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Latest Gear Live Videos
iRetrophone iPhone Base is Hipper Than You
Posted by Finnian Durkan Categories: Accessories, Apple, Smartphones, Smart Home,
Do you feel like you’ve maxed out your emo/meta cred? Does your 3 wolves howling shirt sneer at you and your oh-so-last-week iPhone? Well fear not, my bespectacled flannel-clad hipster ‘friend’, the iRetrophone has the cure for what ails you. That is, if what ails you is your ability to walk anywhere instead of being tethered to one spot in particular… which is kind of the point of owning a cel phone, yeah? Or do I sound like someone’s grandpa? Is the next meta-craze immobilizing one’s cel phone? If so, then sign me up!!! I’ve been yearning for an excuse to get my tape-driven answering machine out of my attic. Don’t worry, the handset works too so you can cradle it against your left ear while smoking your corn-cob pipe and twirling your horn-rimmed glasses, Wheezer-fan.
Gallery: iRetrophone iPhone Base is Hipper Than You
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Eye-Fi announces Geo X2 Apple-exclusive, expanded Wi-Fi support
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Cameras, Corporate News, Wireless / WiFi,
The folks over at Eye-Fi have yet another 802.11n card they’d like you to know about, and this one is an Apple Store exclusive. The Geo X2 sits nicely between the $49.99 Connect X2 and the $99.99 Explore X2, and will cost $69.99. For all intents and purposes, the Geo X2 appears to be similar to the Explore X2, but it packs in 4GB of memory instead of 8GB. It rocks the same Endless Memory Mode that automatically deletes photos after they safely been wirelessly synched and backed up, the Class-6 flash memory, and the automatic geotagging support as well.
Alongside this announcement, Eye-Fi also made it known that, starting at the end of May, users can expect greatly improved Wi-Fi support, thanks to their partnership with Devicescape. The meat and potatoes of this announcement is that the Eye-Fi cards will now be able to log on to public Wi-Fi hotspots that require getting through a browser splash screen. Since that is pretty much the majority, this opens things up quite a bit.
Gallery: Eye-Fi announces Geo X2 Apple-exclusive, expanded Wi-Fi support
TiVo Wireless-N Network Adapter available now
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, USB, Home Entertainment, Internet, Wireless / WiFi,
We’re not sure what type of games TiVo thinks they are trying to play here, but the company has finally gotten around to getting their AN0100 802.11n wireless adapter to retail, and they’ve decided it best to charge more than just about any other wireless device of this kind on the market. That’s right, the TiVo Wireless N Network Adapter can be yours for a shocking $89.99. yeah, you get better range and throughput than you would on the Wireless G model, but, man, that price has us seriously considering the costs of just running an ethernet cable across the house.
Read More 
| TiVo Wireless N Adapter
Gallery: TiVo Wireless-N Network Adapter available now
Sprint 4G Case for iPad review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Features, Handhelds, Hot Deals, Product Reviews,
Update: Check out our Sprint 4G Case video review as well!
A few days ago, we applauded Sprint for the way they were promoting their 4G service in conjunction with the launch of the iPad with their Sprint 4G Case. Obviously marketed towards the iPad buyers to get them to choose using a Sprint Overdrive 4G device rather than AT&T’s 3G plan, Sprint teamed up with Best Buy to give these cases away for free to anyone who’d purchase an Overdrive mobile hotspot at a participating Best Buy location.
Since we are in a 4G-enabled area, we figured we’d head on over to Best Buy to see if we couldn’t finagle one of the Sprint 4G Cases from the store. We weren’t going to be buying an Overdrive hotspot (we already have one,) but we were willing to just pay for one if that’s what needed to happen. The first surprise came when Best Buy told us that we certainly could just buy one outright, and that it would cost us a full $0.01. A penny. For an iPad case! We gladly paid for it, and were on our way.
Now, I didn’t recall exactly what the case that was advertised from Sprint looked like, but we did immediately think “Huh, this feels kinda cheap - I thought it would be better than this.” When I got back, I took a look at the Sprint 4G Case promo again, and it was obvious - the case that Sprint is promoting on the site is not the same case that you will actually receive at Best Buy.
Update: Looks like a couple of people have tracked down the folio version of the case. We did some more calling around this morning to a total of 6 participating Best Buy locations, and none of them had a clue about the folio—however, they’re out there somewhere. We recommend calling up your local Best Buy before heading over, to make sure they’ve got the one you want in stock!
Click to continue reading Sprint 4G Case for iPad review
Gallery: Sprint 4G Case for iPad review
Sprint launches a 4G iPad case
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi,
Oh man, do we love how hard Sprint is pushing their 4G service, especially as it pertains to Apple devices! The latest is a new 4G iPad case, which is basically a sleeve-style cases for the iPad that also has a pocket that is specially fitted to house a Sprint Overdrive 4G hotspot. Now, Sprint is just referring to this as the “4G Case,” and they even say that it also fits the nook and other e-readers, but let’s call a spade a spade here, Sprint is trying to entice you to buy an iPad and Overdrive rather than an AT&T 3G iPad. We can’t say we disagree with that option either.
You can get a Sprint 4G case free with the purchase of a Sprint Overdrive at participating Best Buy locations. We called up four participating locations in the Seattle area though, and no one knew what the hell we were talking about. So, your mileage may vary.
Read More | Sprint 4G Case
Gallery: Sprint launches a 4G iPad case
Back Off, I’m Drinking SCIENCE!
Posted by Finnian Durkan Categories: Accessories, Smart Home, Science,
If you’re a child of the 80’s like me, some of your fondest memories revolve around movies like ‘Real Genius’ or Hughes-ian bits of brain candy like ‘The Breakfast Club’ or, better yet, ‘Weird Science’. Oh, for the halcyon days of wrist-watch calculators and pocket protectors—when nerds first began to rattle the bars of their cages and shout their skinny-armed superiority from atop a mound of servers—the true first days of ‘nerd-chic’. These beer-steins of science are hand-crafted from Pope Scientific bench top dewar flasks which should ring-true for any hard core science geeks out there and help you drink your way back to your childhood. So strap a bra to your head, fire a laser through the wall, and fill your favorite college prof’s house with popcorn. Then get trashed in the name of SCIENCE!!!!
Gallery: Back Off, I’m Drinking SCIENCE!
Treat Your Inner Jerk to the TV Poltergeist
Posted by Finnian Durkan Categories: Accessories, Mods / Hacks, Toys,
Want to piss off your friends with more than just your abrasive personality and obnoxious hygiene habits or complete lack thereof? Yes, it is rude to clip your toenails in someone else’s living room, genius; what are you, five? If you feel the need to step up your toxicity—to neutron bomb your friendships, poisoning the landscape for decades to come and leaving behind a barren landscape of people hating the very mention of your name in your wake—then look no further: the TV Poltergeist is the gadget for you. The TV Poltergeist is a battery-powered and easily hide-able palm-sized piece of hardware with a tiny, flexible LED that you can point towards the TV of your intended victim. Once you turn it on the TVP will randomly emit a signal via the LED and shut your future ex-friend’s TV off. Works on just about any TV—CRT, Plasma, LCD—just not your Gramma’s 30 year-old knob-operated Zenith, though if you pull this stunt on your Gramma a) you’re an a$$ and b) expect to get written out of the will and hit with a cane. That woman lived through 5 wars and walked 40 miles to kindergarten everyday. Show some respect!
Read More | TV Poltergeist
Gallery: Treat Your Inner Jerk to the TV Poltergeist
Eye-Fi X2 cards bring 802.11n, Class-6 speeds
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Cameras, Storage, Wireless / WiFi,
The newly released Eye-Fi X2 series of Wi-Fi-enabled SD cards is now shipping, and they offer some very nice improvements over the previous Eye-Fi models. If you are unfamiliar, Eye-Fi cards connect to your home network or a hotspot, and upload the images from your camera to your home computer so that you don’t have to physically sync your camera regularly. We have all the specs below, but we have to say, we are loving the “Endless Memory” feature the most. Basically, as you snap pics and they sync to your computer (Eye-Fi can also send them directly to social networks like Flickr and Facebook,) Eye-Fi will delete them from the card, so you never ever have to manually delete pictures.
Here’s what you can expect from the three new cards:
- Eye-Fi Connect X2 – At 4GB capacity, the Eye-Fi Connect X2 will automatically upload JPEG photos and videos to the computer and one of more than 25 online sharing sites, such as Flickr, Facebook, YouTube or Picasa, through a Wi-Fi network. MSRP: $49.99.
- Eye-Fi Explore X2 – At 8GB of capacity, the Eye-Fi Explore X2 will automatically upload JPEG photos and videos to the computer and one of more than 25 online sharing sites. It offers lifetime automatic geotagging so photos and videos arrive at the user’s computer with location information already included to identify where the image was captured. Explore X2 also offers one year of hotspot access for uploading away from home at more 21,000 AT&T and Harborlink locations across the Unites States and through open hotspots. MSRP: $99.99.
- Eye-Fi Pro X2 – Unveiled at CES and winner of CNET’s “Best of CES” award, the 8GB Eye-Fi Pro X2 will automatically upload JPEG and RAW photos and videos to the home computer, and will send them to one of more than 25 online sharing sites. It also allows users to create an ad hoc connection directly to their computer to wirelessly upload photos and videos while away from a wireless router. Like Explore X2, Pro X2 offers lifetime geotagging and one-year of hotspot access to enable uploads away from home at more than 21,000 AT&T and Harborlink hotspots and open hotspots. MSRP: $149.99.
In addition to all that, Eye-Fi cards now have double the hotspot access that they had previously, starting on March 31, with the inclusion of any AT&T or Harborlink hotspot location (like Starbucks, Hertz Rental, Marriot hotels, and more) allowing users to simply turn their cameras on, and have the Eye-Fi go to work and do its thing.
We’ve got a video demo for you after the jump.
Click to continue reading Eye-Fi X2 cards bring 802.11n, Class-6 speeds
Read More | Eye-Fi Pro X2
Gallery: Eye-Fi X2 cards bring 802.11n, Class-6 speeds
Yes, the title is a Veruca Salt reference; deal with it! If you need 16 USB ports for your desktop then my making vague Gen-X references to underachieving bands that never quite made it is the least of your problems—concentrate, Pvt. Pyle! Jeez, do I have to do everything for you? Yes? Okay then: ThinkGeek has the cure for what ails you. Well, only if what ails you is your desk’s lack of a tangle of sprawling USB cables that would embarrass an Octopus—two of them, in fact! The USB Super 16 Port Hub sports its own internal power supply and can turn the most modest of desks into a cutting-edge tangle of fiber-optic cables. Another spec benefit is that up to two PC’s can hook up and share the Port Hub at the same time. This means that you can play dueling banjos with your work PC and your MacBookPro without fear of choosing which nerd-demographic you’re going to piss off, Switzerland! Also, at $159 it’s cheaper than buying 10 t-shirts that say ‘There’s no place like 127.0.0.1’ on them, will still up your geek cred and will not have the un-wanted side-effect of getting you punched in the face, unlike the former.
Read More | USB Super 16 Port Hub
Gallery: 16 USB Ports to Hold You
Thule Crossover Backpack: Protect Your Nerdy-ness
Posted by Finnian Durkan Categories: Accessories, Wearables,
Just in case you’ve blown out a shoulder or three lugging around your insanely large laptop with the 10-key, Thule has come up with a solution: the Crossover Backpack. Amongst the goodies that this bit of nerd-ware boasts, its padded, integrated notebook compartment is able to hold up to a 17-inch MacBook Pro and it has a heat-molded, crush-proof SafeZone compartment that protects your smartphone, sunglasses, and other fragile gear; now all that you have to do is carry it on your pigeon-shoulders without crushing your 92-pound Weezer-fueled skeleton beneath it. Off to the comic-con with you, Thomas Dolby.
Read More | Thule Crossover Backpack
