Back in the day when Palms and PDAs ruled the portable electronics market, you could get several designs of folding or mini keyboards to connect to your PDA to turn it from a ‘consumptive’ device (that mostly displays content) to a ‘creative’ one (one that allows you to easily create new content). Sure, you could [...]
Tagged as:
Bluetooth keyboard,
folding keyboard
The Leatherman Skeletool has been on my ‘wish list’ for some time now (especially the carbon-fiber handled CX version), so when I saw them at a local Target over Christmas on clearance for 1/2 price, I finally snagged one!
Tagged as:
Leatherman,
multitool
We had a good Christmas season at our house this year, electronics wise! A combination of events from price drops and clearances to unexpected cash meant that my wife and I both ended up with a tablet. She got a white 16GB iPad2, and I got a 32GB Toshiba Thrive AT105 10″ tablet. (I am not [...]
Tagged as:
Android tablet,
tablet computer
How excited was I to try this product, a protective case that charges a wide variety of personal electronics – iPods, phones, GPS units, handheld game devices, and such – and has an amplified speaker built in? And can recharge itself with a built-in solar panel? And priced under $60! Woot woot! Sign me up! [...]
Tagged as:
External battery,
External speaker,
solar charger
A good label maker is one of those things that you do not realize how useful it can be until you have one. Pretty much every container, drawer, and file in my shop at work is labeled and it has made my life so much easier in so many ways (like trying to tell someone [...]
Tagged as:
label maker,
tape labeler
It was finally time to upgrade my wife’s smartphone, and we had a few challenges to deal with. The biggest ones are that she is a ‘slow adopter’, the apartment she uses when at work in a different state has poor reception, and we use the Sprint network. After some research, I had narrowed it [...]
Tagged as:
Android smartphone,
Sprint smartphone
The tiny Data Traveler 109 USB drive from Kingston comes preloaded with urDrive software “that gives you a new and exciting way to look at your data“, according to the maker. I am always interested in new and exciting ways to look at my data, so let’s take a look!
Tagged as:
Flash Drive,
Flash Memory,
Security,
USB Drive
A good headset makes an already incredibly useful device – the cellphone – even more useful by adding hands-free features. The new SoundID SIX Bluetooth headset has several interesting features that promise even more usefulness.
Tagged as:
bluetooth headset
I for one vastly prefer listening to speakers than headphones and I am always on the search for both the perfect personal portable speaker for general use, and amplified travel speakers to use in class. It would be great to get both in one package! The Muse Mini Portable Bluetooth Speaker is certainly small at [...]
Tagged as:
Bluetooth Gear,
Portable speakers
The GiqueGEAR Smart Station is designed to act as a protective holster, a wallet replacement, and a workstation or stand for your smartphone. It claims to be “the ultimate home for your Android smartphone.” As a local company, GiqueGear (pronounced ‘geek gear’, I think) already has a special place in my heart, but the claim of [...]
Tagged as:
Case,
Generic PDA related,
holster,
Smartphone,
Stand,
workstation
New Zealand’s Nutshell Corporation makes a series of cases for handheld devices called “Tuff-as-Nuts”. Gadgeteer Mike Reigel verified that the name was appropriate back in 2003. They combine that reputation with an interesting fastener in a tough wallet case for your smartphone.
Tagged as:
Case,
Generic PDA related,
Other PDA related,
Palm OS related,
Smartphone,
Wallet
We have reviewed Dremel tools before- the 300 series, the Trio, and a cordless tool, however the company just keeps making a good thing better. The new Dremel 3000 power rotary tool incorporates a lot of smaller changes, and one big one- the nose cap now acts as a wrench for loosening tools.
Tagged as:
Dremel,
power tool,
rotary tool
I love multi-tools! They are even my ‘go to’ idea for gifts for most people,. Even the non-’everyday carry’ types often appreciate a pocketable device that has several handy tools built into it. A work buddy pulled out a Gerber Splice to do a repair the other day and I instantly fell in love with [...]
Tagged as:
Gerber,
mini-tool,
Multi-tool
As most of us Android users already know, Amazon.com has been running a free Android app every day for the last several months. As you might expect, these run the gamut from ‘must have’ to ‘huh?’ with an added game show element that you never know what is coming up in the future. GetJar.com is [...]
Tagged as:
Android,
free apps
I enjoy making stuff, and I love electronics, so I generally really like electronics kit projects. The SpikenzieLabs Solder:Time Watch Kit seems like a great option for someone like me. This is actually a hackable watch- they provide the source code and other info, as well as convenient pads on the circuit board to tap into.
Tagged as:
DIY,
Watch
Wireless keyboards and mice can be a real boon to a lot of users. They can offer freedom of movement, supplement smaller keyboards on laptop, etc. You can find an amazing range of options now- ergonomic, enhanced, bare basics, and more. They are also considered a security no-no. The Microsoft Wireless Desktop 2000 addresses this [...]
Tagged as:
Keyboard,
Mouse,
Security,
Wireless
I generally use my Smartphone for non-game activities, but I like to keep an assortment of good games around- backgammon, mah jong, solitaire, and so on. One of my old Palm favorites was a Pop Cap game called Bejeweled. I played it and some clones (mostly a nice version called JewelLust) but the game play [...]
Tagged as:
Android,
Bejeweled,
game,
Pop Cap
Most people and offices nowadays need some sort of shredder or other method of dealing with the large amount of potentially sensitive stuff we get every day. While a simple cheap ‘wastebasket-topper’ unit works for many of us, some of us need more. The Swingline EX100-07 Stack and Shred Automatic Shredder may be your answer. [...]
Tagged as:
Security,
shredder
One of the more logical recommendations emergency workers offer is there should be some way to quickly find your emergency contacts and information in your wallet or on your cell phone. For the last several years, they have suggested you make a listing for ‘ICE’ (In Case of Emergency) with your primary contact’s information listed. [...]
Tagged as:
Android,
emergency,
ice
A lot of modern electronics are not ‘friendly’ to people with special needs, including those associated with aging. Small buttons, small print, confusing labels, low volumes, high-pitched sounds, and so on can cause real problems for a good chunk of the population. The Amplicom AB900 Amplified Answering Machine offers a solution as far as answering [...]
Tagged as:
amplified,
answering machine,
elderly,
hearing,
Phone,
Telephone
