Friday, April 10, 2009

The Best USB Hub

I am using this hub for connecting both a printer and USB hard drive to my airport extreme and it is working perfectly (one note of caution, my hard drive and printer both have their own power supply- I have heard that this non-powered hub will not work for connecting a non-powered hard drive to Airport extreme, but can't verify that)
I have had this product for over a month, with no problems at all, just plugged it in and it worked. Now I can print and back-up wirelessly with my new MacBook. Fantastic solution for such a low price.
I guess the only possible problem with this device would be its short cord, but it is actually a positive for the way that I am using it, because I don't want a large amount of redundant cord piled up.

I got this mini hub as a freebie at a trade show and I am using it occasionally, while on the road - I preemptively plug in the thumb drives that I need and then I attach the entire assembly to whatever machine I may be using when I need them. It's been okay so far.

Any prospective buyer should be aware of the following before making the purchase:

- Definitely meant for travel and laptops, less suitable on one's desk or desktop machines (see below).
- The chord is VERY short. This is an issue with desktops. I suppose it's possible to plug the hub in and leave it hanging off the front or the back of a desktop computer but it's not something that I would do.
- Related to the above, it is not a fashion statement. The hub is functional and allows 4 USB devices to be plugged into it but it is not likely to win any design award. I mention this because, with the chord being as short as it is, the likely space this hub will occupy is on your desk.
- It is not powered. As such, do not plan to use it with (more than one) USB-powered hard drives. It should be okay if the drives use their own power supply.
- It does not have many blinking lights like some other hubs do. I like that.

Overall, the Ultra Mini Hub is a useful device and it should be an excellent buy to the extent that the buyer is aware of the issues I listed above. I see no reason to subtract any stars from my rating because the hub is specifically designed for occasional use while traveling.


Belkin USB 2.0 4-Port Ultra Mini Hub F5U407

The Best Camcorder

I'm a computer artist and animator and I haven't been happy with a lot of cameras. I was drawn to the Ultra Flip because of the lack of wires, I like the idea of the USB stick. They include a set of batteries with the package so you can start recording right away (as well as a little velvet drawstring bag). It was very easy to use, it's just as promised, click the red button to record (and to stop) then flip (ha-ha) the USB stick out and put it in your computer's USB slot.

I read a reviewer of another model of the Flip saying he needed an extra part to hook up his USB, I don't know what he was using but you don't need any middleman if you have a current USB port. Of course it might have been that he didn't feel comfortable with the camera sort of weighing itself down a bit when you have the USB attached to a tower. I'm using mine with a laptop which is on a table so the camera can rest comfortably on it. He might have gotten a USB extension so that he could set his down if he was using a desktop computer. I did try the flip out in my desktop and I did have to make sure that the dog didn't jump around it as it does feel sort of vulnerable, but I will mainly use it in my laptop.

After you have it in your USB port, you will then go to "my computer" and see a new blue icon (unless you're Mac, you'll see a folder for you instead), click it and it installs the program - which seems to run on the stick alone, not taking up any space on your system, although it does put a small encoder on your system.
(Side note: - I did try to click "explore" before I installed the program to see if I could just drag the videos directly to my desktop by passing the program, and while you can save them, you can't see the videos). You have to go through the program to save them to your computer and be viewed properly.

So after you have installed the program, click "flipvideo" from your "my computer", then click "Flip Video for PC.exe" to open the program. It's very simple, you will see your videos and on the left you'll see a "save video" tab, here you can select what video(s) you want to move to your hard drive and then click the save button - they call it saving to your library, they will ask you to name a library, which will end up being a folder that holds your videos, which you will find in your documents as "My Flip Video Library".

After you have done this, you can then open them normally (outside of the program using just a player). They will be saved as AVIs.

They also have a "share video" section where you can upload your movies straight to Youtube, AOL or any video sharing website. Sounds good, but I haven't tried it yet. Now you can make a "movie mix" which is basically adding an effect to your video (slowed down in black and white or cartoon fish floating about etc. - no editing). It's very (very) simple, but it's cute.

They include a little plug that connects your Flip straight to your TV. Use your remote to find your 'line', 'input' or 'source' button to find it, click a few times, you'll see the first still of your video when you've got it right. Then hit play, now it wasn't clear in the instructions, but you want to hit play on your Flip (not the TV), to watch your video on your television and it looks great!

They also have an option to 'save for email' - if you do this it will save the videos into a folder "Flip videos for emailing" on your desktop that you can then send as attachments. When I did this it sped up the sound (think Mickey and Minnie) while the footage remained at normal speed (now don't worry, this doesn't happen when you save the videos to your computer as discussed above). This is probably a compression problem, but we can't fix it in their program, so I won't be using that option again - I'll stick to the 'save to library' option. It also does this for the ecard videos. There is an option to send the video as an ecard with cute little borders around them, recipients are sent a link to see the card, but again when played the sound is sped up.

In spite of that (cuz it's worth it), I have found my video camera, it's so small and light, there are no plugs or cords, it takes great videos, no tracers, no little pixel smudges and the lighting is great. I took one outside at dusk and it looks nice. This thing records twice as long as my bulky handycam and I don't have to format any disks or plug in a bunch of stuff. The picture quality of the Ultra Flip videos is really amazing, my other cameras (handycam, Creative labs, the onboard Vaio and VIJE) do not hold a candle to the Flips quality. I'll be using it for video projects. I am very happy with the Ultra Flip and will be bringing it along with me for a family visit. I recommend it! Yes, I flipped for it!

NEW UPDATE ADDITION (11/15/07): Just an update for you here, after I wrote this review I did run the flip on some other systems and it did not have the problem. I only had the problem on my custom Hypersonic PC laptop which runs windows XP. The computers that had no problems were: A Boxx desktop running Windows XP pro, and a Sony Vaio laptop running Vista, and just today I tested the flip on a Dell desktop running XP home which also had no problems.
-And, a big AND here, after I ran the flip on the first two working machines (the Sony and the Boxx) a few times (using the export and email functions), suddenly it worked on the "bad" Hypersonic laptop. It seemed to have jolted it to work? I don't know why. Since that time I have had continued success on the Hypersonic.
-An engineer from Pure Digital (the makers of the Flip) emailed me after reading my review and we had an extensive exchange working on trying to figure out why this happened and he was very serious about resolving the issue. Another thing that flip does is create updates, so with these two things in mind I feel confident that they have or are taking care of any problems. But again, right now I do not have any problems.
-Also, someone asked if you can take stills. This camera is only a video camera, you can't snap pictures with it, however you can pull stills from your movies inside of their program.


Flip Video MinoHD Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Black)

The Best Laser Mouse

The Logitech VX Nano Laser Mouse is a very good product that fills a big need for mice: a powerful and convenient wireless mouse for mobile use. You can use this mouse for your desktop, but it's really ideal for your laptop on the go. Sure you can take any mouse with your laptop, but the short receiver, small size and included travel case make this mouse extra portable.

Over the past year of using this mouse, I have come to further appreciate its good features as well as become more aware of its short-comings. This is still one of the better laptop mice you can get, but the size means it will be more ideal for women and smaller children than for men. After using it for hours at a time, I have found that even though I have small hands for a man it's just not as comfortable as some of the larger models.

PROS:
+ The tiny receiver works great! Leave it in your USB port or store it in your mouse!
+ Great optical mouse lets you use it anywhere; no mouse-pads!
+ The side grips have a nice dimpled texture for moving your mouse in comfort
+ The included buttons (L-click, R-click, forward, back, slow) are just enough for most users
+ The buttons can be reprogrammed, though only the *slow* button behind the scroll is worth possibly changing
+ The LED light on top alerts you to a weak battery and when turned on or off
+ The premium scroll wheel switches from normal to turbo with a quick press; can be used to "click" or "hyper-scroll" for normal to superfast scrolling
+ Nice convenient storage compartment for USB receiver inside the mouse
+ Convenient On / Off button for conserving battery power when not in use
+ The AAA batteries are convenient and will last a few months between replacements
+ Great comfort for those with small hands, like women and teens
+ The mouse works for right and left handers; lefties need to click the forward / back buttons with their ring finger or pinkie

CONS:
- The size of the mouse will be too small for extended use by those with medium sized or larger hands, including most men; might be OK for short stints, but over time it becomes tiresome
- The forward / back buttons are placed in a strange location on the top but still off to the side; this actually is more comfortable with the left hand than the right hand
- Logitech's Setpoint software is often the source of complaints, though it has improved with updates over the past year
- The lack of extra function keys limits this mouse from power users
- The list price is in the ball-park, but not a great value

INSTALLATION AND SET UP

This mouse generally works upon plugging it in. The software that comes with it allows you to customize the buttons, but for this mouse I didn't have a need to do that. Only the center button behind the scroll wheel is worth customizing. By default it's set to *slow scroll* mode where you move your mouse to control the direction and speed of scrolling. The rest of the buttons are standard and probably don't need to be changed.

FEATURES

This mouse is sleek and fits nicely in your hand. It's got all the standard buttons, and the scroll button is head over heels above all others. The extra *forward* and *back* buttons are now basically standard requirements.

The VX Nano uses 2 AAA batteries, which means no you can use regular or rechargeable batteries and can replace them when they fail. I burned through my first set after about 3 months of usage. I have found since then that I sometimes need to change batteries every month. Sometimes I can get about 2 months out of a set with light usage.

Even when your batteries are dying, you can squeeze out some more time by switching the batteries or turning the mouse off and on again. Turn it off when it's not in use to preserve power. The power button is on the underside of the unit. The mouse also comes equipped with a slot to store the USB plug on the bottom.

In fact, the best feature of this mouse is that USB plug, which is almost flush with the back of my computer when plugged in. Most other wireless mice have plugs that stick out 1-2 inches. This receiver only sticks out about a quarter of an inch. This is the first wireless mouse plug I don't have to worry about forgetting in my laptop. I just toggle it on and off on the bottom and go!

Unfortunately, the forward / backward side keys are in a weird spot, particularly when using this right-handed. You have to move your pointer finger over in such a way as to be uncomfortable. Left-handers can click the forward / back buttons with their ring finger or pinkie, which is much more comfortable. You can even use your middle finger if you are *left-clicking* with it, which is the same as *right-clicking* with your right hand. So if you are ambidextrous, it's better to use this left-handed.

I found the placement of those buttons to be less than ideal when using either hand. They are so small that it's difficult to find them, and after not using them much it's easy to forget they are even there when you need them. They do work a little better left-handed, but in general I wish they were bigger and not so far off to the side.

CONCLUSION

This is a very good mouse that is great for mobile computing. The discrete USB plug makes it convenient for laptop users on the go. The small size means that over time those with medium or large sized hands will want to step up to a larger version. Some may decide that the nano-receiver is not worth the smaller mouse and choose the Logitech MX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse or the Logitech VX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse instead. Logitech has been adding to their lineup of mice that use the smaller mini USB receiver. That includes the Logitech V450 Nano Cordless Mouse- Black and the Logitech V550 Cordless Laser Mouse, among others. So unlike at the time I got the VX Nano, you do have other options.

If you've ever had to replace your computer mouse, then you know that Logitech covers a wide range of the market, from wireless to corded, from tiny to ergonomic, from no-frills to bells-and-whistles. The VX Nano Cordless was designed specifically for use with laptops, although it can be used on desktops.

The "Nano" refers not to the size of the mouse (it is *not* one of those ultra-portable mini mice) but of the wireless USB transmitter. When plugged in, the transmitter extends a mere 1/4 inch; you can leave it attached, slip your notebook into your case, and carry it away without worrying about snapping it off. If you choose not to leave it attached, the mouse itself has a storage compartment underneath that locks in place so you don't lose it. The mouse itself is 3 3/4 inches long, with contoured, rubberized sides for a comfortable grip. The mouse might prove to be too small for large hands, although most people won't want anything larger for their laptops. It beats the mini mouse I have and rarely use.

The tracking sensitivity of the mouse is excellent, and the scrolling feature is lightning quick. Although you can plug in the Nano and start using it right out of the box, you need to download the installation software to take advantage of the more advanced features such as internet search (really cool!) and browser back/forward at a touch. (Mac users have to download the appropriate installation software at the Logitech site, while Windows users can use the enclosed CD.)

The VX Nano comes with two AAA batteries, a soft case, a Windows installation CD, and an adapter for desktop use. The adapter is primarily for computers that do not have a USB connector at desk level; it consists of a USB connector at the end of a cord, with a port for the transmitter. The port is lightweight and can be easily skewed by accident, but its flat bottom keeps it from tipping over. I have an older Mac desktop, with a low-speed USB port on the keyboard, and I was able to plug the transmitter directly into the keyboard to use the mouse.

This device works as well on my MacBook as it does on a Windows laptop. Going online to download the Mac driver doesn't take any longer than it does to slip a CD into the drive and install from there. The only flaw I discovered occurred when I opened the back of the mouse while the transmitter was still plugged into my laptop's USB port, which turned off the mouse power; my laptop displayed a message that it needed to be rebooted, and the screen was completely frozen, disabling the normal restart/shut down menus. I learned quickly that I had to remove the transmitter *before* opening the storage/battery door.

I own two other Logitech mice, but this is by far my favorite. However, no-nonsense laptop users who plan to navigate documents only might find this mouse too pricey. I, however, have already packed mine in my laptop case, where it will travel from home to work and back again.


Logitech VX Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks (Black)

The Best Cable Modem

As an FYI, Amazon has this product listed 3 different ways as "Motorola Surfboard Broadband Cable Modem SB-5101" and as "Motorola Surfboard SB5101 Cable Modem" and as "SURFboard Cable Modem". All are listed at 3 different prices, too!

I did a little bit of homework, and the Motorola seemed to have good reviews. This product is supposed to be the same in function as the SB5120 except that the SB5101 uses a slightly different chip set.

I chose to buy a cable modem so that I could replace the rental unit from the cable company. Make sure your cable company supports this cable modem before buying!

For my setup, I have my cable service from the evil Comcast, my cable modem, and an older Linksys wireless router. The day my Motorola cable modem arrived, I took it out of the box, glanced at the Quick setup guide, and plugged it in. I called Comcast, navigated through their Byzantine automated phone menu system, and read off the MAC ID to the tech services person. He did some stuff on his end to first recognize the new cable modem. Then he had to do some other configuration on his end because of the router. Once that was done, viola! We've been using the cable modem for the past week or so without incident.

To me this is the best kind of electronics product. It takes ~30 sec to hook it up, and once it's done, you can forget about it. It took longer to open the package (and much longer on the call with Comcast) than it took to hook it up.

I've had a Motorola 5100 for about four years. It gradually got degraded and these, like all electronics, wear out and need to be taken out of service. So I bought a new 5101.

The switch was very quick and easy. I called Cox and gave them the information they needed and was online fast.

Let me tell you --- the Internet really flew! I can't tell you how thrilled I was. It made all the difference in the world.

I have a wireless network and a Linksys router. I switched out the router and modem at the same time. The speed on all my computers increased greatly and I no longer have dropped connections.

I depend on my computers for my phone calls through Skype and for my entire business. So I have to have the best and fastest, the most dependable.

I highly recommend this modem. It's reasonably priced and lasts a long time. But do keep in mind that all modems will need to be switched out at least every two or three years if you want to stay on top of things.

Update: I have learned that a number of ISPs like people to use this modem because they can block certain ports of those people who do. This may not be a problem for you. But for some people, it can be. Before you buy it, look around the web and make sure it's what you want. Cable people will deny they do this, but they do. And it can really mess up your Internet experience and give you lots of trouble.


SURFboard SB5101 Cable Modem 515290-107-00

The Best Speakers

Living in a quiet college community I wanted to have access to music while not disturbing other residents. I wanted a nice quality sound for listening to music via the internet and I found it in my new Logtech Stereo Speakers. The sound quality is not unlike that from any good audio system. For such a compact size the sound is awesome. I would recommend these speakers for listeners who enjoy good music while working at their computer or just for listening to music on any computer. They feature adjustable volume, just so you know, and adjusts well to graphic equalizer preferences. It dosent matter the type of music or sound. Logtech speakers adapt well to heavy bass, R and B, Jazz, classical music, video, and/or even techno! Whatever your listening preference Logtech multimedia speakers require little space and delivers quality sound.

I wanted cheap speakers for my desk at work, I was never going to set the sound very high. For the money I paid, I expected some cheap plastic things that would fall over if I looked at them wrong and a volume knob that would fall off if it got the feeling I was thinking about turning it. Boy was I surprised when I opened these today.

Heavy enough to feel planted, solidly built, plenty of cord length (both power and pc connection), 3 rubber feet per speaker, and in my opinion, they look better than they do in photos. Sound quality is decent as well (it should be noted that, as I mentioned earlier, I'm at work and have not turned them up loud).


Logitech S120 2.0 Multimedia Speakers (Black)

The Best External Hard Drive

I've had the Prestige for a little over 2 weeks now. It works great.
-There's No annoying software (like my friend's WD Mybook)
-Runs super quiet
-I've had it on for hours at a time and it only gets a little warm
-It's got a cool stand
-It has a power switch

I've been very impressed thus far and would highly recommend this hard drive. Only downside is its actually about 465 gigs, but most hard drives are like that. The reason I say so far is externals seem to be prone to crashing if you read reviews. Hopefully it lasts forever though.

Amazon offers this unit for less than some big-box stores. Another good reason to buy from Amazon.

Always remember that outfits like iomega, LaCie, Fantom and others are packagers, not hard drive manufacturers. There are only a few hard drive manufacturers and all of them turn out good products. This does not mean that hard drives don't fail - they do and anyone who keeps only one copy of critical data is a fool.

The units I purchased both had current models of Seagate Barracuda drives installed: excellent devices. Right now, the drives themselves from some sources cost only a few dollars less than the iomega unit, so you are getting the external housing for just a few dollars.

The housing has a power switch, very nice at a time when other manufacturers are eliminating such "frills" and a white activity light on the side, which strikes me as a strange place for it. Since the housing has no fan, there is no fan noise. The noise from the drive itself should be imperceptible. (If it isn't, return the unit immediately.)The housing remains cool to the touch in use.

The unit size is nice and a plastic base is included for those who prefer a vertical mounting.

A power supply and USB cable round out the package.

One of the very nice aspects of this unit is that there is no software installed on the drive - nor is any included in the box. Yea! The drive comes NTFS formatted and, for use with an Apple Macintosh, must be reformatted.

Overall, a very nice value.


Iomega Prestige 500 GB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive 34270

The Best Blu-ray Player

I've been using this for 2 weeks now, and it's my first blu-ray player (no PS3). The good stuff: Excellent look, not too loud, amazing picture and sound. Working ethernet and USB port. (I haven't had to download any firmware or code updates, but I'm sure it'll work fine.)

Operations: No fan noise, no noise while playing, but during menu & loading, you hear some track-seeking which is audible at 10'... nothing offensive, though. I just noticed last night, after my 5th blu-ray a little flicker in in the bottom center of the screen during the credits of Juno... not sure if it's a bad disc or a player having a problem. It was repeatable, and the disc seemed clean. Lastly, the load time, eject time, etc seems just fine. Not instant or as fast a nice DVD player, but not noticably slow. I've heard alot about slow disc-loading, and if it is a problem on other players - it's not a problem on this one. Lastly, sometimes when you click on a menu instead of pausing, the screen with show a "progress-bar" for 2-4 seconds while the next manu loads, which isn't completely kosher, but doesn't bother me.

The so-so stuff: I'm giving this 5-stars because it's near-perfect at what it's designed to do for it's price, but it's not perfect. One reason to get a mid- to lower-cost player is to (duh) save money... if you're someone who has an older receiver that doesn't decode the two new DD and DTS formats, and (probably) doesn't decode multi-channel PCM, this player isn't for you. It only has stereo-out analog RCA plugs, not 5.1 or 7.1 analog outputs.

That means you can't bypass your receivers pre-amp to play the newer audio formats and let the blu-ray player decode them. My old Receiver (which I used the player with for a week) only decoded DD 5.1 (no DTS, and only 2-channel PCM to 48khz). This player lets you send a PCM stream to your receiver from an internally decoded DTS 5.1 signal, but this didn't work for me... as my player can't receive 5.1 PCM streams, it only saw it as 2-channel. At least the player lets you downsample 96khz PCM to 48khz, so that I at least got sound (Golden Compass only has DTS 5.1 or DTS HD Master).

With my new receiver, all formats work perfectly, all bitstreamed.

Some people perhaps are holding off for new receivers because they don't want to connect through the player's analog RCA 5.1/7.1 connectors - but this is probably mis-information. What you want to avoid is taking digital sound, converting it to analog, then back to digital, then back to analog... don't worry - you wouldn't be doing this. Basically you would be doing all your processing in the player digitally, then once it is sent out through the pre-outs to the receiver you'd bypass the receiver's processing and it would go straight to the amplifier (which is of course analog anyway).

So my conclusion for thos people with older (but good) receivers - this blu-ray player won't save you any money. The best savings would be to pay a little more for a player with 5.1 analog outputs and continue to use your existing receiver.


Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

The Best Internal Hard Drive

I custom fabbed a NAS for file storage, backup, media streaming, etc. and am a fan (and shareholder) of Western Digital products. While some offer opinions between manufacturers, I'll just say that I need reliability and performance in any drive, and this drive delivers.

It's true; these drives run cooler due to having 3 platters for this capacity (reliability) yet not sacrificing on the rest just cause it's "green" by still producing 7,200 RPM & 32MB cache (performance). Don't be swayed by a lower price for the similar WD10EACS model; that one is an older generation that runs at 5,400 RPM at half the cache. Your drive is your investment on the data you keep on it, so it's worth the extra few dollars.

I have 2 of these set up on a RAID configuration on my NAS and they do run very quiet indeed and are great for storage, however don't look at this drive if this is to be your OS drive; look at a smaller capacity for optimum performance. Bear in mind this ships bulk (no retail box, cables, literature, etc.)


Western Digital Caviar Green 1 TB Bulk/OEM Hard Drive 3.5 Inch, 32 MB Cache, 7200 RPM SATA II WD10EADS

Kindle 2 Review

As one of the original Kindle's biggest fans and an owner for over a year, I can speak to the Kindle from two perspectives--the benefits of owning a Kindle, and Kindle 2 improvements (as I've now had it for half a day)

The benefits of owning a Kindle (these do not change)
- Absolutely, Jeff Bezos is right that the Kindle 'disappears' as you read it...as I read other reviews (and non-user critiques) about the Kindle, this point is often lost. Once you have the Kindle in your hands, you forget everything and become immersed in the content of what you're reading. Isn't that really the whole point?
- I read more now that I have my Kindle, 10 years out of college than I did when I was in school, and I really enjoy it. Books look a lot less intimidating when they aren't sitting on your bookshelf and 3 inches thick. I recently finished Team of Rivals, and I am sure that if I had to read it in book form, I would never have gotten through it because it would have felt so intimidating.
- Heft and weight is a complete non-issue with the Kindle. I like to read in odd positions (in bed, on the couch, on a plane, poolside, shifting around in a lounge chair) and I've always had trouble with real books because unless you are in the absolute middle of the book, it always is weighted to one side or another and frankly, my arm and pinkie finger gets tired holding it up. The Kindle is balanced and portable, and entirely usable in any situation.
- I can be in the middle of a lot of different books at once...not much more to say here. You never run out of space on the Kindle, and though it may be a little bit hard to maneuver around a lot of books in your library, it's still better to have access to all your books at any time.
- I now read newspapers. I always found physical newspapers to be clumsy and take up too much space to actually subscribe to. They are great for short content pieces, but terrible for reading in transit because the pages are so big. I also read some articles on my BlackBerry, but find myself scrolling a lot and waiting a long time for page loads. On the Kindle, you have wireless delivery, easy navigation, no ads, no need to flip to page D17 and find the place where you left off. You also have a searchable/annoted/bookmarked archive of all your newspaper articles if you ever need to find something again.
- All of these things can probably be accomplished with any eBook reader. The difference with the Kindle is that you have wireless delivery of content. This means, literally, that I can be sitting on the plane, start talking about what good books the guy sitting next to me has read recently, look it up on my Kindle, read the reviews and download it before the rest of the passengers have boarded and the plane doors close. This has happened.
- My biggest complaint, which I'm sure will be addressed in due course is that the entire wireless benefit does not exist outside of the US. I have taken my Kindle to Canada, Mexico and China, and I found that I had to (gasp), decide what I wanted to have on my Kindle before I left the US. Foreign language support would also be a plus, but again, I see why this might come later.

Now, onto improvements with the Kindle 2
- There are the obvious ones: sleeker look and feel (it feels solid in your hands), sharper screen, no longer accidentally depressing the next page button by accident and having to find your place in the book again...you can read about these from various sources)
- The 5-way button, though a bit small, allows you to select left and right, and not just up and down like the original version. This is very helpful when you want to select and highlight.
- There are now two layers of interaction...before when you were reading a paper, you could only go back to the previous screen to select the next article. Now, there is an option at the bottom of the screen to skip to the next article when you tire of the current one.
- Page loads are much faster. I can feel that the delay between pages is much less. Only issue is I need to recalibrate now--in general, I try to anticipate how much time it will take the next page to load, and when I'm two lines from the bottom, I would hit the next page button. Now I need to push the button later.
- Text to speech is cloogey, but fun. I'm not sure how useful this will end up being. I tried to have the voice read the user's manual to me and it paused at commas and periods, but skipped right over hard returns. It also scrolled the page as it was reading, so if you are trying learn English and don't mind developing a metallic accent, it could really help. :-) You can also choose, male/female and speed. I think this could be a nice feature, though probably won't be using it all the time.
- Managing your books is much easier. It's easy to see what is in your archive and re-download onto the Kindle. Also easy to delete and manage your books. That 5-way button is magical...though a bit unintuitive--you need to train yourself to think that there might be something useful if you scroll to the right.
- Dictionary is improved. Now you can highlight a word and it automatically gives you a definition at the bottom of the screen. It also lets you look up words (that are not in the text), which is an improvement since the last version.

I'm sure there are still a bunch of things that I haven't yet discovered about the Kindle 2. I don't really bookmark/annotate/highlight that much, but for those who do, I think this has also been improved upon.

Overall, the Kindle is an amazing product. It did the basics well in the original model, the Kindle 2 has improved on a lot of dimensions, and I look forward to seeing what new bells and whistles are still to come.

If you are considering buying one, and need to see before you order, find someone in your city who has one and can show you. There is now a special board for this on Amazon. Kindle owners (at least this one), are always happy to talk about it, and you will be delighted with the screen and the possibilities in such a compact package.


Kindle 2: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation)

The Best Portable Hard Drive

The Western Digital My Passport Essential 320GB USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive (Midnight Black) is the largest capacity in the portable essentials line-up. This comes in a variety of colors including Pink, Real Red, Artic White and Intense Blue. They say that this is the update to the regular Western Digital 320 GB Passport Hard Drive and I own both of them. In fact I also own many other portable hard drives in the Western Digital passport lineup and so far I couldn't be happier. All of these are great for mobile backups of data, though slower to copy large backups than their A/C powered MyBook big-brothers.

Some will be considering the Western Digital My Passport Essential 250GB and the Western Digital My Passport Essential 160 GB sizes of these drives. I started with the 160 GB and have owned multiple versions in all sizes, and capacity aside these drives are basically the same. If you are on the fence between a smaller or larger size, the decision will come down to what you really need most. If you need a drive for complete backups, don't box yourself in purchasing a 160 GB model when your hard drive is 120 GB. Give yourself some room and go with the 320 if you can.

For those with backup needs of 80 GB or smaller, look into the other capacities. Periodic specials are being run on some of the smaller sizes, making them very attractive. Plus a 500 GB model should be on the way soon. So if you need the largest size, then by all means get the 320 GB version. But if you can make do with the smaller size, then the value pricing may entice you. Weigh your options but whatever size you pick now make sure it's enough to meet your needs right now and for at least the next 6 months. In fact, some people who are extremely picky like me are going to want to buy at least 2 drives so that they can have 2 copies of their backups, just in case.

Pros
+ Great capacity options at good prices available in this line of products
+ Nice portable form factor that easily connects via USB
+ USB powered, no A/C required, which is great for portability
+ Works well on Windows Vista, XP and Mac OS X
+ Easy to set up disk encryption for security and privacy
+ Nice looks, and cool color options for those that care about that
+ Turns on and off with your computer or easily ejected via system tray
+ Easy plug-and-play installation
+ Integrates nicely with my growing stable of WD MyBook drives
+ Included software may be useful for some novices
+ Drives are sufficiently durable holding up to normal use over time
+ 320 GB capacity is just about right for most users

Cons
- Somewhat slow file transfer speeds for larger backups
- Included software not useful for power users
- Shiny body attracts scratch, fingerprints and dust
- Only USB, so look to the LaCie 250 GB Rugged Hard Disk if you need fire-wire ports too
- Only up to 320 GB right now, so look to the LaCie 500 GB Rugged Hard Disk with FireWire and USB if you need more capacity in a portable drive
- Have to spend your cash to get a case that should have been included

The Looks

The drive has a nice shiny exterior. The case can scratch in transit and the surface also attracts fingerprints and dust. But the look is still nice and you can easily purchase a case or holder for the drive if it bothers you. Most versions don't ship with the case included, but you can pick up the CaseLogic Small External Hard Drive Case (Black) for $10 or $15.

The Features

I had no problem connecting this drive to any computer, including Windows XP, Vista and Mac OS X. Keep in mind this is a USB 2.0 device so ancient computers may not yield the same results.

Transfer speeds are ok but definitely slower than the A/C powered MyBooks. This guy is still limited by the 480 Mbs connection speed of USB 2.0, but performs somewhat slower than this when performing large backups. The USB 2.0 speed rating can not really be achieved in production and you will get a fraction of that. But it's a trade-off that's worth it since it's USB-powered. Check out the LaCie 250 GB Rugged hard disk if you need fire-wire ports too. Or try the LaCie 500 GB Rugged hard disk if you need more portable capacity.

The software utilities included with this device will be most useful for beginners. I tested the backup software in particular but found it to be slow and impractical. I mean REALLY slow. It works, but cutting and pasting is better. Take my advice: don't use these utilities and just do cut and paste backups and saves to this drive.

Reliability

I've had good luck with the passport line of drives. They seem to have lower failure rates than many MyBook drives, though I also own those and haven't had issues there either. Maybe my gentle care has helped me to get lucky with these guys so far. Maybe it's because these drives are generally off when in transit. Regardless, these guys have held up fine.

Conclusion

This drive is great or those who want a portable drive for backups on the run. It's nice getting the 320GB capacity in one drive. There are smaller drives but other than capacity there is no real difference between them. Watch the price changes and choose the sized drive that's right for you.


Western Digital My Passport Essential 320 GB USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive WDME3200TN (Midnight Black)

The Best Wireless Router

This was very easy to set up. It took about 5 minutes total to set up the router and have a wireless connection to my desktop. I have an excellent reception to my desktop that sits about 30 feet away in another room. Also, I have my desktop and laptop (both running vista), xbox 360, and ps3 connected to it wirelessly. the xbox 360 NAT is open and the ps3 NAT is type 2. I'm not sure what that stuff means technically, but in normal person terms it means that I can connect to others with no problems. The back of the router has 4 10/100 ethernet connections on it as well if you want a wired connection.

The design of this router is really excellent. The antennas are built into the router and the dimensions of it are really small and thin! This gives you more flexibility of where the router can be placed.

Streaming recorded TV, music, and pictures from my desktop to xbox (using media center) work well for both being connected wireless with no reduction in picture quality.

With the release of the new Xbox 360 dashboard I am able to stream HD video from Netflix wirelessly through my 360 with this router. The wait time for video to start is short and the picture quality of HD shows like Heroes and 30 Rock is great.

*Update* I have had the 20" 2.66ghz iMac since May 08 and connecting it to my linksys was as simple as selecting the network and typing in my password. The router has been up and running several months now with no resets or connection issues. This is a very stable router that requires little to no maintenance. Now my connections to this router are a laptop with Vista every now and then, Mac with OS X 10.5, ps3, 360, and 2 iPhones. There are no problems when 2 or more devices are using the connection. I am connected to a 6mbps cable connection.

Recently I got the new unibody MacBook and an eyeTV hybrid 2009 model. I use it to record TV (mainly the HD shows sent via QAM from comcast) on my iMac. I want to stream a HD show like The Office from my iMac to my macbook that is connected my my 46" samsung (lnt-4665), but I have found that "g" is not fast enough to stream a show recorded in HD. It is fast enough to stream a show recorded in SD, so I need an "N" router if I want to stream wirelessly.


Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router

The Best Analog TV Converter Box

For $9.00 after the government rebate (I bought locally not on Amazon), this converter was a good choice for me. In setting it up, however, I got into an enthusiastic hurry and totally neglected to read the manual expecting a Converter Box to work like a DSL box...., i.e., attach the antennae and TV to the converter, plug TV and converter in and its done. NOT SO with the Digital to Analog Converter box. As per other reviewers, the manual instructions need to be followed. After attaching antennae to box to TV, I followed the instructions to scan in the digital channels but none were available, yet, as per the "no signal" message after fully scanning. Then, turning to manual pages 27 through 29, I learned how to "pass through" to analog channels, an additional few easy steps. Finally, with a bit of rabbit ear adjustment for each channel which is usual to pick-up signals in my area, I was done and the stations are coming in clearer with the converter box than with the antennae alone... NO SNOW. SNOW meant I had NOT quite gotten to the "pass through" instructions or had not taken extra time to hand adjust the antennae after "pass through" was complete... I also found (and haven't quite figured this one out) that I might need to "pass through" for an individual channel if the set-up worked for some but not all the analog channels. Follow the manual, take your time, and the Philco works fine (so far!).


Philco TB100HH9 Digital to Analog TV Converter Box

The Best LCD TV

One of my biggest purchases with Amazon and it went as smooth as possible. The picture on this TV is amazing. FiOS HD can be almost too much pretty on one screen with this TV, it's a bit overwhelming at first. Standard def channels are of course a less clear but better than expected. The only issue I have with this TV is the length of time to power on and off. You also have to point the remote just right sometimes or the function won't register. Small issue though, hardly worth docking points off this unit.

The menu is wonderful and gives complete control over settings. Each input saves your settings too! The AVS Forums have a great thread concerning settings for each input that should be checked out and tested. A little tweaking got the black levels and skin tone just right.

I haven't tested the VGA input, but my Macbook Pro connected with a DVI-HDMI cable is amazing! My FiOS is connected via HDMI and as I mentioned, quite beautiful. I also have a Wii hooked up via component. The Wii maxes out at 480p but really shines on this TV despite the 1080p native res. Don't be fooled though, the picture is a little fuzzy but through some tweaking you can get a great picture without springing for a separate upconverter.

Shipping was of course through Eagle/CEVA. Make sure to call and verify they've got your info. They didn't have my phone number on record at first so I corrected that. My delivery man was Rick. He was great! He called to setup the appointment, was on time, very delicate with the unit, and very personable. I couldn't be more pleased.

UPDATE: Just wanted to mention the finish of the screen. Originally, I was debating between this model and the older lnt4069fx due to the matte screen. I chose this model for several reasons. First, it was cheaper. Second, I decided 120Hz wasn't worth the extra 400 bucks. Third, the screen isn't glossy but it isn't matte it's more of an in-between, satin-like finish that works great in my TV watching room that has a glass front door to the outside and 2 windows. Glare isn't a problem at all for me even with lamps behind me. It really is great. The ultra gloss on the 600 and 700 models are way to much for my multipurpose room. Hope that helps anyone on the fence that cares about gloss vs. matte finishes.


Samsung LN40A550 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

The Best GPS

I feel a great amount of sympathy for consumers shopping for a portable GPS systems or any sophisticated electronic product for that matter. There is such a dizzying array of models/brands/functions that it is both a blessing and a curse. I am very tech oriented and enjoy researching and evaluating new electronic gadgets. After a few days of reviewing GPS brands and models, I narrowed my selections down to the Garmin 760, Garmin 680, TomTom 920T and the Magellan Maestro 4250.

I am not going to dive deeply into the features and benefits of each model because many of the reviews on Amazon and other websites do a great job of that. However, I will summarize my thought process for finally choosing the 760 as the best GPS for me. Let me start by stating that there is no perfect GPS system and therein lies the challenge. Every model that I looked at had strengths and weaknesses and there wasn't a product that made it a clear cut decision. What I did (and recommend) is to make a priority list of the features and functions that are most important to you and to pick the model that best fits your requirements. This sounds like an obvious approach but it was a lot harder than it sounds.

The single most important aspect for me was the accuracy and capability of the routing engine. That seems simple enough but when you throw in the all the other features offered in today's GPS models the decision making process becomes much muddier. In staying with my original strategy, I determined that the Garmin 7xx series had the best routing engine for North America. My conclusion is based on consumer and professional reviews, discussion boards, and my own testing. With that being said, the 760 is not perfect and I have experienced a few quirky directions but nothing that was of great concern.

How do I like the 760? For the most part, I am extremely pleased with the performance and functionality of the 760. Like most people I do have a list of my personal improvement and enhancements for the system but they are not deal breakers. When I first received the unit, I tested it on a trip to Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park. The directions to and from the Park and Palm Springs were flawless and the GPS recognized all the main roads within the park. We actually encountered some road construction on one of the main highways and the traffic receiver recognized the jam but gave us a strange recommendation. It directed us to go down the off-ramp and immediately get on the next on-ramp. We did this twice and it actually moved us ahead in traffic. I'm not sure how effective that strategy would be in other similar situations. The speaker volume could be louder but I could easily understand the commands traveling at 80 mph. I have also tested the system on several routes throughout Southern California and the system performed very well. All of the main features worked as published with a few exceptions noted below. The user interface is very well designed and I was able to operate 80% of the functions without reading the manual. In addition to the 760, I also purchased the Garmin Friction Dashboard Mount which I believe is superior to the glass suction mount provided.

So why did I only give it 4 stars? The one big annoyance for me was that if you directly input the POI name, the search can take a long amount of time (greater than 5 minutes)if it goes outside of your vicinity. This is extremely slow compared to our in-dash GPS system. The touch screen could be more responsive and is not that sensitive especially with the browse map option. The 760 bluetooth pairs consistently and quickly with my Motorola KRZR phone but the receiving and transmitting sound quality is very poor. The FM transmitter is unusable.

I really wanted to like the TomTom 920T especially with the voice recognition, user updates for maps and a long list of customizations. However, the routing engine seems to produce more inconsistent performance than the Garmin and I could not find enough information on their mapping data to understand how accurate it is today. The two main providers of map data are Navteq and Tele Atlas. Garmin and Magellan use Navteq and TomTom uses Tele Atlas. In the past, Navteq has been considered more accurate and complete for North America but Tele Atlas has made significant updates in recent times. Interestingly the 760 uses Garmin's 2008 North American maps but the source data is 18 to 24 months old which shows there is always a large lag in map information. Garmin has been very good at providing updates more frequently than the other manufacturers. My impression is that TomTom is much stronger with the European maps than the NA maps.

Here is a quick rundown of how I view the models:

Magellan Maestro 4250:
Pros: multi point destination routing with optimization, great address and text input system
Cons: questionable routing engine, outdated map data, inconsistent voice recognition, cumbersome POI interface, poor text to speech quality, poor customer support in US

TomTom 920T
Pros: voice recognition, enhanced positioning technology, map share, excellent customization options, multi-destination routing
Cons: questionable routing engine, outdated map data (although this is somewhat offset by map share), no routing optimization, cumbersome user interface

Garmin 760
Pros: routing engine seems very good, multi-destination routing optimization, good POI database, more map updates compared to competition, great user interface
Cons: touch screen is not very sensitive, outdated map data, FM transmitter is useless, expensive

Garmin 680
Pros: most of the same features and functionality as the 760 but with MSN Direct, louder speaker volume than 760, much better value than the 760
Cons: no multipoint destination, older look and feel than the 760

I have only listed a limited set of the pros and cons for each of the different models but these were the areas that stood out the most to me. When it's all said and done, I probably would have been happy with any of these models but if you can afford the 760 and routing directions in North America is your most important requirement then I would highly recommend the 760.

I have seen questions about whether the 760 comes with the SiRF Star III chip and the unit that I just purchased from Amazon did come with that chip. The SiRF is a high performance GPS chipset that can quickly acquire and maintain a lock onto satellite signals for position information. It is considered the chipset of choice for the higher end mobile GPS devices. All of the models I have described above have the SiRF chipset. I also have seen questions about how quickly the 760 can lock onto satellites. I updated my system firmware to version 2.6 and the satellite acquisition time is lightning fast. I have found in outside environments, my 760 can consistently acquire a signal in under 10 seconds even first thing in the morning.

There are a couple of other useful features that are not described in the instruction manual. If you hold down on the signal strength bar in the top left corner, you will get the satellite acquisition screen which shows the position accuracy. If you hold down on the battery indicator for a few seconds, this will allow access to the diagnostic screen which is where you can identify the GPS chipset among other information.


Garmin nĂ¼vi 760 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Automobile Navigator

The Best Digital Camera

If you need a solid, reliable, and stylish point-and-shoot ultracompact digital camera that produces high-quality images, then the new Canon PowerShot SD1100IS may be right for you.

I am an advanced amateur photographer and own 2 Canon digital cameras (G2 and 20D). Both have served me well over the years but recently I have found myself needing a decent ultracompact camera that I can easily carry with me at all times for unexpected photo-ops.

Other current Canon models that I also researched before my purchase of the "bohemian brown" SD1100IS included the SD950IS and the SD1000.

Here is my take on the SD1100IS:

Strengths:
- 8MP CCD sensor with DigicIII processor (excellent resolution images with good dynamic range)
- Solid construction (most of body made of anodized aluminum)
- Feels sturdy and well-balanced in the hands
- Easy to use (logical user-interface) with minimal need to consult owner's manual for basic operation
- Multiple shooting modes to fit variety of situations (action/sports mode is a glaring omission but read section below to see possibly why)
- Advanced metering system with accurately exposed pics in even "tricky" situations (great balance of highlights and shadows)
- Tack-sharp images (much more so with sufficient lighting and use of built-in flash)
- Macro mode can result in stunning close-ups with outstanding level of detail
- Optical IS feature helpful when shooting in either low-light conditions with flash off or at telephoto lengths
- Fast start-up with acceptable shutter-lag (when not using flash)
- Bright 2.5" LCD monitor (100% coverage, 230k pixels) made of polycrystalline silicon; fairly scratch-resistant (can't vouch if this applies to keys and coins)
- Optical viewfinder (though only a tiny peephole, it is essential when LCD glare and washout become an issue shooting in bright sunlight or when LCD cannot be used as battery power is nearly depleted)
- Camera made in Japan (at least those from the 1st shipment; this easily may be subject to change)

Limitations:
- Lack of manual control over aperture, shutter speed, and focusing (for the obssessive control-freaks)
- Noise is noticeable beginning at ISO 400 (ISO 800 still useable but probably for only 4x6 images; ISO 1600 mostly unuseable)
- Fastest shutter speed is 1/1500 sec (not fast enough to stop action for some sporting activities)
- Auto-focus speed inadequate to follow fast-moving subjects
- Shutter-lag accentuated with flash on (precious Canon moments lost while waiting for flash to recharge)
- Cannot adjust focus or optical zoom while shooting in movie mode (focus is fixed for distance selected at first frame, and digital zoom is permitted instead, resulting in significant image quality deterioration)
- Battery/memory card cover and hinge made of plastic (no safety latch that needs to be de-activated first before sliding cover out, in order to prevent accidental opening)
- Minor vignetting and chromatic aberration (albeit, difficult not to expect from compact p&s)
- Pincushion and barrel distortion at the extremes of the focal lengths
- No RAW shooting mode

Battery power in camera mode with LCD monitor on is mostly as advertised, allowing for approximately 240 images. If your budget permits, I recommend investing in a few spare batteries as backups and replacing the supplied 32MB memory card with a pair of 4GB SDHC memory cards--vital purchases if you plan to use the movie mode frequently.

Overall Impression:
Even with some serious limitations inherent to virtually all digital cameras in this class, I am recommending the Canon PowerShot SD1100IS. It does what it's supposed to do. This camera allows one to take beautiful photographs in an ultracompact, reliable, and elegant device that is both easy and fun to use.


[UPDATE: Since this review, Canon has recently announced 3 new ELPH models that will be released soon....in time for Grad & Dad's Day: the PowerShot SD770IS, SD790IS, and SD890IS. All are redesigned 10MP digital cameras with Optical Image Stabilizer. The saga of the MP race continues. If the same sensor is found in these units as their predecessors and without improving the noise reduction technology, then adding a few more MP can potentially result in noisier images. We'll have to wait and see. The most intriguing of the bunch appears to be the SD790IS, which replaces the SD750 by adding the very useful Optical IS feature and showcasing flat control buttons. Hopefully, the QC has been remedied on this unit as many consumers experienced the dreaded "lens error" nightmare. The SD890IS replaces the SD850IS and may appeal to vacationers and wildlifers needing more reach at the telephoto end. The SD770IS seems a bit curious as it may be in direct competition with the new SD1100IS (which is the natural successor to the wildly popular SD1000); it has 2 additional MP but the feature set appears at first glance to be nearly identical to the less expensive SD1100IS. I would've preferred to have seen upgrades to the SD870IS and the SD950IS, but those will be rolled out undoubtedly later this year....conveniently before the Holidays.

SD770IS: 10MP, 3X Optical zoom (35-105mm), 2.5" LCD monitor, Optical viewfinder, ISO 1600, MSRP $299.99.
SD790IS: 10MP, 3X Optical zoom (35-105mm), 3" LCD monitor, no Optical viewfinder, ISO 1600, MSRP $349.99.
SD890IS: 10MP, 5X Optical zoom (37-185mm), 2.5" LCD monitor, Optical viewfinder, ISO 1600, MSRP $399.99.]


Canon PowerShot SD1100IS 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Blue)