Reviews and News » Gadget Review

Magic Mouse Looks Impeccably Gorgeous, Feels Ridiculously Uncomfortable

Noel Kuhlman — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:35:45 +0000

Apple’s new pointer peripheral, the Magic Mouse, resembles the rest of their product line: beautifully-designed and unusually styled. Sporting a flat design and multi-touch functionality, the wireless accessory should prove an excellent companion for portable computing needs.

While the slim profile looks elegant, it makes the device difficult to use – there’s just no way to find a comfortable finger position on such a form. The lack of physical buttons is even more irritating. More than likely, you’ll end up with hurting fingers after using this thing for an extended period. At the least, the buttonless, touch-sensitive design should take some amount of getting used to.

The Magic Mouse works strictly on Macs, with OS X version 10.5.8 or later. If you have the right OS, setup is practically automatic. Just let the hardware detect it and punch a couple of buttons.

Multi-touch is the big feature here, allowing the accessory to interface with individual applications using taps and gestures. The entire surface is touch sensitive, so you can perform your actions from anywhere on the surface. Some of the actions you can do are pretty cool, especially features like ability to pan 360 degrees and scrolling quickly (but fluidly) down an entire page.

While I love the multi-touch capability, the sheer hassle of using this mouse for conventional work is just not worth it. I mean, throw a couple of buttons in there and make life really easier, why don’t you?

Numark NS7 Turntable: Spin Digital Records With A Full-Sized Rig

Noel Kuhlman — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:22:53 +0000

Want to hone your turntable skills but can’t stand the pile of vinyl the job entails? Haul your musical ass right next to a Numark NS7 Turntable and be free from the trappings of physical records.

That’s right – it’s an all-digital turntable that puts pro-DJ controls at your fingertips. Sure, you can probably put on the same performance using just a turntable software, but having a full rig affords you a much wider range of movement. Not to mention, of course, it gives gawking audience members something to look at (face it, you’ll find it hard to attract groupies holding nothing but a laptop).

Sure, it’s a bit of a cop-out compared to those working with real records. In fact, I’d be surprised if viny veterans don’t give you flak about it. Screw them, though. Digital files are easier, cheaper and more convenient to work with that any physical media.

The NS7 uses the Itch software to communicate with your computer, managing ten times the speed you’d usually get with a MIDI-based setup. It supplies all the controls you need to mess around with WAV, AIFF, MP3 and AAC music files, with very responsive, motorized 7-inch turntables. You won’t even have to touch your keyboard to navigate files, as the rig provides for the necessary controls.

Of course, you can also throw in actual vinyls on the thing, so traditional turntablists won’t have any issue (actually, they will, since the disc mechanism isn’t the best). For strictly digital musicians, though, the thing’s as good as gold. Price is pretty fair at $1,600.

PSP Go: Good-Looking And Pocketable, But Raises Plenty Of Issues

Noel Kuhlman — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:25:10 +0000

The PSP Go has received a lot of flak ever since Sony first introduced the device, along with its planned pricing. Now that it’s out, that tune hasn’t changed. It’s still overpriced, and Sony’s marketing hats aren’t doing enough to change that perception.

Not that it’s a bad piece of tech. On the contrary, the PSP Go is a great-looking and compact device, much better, in many ways, than its numerous predecessors. The hardware is well-designed, with a smooth sliding mechanism, small but comfortable controls and responsive buttons. Because of the size, it’s actually the first PSP Go that is actually portable, unlike the unpocketable slabs the previous iterations used to be.

The smaller 3.8-inch screen (compared to 4.3 inches from the 3000) manages the same 480 x 272 pixel resolution as the previous PSP 3000. Games, websites and movies look gorgeous on the display, with bright colors and sharp images. Battery lasts for a good four and a half hours of continuous use, which is pretty acceptable.

Sony gave up UMD support in exchange for digital distribution. While definitely a welcome change, it means you can’t play your old media on the device anymore if you’re upgrading. Even worse, Sony isn’t providing a means for users to download games they previously bought on a UMD. You’re basically out on your own, with no means to bring your favorite titles over.

Onboard storage is ample at 16GB, with support for Memory Stick Micro card expansion. It also comes with Wi-Fi connectivity and Bluetooth support, but abandons the mini-USB, so that’s a mixed bag.

At a $250 price, the only reason to buy a PSP Go is if you find the reduced size an absolute necessity. The larger PSP 3000, which can play both UMD and PS Store downloads, is only $170. While hardware performance does appear to be a bit better, it’s not enough to warrant inheriting all the baggage Sony decided to burden it with.

Zune HD: Formidable Competition, But Loses Big On The Apps Department

Noel Kuhlman — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:36:03 +0000

Microsoft’s return to the portable media player scene carried a little added heft this time around, offering more formidable competition to the iPod’s dominance. Called the Zune HD, the new device goes directly after the iPod Touch, managing to shine brilliantly in the process.

Clad in a silver and black industrial design, it’s an excellent music player with an undeniable wow factor. Beyond the snazzy looks, however, lies a hardware set that can only be described as souped up: a 3.3-inch AMOLED screen, HD radio tuner and HD video out.

The display, which manages a 480 x 272 resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio, is easily the best screen available on any PMP in the market. Images appear bright, with vivid colors. Multi-touch interface is responsive and accurate, making navigation and other onscreen operations easy.

Don’t let the name confuse you, the Zune HD doesn’t show HD video. It can process 720p fast enough to show it in downscaled form right on the OLED screen or output it to a connected HDTV for full resolution. You’ll need to pay for the AV dock separately, though, which prices itself at a rather expensive $90.

The HD radio tuner, along with a classic FM one, lets you listen to a whole range of available broadcasts in your area. Connected to the AV dock, it can output the received programming, as well. Music playback is excellent (along with a superb music player), capably rivaling the best PMP audio in the market today (which, in my opinion, is a toss up between the Sony Walkman X and the iPod Touch).

Unfortunately, the Zune HD falls miserably where the iPod Touch shines: software. Sure, the onboard browser is good, using a modified IE for Windows Mobile 6.5 that’s configured to support the full multi-touch experience, allowing such gestures as scrolling, pinching and double tapping into the mix. Zune Marketplace and Xbox Live are amazing sources for discovering new content/

That’s where the goodness ends, though (at least, until Microsoft makes another play). While the company has set up an application storefront for the Zune HD, it’s a closed platform. That means all new software that’s turning up for download will all either come from Microsoft or its partners, making the place a barren desert compared to the App Store, which is more than likely to reach an inventory of over 100,000 apps within the next six months or so.

The choice is actually pretty simple. If you want a great player with an awesome OLED screen at a cheaper price ($290 for the 32GB version), the Zune HD is it. Want the extensibility of tons of apps and plenty of high-profile games to go along with your media playback? Say hello to Apple.

iPod Nano With Video – Flip Killer?

Noel Kuhlman — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:34:23 +0000

When the fifth-generation iPod Nano debuted to the world, the audience had one thing in mind: Flip Killer. Of course, simply adding a camcorder feature to a music player doesn’t immediately endow it with the honor.

Physically, the player looks about the same. The metallic paint job looks flashier than previous Nanos and it’s rather appealing. Some changes are easily apparent in the Nano’s hardware, though. The screen has grown a bit (from 2 inches to 2.2 inches) and it has received a few pleasant additions, including a pedometer, an FM tuner, a voice recorder, speakers and, of course, the video camera.

The video camera is placed in an insanely awkward manner, right on the lower right corner. I’m not digging the location, as it’s prone to being touched regularly (dirtying up the lens in the process). Capture quality is decent enough at VGA resolution and 30 fps. However, with neither autofocus, optical zoom or that good of an image stabilization module, video isn’t up to par with the more popular VGA pocket camcorders on the market. While the color is adequately managed, the overall footages are a little grainy and moving subjects are a bit jarring. Recorded audio is accurate, but lacks detail.

Playing back the recording on the Nano is great, as the screen is bright and sharp, with excellent color. Audio playback over the integrated speakers is pretty bad, but it still manages the same great sound over a good pair of headphones. The pedometer is great, taking accurate measurements for casual fitness requirements. It’s no pro athlete fare, but it will do.

Overall, the new iPod Nano is a joke when referred to as a Flip Killer. Sure, it can manage video, but it doesn’t do it any better the existing crop of pocket camcorders out there. It’s a nice extra feature, but no one’s going to be buying an iPod Nano for that.

iPod Touch 3G Review: OpenGL ES 2.0, Faster Performance

Noel Kuhlman — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:17:00 +0000

While the third generation of the iPod Touch disappointed a good lot of folks when it came out without a camera module (like everyone was expecting), it should appease the complaints with what Apple ended up packing it with. Simply put, the iPod Touch 3G is now a full-fledged gaming console, in addition to its already powerful range of features.

So why was the camera left out? According to Steve Jobs, the decision was made to keep the cost of the device on par with both the PSP and the DS, the two most prevalent current-gen handheld gaming consoles today. With the wealth of top games (including ones from notable publishers like EA and Gameloft) now available from the App Store, the Touch 3G has received the corresponding hardware upgrade necessary to put it on par with those machines.

Nothing was changed with the device from the outside, as it sports the same 110 x 62 x 8.5 mm dimensions, 115 grams of weight and 3.5-inch touchscreen. Inside, however, the third-generation Touch now comes in 32GB and 64GB models, with full support for OpenGL ES 2.0, allowing it to process high-end 3D graphics. Performance is noticeably faster, with snappier performance on both locally-executing apps, as well as over the Wi-Fi connection.

At the current state of App Store games, the OpenGL ES 2.0 support is only really necessary for a handful of games (best guess is you can count them on two hands). As such, going for a cheaper older model doesn’t sound too bad for now. That will probably change in a year or so. For now, the extra storage is really the only defining characteristic, but should prove very necessary if you like to have tons of media files on tap.

Sony E-Series Walkman: 16GB, $99 And Quality Performance

Noel Kuhlman — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:44:19 +0000

Sony has finally embraced the cheap pricing paradigm with their new E-Series Walkman media players. In fact, it’s the first big-name 16GB PMP that tips the price scales just under $100.

This second generation of the E-Series has a very basic design and measures around the same size as its predecessor. It might not be eye candy, but the simple layout makes it easy to manage. Physical controls include a five-way control pad, back/home button, an option key (that brings up contextual menus), a volume rocker on the right spine and a hold switch.

It uses the same menu as most of Sony’s Walkman line, which means you get a tried and tested interface that works great. There are no personalization options here, but you get the full range of UI niceties, from detailed sorting options to browsing albums visually.

Despite the low-end price, the E-Series features the same excellent performance we’ve come to expect from the Walkman line. Audio is clean and clear, with excellent balance. There are plenty of sound enhancement options as well, so you can tweak song output to your liking. Both videos and images look good, with the screen performing very amicably. In fact, they look bright and crisp even when viewing at an angle. Packaged earbuds aren’t too good, though, so best pull out your favorite pair.

We love the ease in which you can transfer files onto the player, which offers support for a variety of software (WMP, Rhapsody, iTunes and more) and Sony’s transfer app, which lets you copy via drag-and-drop. File support includes MP3, WMA, AAC, LPCM, MP4, H.264 and WMV.

Overall, we love the price and performance of the Sony E-Series Walkman. It doesn’t a whole lot of extra features, but that’s all well and good. At it’s price, all I want is great audio quality and delivers on that end like clockwork.

PS3 Slim Review: A Mixed Bag, But Everyone I Know’s Buying One

Noel Kuhlman — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:40:09 +0000

The Playstation 3 was a shining example of Sony’s somewhat questionable excesses. Years after the current generation of consoles hit store shelves, the company has finally scaled back, offering a revamped machine at a consumer-friendly price point.

At the $300 price point for the 120GB version, the PS3 Slim puts the franchise on equal playing field with the Xbox 360 in terms of hardware investment. The lighter weight and slim lines add even more chips to its stock, compared to its longtime-leading nemesis. What’s impressive, though, is that you get the same top-end hardware despite the smaller footprint. That means processing power that the 360 can only dream about.

First, let’s look at what’s bangin’ about the new console. We’ve already mentioned the price and the size. Apart from that, it retains the same swappable hard disk, features physical buttons (in place of the touch-sensitive crap on the fat PS3), uses half the energy and features an updated HDMI chipset. The latter gets you bitstream, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD audio to complement your already-awesome Blu-ray player. Performance is slightly improved with faster loading times than the original PS3.

Now, on to the bad. While the old PS3 featured limited compatibility with PS2 games, the PS3 Slim has removed it entirely. Enjoyed running Linux on your fat PS3? That’s also no longer allowed. It also lacks the mish-mash of card readers and two extra USB ports present in the original machine.

The real problem, though, is not the hardware. It’s the fact that Microsoft already has an established user base with Xbox Live, as well as library of games that puts the PS3 to shame. Given that the user base for the PS3 Slim will likely balloon up in the coming months, the library will probably grow by next. Who knows, Playstation Home might end up being as fun as Xbox Live too (give or take a year or two)?

Is Sony back in the console wars? You bet your ass.

Soundcast Outcast Junior: Terrific-Sounding, Rugged Outdoor Speakers

Noel Kuhlman — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 22:24:49 +0000

If you have a large area in your backyard and wish to outfit it with music, the Soundcast Outcast Junior may be worth looking into. Smaller than the full-sized Outcast model, the Junior stands 19.5 inches tall, so it should prove a bit easier to carry around, in case you want to take it along for a camping trip or a day at the beach.

The Outcast Junior’s looks aren’t the most exciting. In fact, it looks like an awkward stool-shaped air purifier, more than anything else. Do note that the form was borne out of the need to lend the device with rugged capabilities. It’s made of water resistant plastic, with sealable inputs and ports, allowing it to last through all kinds of weather. The protruding feet and hefty 8.2kg weight allows it to stand firmly on the ground.

Since the speakers are designed for outdoor use, it comes with a variety of power options, including rechargeable internal batteries, a car converter lead and a mains adapter. The system is easy to understand and don’t foster any learning curve to use.

It’s important to note that the Outcast Junior can’t play music on its own. Hardware setup consists of a built-in 60W amplifier, a down-firing 6.5-inch woofer, four omni-directional drivers and a wireless receiver that can take streamed music from either a UAT or an iCast transmitter, two products that are also proprietary to Soundcast Systems. The transmitters can take audio from any music source, including iPods, PCs and home audio systems, delivering the output to multiple units of Outcast Junior. Alternatively, you can plug in a music player to the Junior’s 3.5mm jack

Overall sound quality is very impressive. It’s music you listen to, more than just background fodder for outdoor activities. Audio detail is never lost even at the most extreme volumes. It has a wireless range of 350 feet, although performance is expectedly better, the closer it is to the transmitter.

All-weather performance, great sound quality and workable portability makes the Soundcast Outcast Junior a terrific outdoor speaker. If you can afford the $500 price tag, it should prove a better option than another one of those cheap, underpowered portable output systems.

Emtec Movie Cube P800 Review: Versatile But Lacking

Noel Kuhlman — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:30:22 +0000

On paper, the Emtec Movie Cube P800 seems like a solid set-top box, with a good range of touted functionalities. In actual use, however, it’s a largely half-assed implementation, salvaged only by the number of things it can do.

Small and silent, it comes with a good set of both analog and digital connectors, several USB ports, a multi-card slot, a hard disk bay and Ethernet connectivity. As such, it serves to record more than just TV shows, doubling as a media center all on its own. While being versatile does have its charms, it’s hardly the guarantee that the device can actually perform to decent standards.

The TV recording feature works well enough, handling both analog and digital programs. Hit a single button and it will immediately start recording whatever you’re watching, all of which you can set in the background. It comes with scheduled recordings, but gives it one of the most ridiculously backward facilities available, requiring you to enter everything, including the length of time it will record – just like you used to do back in the days of the VCR.

Fitted with plenty of storage options, you can browse through the connected file systems to find things you want to watch. Instead of the sleek MediaFlow-style UI that’s become the norm for most media boxes, the P800 lets you wade through the mess folder by painstaking folder. It can get quite frustrating if you’ve got several levels of content on large hard disks, so it’s not the most efficient system around.

File support is decent, only refusing playback of WMV files out of my hard disk’s wide and varied collection. You can also get it to play internet radio and HD-quality video, although resolution tops out at 1080i. Quality is about average – nothing special nor particularly bad.

Overall, the Emtec Movie Cube P800 is a decent and affordable media box. If you can live with the nominal UI, then it should offer a good choice. Do note that it’s running Realtek Linux and is wide open for modding, which is something a lot of people who bought it are doing. Could be interesting.

Reviews and News » Gadget Review

Magic Mouse Looks Impeccably Gorgeous, Feels Ridiculously Uncomfortable

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Numark NS7 Turntable: Spin Digital Records With A Full-Sized Rig

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PSP Go: Good-Looking And Pocketable, But Raises Plenty Of Issues

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Soundcast Outcast Junior: Terrific-Sounding, Rugged Outdoor Speakers

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