Oh! Gizmo

By Chris Scott Barr

Having a hands-free kit in your car can make a huge difference when talking on the phone and driving. Not only does it free up both hands for steering (and shifting), but I’ve noticed that I pay more attention to the road when using one. Unfortunately such a device doesn’t do you much good if it dies. That’s why the SolCHAT was created.
This particular hands-free kit gets it juice from the sun’s rays. Since you situate it on the windshield of your car, you’re very likely to get a pretty good charge throughout the day. Of course if your car sits in a garage or covered parking space, it might not do as well. Otherwise, you should be good. The SolCHAT features an audio Caller ID function as well as DSP echo cancellation. You can pick one of these up for right around $100.

[ SkyMall ] VIA [ UberGizmo ]

By Chris Scott Barr

There’s nothing quite like running out of juice on your laptop when you’re in the middle of something very important and far from an outlet. Many road warriors will pack a spare battery for just such times. However, what if you don’t want to remove your battery (making you shut down your laptop or plug it in) or want more than just two batteries worth of use? If you’re using a MacBook of any kind, you turn to the HyperMac.

The HyperMac line of external batteries are a useful tool for any frequent traveler with a MacBook. While they might be a little larger in size than your spare battery, it does much more than just give you double the running time. First, they come in varying sizes, allowing you to run your laptop for up to 6x as long as it would with a single battery charge. Each one also comes with a USB port that can be used to charge any USB device (including your iPhone) while simultaneously powering your laptop. The HyperMac comes in four different sizes ranging from $200-$500 each.

[ HyperMac ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Chris Scott Barr

I spend a great deal of time sitting at my desk, which also means that I’m usually listening to music for a good portion of the day. In fact, unless I’m reading or watching TV, I’ve almost always got some tunes going. When it comes to my iPhone, I’ve still been using those same earbuds that Apple sent along in the box. They’re alright, but certainly not the best things out there. I suppose it’s laziness more than anything that has stopped me from upgrading. Needless to say, I was happy to see the Atrio M8 earphones from Future Sonics show up for review.

These aren’t the crappy earphones that you’re going to find at Walmart. Rather, they are considered “professional” grade audio equipment. The real question is whether or not they live up to the claims, and the $200 price tag. Read on for my full review, and I’ll give you my answer.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Chris Scott Barr

I’ve yet to figure out just what it is about Bluetooth headsets that just instantly make you look like a douche, but I do my best to steer clear of anyone wearing one. I mean, if you’re just standing there talking one one in the street, you look crazy. If you’re wearing one around everywhere, then it looks like you’re some big hotshot that gets all sorts of important phone calls. Use it when you’re in the car, or when you’re at your desk working, otherwise take the damn thing off. Well thankfully there’s a new alternative to the Bluetooth headset; behold the Throat Microphone.

The logic behind this product can’t really be argued with. Rather than depending on a mic to pick up the vibrations that move out of your mouth, it sits up against your throat. The vibrations here are just as strong as the ones coming out of your mouth, only they’re pressed up against your skin, reducing background noise. Apparently SWAT teams already use a similar technology for this exact reason. I guess that those guys would probably know a lot about communication in high-noise areas. There’s no word on pricing or availability, but I can tell you right now that you’re going to look just as bad, if not worse than the guys with regular Bluetooth headsets.

[ Sanwa ] VIA [ Coolest-Gadgets ]

By Luke Anderson

If you’re buying a netbook, chances are that you’re wanting to use it for prolonged periods. This also probably means that you’re spending a good deal of time away from an outlet. So what do you do when your battery is low and you’re still hours away from being able to charge it? You turn to that spare battery that you purchased. Of course, the thing about spare batteries is that they are very annoying to charge. First you have to charge your main battery, then you have to swap them out and charge the spare. Thankfully Eee PC owners have the option of getting a dedicated charger for that spare battery.

There really isn’t much to this little device. It’s very small (much like the Eee itself) and charges up your spare battery. Probably the best feature to note here is the minuscule price tag. A mere $23 is all you need.

[ GPSForLess ] VIA [ UberGizmo ]

By Luke Anderson

When you take your laptop somewhere, you will most likely store it in some kind of bag or case. This is only logical, since you’ll not only want to protect your hardware, but you’ll also need an easy way to carry it, along with the power cord and any peripherals you need as well. If you’re going to carry around something as bulky as a laptop case, why not get one that’s going to serve an extra function?

This Napbook seems like the perfect case for on-the-go people that might need to catch a quick nap here or there. Essentially what you’ve got is a small pillow that also happens to serve as a laptop case. When you need a few minutes of shut-eye, just plop your head down and you’ll be snoozing in no time. These are currently only sold in a remote Apple Store in Iceland. The good news is that the designer is already working on getting his bags mass-produced so that the rest of us can purchase them.

VIA [ Crave ]

By Luke Anderson

If you have an older laptop, there’s a good chance that you can’t take advantage of newer add-on cards. Since the introduction of the ExpressCard slot, many manufacturers have been focusing on creating products that fit the newer standard. Since many people still have only a CardBus slot, this ExpressAdapt adapter will likely come in handy.

This is a simple adapter, meaning that it won’t need any additional software or drivers. The $45 adapter is a bit steep, and depending on what type of card you’re adding, may not be worth it. If you’re using it to add something like a wireless adapter to your notebook, you may as well just save up your money for a newer laptop, as you’ll probably be sinking nearly $100 into an aging computer.

[ Synchrotech ] VIA [ Ubergizmo ]

By Luke Anderson

When I use my laptop, I rarely plug in a mouse, as I can generally get by with just the touchpad. However, if I know that I’m going to be working with some mouse-intensive applications like Photoshop for a bit, I’ll generally use a mouse to make my life easier. Some people prefer to never have to use a touchpad at all, and always keep a mouse with them. So for those people, here is an interesting device from Logitech.

If for some reason you like to carry your laptop around without a case or sleeve, then you’ll love this mouse. It features a clip which mounts (aka sticks) to the lid of your notebook that allows you to attach the mouse to. I’m sure that it will be great if you’re dragging your laptop all over the office, but once you go to put it away in your laptop case, then the clip is pretty useless.

Aside from the clip, it’s a pretty basic wireless mouse from Logitech. It has a tiny 2.4GHz wireless receiver that can stay inserted in your laptop without sticking out very far. If carrying around your laptop without a case is your thing, and you hate touchpads, this might just be worth the price of around $95.

[ Logitech ] VIA [ Hexus ]

By Luke Anderson

When you go shopping for a GPS, what are the features you look for? Maybe you want a bigger screen, Bluetooth capabilities, or one that is really cute. Okay, so I doubt that many of you are looking for a “cute” GPS, but if you are, few are going to top this robotic teddy bear.

While not the most practical GPS out there, this bear will provide directions by speaking aloud and point its arms to indicate which way to turn. Don’t try getting behind the wheel drunk, because this little guy won’t bear (sorry, couldn’t resist the obvious pun) it, thanks to the alcohol detection unit in his neck. Sure, without a display this won’t be of interest for most people, but it’s still interesting to see what people come up with.

[ iXs Research ] VIA [ Dvice ]