When I was a kid, I had a portable multi-band radio. I can remember plugging an
earphone (this was before earbuds) into it at night and slowing scanning up and
down the frequencies, trying to tune in foreign stations. I would always get
excited when I would tune to a station and hear people talking in a language
that I didn’t understand. Multi-band radios are still being sold these days, but
I have an alternative for you… The USB Internet Radio Jukebox from Aluratek is
a plug and play ‘radio’ that claims to will quickly allow you to enjoy music and
news from all over the world. Let’s give it a try…

… [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptop Gear

Tagged: Desktop, Laptop

Alurtek USB Internet Radio Jukebox Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 3, 2008 at 6:30 am.

I’m a minimalist. The problem is that I’m a minimalist that has too much stuff. ;o) For those of you that might be true minimalists, I have a nifty USB doo-dad to show you, that has the potential to allow you to ditch your High Def TV and DVR. It’s the PCTV HD Pro Stick (801e) from Pinnacle Systems. With it, you can use your Windows laptop or desktop computer as your TV and DVR. Let’s take a look…

… [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Audio / Video Gear

Tagged: A/V, Audio, Desktop, Device, Laptop, Video

Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick (801e) USB TV Tuner Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 18, 2008 at 8:21 pm.

Yesterday I reviewed the ShareCentral
1 USB sharing device from Kensington. I liked the simplicity of their product, but couldn’t help wanting more
from it. Today I want to show you the USB Super 16-Port Hub from Brando.
Yes, I said 16 ports! Yowza! I know this isn’t quite the same thing as the ShareCentral, but it’s close…

… [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear

Tagged: Desktop

Brando USB Super 16-Port Hub Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 24, 2008 at 12:00 pm.

Have you ever wished that you could easily share a USB device such as a printer, scanner, external hard drive, etc.
between to computers, without having to unplug and replug into either computer when you needed to use the device?
Kensington is here to help you out with their new ShareCentral USB
peripheral switch boxes.

… [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear

Tagged: Desktop

Kensington ShareCentral 1 Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 23, 2008 at 10:00 am.

Paranoia seems to be the norm when it comes to security these days, especially computer security. I know that I have probably 30 password variations that I use for 50-80 different sites and systems, making password management essential. What if there was a different way?

One alternative is the use of a biometric security mechanism. Biometric, sounds like something from a spy movie but in fact it is just a technique to uniquely recognize individuals based on one or more intrinsic physical characteristics. Fingerprints & iris recognition are probably the ones that are most common.

… [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptop Gear

Tagged: Desktop, Laptop

UPEK Eikon Digital Privacy Manager originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 25, 2007 at 5:33 pm.

Earlier this year, Audioengine was
kind enough to send me a pair of their wonderful
A5
speakers to review. These speakers have turned out to be a favorite of mine
and still occupy space on my desk at Gadgeteer headquarters. Now Audioengine
have created another set of speakers for people that don’t want to devote as
much desktop space and money in order to own a great sounding pair of speakers.
The A2’s work great with both PCs, Macs and other audio devices. Let’s take a
closer look.

… [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Audio / Video Gear

Tagged: A/V, Audio, Desktop, Device, Speakers, Video

Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 18, 2007 at 5:15 pm.

“You can never be too skinny or have too much money.” Isn’t that the way the old saying goes? I would like to make an update and reword it to now say: “You can never too skinny or have too much disk storage”. With 10MP digital cameras, digital audio and video, file space can quickly become filled to capacity. I have four computers in my home, and they all have this issue. I also have an issue regarding backing each drive up. Right now I back up my primary computer, but not the others. This is definitely not a good practice. Lucky for me, I found a possible solution for both of these problems, with Maxtor’s Shared Storage II NAS (Network Attached Storage) device.

… [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear

Tagged: Desktop

Maxtor Shared Storage II NAS Device originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 10, 2007 at 9:00 pm.

As a kid, I remember sitting in front of my Mom’s vertical Baldwin piano, trying to learn to play Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 Ode To Joy. I never had real lessons, I just used the many lesson books that my Mom had used when she was a little girl. The piano bench was full of them and I loved paging through them, seeing the cartoon-like pictures for each new song. Once in awhile my Mom would sit down on the bench with me to give me pointers, but for the most part she never criticized my talent or lack there of. I just loved plunking those keys, making music. It didn’t matter if I was any good at it or not. Wow, I’m tearing up just writing this. I miss my mom…

… [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Musical Gear

Tagged: Desktop, Entertainment, Instrument, Software

Piano Wizard PREMIER Keystation 49e Package originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 8, 2007 at 9:39 pm.

Recently my day job has required me to give numerous presentations to large groups. Of course, you always want to come off looking as professional as possible, so I found myself in search for a presentation remote that could assist me. JasperLaser recently released the Jasper Keynote presentation remote, so let’s see if that fits my needs.

… [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: Desktop, Laptop

Jasper Keynote originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 31, 2007 at 9:10 pm.

If you read my review of the Slim Mouse, this review might seem a bit familiar because both mice have a somewhat similar shape and design. The mouse that we’re going to focus on for this review is the Twister Laser Mouse from Rocketfish. It is hands down better than the Slim Mouse though. Keep reading to find out why.

… [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptop Gear

Tagged: Desktop, Laptop

Rocketfish Twister Wireless Laser Notebook Mouse originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 16, 2007 at 8:32 pm.

Mice come in all shapes and sizes these days. They are available in corded and non-corded varieties, using Bluetooth and other wireless protocols. Some run on batteries, some don’t. But all mice share a couple of important features… They have Left and Right buttons (ok, some Mac mice have just 1…), and they move the cursor around on your display. Today I’m going to tell you about the Slim Mouse. This mouse has those important features mentioned above, all bundled into an extremely thin package. Power Positioning (2P) actually claims that this mouse is the world’s thinnest. Is that a good thing? Let’s find out.

… [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptop Gear

Tagged: Desktop, Laptop

G4 Slim Mouse originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 16, 2007 at 5:47 pm.

Kensington has just released their new Ci
Lifestyle collection of input devices for your Windows or Mac desktop and / or notebook that they sent me to test. They sent the Ci70 Wireless Desktop set that includes both a wireless keyboard and a wireless mouse, and the Ci75m Wireless Notebook Mouse which is available in two colors. Let’s take a closer look at each of them.

… [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptop Gear

Tagged: Desktop, Keyboard, Laptop

Kensington Wireless Ci70 Desktop Set and Ci75 Notebook Mouse originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 15, 2007 at 3:18 pm.

I have been using a Logitech MX1000 cordless mouse for just over 2 yrs now. I love it and am not sure I’d ever want to go back to a generic wired mouse. The MX1000 has served me very well, with long working time between charges (typically 2 weeks or so) and smooth action. Now I have the chance to tell you about the MX1000’s successor: the new MX Revolution rechargeable cordless laser mouse.

… [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptop Gear

Tagged: Desktop, Laptop

Logitech MX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 18, 2006 at 5:11 pm.

When I reviewed PLANon’s DocuPen R700 portable scanner almost one year ago, I immediately realized how handy this device could be to a wide variety of people. Having a full page scanner that can easily stow in a gear bag was quite liberating. The only problem with the R700, was the fact that it scanned only in Black and White, and didn’t really do that great of a job. Luckily, PLANon, didn’t stop with the R700. They now have the RC800, which can scan in full 24bit color.

… [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptop Gear

Tagged: Desktop, Laptop

DocuPen RC800 Handheld Color Scanner originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 24, 2006 at 5:00 pm.

Updated with information about new software release.

One of the more annoying things about PC gaming is that it is
hard to keep up with e-mail, instant messaging, and other
background applications while a game is using the entire display.
The Pertelian X2040 is an answer to that
problem, in the form of an external LCD
display that lets you see important information and interact with
background applications like your instant messenger and Teamspeak
while a full-screen game is running.

… [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Gaming Gear

Tagged: Desktop

Pertelian X2040 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 30, 2006 at 12:00 am.

Here at The Gadgeteer, we love to discover good things that come in small packages. If it’s tiny, designed well and useful, we’re as happy as geeks at a HamFest. That’s why I performed an internal happy dance when the USB Rota-Rota 4 port hub showed up in my mailbox the other day, all the way from Brando’s shop in Hong Kong. One of these days, I hope to visit Hong Kong and Brando’s shop, but until then, I will just have to settle for testing out his products.

… [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Gear, Laptop Gear

Tagged: Desktop, Laptop

Brando USB Rota-Rota Hub originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 10, 2006 at 2:27 pm.

If you play PC games, you probably know how important keyboard
control is to many of them, especially in the real-time strategy,
roleplaying, and shooter genres. But keyboards are designed for two
hands, and in most games you’ll always have one hand on the mouse.
The Saitek
Pro Gamer Command Unit is a USB controller that aims to improve
your control of keyboard-driven games with programmable action
buttons located directly under your fingertips for quick access,
plus a thumb-operated joystick.

… [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear

Tagged: Desktop, Keyboard

Saitek Pro Gamer Command Unit originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 24, 2006 at 3:06 am.

About a month ago I decided that I wanted to build a MCE PC. I
had built one for my dad out of an old PC we had laying around,
adding two HDTV tuners and a 7.1 audio card, and was so impressed
with it that I set out to build my own. Originally I started
specing it together to build from scratch, but I found it was
cheaper to buy the PC pre-built. Included with my order was a 19″
Widescreen LCD, perfect for displaying some high-def TV.

… [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Audio / Video Gear

Tagged: A/V, Audio, Desktop, Device, Video

Chimei CMV 938D 19 inch Widescreen LCD originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 10, 2006 at 2:04 pm.

For the longest time, I was the person that didn’t back up any of the files
stored on my computer. Important emails, Money files, passwords, pictures, MP3s,
programs I had paid for, Word documents, Excel Spreadsheets, years and years
worth of ranch data and documents, reviews I had written – I was blissfully
ignorant about what the consequences would be should my hard drive ever fail. I
was the person that thought that it would never happen to me, and
I was the … [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptop Gear

Tagged: Desktop, Laptop

Maxtor OneTouch III Mini Edition originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 9, 2006 at 9:01 pm.

USB Flash based memory drives come in so many shapes and styles these days,
it’s almost hard to remember the time when every computer didn’t have a USB port
and a floppy disk was the most convenient way to transfer files between
computers. Considering that USB ports are the only type port common to
every laptop and desktop anymore, and that finding a PCMCIA slots on both is
no longer a given, having and using a USB based flash memory device makes sense.
Today … [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptop Gear, Miscellaneous

Tagged: Desktop, Laptop

Walletex Wallet Flash 128MB Flash Drive originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 25, 2006 at 11:15 pm.

There seems to be no shortage of memory card readers that will handle Compact
Flash and SD/MMC. But when a few of the more specialized memory cards get thrown
in the mix, buying the right reader can get a little trickier. Today I am going
to take a look at the USB Brando

32-in-1 Card Reader Combo, a reader that accepts just about every … [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear

Tagged: Desktop, Laptop

USB Brando 32-in-1 Card Reader Combo originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 28, 2006 at 6:35 am.

I don’t know about you, but the PCMCIA slot on my laptop is the last place I
would ever think of to hide anything, so I guess that it makes sense this there
is now a product which utilizes this easily overlooked area.
Wireless Garden has introduced the
StashCard, billed as "a secret drawer
for your laptop!"

visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Gear, Miscellaneous

Tagged: Desktop, Laptop

Wireless Garden StashCard originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 10, 2006 at 8:56 am.

I have reviewed four different Bluetooth mice in the last couple of years. First there was Bluetake’s BT500. Next it was the Mouse BT from MacMice, then ThinkOutside’s Stowaway Travel Mouse and finally Bluetake’s visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Wireless

Tagged: Bluetooth, Desktop, Laptop

The Ball Bluetooth Wireless Trackball originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 19, 2006 at 1:20 pm.

The house that we live in was built in 1928, but it had a major remodel in
1995. One of the many selling points when I purchased it in 1997 was the
built-in stereo speaker system throughout, which was controlled by a
multi-knobbed box which was attached to the wall by a bundle of cables. All the
system needed to work was to be hooked to a stereo receiver, and then music
would fill the house – every room, even the bathrooms. The control box allowed
music to be played at different … [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Audio / Video Gear, Desktop Computer Gear, Laptop Gear, Wireless

Tagged: Desktop, Laptop

Saitek Audio A-250 Wireless 2.1 Speaker System originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 10, 2006 at 8:37 am.

Being able to scan documents, magazine articles or pages from books is easy when you’re in the office with a flatbed scanner nearby. But doing that same action when you’re at a bookstore or library isn’t all that simple unless you plan to carry your laptop and a big flatbed scanner with you. The folks at PLANon have a better solution with their DocuPen handheld scanners. These battery powered scanners can easily fit in your gear bag for availability … [visit site to read more]

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptop Gear

Tagged: Desktop, Laptop

DocuPen R700 Handheld Scanner originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 2, 2006 at 4:02 pm.