For behind the scenes pictures, stories and special contests, follow us on Facebook!
Subscribe:

Monthly Archives: April 2013

JLab B-Flex X-Bass Laptop Speaker Reviewed. Verdict: Surprisingly Good

By Ian Chiu on 03/29/12 • Leave a comment!

On-board audio quality on notebooks and most all-in-one computers leaves a lot to be desired. Sometimes the audio quality is so bad users can barely hear anything without resorting to headphones or a bulky set of external speakers. Something that notebook or netbook users wanting improved sound may want to check out is the JLab B-Flex X-Bass Laptop Speaker reviewed at Everything USB. This unique one-piece speaker connects to computers via a USB port and is on a rigid flexible arm which means no excess cable on your desk and allows you to place the speaker for the best use of available space.

The B-Flex X-Bass integrates a tiny passive sub-woofer, which is great for improving bass – something that is typically very lacking in on-board audio. The reviewer is also pleased with the surprising amount of sound it pumps out. The crisp highs and solid lows are equally impressive, considering the driver size. The X-Bass does have a few caveats such as lacking mid-range sound, minimal stereo separation due to the speaker’s design and it lacks an analog input for MP3 players. The little speaker sells for about $40, and is worth checking out.

[JLab B-Flex X-Bass Speaker Review @ Everything USB]

Deal Of The Day: $497 Off On Dell XPS 15

By David Ponce on 03/29/12 • Leave a comment!

By David Ponce

There is a world outside of Ultrabooks and it keeps spinning even for laptops that aren’t 13 inches, ultra thin and SSD-clad. The Dell XPS 15 is larger at 15.6 inches), but it does come equipped with a Core i7 2.2GHz Quad-core processor as well as a powerful 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT525M graphics card, 1080p LCD, backlit keyboard, 8GB RAM and a 750GB 7200RPM Hard Drive. This would normally sell for $1,346 (it is the XPS line, after all), but after todays $497 rebate, you’re looking at $849, shipped.

[ $497 Off On Dell XPS 15 ] VIA [ LogicBuy ]

Magnetic Batman Money Clip

By David Ponce on 03/28/12 • 1 Comment

By David Ponce

It’s a Batman money clip. It’s die cast with a magnetic locking mechanism. 4 inches open winged.

$25 on sale right now.

What are you waiting for?

[ Product Page ]

LED Glove For Cyclists Lets Everyone Know What You’re About To Do

By David Ponce on 03/28/12 • Leave a comment!

By David Ponce

The idea is pretty simple: wear these gloves cycling, and when you close your fist the conductive yarn they’re made of will complete a circuit which will then light up the LEDs embedded on the back. You’re then able to signal your turning intention to motorists behind you, greatly reducing the chances of being converted into gross road pancake. Of course some of you will point out that there’s already a system in place for doing the same thing, one that doesn’t require LEDs at all, and that’s true… But come on, this has a geek factor to it that can’t be denied.

There’s no word on price or availability, although Irene Posch (their creator) does mention her desire to make them available for purchase. And she apparently sold one on Etsy, but we can’t figure out for how much. But really… how hard can it be to Mcguyver this?

[ Product Page ] VIA [ BonjourLife ]

Harley Davidson Hearse Will Give You A Rocking Last Ride

By David Ponce on 03/28/12 • Leave a comment!

By David Ponce

So the thing about dying is that it’s not fun. What with all the not being alive and stuff, you’d think less people would sign up. And yet here we are, all bound to have to take that sad last trip to the cemetery. Joerg Grossmann from Germany likes Harley-Davidsons, and has seen it fit to develop the bitchin’ hearse you see pictured above. If you like to live the rock and roll lifestyle, this here hearse is the way to go. Joerg has made a business of renting out his original hearse (at $1,600 a ride), but the interest is so high that he’s now taken 10 orders to deliver them to eager customers. At $78,000, it’s not exactly something that you’d by for personal use. It is, after all, a hearse. So as an investment for an… alternative kind of funeral home, it’s not that bad an idea.

VIA [ Huffington Post ] AND [ Jalopnik ]

Robotic Galileo iPhone Dock Lets You Pan And Tilt At Will

By David Ponce on 03/28/12 • Leave a comment!

By David Ponce

So, doing the FaceTime thing is not fun. At least, not for us basement and darkness dwellers, seldom exposed to the light that might make us more presentable to a remote audience. But as it turns out many of you do enjoy it and would probably benefit from the purchase of this here Galileo iPhone dock. It secures your phone in place and lets you rotate 360 degrees (and up and down) from a remote iOS device. It’s as simple and intuitive as swiping your finger; the camera is able to rotate through 200 degrees a second so it should be able to keep up with even the most elusive target. Also the company is in talk with third party developers who will be able to access its SDK and code applications for the Galileo. Time-lapse and panoramic photography have been discussed.

It’s available for pre-order from the fully funded Kickstarter project for $85 right now. It’s going to go up to $129 after that. Delivery? Sometime in June of this year.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Technabob ]

Soundlazer Focuses Sound, Much Like A Laser Focuses Light

By David Ponce on 03/28/12 • Leave a comment!

By David Ponce

Parametric speakers are speakers that are very good at focusing sound, so that its beam is narrow and can be aimed at a particular target. The technology has been around for quite a while, but not until recently has any effort been made to construct them out of modern electronic components. The Soundlazer is, well, just that. It’s a small set made up of 39 piezo ultrasonic transducers, an Analog Devices ADAU1701 Digital Signal Processor and lots of other surface mount parts. And it does just one thing: focus a beam of sound so that only your target can hear it and no one else.

What’s this good for? Let’s see: pranks! You just plug it into your music player and make them hear things only they can hear. You know that’s absolutely worth the $175 (without the red aluminum case) or $250 (with).

Right?

[ Product Page ]

Deal Of The Day: $262 Off HP Pavilion Elite h8xt

By David Ponce on 03/28/12 • Leave a comment!

By David Ponce

Once again we bring you a deal on a desktop machine, this time an HP Pavilion Elite h8xt. It has the word “elite” in it, so it has to have a bunch of stuff in it, right? Well, it’s got a Core i7 Sandy Bridge processor along with 8GB of RAM and 2TB of hard disk space along with a 1GB Radeon HD 7570 video card. Oh, and Beats audio. Not a bad lineup of features, but most importantly for $787 after rebate, not a bad price.

[ $262 Off HP Pavilion Elite h8xt ] VIA [ LogicBuy ]

SmartPet From Bandai Could Look Cute If It Didn’t Look So Creepy

By David Ponce on 03/27/12 • 1 Comment

By David Ponce

The SmartPet is being released by Bandai, the same company that made the Tamagotchi. So we know there’s likely going to be an element of long term care and nurturing to this little creation. It uses your iPhone as its brain (and face) and the (free) associated application allows for a variety of interactions. It can make over 100 faces, and uses the front facing camera to try and recognize gestures. As it gets more emotionally attached to you it’ll be able to learn more and more gestures. It can even interact, sing, and dance with other dogs through Bluetooth.

The application will be released March 31st, but you’ll have to wait until April 24th, in Japan, to be able to buy one for $78. In the meantime you can entertain yourself sans dog, but retain some of the dignity you will inevitably lose if you’re anywhere over the age of 12 and in possession of this somewhat creepy toy.

[ Press Release (Japanese PDF) ] VIA [ The Verge ]

Copyright © 2013 OhGizmo!