By David Ponce

We start the week with the slightly lower-end 17.3-inch HP Pavilion dv7 (as opposed to the Select Edition) which features a Core i3 2.53GHz processor, along with a free upgrade to 500GBs hdd, 4GB ram, Dolby audio + Altec Lansing speakers, 2-year warranty, HDMI, eSATA, 5-in-1 card reader and TruVision HD Webcam. It comes in “Black Cherry” and “Champagne” colors and while it’s normally $799, it’s currently $100 off. With today’s $100 stackable coupon, the machine will cost you $599 shipped.

[ HP Pavilion dv7t At $599 ] VIA [ LogicBuy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

When we looked at the original version of the Kobo back in April we were really impressed at the fact that consumers could finally get an ebook reader for just $149 that didn’t feel like it was made from the cheapest parts available. Everything from the software (including the Kobo desktop apps and store) to the easy-to-hold soft rubber backing gave the Kobo the look and feel of its more expensive competitors like the Kindle and Sony’s offerings, but for a lot cheaper. At the time that is.

Since the Kobo was released its competitors have also released competitively priced models, and while the Kindle with the full ‘Whispernet’ experience is still $189, Amazon has introduced a cheaper wifi-only model for $140, which made opting for the Kobo a difficult decision. In fact the lack of wireless connectivity (besides Bluetooth) was probably the biggest complaint across the board when it came to the original Kobo, so it wasn’t that surprising when a new wifi-equipped version was announced in late September that closed the gap between it and the Kindle again. But was it enough? More after the jump.

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By Andrew Liszewski

In addition to proving my theory that the letter ‘i’ will never be capitalized in a product name again (thank you Apple) the FLEXiT Light, which comes from the same people responsible for the Striker Magnetic Light Mine, is like a little magic carpet of LEDs that can be bent, folded or wrapped into any shape you need. The flat body is made from flexible silicone embedded with 16 Lumen Tech LEDs and what I assume is an inner wire frame allowing it to hold its shape once positioned for hands-free operation. It’s powered by 3xAA batteries which are housed in its ABS base, which also includes a loop for hanging and a pair of neodymium magnets for sticking it to metal surfaces. Available starting November 17 from the Striker Store for $29.99

[ FLEXiT Light ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’ll admit that I find myself gaming on my iPhone more and more these days, but they’re typically titles that take advantage of its gyro or touchscreen in an interesting way. So far I’ve yet to get into games that try and emulate the use of a traditional controller with on-screen directional pads or joysticks, because I find them difficult to play. But this unique accessory known as the Tactile+Plus could make gaming with on-screen controls a bit more doable.

It adheres to your iPhone or iPod Touch’s screen just like the plethora of screen protectors on the market do, making it easy to remove and/or reposition, but features little raised nubs allowing you to feel for where the on-screen buttons are located. The biggest problem with that kind of control scheme is when your fingers inevitably ‘wander’ off the buttons in the heat of combat or racing, but being able to physically find them without looking (like the nubs on your keyboard’s F & J keys) seems like an easy enough solution. From what I can tell, 2 sets of buttons which each include an 8-way and 4 individual buttons are ~$7.40 (¥600) so it’s a relatively cheap solution too.

[ Nosho-An - Tactile+Plus ] VIA [ Akihabara News ]

By Chris Scott Barr

There is something about designs that manage to work in dual functionality that just make me excited. When I set out to buy something, I usually want to get the most bang for my buck. Thus, if a product can do a couple of things instead of just one, it’s more than likely going to make the cut. This Origami iPad cases would be one such thing.

This case not only protects your iPad, but it can be folded up and turned into a nice little stand. My favorite part is how simple the whole thing looks. There’s not some ugly plastic stand built into the back or anything, it’s all made out of a nice soft material. For $35, I think you’re getting your money’s worth with this case.

[ incase ] VI A[ Crunchgear ]

By David Ponce

Call Of Duty Black Ops is shipping November 9th. It’s usually a $79 game, but with today’s coupon, you can get it for $64.99 shipped overnight… with a 3-month Gold membership to Xbox Live thrown in for good measure.

Not much more to say about this deal, so if y’all planning on getting the game, get to clickin.

[ $15 Off Call of Duty Black Ops (Xbox 360) ] VIA [ LogicBuy ]

By Ian Chiu

More and more companies are starting to catch on to the fact that the SuperSpeed interface is a veritable godsend for flash drives. When you remove the bandwidth bottleneck that was really the only thing keeping flash drives back what you can get can be astonishing; as you can get power & performance that still can fit in the palm of your hand!

The latest company to bring out a USB 3.0 flash drive is Kingston (following Super Talent) with their Data Traveler Ultimate 3.0. Compared to the older Data Travelers, this new model’s official speed of 80MB/s read and 60MB/s write are a much needed improvement, but the write speeds are a tad on the low side when compared to competitors in its price range. Luckily, its above average read speed does make up for some of this shortcoming and only you can really decide if it’s the perfect match for your needs or not. Everything USB has the full review.

[ Everything USB - Kingston Data Traveler Ultimate 3.0 Flash Drive Review ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The Mercedes-Benz SLK already has a slick, auto-retracting roof known as the Vario-Roof, but starting next year it’s about to become a whole lot slicker. The 2012 model will have a new $2,800+ (~€2,000) option called the Magic Sky Control which will allow the glass roof to be made either transparent or darkened at the push of a button.

For those who live in colder climates and can’t retract the roof all year round, the new option will provide an open-air like experience when the roof is made transparent, and it also serves to provide a bit more shade in the Summertime when opaque. The Magic Sky Control roof, which is embedded with tiny particles that either align under voltage to allow light to pass through, or randomly scramble to make it opaque, is also a better insulator than regular thermal insulation glass, which makes it easier and more energy efficient to regulate the climate inside the vehicle.

[ eMercedesBenz.com - 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK MAGIC SKY CONTROL Roof ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Sometimes the best hiding spot is right out in the open, and that’s exactly the philosophy behind ThinkGeek’s latest creation, the Electronic Spy Camera Shirt. The tee features a faux movie poster graphic for a non-existent film called From Tokyo With Love, with the hero looking through the lens of a camera. But it turns out behind that camera is an actual lens for a VGA resolution spy cam.

A remote wired trigger, which can be stashed in your pocket, is used to snap up to 150 covert pics before you need to dump them to a PC via a USB cable, and presumably the 3xAAA batteries are more than enough to get you through an entire mission. Like most electronically enhanced tees the high-tech bits are completely removable for washing purposes, and it’s available now from ThinkGeek for $39.99.

[ Electronic Spy Camera Shirt ] VIA [ Chip Chick ]