Oh! Gizmo

This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

When most people think about PC gaming, they envision a sweet desktop with the latest and greatest components. However, not everyone chooses to go the desktop route. Unfortunately for those that do go with a laptop, heat becomes a major issue. There’s nothing quite like having your game interrupted because your computer shut down to prevent overheating. There are quite a few different solutions on the market today, but I’m going to show you the Cryo LX Notebook Cooler from NZXT.

The last time we took a look at something from NZXT we were impressed, so I had high hopes when I dug into this Cryo LX cooler. If I were to judge this simply based on weight, it would definitely win an award. It’s made from solid aluminum, so the weight doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. You certainly don’t have to worry about it moving around on you while you’re gaming. Surprisingly it does fold up partially to make it easier for transporting.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Evan Ackerman

The Clarion MiND (which I will herein capitalize as normal) is supposed to be a lot of things. It’s supposed to be a GPS, an internet tablet, a media player, and more… All stuffed into one sleek and portable package. It’s a brilliant idea, an idea that a lot of companies have been trying to make happen for a long time. So is this what the Clarion Mind is? A video explains it all, plus my review, after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

By Luke Anderson

Remember late last year when I told you guys about the Pogo Sketch Stylus? It was that cheap stylus that not only worked for the iPhone, but also on Multi-Touch MacBook trackpads. I figured that since I have both a unibody MacBook Pro and an iPhone, I should check it out. The guys over at TenOne were kind enough to send one over for me to check out. I’ve spent some time using it with both devices, so hit the jump for my full review.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Evan Ackerman

In the market for a new HD camcorder? No? C’mon, why not? Everything’s getting smaller and cheaper, and HD camcorders are no exception. RCA sent us a sample of one of their smallest and cheapest, the EZ300HD, which can do just about everything you want and nothing you don’t care about. This is going to be fairly straightforward and simple review, because the essence of this camcorder is that it’s straightforward and simple. Oh, and cheap, of course… The EZ300HD costs just $130. Review, after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

By Evan Ackerman

At Mobile World Congress 2009 this week, LG was displaying a new cell phone with a solar panel battery back that won’t need to be plugged in until the sun goes dead in 6-odd billion years. Ten minutes of sun gets you three minutes of talk time, which is not half bad… The phone is due to be released in Europe by the end of this year, but hopefully LG will take the obvious step of just manufacturing battery backs with integrated solar panels, which would allow existing handsets to be quickly and easily converted to solar charging.

The other thing in that picture is a solar powered Bluetooth hands-free speakerphone, the LG HFB-500. LG was giving these out at their press conference at CES, and it was just too nifty to include in our CES swag giveaway (sorry). It comes with a suction mount to stick it in the windshield of your car, as well as a power adapter that you’ll ideally never use. It’s got an on/off button (it shuts off automatically), a big call answer button, and some volume buttons. That’s it. I’ve had it up on the windshield of my car since January, and I’ve never had to charge it, it’s just always there and ready to go. The LG HFB-500 costs $70 or $80 depending on where you look, which is maybe a little steep, but having gadgets that are ever present and functional without any plugs or maintenance whatsoever is worth a little extra money, I’d say.

[ LG Press Release ] VIA [ DVICE ]

By Evan Ackerman

We’ve heard it all before: fuel cells are going to power the devices of the future. They’re going to put out more power for longer and be instantly rechargeable with disposable cartridges. Sounds great… But obviously, this hasn’t happened yet. At CTIA last year, though, we were introduced to a company called Medis, who is producing a portable fuel cell charger that you can actually buy right now. It’s between 25 and 40 bucks on Amazon, and we’ll let you know whether this new technology is worth the money in our review, after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

One of the things I like about my Wii is that I can easily turn my Wiimote into a gun without the need to drop a bundle of cash on another accessory. Generally you shell out just a few bucks and get a plastic frame, which is fine with me. I personally have two different ones in my collection (the official Wii Zapper and the Nyko Perfect Shot), however, I’ve recently acquired a third. I decided to take my new ezShot Gun for a spin, and found it to be the most disappointing of any gun I’d used yet.

I have a long list of complaints about this particular product, which seems strange considering it’s mostly just a hunk of plastic. One thing I love about my other two guns is that inserting and removing the Wiimote and Nunchuk takes almost no time at all. In the case of the Wii Zapper, which actually takes advantage of the Nunchuk, Nintendo paid attention to the fact that there is a cord that runs between the two devices. This is something that ezGear seems to have missed. First, there’s no place that the cord is specifically designed to run, I just sort of tucked it between the Nunchuk and the side of the handle, which made it sit sort of funny. Then you’re left with all of this excess cord, which you just let dangle out of the bottom of the handle. I love how this isn’t actually shown in any of the pictures. Hit the jump for the rest of my review.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Ian Chiu

Headsets come to mind when you often play late at night, or at a LAN fest with a cadre of other gamers. In the latter scenario, headsets even become a necessity as speakers aren’t allowed in the venue. Thanks to all manner of 3D APIs, you don’t really have to worry about losing out on positional audio even when you limit yourself to a pair of cans. Creative recently brought us two USB gaming headsets united by the use of X-Fi as their sound processor to create emulated surround sound.

Despite this similarity, the HS-1000 (left) and HS-1200 (right) are largely different in that the latter is wireless – relying on lossless compression to deliver richer sound than Bluetooth. The HS-1000 wired USB headset however is reminiscent of the analog original Fatal1ty analog headset endorsed by none other than Johnathan Wendel. Everything USB has taken an in-depth look into both headsets, and provided comments on aural experience during gameplay of three different games, including Call of Duty 4, Mediveal II: Total War and Battlefield 2142. They found out that both headsets perform equally well in games that rely on OpenAL, EAX X-Fi as well as X-Fi CMSS-3D emulation. But since they don’t include any Dolby processing, just don’t expect these cans to replace other surround options when listening to music or watching movies.

[Creative HS-1200 Review, HS-1000 Review @ Everything USB]

This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

Today marks the release of Rock Band’s first true expansion, dubbed AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack. This collection of music is entirely comprised from the band’s Live at Donnington show. This includes 18 live tracks, which adds up to over 100 minutes of gameplay (more if you decide to play through on different instruments). I’ve spent the last several days rocking out with the expansion, so it’s time I shared my experiences with you. Hit the jump for my full review of the game.

Read the rest of this entry »