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 »

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 »

The HP Mini 1000 was first announced back in October, but now you can get the mini laptops with an added feature: mobile broadband. This opens up many connection opportunities for those who need Internet access on the go.

In case you need a refresher, the HP Mini 1000 is a very small netbook that features a 10.2-inch BrightView display, a large keyboard and weighs just a tad over 2 pounds. It also features a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor and a webcam.

Apparently, now you can activate the WWAN on the Mini 1000 by using the HP Connection Manager 1.1. This makes it so a single connection can be made for all HP Minis and Notebooks. Pretty simple stuff. Plus, it supports GSM and CDMA networks. You can start adding the mobile broadband option starting today for an added $199 on top of the standard Mini 1000 cost.

Relevant Entries on SlashGear

• Compaq Mini 700 netbook is HP Mini 1000 clone
• Sony-Ericsson Moving on Mobile and Broadband TV
• HP to give major netbook discounts through AT&T and Verizon
• HP Mini 1000 netbook confirmed
• T-Mobile Mobile Broadband Share Dock launches

Customers interested in Dell Studio notebooks now have additional personalization options thanks to the launch of the new Dell Studio interactive gallery. The gallery provides more than 100 exclusive and original works of art that can be used to personalize Dell Studio 15 and 17 laptop systems. Each image is permanently tattooed onto the laptop lid.

Artists featured in the Dell Studio gallery include Jason Bacon, Brittany Waldner, Derek Welch, Guillaume Wolf, Joseph Amedokpo, Tristan Eaton, Siobhan Gunning, Bruce Mau, and Mike Ming.

52 unique images are available as part of the (PRODUCT) RED initiative. Each purchase of a Dell Studio 15 or 17 laptop with (PRODUCT) RED artwork will result in Dell contributing $20 dollars to The Global Fund.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Dell Studio, Dell Studio 15, Dell Studio 17

Section: Computers, Desktops, Laptops, Networking, Gadgets / Other, Green, Peripherals, Printers / Scanners

These days, it’s important that companies try to create more eco-friendly/green products to help out the environment.  Every little bit helps.  The two new printers from Brother do just that.  While they do not have a lot of green features, they will automatically print on both sides of the paper using an automatic duplex feature. 

The first printer, the HL-4040CDN replaces the HL-4040CN.  They have pretty much the same features such like 21ppm printing speeds for black and color ink and prints in maximum quality - 2400x600dpi.  The only new feature in this printer is the aforementioned automatic duplex feature.  Even though it doesn’t seem like duplex printing will do a lot, but it will save a lot of paper if you print out a lot of documents.

The last printer they announced was the MFC-9450CDN, which is an all-in-one printer.  This one isn’t set to replace any pre-existing printers, but is bears many similarities to Brother’s MFC-9440CN.  Likewise with the HL-4040CDN, it prints at 21ppm, copies at 17 per minute, and has a maximum quality of 2400x600dpi.  A nice feature present in this printer is the integrated Ethernet port to use over a network with many computers - great for the office.  In addition, if you directly want to print out documents or pictures, you can do so from either a memory stick or a digital camera by connecting it via USB ports.

Unfortunately, these printers cost a lot - the HL-4040CDN sells for $400, and the MFC-9450CDN sells for $650.  The first printer will be available sometime this month, while the other being available in January. 

Via [Electronista]

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

Section: Communications, Broadband Cards, Computers, Mobile Computers, Laptops, Wireless

It looks like Sony is about to enter the netbook market.  Of course, there are little details so far, but from the looks of the FCC image, it appears that Sony is preparing a small WWAN-equipped VAIO.  The image shows off what appears to be a netbook that measures in at 9.5 x 4.5-inches, but carries an official description of “notebook PC.“  Perhaps we can assume that description is just because of the fact that Sony does not like the netbook market.  Call it what you want, but a “netbook,“ “notebook,“ or even a “laptop,“ the size is what will determine the correct market.

The few details that were listed, have this as model numbers PCG-1P1L and PCG-1P2L.  Additionally, they are shown to feature Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth as well as EVDO and HSPA.  So far, there is not any information regarding a display size, operating system or other features.  The one drawback that I can see here is that, assuming this is truly a VAIO netbook, the price will most likely not be at the same level as other netbooks.

Via [Engadget]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Laptops

As we expected, the Eee PC 1002HA has begun showing up with US based retailers.  The 1002HA appears to be replacing the now fast dwindling 1000H and is retailing for around $500.  Of course, as of now, these listings are simply for pre-order but they are expected to begin shipping shortly. 

The Eee PC 1002HA offers the nice brushed metal design that is found on the S101 and as for features it has a 10-inch display, 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n.  Based on the specification listing it seems the one item that is lacking is built-in Bluetooth.  Otherwise, another potential drawback is that it is shipping with a small 2-cell battery.  If you are looking for something with similar specs and a larger battery, you can always check out the 1000HA, that model is available for around $430 and ships with a 6-cell battery.

Product [ZipZoomFly]  Product [Buy.com]  Product [Amazon]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

GeekDad Holiday Gift Guide #4: GeekMoms!
Mom needs presents too! The GeekDads have come up their best holiday gift ideas for GeekMoms.

Hey You Guuuuyyyys! A New Electric Company Starts in January!
Once upon a time, before he became a brilliant movie actor with an Oscar and dozens of films under his belt, Morgan Freeman was known to a generation of children as the Easy Reader, Count Dracula, and hosts of other characters on The Electric Company. Starting in January, an entirely new generation of kids will get their own version of the show, being developed by Sesame Workshop and to be shown on PBS Kids as part of their Raising Readers effort.

Dwarven Forge Hammers Out the Boredom of Plain-Jane RPG Battlemaps
If you head out to your Friendly Local Game Store and observe the tabletop gamer in his or her natural habitat, you'll see that every gaming table is different. Some gamemasters are hunkered behind laptops, others are peeking over their screens. At one table, the clatter of dice is constant, while at the next, it's all about roleplay and the dice still haven't left their pouches.

Geekly Reader - "The Radioactive Boy Scout" by Ken Silverstein
David Hahn was a geeky kid growing up in the suburbs of Detroit during the early 1990's. Like most geeky kids, he was socially awkward and had an intense fascination with very narrow subject matter; in his case, science. But when David began working on his Atomic Energy Merit Badge, his rather obsessive pursuits nearly lead to an environmental disaster.

10 Geeky Movies That Were Terrible, but We Loved Them Anyway
What were the movies whose thin plot, or poor acting still won us over because they developed a level of geek credibility through excellent referencing, humor or attention to obscure details?

MSI has recently introduced their three MSI Wind models in France. The new variants are include the MSI Wind U120 with HSDPA or 3.5G support, Wind U110 and Wind U115. As a reminder, the MSI Wind U110 features Atom Z530 CPU with 1GB RAM, Intel SCH-US15W Intel chipset, integrated graphics, a 10 inch 1024×600 display, 120 to 250GB SATA HDD, Flash card reader, 6 Cell battery (rated 8-10hrs), WIFI B/G/N, and a 1.3MP webcam. Meanwhile, the MSI Wind U115 offers Atom Z530 CPU, up to 2GB RAM, HDD or up to 32GB SSD, and supports Bluetooth 2.0 EDR. These netbooks measure 260mm x 180mm x 19-31mm and weights at 1.1Kg. [Netbook3G via Laptop Notebook News]

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