Cool toys and Gadgets

Section: Computers, Software / Applications, Reviews, Web, Downloads

We all know how important it is to back up your data, and what can happen if you don’t.  Twice this year, I’ve had computer failures, first a dead hard drive, and then a fried motherboard.  Fortunately, since I back up my data regularly, the damage was minimal.  So yes, backing up your data is crucial, but it can also be a hassle. 

Microsoft Vista has a built in back up tool, but it doesn’t always do the job well.  It doesn’t allow you to really pick and choose what you want to back up, and it backs up a lot of junk you really don’t need, like all the built in software that came with your system, which no one needs a back up of! 

Fortunately Siber Systems has come to the rescue with GoodSync.  This marvelous program automatically backs up your data and syncs it between laptops, servers, desktops, and portable drives, all with just a few clicks!  Continued after the break.

Once you’ve downloaded and installed the program, open it, and choose the drives you want to sync, like your C: drive and a flash drive.  Click the Analyze button and Goodsync will show you the directories and files on both drives.  Simply choose the files you want to sync, click Sync and GoodSync does the work for you.  Your data is now backed up. Goodsync also offers an auto setting that allows you to schedule regular synchronization jobs so that your data back ups are always current.  And since GoodSync is bidirectional, it’s easy to restore the data you’ve backed up should you ever need to.

Goodsync is also great for syncing data between your laptop and desktop, so when you travel you’ll always have your data at your fingertips.  Goodsync is fast and doesn’t take up much memory.  In addition to PCs, servers, and portable drives, it also syncs to Windows Mobile and Pocket PC devices, making it a snap to move files between your cell or PDA and your desktop.  Click here for a full list of Goodsyncs key features.

Goodsync is available here. You can download a free trial or Goodsync Pro for just $29.95.  It runs on Windows 2000, XP, and Vista and is also available for XP and Vista 64bit systems.  I’ve been using it for about 2 weeks now and it’s been flawless.  No slowdowns, hangs, or stability issues. It is truly a useful and quality product!

Read [Goodsync]

Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

USB thumb drive is convenient. The interface is standard with most computers made in the last decade and almost guarantee to work in any platforms. The only downturn is its speed remains an area for improvement. OCZ engineer looks to break the tradition, their new line of ultra fast thumb drive has an eSATA interface instead of a conventional USB ones. The result is sensational; the new integration boasts an astonishing transfer speeds of 90MB/s in reading and 30MB/s in writing.

The OCZ Throttle eSATA drive family ranges from 8GB, 16GB to 32GB capacities. Like the USB with plug-and-play capability, the Throttle allows instantaneously data access from any computer without the need to install any additional hardware or drivers. Product availability and pricing have not yet announced.

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Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Video, HDTV, Computers, Desktops, Laptops, Gadgets / Other, Gaming, Console

Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us, it’s time we enjoy those gadgets that we bought, whether it be a brand new HDTV, gaming system, MP3 player, or computer.  Of course for us techie people, we like to see how this year compares with previous years in terms of money spent.  With the economy in a slump, experts predicted this shopping season to be down, but Cyber Monday managed to persuade many consumers to open their wallets, punch in their credit card number, and eagerly await their arrival of their new gadget(s).

Statistically speaking, last year on Cyber Monday had bought in $733 million in revenue, and this year bought in a 15% increase - an astonishing $846 million spent, stated ComScore in a report.  This came as a relief to many retail stores because sales had dropped by 2% or $12 billion from November 1 to Cyber Monday of this year as compared to last year. 

Gian Fulgoni, Chairman of ComScore, had this to say about why Cyber Monday prospered:

“With Cyber Monday promotions beginning in earnest over the Thanksgiving weekend, consumers have finally begun to open their wallets, setting off a streak of four consecutive days of extremely strong growth.  This is an extremely encouraging development for retailers, and we can but hope that their aggressive discounting has still left room for profits.“

A bit of bad news - when retails formally announce their profits, it is expected to overall be down from last year, even though Black Friday and Cyber Monday both did exceptionally well In addition, it could be the overall worst holiday season in terms of profit in decades.  I noticed, and you might have as well, there are many more commercials and advertisements with deals in effort to promote the holiday season.  Also, holiday music that usually starts after Thanksgiving, I was hearing it on the radio a week before Thanksgiving, probably in efforts to make people spend more.

Cyber Monday has become especially big in the last few years because Americans are finding they can get as good as and in some cases better deals than on Black Friday.  All they have to do is click a buttons buttons, type in a few numbers, and let the website and its employees do the rest. 

Now, the big question that remains is how well will retailers do in the coming weeks.  Of course, it was nice to see this big shopping spree from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, but I don’t think customers are ready to splurge yet with the state of this economy. 

Read [Los Angeles Times]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

A lot of people who own MacBooks tend to want to show them off. However, if you’re finding you need to protect your precious MacBook Air from bumps and scratches, you might be interested in the U-Suit Case.

The U-Suit covers up your MacBook Air and keeps it protected. However, it looks remarkably like a Dell Inspiron, doesn’t it? Kind of strange, don’t you think? But hey, at least you can still see the Apple insignia poking through the clear part.

Make by Uniea, the U-Suit Premium is available in both red and black color options. It is resistant to scratches and can hold up against most impacts. You can get this case now for $69.95, which is quite expensive, but most computers are an investment, so this can just go toward securing it further for you.

[via Chip Chick]

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The Sanyo R227 Internet Radio was announced in October for release in Canada, but we just learned the device will be available for US customers very soon. This is great news for those looking for more ways to access their favorite Internet radio stations while not hunkered over their computers.

The R227 connects to the Internet by means of a Wi-Fi module or an Ethernet connection. It can also access wireless networks that are secure by entering in a passkey. You can search for radio stations online from all over the world to pinpoint the tunes you want to hear.

Since there are no fees, this device makes for a comparable alternative to satellite radio stations. It supports all sorts of formats including AIFF, MP3, AAC, WMA and WAV. Plus, with 8 pre-set stations, you can keep track of your favorites. And for those times a Wi-Fi signal or an Internet connection in general is not available, the device includes a digital FM stereo receiver and you can connect an MP3 player to it for output over a home theater system. Other features include the ability to share music over a network, an alarm clock, a web interface, and two speakers with 2W RMS. You will be able to get your hands on Sanyo R227 Internet Radio in January for $169.99.

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Notebooks sales are being bolstered significantly by the booming sales of low-cost netbook computers. Many may not have been familiar with the name MSI before its popular Wind netbook hit the market. MSI offers more than netbooks in the US market with a full line of notebook computers as well.

Yesterday MSI announced its latest, affordable ultraportable notebook called the EX300. The machine uses a 13.3-inch widescreen display and offers ATI HD3450 graphics. MSI says the notebook weighs 4.5 pounds with the 8-cell battery.

Two colors are available — red and blue — and the system includes Bluetooth and 802.11a/g/n networking. The CPU is an Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile P7350 and the system runs Windows Vista Home Premium. The display resolution is 1280 x 800 and storage is to a 250GB HDD. Up to 4GB of RAM is supported and the video card has 256MB of VRAM. The EX300 retails for $999, making it a good deal for a portable machine.

MSI

Section: Video, Computers, Desktops

With the impending release of the Eee Top, its easy to forget about Asus’s other Eee desktop offer, the Eee Box.  It carries about the same specs as the Eee PC, but the case is built as a standard computer, about the size of an tv.  Actually, with the new features that are being added to the Eee box, it is likely to replace the tv you may or may not have.

The new updates to the Eee box will essentially turn it into a home theater machine that can double as a PC, or the other way around.  The new features will come in two new models, the B204 and B206.  Possibly the biggest feature for the models is the inclusion of a Radeon HD 3400 GPU rather than simple integrated graphics. 

This will make it much easier to decode HD video on the machines for use in a home theater system.  To connect it to a home theater system, the new models have HDMI outputs so it can easily be connected to most any HDTVs.  The B204 will also have Bluetooth so if you do use it in a home theater there are no wires to trip over with the keyboard and mouse. 

The rest of the specs are the standard netbook/nettop fares with a 160 GB hard drive.  Asus hasn’t mentioned anything about price or release dates yet, but I’m hopeful that the price won’t be too much.  It would be nice to test out a computer media center in such a small package, especially one that is much more open than the tv.  The Eee box models will run Windows XP out of the box and use Eee Cinema for a media browser, but it shouldn’t be too hard to replace it with Ubuntu and Boxee if you have a license for it.

Read [Electronista]

Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

We’re starting up a new feature here at Krunker (something I used to do on WhiningDog.net). Since we get so many review emails every day, I thought it would be good to simply list them out in a single blog posting for all of you to check out – a lot like how BluesNews does it.

BTW – if you have a new review that you’d like us to post up here at Krunker.com, please send it to news at krunker.com.

So without further ado, here goes nothing!

Hardware Secrets reviews the BFG MX-550 Power Supply Unit(above) and has this to say:

“The new MX series of power supplies from BFG features a modular cabling system, one 120-mm fan and one 80-mm fan that only kicks in when the temperature on the secondary heatsink is above 50º C. Let’s see if the 550 W model (MX-550 or BFGI550WMXPSU) is a good product.”

TechwareLabs reviews the NZXT TEMPEST Enthusiast Steel Mid-Tower case (right). Here’s their snippet:

“With a professional look that can fit anywhere, you’re sure to intimidate others with the very presence of this case”

TechwareLabs also has a review of the Altec Lansing SoundBar (above). Been looking for a soundbar myself for the bedroom. I wonder how these will do. Here’s a snippet:

“Looking for a set of computer speakers that are compact, but still loud enough to blow you away? Are you a audiophile that really wants to hear your music while at the office? Look no further. Today JasonD takes a look at the Altec Lansing SoundBar. Featuring XdB bass technology, the SoundBar is definitely something to check out”

ThinkComputers has a review of Xilence RAM Cooler HP Duo memory cooler. Here’s a snippet:

“The RAM Cooler HP Duo has a pair of copper heatpipes with lots of pretty copper fins, so besides providing extra cooling for those hot memory chips, you also get an excuse to add more shiny copper to the inside of your rig.”

OverclockersOnline has a review posted of the E-Power Thunder 650W 3 in 1 power supply. Here’s what they say:

“Topower manages to do an excellent job balancing price and performance. While there are cheaper power supplies available, and at the same time better performing power supplies available, Topower has managed to reach an equilibrium”

TrustedReviews has a review of the ASUS Maximus Extreme Mobo here on their website. Here’s their summary:

“You pay plenty for the Maximus Extreme, but that’s true of any X38 motherboard. We’re not convinced about the merits of three graphics slots but neither can we see any harm in the set-up that Asus has chosen and the cooling system and Fusion block are simply superb.”

The freaks at Test Freaks has a review of the HTC AT&T Fuze handset. Here’s what they think of it:

“The HTC Fuze is not a bad phone overall, it will take most users quite a bit to get accustomed to the new interface and the lack of buttons, the Fuze is meant to be navigated with the fingers primarily, and for those of us that like buttons and navigation pads, we’re out of luck”

Need a new pair of headphones for the holidays? Check out TechLounge’s review of the Sennheiser HD 595 headphones on their website.

“… the Sennheiser HD 595s are a great choice if you like listening to music alone at home. They won’t fly on a commute or in any public situation due to invading outside noise, and you might get in trouble for inadvertently broadcasting your music selections to those around you.”

Is your notebook running a tad bit hot? Check out TechPowerUp’s review of the Vizo mini Ninja II Notebook Cooler.. (I couldn’t help but laugh when I read the Ninja naming…). Here’s what they had to say:

“The mini Ninja II does the job quite well, just like the other versions from Vizo”

Digital Trends reviews the HTC Touch Diamond on their website here. Like many other earlier reviews, Digital Trends didn’t have high regards for the software. Here’s a snippet:

“..we have very few complaints about the outside of the Diamond Touch, and wish the software inside could live up to its promise.”

And finally, TweakNews has a review of a new HTPC case – the Antec Veris Fusion Remote Max Premium HTPC case that is (that’s a long name!). Here’s what they thought of the case:

“If you’re in the market for an HTPC chassis, and don’t want to spend a small fortune for it, I can easily recommend the Antec Fusion Remote Max. The combination of quality, functionality, quiet cooling performance and value is going to be difficult to beat. I like the Max a lot, and I think you will too.”

Technorati Tags: Review roundup, HTC Touch Diamond, HTC Fuze, Antec HTPC case, Sennheiser headphones, ASUS motherboard, power supply, altec lansing soundbar

Section: Peripherals, Mice / Keyboards

Yesterday I talked about the keyboard and how it is rooted in the history of computers, but this week is also important for another input device: the mouse.  The 40th birthday of the mouse also coincided with history being made, as Logitech announced that they had shipped a billion mouses (or mice) since they started production.  But how did it start, why is it so good and what is the future of the mouse?  Read on.
The first “mouse” was invented by Douglas Engelbart at the Stanford Research Institute as a prototype for a way of manipulating a GUI.  It was one of many suggestions (including using the head) for how to control the computer.  The mouse won because of its accuracy, ease of use, and the fact that it did not cause too much inconvenience to use.  No one is quite sure who first coined the name “mouse” and it was only intended for use as a nickname and not as an actual product name, but the wire/tail resemblance is definitely there and so the name as well as its plural problems stuck.
Since then we’ve had the horrid ball mouse which was an improvement on the two external wheels that the original had, to a ball controlling two small interior wheels, and then onto the optical and laser versions that we use today.  This has meant that mice are now more accurate and easy to use than ever before, and as science and medicine come to rely upon computers more and more this is increasingly important.
However the fact that the mouse has lasted four decades is not the only amazing thing, the fact that Logitech has shipped 1 billion is also amazing when you think about it.  I’m not sure that there is any other product that a single company has consistently sold for this period of time, and managed to rack up 1 billion of them.  This really is an astonishing number for one company, and it goes a long way not only to showing the popularity of the mouse, but how big the computer world is.

“It speaks volumes to the success of the mouse that they (Logitech) have produced a billion and good luck. But past performance is not a guarantee of future success.  The world has changed and the nature of machines has changed.  The multi-touch interface I believe really does seal the coffin of the mouse,“ Gartner analyst Steve Prentice

This is perhaps a little presumptuous, touchscreens have never taken off in the home computer world in the past, but is this now the time for the mouse to hand over the baton?  There are many advantages for using touch screens.  With multi-touch, they are now much more versatile.  Advances in technology have allowed them to become more accurate, but there are still problems and many cynics believe this is just an excuse to drum up interest in Windows 7 and associated touchscreen products.

So please, sit back, and celebrate the wonderful product of design and manufacture that is your mouse, take a moment to be amazed by how big this little product actually is and think about what will happen in the future.  And then sing happy birthday to it, have a party or maybe even bake a cake… I know I have! (there is a virtual prize if you know where this is from!)

Source [BBC]

Full Story » | Written by Christian Milsom for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Computers, Hardware

As anybody new to computer building will tell you getting as much help as possible is crucial.  I know as well as anyone that when you are dealing with hundreds of dollars worth of hardware you do not want it to go wrong.  Fortunately there are products out there to help you, and the newest of which is the USBcheck which checks your wiring for USB ports.

At first glance this may not seem like a very obvious thing to go wrong, but you would be surprised at how much damage a wrongly wired USB port can do.  Let’s look at what USBcheck actually is.  It is a small USB device that sits in a normal USB port with a red and green LED situated at the end which will indicate whether it is working or not.

Wrongly wired USB ports like those you may have on the front of your case can, in fact, do a surprisingly large amount of damage through the motherboard.  The problem is that there is no “standard” connection for USB ports to the motherboard, meaning that it is very easy to put the wrong wire onto the wrong bit.

The worst case scenario is that you put the 5V wire where the ground should be: this can result in not only damage to the USB device, but also to the motherboard. This is not something you want to get wrong, so this is where the USBcheck fits in.

It is fairly easy to understand: if the green LED is on, you are fine.  If you see nothing, then you need to check the wiring.  Red means your polarity is reversed and you need to sort it out.  This couldn’t really be more user-friendly which is perfect considering that it is really aimed at those who are not 100% of what they are doing.  It works with USB 1.0 and 2.0 ports and only needs the motherboard on to work.

Product [USBCheck]

Full Story » | Written by Christian Milsom for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »