Apparently something with the rotating plug molding and housing can cause fires. The recall covers 68,700 surge protectors sold between September 2003 and December 2007. The model numbers within the recall are F9G930-10, F9G930v10, F9G930-10-W and F9G930-10-SN. If you happen to own one of these, visit this website for more info. And if I sold you one, I’m really sorry. I guess I should have drank the Kool-Aid and pushed a $100 Monster Cable surge protector instead. [via Slashgear]

Ah, late October – a time when a young man’s fancy turns to love, the autumn gingerly steps aside to make way for winter, and, this year, the beginning of at least a year’s worth of non-stop free tech support you’ll have to provide to any of your friends and family that decide to buy a new computer with Windows 7 on it.

The biggest question: How do I get all my dumb photos, tax returns, and Miley Cyrus MP3s onto my new computer? Your new answer: Buy this $40 cable and leave me alone.

That’ll hopefully cut down on your charity workload considerably. Apparently the cable was designed to work with the Windows Easy Transfer utility and setup basically consists of connecting each end of it to the old and new computers. It’ll transfer files, user accounts, settings and customizations, e-mails, and contacts and then provide a report about which programs need to be re-installed along with “links to download latest versions of programs.”

So you’ll still get the “Why didn’t any of my programs transfer?” question that inevitably arises after every new computer purchase, at which point you’re free to suggest that your friend or family member write a strongly-worded letter to Microsoft and then hunker down for an entire weekend of trying to find their old Office 97, Print Shop, and AOL discs.

Available October 23rd, same day as one day after Windows 7.

Grip Vue for iPod nano and iPod touch — $25 and $30, respectively. Flexible and grippy, scratch-resistant, made of thermoplastic polyurethane. The iPod touch version features a “ClearScreen Overlay” to protect the LCD.

FastFit for iPod nano and iPod touch — $30 each. Armband, key storage, screen protector, reflective safety material for nighttime merrymaking.

HandBand for iPod nano — $25. It’s a band… for your hand. Doesn’t look like there’s a hole for the new video camera, probably because your hand would block it.

Grip Ergo with Handstrap for iPod touch — $25. Grippy, surrounded by “a rugged layer of silicone.” Then there’s the two-tone Grip Pulse for iPod nano and iPod touch — $25 and $30, respectively. Finally, we have the Grip Pulse Duo for iPod touch and iPod classic — $20 each. The iPod nano versions have cutouts for the new video camera.

There’s also a slew of new polycarbonate and leather cases available as well, ranging from $20 to $30. Most of the new cases announced are either available now or will be available by next week, while additional cases will continue to roll out between now and November.

Belkin iPod cases [Belkin.com]

Press Release

Any hoots, the Wireless Comfort Mouse is just that, a wireless mouse. It takes two AAA batteries, it’s compatible with Macs, has a power-save mode that puts the mouse to sleep after eight minutes of inactivity and comes in the following colors: Midnight Blue, Pitch Black, Fuchsia and Candy Red.

There’s a Bluetooth Comfort Mouse that works over the 2.4Ghz spectrum and features a scroll wheel and laser optical sensor. This one comes in black or white.

And rounding out the announcement is the Retractable Comfort Mouse. It, too, is compatible with Macs and has a retractable cable. Colors are the same as the Wireless model.

The wireless and Bluetooth models will be available at the end of this month while the retractable model will be available in August. The wireless, Bluetooth and retractable models will retail for $30, $50 and $20, respectively.

Belkin, and others, have been making similar car docks for a while now so your probably know how this new model works. There are two versions coming: the TuneBase FM has a FM modulator and the TuneBase Direct outputs via a 3.5mm jack. Both will get your iPod/iPhone hooked up to your car’s speakers while simultaneously charging it and providing a speakerphone for the iPhone.

Basically, when a call comes in, hit any button on the TuneBase and the iPhone’s call will be routed through the vehicle’s speakers. Expect to pay $89.99 for the FM model when it launches in mid-July, and $69 for the 3.5mm in June.

New TuneBase^TM Products Let You Answer Your Calls Hands-Free on Your iPhone and Play Music in the Car

Listen to music from your iPhone while it charges
Talk on your iPhone and answer calls, hands-free, while driving
With one push of a button, TuneBase FM’s ClearScan automatically finds the clearest FM station
COMPTON, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Belkin’s new TuneBase FM and TuneBase Direct allow you to pick up a call on your iPhone while in the car, hands-free. The thoughtful design of these two products lets you use them without removing your iPhone or iPod from its case. The TuneBase cradle easily repositions your iPhone horizontally to view turn-by-turn directions and videos.

Newer cars include an auxiliary input jack to connect different audio sources to the car’s stereo. Using a 3.5mm cable, TuneBase Direct connects to your car stereo through the auxiliary input, so you can play the music from your iPhone or iPod while in the car. TuneBase Direct also charges your iPod so the battery doesn’t run out while you’re on the road.

TuneBase FM lets you listen to music from your iPhone or iPod in your car while simultaneously charging it. Its ClearScan feature automatically searches for the clearest FM frequency.

How to Answer Calls in the Car

Listen to music from iPhone in the car
When call comes in, TuneBase FM and TuneBase Direct fade out music
Answer the call by simply pressing a button on the TuneBase
The call’s audio will come through the car stereo
Safely talk using speakerphone feature
AVAILABILITY

TuneBase FM – Available in mid-July 2009 in the US
TuneBase Direct – Available in early June 2009 in the US
Both available in mid-May in the EU
TuneBase FM with Hands-Free (F8Z441) – $89.99

Features push-button call pickup and speakerphone
Features ClearScan technology
Transmits audio wirelessly on multiple FM channels from 88.1MHz-107.9MHz
TuneBase Direct with Hands-Free (F8Z442) – $69.99

Features push-button call pickup and speakerphone
3.5mm cable included

Straight outta Compton (yes, Belkin is located in Compton — interesting factoid for your next dinner party) comes Belkin’s $30 CushDesk. It’s a hard-top work surface with a padded underside that sits on your lap, allowing you to work on a notebook up to 17 inches in size without scalding your nether regions.

It comes in one of three color combinations — black on gray, black on black, and espresso on fuchsia. The CushDesk is supposedly available now, according to Belkin’s press materials, although the product page lists it as “Coming Soon” so let’s go with that one for the time being.

CushDesk [Belkin]

The big one has two USB ports and will charge pretty much anything that can charge over USB, but it also sticks out super far. I guess you can’t have everything.

My Problem: I needed internet connectivity in my garage, which is the only thing on the first level of my house. Thing is, my garage seems to be built like a friggin’ faraday cage – the wireless signals just don’t survive the journey through whatever freaky space age insulation they used during construction. The router and modem are on the second level, and running ethernet cables across hallways and a flight of stairs seemed like a quick way to end up with someone busting their noggin. The Solution: the Belkin Powerline AV+ Starter Kit.

What’s in the box:

• Two adapters (One for transmitting, one for receiving)
• Two ethernet cables
• Two power cords
• Two power cord wall adapters (For plugging the boxes in wall-wart style.)
• CD with installation software/manual

The idea of the Powerline AV+ is simple: plug an ethernet cable with internet connectivity (from your router, for example) into one end of the first box, then plug the box into an electrical outlet. Bam – your electrical wiring now doubles as networking wiring. Take the second box and plug it in to any other outlet anywhere in your house, and you’ve now got three ethernet ports juiced up and ready to go. It sounds simple, right?

And it is. Seriously – it’s dead friggin’ simple. No configuration screens, no nonsense. It’s as plug-and-play as possible. Going from unboxing to up-and-running took me less than 5 minutes. The only snag I ran into was a classic case of RTFM; I’d plugged the receiver box into a power strip, which the manual specifically says is a no-go.

My internet connection is a paltry 5 megabits per second, and the Powerline AV touts a theoretical cap of 200 megabits per second. Still, I expected some slowdown or latency increase – but there was none. I ran three speed tests at each location: straight out of the router, and on the other end of the Powerline AV+. Results were nearly identical, considering fluctuations in the incoming pipe. The images below are from two of these back-to-back tests.

Straight from the router (Modem > Router > Wired to laptop):

Through the Powerline AV+ (Modem > Router > Powerline AV > Wired to laptop):

As you can see, the speeds through the Powerline AV+ were actually slightly faster than those through the router; this doesn’t mean that the Powerline AV+ is some magical accelerator, however – there was just some fluctuation on my ISP’s end. It does show, though, that we don’t have to worry about it choking internet connectivity speed.

With most home internet connections being in the 5-15 megabit per second range, the only time you’re likely to ever get anywhere near the 200 Mbps cap is when you’re transferring stuff over the local network. Even then, 200 Mbps should be more than enough for most, especially with a significant chunk of people still on 10/100 LAN routers (which top out at 100Mbps for wired connections). Compared to wireless, it’s faster than 802.11g (54Mbps), but a bit slower than 802.11n (around 248Mbps). A couple of quick transfers across our network were clocking in at around 165Mbps.

The goods:

• Setup is so, so, so incredibly simple.
• One ethernet port in, three ethernet ports out. (As compared to the AV Starter Kit, which has one in and one out – note the lack of a plus sign behind AV)
• 128-bit DES encryption if you’re worried about someone jacking into your internets and stealing your daterbytes with a coat hanger in an outlet.

The bads:

• At an MSRP of $179 ($149 on Amazon), the price of entry is quite high for a somewhat niche product – especially with wireless router prices plummeting.

The bottom line:

If you’ve got a use for it, you’ll love it. It’s easy to install, it’s plenty fast for the vast majority of users, and it’s rock solid. We’ve been using it with out home media server and an Xbox 360 on Live for a few weeks now, and we’ve had no hiccups whatsoever. If wireless isn’t an option but you don’t want to booby trap your house with hundreds of feet of ethernet cable, we’d solidly recommend the Belkin Powerline AV+.

Belkin has always held itself to the highest standards of corporate ethics and its employees to the highest standards of personal integrity. Similarly, we support our online user community in discussion and reviews of our products, whether the commentary is good or bad. So, it was with great surprise and dismay when we discovered that one of our employees may have posted a number of queries on the Amazon Mechanical Turk website inviting users to post positive reviews of Belkin products in exchange for payment.

Belkin does not participate in, nor does it endorse, unethical practices like this. We know that people look to online user reviews for unbiased opinions from fellow users and instances like this challenge the implicit trust that is placed in this interaction. We regard our responsibility to our user community as sacred, and we are extremely sorry that this happened.

We want to stress that this is an isolated incident and to re-instill trust with you, we have taken the following courses of action:

- We’ve acted swiftly to remove all associated postings from the Mechanical Turk system.

- We’re working closely with our online channel partners to ensure that any reviews that may have been placed due to these postings have been removed.

It’s also important to recognize that our retail partners had no knowledge of, or participation in, these postings.

Once again, we apologize for this occurrence, and we will work earnestly to regain the trust we have lost.

Sincerely,

Mark Reynoso

President, Belkin

CE manufacturers – please don’t shill. It’s not worth it. If your products are good, they will sell. The small jump you’ll gain in sales isn’t worth the wrath of dedicated consumers. Thanks for the note, Mark.

Here is one of the requests on the Mechanical Turk:

Positive review writing.

* Use your best possible grammar and write in US English only
* Always give a 100% rating (as high as possible)
* Keep your entry between 25 and 50 words
* Write as if you own the product and are using it
* Tell a story of why you bought it and how you are using it
* Thank the website for making you such a great deal
* Mark any other negative reviews as “not helpful” once you post yours

Instructions:

The link below leads to a product on a website. Read-through the product’s features and write a positive review for it using the guidelines above to the best of your ability. I have also provided the part number for this product and you can click on the links below to see it on several alternative websites. In order to post some reviews you will need to create an account on the site. You can use your own email address or open a new free webmail account (gmail, yahoo…) and use it to post with.

I sure hope this is just a lower level junior guy getting a little excited and not a wholesale, nefarious plan for online shilling.

I’m positive this isn’t the first time this has happened but this is the first time I’ve seen it so egregiously advertised. Here is Bayard on LinkedIn:

Belkin’s charging hub is a beast, but I’ve found it to be quite useful at home and in the office. With a 360-degree rotating plug it fits in wherever I need it to. Three outlets and two USB ports make it an ideal gadget for all your power needs.

Buy.com is offering a $10 MIR until the 14th dropping the total cost of the device to $10 with a $5 shipping fee.

Rebate form

via DealNews

A $50 cable from Belkin will alleviate the headache of switching from a PC to a Mac. Easy peasy, folks.

Joining the TSA Checkpoint-Friendly fray today is Belkin’s FlyThru laptop case. It holds a laptop with a screen up to 15.4-inches and retails for $60.

Product Page

As a dilettante musician I enjoy the concept – if not the process – of recording my reedy, whiny voice to digital files. Until recently, that process was fraught with trouble and high quality recording equipment was difficult to obtain and expensive. Now anyone with a six-string and a dream can record fairly acceptable audio with something like the Belkin GoStudio.

The GoStudio records directly to your iPod. It is compatible with iPod Classics, Videos, and Nanos in 16-bit 44kHz stereo. The recordings are stored on the iPod as voice memos which then appear when you sync the iPod. It has two combo XLR/mic jacks and two 3.5mm mini-jack inputs along with two built-in microphones. It has independent gain control on both channels, a main master level control, and a monitor/headphone jack and control.

The recorder works best without inputs. As a stereo audio recorder the GoStudio records with nice depth and quality. Below is a sample taken with the built-in mics:

Download audio file (nowoman.mp3)

This is completely unamped with me about three feet from the recorder. Once you get into add-on mics, unfortunately, things break down.

Because this doesn’t amplify line-in input, you get a bit of a mess. If you increase the gain and the levels, you get fuzz. If you don’t, you get silence. This is the best I could do with an XLR stage mic and a Dean Markley acoustic pick-up:

Download audio file (combo.mp3)

I’m sure with a bit of tweaking I could make it sound better, but I came at this as a novice and without trial and error you won’t be thrilled with the results. In short, the built-in microphones are acceptable and the combo and 3.5mm jacks are slightly less so.

How is this better than a standard iPod voice recorder, then? It’s more robust, definitely, and once you solve the problems I mentioned, it records audio quite nicely. Like the TuneStudio, Belkin is offering fairly high-end technology to entry-level consumers, which is admirable. At $119.99, the device would be good for recording concerts or seminars and even grab a quick musical performance in your bath- or bedroom.

Bottom Line
A nice little audio recorder that records directly to iPods.

Product Page

It’s gonna be a long, cold, dark, cord-filled winter for those of you waiting for wireless HDMI devices from the likes of Belkin (FlyWire shown above) and Monster Cable. Electronic House is reporting that the technology’s not quite there yet. An unidentified owner of an A/V store in Manhattan told EH the following:

“HDMI is not perfected yet. I was eagerly awaiting shipments from both Monster and Belkin but I understand there have been more difficulties in getting various products to talk to each other in this fashion.”

It was thought that Belkin would reveal ready-for-market devices at CES in January this year but company spokesperson Melody Chalaban says that Belkin is “now planning a spring launch and expect it to be perfect then.” Monster is expected to reveal its devices sometime in the second quarter of next year.

UPDATE: Apparently the FlyWire devices from Belkin will be available in late January, so that’s a good sign. Melody Chalaban sent over an e-mail saying the following:

“Just saw your post about FlyWire being delayed.  Yes, it’s been delayed due to compliance issues, and it will be available late January 2009.  I was misquoted in the original post from Electronic House.”

So that’s late January, not a spring launch as originally reported. Sorry for the mix-up.

New iPods mean new cases and boy, oh boy, does Belkin have some new cases. There are about 12 different types of cases, along with many different and varied color options and whatnot. They’ll be available in mid-September (so, like, next week) and will run for between $14.99 and $29.99. Hit the jump for a gallery of photos.

You can check out the cases in more detail here.

The FlyWire is an HD streamer that sends 1080p content to any TV, anywhere, from an HD source. Built-in IR blasters allow you to send control signals to any CE device including Blu-Ray players and receivers. It basically lets you send HD video to a TV mounted on a wall without requiring you to rewire your entire house.

Belkin FlyWire™ Offers Faster, Easier, and More Installations to Custom Installers

FlyWire, a Wireless HD Transmitter, Helps Custom Installers Reduce Costs While Increasing Productivity by Eliminating the Complication of Labor-Intensive in-Wall Wiring
CEDIA EXPO 2008
Booth #260

COMPTON, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Belkin’s new FlyWire, a wireless transmitter that delivers uncompressed 1080p True Cinema HD content, makes home theater and commercial installations quicker and easier, allowing professional integrators to complete jobs more efficiently and take on more projects. This synergy aims to increase profit margins, productivity, and revenue opportunities for installers.

On display at CEDIA Expo 2008, FlyWire wirelessly connects devices—such as Blu-ray® players, receivers, video-game consoles, and set-top boxes—to HDTVs and projectors, transmitting high-definition 1080p True Cinema picture resolution with broad-home range. Featuring an intuitive and simple setup, composed of an HD transmitter, receiver, remote control, and IR repeater, FlyWire provides the freedom and flexibility to place an HDTV virtually anywhere—without cables.

FlyWire offers custom installers many options:

* Allows for greater efficiency on jobs, reducing current project times and enabling installers to offer more services and visit more clients each week
* Allows for installation of HDTVs in the most challenging locations, including outdoors, such as the patio or backyard
* Offers the capability to mount TVs above fireplaces and on brick walls without heavy masonry work
* Reduces labor costs and overall time on the job
* Eliminates the need to spend days pre-wiring and reconstructing walls and ceilings
* Simplifies installations—for example, by eliminating the need to crawl under houses or climb into attics to run long-length audio video cables

FlyWire can be installed in various scenarios:

* Residential
* Commercial

– Conference rooms in office buildings
– Digital signage market, such as sports bars and gyms

* Schools

AVAILABILITY

* FlyWire: November 2008 in US, Canada, Europe, Asia

ON DISPLAY AT:

CEDIA Expo 2008, September 3-7, 2008, in Denver, CO, at Booth #260

ABOUT FLYWIRE

As the first offering in the FlyWire family, this solution provides a whole-home range with the capability of penetrating walls and AV cabinets. AV components can be hidden away in a cabinet or a closet, creating an uncluttered living and home-entertainment environment. Installers can also mount projectors on the ceiling without the hassle of cables.

Operating in the open 5GHz band, FlyWire offers a completely robust connection. It intelligently manages its own connection, adjusting both frequency and power to avoid interference and overcome impedances. Because FlyWire does not compress video, it transmits video content with no latency. Even the most demanding AV applications, like video games, will not be impaired by the wireless transmission. FlyWire’s SD-card slot also allows for upgrade and expansion options.

FlyWire comes with a transmitter that connects to your AV components (digital HD or analog) and a receiver that mounts to your HDTV, allowing you to place your HDTV in the living room, kitchen, or even outdoors.

FlyWire (AV69003)

* Offers broad-home range and penetrates walls and windows
* Includes IR backchannel, allowing you to control AV devices that might be hidden in AV cabinets, closets, or other rooms
* Includes a remote control for switching between inputs
* As another option, FlyWire also offers IR receiver and IR blaster attachments to allow you to use your existing remote controls
* Automatic frequency hopping, which searches for the best available frequency whenever FlyWire detects interference in the area

STATISTICS

* A 2006 Parks Associates survey found that home theaters are the most common installation with 91% of dealers polled installing home theater systems.
* The CEA indicates in their January 2008 Industry Forecasts report that sales of flat-panel TVs in 2007 grew year-over-year by 52%.
* ABI Research projects installations of wireless HDTVs to grow 142% between 2007 and 2013.

QUOTE

Hanoz Gandhi, VP of Products for Belkin International, Inc.:

* The professional custom integrator recommends the highest-quality electronics and components, while offering installation services like home automation systems and multiroom audio systems that can be highly labor-intensive and challenging.
* FlyWire maintains the highest levels of video quality and reliability that custom installers demand, while serving as a tool to make their projects more efficient.
* FlyWire’s intuitive and simple setup frees up time for installers to concentrate on other services and additional clients.
* This increases productivity, margins, and revenue, while providing installers an opportunity to take on more projects and diversify their service offerings.

FlyWire Package Includes:

* FlyWire Transmitter
* FlyWire Receiver with Wall-Mounting Bracket
* FlyWire Remote Control
* IR Receiver and Blaster
* (3) HDMI™ Cables

Disregard this post from yesterday about the Belkin JoyPod except for the part where I said “it’s absolutely possible that it could be phony” and the other part about taking this info with a grain of salt because yes, my friends, she’s a fake.

I shoulda known, too, because the language used on the fake material looks totally made up. I’ve never seen such an odd mishmash of letters! At any rate, the lovely and pleasant-tempered Belkin PR Manager, Melody Chalaban, just sent over the following:

Hi Doug,

Saw your post on the Belkin "JoyPod," and I want to note that he “JoyPod” is not a Belkin product, but simply a false rumor.  We have no plans to release such a product. But, if you know who started this rumor, tell them to call us!

I don’t know who started this rumor but mark my words: It’ll be a cold day in H-E-double-toothpicks before he or she ever steps foot inside the Internet again. Anyway, sorry for the confusion and sorry to get the…um… zero of you who commented on yesterday’s story all riled up.