GadgetReview

Hard to believe, but the launch date for DJ Hero is less than 24 hours away.  Be prepared to drop some serious cash, though, since the normal version starts at $120, while the Eminiem/JayZ Renegade version will cost you $200.

IGN already knocked out a review and gave it a 9.0.  Check the video below.

Update: Order it from Amazon and use this coupon to save $10 at checkout: DJHERO10

I’m an avid bike rider and attend the good old gym on a regular basis. One thing I’ve long failed to do is keep track of my workouts – I don’t even have a little black book to record my mileage or ’sets’ completed. Enter the Garmin Forerunner 310XT.

The Forerunner 310XT is Garmin’s first fully fledged GPS watch to offer not only a myriad of workout and tracking options, but is waterproof up to 50m. Aesthetically it’s a bit on the large side, but that lends itself to a reasonably large screen, all things relative of course. The wrist band is finished in bright orange, so there’s no mistaking this thing for anything but a workout watch, although I’m relatively confident that runners and triathlon nuts could get away with wearing it year round, though they might be a bit hampered by its 20 hour battery life.

And despite that sounding like a short battery life I assure you it’s not, especially if you use the Forerunner 310XT specifically for your workouts. To streamline the charging process Garmin has included a clothespin like charger that grasps the 310XT at two contact points, making charging the device a snap (pardon the pun). …Continue reading: Garmin Forerunner 310XT Review

I’ve never been one for the after market mods or parts when it comes to video gaming.  Mad Catz arcade stick? Forget it.  A controller with built-in combo buttons?  Defeats the purpose.  So when KontrolFreek contacted me asking if I’d take a look at their controller gaming accessory I accepted with some apprehension.

So what are they?  KontrolFreek makes two products: FPSFreek and SpeedFreek.  FPSFreek, as the name denotes, is designed to improve accuracy for first person shooters such as Halo and Call Of Duty.  They essentially extend the length of the PS3 or Xbox 360’s analog sticks and by doing so provide more leverage, which results in smaller degrees of movement and ultimately greater accuracy.  SpeedFreek, on the other hand, is best suited for driving games when your button mashing will be limited to shoulder buttons and triggers (more on this later).

I first checked out the SpeedFreek.  Initially I just tore these suckers out of the box without giving them a second look.  Big mistake.  I didn’t realize it, but these were not intended for FPS shooters.  As a result I quickly discovered that these were not built for this type of game, especially when I tried to move my thumb from the right analog stick to the adjacent buttons.  Because the SpeedFreek design is essentially a U shape, it tends to encapsulates your thumb and prevents any quick back and forth movements between the buttons and analog stick.  Popping in a driving game and removing the right SpeedFreek accessory quickly resolved this quandary and in no time flat I was off the races.  …Continue reading: SpeedFreek And FPSFreek Controller Gaming Accessory Review

A few weeks, perhaps even almost a few months ago, Nokia introduced their flagship handset, the Nokia N97. I’m not a die hard Nokia fan, but what little I did see about the N97 before the official announcement had me relatively excited, and some what happy that the Finish phone company was truly taking the touchscreen smartphone game seriously. That is until I actually played with it. After spending some weeks with the N97 it’s most certainly a decent device, but it’s far from a game changer for the industry or the Nokia brand.

So at this point everyone and their mother knows that Apple has set the touchscreen smartphone bar with the iPhone. While I want to resist the comparison, you know there is just no freaking way. …Continue reading: Nokia N97 Review

Last weekend I got to try my hand, or should I say feet, at the latest Tony Hawk skateboard game, RIDE.  I think it’s pretty fair to say that there has been some skepticism floating around this version since iterations before seemed to be just slight or minor tweaks from previous installments.

Let me start by putting any of those apprehensions to bed.  As far as I’m concerned Activision and Tony Hawk have created a game changing (pardon the pun) experience.  I really only got to play part of a level, which equated to about 2 minutes of gameplay, but the RIDE board really brings something else to the table.  I won’t lie, my legs were shaking a bit since my muscles were constantly adjusting, trying to find the center of gravity of the board – it sits on a bump, a sort of axis which enables you to lean left or right – but that’s what will make the experience so thrilling and exciting.  As soon as you begin to master the balance on the board you’ll be able to engage in many more tricks.  And for those of you out there that already skate, I honestly believe that the RIDE game will complement your preexisting abilities, unlike the Guitar Hero games which I’ve heard many musician complain about.

Trick wise I was only able to complete an ollie and manual.  Both of those moves are carbon copies of the real thing (almost), while the other moves, based on my limited experience, seem to involve the 4 sensors located at the ends and sides of the board.  So for instance, you’ll be able to lean down and grab the board (covering the sensor) and perform grab tricks as well as swing your foot over the other sensor to perform a variety of moves.

There are 3 settings – beginner, intermediate and experienced – and while I only got to try out the beginner level, which puts you on a sort of wire so you don’t have to concentrate on steering, I actually can’t wait to try the other settings since I think it will be a more difficult but engaging experience to keep my character and board on the right track.  With that said, gone are the days of the Tony Hawk open world levels, but in all fairness I think it’s a good price to pay for the far more immersive experience.

Outside of the above, I really don’t know what else to expect from the game.  It’s great to see video games getting closer and closer to virtual reality, although it maybe a ways off, and if you think Microsoft’s Natal experience will replace controllers of this type any time soon, think again.

So despite the fact that RIDE is a $120 video game, it’s painfully obvious that those willing to plunk down the cold hard cash will get paid dividends on their investment.

You can pre-order the Tony Hawk RIDE game here

Sacred 2: Fallen Angel is an epic RPG game that provides gamers with an almost endless amount of gameplay in a fantasy land that is tarnished by greed and battle. Using very similar mechanics found in the first Sacred game, the second installment of the game actually serves as a prequel to the original. Unfortunately, this iteration doesn’t feel like a step forward but rather a step backwards in the evolution of the series as the game is hampered by choppy graphics and a set of menus that are more of a carbon copy of the PC version than a translation.
…Continue reading: Sacred 2: Fallen Angel Game Review (Xbox 360)

Recently I upgraded from my Gen 1 iPhone to an iPhone 3GS. The biggest driver behind the purchase were to not only retire my first iPhone but the added and improved features, such as a better camera, video recording, 3G and GPS. Although Apple lays claim to an improved battery life, I still find myself in need of some emergency juice every once and a while. So what better product to test out then the Griffin PowerDuo. …Continue reading: Griffin PowerDuo Reserve 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

E-Ink has long maintained a character of anonymity but in the last few years its grown to become an almost house hold recognizable technology. Okay, perhaps that is a bit of an overstatement but with the launch of the Kindle 2, Kindle DX and numerous other e-readers anybody in the know has heard of E-Ink. Bringing E-Ink to the masses in a slightly more affordable albeit smaller package is Phosphor. They make a set of watches that instead of a standard LCD from the 80s, uses E-Ink to display the date and time.

Aesthetically the Phosphor watch is rather stylish. I received the model that shows both the time and date and is finished with a leather band. Although I prefer a complete metal package, the leather actually turned out to be a nice compliment to the large metal face and probably lightened the load a bit as the Phosphor’s large display makes it rather hefty. The leather itself is actually pretty supple and flexible unlike some other watches in this price range, which meant that it had a nice fit and didn’t require yanking on the strap to find the right size. It’s worth noting that if you’re expecting a display that will get people asking ‘is that E-Ink?’, then forget it because it isn’t that distinguishable from other LCD watches, although Phosphor’s are particularly large and very easy to read. …Continue reading: Phosphor E-Ink Digital Calendar Watch Review

Let me say this right now.  Your music is not good enough for these headphones.  Remember that $4 milkshake from Pulp Fiction?  That only scratches the surface of how utterly awesome the UltraSone Pro 900 headphones are.  From listening to MP3’s to working in Pro Tools, I was honestly blown away by the sheer magnitude of quality that the Pro 900’s achieve.

The Pro 900’s come with a really nice hard shell case, two styles or cord, and two styles of velvet ear padding.  They even come with a demo CD that contains various genres of music and sound effects. They are constructed of a thick plastic and plush velvet foam and feel very solid and comfortable even after hours of extended use.

These headphones are basically a thesaurus for every positive descriptive term there is, they’re that incredible.  Rich and balanced bass response is complimented by refined treble and mid range frequencies.  Discerning ears will definitely hear differences in bit rates and levels of production quality of their MP3’s.  That’s the thing, the Pro 900’s are so accurate and true that they’ll literally pick apart your music.  You’ll notice flaws in recording techniques and appreciate subtle nuances that you’ve never heard before.

As I’ve mentioned in past headphone and earbud reviews, an important variable in gauging the quality of a headphone is going to be the source material you’re listening to.  With today’s music listener using primarily MP3’s that have fluctuating compressions, it makes it more difficult to accurately judge what’s really going on.

I was able to clearly tell when recordings and mixes were all over the place as well as when everything was tight and compact.  For whatever it’s worth, it definitely made me more critical towards my judgement of recorded music.  But a rare treat in that.  Makes me wish I had had these twenty years ago!

The only thing I didn’t like about the Pro 900’s was the input jack.  You need to attach the 3.5mm adapter to use it with any MP3 player and it ends up sticking out really far and can be slightly obtrusive.  Other than that, these are the best headphones I have ever heard point blank, period.  If they’re in your budget or you have to save up for a couple months to buy them, they will be one of the best things you can buy for yourself as a music lover.  Even from an audio engineering standpoint, mixing and recording with the Pro 900’s was a sheer blast.  I absolutely recommend the UltraSone Pro 900’s to everyone who has the cash to drop on some immensely amazing headphones.

Pros:

• Unbelievable sound reproduction
• Extremely competent across multiple scenarios
• Comfortable and durable

Cons:

• Mad pricey!
• Length of input jack when coupled with 3.5mm adapter is cumbersome
• That’s it!

Buy them here for $469!