Every time you fly in a commercial jet plane, a blackbox records everything the plane does. In case of an accident, recovering this blackbox lets authorities determine what the plane was doing up to the time of the accident.
With the DRS 1100 you can add similar blackbox features to your car. The DRS 1100 consists of a video recorder with a Secure Digital (SD) card reader (and an included 4GB SD card), a mounting bracket, and a lengthy power cord for plugging the unit into a cigarette lighter. …Continue reading: Car Blackbox DRS-1100 Car Video Recorder Review
Most people have cell phones that include a built-in camera. Unfortunately, these built-in cameras often have limited resolution and zoom capability along with less than stellar image quality. For those ready for a dedicated digital camera, the Kodak EasyShare Z915 is worth considering.
The most compelling feature of the Z915 is simply the quality of the images it can capture. The camera can capture images up to 10 megapixels resolution for extraordinarily sharp pictures. However, to capture more pictures in the same amount of storage space, you can choose from a variety of resolutions including 10.0, 8.9, 7.5, 5.0, or 3.1 megapixels. …Continue reading: Kodak EasyShare Z915 Camera Review
If you’re outdoors in the dark, you’ll probably need a flashlight. Unfortunately, almost every flashlight is built the same way as a long tube. This makes it convenient to carry, but makes it less convenient to prop up anywhere. Even worse is that most flashlights are cumbersome to carry due to their long length. If you want a small, more compact flashlight that comes with a built-in stand, you might want to look at the Altus Lumen PAD-L.
Departing from the traditional tube design of most flashlights, the PAD-L more closely resembles the rectangular form factor of an iPod. This makes it easy to slip into a pocket and hold in your hand comfortably. Tapping a button in the side gives you four different levels of illumination ranging from low to high.
Unlike other flashlights, the PAD-L includes a hinged cover and metal stand that swings out, allowing you to prop this light on the ground to free your hands from holding it. By adjusting this metal stand, you can aim the light at different angles, which can be perfect when you’re working in the dark by yourself and can’t spare a hand to hold an ordinary flashlight to illuminate a specific area. To power this device, you just need four AAA batteries that fit under a metal cover that you can screw shut. …Continue reading: Gadget Review: Altus Lumen PAD-L LED Light
Half the fun of capturing pictures on a digital camera is sharing them with others or looking at them yourself. When you find a group of particularly interesting images, you could print them out and frame them, but then you would need a separate frame for each picture. A better solution is to store and display all your images in a digital picture frame.
Like other digital picture frames, the GiiNii GN-711W 7-inch Wedge Digital Picture Frame lets you store images on a variety of memory cards (SD, MMC, xD, and MS) or transfer images directly from a computer to the built-in 512Mb memory. Oddly, the GiiNii picture frame includes a USB port but does not include a USB cable, which you’ll have to buy separately.
While most picture frames let you create visual transition effects or play movie files (AVI) or audio files (MP3 and WMA), the GiiNii frame also provides a limited number of editing tools for changing the brightness, ratio, contrast, or color of your photos. If your pictures need drastic corrections, you’ll need to rely on Photoshop or other photo editing tools, but the GiiNii’s simple tools can make a good picture look even better.
To access these various effects, the picture frame displays four buttons on the side of its triangular base. This base makes the picture frame sturdy and compact, but its four control buttons on the side all look alike with no identifying labels to be found. You’ll constantly need to refer back to the manual to figure out which button does what, and if you lose the manual, you’ll just be forced to stare at four identical buttons and left to press each one to figure out what it really does.
One added bonus of this picture frame is its inclusion of a clock, calendar, and alarm. Instead of just displaying pictures one after another, it displays a clock and calendar in between images. Now you can check the time and look at your pictures.
Perhaps the most interesting feature has little to do with displaying images at all. You can program the picture frame to lower its power consumption by a fixed percentage that you choose. This helps save power at certain times of the day, such as at night when nobody will likely be looking at your pictures anyway.
If you just want a digital picture frame, you can find that anywhere, but if you want a power-saving, alarm clock picture frame, you should definitely look at the GiiNii Wedge picture frame.
Pros:
Built-in 512Mb of memory for storing pictures
Accepts SD, MMC, xD, and MS media cards
800×480 resolution
Includes a clock, calendar, and alarm
Works with MP3, WMA, ABI, JPEG, TIF, and GIF
Offers energy-saving feature
Cons:
Does not include a USB cable for connecting and transferring files from a computer
Cryptic control buttons
The GiiNii GN-711W Wedge Digital Picture Frame is available here for $80
If you routinely poke around dark areas and need to take pictures of what you see (such as a home inspector peeking underneath a house), you could use a camera and carry a flashlight. However, carrying two items can be clumsy, so as a simpler alternative, you could carry Swann Surveillance’s unique flashlight that combines a digital camera with a video camcorder.
The flashlight requires three C batteries and weights 520 grams (without the weight of the batteries). It’s rather large for a flashlight with dimensions of 3.11 inches at its widest point, which is its front, 3.85 inches high, and 12.83 inches long. The head of the flashlight contains the bulb and the built-in camera and microphone. If you’re used to ordinary household flashlights, this unit will seem monstrous in comparison. However, if you’re used to typical police style flashlights, this item simply sports a larger head for its lens.
There are three levels of illumination that you can choose. Just turn on the flashlight, aim it, and now you have the option of taking still pictures or video. If you choose video, you can capture audio as well. The camera captures images at 640 by 480 resolution, which is acceptable but definitely grainier than typical digital cameras or video camcorders.
The flashlight captures video in MPEG-4 format at 30 frames per second (fps) and can a maximum of 18 minutes stored on its built-in 128Mb memory. If you plug in an optional SD card, you can store up to 1.5 hours of video on a 1Gb SD card.
After capturing pictures, video, or audio, you can download the data to your computer through an included USB cable, which plugs into any USB 1.1 port.
Despite the limited camera resolution, this flashlight can be especially handy for taking pictures wherever you can point the flashlight, such as inside a car engine or in an attic. For security purposes, the flashlight can help you record events without another person’s knowledge.
Since the camera and microphone are hidden in the flashlight’s lens, you could point the flashlight at anyone and record video and audio without their knowledge, which could be handy for storing crucial visual and audio evidence. The built-in microphone captures adequate sound, but don’t expect crystal clear fidelity. Overall, the built-in microphone and cameras are sufficient for typical uses for this flashlight.
The Swann Surveillance Flashlight DVR may be a bit expensive for ordinary use. However, if you need a hidden camera and microphone tucked inside what appears to be an ordinary flashlight, this product is truly one of a kind.
Pros:
Built-in and hidden digital camera, video camcorder, and microphone
Sturdy construction
Built-in memory with optional expansion with separate SD card
Includes USB cable for transferring data to a computer
Cons:
Photograph and video quality lower than an ordinary camera
Audio quality of the built-in microphone is sufficient, but could be better
Expensive compared to buying a separate camera and flashlight
The Swann Surveillance Flashlight DVR is currently available here for $238
Apple’s latest 3G iPhone has dominated the smartphone market with good reason. Its touch screen makes using the phone a joy and its storage and audio capacity makes it an excellent music player. Probably the weakest link of the iPhone is its relatively limited battery life. Unless you only use your iPhone to make telephone calls, chances are good you’ll never get through an entire day without needing to recharge its batteries. Since you may not always be near a convenient electrical outlet or USB port on a computer, you may want to invest in a portable battery pack that can power your iPhone. One of the more stylish iPhone battery packs is the Juice Pack from Mophie.
The Juice Pack is basically a battery embedded inside a protective case. Plugging the iPhone into the battery is as simple as slipping the iPhone inside the Juice Pack. The manufacturer claims that the Juice Pack can extend talk time and Internet use time up to 6 hours, video playback up to 8 hours, and audio playback up to 28 hours. However you use your iPhone, the Juice Pack insures that you’ll never need to worry about running out of power in the middle of the day again.
Charging the Juice Pack takes about 3 hours. Just plug in the included USB cable to the USB port of your computer and you’ll be able to recharge the Juice Pack and synchronize your data at the same time.
When plugged into the Juice Pack, your iPhone can still play audio and take pictures with its built-in camera. Surprisingly, the Juice Pack doesn’t block the iPhone’s external speakers so music sounds just as good as if the Juice Pack wasn’t even there.
To help you monitor the Juice Pack’s power, you can press a button on the back that illuminates zero to four lights. A full charged Juice Pack illuminates all four lights while a Juice Pack with less power will illuminate fewer lights.
Despite its added bulk, the Juice Pack doesn’t interfere with the slim size and weight of the iPhone. You will notice the added weight and thickness, but after a day or two carrying your iPhone plugged into the Juice Pack, you shouldn’t notice much difference at all.
For $99.95, the Juice Pack is reasonably priced, especially if you frequently travel and can’t recharge your iPhone during the day. If you can’t afford to let your iPhone’s batteries die on you, then the Juice Pack will be a wise investment.
Pros:
Light weight
Extends the iPhone’s battery life dramatically
Doesn’t interfere with the iPhone’s ordinary use
Cons:
$99.95 may be a bit pricey for some people
Thickness of the Juice Pack adds bulk and weight to the iPhone
The Mophie iPhone 3G Juice Pack is available here for $100
Everyone knows that light bulbs burn electricity, but if you get compact Energy Star fluorescent light bulb (which looks like a thick strand of spaghetti twisted in a circle), you can cut back on the amount of power consumed compared to an ordinary incandescent light bulb. In fact, if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star fluorescent light bulb, that could save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for an entire year, save up to $600 million dollars in energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 800,000 cars.
For yet one more way to cut back on your energy usage, consider getting the Crystal Energy Cell, which clamps on to a compact fluorescent light bulb.
The Crystal Energy Cell looks like a plastic dome, but is made from photo luminescence crystals. Turning on the light charges up the Crystal Energy Cell. When you turn the light off, the Crystal Energy Cell emits a soft green glow. Depending on how long you’ve left the light on, this green glow can last for several hours. While this light may not be strong enough to read by, it’s just enough light to let you see your way without stumbling through a pitch dark room.
Think of the Crystal Energy Cell like a nightlight that always turns on when you turn off the light. Attach this product to a light bulb in your bedroom and you’ll always see its green glow at night. Plug this product on a light bulb in a kitchen or hallway, and you’ll always have a light to see at night without turning on a light bulb and burning up electricity.
Since light bulbs eventually burn out, you can detach the Crystal Energy Cell from a burnt out bulb and snap it on a new one. Unfortunately, you can’t snap this item on an ordinary light bulb; you must always use a compact Energy Star fluorescent light bulb.
Since the Crystal Energy Cell is basically a glow-in-the-dark device, you may not want to place it on any light bulb where its glow might disturb you, such as on a lamp right next to your bed.
Overall, the Crystal Energy Cell is a unique idea that acts like a power-free nightlight that always turns on whenever you turn the lights off. As long as you use compact Energy Star fluorescent bulbs, you may find this product handy to keep you from bumping into anything in the dark.
Pros:
Power-free light source
Inexpensive
Always-on nightlight
Cons:
Only clamps on to compact Energy Star fluorescent light bulbs
May not want to use in rooms where you prefer total darkness, such as a bedroom
Almost everyone has access to a digital camera or video camcorder. While most people just take pictures by holding their camera with one or two hands, more serious photographers rely on tripods. Unfortunately, tripods can be clumsy to carry and useless in certain situations. If you want to take a picture out a skyscraper window or under a bridge, a tripod won’t do you any good. To mount a camera securely and aim it in different directions, take a look at the Smart Pod.
This device consists of two main parts: a clamp and an 18-inch flexible arm that lets you mount a camera on the end. The clamp is a standard C-clamp that lets you attach this unit to any edge such on a door, a sign, a tree limb, or piece of furniture. Just tighten the clamp around any edge, secure the arm on the clamp, attach your camera to the other end of the arm, and you’re done.
Now you can twist and turn the arm in any direction to aim your camera in the direction that you need, which may be impossible to duplicate with an ordinary tripod.
This product’s greatest strength is its solid construction. The clamp is tough enough to hold this unit in place even if you stretch the flexible arm horizontally and mount a heavy video camera on the end. The flexible arm bends easily, but not willingly, which lets you twist it in the shape you need without worrying if it might droop, sag, or unravel at any time.
Conversely, this product’s greatest weakness is partly due to its solid construction. Trying to twist its mounting arm into your desired position can feel like trying to bend a steel rod in a cruel isometric exercise. When you get the arm bent in the shape that you need, you can be sure that it will hold that shape, but struggling to force it into that shape is the hardest part.
Since this product needs to clamp around an edge to secure it in place, you won’t find this item very useful in wide open spaces. In that case, you’ll be better off with an ordinary tripod and save the Smart Pod for when you can clamp it around a tree or street sign.
For any photographer who needs to mount a camera, but finds ordinary tripods too limited, the Smart Pod may be what you need. With its ability to clamp on to any edge and twist its arm in various directions, the Smart Pod is a versatile mount for any type of camera.
Pros:
Sturdy construction
Ability to twist and aim a camera in any direction
Can securely clamp to any edge
Cons:
Arm can be difficult to bend
Needs an edge to mount this product
Update: Stan from Smart Pod contacted us and pointed something out. The version we reviewed is the strongest and most robust Smart Pod designed to handle the heaviest of cameras. They also make a lighter version (a child could bend it) which is much easier to bend and manipulate.
Running out of power is an all too common problem with portable game consoles, mobile phones, MP3 players, and digital cameras. The usual solution is to carry a power adapter with you wherever you go so you can recharge at the nearest convenient electric outlet (if you can find one). A second solution is to lug around a bulky battery pack that can provide additional power to your portable electronic device. Now you just have to worry about keeping this battery recharged at the same time as your electronic devices.
For another solution, look at the Solio H1000 charger, a portable solar panel designed specifically for recharging most portable electronic devices. Anywhere you can see the sun, you can use the Solio H1000 charger.
The entire unit consists of a solar panel and a battery enclosed in a plastic case with a built-in handle. The handle makes it easy to carry and its relatively small size 7.8 x 0.71 x 2.6 inches (198 x 68 x 18mm) dimensions makes it easy to slip in a purse or just hold in your hand.
A built-in cable clips to the top of the unit, but to plug it into any electronic device, you must use one of three included adapters: a full-size USB port (for iPods and iPhones), a mini USB port (for most devices such as Blackberrys, digital cameras, or Palm PDAs), or a Nokia N-series plug (for Nokia mobile phones).
Attach the correct adapter to the built-in cable, plug in your portable electronic device, and you’ll have two ways to use the Solio H1000 charger. The first and most obvious way is to lay the Solio device in the sun with the correct adapter plugged into the unit and your portable electronic device. This charges your device or lets you run it off solar power. The rated output is 1.5 to 5 watts.
A second way to use the Solio is as a portable battery. The Solio’s lithium-ion battery can is rated at 3.7V and 1000mAh. Charge up the battery by laying the device in the sun, or charge it up through an included USB cable.
However you decide to charge up the Solio’s battery, you can now use it as a portable battery pack so you can run your devices even in the complete absence of the sun. Just one hour of sunshine can equal approximately 15 minutes of talk time on a mobile phone or 40 minutes of music on a typical MP3 player.
Overall, the Solio H1000 is a great accessory for anyone who needs reliable power on the go. The addition of a battery to store power makes this solar panel useful even at night or when the sun isn’t shining.
Perhaps the biggest flaw with this device are its multiple adapters that you must use to plug it into different devices. If your portable electronic device doesn’t fit one of the three included adapters, you can order different adapters directly from the company. …Continue reading: Gadget Review: Solio H1000 Charger
The mouse that came with your computer is probably a generic mouse designed to do common tasks like using a word processor or a web browser. If you spend most of your time playing video games, you’ll find such an ordinary mouse merely sufficient. For a special mouse designed for gamers, look at the NZXT Avatar mouse.
Physically the NZXT mouse is symmetrically designed for both left and right-handed users, unlike some mice that curve in one direction. For greater gripping power during intense gaming sessions, this mouse includes rubber grips so your hands can’t slip off easily, even when perspiring. Teflon feet at the bottom of this mouse gives it a smooth feel. These physical features alone might be worth its $69.99 price, but it also offers additional features specific to gaming. …Continue reading: Gadget Review: NZXT Avatar Gaming Mouse
