A part of Seagate's new line of stylish external hard drives, the FreeAgent Go is designed to be portable and small enough to travel comfortably with while still managing to pack in lots of gigabytes for storage. The design aesthetic of the FreeAgent Go is slick, and pretty different than most other hard drives. It has a unique slope at one side of its chassis, which is definitely a deviation from the standard boxy- shaped hard drives we're all used to. The FreeAgent Go also has a neat side that lights up to indicate when the hard drive is successfully connected to your computer. The construction of the hard drive's casing feels sturdy and is made of a pretty hardy plastic material, yet the device itself manages to be pretty light for a device holding 160GB.

Do you consider yourself fashionable but hip? If so, check out BuiltNY's line of bags for laptops and other electronics. We got our hands on some of their bags including their Laptop Portfolio, Laptop Sleeve and their Electric Pockets. BuiltNY's signature style includes a unique bone shape that shows up in both their sleeve and case. Aside from giving a funky unique flair to the bag, it also serves the purpose of creating a bumper system for extra protection at the corners. The Laptop portfolio is also very lightweight, yet the Storing-Rib material that it is made of feels strong and durable. The bag also has a separate exterior pocket for carrying a charger, mouse or other accessory. Which for me is necessary because I'm always worried about my Macbook Pro getting scratched up by some stray item.

Keyboards and mice tend to not be the most stylish peripherals, but Kensington set to change that perception with its Ci Lifestyle Collection. Designed in partnership with a design firm in San Francisco, the mice and keyboards in the collection were created to not only work well but to look good too. We got a chance to work with some of these new mice, including the rouge colored Ci70le Wireless Mouse and the Ci75m Wireless Notebook Mouse that is available in black or orange and silver. Set-Up / Installation: The mice come with a standard USB receiver. We tried using each of them on a computer running Windows Vista, and a Mac running OS X. Both operating systems picked up the mice right away with out a hitch. Performance: Both of the mice have excellent sensitivity and are very responsive. Inside the Ci70le and the Ci75m is a 1000 dpi performance optical sensor which shined. I was able to use the mice from as far away as 6 feet from their receivers. However at about 6 feet away from the receiver, the mice start to lose their responsiveness. Also, the scroll wheel at the top of the mice works well and does a good job of scrolling through web pages and other documents.

The problem with iPhone cases is that they cover up the beautiful design of the iPhone. But if you don't put a case on your iphone and you end up damaging it, you'll never forgive yourself either. Think of the InvisibleSHIELD as a happy medium. Kind of like the emperor's clothing, the InvisibleSHIELD is designed to protect your iPhone without covering up its lovely curves. Initially, I was a little skeptical about using the InvisibleSHIELD on the face of the iPhone because I was worried that it would interfere with the sensitivity of the iPhone. Fortunately, it hasn't interfered at all with the iPhone's usability. The package included a piece that covers the face of the iPhone, and the back of the iPhone. However the piece for the back of the iPhone doesn't wrap around far enough to cover the metal edges on the iPhone's face. I find that a little disappointing since, since I think that the metal edges are the most delicate area on the iPhone and mine have already been getting a little scuffed up from use. The InvisibleSHIELD also claims to be scratch proof. Admittedly, I am to chicken to test that theory out on my precious, however I've been carrying it around for a couple of days and it has kept my iPhone safe and sound so far. Applying the invisibleSHIELD was simple enough, though it did take concentration in order to take some effort to make sure that no air bubbles got in. A spray on solution is included with shield that makes the invisibleSHIELD movable on the iPhone's surface, so that you can align it as perfectly as possible without much hassle. I succeeded in aligning the front and back piece of the invisibleSHIELD pretty well, minus a bubble that I couldn't manage to get rid of on the back side.

Recently, we got several samples from Prima so that we could judge the quality of the case for ourselves. Prima has a large selection of different styles, ranging from classic and reserved to stylish and fashionable. Aside from the generous selection, we've always appreciated Prima's reasonable prices. Amongst the cases we received was the Premium leather Turtle Case Leather shell for the Motorola KRZR. The cover is made of a smart hard snap-on shell covered in a sexy croc leather which is available in either pink suede, green apple croc, a black crocodile pattern, black suede, or a smoke gray suede. The Turtle Case is a helluva lot nicer then a skin or one of those plastic face plates you see at the mall or in China Town, and is sure to impress your friends. The case retails each for $19.95.

My daily gadget arsenal consist of toting around several portable devices such as my psp, blackberry, mp3 player, a flash drive, and my digital camera as well as important documents. And trusting a carrying device that can adequately protect and store my coveted and prized tech belongings is no small task. The XO Leather PSP case ($17.95) and the Transit bag ($19.95) proved to be worthy adversaries from Australian based, start-up, XO. Both the PSP leather case and the Transit bag is stylishly designed and crafted from 100% genuine leather. The PSP case is very sturdy, has a belt-strap, and it measures 190 x 76 x 35mm (7.5" x 3" x 1.37"), has a secure lock velcro strap, and has a recharge socket and headphone access. Additionally, I found the non-abrasive lining and foam padding to be a plus considering that I've seen my fair share of poorly designed abrasive laden innards of PSP cases. I fully was at ease in placing my PSP inside of this case. The only draw back that I see from using this case, is that it does not have a compartment for miniature headphones and that a belt-clip instead of a belt strap would have served this PSP carrying case more justice.

Admittedly, I am a push over for a well designed and constructed laptop mouse. And as laptop mice go, perhaps the adage would be if you've seen and used one laptop mouse, you've seen and used them all. However, that is far from the truth with Rocketfish's Twister Wireless Laser Mouse ($44.99). Twisting the bottom base of this mouse transforms it into a fully functional travel mouse and twisting it back to its flat state, allows one to actually fit this mouse into their shirt pocket with out the lumps (try doing that with a conventional travel mouse or with any mouse for that matter). At 2.4Ghz and weighing less than an ounce, the Twister Laser Mouse, is truly a joy to use. With standard right and left click buttons and its one of a kind middle scroll button which emulates a touch pad found on laptops is a very ingenious and useful feature. The response time of the touch pad worked with remarkable accuracy. From its black matte finish to its handsomely designed chassis, I was also impressed to see a rather slim USB receiver and the fact that when not in use, this receiver fits in a hidden compartment on the right side of the mouse.

I generally avoid going near the tangled mess of wires under my desk. Between my PC, Monitor, Wireless Router, DSL modem, VOIP adapter, Printer.... the list of devices in my room requiring electric power is endless. And as a result I've developed a seemingly endless mess of tangled power cords connected to a multitude of different surge protectors. It's ugly down there, very ugly. When I first saw Belkin's Concealed Surge Protector, I practically drooled. (Yes, you can make fun of me for getting so excited about a surge protector.) It's the first innovative surge protector design that I've seen in a long time. The simplistic design has an Apple'esque aura going for it. Anyway, a surge protector with a cover seems like such an obvious idea, so why did it take so long for someone to come up with it? The most difficult part about setting up the Concealed Surge Protector for me was that the wires under my dusty desk were a tangled mess. And unfortunately, since aside from the wires going in to the surge protector, I have other wires coming from different directions (top, left and right) that means that the area around the surge protector doesn't look as neat as the photos on the product's page. Unfortunately, because my equipment is located in different parts of the room, and i have a lot of equipment, there is just no avoiding that. Still, the area under my desk has been greatly improved thanks to the Concealed Surge Protector. Instead of using two surge protectors, I'm down to a single neat and tidy one for the area under my desk. And power wise, so far so good as I haven't experience any power problems with the surge protector even though I filled up all of its outlets to the max.

If you've been looking for a light-weight solution to carry around your files, and the capacity of a USB key just won't cut it, look no further. Pexagon Technology's Store it Pro hard drive is a stylish and lightweight hard drive available in pink or black. Our test unit came in pink. Not a light pink, but a darker shade which I personally prefer. We’re crazy about the fact that you can customize it with an engraving. Pexagon customized ours with the Chip Chick Logo on the front and my name on the back. Not only does that admittedly make me feel special, it's also practical so that in case you ever lose your drive, the person who finds it will instantly know who it belongs to. The drive itself is just 1.3cm thick and very light, yet it has a pretty tough aluminum chassis that provides good durability. Also, it is USB powered so it doesn’t require carrying around any bulky AC adapters. Inside the case is a 5,400rpm Hitachi Travelstar hard drive with an 8mb buffer which is speedy enough for most tasks. However, keep in mind that anything less than 7200rpm is really not appropriate for playing video files off of and other media intensive tasks. We used SiSoftware's Sandra benchmarking software to test the hard drive's transfer speeds and compare it to other popular drives. The Store-It faired very well, coming out in second place, right under Maxtor's much heavier and larger One Touch hard drive. The comparison test also proved it to be significantly faster than the popular SanDisk Cruzer Titanium flash drive and the Sony Micro Vault.

If you've been to your local Barnes and Noble recently, you've probably had a sneak peak at the Playaway, stopped to think about it, and either bought the concept and consequently, the book, or moved on. For those of you who moved on, read on (no pun intended). For this review, I had the opportunity to play with The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid and Kidz Bop. The first is the full and unabridged version of Bill Bryson's memoir and the second is a collection of 20 songs "sung by kids for kids." I loved the memoir. Down to the nitty gritty. The Playaway is an audio player with ...

Having fun with friends often means taking lots of photos. Funksion has come out with a new line of fun fashionable purses that double as digital camera bags. The Funksion Cam Clutch Goin' Out is just the right size [7.25" wide, 6" high, 2" deep] for a night out with your buddies. Stylish enough so that nobody knows it's a camera bag, it can hold a standard size digital camera while still leaving plenty of room for your cellphone, makeup, wallet and more. The outer canvas fabric is sturdy, while the soft 100% cotton lining inside protects your camera. There is a zippered pocket on the inside for your valuables and three expandable mesh pockets on the outside for memory cards or other accessories. The brown bag [as shown] has a teal logo, stitching and piping. It also comes with a detachable shoulder strap. Also, the bag is more lightweight than your average camera bag, so that carrying it around is a pleasant experience. We think that this would make the perfect gift for the tween girls on your list. And even though the Cam Clutch is geared towards carrying a digital camera, the case is well suited for carrying around an ipod, Nintendo DS Lite, and any other gadget that you want to keep protected. The purse is also available in black and pink, or beige and black, and is available at select retailers in Canada and online at www.funksion.ca for an affordable $19.99.

Jabra is fastidiously becoming one of the world leaders in providing quality craftsmanship, technological innovation as well as stylishly-chic creativity to it's Bluetooth devices. And the Jabra BT125 Bluetooth headset continues in that tradition. After spending a little more than a week putting this device to the test, I was very pleasantly surprised. The initial set up of the BT125 involved charging the unit for two hours and then pairing it with my Black Berry 7105t which was a cinch using Jabra's very intuitive one touch set-up. Also, Jabra did an excellent job with the easy to read and understand user manual. As a matter of fact, taking a few minutes to go through the documentation answered all of my questions. Also, I found that the controls on the BT125 were easy to operate as well as navigate. The volume is controlled on the side of the unit, and the on/off button and other functions are controlled using the indicator (LED) light that sits on the center earpiece of this headset. The detachable and adjustable ear hook is also a nice touch because it comes right out of the ear piece and can be inserted for one to wear either on the left or the right ear, and the movable ear hook swivels all the way around, thus, allowing one to comfortably position the headset. Weighing only a mere 1/2 an ounce, this headset feels super light on my ear. Also, all incoming and out-going calls are very clear and crisp via the headset, and the volume control provided more than enough volume for when I use the headset in a loud environment such as a shopping mall.

Logitech’s MX Revolution claims to be the World’s Most Advanced Mouse. It certainly has the looks to be just that, but does it live up to that claim? I tested the MX Revolution rigorously for a few weeks and the MX Revolution proved to be a champion. Read on for more. ErgonomicsErgonomics is a very sensitive subject for me. Between work and school I spend an unhealthy number of hours on the computer each day. As a matter of fact I am probably 2 steps away from carpal tunnel syndrome; I know this because every time I use a non-ergonomic mouse, my hand cramps up and after a few minutes I feel spasms of pain. As a result, I have been through a lot of mice over the past year because I am so finicky about the mouse having to be extremely comfortable. Luckily, Logitech’s MX revolution mouse has been designed with the right curves in the right places so that your hand rests comfortably on it as you work. The MX Revolution also has a unique thumb rest coated with a rubber grip, something I never knew I needed until I had it. I've been using the mouse for weeks now, for hours at a time and have experienced no cramping whatsoever, thus I can say that the MX Revolution passed my own personal test for great ergonomics with flying colors.  PerformanceMy previous mouse, the Microsoft Wireless optical mouse 5000, could barely perform at all on my desk's glass top, so I purchased a leather desk pad for it to work. The MX Revolution works on laser optics technology and claims to be able to track accurately on almost any device. I tested it on the glass top of my desk, and it does work pretty well on the glass surface, but it can get a bit jerky at times so I still use the leather desk pad, on which the MX Revolution works excellently with awesome precision and responsiveness the likes I have never seen with any other mouse.

The notebook friendly VX revolution is a force to be reckoned with - it exhibits a range of up to 30 feet and a significantly longer battery life (a claimed 120 days on a single AA battery) than comprobable mice. It's curvy ergonomic design provides for unbelievably comfortable use (even if it is a tad bigger than other notebook mice). I do believe the mouse will work best for the right handed, as the soft rubber grips on the side are shaped to fit the form of a right hand.       Logitech's addition of the scroll wheel, document quick-flip button(which lets you flip from one application to another without touching the keyboard), zoom slider, and one-button search also add to the VX's ease of operation. Oh, and to satisfy all of you computer meddlers out there, 5 of the 7 buttons are programmable (with exception of the standard right and left clickers). Left as is, the mouse is EXTREMELY browser centric. All 5 of the extra buttons are meant to increase speed and efficiency in scrolling.In using the mouse, you have a choice between two scrolling modes. In the first mode, it operates like any all other mouse wheels, and generates that annoying clicking sound as you spin it. In the second mode, you just give it one flick and it keeps spinning. As you can imagine, this is a huge time saver. To emphasize, I was able to run through 72 pages of my midterm (PDF File) with just one click of the wheel. However, this isn't the biggest selling point for me as the wheel does not automatically switch from click-by-click to smooth scrolling. To make the adjustment, you have to flip the mouse over and tap the switch.

I love my 5G iPod, it's a life savor on long subway rides. However, its 2 hour battery life for video playback just doesn't cut it when I’m traveling from Manhattan to Brooklyn and back. The battery never fails to run out on my way home. There have been many days when I would have to monitor how much I used my ipod during the course of the day, so that I could conserve battery power for relaxing while watching videos on my way home. Along came the Volta which promised to give 5G ipods an extra three cycles of battery time. Measuring 2" x 4.4" x 1", the Volta has a very slim profile about the same thickness as the 30gb ipod but it is a bit taller and a little less wider then the ipod. The volta is also pretty light and doesn’t add too much weight to your ipod. Sonnet's Volta comes with a belt clip so that you can charge your ipod and wear it at the same time. The belt clip easily slips on and off of the Volta, yet still holds your ipod securely. The belt clip is a nice bonus, but personally I wouldn't wear it and imagine that many ladies wouldn't either. The Volta also comes with a matching black USB 2.0 to dock connector cable. We like that the included cable isn't white like the standard version that comes with the ipod which tends to get filthy very easily.

If there is one thing that I know about my own sleep history, it's that it is either a hit or miss. There are times when I wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world, and then there are times, when I awake from my slumber feeling like some groggy eyed zombie. This is not a good experience, to say the least, especially since I go to bed at the same time every night (9pm). What if I told you that there is a device to aid you in having a more predictable and pleasing waking experience? The good folks at Innovative Sleep Solutions LLC gave me the opportunity to try out their Sleeptracker watch, and I took them up on it. For 15 days, I used the Sleeptracker and took it through its paces.  The Sleeptracker differs from that of a conventional watch, in that it monitors your sleep cycle and is designed to detect when you're almost awake and then awakes you at just the right time, thus, feeling invigorated.

Most iPod Speaker systems tend to be either powerful but not portable, or portable but not powerful. The iThunder is powerful enough to reach high volumes, yet its boom box design makes it portable too. When the handle is down, the iThunder looks like a smaller sized stereo system with a lovely metal decor. Push the metal handle and the handle snaps up so that you can grab the iThunder and go. We haven't seen such a clever handle like this one on any other system. Weighing just 5.5lbs, we think that the iThunder would be great to bring with you to the beach and to other outdoor activities, or perhaps you could have it tag along to your friend's house when you want to share your tunes.

Many digital and non-digital cameras come with a camera bag, which tend to be like a thin leather Sheath. These cases, prevent dust from getting on the lens, but they otherwise don’t do much to protect the camera. Crumpler, an Australian bag manufacturer, has a line of camera bags designed not only to look good, but to keep your expensive camera and its accessories from getting damaged.  Crumpler's Photo bags look like miniature versions of their messenger bags, so you don't have to worry about advertising that you are carrying around expensive electronics. What I love the most is how well made and durable the bags are. These bags are  made to be tough. They all feature a water resistant nylon shell with rip-stop nylon lining and industrial webbing. The velcro flap is so strong that you have to actually give it a yank. In addition, they also have a clip/buckle release over the velcro to keep the bag super safe. The interior is also very well padded. I was surprised at how soft and thick it was. There are also lots of pockets for extra batteries and memory cards. They thought of every minute detail, down to the size 10 zippers, which are big and unbreakable.  

You might say that I’ve been around the block when it comes to laptop sleeves and cases, I currently own 3 neoprene sleeves and 2 laptop cases – in other words I have an obsession with keeping my gadgets clean. Every time I see someone’s laptop sitting around naked and vulnerable, I can’t help but think that it’s a disaster waiting to happen. If you have a laptop, a case or sleeve is absolutely necessary if you want to keep your laptop in good shape.   Codex’s slim-profile protective case for the Macbook and Macbook Pro is somewhere in between a sleeve and a case because it has the protective chops of a case, but it’s thin enough to slip into a bag like a sleeve. The Codex is a little bit thicker and heavier than your standard neoprene laptop sleeve, but it's a trade-off since you are getting more protection in return. Unlike most neoprene cases, both the front and back side of the Codex is very rigid and sturdy, so you would be hard-pressed to bend it. The case’s outer material is made of a tough Viscotex material. The inside of the Codex is made up of Terahedron microfiber, a soft material that makes for great cushioning for keeping your Macbook safe from bumps and scratches.

Slim and elegant, the Jabra JX10's design is a testament to Jacob Jensen's genius. The ear piece is comfortable, with soft black cushioning provided for added comfort. At one end of the piece is a small light that illuminates a red color when charging and blue when pairing. It flashes blue when in conversation and red when it's in need of a good charging. In the back of the device are its volume controls and right next to them is a small charging port. A button for accepting or ending calls sits on the side of the headset; this button is also used as a redial and transfer button. The ear hook of the JX10 is thin, flexible and easily adjustable for those of you who prefer wearing it on your left ear (as long as you don't mind the Jabra logo appearing upside down when worn this way). In the case of the JX10, beauty and design run more than skin deep. Since, in addition to being the most fashion aware bluetooth headsets, it's also one of the best I've tried (and I've tried many).

I have to admit that at first I was a bit skeptical of the iGlaze. Why? Well, I've been through several ipod cases already and I was hesitant to have to take my delicate ipod out of it's current case. No matter how careful I've been with my ipod, it still has plenty of scuff marks on its front side. However I was tempted by iGlaze’s premise to “protect & beautify”. Fotunately I took the plunge. I unpacked the iGlaze, aligned it on top of the ipod's face, and pressed down. The whole process took about a minute. I am so glad that I took a chance with the iGlaze because my ipod looks better than ever - or rather it looks like a brand new, just out of the box U2 iPod. Except my "new” U2 ipod is more scratch resistant than the real one.