By David Ponce

And death as well, we suppose. See, if you’re one of about 68,700 Belkin Surgemaster owners (model numbers “F9G930-10, F9G930v10, F9G930-10-W and F9G930-10-SN, all manufactured in 2003. The model number and date of manufacture are located on the underside of the unit. Grey models F9G930-10-GRY and F9G930fc10G-CL are not a part of this recall.”), you might want to stop using them. Like right now. It seems the device’s rotating plug has shown the ability to detach itself and expose wiring, a quirky behavior that can quickly lead to uncomfortable situations.

Contact Belkin toll-free at 800-952-1465 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.belkin.com/recall.

[ Press Release ] VIA [ UberGizmo ]

By David Ponce

October 22nd is just around the corner and with it the launch of Windows 7. Retarded promotional videos aside, this OS has a few people excited as it might actually not suck. So if you’re thinking of buying a new PC running the new OS but are afraid you’ll have to painstakingly transfer all “user accounts, Windows settings, files and folders, pictures and photos, MP3s and other music, videos, program settings and program data, and e-mail messages, settings, and contacts” to the new PC, Belkin’s got you covered with this Easy Transfer Cable. Designed to work with Windows 7’s Easy Transfer utility, it’ll simply automate the entire process. Plug one end to the old PC, another to the new and run the included software.

Once the transfer done, a post migration report is generated, which gives you a comprehensive view of everything that was transferred. Because of possible incompatibility issues, programs and applications are not transferred to the new computer. Instead, the utility provides a list of all the programs and applications that were installed on the old PC along with links to the latest versions of the programs if they are provided by the software developer.

The cable is about $33 and available in North America starting October 23rd. Q1 in Europe and Asia.

[ Amazon Product Page ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

By David Ponce

The third generation iPod shuffle is great and tiny and whatnot. But it’s also pissed off a few people by forcing them to use Apple’s own earbuds, since all the controls were moved to the cord. While these are capable, they’re also nothing to write home about. So you should be happy to know Belkin has released an adapter that allows you to use any headphones you like with the shuffle by simply giving you a 3.5mm jack input on one side, a 3.5mm connector on the other and controls in between.

It’s all of $20 and will be available at the end of July in North America and in mid-August everywhere else.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

By Chris Scott Barr

I’ve spent many hours running ethernet cable throughout various buildings. It’s not the most fun thing to do in the world, especially when you’re crawling around in spaces filled with particularly itchy insulation (asbestos anyone?). I’ve seen companies offer networking over powerlines, and while it’s always sounded like a convenient solution, I’ve been wary of actual speeds achieved by such devices. Belkin’s latest offering sounds like it might just be fast enough to be worth checking out.

The first major concern with any powerline networking system is how much bandwidth is lost over a distance. Well Belkin’s new Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit promises 1000 Mb/s speeds. Even if you lose a good part of that bandwidth, most network cards still only operate at 100 Mb/s. If this device holds up to its claims (and can provide a more reliable connection than wireless), it might be worth the $150 price tag.

[ Belkin ] VIA [ UberGizmo ]

By Shane McGlaun

I have a problem finding a place to sit my iPhone in my car. If I leave it in my pocket, I have a hard time hearing it ring when the stereo is up and road noise is a factor. If I set it in the seat, it ends up sliding all around the seat and ends up on the floor.

Belkin has announced a new accessory that can fix the problem of where to put the iPhone in your car and allows you to enjoy the music from your iPod in the car at the same time. The accessories are called the TuneBase Direct and the TuneBase FM.

The two devices are similar and can hold your iPhone horizontally or vertically. The TuneBase FM has an integrated FM transmitter for cars that lack an auxiliary input for MP3 players. The TuneBase Direct has a 3.5mm cable that is designed to connect to the auxiliary input jack on the car radio directly. The TuneBase FM will launch in mid-July for $89.99 and the TuneBase Direct will launch in early June for $69.99. Both devices also allow hands free calls and mute the music when calls come in.

[ Belkin ]