptops for obvious reasons - CONVINIENCE. ATI has addressed the needs of these people with a very slick, compact, powerful, full PVR, High Definition (HDTV), USB 2.0 TV tuner – ATI HD TV WONDER 600 HD. Although it has been on the market for quite some time, its current price and features are perfect for media and home entertainment enthusiasts without breaking the wallet.

What actually drew my attention to it is the fact that unlike other HTDV tuners out there, ATI TV WONDER HD 600 is a very budget oriented product, delivers superb video and sound quality, and features a full PVR – allowing you to watch, pause, and schedule recordings of you favourite shows.

Key features of ATI TV WONDER 600 include hybrid TV Tuner stick for Over-the-air Digital HDTV and Cable Analog (NTSC), remote control, telescopic antenna for free-to-air TV channels, full PVR with time shifting capability, audio/video input cable, ATI Theater converter, DVD Playback software and other wonderful features of ATI Catalyst Media Center.

Before getting into more detail, I want to clarity a few things that many people ignore, and tend to buy products and get very disappointed later. A lot of people are confused what HDTV actually means. The main problem is that majority of computer monitors, especially laptop screens, are incapable of outputting HDTV full resolution video. So why is it that the tuner is called HDTV? Well it’s because the tuner can actually receive HDTV signal. Note that HDTV signal has to be free-to-air. Again that might be misleading a bit, but that’s what companies use in order to sell their products, not just ATI – they slap HDTV on the tag and people fall for it. Let me explain what is actually going on here. In the recent years a lot of companies, in Canada and US especially, started transmitting HDTV signal over the air (which means signal can be received with an HDTV antenna and watched for free, and NOT, I repeat NOT over the cable – cable HDTV is encoded and needs your Cable provider’s digital box to decode it!!! And they obviously charge you for HDTV programming) HTDV implies high quality uncompressed video and audio, and can be quite pleasant to watch on the TV (HDTV compatible TV’s that is) either over free-to-air antenna or from digital receiver box from your provider. So what about the HDTV tuner? Well ATI TV WONDER 600HD tuner allows you to capture these free-to-air channels that many companies broadcast. However, you CANNOT output this HDTV signal as high definition on your PC as well as you would on your high def TV. This, like I mentioned earlier, is primarily because most monitors and laptop screens cannot output full HD picture. Picture is quality is still very impressive, only limiting factor is the output resolution of your screen and not the actual signal! Full HDTV monitors are available on the market already, with full 1080p resolution, and would give the best picture with HDTV tuners, but most of us do not have them yet. I hope this shines some light on what you are actually getting. Anyways, back to the tuner.

ATI tuner includes an audio/video input cable that has an RCA type connector (with white, red, and yellow connectors) as well as S-video input, so you can playback video from other sources – DVD players, VCR, Camcorders, Satellite Boxes etc. This connector is not HDTV, so keep that in mind. Full HDTV inputs come on different ATI models, but are incredibly expensive and require a bit of computer knowledge to set up and obviously a screen can output high def. Nonetheless, ATI TV WONDER 600 outputs video/audio with an incredible quality. You can view you basic cable from your provider, or catch free HDTV programming that is rapidly becoming available, and use your PVR capabilities to schedule recordings of programs and watch them at your convenience. ATI includes a basic antenna for free analog channels, but if you want to catch HDTV you do need an HDTV antenna!

I have noticed a lot of people give the tuner a very low rating because they have trouble setting it up, and blame lack of technical support for it (especially on the websites that sell it). This isn’t a proper review, that’s just anger and frustration coming out of their technical challenge, and lack of understanding, and has absolutely no connection to the quality of the product and its features. Of course everybody hates being on hold for hours with technical support, and majority gives up on the product, but that should not affect what the product is supposed to do and how it does it. This product is very good at doing what it is supposed to do, and if you have trouble setting it up, ask somebody who knows what they are doing for help before saying the product is bad. Anyways, I thought I would throw that out there, simply sick and tired of technically challenged people giving bad ratings to something they haven’t even used.

So how much will this TV WONDER actually cost? It is available at many stores, including Amazon, in the $70 range. If you always wanted to bring high quality TV and video to your laptop or avoid an incredible hassle of large video card units for desktops, ATI TV WONDER HD 600 USB is probably for you. Don’t forget to understand what your needs are before you buy, and if they fit ATI tuner’s profile, you won’t be disappointed!

Creative Zen 32GB

2009-10-26T23:39:00.000-07:00

Creative has always been THE ONE of the mp3 world with its state of the art audio quality, amazing variety of features, reasonable price and exceptionally small size. This year Creative Labs bring a variety of new top notch products, with Creative Zen 32GB being the most worthy of our time! And here is why!

Creative ships zen in 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32GB models, but we will focus on the 32GB version of this mp3 player. 32GB Zen comes with a shiny black faceplate and brushed-metal back. Actual size is 3.26" x 2.16" x 0.44" and weighs only 2.1oz. For its tiny size, it does however punch quite an array of awesome features.

The new 32GB ZEN is the size of a credit card with 2.5” TFT beautiful screen with 16.7 million colors! Screen works very well under direct sunlight and is perfectly viewable from any angle. It also displays images at an incredible 320x240 resolution. Other than its incredible capacity (32GB amounts to about 8000 mp3 songs and over 120 hours of video) it also has an FM radio, Voice Recorder, Album Art, Equalizer, Customizable Main Menu, and can acts as USB FLASH drive. Player itself also has a built in SD card expansion slot to add even more space!

Video playback supports MJPEG, WMV9, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, DivX 4,5, and Xvid; as well as Jpeg, GIF, TIFF, PNG, and BPM transcoding for images. One of the nicer features of Creative Zen 36GB is probably the Organizer, which syncs with Outlook Contacts, Calendar and Tasks to help you stay on track of your everyday activities. Battery life is also impressive. Mp3 playback can last for 30 hours, and video for about 5 hours of continuous watching. Looks amazing on paper, but what about the actual performance?

Creative Zen 32GB does not disappoint in that category either. With its 5-way control pad and an incredibly user-friendly interface, this flash mp3 player is sure to be loved by everyone. It is very easy to use and menus are simple and fast to navigate. Picture and video quality are outstanding and audio sounds amazing in every equalizer preset. Even at very high volumes, sound is solid and clear. This Creative Zen has enough volume to make your ears pop.

What makes this incredible device stand out is of course its price. Creative Zen 32GB is only $179.99 (Available at all major electronics store and Amazon). It sounds great, has a wonderful screen, incredibly useful SD expansion slot, FM Radio, Voice recorder, and many useful features that leave hardly anything not to like about it. The only thing worth noting, but may not necessarily be bad thing, is that 32GB Zen comes only in black. If you wanted the best overall mp3 player on the market today that doesn't break the bank, Creative Zen 32GB is for you.

Buy One Today!!!

Upcoming Apple Touch Tablet

2009-10-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

Rumors have been spreading that Apple has something unique in mind for the upcoming holiday season for quite some time. And that something is the so called Apple Touch Tablet. Although everybody was dead wrong in predicting the September announcement of the mystery device by Apple (never happened) and already nearing end of October without any news on the gadget, it is unlikely that any such device will make it to the Christmas wish list.

Tech community does agree that Apple’s touch technology is expanding into a larger spectrum of devices – particularly tablets – and some sources even claim they’ve seen the damn thing, but no hard evidence is available, at least for now.

So what is it that drives the industry wild in guesswork and uncertainty? Well it’s the fact that market is now getting flooded with touch sensitive laptops and desktops (Read about HP TouchSmart PC’s) and a wide range of touch phones, mp3 players, and digital cameras is already available. Other than a $300 price reduction on iMacs and cheaper iPhone models, Apple has not really impressed us since a few years ago. Latest news were iPhone 3GS and great revenues in the third quarter, but other than that, public is biting on nails of what is to come! With that in mind, let’s see what the fuss is all about.

Rumor has it Apple is coming out with a Touch Tablet. It is about 10” wide with already well known home button at the bottom - basically a large iPhone but without calling capabilities. Price is probably another well rumored part of this equation - $699 to $799. It is hard to imagine what such device will do, considering an entire line of HP TouchSmart computers is coming out at exactly $799 range. We are talking about 10” Apple Tablet vs 20” fully functional touchscreen desktop HP (Which is coming out at the end of October – 22nd to be exact). So what is it that justifies the price?

It seems that Apple can go a few ways with this device. One way is to allow the device to serve a secondary screen for iMacs and MacBooks, however useless that may seem. Or go another way and create a hybrid small enough to carry in a bag, and big enough to comfortably browse web, watch videos, read e-books or digital newspapers, and enjoy fully integrative musical assortment. It is also possible for the tablet to run either Snow Leopard OS or iPhone OS. Rumors lean towards the latter. One version will have a camera and one will not. It seems like Apple is positioning the new device right in the middle between the iPhone and the MacBook. It will also feature 3G and Wifi capabilities.

This doesn’t sound like anything ground breaking. iTouch already does all of these wonderful things for a quarter of the price. Larger screen simply does not add up. It does however make sense in terms of increased functionality and accessibility – larger keyboard, better resolution, and most importantly a longer lasting battery underneath a bigger screen to accommodate even most demanding users. Apple always wanted to get into the netbook business and this market is currently far behind quickly growing smartphone industry.

Its been established that Apple has been working hard on the gadget for a rather long time, continuously changing and redesigning the device to keep up with current standards and demands. New release date has now shifted towards beginning of 2010. The only thing for sure is that “time will tell” and it is still to early to judge, considering the fact that this project might even flop. Let’s brace ourselves for the upcoming months and welcome Apple’s Touch Tablet with open minds!

HP TouchSmart Touch Screen Computers!

2009-10-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

HP TouchSmart PC - Picture courtesy of HP

About time touch screen laptops and desktop computers are finally flooding the market. As early as the end of October Hewlett-Packard is shipping several desktop and laptop touch screen models, and a few more by the end of the year. All new HP models will have Windows 7.0 operating system.

Although HP wasn’t first to introduce touch screen computers into the market, as Dell already had a $2000 version debuting in spring, TouchSmart series are definitely aimed at average consumers. Toshiba will also have a few touch screen laptops coming out at the beginning of November. Toshiba Satellite models will attempt to attract customers with their newly designed Toshiba Life Space featuring Bulletin Board – for day to day activities, tasks, and projects, and Realtime – interactive and user friendly way to browse files, photos, documents, videos and more.

So what is it so special about the upcoming HP TouchSmart computers? Well first of all it’s the price. Considering cutting edge technology – think iPhone for a second, about $500 on the market – now picture a screen 10 times bigger, with a lot more apps and features – starting at $799, HP TouchSmart series computer is a steal! Wireless, powerful, and incredibly elegant with at least 20” (up to 25” of full 1080p) of touchable surface is ready to take a designated spot in the family room or even your kitchen.

Laptops are also available and will feature a touch screen that can be rotated 180 degrees and used as a tablet. Users can draw and write by hand and/or use an electronic pen to satisfy their creative needs. It will also feature a webcam and “photo booth” interactive touch screen app. Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Recipe Box and many other touch enabled apps are also included in both laptops and desktop pc’s.

Windows 7.0 OS has a few benefits of its own. Designed particularly for fast-growing touch technology, useless background activities are eliminated for faster loading and turn-off times, as well as greatly improved and simplified operating system to sufficiently increase battery life. Finally Microsoft is headed in the right direction.

HP has a good selection of possible upgrades to the desired system. Up to 2.93Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 8GB of RAM, 1TB of space, 1GB NVidia GT230M video card, Gigabit LAN, 25.5” 16:9 Widescreen touchscreen surface, TV Tuner and a wide range of applications will be available within a few months. Screen can also be used with gaming consoles (Wii, PS3, Xbox360) as well as full compatibility with all digital cameras, video and storage devices.

Consumers can finally indulge in a new interactive way of browsing through web pages, photo albums, and video collections at a touch, flick, whisk, or a tap of a finger. Digital content can now be explored with the multi-touch functionality.

BUY ONE TODAY!!!

Sony Ericsson Xperia X2

2009-10-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

Gadget World finally brings us something to ponder about. And that something is the upcoming Sony Ericsson Xperia X2, not to confuse it with its older “it’s good if you tweak it” sibling Xperia X1. First generation Xperia was definitely a good start, and some might note it was in the RIGHT direction by Sony Ericsson, but its release was well behind its major competitors (HTC TOUCH PRO) and its key selling point – QWERTY- deserved to be better, especially for those picky Windows OS fans.

For those of you who are tired of hitting teeny-tiny touch screen buttons and for those in need to brag about something, Xperia X2 encompasses full QWERTY and can punch your lens out with 8.1megapixels. It’s a touch screen too, of course. Here’s the official and complete list of features from Sony Ericsson.

Full list of Xperia X2 Features
X2 Camera
• 8.1 mp camera
• 16x digital zoom
• Auto focus
• Image stabilizer
• Touch focus
• Video light
• Video recording
X2 Music
• Album art
• Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
• Music tones (MP3/AAC)
• Equalizer
• Sony Ericsson media player
• Music tones (MP3/AAC)
• Stereo speakers
• Windows Media® Player

X2 Web
• Bookmarks
• Internet Explorer
• Pan & Zoom
• Web feeds

X2 Communication
• Call list
• Conference calls
• Speakerphone
• Vibrating alert

X2 Messaging

• Email
• Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync
• Handwriting recognition
• Instant messaging
• Picture messaging (MMS)
• Predictive text input
• Text messaging (SMS)

X2 Design
• Auto rotate
• Media
• Picture wallpaper
• Touchscreen
• Windows Mobile 6.5

X2 Entertainment
• 3D games
• Java
• Motion gaming
• Tracker
• Video streaming
• Video viewing
X2 Connectivity
• A-GPS
• DNLA Certified
• Modem
• Synchronisation
• TV out
• USB support
• Wi-Fi™
X2 Organizer
• Adobe® PDF Reader
• Alarm clock
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Flight mode
• Microsoft® Office Mobile
• Notes
• Phone book
• Stopwatch
• Tasks
• Timer

X2 Accessories
In-Box:
• XPERIA™ X2
• Battery
• Battery Charger
• Stereo Portable Handsfree MH500
• USB cable
• TV out cable
• 4GB SanDisk microSD™ memory card
• User guide

X2 Facts and Figures
• Size: 110 x 54 x 16 mm
• Weight: 115 grams
• Colours: Elegant Black, Modern Silver
• Main screen: 65,536 colour TFT
• Resolution: 480 x 800 pixels (WVGA)
• Size: 3.2 inches
• Phone memory: Up to110MB
• Memory card support: SanDisk microSD™ and microSDHC™, up to 16GB
• Talk time GSM: Up to 10 hrs
• Standby time GSM: Up to 500 hrs
• Talk time UMTS: Up to 6hrs
• Standby time UMTS: Up to 640hrs
• Music listening time: Up to 20hrs

Despite the long list of features, most of these have been around the market for as long as we can remember. Other than 8.1 megapixel camera, Xperia X2 does not really bring anything new to the table. Maybe except for the price tag! This phone will be available around Christmas time for an “undisclosed” amount of $880 US. Think of all the good things we can get with $880 – and you guessed it – X2 isn’t one of them.

Rubik’s Touch Cube

2009-09-29T13:31:00.001-07:00

Rubik’s Touch Cube

Almost 35 years later, a toy that sold millions of copies world wide is finally available in the new digitized and fully electronic version for modern generation. Introducing Rubik’s Touch Cube.

This incredible device has no moving parts, and features touch sensitive tiles with built in sensors and accelerometers. These tiles detect the touch and lights quickly follow the swipe of the finger, emulating a twist or a turn of the face. Rubik’s touch cube flawlessly detects and performs the movements to completely mimic the original cube. The build in processor knows the exact number of turns needed to solve the touch cube at any given instant, but can also assist those in need with a hint or a simple solution! You can undo a move as well.

Touch cube can even sound like a real thing (this cube comes with original and digital sound effects built in). Rubik’s touch cube comes with a charging station, but once placed to recharge, it automatically solves itself (if you’ve given up) and dazzles the audience with an incredible light display.

The cube itself is a little larger and heavier than its older brother. Some tiles have special icons, double clicking which will perform a desired action. There are a few drawbacks as well. Touch Cube is a little too sensitive and frequently slides where it shouldn’t. Sliding the line will only work on the side facing up, making it at times awkward to solve. It is definitely designed for an average user in mind, rather than a tactical, strategic player who turns the sides without even looking at them.

Rubik’s Touch Cube will be available sometime in October, for about $150 at Amazon and Best Buy. Despite its popularity, Touch cube is unlikely to make it to the top of the Christmas shopping list. It still requires some fine tuning and price is definitely way too high for an average consumer.

BUY ONE TODAY!!!

Apple iMac

2009-09-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

Apple iMac 2009 Review

We already had a review on this year’s iPhone 3Gs, and iTouch, but what about their big brother iMac? Read up to see what Apple has in store for us with its 2009 iMac!

Let’s say you decided to get an iMac and show off to your friends. If you were to go to the store with these thoughts in mind, you might get very surprised, and even spend a little more time looking for the new iMac where the old one used to be. To everyone’s disbelief, Apple hasn’t changed the appearance of the new iMac at all. It’s still the same white case with a silver touch, plain white wired keyboard, and same old wired mighty mouse! What did change - is the price. A $300 price reduction has been at the top of Apples priority lists. Better hardware at a cheaper price. We’ve been looking at this exterior since August 2007, but how about we get a closer look at what comes at the heart of this new price.

A look inside the mighty iMac

This year’s iMac comes in 4 different models, which can be customized a little to your liking right at the store. Starting at $1199 iMac has a 20” screen, 2.66Ghz Intel’s Core 2 Duo (last year’s iMac came with 2.4Ghz kick to it), 2GB of ram, 320GB Hard Drive, and nVidia 9400M video card. It is definitely cheapest at $1200, but doesn’t really have the VALUE tag attached to it.

Next in line, and probably best positioned, is the 24” iMac with the same 2.66Ghz chip and nVidia 9400M video card, but with 4GB of RAM, and hard disk space at 640GB. This model is priced at $1499. At $200 more expensive than the 20” model, it surely screams “value!” with double the ram and twice the hard disk space and most importantly 24" masterpiece. The drawback is that $1500 is not exactly on everyone’s budget, and $1200 is not exactly a value pick here. But let’s see how well the top models fair.

Next in line is also a 24” iMac, with 2.93Ghz Core 2 Duo CPU, 4GB of RAM, 640GB HD, and nVidia GeForce GT 120 (256MB), priced at $1799. Slightly better CPU and video card do not exactly justify a $300 price increase in today’s market.

At the top of the food chain however is 24” 3.06 GHz, 4GB RAM, and 1TB HD iMac. It comes with either GeForce GT130 (512MB) or ATI RADEON 4850HD (512MB) [+$50] but probably for people who know what they are doing. If you need a machine optimized for graphics or gaming, iMac would do the job well, however if you require an upgrade to 8GB of RAM, it will cost you another $1000. Otherwise stick to the $1500, 24”! Its nVidia 9400M is more than capable of handling current apps and games!

Final Words on iMac

So. If you wanted to buy an iMac last year and didn’t, this year it’s the same thing but a little faster and $300 cheaper. But watch out, keyboard comes without a Num Keypad (they will however include it for free if you buy an iMac at Apple store). Best value is the $1500 model, comes with a huge screen and a powerful hardware. The only drawback is the glare that comes off this glossy screen, and can get really annoying in well lit places! Apple could have at least tried to make it a little dull. Maybe next year they will come up with a better design, for now enjoy better price and beefier system.

Blackberry Bold vs iPhone 3GS

2009-09-27T00:04:00.000-07:00

Gadget Review: Blackberry Bold vs iPhone 3GS

Blackberry or iPhone? The question I witness daily from any potential customer looking to get his hands on one of the cool gadgets. Well, dear readers, this review will hopefully enlighten our views on both Blackberry Bold and iPhone 3GS, and, I hope, you will be able to gather some conclusions in the end.

As you might have already found out from my last review: Gadget Review: iPhone 3GS, I am quite the merry iPhone 3GS owner. I do not have a Blackberry Bold, but a number of my friends have purchased the rival to the Apple gadget. I have messed around with the Blackberry enough times, and I would like to think that I have garnered a pretty decent "rapport" with the Blackberry Bold.

The Blackberry Bold has a very silky design, unlike its ancestors. I found the look of the Research in Motion (RIM) gadget very much appealing to the eye.
The QWERTY-layout keyboard on the Blackberry Bold is pretty easy to use, as the keys are very nicely designed for text entry on this neat gadget.
Now, one of the major features on the Blackberry Bold is its screen. The gadget features a half VGA resolution 480 x 320 pixel color display. The quality of the picture is exquisitely crisp, and I would be more than happy to watch the latest episode of The Office on the Blackberry Bold during my morning cardio at the gym.
The email feature on the Blackberry Bold is spectacular. I do not think there is even a competition for that particular aspect of the Blackberry Bold, as it is the one feat that RIM continues to improve on with every of their newest gadget releases.
Let us not forget the last but not least - the Blackberry Messenger. Worshipped by many and wanted by the rest. This Blackberry service is of no cost, and it comes with every Blackberry gadget released. This neat digital gadget shrinks your bill greatly on text messaging, if you are an avid texter. Now of course, this is strictly available to Blackberry phones, thus making it quite a unique feat for this RIM gadget.

Now for the expected, and maybe even dreaded, review of the cons....yes there are always cons!
The Blackberry Bold is fairly large in size. Its bulky size of the gadget does not quite grant seamless “chameleon”-like blending into your pocket of choice. If RIM manages to shrink the size of the Blackberry Bold to one of that the Blackberry Pearl holds per se, I believe the revenue RIM enjoys already for their gadgets would increase dramatically.
The Blackberry Bold browser, despite several improvements, is still quite away from a satisfactory user friendly interface. Navigation of the web pages is done with the little trackball that is conveniently placed in the middle of the gadget, just below the screen; however the consistent scrolling, which I am sure you will find yourself doing, to navigate through the pages on the Blackberry will likely become fairly tedious and ultimately lackluster. I expect RIM will think of a better solution for the future Blackberry phones.
The display on the Blackberry gadget, while extremely high quality for a phone, is only a half size. But such is the trade off with most non-touch screen gadgets.
Finally, the camera leaves much to be desired from. Blackberry Bold comes with a flash, and the camera boasts a whooping 3.2 megapixel quality, but the Sony Ericsson CyberShot, for example, crushes the Blackberry gadget in comparison, alas we will leave the Sony Ericsson gadget for another review day.

The comparison of the Blackberry Bold to the iPhone 3GS is a pretty challenging task (unlike my previous comparison of the iPhone and the Nokia N-95), as in my view both gadgets are meante for different target markets and are intended for slightly different purposes, though they can in fact perform just about anything, but not equally well. However, let’s move on and attempt to compare and contrast the two gadgets.

The screens are pretty straightforward: you get a larger screen with the iPhone, but the quality of the picture is better on the Blackberry Bold. Now, do note that the screen on the iPhone is the honey that holds everything together. While it is big, it is also almost like putting all your eggs in one bowl - lest the display crack, the performance of the gadget will likely be hindered. Such is the catch 22 nature of the touch screen phones!

If you prefer “physical” buttons for the entry of data such as on the Blackberry Bold, in contrast to “digitized” keyboards on the iPhone gadget, the choice is clear; it is really down to user preference. I am personally a fan of the iPhone keyboard, but I would not mind using the Blackberry keyboard either had I owned one; it is simply that I prefer the bigger screen, and the iPhone keyboard makes it a very efficient and versatile gadget.

The camera. To be bluntly honest, this comparison of the two gadgets in the picture-taking department can be pictured as a Special Olympics race. Now, I have nothing against the handicapped population of our world, and please accept my apologies if you have found my comments offensive, but to simply put it, the two cameras of the iPhone and the Blackberry Bold are just not on par with the other available gadgets out there. Blackberry Bold beats the iPhone by 1.2 megapixels and a flash; however it is not really a particular gadget I would be proud to boast about to my friends. Moving along.

Email. Absolutely no contest. Blackberry smartphones were catered to emailing. iPhone does have a fairly decent and simple email client, but it is average at best, when comparing to the one of the RIM gadget.

Blackberry messenger is something I would wish to have on my iPhone gadget. I am a big admirer of the text messaging system that the iPhone employs, but if I could send texts for free as well, well let's just say that even Gollum from the Lord of the Rings would overlook his Precious in a heartbeat for a feature like that!

Browser. Once again, no competition, but this award goes to the iPhone. Simple to use, large screen, fast Safari browser. Once you have experienced the iPhone browser, I would be hard-pressed to find a gadget that trumps the Apple iPhone. Blackberry Bold is blown out of the water, country, planet and solar system in the browsing department.

Finally the size of the two gadgets is very comparable. Personally, I find the thin form factor of the iPhone very convenient, however it does make it frailer. Do not forget if it is in your back pocket, or you will end up having an exquisite spider-web design on the screen of your precious gadget. The Blackberry Bold, as mentioned earlier is a fair chunk of bulk, but it does make it much tougher than the iPhone gadget, in a physical sense. I give this round to the iPhone, but as with most aforementioned comparisons, this one is once again down to user preference.

The final verdict....well there simply is no exact winner in this face-off. Many comparisons of the two gadgets were down to user preference at the end. You need to ask yourself: what am I going to use my smartphone for? If it is for email and organizational tasks, then I would suggest the Blackberry Bold. If it is for entertainment and browsing, I recommend the iPhone. The choice is, of course, yours. Both gadgets are very powerful, and are capable of performing every task, albeit their design and approach to these tasks is significantly different, and you are the one to make the final call - Blackberry Bold or iPhone.

I hope you found this gadget review interesting, resourceful,and ultimately useful, and I encourage comments or discussions on the Blackberry Bold or the iPhone. Both gadgets are fantastic pieces of hardware, however, as this review outlined, the market targeted by their respective companies is different.

Keep your eyes peeled for more reviews such as this "Gadget Review: Blackberry Bold vs iPhone 3GS", right here at the Gadget World.

BlackBerry Charging Pod for BlackBerry Bold

OtterBox Defender Case for iPhone 3G, 3G S (Black)

Apple iTouch (iPod Touch) Mp3 Player!

2009-09-26T22:29:00.000-07:00

Gadget Review: iTouch (iPod Touch) Mp3 Player!

iTouch takes portable devices to a new level with its state of the art touch screen. This new mp3 player is also a portable gaming device and a pocket pc! Enjoy your mp3’s, surf the web, or play your favourite game, it can do that or a lot more. Let’s take a closer look.

iTouch - Unwrapped
Let’s get to the point and see what comes in the iTouch package. This gadget is available in 3 models– 8GB - $199.99, 32GB - $299.99, 64GB - $399.99. The 32 and 64 GB iTouch players include a set of headphones with built in mic, and a remote. (8GB has plain Apple iTouch earphones). The battery can last about 30hrs on mp3 playback, and about 6hrs of video/movie playback. Every model comes with the identical battery, and the rest of the features. The only difference is in the capacity, and obviously the headphones and new Voice Command option. Time to power it on!

iTouch - Mp3
As expected of Apple, iTouch is a wonderful mp3 player that also plays videos and movies, both on a large, 3.5 inch, very bright and colorful screen. It can also create mp3 playlists just for you, and yes, on its own! As mentioned earlier 32GB and 64GB iTouch models come with Voice Command Option. This feature lets you control your iTouch with your own voice. Simply say “Play, “Next Song”, “Pause” and so on into the built in mic, and iTouch will easily recognize the command and do what it does best – do as you wish. No need to get the player out of the bag, or pocket, or purse – just say what you need, and your wish will be granted. Usual compatibility with iTunes unravels a mind bogging number of features as well. iTunes lovers will not be disappointed.

iTouch Surf
Thanks to the built in Wifi, your everyday facebook, twitter, e-mail, and plain good old surfing needs will be quenched. With a local wifi and touch of a screen, you can enter the world which most of us cannot (probably) live without. Surf the web, download your mp3’s, your favourite videos, pictures – whatever else you can think of. Audiobooks, podcasts, shows, documents, that list goes on and on and on. Your imagination is the limit. But let’s pretend just for a little second, that you got tired of the web. What then?

iTouch - Play
This gadget of all gadgets has enough games to satisfy every gamer on this planet, probably a few times over. Top notch accelerometer and touch screen let you be part of the game and immerse in mind satisfying and entertaining euphoria. Want to show off your skills? Play with friends over a multiplayer, or practice alone if you can’t quite keep up with them. Whatever you do, you will drain the battery over and over again. No worries, Apple store has more chargers and adapters than any other online retailer. iTouch defines the term “SATISFACTION GUARANTEED”.

iTouch - Somewhat a Conclusion
This was supposed to be a review, rather than an overview. But there’s really no point in talking about the actual quality of the product, and possible bugs, and glitches, and array of other things people like to complain about. These things have already been addressed over and over in so many reviews and on every generation of iPods and iPhones. At the end of the day, Apple has never failed to impress with unprecedented quality, making them truly the pioneers of modern technology!

Buy ONE TODAY!!!

iPhone 3GS

2009-09-26T14:11:00.000-07:00

iPhone 3GS Review

The over-hyped, as believed by many, iPhone 3GS is remarkably the current market leader, but as many people seem to claim, is it really only thanks to the outstanding marketing team that Apple possesses for the promotion of their gadgets? Firstly, I wasn't too convinced. I am not one to hop on the popular trend, so I defied the quicksand of the gadget's popularity until the latest iPhone came out - the iPhone 3GS. Less than a year ago, in 2008, iPhone 3G was the biggest hit of the summer, on the gadget market in particular. People were piling up at the shops to get a hold of the latest, ground-breaking gadget (at least in Canada they were!). My buddy in fact managed to get one, and he simply would never stop talking about it. After "sharing" his review with me, I was still not convinced. I believed the camera on the iPhone was pathetic, the ridiculously designed iTunes would never beat the ease of dragging and dropping. To complement all of the above, after looking through some reviews on the iPhone 3G models, the battery was claimed to be fairly insufficient, and when it is built into your gadget of a phone, it does not really leave much choice of an easy swap, does it now? I went for the Nokia N95-8GB instead.

It is 2009. By now, I am extremely unhappy with my cinder-block of a gadget. I had a great camera on it, but it was slow as a turtle to take pictures, in fact I was beginning to get jealous of the speed at which the iPhone operated at. The other major issue was the size. Now, this review is coming from the mouth of a pretty outgoing fella. When I am out of the house, I DON'T want a huge block sticking out of my pocket (unless of course I am participating in the "who's got the biggest gadget in their pocket" competition). iPhone on the contrary is extremely thin, and fits into any of your pockets effortlessly, without stretching your favourite jeans.
The main factor between the 2 gadgets was ultimately the interface. The N-95 was just extremely painful to use (in a metaphorical sense of course). Despite its eye-catching hardware specs and a versatile operating system (Symbian OS), the gadget was just too slow for some reason and asked too much effort from the user to accomplish something as simple as text messaging. After several closer reviews, the iPhone on another hand operated with extreme efficiency. The gadget was well polished, and even though the iPhone did not have a multi-tasking feature like the N-95, the total number of tasks accomplished with the iPhone would beat the N-95 every day.

I cut my losses, after having spent over 400 dollars that on a gadget that came from the brand, which I ranked highly in my books and purchased an iPhone. By now, many of my friends had the iPhone, and I simply could not gather any resources or reviews on why getting this popular gadget was a bad idea. 350 dollars since and I am in love with it. I chose to purchase the new iPhone 3GS 16GB. I do not really need the extra space on my phone that a 32GB would provied, it is a phone after all. And here is my review - I love everything about the iPhone....well almost everything. The lack of a flash for the camera on the iPhone is a bit disappointing. But to disprove some reviews that I found online, I have had no issues with the battery, no problems with freezing (unlike with my old N-95), and just in summary using the iPhone has been a very pleasantly satisfying experience EVERY TIME. Moreoever, the number of apps and gadgets there are out for the iPhone is outstanding, and a very good number of them cost nothing! Due to the popularity that the iPhone has generated, there are many people and companies developing numerous applications, which can turn your iPhone into a really useful (AND FUN) gadget!

So consider it for what it is worth, but this review of the famous gadget was a review coming from an extremely skeptical buyer, who ended up converting at the end. I have resisted the bandwagon for just over 12 months, but at least now I realize, that the iPhone actually does top the cell phone industry, as not only a phone, but arguable the most ultimate gadget around.....at least for the upcoming future. Who knows what the ever-growing technology will come out with next for us in the future. I hope after reading this review, you will consider the iPhone, if you are shopping for a new phone and gadget. If you have any questions or would like to hold a discussion on the iPhone, please do not hesitate, to contact me or simply post a comment below, here at the the gadget world news.

AK-47 Paintball Rifle - MOST REALISTIC REPLICA EVER

2009-09-26T00:04:00.000-07:00

Time to shoot some gadget a$$!

You know how they say a picture says a thousand words? Well this one probably says a million, but I decided to summarize a little bit, to help narrow it down. Not exactly your average gadget, but definitely something that can get you gadgets, and a lot of them for free (maybe even someone’s lunch money too). This is a paintball rifle – AK 47 – an eye popping replica of the famous Kalashnikov rifle! This particular model is TACAMO ACG (Action Gear Canada) AK 47 FX 2.

I am not really sure where to even begin to describe this awesome ball shooting, wicked looking, crazy a$$ gadget! But I’ll try. Well first of all, and probably the best part, is that it looks and feels like a real AK 47. This is due primarily to the fact that it is made with REAL AK 47 parts. Yep, REAL AK 47 PARTS! The marker is made out of real metal and wood (absolutely no plastic parts). The weight of the gun is almost identical to the famous rifle, and although it would probably be hard to use for speedball, for recreational purposes, however evil they may be, it’s freaking AWESOME!

The gun itself comes assembled, with a detachable magazine (Yes real AK MAG), 16” barrel (long barrel, makes this gun incredibly accurate), real metal and wooden parts, adjustable sight, metal foldable rear stock and a sling! (Note: You can get a wooden rear stock too, but metal one is a little lighter). A set of hex keys are also included along with a manual. As you can see on the blow up diagram, almost everything can be removed (with ease), cleaned or modified! Gun can fire up to 400fps! This AK-47 replica is a 1-to-1 scale, identical weight, design, and parts to the real Kalashnikov! It’s quite loud for a paintball gun, giving it even more realism! With a good loader and a tank, you can shoot them targets goodbye! How’s that for a gadget?

Price: Retail $269.99 (But you can find it cheaper)

Pros: AS REAL AS IT GETS, like owning a real AK 47. Can be completely disassembled, Very accurate, and very good range with a good tank.
Cons: None, other than the weight, a little heavier that most guns, but it does add an incredible feel to it! Not automatic, but I wouldn’t consider that a con on a gun in this price range!

YOOSTAR - BE SCENE?

2009-09-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

Yoostar - Full Review

Well… I was actually debating for some time what to write in the first article and which gadget would be relatively interesting to describe and decided to go with something I noticed very recently! If you thought DJ HERO was a waste of time (and cash of course), check out this brand new piece of hard plastic that’s not good enough to even scratch your back with. Introducing YOOSTAR. Although you might argue that it’s not exactly a gadget, because gadget is a tool that is very useful at a particular job, well here’s where YOOSTAR excels at rather the opposite.

Surprisingly at first I thought wow what a good idea, until I figured out what it actually does….NOTHING. It’s a small camera on a stand and a wireless remote (wow), that captures your actions and puts them in the movie (double wow wow). Well “not too bad” you might say, but $169.99 is hardly even worth the trouble. I’m surprised they even spent time developing it. For $169.99 you can get a Rockband2, and an extra guitar, or a few cymbals perhaps, and have about 169.99 times more fun. Or even better a Logitech camera for $20 and some free software that would do exactly the same on your pc. It gets better. This junk is NOT compatible with Playstation 1,2,3 , or Xbox360. YES YOU GOT IT RIGHT!!! IT’S PC ONLY!!! (or MAC)

Anyways, let’s pretend you get it for Christmas anyway. Box comes with a 2-megapixel camera with a built in microphone and relatively small movie selection (you do have to pay for any additional movie scenes). You get a wireless remote, a camera stand, and a 6’ x 6’ neon screen as a background. This thing comes with 14 scenes, but Yoo team promises to add 200 more clips, at $3.99 each, to the online portal where you can also upload and share you own work of art. I seriously wonder what justifies the price: is it the 2mp camera? little background screen? maybe the stand? or an astonishingly large movie selection that comes preloaded – 14 scenes? I’m still not sure… but what I am sure of is that it’s absolutely the biggest waste of money and time! Scenes are hard to film (brightly lit room is a must) and hardware deserves better (microphone and camera quality are incredibly behind current standards). Wouldn’t it make more sense to have some sort of TV output? Who the hell wants to see you act on a little laptop screen! For $169.99, this gadget easily tops CRAP OF THE YEAR chart. Save your cash, and think before you buy!

Gadget World: Privacy Policy

2009-09-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

Privacy Policy for http://gadgetworld-news.blogspot.com/

If you require any more information or have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us by email at abudco@gmail.com

At http://gadgetworld-news.blogspot.com/, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by http://gadgetworld-news.blogspot.com/ and how it is used.

Log Files
Like many other Web sites, http://gadgetworld-news.blogspot.com/ makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

Cookies and Web Beacons
http://gadgetworld-news.blogspot.com/ does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.

DoubleClick DART Cookie
.:: Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on http://gadgetworld-news.blogspot.com/
.:: Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to http://gadgetworld-news.blogspot.com/ and other sites on the Internet.
.:: Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html

Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site. Our advertising partners include Google Adsense

These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on http://gadgetworld-news.blogspot.com/ send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see. http://gadgetworld-news.blogspot.com/ has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. http://gadgetworld-news.blogspot.com/'s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites.

Gadget World News

2009-09-24T18:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the World of Gadget News! This site will have only the LATEST and FRESHEST material on the web! Recent news on gadgets, useless usb devices, cellphones, tools, all kinds of other crap some make and others buy!Comments ? Questions? Criticisms ? Don't hesitate, e-mail at abudco@gmail.com