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G.I. Joe A Real American Hero Collector’s Set with USB Dog Tag

Ali Heriyanto — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:19:20 +0000

Well we had to expect the G.I. Joe marketing machine to start sometime soon, since the movie premier is practically around the corner. So it was no surprise to see that the entire G.I. Joe cartoon series was released on DVD in an awesome collector’s set. Spotted on TVShowsonDVD – the G.I. Joe A Real American Hero Complete Collector’s Set will feature 50 hours of content including the original commercials, featurettes, cobra tattoos, and the Pièce de résistance – a 2GB G.I Joe Dog Tag. It retails for $145 and if you are going to the SDCC, you can get your hands on one in person. It will totally prep you for the movie which could never do the cartoon any justice.

© 2012 Chip Chick

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Rainebrooke Laptop Bags Review

Kevin Geter — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:10:57 +0000

Rainebrooke has carved a sure fire name for its self in the laptop bag apparel arena. And they continue to impress and do it with stylishly chic and sophisticated laptop bags that are durable and affordable! The Metro Lite Laptop bag ($34.95) and the Slim Line Laptop Bag/Sleeve ($24.95) are sheer poetry in motion!

The Metro Lite bag makes a profound fashion statement as well as provide a comfortable innards for your laptop, while the outside pockets can discreetly hide your other portable electronic gadgets. This 15oz light weight bag is Constructed from Duracord (exterior) and Nylon (insides), and is available in Light Blue, Lavender, Light Pink, Hot Pink and bronze. The measurements of this bag are: Exterior: 15.5″ x 12″ x 2.125″, Interior: 15″ x 11.75″ x 2″ and Back pocket: 13.5″ x 11″ x 1″, which is large enough to fit a laptop up to 15.4 inches as well as some 17 inch laptops. This bag comfortably fitted our tester’s laptop without nary a problem, and the interchangeable shoulder pad on the shoulder strap provided a bit of flair.

All in all, this bag will make the perfect travel companion as well as a back to school gift for any fashion fiend.

The Good:
Sturdy, fashion worthy, can decorate the bag with sequins, beads and monogramming, affordable, lightweight, and excellent padding.

The Bad:
Outside Pockets are tight; can only store one gadget per pocket, and an inside storage pocket should be added.

The Slim Line laptop bag/Sleeve is a study in true urban elegance and simplicity. This bag is multipurpose because it can be used as a stand-alone laptop bag or as a laptop sleeve by simply removing the shoulder straps. Hence, you can put this bag inside of another bag. How nifty is that!

Also, we found this bag to be very appealing even for men (just as long as you stick to Olive green). Other colors available are: Light Pink, Hot Pink, Red and Lime Green.

The Slim Line laptop bag/Sleeve is made from the same material as the Metro Lite and can adequately fit laptops up to 15.4 inches.

All in all, the Slim Line laptop bag/sleeve is a comfortable and durable “road warrior” of a bag!
We can easily see this bag being a hot item among the ladies and men alike!

The Good:
Sturdy, durable, excellent choice of colors (although, it could benefit from adding a darker blue), excellent padding, light weight and can be used as a carry on or as a sleeve once the shoulder straps are removed. Affordable and stylish and enough padding to protect laptop.

The Bad:
Offer a few more colors that can also appeal to men and to those women who favor more darker neutral colors.

Plantronics Pulsar 260 Stereo Bluetooth Headset Review

Kevin Geter — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 19:13:06 +0000

Bluetooth has been around for a while and the initial hype surrounding this technology faded away just as fast as Bluetooth’s initial popularity. The problem was that there wasn’t much hardware that supported this format. However, that has changed over the years as many manufacturers are beginning to see the great advantages of bluetooth enabled devices (in particular cellular and head phone manufacturers). To date, there are a bevy of cool, interesting, and savvy bluetooth head phones that offer various features. The Plantronics Pulsar 260 Bluetooth Headset ($109.95) sets itself apart from the competition because it allows the transmission of streaming music from a Cell phone right to it’s head set in full stereo!

I paired the Pulsar 260 with my Blackberry Pearl which is able to play and stream music to a bluetooth device. The headset weighs 25 g (super light weight) and setting it up was a breeze. Charging of the unit only required two hours. Additionally, I found the Pulsar to be very simplistic in it’s operation; A single button and a colored flash signifies the Pulsar’s status (blue for on, red for off and a flashing blue for standby mode). This is pretty nifty, because some bluetooth head phones have a menagerie of awkward placed keys and confusing color scheme(s) for various functions.

Svelte in it’s appearance and handsomely modern in it’s design, the Pulsar black front on metallic-silver buttons and it’s silver back with it’s removable belt clip makes it a sexy ensemble when teamed with the stereo corded headset which comes with three different sizes of sound isolating ear buds. Other included accessories are an audio-out-cable, an ac charger and a lanyard which can be used in lieu of the belt clip that attaches to the unit and hangs around your neck. The headphones plug into the base of the Pulsar and in-coming calls are handled from a cleverly placed push button located in the the middle of the head phones which also has a tiny microphone just above it. And depending upon the capabilities of your bluetooth phone and the services that your mobile carrier provides, you can also answer calls via voice command.Seeing the Pulsar in action was such a thing of beauty; As music streamed from my Blackberry Pearl to the headset, I was able to receive my calls without encountering any problems. There’s a mute button on the base of the Pulsar as well as a volume control and a reverse and a fast forward button that confidently controlled my music and the volume of my calls. I was impressed to say the least! The head phones provided a warm, friendly and truly rich stereo sound and at times it felt as if I was in a personal concert. The ear buds were comfortable even after 3 hours of use!After taking the Pulsar 260 through its phases for almost two weeks, it lived up to and even surpassed more than a few of it’s specifications: Listen time up to 7 hours (I managed to get 9 hours), talk time: 9 hours (I averaged 11 hours), Standby time: 200 hours (I got 195), Charge time: 2 hours (I got 1 hour 45 minutes), and for the range: 33 feet (I got 33 feet).\u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>All in all, Plantronics has a solid performer on their hands with the Pulsar 260. I was blown away by the quality head phones, it’s ease of use, the amount of time that it took to charge the unit, a full ensemble of accessories (I really like the audio out cable), it’s helpful User Guide and the fact that there’s a 2 year warranty on this device. Even the price is on point for a bluetooth headset of this caliber. If there’s one thing that some fashion conscious folks may grapple with and that may be that this unit is only offered in one color. Personally, I think that the Pulsar 260 in its present incarnation is a winner! Way to go Plantronics!

Seeing the Pulsar in action was such a thing of beauty; As music streamed from my Blackberry Pearl to the headset, I was able to receive my calls without encountering any problems. There’s a mute button on the base of the Pulsar as well as a volume control and a reverse and a fast forward button that confidently controlled my music and the volume of my calls. I was impressed to say the least! The head phones provided a warm, friendly and truly rich stereo sound and at times it felt as if I was in a personal concert. The ear buds were comfortable even after 3 hours of use!

After taking the Pulsar 260 through its phases for almost two weeks, it lived up to and even surpassed more than a few of it’s specifications: Listen time up to 7 hours (I managed to get 9 hours), talk time: 9 hours (I averaged 11 hours), Standby time: 200 hours (I got 195), Charge time: 2 hours (I got 1 hour 45 minutes), and for the range: 33 feet (I got 33 feet).

All in all, Plantronics has a solid performer on their hands with the Pulsar 260. I was blown away by the quality head phones, it’s ease of use, the amount of time that it took to charge the unit, a full ensemble of accessories (I really like the audio out cable), it’s helpful User Guide and the fact that there’s a 2 year warranty on this device. Even the price is on point for a bluetooth headset of this caliber. If there’s one thing that some fashion conscious folks may grapple with and that may be that this unit is only offered in one color. Personally, I think that the Pulsar 260 in its present incarnation is a winner! Way to go Plantronics!

Conclusion:

The Good:
Quality head phones, great sound

The bad:
Would’ve liked other color choices

Design Your Own Fossil Watch

Chip Chick — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 14:11:06 +0000

We’re beginning to notice a trend amongst big brands, more and more of them are offering the option of designing your own products through their web site. Similar to Convers’ site that lets you design your own sneaker on line, Fossil also lets you build your own watch using their web site. You get to instantly view different strap and dial combinations of your choosing, or you can view a random combination. The price for the dial tends to be $45 and the strap $20, which is on par with their regular pricing. And like their other watches, an 11 year warranty is included. So if none of their watches are grabbing your attention, why not design your own?

Fuji’s FinePix Z10 Ultracompact Digicam Available in Several Bright Colors

Chip Chick — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:15:37 +0000

The new 7.2 megapixel Fuji FinePix Z10fd is a super slick ultra-compact digital camera that will be available in 5 awesomely bright colors including wave blue, wasabi green, hot pink, sunset orange, and midnight black. The camera also packs in a 3X optical zoom, a 2.5″ LCD screen and 54MB of internal memory. It also can film video at up to 640×480 fps, it has a neat instant slideshow feature, an automatic Red Eye Removal feature, Picture Stabilization, and a Dual Shot Mode for shooting two images in succession. In general the FInepix line has been a great line of affordable digicams, but many people were hesitant to purchase them because the Finepix only accepted XD picture cards. But finally, starting with the new Z10fd, the camera can accept both regular SD cards or xD cards. The expected retail price for the camera is $199.

FreeTube Offers Free Streaming TV Stations

Chip Chick — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:01:18 +0000

When we heard about this site, we were kind of hesitant. We’ve seen free software that claims to get you access to free streaming television channels but the selection always tends to suck. However, unlike those software programs, FreeTube allows you to watch streaming TV stations – there is no software to install and no subscription is required. The selection of channels is also really impressive. They have 497 channels, including everything from the SciFi Channel to HGTV. Do they have everything you would find on Cable? No, but who can complain when it’s free. The only technical requirement is that you have a web browser, and for people on Macs, you’ll need to download the flip4mac plug-in.

Seagate FreeAgent Go Drive Review

Chip Chick — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 21:14:05 +0000

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.

The FreeAgent Go measures 4.8″ high x 3.9 wide x 0.7″ thick. While not exactly pocket friendly, the hard drive is not too much bigger than an iPhone, yet it’s a lot smaller than the average external hard drive with a dedicated power supply.

The device is completely USB powered. A USB cable with two USB connections is included, so in case you connect the hard drive to a single USB port that doesn’t have enough power to power the drive, you can connect the extra USB connection to generate more power for the drive. Inside the FreeAgent Go is a pretty speedy 5,400 RPM hard drive. Albeit not as fast as a 7,200 RPM drive, the device is runs fast enough for dropping on and off files efficiently. However, video professionals should look elsewhere since the device lacks a firewire port and a 7,2000 RPM drive which is really necessary for paying off video files without any hiccups. Had we access to a computer running Windows XP, we would’ve benchmarked the drive using HD Tach, which is generally the best way to get the most accurate speed test results. Instead we had to use Vista friendly alternatives. Using SiSoftware’s SiSandra Lite the FreeAgent Go read files at 28MB per second which makes the drive on par with other similar hard drives. Unfortunately SiSandra Lite can’t test the hard drive’s write performance unless the drive is empty.

When you plug the hard drive in to a computer running Vista, the Autoplay feature gives you the option of running the Ceedo’s Creedo software, or you can view and access the drive’s files using Window’s explorer. The FreeAgent Go comes with Creedo preinstalled, which essentially turns the drive in to a portable way of bringing your My Documents folder, applications, file settings and preferences to different computers without having to reinstall everything each time. Creedo emulates the look and feel of a traditional Windows XP start menu, complete with a My Documents, My Pictures, My Music, Favorites, folder as well as links to apps such as Internet Explorer. So in other words, you can plug the hard drive in to any computer and feel almost as if you’re using your own personal computer with your own files and preferences. We’ve seen software like this used on many USB keys, but this is actually the first time we’ve noticed a company actual bundle a hard drive with it. And that is actually a smart idea, so it’s a wonder that everyone else isn’t doing the same thing.
The hard drive is pre-formatted for the Windows NTFS file system. Macs can view the file structure out of the box, but can’t read or write to it, so if you want to use it on your Mac, you will have to format the hard drive. And of course that means that you won’t be able to use the Ceedo software on the Mac side. Unfortunately no CD is included with the Ceedo software, so if you format the hard drive, you lose the Ceedo software for good. Another helpful program that is included, FreeAgent Go Tools is also preloaded on the hard drive. FreeAgent Go Tools allows you to synchronize folders run disk diagnostics.

Overall, the drive is a great solution for someone looking to carry around as much gigs of storage as they can, without feeling like they are lugging a brick along with them. The FreeAgent Go is also a stylish drive that practically everyone will fancy. It’s extra specially a great solution for laptop owners looking for a backup solution, or a way to get some much needed extra storage. We’d label the FreeAgent Go a great consumer’s portable hard drive. The hard drive is available in a choice of 3 sizes: 160GB, 120GB or 80GB and a 5 year limited warranty is also included. The 160GB version can be found online for as little as $113 from Amazon.

Conclusion:

The Good:
Very Portable and Sleek Design, Good Value

The Bad:
Mac owners can’t use the bundled Creedo software

World Time Clock for the Time Zone Delirious

Chip Chick — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 20:38:36 +0000

Fancy yourself a jet-setter? Or maybe you’re just in constant contact with colleagues all around the world. In either case, the World Time Clock might float your boat. The wall mountable clock is a glass framed map of the world which displays the times in 22 different cities including Los Angeles, Vancouver, Chicago, New York, Mexico City, Rio Janeiro, Buenos Aires, London, Paris, Rome, Cairo, Nairobi, Moscow, Baghdad, Beijing, Seoul, New Dehli, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Jakarta, Perth and Sydney. The world time clock retails for £129.95 (about $271.77). Sure, there are tons of web sites and free software apps that will keep you up to speed with different time zones, but if you’re looking to make a point this is it. But us, well we think this clock would be best suited hanging in a bank rather than in a home.

Samsung’s u600, the World’s Thinnest Slider, Available in Pink

Chip Chick — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:30:07 +0000

At just 10.9mm thick, the Samsung U600, the world’s thinnest slider is already quite the hotness. Despite its petite size it manages to fit in a 2.2 inch display with a 240×320 resolution, it has a microSD slot for playing Mp3, AAc or WMA files, an FM radio and a 3.2 megapixel camera. But it gets better – the U600 is available in bright pink, red, blue, silver, white, gold or black. With all that loveliness, how can you choose! We wish other phones would come standard in so many color choices. The phone retails unlocked for about $295. For a complete review of the U600, check out MobileBurn.

Firebox Fall Preview

Chip Chick — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:36:27 +0000

The kind folks over at Firebox’s headquarters in New York gave us a preview of some of their upcoming fall toys, as well as some old goodies. In case you’re not familiar with Firebox, their one of the geektasticist online shops out there. Yes, we just made
that word up. Where else could you find a purse made of juice bags and a pink T-shirt with a heart-shaped equalizer that lights up. Here are the highlights from the goodies that we discovered there:

Time Tee T-shirt is a digital clock with a stop-watch. Makes a great attention grabber for a night out on the town.

These Recycled Juice Bags looked really good in person. Who would’ve guessed that used cartoons would make for such a great fashion accessory?

Just like the T-Equalizer, but for girls.

Perfect for the Guitar Hero Addict, the Hasbro Power Tour Electric Guitar is a great addiction soother for when you have to be away from your console.

Money Monster Mee Mee makes eating money seem adorable.

Friend moving? What more appropriate a gift than a Zip Code puzzle.

Tangent WiFi Table Radio, also available in a slick wood finish. Because screw XM, we want free internet radio stations.

iAxe USB Guitar, for rocking out WAV, MP3 and WMA style.

MoPods – cell phone charms with personality

PicooZ Sky Challenger, not just one, but two flying helicopters that are ready to go to war with each other, laser tag style.

The new improved Bop it Download, a lot like the old one but now you’re able to connect it to your PC and use your own tracks for bopping.

Kensington’s Ci70 Wireless Desktop Set Review

Ali Heriyanto — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 15:57:35 +0000

The Ci Lifestyle Collection from Kensington continues to change the perception of typical Keyboard and Mouse designs. We previously reviewed the mice in the collection and the Ci70 Wireless Desktop set is no different, its sleek and space saving design combined with its excellent performance make the set a great addition to any computer set-up.

Set-Up / Installation:
The Ci70 Wireless Desktop set comes with 1 USB Receiver for both the mouse and keyboard included in the package, 4 AA batteries to insert into the keyboard and mouse, and a USB extension cable and manual. Setup was very simple. All I had to do was insert the batteries into both the keyboard and mouse and plug in the USB receiver and waalah everything worked instantaneously. I set it up on both a computer running Windows Vista and an Apple Mac Pro running Boot Camp with Vista and the Mac OS, and in both situations the mouse and keyboard were picked up right away.

Performance and Usability:
It’s rare to find a keyboard that has command keys for both Apple and PC but the Ci70 however does. It takes a little time to get used to it because it throws off the layout of a typical “PC” keyboard to make way for the extra “Apple” keys. Right along with the Windows command key for the start menu is the Apple symbol for the Mac menu. There is also a helpful eject key for the Mac OS. For someone running Boot Camp, like myself, this is the best of both worlds. It’s almost blasphemy! The arrow keys also take some time to get used to…the keys themselves are smaller than usual and if you play games using the keyboard, that might be frustrating. The multimedia keys at the top of the keyboard were great – I could adjust my volume or mute with ease. The hot keys loaded my default browser without a hitch and Outlook as well.

I also tried typing on the keyboard from about 6 feet away and it worked fine. I even tried taking the keyboard around my cube and it worked from there as well. As for the mouse in the set, with a 1000dpi optical sensor, the mouse has excellent sensitivity and performed really well. Check out our in depth review of the Ci Lifestyle Collection mice for more about the mouse.

Ergonomics and Comfort:
As we previously mentioned in our review of the Ci Lifestyle Mice, the mice in this series can be used for by both Righties and Lefties. Overall the mouse is comfortable to use and has a design that is very similar to the mice from Apple, but it is not an ergonomic mouse. The scroll wheel is a pleasure to use and its sensitivity and speediness are very well balanced. The keyboard is super comfortable as well and reminds me of typing on my laptop. I have always said why can’t manufacturers make keyboards that feel like laptop keyboards and I have to say this comes pretty close. The keys are soft to the touch and typing is a breeze. I hardly make mistakes and it’s overall a pleasure to use. However, if you have serious hand cramps, then I suggest getting a wrist cushion strip for the front of the keyboard so you can rest your wrist on it for heavy typing because it seems that despite being very comfortable to use, this keyboard was created to be a sleek and space saving design, and ergonomics is not its strength.

Battery Life:
Both the keyboard and mouse take 2 AA Batteries and both components have indicator lights when the batteries need to be changed. I have used them now for a few weeks and they are the same strength as when I first put the batteries in. Kensington claims a 6 month battery life on 2 AA batteries.

Portability:
One of the biggest draws for anyone who is interested in this desktop set should be the portability and it’s space saving design. The Keyboard’s slim design and light weight make it easy for you to take it anywhere. I have gotten many compliments on what a neat looking keyboard I have and how slim it is. Some even had said “What is that?!” and when I say it’s a keyboard they go “really?!” Yes, really, and not only does it save space on my desk by being so thin and small if you stand it up on it’s plastic legs, on the underside of the keyboard there is a slot were you can insert a 4×6 photo! So the device transforms from keyboard to photo frame in a split second. It’s a little gimmicky, but I like it. Also, the top of the keyboard has a neat sliding door to hide the hot keys, and whilst covering the hotkeys it unveils a docking port for your mouse. Unfortunately the keyboard doesn’t charge the mouse while it’s docking, but the dock does work to conserve battery and more desk space.

Conclusion:
Overall I really liked this keyboard and I have used many, many keyboards during my lifetime. The Ci70 Wireless Desktop Set brings together the best of both worlds. Its soft touch keys and sleek design, as well as compatibility with both Apple and PC make it a great choice for those who have Boot Camp running on a Mac system. I especially like the functional goodies that the set has to offer- that despite its sleek design, they managed to fit in a mouse dock and a photo slot on the bottom of the keyboard is ingenious. My biggest gripe is the color of the set – gray. The design is very sleek and modern, but it would make even more of visual impact if it came in a different color, or at least a choice of different colors like the other mice in the Ci LifeStyle Collection. Still, I’m quite taken with the Ci70 Wireless Desktop set and would recommend it to most types of computer users. The set retails for $79.99

The Good:
Comfortable keys and ingenious design that saves space and has command keys for both Apple and PC

The Bad:
Not a gamer’s keyboard – arrow keys are small and require adjusting too.

Readymechs Toys Designed to Print and Build at Home

Chip Chick — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 07:33:34 +0000

Here is an arts and crafts project appropriate for a rainy day. Readymechs are free flatpack toys that have been designed to print and fit on a standard 8.5″x11″ page that can be printed on any printer. Aside from ink and paper, all that is required to put together your creation is double sided tape and thick matte paper. There are 20 quirky Readymechs creations to choose from, including a Japanese doll, a pirate, a one-eyed monster, and several other strange but cute characters. If you have the patience, these little guys look like they’d made great desk decorations. (Source: Wired Magazine, August ’07)

HDTV Photo Frame Antenna

Chip Chick — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 18:16:54 +0000

When we first noticed this product, we thought that it was just a silly gimmick. Upon further consideration, we realized that this isn’t a half-baked idea after all. The Picture Frame/Indoor TV Antenna is designed to match the look of flat panel displays and it holds a standard 4×6 photo. It can also be positioned in 12 different directions for getting the best signal possible. So it turns out that this isn’t such a bad idea after all, because antennas are ugly and even embarrassing, and if you have to have one, why not spruce it up with a photo. The Picture Frame TV Antenna retails for $14.99 at RadioShack.

Sony RHT-G800 Home Theater Stand with Built-in Surround Sound System

Chip Chick — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 16:43:38 +0000

So you want a powerful surround sound system, but don’t want the bulky speakers that come along with it?
Sony’s RHT-G800 is a great solution because it is complete surround sound system that has been cleverly concealed in a sleek TV stand. The stylish stand packs in 5.1 processing, amplification and speakers, a HDMI interface and compatibility with high definition video and audio, S-Force PRO Front Surround technology that gives the effect of having speakers behind you, and a vibration-canceling subwoofer design for great bass without disturbing the neighbors. It also has a neat touch-senor control panel for operation. The Sony RHT-G800 Home Theater Stand costs $744.00, which is actually pretty reasonable considering how expensive a stand plus a sound system can be if you buy them separately.

Samsung’s E570 Affordable Pink Fashion Phone

Chip Chick — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:17:20 +0000

What is better than discovering a new pink fashion flip phone? Discovering that it’s available to purchase unlocked in the U.S. – and that it’s affordable too. The Samsung E570 is part of Samsung’s La Fleur line that comes in an assortment of other bright color including pink, orange, metallic blue, viola black and silver. The phone features an external OLED strip for displaying caller ID and media playback information, it has a 1.3 megapixel camera that can record video, it also comes with 20mb of onboard memory which is expandable via microSD, it has bluetooth and the handset can also act as a pedometer. And of course it comes with all the standard apps you would expect - a calendar with reminders, phonebook with contacts details, calculator, notes, stopwatch and alarm clock feature. The Samsung E570 is available at online retailers for around $195.

Belkin Network USB Hub Review

Chip Chick — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:45:01 +0000

When we were first introduced to the Belkin Network USB Hub, the Belkin representative declared that the installation process was just 5 minutes. Call me skeptical, but I figured that was just a gimmick and that it was unlikely to take just 5 minutes to set up networking device that could be used with a printer. My experience with trying to use my printer over my home network until now has been totally futile, I’ve tried several devices and software applications and have never been able to share my printer successfully over my network.

Then comes alone Belkin’s USB Network Hub which promises a painless and quick way to share my printer on my home network, as well as a scanner, hard drive or media card reader, digital camera, or other similar device. The way the hub works is that it kind of tricks your computers in to thinking that the devices plugged in to the hub are local to that computer. Needless to say I was eager to try this device out.

The device itself is beautifully minimalist. It looks practically identical to Belkin’s white USB & Firewire hub, which i’ve been using for a while. I’ve always liked Belkin’s products’ design, they tend to create sleek, minimalist and modern devices that are very Apple-like.

In the box an AC adapter and short black ethernet cable are included, along with software. Like the instructions indicated, I plugged the charger in to the hub and connected the hub to my wireless router using the ethernet cable. Next I installed the software that came on the CD on to my desktop running Windows Vista, that included the “Control Center”. The Control Center program picked up my Canon MP780 multifunction printer immediately. Color me very impressed. And the whole process did take about 5 minutes.

I then took the CD out and installed the Control Center on to my laptop running Vista that is currently on my home wireless network. And presto, it picked up my printer right away as well. With my fingers crossed, I attempted to print out a word document. About 10 seconds later I heard my printer chugging away from across the room. I didn’t even have to go in to Norton’s Internet Security and change my firewall settings – it just worked. However, it’s important to note that in order to print on a computer, using the Control Center software, the printer has to be enabled, and disabled on the other computer that is connected to the hub. However, that is simple enough to do and just requires a few clicks.

In the future I look forward to connecting a USB hard drive to the device so that I can share its files across several computers on my home network. The device contains 5 USB 2.0 ports, so that leaves a good amount of room to play with. The Belkin USB Network Hub retails for $129.95 and they expect to have Mac Drivers for the device sometime soon. Overall, I’m really happy with the Network USB Hub – the sleek device actually delivered what it promises, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an easy way to share devices on their home network without a headache.

Conclusion:

The Good:
Simple to set-up, delivers as promised

The Bad:
No Mac Support yet – but it’s on the way

Start Your Own Podcasting Career with the Podcasting Pak

Chip Chick — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 17:08:55 +0000

The Samson CO3U Recording / Podcasting Pak is a great way to get youself started with professional podcasting. We emphasize professional, because anyone can take a mic and some software and make a podcast but in order to do it professionally – you need the proper equipment. The Podcasting Pak includes the Samson C03U USB-equipped studio microphone, Cakewalk’s Sonar LE digital audio workstation software, a mic clip, the MD5 desktop mic stand, the SP01 shockmount with USB cable, and it all comes packaged in a durable, lightweight aluminum case for £149.

Knomo’s New Slim Line of Laptop Bags

Chip Chick — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 19:40:33 +0000

Just in time for the fall, Knomo has a newline of fashionable laptop bags. Knomo’s design aesthetics tend to be stylish and professional looking – they’re the kind of bags you’d imagine a well-dressed business woman would carry around. Designed to fit especially the Macbook Pro, ( but it also fits most 14″ and some 15″ laptops), their new Slim line is a thin and light laptop case which borders on a sleeve. The case is handcrafted from full hide leather and nylon twill quilting and it has a retractable leather carry handle. It’s the kind of case that can easily slip in to a larger bag or be worn as a stand alone bag. The Slim bags retail for £55.00 and are available in several colors including red, black, tan and cinder.

Mustek’s PL1070D Dual Tablet Screens Support Divx

Chip Chick — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 13:34:34 +0000

No one wants to keep hearing “are we there yet” over and over again. That is why portable DVD players are one of the best inventions of the 20th century. Mustek’s new Mustek’s PL1070D features dual 7 inch tablet style TFT LCD screens that can be mounted directly in a seat headrest. Ok, that is nothing new at all. But what we’re especially keen on is the players ability to read DIVX and MPEG-4 other then the standard DVD and CD discs. The package also comes with a 12V car adapter, a rechargeable battery pack, an universal AC/DC power adapter, a remote control with 3V battery, an A/V cable, two sets of earphones, a car trap, and a protective carrying tote for a very complete package. Mustek’s PL1070D retails for an affordable $249.

Blinking Jewelry Because Nothing Draws More Attention than a Flashing Choker

Chip Chick — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 15:07:27 +0000

If you pride yourself on always being the one who stands out, than just any jewelry isn’t going to do it. But this assortment of blinking jewelry should definitely be right up your alley. U-GlowLites has an assortment of blinking bling including a tunnel light necklace, a star ring, a rose jelly ring, a heart ring, a heart bracelet and necklace, a spike choker and an assortment of other ridiculous but fun pieces. Each of the pieces of jewelry light up and flash through a prism of colors. Pricing is cheap, with the average accessory costing under $2. You can also buy in bulk, which makes these a fun idea to give out at parties.