Korg nanoKEY2 Review

A nice addition to any MIDI setup or to serve as a starting point for anybody with an interest in sound design, the Korg nanoKEY2 takes a considerable step forward from its previous iteration in terms of style. Whereas the first nanoKEY was modeled after the thin, trapezoidal sort of keys frequently found on laptop keyboards, the nanoKEY2 adds some spacing and autonomy for each button by taking a page from the MacBook, with rectangular keys that are each spaced uniformly and separated by the plastic casing. The nanoKEY2 lives up to its name by being incredibly thin and lightweight, only taking up as much space as it absolutely needs to.

With 25 keys, as well as on-board octave changing, pitch modulation, and note sustaining, the Korg nanoKEY2 is extremely flexible in what it can accomplish as long as you exercise a little bit of creativity and planning beforehand. The true amount of its capabilities are highlighted through the software licenses provided with each purchase. From Korg’s own M1 Le synthesizer program to ToonTrack’s EZDrummer Lite, Lounge Lizard Session, and a $50 coupon for any of the critically-acclaimed Ableton programs redeemable through their website, the Korg nanoKEY2 is a smart investment for anyone getting started just in terms of the software included.

As someone with a small amount of practice on larger, more classically designed keyboards and pianos, the uniform size and spacing of the white and black keys has a tendency to throw me off, leading to me placing my fingers between keys and pressing them simultaneously, or getting finger spacing all wrong while playing chords. Obviously, the nanoKEY2 isn’t designed with 1:1 piano replication in mind, but it does need to be considered for anybody who thinks they can just jump right onto this device without any acclimation.

That being said, the inclusion of velocity-sensitive keys on a keyboard of this size and price range was more than enough to make up for any issues I might have with key spacing. Though I have had a little bit of trouble comfortably replicating the right amount of pressure while playing around on a consistent basis, that can all be adjusted via the software with four different settings for the velocity and pressure. It may seem like a frivolous feature, but anybody who’s played a piano knows the massive difference between a soft, whispering melody and pounding the keys like Ben Folds. That the Korg nanoKEY2 lets you decide which you’d prefer by simply playing is a big, big deal.

More of an additional tool to be used in conjunction with other devices, the nanoKEY2′s slim, portable design fits in well with other similar devices that hook up easily to laptops or tablets. Available in black or white, you can even select the design that better matches the rest of your gear. Due to the smaller design and lack of included features and full playability, the Korg nanoKEY2 isn’t going to be good enough as a stand-alone keyboard for any serious players, but then that’s not really it’s intended purpose. The nanoKEY2 is really ideal for sitting alongside other equipment, adding extra functionality to already existing digital musical tools, and it does that pretty well.

Bottom Line: The Korg nanoKEY2 is a pretty bare-bones synthesizer that let’s you get right down to handling some simple play that can be fleshed out more in the presence of a full suite of software and hardware. Designed more as an additional keyboard to use with others, the amount of full-featured musical programs whose licenses come with the nanoKEY2 make it an ideal starter set for anybody looking to start dabbling in music. For the price, there’s just so much you can do with this keyboard while getting your feet wet to pass it up.

Pros:

• Onboard pitch, octave, and sustain buttons give the user a good deal more ability than a regular 25-key mini-keyboard
• Velocity-sensitive keys allow for a more natural feel while playing
• Included suite of software is enough to get absolutely anybody started with powerful, flexible tools

Cons:

• Key spacing can seem a little unfamiliar to anybody with any training on a more traditionally shaped piano or keyboard
• Hard to play anything of any considerable depth or range without the assistance of a looping device or software
• Sustain can only be held, not toggled, so sustaining a note in one octave and then playing a part in a different one only sustains every note played

The Korg nanoKEY2 is available from Amazon for $49.99.

12:12 AM | 0 comments | Read More

Boxee Live TV

Boxee Box is about to get a little bit better thanks to a small device called the Boxee Live TV.  It plugs into the Boxee Box (the one made by D-Link – this won’t work with your PC or Mac) and allows you to navigate and watch terrestrial HD broadcasts such as NBC, CBS, FOX and more right on the device.


They’re tossing in a portable antenna into the mix, but keep in mind that you may not live within close enough proximity of a tower to receive a signal.  For that, Boxee recommends that you plug in an unencrypted cable connection (using ClearQAM), which is often provided with your Cable Internet connection and should achieve similar results.


However, we’re hearing there is no DVR function with the Boxee Live.  So you’ll be left to watch everything as it happens.  No matter, since the majority of content is already steaming online, with the exception of the NFL and many other live sporting events, which is probably what this handy device is good for.


For $49 it’s not a bad deal, especially when yo consider that the Mohu Leaf, a small HDTV antenna you stick on your wall, is $45.

10:17 PM | 0 comments | Read More

The Evolution of the iPod: 10 Years and Counting

It’s hard to imagine life without an iPod. It’s been embedded into our everyday lives and incorporated into popular culture. It’s changed the way we listen to music, watch videos, play games, exercise, drive, interact with friends and more! Apple’s iconic media player even changed the music industry, shaking up its entire foundation. It’s been 10 years since the iPod’s introduction and throughout the years it’s been revamped into an even better version of itself, but one thing always remains the same…it’s one of the best devices of our century!

The Beginning: 2001

Back when it was first introduced on October 23, 2001, the iPod was welcomed with less than stellar reviews. In what was predominately a Windows-based world, and hardcore techies didn’t think it would really make a huge impact on the industry. Boy, were they wrong!

With intentions to enter the very popular personal digital device market that was beginning to take off, Apple decided to enter it with its own rendition, but didn’t want to make it big or clunky as others had been. When the late Steve Jobs showed off the first generation iPod, he promised “1,000 songs in your pocket” for $400. Instead, he delivered an entirely new gadget that has grown into the world’s leading way we listen to music, as well as helped propel other such devices like the iPhone and iPad.

Like all first versions, it was expensive, especially for only being 5GB (nothing compared to what’s out there now). It was white and very boxy; about the size of a deck of cards. While it wasn’t exactly clunky, it was a bit bulky. The interface was simple with its mechanical scroll wheel that dictated its functions on the small black-and-white screen. What made it so cool was that the spinning wheel interface as fun and new, which is what helped give the new iPod an edge over the competition. A new era of music was officially born.

 

iPod 2G: 2002

A year after its debut, Apple give its fairly new iPod some minor updates. First the price is now cut to $299, making it more affordable to the masses for the 5 GB. Then begins the cycle of offering different and more expensive versions of the gadgets. The new 10 GB and 20 GB version are born, selling for $399 and $499, respectively. These larger iPods now featured a touch-sensitive scroll wheel and a wired remote. But, the big news was that Window users could now use the iPod on their PC, allowing them to download music via MUSICMATCH Jukebox.

 

iPod 3G and iTunes Music Store: 2003

The third-gen iPod got a totally new design for the first time in April 2003, when it showed up with a new lighter and thinner enclosure. Again, Apple did some price adjusting, launching the 10 GB at $299, but also dropped a new 15 GB for $399 and 30 GB for $499. But then later in September, Apple decided to just upgrade the two more expensive ones to 20 GB and 40GB. The era for bigger and better for Apple’s iPod was in full force…and only three years from its birth!

 

iPod Mini: 2004

Aww, the iPod Mini that so many love came to be right at the beginning of the year, when Steve Jobs announced that 2 million iPods had been sold thus far and showed us the baby iPod. Half the size of the original one, the iPod Mini was the first to get some color (enclosure-wise). They came in silver, gold, pink, blue or green and were made of anodized aluminum. The iPod had now entered the fashion world! But that’s not all the Mini did. It was also the first to include Apple’s new-styled “click wheel” instead of the scroll one. Since it was half the size of an iPod, it was also priced so, coming it at $249 for a 4 GB model, offering 1,000 songs.

Color Screen iPod: 2004

After the success of the colorful iPod Minis that debuted earlier that year, Apple decided it was time to bring some color to the iPod’s screens and unveiled a new version in October 2004. It was capable of storing 25,000 digital photos, but we’re not sure if anyone if did that, but it was still cool, nonetheless!

iPod Shuffle: 2005

Deciding that the iPod Mini was still too big, Apple dropped their iPod Shuffle the very next year. They weren’t wasting any time trying to take over the digital device market with every kind of size imaginable. The MP3 player was “smaller and lighter than a pack of gum,” according to Jobs. Apple marketed the new version as a random way to listen to your music, making it perfect for those on the go and who liked a compact version of the iPod while out exercising or whatnot. IT plugged into a USB drive and had 512 MB of storage, which was 120 songs, for $100. It also brought out a larger version 1 GB for $149, which held 240 tunes.

iPod Nano: 2005

So the Shuffle wasn’t small enough, or the Mini, which brought the new iPod Nano. Slimmer, thinner and lighter than any of the previous versions, its claim to fame was that it was “thinner than a standard No. 2 pencil.” Not only was it the smallest one with a screen in the fairly short history of the iPod, but it had the smallest capacity for an iPod with a screen. It sold for $199 for the 2 GB version and $249 for the 4 GB one. Despite having less capacity, the Nano was a success!

iPod Video: 2005

Apple had a big year in 2005, with the Shuffle and Nano and its new iPod video that they released in October. Not only was it a music device, a hard drive for pictures, but the new video could also hold up to 150 hours of video and boasted a high-res display. Also notable, was that it was the first time a full-sized iPod came in another color besides white; black was now an option.

 

iPod & Nike Collaboration: 2006

As if Apple wasn’t a huge iconic company on its own, it decided to partner up with Nike, which was one of the first extensions of Apple’s non-music platform marketing. So Nike made special shoes that synched with the iPod Nano to store data on exercise and the like. It did wonders for athletes everywhere.

 

iPhone & iPod Touch: 2007

From the great iPod came the idea to make a phone from the same concept…and volia! The iPhone was born. Taking a lot from its famous iPod, the iPhone was Apple’s first phone that featured touch controls, including “swiping” through menus. The iPhone has obviously become its own iconic device, but that’s an entirely different post! While the iPod might have inspired what many believe is the best phone on the planet, the iPhone inspired something great on the iPod…a new touchscreen version. Basically, the new iPod Touch was an iPhone without a phone. Genius, right?!

App Store & iPod revamped: 2008

Every year gets better and better for the iPod and in 2008, Apple launched it’s new App Store and the 2.0 iPod Touch that could play music, browse the web and more.

 

iPod Nano with Video: 2009

The iPod Nano received a video camera and FM tuner in 2009, as well as slashed the price on the Shuffle and added new color options. Again,

 

The Present

The iPod hasn’t exactly changed much since 2009, but the iPhone has evolved significantly. Also, the iPad is now part of the family, helping the extremely innovative company stay on top of the mobile device game.  And to think, it all spawned from the iPod.

We no longer listen to music the same way we did and the industry has felt the repercussions of it. Nobody goes to buy full-length CDs anymore at a record store; they instead download their favorite tracks online from the App Store or some other MP3 online site. Car radios don’t make a CD player an upgrade option, but have now made iPhone/iPod-enabled features standard. Life has definitely changed thanks to such a small device…has it been for the better? Hell yes and we have the Steve Jobs to thank!

 

The Future

It seems Apple will obviously be redesigning and upgrading their current line of successful products. For sure, expect an iPhone 5 soon and from what the rumor mill says, an Apple-based TV. But with Steve Jobs gone, his memory will obviously live on and inspire more innovative tech from Apple…at least we hope he left them in good hands.

6:36 AM | 0 comments | Read More

Hauppauge Broadway Review

No, this isn’t a review of the latest crazy musical ON Broadway, but rather the newest little device from Hauppauge.  Hauppauge has been around since 1992, and their products are usually pretty innovative.  I’ve used one of their TV capture devices to record custom gameplay from my PS3 before, so I had some high expectations going into this.  After all, it’s not every day that an item claims to let you watch your home television from anywhere in the world so long as you have some kind of internet connection.  So did the Broadway play beautiful music on my Galaxy?  Or did it fall flat like Spider Man Turn Off The Dark?

As long as you have a spare cable outlet in your house, the Broadway is extremely easy to set up.  Luckily, the television that was in my bedroom is now gone, so the bare coaxial cable there made a perfect place to hook it up.  In order to hook it in to your network though, you first need to hook it up wired.  It might sound ass backwards, but it’s not that big of a deal if your router is a good distance from where your open cable is – once you have it hooked up with an Ethernet cable, you go to the setup website and start the process.

Once you tell it your WiFi network information, the website allows you to move it into position in your house before scanning for channels – that means you can get the network information setup easily, and then worry about the channels after.  Now since I only have a standard QAM cable service, I can’t comment on how it works with a setup that uses ATSC, but I imagine it’s basically the same.  Click the channel scan button, and the website goes to work much like any new television does when you use their channel scan.  Eventually it will pop up a number of channels detected, and you’re ready to go.

Now don’t think that it will use all the channels that it detects – the Broadway device doesn’t have any sort of built in decryption software on it, so only channels that aren’t encrypted are shown.  As an example, the software detected 218 channels, but it only will display 25 for me.  It’s not that big of a deal though, because all the channels I would normally watch aren’t encrypted (Cartoon Network for Adult Swim, SyFy, and CBS/FOX for NFL games all came through fine).  I’m sure that most people with QAM channels are going to hope that in the future they add some decryption abilities to the Broadway though.

After everything is finished being set up, you log onto distan.tv to begin watching television from any internet enabled device.  I tried it from a laptop, a desktop, an android phone, an android tablet (actually three of them running different OS), and iPhone 4, 3GS, and 3 models – every one of them ran the website fine with no hitches.  The website defaults the quality to minimum, so you’ll need to change that when you log in – but it does save for each device.  Now this was all on WiFi at first, but Hauppauge claims that you can watch TV even on a cellular signal, so I had to check it out.

The only real issue I had was getting ports opened in my router – the experimental one I had received from NetGear was having a number of issues with opening up anything, so I just popped in the old one I had and everything went smooth.  Again, the website defaults to the minimum quality setting, but I found I could generally bump it to the mid setting (two stars) on both AT&T and Verizon’s 3G networks.  When I was in a 4G zone I could push four stars with some stuttering, but three ran smoothly, and really three stars looked extremely good on a tablet.

The streaming quality isn’t a problem with the Broadway itself though, and if you happen to be in an area that you can tap into a WiFi signal, you can crank the quality to the max for what amounts to HD quality viewing.  Just be aware that if you’re using this on a cellular connection, it will eat up data like no one’s business.  The minimum setting when not on WiFi is 150kb per second, all the way to 2200kb per second at max (the max is doubled when on a WiFi connection).

The Bottom Line: The Broadway is a great little device that does exactly as it says it will, however the lack of decryption software means you’ll lost some channels on a QAS service – also, it will kill your cellular data plan unless you have unlimited usage.

Pros:

• Does as advertised – you can watch live TV right over the internet
• Extremely easy to set up – it’s almost as simple as plug and play
• Works on any internet enabled device (as far as I can tell at least)

Cons:

• No decryption abilities means if you use a QAS service you’ll miss out on channels
• On both routers I tried, UPnP didn’t work to open ports – I had to do it manually
• there’s like a 5-10 second delay, which makes it impractical for sports

You can get a Broadway unit from Amazon for $176.99

10:51 PM | 0 comments | Read More

Doxie Go Makes any iOS Device a Portable Scanner

Back in the 90s, which as far as we’re concerned is forever ago, there were a few portable photo copiers on the market.  If you used one, then you know how useless they were.  Gripes aside, the concept still remains a strong one.  Case in point, the Doxie Go.

But instead of firing out a scroll of unreadable thermal paper, this bad boy soaks up the ink into a digital format, storing up to 600 pages and knocking out a full color page in just 8 seconds.  If more memory is required you can jam a USB stick or SD card slot into it and in theory scan an endless amount of materials can be copied.  Everything can be synced to your iOS device, though you’ll first need to connect it to your PC or Mac.

Update: You can by a $39 kit that allows you to sync directly to your iPhone, iPad or iPod.

Once connected the internal battery will begin to charge via your computer’s USB port.  Doxie also works directly with Evernote, Dropbox, Google Docs, and includes Abby’s OCR software, which like Evernote, makes documents and receipts searchable.

Scanning on the go costs $199, though they’re just taking preorders at this point.

6:13 PM | 0 comments | Read More

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Keyboard & Mouse

 

In just under a month’s time COD: Modern Warfare 3 will hit store shelves.  No doubt we’ll see productivity drop across the globe as fans of the game call in sick to work so they can prolong their weekend frag session.  Here to celebrate the arrival of this disgustingly captivating game is Logitech, who earlier this week introduced a Modern Warfare 3 inspired keyboard and mouse for those that will take to the battlefield on a PC.

Now, don’t get too excited, since they’re pretty much just rebranded versions of their G105 gaming keyboard and G9X gaming mouse.  But that’s not all.  They’ve outfitted both peripherals with green lighting to complement the MW3′s logo.  So the keyboard has green backlighting while the mouse sports a set of green LED lights.

In terms of the actual hardware, the G105 keyboard sports 6 keys which can each be programmed with 3 different macros.  They’re customizable to however you see fit, provided you’ve downloaded Logitech’s software.  It also rocks anti-ghosting tech which lets players mash up to 5 keys simultaneously without any interruption in game play and some media shortcut keys.

The mouse on the other hand (pun intended), can keep pace at up to 165-inches per second.  So suffice to say, the G9X is fast.  Its sensitivity can can be adjusted anywhere from 200dpi to 5700dpi depending on your gaming tastes.  There is also a dual-mode scroll wheel that Logitech says is ideal for selecting weapons, thanks to the precise click-to-click function or if you’re not digging that you can switch to frictionless hyper-fast scrolling to fly through web pages.  Five profiles allow you to effortlessly switch between settings and you can even customize the weight of the device with up to 28 grams of extra mass.

Both the MW3 Keyboard and MW3 Mouse should be available now for $79.99 and $99.99, respectively.  We’re not saying replace your current gaming keyboard and mouse, but if you’re in the market, here’s a way to pledge your undieing devotion to COD.

11:47 PM | 0 comments | Read More

ZAGGfolio (for Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1)

Walk into pretty much any store that sells accessories for electronics, and you’ll find a vast assortment of items for the iPAD – try to find something for another tablet though, and you’ll have a rough time of it. Some companies like Acer do make their own things, but Samsung apparently doesn’t feel they need to make cases for the Galaxy Tab. Because of that, we’ve been left to get sub-par cases, or modify another to suit our needs – but now that ZAGG has made their ZAAGfolio compatible with the Galaxy Tab 10.1, will Galaxy owners like myself finally have someplace safe to store their tab?

One thing I found out doing this review, is that there are slight differences in the WiFi only version of the 10.1 Galaxy Tab, and the Verizon LTE model.  I mention this because I have the Verizon model, and the ZAGGfolio is meant for the plain WiFi model.  I’m not taking any points off because of any modifications I had to make, because really that’s not their fault.  I will let you know though exactly what you’ll need to do in order to make it work should you also have the Verizon model.

The first thing you’ll notice on picking up the ZAGGfolio is that it feels very solid.  The hard shell will definitely be able to protect your Galaxy Tab from everyday bumps without any issues.  The Bluetooth keyboard is small and sleek, but it doesn’t feel uncomfortable to use at all – rather I find myself using it almost exclusively anymore, even when my Tab isn’t in the case.  A charge on the keyboard lasts about a week with normal use, and it only takes about an hour of being plugged in to build that charge right back up.

On the keyboard is your standard set of keys, but then there are a lot of Galaxy control keys.  Things such as volume up and down, screen brightness, and media keys are right at your fingertips – and in the case of the volume controls that’s super important, as you won’t be able to change the volume any other way on the Verizon model.  I don’t know where the volume buttons are on the WiFi version – they could very well be in one of the holes that don’t line up with anything on my model, but when you put the Verizon version in the case your volume buttons are completely covered up.

Speaking of things being covered up, if you DO have a Verizon version like myself, I hope you have a Dremel, because you need to lengthen the hole for the power button about a quarter of an inch, or you’ll never be able to turn your Tab on.  Again, this isn’t a design flaw on the ZAGGfolio, but merely Samsung being strange and changing little things between models.  Hopefully there will be a design revision though to take into account these differences between the models.

One thing that is both good and bad on the ZAGGfolio, is how tight of a fit it is.  I don’t believe there’s any size difference in the Verizon and WiFi models (though if anyone knows they can feel free to correct me), so this will happen on either model.  Trying to get your Tab actually in the ZAGGfolio is a chore and a half – saying it fits like a glove isn’t really right, more like it fits like a glove one size too small.  I understand that you want a tight fit to keep the tab from slipping out, but the same thing could have been accomplished with two tabs at the bottom to clip it in place.  As it it, I was afraid I would end up breaking my Tab by repeatedly putting it in and taking it out.  If you don’t plan on ever taking your Tab out though (or rarely), then that won’t be so much of an issue for you to have to deal with.

Something that’s really great about the ZAGGfolio is how you can rest your Tab in it at an angle, making it act much like a laptop screen.  This is perfect for watching videos and movies on the go when you don’t feel like holding your Tab for everything.  While the viewing angle isn’t really adjustable, it’s set up for the average person to have a good view for it being seated either on your lap or a desk.

The Bottom Line: The ZAGGfolio is a good first attempt at a case for the Samsung Galaxy Tab – while it’s not perfect yet, it works and with a few simple hardware changes it could easily become the go-to case for Galaxy Tab owners.

Pros:

• Nice and solid case will protect the Tab a lot better than having nothing
• The Bluetooth keyboard is a really nice feature, and a Godsend for people like me who like to feel the keys
• The screen sits at pretty much the perfect level when it’s in the holder

Cons:

• Incredibly tight fit makes you dread having to take the Tab out of the case
• The case doesn’t like to stay snapped shut unless you really force it together
• It’s not set up to be universal across different Galaxy Tab models

You can grab a ZAGGfolio for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 from Amazon for $89.99

3:47 PM | 0 comments | Read More

Logitech Wireless Touchpad Review

Before reviewing the MacBook Air, I hated trackpads. It’s just a technology that I feel never really cemented itself with us, as human beings, because it requires touch, and every touch is different. A very dry finger glides well, but a moist one may not. Mushy fingertips don’t work particularly well, and stubby ones don’t always read on the surface. Touch interfaces are quickly becoming the preferred method of digital communication through smartphones and tablets, but the trackpad remains mostly unchanged. They come in many shapes and sizes and textures, with nearly all the same highlights and limitations. Frankly, I’m far more partial to what IBM dubbed Trackpoint.

That said, it’s hard to use a laptop these days without using a trackpad, so like everyone I adjusted. There are good and bad trackpads, and frankly too many reasons not to use them. Logitech’s Wireless Touchpad is, with exception to Apple products, the first trackpad I actually enjoy using.

Like Apple’s own Magic Trackpad, the Touchpad is a wireless trackpad built specifically with touch-features in mind. That means two-finger scrolling, three- and four-finger gestures, and the simplicity of a long-lasting wireless user interface device. In this respect Logitech has hit the metaphorical nail on the head. The Wireless Touchpad is large and comfortable to use, all of its features and functions work exactly as expected. The Touchpad is a good, solid product, through and through.

That being said, Windows 7 isn’t suited for good trackpad use. OS X is. The difference between them is monumental. There is no smooth scrolling, few gestures, and minimal support for multitouch devices. This, coming from a company who three years ago revealed the Surface touch-only table computer. Yet there are still around ten touch gestures for the OS. It’s disheartening, to say the least.

Which is why it’s surprising Logitech has made the Touchpad for Windows 7 only. $20 cheaper than Apple’s Magic Trackpad, the Wireless Touchpad could easily compete on OS X based solely on features, let alone price. Even without Bluetooth compliance, lord knows how many Mac users have available USB slots that they are willing to spare, and it’s not hard to imagine a Bluetooth version selling for $5-$10 more. Limiting the Wireless Touchpad to Windows 7, and undoubtedly Windows 8 when it releases, is a significant limitation.

Logitech’s use of the USB radio – part of their “Unifying receiver” dongle, which works with about two dozen Logitech keyboards and mice – will simplify your current or future wireless Logitech products by sending data through a single dongle, though I myself am still stuck with the G700 and G930 on separate dongles because gaming hardware requires more bandwidth and faster rates. Still, the dongle is tiny and is more than adequate for any desktop or laptop.

The only real problem I’ve faced with the Wireless Touchpad has been the area of the touch-sensitive surface. The 5″ area is large, but the edges aren’t pronounced and impossible to feel. Especially when using multi-touch gestures, it’s far too easy to have one finger out of bounds and accidentally do a three-finger ‘back’ command instead of a four-finger ‘screen left’ command. It’s an easy fix as we’ve seen on plenty of laptops: make the physical area for the actual trackpad lower than the rest of the surface. That way, users have a tactile feeling for the edges.

Logitech’s Wireless Touchpad is a fine piece of hardware. The trackpad is sensitive and accurate, the two mouse buttons large and tactile, though the pad itself is easy to slip out of. The Touchpad is comfortable at a distance or up close, and especially from the couch where plenty are expected to use it. Windows, however, has little love for touch-sensitive devices and frankly that severely limits what you can do with the Touchpad. It is the new de-facto mouse when not at a table or flat surface, but besides that, a mouse is a mouse is a mouse. I like it and recommend it, but it’s not magic.

You can buy the Logitech Wireless Touchpad from Amazon for $50.

Pros:

• Solid design, tactile buttons, comfortable to use for long periods on the couch or at a table
• It works just right! Wireless signal is strong at a distance of 20′

Cons:

• Windows 7 isn’t suited for touch-sensitive gestures; no OS X support
• Trackpad square has no tactile bounds, its too easy to slide a finger off the sensitive portion

11:01 PM | 0 comments | Read More

Elgato Video Capture Review

While it’s been long enough that some of us have probably  sold our VCRs at garage sales or tossed them with all of our tapes in the garbage long ago, there are still a select few (myself included) who have hung on to some of those VHS cassettes for sentimental value or to hold on to personally-recorded memories of events and family gatherings. With the Elgato Video Capture, any computer running Mac OS X or Windows 7 can now convert these antiquated black video monoliths into the sleek, convenient digital age. iPhones and iPods are also supported, allowing you to take any video you may have taken with these devices and convert them into formats that are easier to share and distribute amongst friends.

The device itself is small and lightweight, with a USB connector for the PC, and composite outs as well as S-Video. Also included is an adapter for converting a SCART port (for any European hardware) to the supported standard composite jacks. The wire lengths and size make it just as ideal for carrying around in a laptop bag as it is for home usage. It does heat up a small bit while in use, but not enough to be uncomfortable or dangerous to the touch.

As a Windows user, when I received the Elgato Video Capture I was required to use the packaged version of CyberLink PowerDirector 8 which came with the device. Since then, Elgato has released a Windows-compatible version of their software for PC users (free for download on their website) so I will be covering both options. First, using PowerDirector is great, as it comes with plenty of options and is an otherwise complete program for doing more than just converting and capturing video. Edits can be made, a specific file format and compression rate can be selected, and charts are present to let you know up to the minute just how big your video is going to be. There are a lot of options present, which can be a little difficult to get used to, but the overall experience is rich and customizable.

As for Elgato’s proprietary software, the key here is simplicity. Once the software is started it basically walks you through a wizard, having you test the video and audio first, then recording what you want. At the end of recording, the beginning and end of the file can be cropped down and then saved. There aren’t a whole lot of options here as far as what kind of video you can make or what to do if you wanted to trim something that was in the middle without stopping there and creating two separate videos. Still, using the Elgato software is as easy as it gets. With just a few mouse clicks you’ll have a captured video, and it’s virtually impossible to make any mistakes.

Purchased purely as a video converter from older formats, the Elgato Video Capture is a fantastic device that delivers on its promise and does so quite well. The packaged software is not so flexible when it comes to doing more than that(PowerDirector certainly has many more options, but neither is great for creating streaming content or using as an alternate video source), and so it feels as if it might limit the product. Obviously, it will function perfectly well in conjunction with other programs like Skype or webcasters as a viable audio/video feed, I was just disappointed that the enclosed software didn’t give me those options out of the box. Overall, the Elgato Video Capture will definitely help you bring what’s left of your older media into the new formats, and would be just as easy for your parents or grandparents to put to use.

Pros:

• Perfect for converting VHS tapes to digital format with absolutely no added artifacting, looks just as good as the tape
• Small, compact, and effective, the Elgato Video Capture does its job without getting in the way
• Elgato software is so easy to use, once you’re installed you can convert videos within minutes

Cons:

• Small amount of available file format options means you’ll either wind up with some big files or bad looking videos
• Neither packaged software solution is really ideal for using as a live feed, so people looking to stream content or use in a presentation setting may want to look elsewhere
• As a converter first, the Elgato Video Capture has no inputs for more modern types of cables like component or HDMI

The Elgato Video Capture is available on Amazon for $82.

9:37 PM | 0 comments | Read More

Bose LifeStyle 135 Soundbar

Bose must be nuts, but we already knew that.  They’re asking $2,500 for their newest sound bar system, the Lifestyle 135.

It includes a wireless subwoofer, remote, iPod dock and a wall mountable speaker that fabricates full surround sound.  The remote connects via RF so you can increase or decrease the volume despite not having line of sight to the system.  The wireless subwoofer is a nice touch as well, since you can hide it in a closest, provided of course you’ve got a plug near by.

The Lifestyle 135 is designed to work with up to 6 devices and even upscales DVD players or any video device that doesn’t put out a 1080p signal.  We’re talking 4 HDMI connections and 2 HD audio inputs.  There is also an FM/AM radio.

Inside the Soundbar is Bose’s Flexmount and ADAPTiQ tech.  Flexmount determines if the soundbar is placed on a table or mounted on a wall, which automatically adjusts the audio accordingly.  ADAPTiQ anaylyzes the room’s dimensions and interior, and calibrates the speaker to its acoustics.  So we half expect, based on this tech, that it can produce top notch sound for movies and music.

Despite the fact that Bose is over priced gear, there is no disputing how simple their systems are to setup.  To streamline the installation process Bose has integrated a step-by-step visual walk through that appears directly on the TV screen.  Not the biggest takeaway by any account in terms of its feature set, but a nice addition nonetheless.

The Bose Lifestyle 135 is available now.

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Valet Seat Bolt Mount for iPad

Getting busted for texting on your iPhone while driving is slim at best, but this iPad mount, called the Valet Seat Bolt Mount for iPad, all but guarantees a hefty fine from the strong arm of the law for using your iPad while operating a motor vehicle.

The Valet Seat Bolt Mount for iPad is made from carbon fiber, which supposedly will reduce vibrations and shaking, or at the very least appeal to the tuner heads out there.  A hinge allows you to control the height, while the mount looks to use a ball and socket design enabling you to rotate the iPad 360 degrees.  Remove the iPad holder and the arm can be folded out of the way, though it will obstruct the passenger’s leg room.

Now, the major crux of any smartphone, let alone car iPad mount is the installation.  Those silly dual sided stickers never last and mar the interior of your vehicle when and if you remove it.  However, The Joy Factory says that this system is simple to install thanks to a Snap-n-Roll design, which can be installed by just “Snap it in and go”.  We know it mounts below the car’s seat, but onto what isn’t detailed on the product page.

In addition to an unclear mounting method, we also don’t know if the Valet Seat Bolt Mount for iPad is iPad 2 or just iPad 1 compatible.  Joy Factory says “Versatile iPad In-car Retractable Carbon Fiber Seat Bolt Mount (First Generation)” so safe to assume they’re still working on a mount for the iPad 2. 

You can purchase the Valet Seat Bolt Mount for iPad for $149.95

1:53 PM | 0 comments | Read More

Rude GameWare: 3500 Fierce Gaming Mouse Review

It seems like everyone has been throwing their hats into the gaming industry by making things like “gaming headsets”, “gaming keyboards”, and of course “gaming mice”. What makes a mouse be considered a “gaming mouse” is a point of contention for quite a bit of people. Most agree that the DPI has to run high – higher than something a non-gamer would care about at least. another thing gaming mice are supposed to have are programmable buttons – things that you can set to not have to move your fingers on the keyboard (such as setting one to a reload button, or setting another to a common macro). Well, the Fierce has both of these requirements, so let’s see how “fierce” it really is – shall we?

The Fierce is pretty straightforward in its design, but it’s also extremely comfortable to hold.  The black matte finish on the rubberized parts leaves it fairly “grippy”, so you really don’t have to worry about it easily slipping out of your hand while playing.  There are seven buttons – two right about the thumb rest, two right next to the traditional left button, the normal left and right mouse buttons, and the wheel (click it down for the button of course).  Each of these buttons – yes, each and every one – can be customized to do a different thing.  If you want your right mouse button to not be a right mouse button anymore, then you can finally make that happen.

The only problem with changing what a button does, is that you need to use the included software for it.  Let me explain:  the software comes on a mini CD.  On my desktop it ran fine, but my Acer laptop just wouldn’t read it for anything.  You can download it, but that’s not the point here.  I’m not sure why the heck they just didn’t use a full sized CD-Rom, but it is what it is.  At any rate, the software actually works quite nicely (once you get it installed).  You can save different profiles that are stored on the mouse itself, which is great in case you’re switching to different computers – you won’t have to set the whole thing up again.  Through the GUI, you can change your double click speed, change the aforementioned button functions, change the scroll wheel speed, change acceleration options, and change the DPI settings.

Speaking about the DPI, I’ve used gaming mice with speeds from 2500, all the way to a “too fast to really use” 5000 setting.  The Fierce comes in a little over the low end at (I bet you guessed this by the name) 3500 DPI.  While it’s not the fastest kid on the block, it’s good enough to run circles around an average mouse.  To put it simply, it’s more than fast enough to play most FPS games and keep you ahead of the competition.

I have been used to using a Tt eSPORTS mouse lately, and I’ve gotten spoiled by being able to add and subtract weights to change the feel of the mouse – while the V2 of the Fierce apparently has this feature, it was noticeably absent on the one I was sent.  One of the best features about the Fierce however, is the fact that it is wireless.  Being a reviewer, my desk is typically cluttered to all hell and back.  I have more wires laying around than I know what to do with (from cameras and what not), so just being able to plug in a small dongle and not have to worry about setting it up is great for not adding any stress.

If you’re someone that just uses your mouse to do some spreadsheets, or business memos – then you can probably look elsewhere for a mouse, as you won’t appreciate how this one works.  If however you’re a serious gamer looking for a good mouse at under $75, this could very well be one of your best options.  It’s solid performance and decent DPI speed is enough to give it a final score of four out of five stars.

Pros:

• GUI is nice and easy to use for saving multiple profiles
• Being able to customize each of the buttons to do something is great
• The wireless works quite well, and it even works from far away (I got it to work from about fifty feet away)

Cons:

• Why the hell didn’t they use a normal CD-Rom disc?
• No way to change up the weight and feel of the mouse
• 3500 DPI is fast if you’re not used to it, but there are plenty faster (albeit most are more expensive)

You can grab a 3500 Fierce Gaming Mouse by Rude GameWare from Amazon for the low price of $66.47

7:13 PM | 0 comments | Read More