Looking to minimize the amount of space your PC takes up? All-in-One desktop solutions are great for solving this, but apart from the actual display and tower itself you also have to worry about your interface devices and peripherals. That’s where this now very affordable Logitech K360 keyboard comes in! This keyboard comes in a super sleek size without sacrificing usability and that’s also in wireless! It connects with its nano USB receiver which plugs into and hides away on your PC and from their you’re good to go. It has 121 keys included along with 6 one-touch hot keys which allow you to access certain functions and even has 12 programmable f-keys for some easy macro action. Definitely a steal priced at the $19.99 that Best Buy now offers!’

Grab this keyboard for only $19.99 with included free shipping.

Today’s Amazon’s Deal of the Day has Virgin Mobile Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 Prepaid Mobile Hotspot on sale. Regularly $149.99, with today’s discount, you only pay $49.99 for the prepaid mobile hotspot. You’re saving $100 or 67%, plus it has free shipping.

Small and compact, the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 Prepaid Device can travel anywhere! You can connect up to five devices with this mobile hotspot with no contract needed and with simple one-touch connectivity, it’s very easy to use. With no special software to install and easy online configuration, all you need is a computer with a working web browser.

When used with a prepaid Virgin Mobile 3G connection plan, the MiFi 2200 is able to handle both the bandwidth and data volume of up to five email/browsing users at the same time. Connect and sync data to devices like cameras, music players, personal media players, mobile phones and portable game consoles. Users will also experience faster average download speeds of 600 kbps – 1.4 Mbps

It’s a perfect wireless solution whether you just want to connect quickly, or if you want the flexibility of being able to configure security. The Web user interface also gives you access to location-based points of interest and weather. The box includes: Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 Prepaid Mobile Hotspot, AC charger, USB cable, battery and carrying pouch.

Whether you just prefer to do your web browsing from the bed or if you want some inputs to get used to no matter where you are, the Verbatim Mini Wireless Slim Keyboard and Mouse is a nice, compact solution that is incredibly easy to set up, comfortable to use, and effective for just about any purpose shy of gaming. With a roughly laptop-sized keyboard and a small mouse that also houses the wireless receiver when not in use, this set comes with pretty much everything you could need from a wireless keyboard and mouse.

The keyboard itself is fairly standard, complete with function keys and even selectable number pad keys and volume controls. The keyboard runs off of 2 AAA batteries and just stays on, waiting for inputs. The keys are push in comfortably, and it’s very easy to adapt to for anybody who spends any amount of time using a laptop. The letter keys are spaced more like a traditional desktop computer, which is great for typing, though the other keys tend to be more bunched up and in different places, which means looking around a bit if you’re trying to insert or delete.

In order to save on battery life, the mouse features an on/off switch on the bottom. More responsive than other optical mice I’ve tried, the Verbatim Mini Wireless Mouse is a comfortable yet small size, works great on almost every surface I tried (including my white desk), and the scroll wheel is smooth but responsive. The fact that the mouse can be used anywhere is a serious perk to consider when you imagine that you might be taking these out to use on a conference room table or a couch arm or anywhere you can think of, really. Knowing that the mouse is going to be responsive on a wide array of surfaces increases the potential uses for a wireless combo like this.

As nice as the Verbatim Mini Wireless Slim Keyboard and Mouse are, however, there is still room for improvement. The lack of a power button on the keyboard means that battery life is always draining, albeit slowly, though if you’re carrying the keyboard with you, every time a key is pressed it’s pecking away at the battery. The tiny wireless USB receiver, while convenient in its size, is pretty easy to lose track of if you don’t want to keep removing and replacing the mouse’s battery case to store it. While I’m sure they would make the battery life drop a little faster, some lights on the keyboard to let you know if Num Lock or Caps Lock are activated would go a long way. I also would like to see some kind of USB compatibility so that if your batteries run out and you don’t have a spare set on you, you could still use the keyboard at least.

With a solid wireless distance and decent battery life, the Verbatim Mini Wireless Slim Keyboard and Mouse make for a very good temporary solution for presentations or the odd situation where you don’t want to stretch cables. However, because of the reliance strictly on AAA batteries that do wear down after about 15-20 hours, I don’t recommend getting these for use in making your home a bit more mobile or wireless. The products themselves work to specifications and the fact that all it typically takes to get going is plugging them in and putting batteries in goes a long way in my opinion of any wireless device. Finding a regular use for them that makes sense in terms of not constantly buying batteries, on the other hand, is a little harder to do.

Editor’s Rating

3.5 out of 5 stars

Very Good

Bottom Line: The Verbatim Mini Wireless Slim Keyboard and Mouse isn’t perfect, but has enough going for it that it should be considered for anybody looking to add some wireless functionality to any computer around. The compatibility across multiple operating systems means that no matter where you are or what you’re doing, getting started is often just as easy as plugging in the wireless USB receiver to the system and going. For a product designed for portability and ease of use, something as pivotal as that simply can not be overlooked. Anyone looking for a replacement for their current keyboard and mouse aren’t going to like shelling out battery money frequently, however.

Pros:

• Full number pad via a function key is a rarity for portable keyboards
• Works with a variety of operating systems simply by plug and play
• Mouse works great on virtually every surface and has a full, clickable scroll wheel

Cons:

• 2 AAA batteries for the keyboard, another 2 for the mouse, if you use these devices with any degree of long-term frequency, you’ll need to keep a lot of batteries stocked
• Lack of LEDs for Num Lock, Caps Lock, or Scroll Lock means relying on the installable toolbar that comes with the keyboard on a CD to know if you have any enabled
• With no shutoff switch for the keyboard, batteries need to be removed to make sure life isn’t being drained while it stows in your bag or briefcase

The Verbatim Mini Wireless Slim Keyboard and Mouse is available from Amazon for $29.24.

The Belkin F9K1107 Wireless Dual-Band Travel Router is designed to be taken on the road and more importantly stuffed inside a bag.   There is no mention of its actual measurements, but Belkin is tossing in a a carrying case that holds the plug and some additional cords.  Like many of today’s full sized routers it supports WiFi b/g/n and simultaneous dual band mode.  There is also the usual assortment of security protocols and even a push button WPS setup.  So at the end of the day it’s a full featured router, though it lacks the additional Ethernet ports or a USB port for sharing storage devices on the network.  It’s just too bad there isn’t a built-in battery.

No word on availability, but it will retail for $79.99.

Weighing in at under 3 pounds, as soon as you unbox the SuperTooth Disco speaker and see it in its long, sleek velcro carrying case, you almost immediately want to have a barbecue in the park or a backyard party to use it with. In these scenarios, the speaker is ideal, pairing easily to any bluetooth-enabled device to turn the songs you store on your phone into content that can be broadcasted loudly to share with your friends or enjoy while at home. Packaged with a charging cable and a 3.5mm cord to use in a wired environment, SuperTooth prepared for every possible way to use the speaker.

With a 12 watt subwoofer and 2 8 watt speakers, the SuperTooth Disco really does have a powerful sound to it. For personal use, I find it’s more than capable of blasting my music at roughly a quarter of the maximum volume with the bass boost on. Obviously requiring more energy to run with higher volumes, this setting gets me about 15 hours of continuous play, which is certainly more than I’ve ever needed to run in a wireless environment.

Where the battery life gets truly impressive is in the speaker’s standby mode. The Disco goes into standby shortly after sound stops being transmitted through it, and starts back up again a few seconds after sound resumes. In its standby mode, the SuperTooth Disco can stay powered for 1500 hours. Let me do the math for you here: 62 and ½ days. With a full battery, your SuperTooth Disco can sit on standby for two entire months before losing its charge. The device hasn’t been in my possession long enough for me to confirm this exact figure, but I can confirm that I’ve charged it exactly twice since receiving it, once after getting it out of the box and once after testing the continuous play life. Since then I have left it in standby, bringing it out for a few hours every week or so during a get-together, and the speaker just keeps running.

The sound is dominant coming from thisspeaker, as well. There are some minor quirks to it that have made my listening experience less than optimal, however. The subwoofer is located on the back-left of the speaker, meaning that the bass tends to be more dominant on one side than the other, and without the boosted bass, a slight tinny rattle of more treble-focused instruments is easily audible. I was able to fix this problem by putting the speaker in a more acoustic-friendly room with minimal furniture and a tile floor, but these problems keep the speaker from being truly utilitarian.

The speaker looks and works great for the most part however, is easy portable, and can even be gripped in one hand. It’s lightweight, comes with a nice black carrying case with a velcro front for tweaking volume and changing tracks as well as a back velcro flap so that it can be charged or connected to a wired device without having to remove it from its case, as well as a vent for the subwoofer to both draw in and expel air. It pairs very easily to every device I’ve tried to connect it with, including one evening in which I had two people jockeying for the DJ position with their phones. They were able to switch their pairing back and forth quickly without a large lull in the tunes.

The SuperTooth Disco isn’t really a suitable solution for your computer desk or entertainment center, but is just fine to keep you entertained in the kitchen or across the bathroom while you’re in the shower. Out in a public setting like a camping trip or even for an old school-style ghetto blaster experience, the SuperTooth Disco shines head and shoulders against just about any other solution. With one of the most amazing battery lifes I’ve ever encounted and a very powerful blast of audio, the SuperTooth Disco will do wonders as an upgrade from on-board speakers on your phone, tablet, or laptop.

Editor’s Rating

4 out of 5 stars

Great

Bottom Line: The SuperTooth Disco is the most versatile, long-lasting portable audio solution I’ve handled. While there are some flaws in terms of actual audio quality, the output and ease of use wows everybody I’ve shown the product off to. Though it may not be perfect, in the areas the Disco shines, it goes well above and beyond expectations every single time.

Pros:

• Incredible battery life that stays preserved through intelligent sleep mode that activates and deactivates dependent upon whether any sound signal is being sent
• Bass boost is very effective, adding to the already impressive volume capabilities that make the Disco speaker ideal for any kind of large room or outdoor situation
• Easy to transport with Velcro case that allows for wireless or wired use, and track navigating controls featured on the front panel

Cons:

• Treble and higher sounds are tinny when using only the speaker, a problem that alleviates itself in the right acoustic space
• Only one subwoofer on the left side can make the stereo effects feel lopsided from time to time when using the speaker
• With only a one-setting bass boost and no other tuning features, audio enthusiasts may not like the Disco’s sound, and are largely unable to adjust it

The SuperTooth Disco is available from Amazon for $117.18.

4 out of 5 stars

Before reviewing the MacBook Air, I hated trackpads. It’s just a technology that I feel never really cemented itself with us, as human beings, because it requires touch, and every touch is different. A very dry finger glides well, but a moist one may not. Mushy fingertips don’t work particularly well, and stubby ones don’t always read on the surface. Touch interfaces are quickly becoming the preferred method of digital communication through smartphones and tablets, but the trackpad remains mostly unchanged. They come in many shapes and sizes and textures, with nearly all the same highlights and limitations. Frankly, I’m far more partial to what IBM dubbed Trackpoint.

That said, it’s hard to use a laptop these days without using a trackpad, so like everyone I adjusted. There are good and bad trackpads, and frankly too many reasons not to use them. Logitech’s Wireless Touchpad is, with exception to Apple products, the first trackpad I actually enjoy using.

Like Apple’s own Magic Trackpad, the Touchpad is a wireless trackpad built specifically with touch-features in mind. That means two-finger scrolling, three- and four-finger gestures, and the simplicity of a long-lasting wireless user interface device. In this respect Logitech has hit the metaphorical nail on the head. The Wireless Touchpad is large and comfortable to use, all of its features and functions work exactly as expected. The Touchpad is a good, solid product, through and through.

That being said, Windows 7 isn’t suited for good trackpad use. OS X is. The difference between them is monumental. There is no smooth scrolling, few gestures, and minimal support for multitouch devices. This, coming from a company who three years ago revealed the Surface touch-only table computer. Yet there are still around ten touch gestures for the OS. It’s disheartening, to say the least.

Which is why it’s surprising Logitech has made the Touchpad for Windows 7 only. $20 cheaper than Apple’s Magic Trackpad, the Wireless Touchpad could easily compete on OS X based solely on features, let alone price. Even without Bluetooth compliance, lord knows how many Mac users have available USB slots that they are willing to spare, and it’s not hard to imagine a Bluetooth version selling for $5-$10 more. Limiting the Wireless Touchpad to Windows 7, and undoubtedly Windows 8 when it releases, is a significant limitation.

Logitech’s use of the USB radio – part of their “Unifying receiver” dongle, which works with about two dozen Logitech keyboards and mice – will simplify your current or future wireless Logitech products by sending data through a single dongle, though I myself am still stuck with the G700 and G930 on separate dongles because gaming hardware requires more bandwidth and faster rates. Still, the dongle is tiny and is more than adequate for any desktop or laptop.

The only real problem I’ve faced with the Wireless Touchpad has been the area of the touch-sensitive surface. The 5″ area is large, but the edges aren’t pronounced and impossible to feel. Especially when using multi-touch gestures, it’s far too easy to have one finger out of bounds and accidentally do a three-finger ‘back’ command instead of a four-finger ‘screen left’ command. It’s an easy fix as we’ve seen on plenty of laptops: make the physical area for the actual trackpad lower than the rest of the surface. That way, users have a tactile feeling for the edges.

Logitech’s Wireless Touchpad is a fine piece of hardware. The trackpad is sensitive and accurate, the two mouse buttons large and tactile, though the pad itself is easy to slip out of. The Touchpad is comfortable at a distance or up close, and especially from the couch where plenty are expected to use it. Windows, however, has little love for touch-sensitive devices and frankly that severely limits what you can do with the Touchpad. It is the new de-facto mouse when not at a table or flat surface, but besides that, a mouse is a mouse is a mouse. I like it and recommend it, but it’s not magic.

You can buy the Logitech Wireless Touchpad from Amazon for $50.

Pros:

• Solid design, tactile buttons, comfortable to use for long periods on the couch or at a table
• It works just right! Wireless signal is strong at a distance of 20′

Cons:

• Windows 7 isn’t suited for touch-sensitive gestures; no OS X support
• Trackpad square has no tactile bounds, its too easy to slide a finger off the sensitive portion

Networldoverstock via eBay has a very low price going for this Sprint Motorola 4G Clear Desktop WiFi Aircard Modem at only $28.99 + Free Ship = $28.99

Give yourself speedy Internet connectivity on any computer anywhere you go! This Motorola 4G Modem works with any Sprint Wireless contract that includes 4G, and with a simple activation to your plan you can now obtain blazing fast Internet speeds for any laptop or computer running on any Operating System. It’s more than 10 times faster than 3G which means your video calls will go unhindered and your network will operate seamlessly. It’s very portable and easy to use while hiding within dual antennas with the best in class radio performance. All of this at a super low price anyone can afford!

Apple’s iPad and iPhone are without a doubt a fantastic device.  They provide one of the best touchscreen experiences, but unlike many of their competitor lack an expandable storage slot.

Solution?  Seagate’s GoFlex Satellite Mobile Wireless Storage hard drive (STBF500101).  It’s similar to Seagate’s other portable hard drives, but instead of sporting just a wired interface, it can also connect to your iPad via WiFi and stream to 2 other devices simultaneously.  The feature set rounds out at 500GB of storage, a USB 3.0 interface hotswappable to Firewire 800 or eSATA, and a 5 hour battery life or 25 hour battery standby time.

Seagate has developed an iPad app and for all other devices it is compatible with the standard web browser, making it compatible with Android devices and computers with WiFi.

You can preodrer the Seagate’s GoFlex Satellite Mobile Wireless Storage hard drive from a variety of retailers today for $199.99.  Expect it to ship this July.

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Newegg is offering a super promo code on this Samsung HT-C650W DVD Home Theater System which now costs only $349.99 – $120 Coupon (EMCYTZT481) + Free Shipping = $229.99 for the next 48 hours only!

Bring home the perfect edition to your HDTV without breaking the bank! For a heavily reduced price you can now upgrade your living room with impressive 5.1-Channel Surround sound and a powerful DVD player that does it all. This system provides you with super clear audio which can boost up loudly with up to 1000 Watts of total output power while also featuring Crystal Amplifier technology to give you truly lifelike sound. It’s a breeze to setup and even manages to cut the clutter with wireless rear speakers to eliminate running cables across the room. It allows HD Up conversion of DVDs with HDMI output and even includes a universal dock for direct control and playback of any iPod’s content to juice up your music. Get it while it lasts!

TigerDirect has a new discount going for this D-Link Boxee Wireless 32GB HD Digital Media Streamer which is now just $179.99 + $4.89 Shipping = $184.88!

Unlock a brand new and enriching home theater experience that your HDTV deserves! The D-Link Boxee is a new and interesting gadget that brings a nearly limitless supply of digital media straight to your Home Theater system! Connect yourself online via Wired or Wireless connection and stream all of your favorite media from your home computer or even online. When online you can connect to many popular services which provide you with all your favorite music, movies and photos online. You can even receive recommendations to stay connected socially on sites like Facebook and Twitter, so you can remain in the loop without leaving the comfort of your sofa. The remote also comes with a full QWERTY keypad so you have the freedom to search for whatever media you like. With this device you can take full control over you media so everyone around can enjoy it.

Newegg is offering up some huge coupon savings on this YAMAHA YMC-700 NeoHD 5.1-channel Wi-Fi Media Controller for only $499.99 – $320 Coupon (EMCKFJF28) + Free Shipping = $179.99!Get the most of your home theater equipment with superior quality and connectivity! The Yamaha NeoHD Media Controller is the perfect device to enhance all of your HD sound and video equipment quickly and easily. It utilizes several HDMI inputs which allows you to connect to your TV with a single line, and once it’s connected you have many enhancements available to you. It utilizes Dolby TrueHD and DTS Digital Surround codecs for superior sound quality as well as compressed music enhancers to get the best out of your MP3 collection. It even offers Wi-Fi connectivity for connecting to Rhapsody and streaming all of your favorite music on demand.

Buydig has a super low price for this Garmin Nuvi 295W GPS which is only $104 – $5 Coupon (BUYDIGCLUB5) + Free Shipping = $99!

If you’re looking for a GPS that does more than just find directions then take a look at this! This Garmin Nuvi 295W Widescreen GPS unlocks a host of new features you never thought possible in a GPS. First of all it has full Wi-Fi wireless capability to connect to the Internet and allows you access to an HTML web browser, and second it includes a built-in 3.0MP camera. The browser allows you a quick way to check any of your emails or do quick auto searches via google for points of interest near you, and the camera allows you to snap photos of your location for quick access to directions to there in the future so you will always know where you’re going. The widescreen display allows dual orientation modes so you can switch it at any time based on preference and it has quick one-touch links for both email and searches for easy access to all needed information on the fly.

Amazon is offering a super discount on this Kindle DX Wireless 9.7-inch Reading Device for just $379 – $80 Discount + Free Shipping = $299 Today Only!

The new Kindle by Amazon is by far the best reading device available, and it’s even better with the DX! The DX features a huge 9.7-Inch E-Ink screen for optimal contrast and clarity for reading all of your favorite books and novels on the go. It’s easy to look at and designed to look just like the pages of a real book, so it will never strain your eyes. It can fit 3,500 books at a time so you will never run out of reading and with free 3G connection you will always be able to find more books online no matter where you are. It’s as thin as a magazine so you can easily take it with you anywhere and features a super impressive 1 week of battery life on a single charge with wireless on, or 3 weeks with wireless off so you never run out of reading time.

Get it fast! Offer expires 4/15.2011 at 11:59 PST!

A wind powered router?  Sign us up. Sadly that’s not what this is.  In fact, it’s Logitec’s (not the US Logitech) LAN-WH450N/GR wireless router.  That unsightly windmill like protrusion is a tri antenna design that supposedly helps achieve a throughput of 450Mbs, which is par for the course for an N router.  Nonetheless, the wacky antenna design warrants at the very least a look, right?  If you’re of the wired type, there is also a set of gigabit Ethernet ports.

You can snag one for about $230.

Via: Ohgizmo

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Dell Home is offering this Dell V313W Wireless Printer for a steal!

Printing is a very important part of computing, whether you’re a home user or business users and with so many types to choose from your budget is usually the deciding factor. Here’s a printer that comes very light on your budget but offers an array of very useful features! The Dell V313W is an All-in-One printer which can print, copy and scan quickly and easily. All of these abilities come together in a compact form which doesn’t eat away your desk space, but at the same time makes nice quality prints at a very fast 33 pages per minute so you don’t get caught waiting! The settings are easily accessible on the bright 2-line screen so you can see just what you’re doing without any hassle.

The best part of this printer is the full wifi capability, so that every computer on the network can easily connect to this printer and send out documents and photos without wires connected all around! This is a very important ability in business application as well, and provides you with the peace of mind a printer should. Also allows direct connection to cameras using PictBridge to print photos directly from your camera to take out a step!

Final Price comes to a low $99.99 – $35 Coupon (4RP69W9PKMQM26) + Free Shipping = $64.99!

3 out of 5 stars

My opinion on all racing wheels is this: if you’re going to play a semi-realistic racing game, why not do it with a wheel? A controller is unnatural for racing, no matter how good you may be twiddling your thumbs. It just doesn’t compare to a wheel. Wheels themselves come in all shapes and sizes, and while the most powerful one I’ve seen thus far is the Thrustmaster T500RS, my time with it was limited.

With the Ferrari Wireless GT Cockpit 430 Scuderia Edition, I’ve driven the distance from LA to New York and back,, and then some.

The Ferrari Wireless GT Cockpit 430 Scuderia Edition, or 430 for short, is a wireless non-motorized racing wheel made specifically with console and desk-taken players in mind. It not only sports the wheel and two foot pedals, but is a fully assembled slab of metal, plastic and electronics built to eliminate bolting the wheel down to a desk or holding it on the lap. It may not be marketed towards console gamers, but there is no better place for the 430 than in front of a giant HDTV.

That’s not to say it doesn’t fit right at home in front of a desk. It doesn’t fit my desk, not in the slightest, though not everyone will have that problem. My PS3 moves between my office desk and media center, and for my testing of the 430 the console went back to a full-fledged TV. This wasn’t a problem, of course, because the 430 is a fully-inclusive racing wheel.

What that means is that unlike most racing wheels, it isn’t meant to be seated on a steady surface, like a table. It comes with it, as you can see in the pictures above and below. The wheel is connected to an adjustable metal bar, which can have it’s length and angle adjusted to accommodate any seating position or player height. And because it’s connected to a steady base with the foot pedals, it’s very stable.

Keeping a racing wheel stable is a great difficulty for many gamers. Logitech has used a bolt-system for stabilizing it’s wheels, Fanatec a mix of lever and pressure handles. Both require a table, and a strong one at that. Even then there is no assurance that the surface will remain stable, and that the wheel will remain in place. And when racing, if the wheel isn’t stable, neither is your driving. The 430 with stability in mind, which is why the base of the setup also houses the foot pedals. The 430 is smartly built to use a player’s own weight, along with 10.5kg of weight added to the base, to keep the wheel firmly set.

It also helps that the 430 is not a motorized racing wheel. That is to say it won’t fight back, so players will not get the most realistic driving experience using this wheel. The next best alternative is the Logitech G27, which comes with wires, a powerful motor, an excellent gearbox, and three foot pedals.

Installation is straightforward and takes no more than five minutes. Two pedals work for gas and brakes, and shifting gears is accomplished by hitting the right and left pedals behind the steering wheel. The height and position of the wheel can be set mechanically, and it can also fold down for easy storage. There’s even a handle at the end to carry it around. The wheel can also be removed for easier storage.

With a 270° turn radius, the 430 is a tight racing wheel, though the handle diameter is relatively small at 28cm, just under a foot. It feels small, especially for regular drivers or anyone who’s played with larger racing wheels, but that size won’t diminish your ability to drive in-game. Thrustmaster states that it’s 70% the size of an actual Ferrari F430 wheel.

Driving with the 430 is average to good. The small size is noticeable and the lack of force feedback has its ups and downs. On the one hand, not having to fight the wheel made it easier to focus on the driving aspect and not fighting it, but on the other hand, not having to fight back limits how realistic the racing is. For the purposes of this review, we won’t philosophize the realism of any simulator when lacking proper G-forces.

Button placement is optimal for gaming, not for fitting any console control scheme, which is both good and bad. Buttons scattered around the wheel make it more comfortable to command on the PC, but less comfortable on the PS3. Every button has to be manually set on the game console, and doing so is no easy task.

Even with the wheel’s small size, driving with it feels good. The leather is easy to grasp and comfortable to hold for hours at a time. The directional “Inginition” key, which acts as a D-pad, makes most menu navigation fairly simple. Driving with only 270 degrees° does take some getting used to. Not having any force feedback is likewise a challenge. Players may be able to focus on driving instead of pushing against a wheel, but that makes driving no easier. The buttons are well placed, and the shift pedals are strong and clicky.

I had no trouble with the wireless connection or using four AA batteries. They’re rated for 50 hours, and I haven’t managed to use them up after a month. The battery life really is phenomenal, but even better is how easy the 430 is to store. I’ve had five other racing wheels, all for review, and all were equally terrible when it came to storage. They all have cables, extra parts and connectors, and none came with a simple way to store them when not in use. The 430 is one piece. You take it out, play, and put back with no fuss. I don’t know about you, but I hate having to spend 10-15 minutes getting a racing setup together to play. The 430 takes 30 seconds.

The way I see it, the Ferrari Wireless GT Cockpit 430 Scuderia Edition is a racing wheel for anyone who doesn’t want to waste time, who doesn’t want wires and cables everywhere, and who doesn’t need every bell and whistle other wheels have. It’s all inclusive, and while I’d love an option for a gearbox, for the sake of consolidation Thrustmaster is right to have left it out. For $250, buyers get a wheel that’s smaller and less realistic than the next best competitor.

The 430 is, however, better for storage, more practical, and more reasonable for the even-minded gamer. It won’t give you the best racing experience, but if you play racing games on and off, or perhaps play when you can, then this is a great wheel for you. Console gamers and those interested in force feedback should look elsewhere, knowing that they will spend more money, and find a way to keep it steady. Having the all-in-one setup on the 430 is simply amazing, really. But for gameplay, it’s only better if you don’t want force feedback, and need something to keep the wheel steady.

For that, Thrustmaster reigns supreme. I’ve never seen or used a wheel so easy or comfortable to use over time. It actually makes me want to play racing games. It’s great for what it was designed for, but at a price too close to more advanced, albeit less convenient racing wheels.

I’m the only person I know who liked the original Xbox controllers. Known comically as the Duke, Microsoft’s original design was one I thought, and in some ways still believe to be the best controller in terms of size. It just happened to be the most comfortable controller for me. And, as I recall first discovering after being pulled over with my brother at the wheel and two uniforms taking their time with our hands on the dashboard, I don’t have big hands.

So why the hell would small controllers be good?

It’s an interesting phenomenon, one I’m finding to be a small but common theme here at CES. Mini controllers are making a comeback, after appearing gimmicky and childish a few years back. Power-A and Madcatz both have mini controllers – gamepads similar to current models from the respective companies or 1st parties – and I was surprisingly fond of every one. Power-A introduced the Mini Pro line, which includes a wired controller for both the 360 and PS3, as well as a wireless PS3 model. And, of course, an update from the Pro Pack Mini for the Wii, now named the Pro Pack Wii Plus, with built-in MotionPlus.

The mostly unknown company to gamers, Power A is doing quite well for itself (and we’re reviewing two of their products, but a pesky convention postponed it), has built some pretty decent hardware. I played around with the Mini line of controllers, specifically the PS3 models, and I was shocked.

I’ve always liked giant controllers, but here…I raced exceptionally well in Gran Turismo 5, and shot with the utmost precision in Call of Duty: Black Ops. The controllers I played with weren’t even finalized, but they felt great in the hand, and I played darned well with them. None of the controllers felt small…they felt more precise, and comfortable because I could wrap my hands around them. I’ll need to do more testing once they become available.

Mad Catz is likewise adding to their controller lineup (and doing absurdly well), with four Reactor models: two standard-sized controllers, and two mini, one of each with MotionPlus built-in. Each share a design that is unique to Wii controllers, one that’s vastly different from what we’ve seen in the past, but not so much that Wii owners could be left dumbfounded. The button shapes and placement has changed from Nintendo’s very geometric design to one that’s more ergonomic and realistic. The 1 & 2 buttons, for instance, go diagonally against the main build, which gives players more leverage when pressing them.

The age of Mini Me may be coming back, if the controllers are good enough. So far, these two companies are making it look easy. Mad Catz has already been in the mini controller business, which it stopped four years ago, and they’re surprised at the comeback. As long as it works, and adults and kids can use the controllers without respite, who the hell cares. Just give us the best damn controllers, and we will play.

A printer with a tablet built into it. A removable 7″ tablet running Android with the Android Marketplace. It’s the stuff that dreams are made of.

HP’s Photosmart eStation is probably the most perfect design for a printer ever. Not because it prints well, or because the hardware is intrinsically different from other printers. It’s made for the modern family, with functionality spanning far and above the call of a simple printer/fax/scanner/copier. This printer can surf the web, play games, read news and watch movies. And it’s all completely wireless. Because it’s completely wireless, there’s nowhere to plug in a fax modem…so all buyers get free online faxing…though after reading the fine print, it’s only 20 faxes inbound and outbound (40 total, but separately) before users have to pay for an online fax service.

Take it on a trip if you like…but don’t expect to print direct. You’ll still need to email the documents to print directly to he printer.

The eStation is built wonderfully, and with an Android Tablet built in and removable (with 4-6 hours of battery life under heavy use, according to one HP spokesperson), the price is expected to be astronomical. Samsung’s Galaxy Tablet is going for, at it’s cheapest on T-Mobile and Sprint, $400 with a 2-year contract. The eStation is the exact same price, $399 with a tablet.

And considering that the printer is no lightweight either with 32 pages per minute in color, scanning up to 1200×2400, Wi-Fi (only, no Ethernet port but USB printing is possible) b/g/n and copies up to 1200dpi. That, and from the same Wi-Fi network anyone can print directly from the tablet, which acts as a pseudo-remote/tablet. Print up webpages directly from the tablet, control how the printer operates from your living room, whatever you want. Simply, it’s genius. I can’t wait to see how it pans out.

The HP Photosmart eStation is available now, with an online deal of $350.

With a new version of its home theater system remote, Bang & Olufsen beings wireless control to its living room entertainment system. The Beo6 replaces the Beo5 and looks good doing it.

A glass display with touch interface provides for the more complex aspects of the interaction, and it’s connected to an aluminum ball sporting the more classical buttons you’d expect on a remote control, although with the touch-screen-connected-to-a-sphere design, this is more reminiscent of Star-Trek than anything that controls a television.

TV menus and station logos will be displayed on the touchscreen, and programmable macros give meta-control over your living room environment, from dimming the lights to switching media sources.

No prices and shipping dates are available, and I say prices because the Beo6 will come in either aluminum or gold, both with black accents.

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