mySimon.com Shopping Blogs

Western Digital My Passport Essential

Thu, 28 May 2009 17:38:40 +0000

If you've ever accidentally deleted an important file, you know how stressful it can be to try and retrieve it. That's why it's critical to keep current backups of all of your important documents and music files. But doing so doesn't have to be a daunting task thanks to the Western Digital My Passport Essential. Simply plug the small, sleek device into your USB port and drag and drop files for instant, worry-free backup.

Flash Memory Cards

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:11:42 +0000

Digital pictures eat up space, so be prepared if you don't want to miss the perfect shot because you have to delete one from th camera. Take along a flash memory card, and you'll have all the room you need. These portable storage devices are tiny enough to tuck in a camera or video recorder case, and they're reasonably priced. If you get one at 16 GB, you can store literally thousands of pictures, which should be more than enough for even the most enthusiastic photographer.

Logitech Z-2300

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:55:23 +0000

If you've invested in a bigger monitor to watch movies and other media online, don't forget to pair it with good sound. The Logitech Z-2300 PC speakers come highly recommended by CNET. This Editors' Choice award (in 2004) is noted as having "outstanding audio quality". The speakers were put to the test with music and games, and got thumbs up for both. If your speakers aren't up to par, upgrade and get the full sound experience when you listen to your favorite CD.

HP Photosmart C7280 All-in-One

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:46:51 +0000

Scan, fax, and oh yeah, print with the HP Photosmart C7289 All-in-One. We're big fans of these compact multi-purpose devices. They take up little space, and the output is good. The C7289 has built-in wireless and Ethernet connectivity, so it's perfect for your home network. Despite the name, this is a good choice even if you don't plan on printing a lot of photos, although it really does deliver high-quality prints.

HP Pavilion dv3510nr

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:38:42 +0000

Now that you have your own wireless network, sit in your favorite chair and be comfortable while you work with the HP Pavilion laptop. At just under five pounds, you can also take it with you to your favorite hotspot. CNET says this top-rated laptop is "highly portable but still makes room for full-size keyboard." That's a big plus in our book. Other noted features are the crisp display and great battery life.

Belkin N+ Wireless Router

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:35:57 +0000

Get your laptops and desktop computers on a wireless network so everyone can get on the Internet from anywhere in the house. The Belkin N+ Wireless Router isn't hard to set up, and we don't say that lightly. It also comes with a built-in parental control feature if the kids are on your network. For a wireless network in a neighborhood without too many wireless signals, CNET "would recommend the Belkin N+ over any other wireless-N routers." Enough said.

Gateway DX 4720-03 - Pentium Dual Core E5200 2.5 GHz

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:14:18 +0000

CNET choose the Gateway DX 4720-03 as one of its five picks for best budget desktop PCs. The list identified computers that "strike a balance between performance and cost, covering the basics at affordable prices." If it's time for you to replace that wheezing old PC, you won't need to borrow from the bank to buy this competent computer. It's a good choice for the casual or home user who really doesn't want to understand what's going on inside his or her computer as long as it gets the job done.

Targus Chill Mat for Mac Laptops

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 02:03:36 +0000

Remember that 1988 song "You Gots to Chill" by EPMD? Targus should use that song to promote its Chill Mat for Mac laptops. If you've got a hot laptop (hot as in radiates heat, not hot as in stolen), you're all too familiar with the discomfort of trying to work while your thighs sweat. Not sexy. Enter the USB-powered pad Chill Mat, which keeps Mac laptops up to 17"cool, thanks to 2 fans that quietly blow cool air on the parts of your computer that generate the most heat. And its ergonomic design makes it comfortable to use both on your lap and on a desk.

Logitech Z-5 Computer Speakers

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:47:54 +0000

At home we've got a 4+ year-old iMac (the one that looks like a lamp), which we still love except for its crummy fist-sized speakers that do not do justice to our brilliant Pandora radio station preferences. So we're thinking of upgrading to these Logitech Z-5 speakers, because 1) they're omnidirectional (the sound comes out of all sides of the speakers), 2) the sound, while not blow-you-out-of-the-water-amazing, is 1000 times better than what we have now, 3) they connect via USB so there's no enormous power adapter, 4) they work with both Macs and PCs, 5) there's an auxiliary input for other audio sources, and 6) we can get them for $80. More Logitech PC speakers.

Acer Aspire AX3200-U3600A Budget Desktop PC

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:09:12 +0000

Multitaskers on tight budgets might like this small Acer Aspire desktop PC. The space-saving and energy-efficient desktop has an AMD Phenom X3 triple-core processor, HDMI port for expanded connectivity, 320GB hard drive, Vista Home Premium, and media card reader. It even comes with a keyboard and optical mouse. And it's only $480. More budget desktops.

HP Mini 1000 Laptop

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:33:35 +0000

The new HP Mini 1000, like the Dell Inspiron Mini 9, isn't just a tiny laptop. It's a "netbook," which is loosely defined as a small, lightweight, affordable, energy-efficient laptop that's geared for Web surfing and emailing. The Mini 1000 is less than an inch thick but its keyboard, according to HP, is 92% as big as that of a full-size laptop. The netbook starts at $400; the base price includes Windows XP Home, an 8.9" screen, 512MB DDR2 system memory, mini webcam, 8GB hard drive, and Wireless-G card. But you can upgrade components if you're willing to pay a bit more.

Budget Gateway T-6330U Laptop

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:09:57 +0000

CNET says the Gateway T-6330U "combines an attractive case design and movie-friendly display with lengthy battery life for a thoroughly decent entry-level laptop." Specs include a 14.1" screen, 2.0GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core processor, Windows Vista Home Premium, 250GB hard drive, HDMI output, 5-in-1 media card reader, and webcam. The laptop weighs 5.7 pounds and costs just $650. More budget laptops.

Logitech Illuminated Keyboard

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:44:49 +0000

There are some people in our office building who like to work in the dark. (GameSpot, we're looking in your direction.) We don't understand that. We need bright lights to a) keep us awake, and b) see what we're doing. But if you're one of those computing vampires, Logitech just came out with an illuminated keyboard you might like. The 9.3 mm-thick keyboard has a sleek, minimalist design (no USB ports or any other bells or whistles) with laser-etched keys that have adjustable backlighting. And it's black, so when you spill food all over it (because you can't see what you're doing because you're working in the dark), it won't show that much dirt.

The Webble Active Footrest

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:43:14 +0000

PC Magazine mentions the Webble Active Footrest in its "10 Futuristic Technologies for Your Office" feature. The Webble is essentially an ergonomic footrest - on wheels - that wobbles, so your legs move around under your desk, thus giving you the physiological benefits of increased leg activity while seated. Because when you sit at a computer for 8+ hours a day like we do, there's not a whole lot you can do (without distracting your colleagues) to get your blood circulating. Coffee doesn't count. We just wonder if having our feet "surf" under our desks would distract us from actually working, and if we should use it while watching TV instead. Speaking of footrests, has anyone tried these roller ball ones?

Livescribe 2GB Pulse Smartpen

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:26:26 +0000

Attention students, journalists, and anyone else who takes lots of notes: PC Magazine says "Livescribe's Pulse Smartpen may be the best way of digitally capturing synchronized written and audio notes." The Smartpen is essentially a computerized pen, but this device captures handwriting and audio at the same time, so if you miss (or misunderstand) a few words you can tap on your notes and hear what you missed while you were writing. We wish we'd had one of these in college. The pen works with special Livescribe dot paper, and ships with a 100-sheet notebook of it.

Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Laptop

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:45:00 +0000

Dell calls its new Inspiron Mini 9 laptop "your new best friend." The petite laptop is an ideal travel companion if you want to blog, keep a journal, surf the Web, send email, and listen to music while on vacation. The Mini 9 has a 9" display and 4 hours of battery life, and weighs all of 2.3 pounds. Under the hood, the $349 base configuration will get you an Ubuntu Linux OS, 512MB of RAM, and a 4GB hard drive, but of course you can spend a little more if you want additional upgrades (Bluetooth, Windows XP, more memory, webcam, larger hard drive). It's not something we'd want to spend 8 hours a day with, but for vacations it sounds like it has everything we need.

Mio Knight Rider GPS

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0000

"Michael, where would you like to go today?" That's how K.I.T.T. greeted David Hasslehoff in "Knight Rider," and that's how the Mio Knight Rider GPS greets you when you turn it on. In the exact same voice, thanks to Mio's partnership with Universal Studios. (You can then change it to one of 300+ other names.) K.I.T.T. (William Daniels) will give you voice guidance and turn-by-turn directions (accompanied by LED synthesizer lights), and make you feel like a 1980s TV star.

Peek Portable Email Device

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:15:00 +0000

Introducing the Peek, a handheld device for email and only email. No phone, no text messages, no Web browser, just email. Designed for "everyday people," or people who don't want all the bells and whistles of an iPhone, Blackerry, or Treo, the Peek is super easy to use, has a well-designed QWERTY keyboard, a full color display, and supports Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, AOL, and other major email clients. The fee is $20 a month for unlimited emailing - with no contract. We're wondering if we can get our grandmother, who's a bit scared of "computers," to use one.

Groqit Personal Inventory Management System

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:16:00 +0000

If you are hyper-organized, slightly OCD, and have tons of Stuff (we plead guilty to all 3) you might be interested in the Groqit. It's a handheld scanner that looks like a pen. Use it to scan the barcodes on all your books, CDs, DVDs, games, etc. (it can store up to a million barcodes). Next time you see something in a store and wonder if you have that item at home already, just scan it and find out. To add another level of geekery to the mix, connect the Groqit to your computer and use the Groqit website to "translate" barcodes into product names and make online inventories and wishlists. We're thinking this could be a useful tool for first-time eBayers who want to get rid of a lot of their stuff.

Samsung SyncMaster 2693HM Widescreen Flat-Panel HD Monitor

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:01:00 +0000

This new Samsung 26" LCD HD monitor puts the "fun" back into "functional." It's got full 1920 x 1200 HD resolution; a fast 5ms response time; built-in speakers (less desktop clutter!); and VGA, DVI, and HDMI connectors so you can fully enjoy movies and play games while you're supposed to be working. And not only does it have an adjustable-height stand, the thing also rotates 360 degrees, so you can spin it around to face the wall when you see the boss approaching. More huge LCD monitors.