4.5 out of 5 stars

I love two types of products: simple products that can be used in a million ways, and complex products that are easy to use. As Einstein put it, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” That’s why the Joby Gorillamobile for iPod Touch is such a great device. It’s as simple as it can get, and has a billion uses.

The Gorillamobile is made specifically for the iPod Touch, but isn’t limited to it. Using an elegant switch-in and out system and four adapters that fit onto the top of the tripus (that’s octo – eight – pus), even though Joby sells it specifically for the iPod Touch (2^nd and 3^rd generation), the Gorillamobile works just as well with compact and sub-compact cameras, webcams, and just about any small and light gadgets you may own. Just remember that only two adhesive adapters are included, so if you plan on using the Gorillamobile for products without a 1/4^th tripod screw, buy extra adhesive panels.

Specifically with the iPod Touch, the Gorillamobile is great, so long as it is a 2^nd or 3^rd generation iPod. The 4^th gen, reviewed a few months back, does fit, but not well. That is to say the 4^th gen iPod will stay put and fits comfortably in the case, but is prone to falling out if held upside down. The case is also a solid piece with no openings for the newer iPod’s camera, so it can’t be used for video. Also, because the 4^th Gen iPod’s power/standby has been moved to the right (from the left, where it is on all older models), users with 4^th Gen iPods will need to take the iPod out to turn it off.

Secondary devices, like cameras and webcams, work very well also with the Gorillamobile. I used the recently reviewed Sony Cybershot TX9 and Nikon S1100pj, and both fit fine on the Gorillamobile. The TX9 doesn’t weigh down the Gorillamobile, but the bulkier Nikon compact is on the cusp of being too heavy at 6.4oz. While the Gorillamobile does not have a listed maximum weight, I’d guess anywhere from 160-200 grams. 180 grams is 6.4oz. That means it will support the weight of most sub-compact cameras and webcams, but larger/heavier devices may not fit well. Taller electronics can also be a problem. The further they extend away from the base, the less weight they need to bend the legs.

As with most Joby products, the Gorillamobile uses the multi-joint legs which can be contorted into any desired shape for wrapping around poles, tree branches, or any way you can think of. The Gorillamobile is small with 6” long legs, so it won’t wrap around a flat surface well because the ball connectors are too small and light. Still, this is meant for an iPod Touch and similarly sized devices, meaning you can wrap the Gorillamobile around a door handle or even your hand, or rest it comfortably atop a display.

The lock switch is a nice touch. It keeps the attachable adapters in place in case the release is accidentally pressed. It may seem moot, but if the Gorillamobile isn’t securely fastened or slips for any reason, it’s better for the attached device that they do not separate. The shape and design of the Gorillamobile makes it resilient to falls. I plugged a webcam onto the Gorillamobile and poorly placed it between my two monitors and it fell, but with the lock enabled, it fell as one piece, not two. My webcam could have been damaged without that lock.

For $25, the Gorillamobile is an easy buy. It’s the kind of product that’s just convenient to have around the house, even if you don’t plan on using it regularly. Hell, just the other day I was shooting and couldn’t keep my camera in place, and used the Gorillamobile to keep it steady. Within ten seconds I got the shot I needed. The only downside is that there is no 4^th gen iPod Touch model, so if you want to use the newer iPod’s camera with the Gorillamobile, it’ll require some DIY work to cut out a hole for the camera. My thoughts on it are simple: if you get a Gorillamobile, you will be pleased.

The deets are few and far between, but Withings Baby Monitor devices is beginning to sound like an interesting one, even if the press release is devoid of grammatical perfection.

From what we can gather, the webcam like device connects to your iPhone over your home’s wireless network and lets you watch your baby sleep in real time.  In addition to monitoring the room’s temperature and humidity, you can set up alerts if the baby wakes up suddenly as well as keep a record of his or her sleep habits.

We’ll know more in March when the device launches.

The Withings Smart Baby Monitor is a video baby phone but it has nothing to do with the existing ones. As a matter of fact, you can watch your baby directly from your iPhone! Use your phone to control from distance the BabyMonitor and alert you when you baby is about to wake up. You can also look at him even if you’re away at work for instance! It has a sound and motion detector. According to Withings philosophy, the BabyMonitor will allow you to track your baby’s nights in time to see if he slept well.

The device also includes an infrared LED to watch your baby at night. It also measure the temperature and humidity to make sure the baby is comfortable. You can even set up personalized alarms that alert you when there is unusual behaviours related to the baby’s movement or temperature.

The Withings Smart Baby Monitor will be available in March 2011… We will keep you in the loop, don’t worry!

It’s that time again. GadgetReview has teamed up with Hercules to give away one of their DualPix HD720p webcams.  This webcam provides a wide-angle auto focus lens, automatic image reconfiguration and includes a software suite that lets you share music, videos and photos while chatting.

We’re giving away one of these. To enter you must be a US resident and submit a comment below with an email address (so we can contact you). Don’t put your email address in the comment, just register it with the comment in the appropriate field. We’ll choose one winner at random.

The comments are moderated so please be patient and enter only one. If you want a double entry follow us on Twitter and tweet “@gadgetreview #hercules”.

This contest ends 11/29/2010

It’s $72.99 – $24 instant off + free ship = $48.99!

Sure, you can use tape to cover your webcam in the hopes that someone doesn’t hack your computer and watch you as you watch porn, but that’s just ghetto.  The Gsou’s webcam automatically lowers his arms to uncover the lens when an incoming video call is detected or conversely raises his arms when your chat session ends.  Safe, secure and cool.

Unfortunately, we don’t know where, or for how much, you can buy it.

[via EverythingUSB]

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Sometimes, I think about video chatting and just how futuristic it really is. A person can be a thousands of miles away, and yet you’re looking and talking right at them (though they’re a little more pixelated than in real life.) Now, Panasonic’s new TT-CC10W Skype webcam wants to make that experience even better. The device sits atop Panasonic’s Viera HDTV and operates at 720p resolution with active noise cancellation audio. It’s like they’re actually in the room! Okay, maybe not, but it will still look really good. Be warned: the camera is only compatible with select Viera model TVs, so don’t buy this thing expecting it work on your laptop.

The TT-CC10W is available June 11th for around $194.

Read

Features:

• 720p movie mode
• 1.8-inch LCD
• 12mb internal memory with memory stick slot
• 4x digital zoom
• 5 megapixel stills

• HD video
• 2 megapixel sensor
• Carl Ziess Lens
• RightLight2 for great brightness
• Premium mic

So remember just yesterday, when I was getting all poingy happy about the half e-reader / half netbook hybrid?  Well, I think I may have just beat that level of awesome but in a totally different direction.  Today I’m talking about the Kohjinsha PA, a combination netbook and tablet PC.

No, seriously–this sucker has a 4.8″ WSVGA touchscreen, 1.33GHz Atom CPU, 512 meg of RAM and a 32 GB SDD.  The battery is slated to run for 7.5 hours, and it even comes with an SD slot and a 1.3 MP webcam, all in a netsurfing portable tablet PC.

I am profoundly impressed by this, even though my chances of ever using such a device are so slim as to approach zero.  I draw like a cat with a pen in its mouth after ingesting large quantities of peyote, so a tablet PC to me is almost less than useless. But still, I’m impressed–and the price is pretty impressive too.

If you want one of these bad boys, you’ll have to shell out a whopping $758 in Japan.  Preorders are going on, and the prices range between $867 and $921.

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Don’t forget Newegg’s $5 coupon: EMCLXNX42 (expires: 10/5)

If you’ve ever had an urge to be known as the office terrorist, you too can become a missile-armed power in your own cubicle with the MSN USB Missile Launcher.

This platform comes equipped with webcam and three missiles.  You can become a minor nuclear power at work for just sixteen dollars and forty-nine cents.

Shoot people as they walk by!  Fire remotely from another cubicle!  Record your missile launches and replay them throughout the office as “test launches” to serve as a warning to the next poor soul who takes the last cup of coffee and doesn’t make more!

Just make sure you don’t shoot your boss by mistake, because chances are he’ll come down on you a lot harder than the UN ever would.  Either that, or he’ll want one of his own.

Oh, and by the way–we’re totally not responsible for any arms races this starts at your office.

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This deal ends 7/4

Based on the design prowess, or lack there of this LCD monitor from Samsung, I think it’s safe to say that the consumer electronics company is cutting back on R&D.  Embedded at the top of the 24-inch VC240 monitor is a 5 megapixel webcam that can capture 720p video at 30fps.  Great if you wanna snap some self portraits, but 720p streaming, I don’t think so, at least not yet.  My VoIP jargon is a little rusty, but from the sounds of it this monitor has its very own built-in VoIP hardware, although its not clear if you can just plug in an Ethernet cord sans computer and dial out.  The monitor specs include 1920×1080 resolution, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 5ms response time and DVI input.  Street date is pegged for this Fall for $1,999.

Full release after the ‘leap’

Samsung and RADVISION Develop HD Video Conference Multimedia LCD Monitor

Samsung to Demo VC240 at Booth #4461, Hall B

InfoComm 2009
Booth #4461, Hall B
ORLANDO, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–RADVISION and Samsung Electronics America, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corporation, today unveiled the VC240, their first product on the market to integrate all the components required for high definition desktop video conferencing into a single unit at an affordable price. The VC240 can operate as a standalone desktop HD video conferencing device and as a 24 inch high resolution monitor.

“Samsung is well-positioned in the future of telepresence and digital convergence, and this partnership with RADVISION brings to market a unique solution with the ability to scale,” says J.H. Kim, President of Samsung Electronics America, Information Technology Division. “The VC240 highlights our ability to provide superior display technology for any current or future display application.”

Ideal for conference rooms and businesses who want to conduct in-person meetings without the complexities associated with travel, the VC240 is an all in one video conferencing solution. A Video and Voice over Internet Protocols (V2oIP) enabled network monitor, it is fully compatible with other VoIP systems including Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based Multipoint Control Units (MCUs) and Unified Communications (MS). It can also function as a one to multipoint video conference with its built-in VoIP module.

“The VC240 breaks down barriers in the desktop market by allowing users to enjoy all the benefits of the high definition video communications experience at a fraction of the cost of existing hardware desktop solutions,” says Boaz Raviv, CEO of RADVISION. “With the introduction of this product Samsung and RADVISION are literally changing the playing field by enabling wide scale deployment of HD video on the desktop. We are honored to partner with the world’s leading expert in LCD technology and together we will bring the market a new level of desktop video communications.”

NEW NETWORK TECHNOLOGY

Leveraging Samsung’s renown front-of-screen performance, the VC240 also incorporates H.264 codec and a 5 megapixel camera and noise-cancelling microphones. The VC240 provides excellent video compression and high resolution images. Special video and voice functions enhance the user experience in a video conference environment, including adaptive jitter buffer, lip synchronization, acoustic echo cancellation and voice activation detection while a 5ms response rate assures users of motion clarity with reduced blurring. A 1000:1 contrast ratio reduces eye fatigue and provides sharper text, deeper shadows and brighter colors.

The VC240 is fully interoperable with RADVISION’s SCOPIA line of products and complements RADVISION’s other desktop video solutions. It will also offer RADVISION’s latest advanced video features including SVC (Scalable Video Coding) and Forward Error Correction features ensuring the highest quality possible.

The VC240 also supports a rage of video and audio inputs, including DVI-I and VGA component connections.

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

The VC240 will be available this Fall with a suggested price of $1,999 through Samsung Resellers and distribution channels, which can be located by calling 1-866-SAM-4BIZ. Samsung Power Partners receive special promotions, lead referrals, training and technical support, as well as collateral and marketing materials. To find out more about becoming a Samsung Power Partner, visit www.samsungP3.com.

Samsung will demonstrate the VC240 from June 17 – 19 in booth #4461, Hall B.

About Samsung Electronics America Information Technology Division

Samsung’s Information Technology Division (ITD) is one of the fastest growing IT companies in the U.S., and is committed to serving the IT needs of consumers ranging from the home user to the Fortune 500 elite, and supports the valued channel partners who serve our customers. Offering innovative solutions and award-winning designs, Samsung ITD presents a complete line of award-winning color and mono-laser printing solutions, desktop monitors, notebook computers, digital signage solutions and projectors. Based in Ridgefield Park, N.J., ITD is a division of Samsung Electronics America (SEA), a U.S. subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (SEC). For more information, please visit www.samsung.com or call 1-800-SAMSUNG.

About Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2008 consolidated sales of US$96 billion. Employing approximately 164,600 people in 179 offices across 61 countries, the company consists of two business units: Digital Media & Communications and Device Solutions. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

About RADVISION

RADVISION (Nasdaq: RVSN) is the industry’s leading provider of market-proven products and technologies for unified visual communications over IP, 3G and IMS networks. With its complete set of standards-based video networking infrastructure and developer toolkits for voice, video, data and wireless communications, RADVISION is driving the unified communications evolution by combining the power of video, voice, data and wireless – for high definition video conferencing systems, innovative converged mobile services, and highly scalable video-enabled desktop platforms on IP, 3G and emerging next-generation IMS networks. To gain additional insights into our products, technology and opinions, visit blog.radvision.com. For more information about RADVISION, visit www.radvision.com.

Don’t forget Newegg’s $10 coupon: EMCLRLX26 (expires: 4/15)