gadget news and reviews

Samsung Announces The Galaxy Tab At IFA +

In case you haven’t been paying attention, the Apple iPad won’t be the only quality tablet on the market for much longer. Over the past week, companies including Archos, LG, ViewSonic, and Samsung have announced Android-based tablets. While there haven’t been any quality contenders to match the iPad’s offerings just yet, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab stands out from the pack. Read More

Microsoft Launches The Arc Touch Mouse +

Earlier this year, thanks to our friends at Microsoft, we had a chance to review the Arc Mouse and Arc Keyboard. While neither of those devices had any revolutionary features, the Arc lineup still offered a minimalistic design that many appreciated. On Wednesday, Microsoft’s hardware team announced the Arc Touch Mouse. As the title implies, the new gizmo sports some touch enabled features. Read More

Samsung Epic 4G – Sprint (Review) 8

Sprint’s second 4G smart phone, the Samsung Epic 4G, is finally here. Although the device belongs to Samsung’s line of Galaxy S devices, the Epic 4G stands out since it sports a physical keyboard, 4G connectivity, and a front-facing camera. I have been using this device for the past few weeks and it offers plenty to distinguish itself from the well-recognized HTC EVO 4G, which I reviewed earlier this year. With a stunning Super AMOLED display, support for video calls, a built-in mobile hotspot, DLNA media sharing, and Android to top it off, the Epic 4G has a lot to offer. Read More

Apple Press Event: Liveblog +

9:57am: Apologies for the lack of pictures, but since I do not own a Mac to watch the liveblog, it’s going to be tough.

10:01am: Steve Jobs is on stage and talking about the new Apple Stores. Read More

Plants vs Zombies Announced for Nintendo DS 2

Plants vs Zombies was one of the most addictive games released last year. Since its initial release on the PC and Mac, the game has been adapted to the iPhone, iPad, and is even coming to Xbox Live Arcade on September 8. But that wasn’t enough for Popcap, makers of Plants vs Zombies. The company announced it plans to release a Nintendo DS version early 2011. Read More

In Photos: Samsung Captivate (AT&T) +

Although we’ve been talking about the Samsung Epic 4G for the past few days, which is probably the most notable iteration of the Galaxy S family, we also managed to get our hands on AT&T’s iteration, the Samsung Captivate. While it lacks some extras that the Epic 4G offers such as a front-facing camera, 4G connectivity, and a slide-out physical keyboard, it sports a slimmer lightweight design. Let’s not forget that it still sports the rest of the goods including Samsung’s flagship Super AMOLED display technology, Android v2.1, Swype text input, TouchWiz, Media Hub, a 5 megapixel camera, and HD video recording. Read More

Thoughts On The Starcraft II Battle.Net +

Recently, Blizzard released a sequel to the highly popular Real Time Strategy (RTS) video game, Starcraft. Over the past few days I’ve had a change to play Starcraft II with the new Battle.Net service and here’s my experience so far: Read More

FM Radios To Become Standard In Mobile Devices? 1

When one thinks of smart phones, FM Radios aren’t generally the first thing that comes to mind. FM Radio’s are rarely used on smartphones since users can stream most content through the Internet. Recently, however, there has been a push by certain groups to revive the medium by utilizing the popularity of smart phones. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in coalition with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has put forth a proposal that would make it mandatory for all mobile devices in the U.S. to come equipped with FM receivers. While it might initially seem like a simple issue, the involved parties have conflicting interests making the proposal subject to a fair amount of debate.

Read More

AKG Perception 120 USB Microphone (Review) +

While just about every new laptop and netbook come with a webcam and microphone built-in, these generally fail to offer acceptable quality. For webcams, some of you folks may choose to upgrade to a Logitech or Microsoft solution, a few of which we reviewed recently. But when it comes to audio, selecting a decent option is a bit more difficult. Using a professional condenser microphone with a laptop or desktop requires a powered stereo mixer plus with equipment to digitize audio or a XLR to USB converter. Fortunately, those looking to take their first step into professional audio no longer have to deal with multiple pieces of expensive equipment. AKG, a Harmon company, now offers an all-in-one solution that’s easy as plug-and-play. Read More

SanDisk Announces Smallest 64GB Embedded SSD 1

Size is one of the most common themes in the tech industry. Usually, the smaller a device can be made without sacrificing too much performance, the better. This is especially true with regards to memory, as the physical size of memory can make or break the user experience. The memory business is also subject to rapid change, as physical size, speed, and capacity are never at a stand still. Following that trend, flash memory manufacturer SanDisk has released the fastest embedded Solid-State Drive (SSD) in its size.

Read More