Being the technology loving connoisseur that I am, I never knew a subculture existed for laser pointers and the people that use them! I mean, I can vaguely remember attending my share of conferences, where the person giving the presentation used a laser pointer. Suffice it to say, the only thing that kept my attention at some of these gatherings was the colorful glowing beam of light that illuminated from the laser pointer! The folks at Wicked Lasers go through great lengths on their web site and in their marketing literature to distinguish themselves from the run of the mill laser makers, by referring to their lasers as revolutionary. We here at Chip Chick never turn down an offer to review a product, and took Wicked Lasers up on their offer to take one of its lasers through its phases!

HP's Pavilion laptop is a truly affordable laptop aimed at consumers looking for a laptop that is able to handle serious multimedia tasks as well as gaming. Configurations for the dv5z start at $579.99, so we were doubtful that a sub $1000 laptop could handle such tasks, but we went ahead and gave the dv5z a spin to see if it could actually be an affordable laptop that doesn't sacrifice too much performance wise. We ended up being pleasantly surprised. Design / Build Quality The overall design of the HP Pavilian dv5z is sleek yet professional. It's combination of onyx/chrome glossy styling makes it look like an entertainment notebook with professional ...

Digital picture frames are so typical these days. No design is really out of the box and they basically do all the same things, the main differences between any of them would be switchable frame plates, larger internal memory, or the ability to also play MP3s. So it was nice to get a chance to review the GE PhotoPhone which is an all in one wireless landline phone and a digital picture frame. This makes the PhotoPhone unique and actually useful, instead of having a plain old digital frame hanging around that you'll tire of uploading photos too eventually. Setup: For anyone who has a digital picture frame, most of them ...

There is a small price to pay to feel like a true rock star in your living room, the Starpex guitar from Peak Products delivers that experience 100%. If you felt that jamming on the plastic guitar that came with the Guitar Hero or Rock Band games was fun but just didn't quite complete the inner rock star in you, well this guitar will certainly add the polish you need. So when we got a chance to review the Starpex guitar we jumped at the oppurtunity to rock out on a guitar that promised to not feel like a plastic toy but more like a true axe. [gallery=73] Setup: The box alone ...

Being a blogger and one that travels quite often, you really depend on a good bag that is lightweight, durable, and will carry just about all your electronics and the many adapters along with them. Until now I was basically shoving (and carefully I might add) all my junk into typical laptop backpacks. My laptop in the designated laptop area, iPod, USB cables, adapters, USB keys, a book and a D/SLR in a separate camera bag. It is a tight fit but I managed, and I have to admit going through airport security was a bit hellish. Recently I discovered the Kata Bags and I have to say it was with great pleasure that I got to review both the Digital Rucksack DR-467-WY and Sensitivity V. FINALLY! A bag meant for those always on the go with pockets specifically made for all the junk we gadget obsessed folks carry.

After spending several hours reviewing (code word for playing!), The Enhanced version of the Witcher PC game (Windows XP and Vista), I can safely say that this is one role playing game (RPG), that has lived up to its intended purpose and reputation in providing a truly wonderful and totally immersive game playing experience of epic proportions! There were times, when I had to literally put the game on pause to control my amped up adrenalin and to marvel at the almost flawless cinematic journey. The Enhanced version of The Witcher (2008) is a marked improvement over its first release in 2007. In addition to the game disc, the ...

Several weeks ago we reviewed Rock Band 2 and were only able to experience it with the 1st generation drum kit and guitars. However as an update to that review we recently got a chance to try out the 2nd generation drum kit and guitar. Would they be more impressive and intuitive this time around? We were about to find out. Guitar: The Fender Stratocaster is once again the guitar of choice for Rock Band 2. What is different this time around is that it's now wireless, it has a body that resembles a nice wood cherry finish, it also sports quieter buttons, a less squishy strum bar, and is overall just a more sturdier and well made 'guitar'. The wireless aspect is especially the best part for me. I can wander anywhere with the guitar around my living room and not get tangled in cords and the freedom it allowed me as far with play is wonderful.

At first glance, the Sirocco laptop bag seems like a big and boxy tote bag. But sometimes big and boxy is just what you need and you didn't even know it. It easily fits my 13" inch MacBook with ease and room to spare. It can hold up laptops up to 15.4" inches. The exterior is made out of a crinkly nylon material that reminds me of a ripstop material. It makes cleanup a cinch if you're a klutz like me, should you accidentally spill something. The bag is lined with a nylon interior all around. [gallery=67] If you've read my past reviews, you'd know how much I love pockets; the ...

I’m not one to find all-in-one printers very sexy. I have had a slew of them over my lifetime. Mostly HPs and more recently Canon which did do a good job of printing, scanning, and copying just fine - minus the few paper jams here and there and some network printing issues. The Epson Artisan 800 is looking to change all that. Not only is it a versatile printer but it’s also super sleek come hither and print with me good looks make it attractive and not just another piece of office equipment. The best part is that we were about to see if the good looks lived up to an ...

The new Seagate FreeAgent Desk for Mac has been designed specifically with Mac users in mind. Its modern silver and white aesthetics have been sculpted to blend in seamlessly with your current Mac set up whether it be an iMac, a Mac Pro or a Macbook Pro. Overall the drive is a nice size for an external drive. It comes with an attached stand so that it is designed to be positioned vertically - the stand raises the drive up about an inch and allows the venting holes at the bottom to breathe and thus this seems to keep the drive pretty cool. The stand however is not detachable ...

Products under the Hello Kitty moniker have continuously established themselves in popularity and mass appeal among adolescents and teens as one of the world-wide leaders in the production of cool and colorful gadgets. The Hello Kitty Digital MP3 Player with 3 Changing Face Plates ($39.95, ages 7 to 14) by Sakar continues in that trend! Weighing less than an ounce, this 1GB, battery operated (1 AAA battery) flash mp3 player includes 3 Change Face Plates, earphones, an instruction manual, USB cable and Music Express Software. The minimum software requirements are Windows 2000, XP or Vista (sorry Mac users) and the hardware stats are Pentium II 300MHZ, 128 RAM Recommended, a sound ...

So last year around this time we had the chance of a lifetime to review Rock Band. When we completed the review all we could say was WOW! It had everything you would want and more from a rhythm game. It opened up the genre to something new and exciting and took it places that Guitar Hero hadn’t attempted yet. So now a year later and Rock Band 2 has landed on our doorstep. We were excited to see if it lived up to the original and would it improve on some of its minor flaws.

The new Seagate FreeAgent Go sports a slick new brushed metal design that is both slim and lightweight, weighing in at just 5.6 ounces. The device itself measures 0.49" in H x 3.15" in W x 5.12" in Length. It's lightweight and small enough so that you wont mind carrying it around with you, yet at the same time it's available in capacities as big as 500GB, so that you can carry tons of data around with you without feeling like you're lugging around a brick. What's included: The FreeAgent Go is totally USB Powered, a double headed USB cable is included in case you are using a computer with a ...

The Casio G-Shock watches are hip and trendy and often accessories found on celebrities such as Kanye West. The Baby G line is similar to G-Shock but with a feminine touch. The watches are smaller and less bulky and are more attractive on a ladies wrist. The best part though, it has all the same special features of their G-Shock counterparts.  We got our hands on one of the new G-M's in the Baby G line of watches. Specifically the MSG300C-1B and we where excited to see if it indeed was the perfect balance of feminine and sporty. [gallery=57] Design: Right off the bat this Baby G, of the G-M line is definitely ...

I think I can safely say when you look back in the future to the late 2000s, you'll agree that it was the You Tube era. Whether it's captured from your cellphone or video camera, not even an hour later its on You Tube or Vimeo. Kodak is making it even easier to record your footage and get it up on You Tube with the Kodak Zi6 and we where lucky enough to get a chance to put it through its paces. Design: The version of the Kodak Zi6 we got to review is pink, appropriate we think. The Kodak Zi6 is also available in black for those that may not ...

The Peek is a new dedicated email device that isn't revolutionary technologically, but it aims to be revolutionary in a different way. It's the first wireless device to offer email on the go for a cheap pay as you go price that doesn't require a complicated contract. The Peek runs on T-mobile's network and can be used anywhere in the U.S. for just $19.99 a month. You can enter your credit card number directly from the Peek for billing. No credit check or sell your soul contract required. Design: The Peek is compact and pretty slim, it's just a little thinner than my 1G iPhone, yet it is wider and shorter. The peek is lightweight at just 3.8 ounces and comfortable to hold in your hand. The front of the peek is covered in a rubbery finish which also covers the keys. There are no gaps between the keys and the devices, so you don't have to worry about crumbs and dirt falling through, and it should probably be spill resistant to a certain extent as well. - That is something to keep in mind if you are going to be giving this device to a kid to use. The keyboard is comfortable to use and provides pretty good tactile feedback. It's keys illuminate when pressed which is great when you're using the peek in areas with dark lighting.

I rarely use Bluetooth headsets, I don't care for them really since they are always in one ear and tend to fall out of it regardless of the design.  However when I got a chance to review the Cardo S-2 Stereo Bluetooth Headset, I was more enticed by the fact it actually resembled a a pair of normal headphones. Design: The Cardo S-2 is a compact pair of Bluetooth headphones that easily twist into a travel friendly shape without fear that they will break.  All the functions of the headset are on the right ear cup. The Bluetooth pairing button, controls for the music (play/pause), volume control, and the USB input ...

The Casio Pathfinder (PAW500T-7V), with it's new twin sensor may seem like a watch only meant for rugged men. But it's many outdoorsy features appeal to women as well. That's why it was designed for both. The best part is we got a chance to review it and abuse it and see if it would really be the watch for those who like to live and breathe the outdoors and a rugged lifestyle. [gallery=56] Design: What I liked when I first opened the cardboard box was the packaging and what was revealed was a sense of an earthy watch inside.  The box is made of solid wood. You could practically still smell ...

There is a new i-Dog in town and he is bigger and badder than his older canine siblings. The new i-Dog Dance sports some new moves including the ability to stand on his hind legs when dancing. Out of the box he comes trained to obey eight commands, including "stay", "stand" and "dance!" Give him a little tap on his face and he'll respond by standing up. Scrolling up or down on his face lets you control the volume. Some of the other controls include pressing the lower left LED light so that he'll tap his foot or getting him to dance by sliding your finger clockwise. The i-Dog also features ...

A few weeks ago we wrote about a Snupped a company that specialized in making trendy and funky designed laptop sleeves. Recently we were lucky enough to get a hands on experience with one of them. As we mentioned in the past Snupped has many sizes available to fit random screens. We got a chance to test a sleeve made for the Dell XPS laptop with a screen size of 13.3". We were sent the Stylish Girls in black which we thought was very appropriate, it retails for $33.94. At first glance the Snupped sleeve is not an ordinary neoprene case with memory foam, Instead tt's a well sewn sleeve with a bright and lovely pattern almost like a quilt. So we slipped the laptop into it and it was a very nice tight fit. It looked like my laptop was tucked in for the night for a good sleep. There is a bit of foam for protection but overall the material is very light and wouldn't protect from much impact if dropped. However I did feel like it would be protected if I schlepped it around. If you were to knock it into pointy or sharp items you may tear the cotton sleeve but your baby would stay safe.

We reviewed the Maxtor Shared Storage II a while back, which is essentially the predecessor to the the new Maxtor Central Axis. One of our biggest gripes with the Maxtor Shared Storage II was its complicated set-up and software interface, which luckily the new Maxtor Central Axis improves upon greatly. Another feature that we longed for was the ability to access files on the NAS over the internet, which the Maxtor Central Axis now brings to the plate. We also appreciate the Maxtor Central Axis's much sleeker and modern design that wont put off Mac owners, such as ourselves. Unfortunately the new Maxtor Central Axis doesn't support two hard hard drives in Raid configuration like the Shared Storage II did, but the 1TB of storage should be ample enough to back up all of the computers on most people's home networks. Plus the Maxtor Central Axis has support for connecting external hard drives via USB.