Storage is cheap, and just keeps getting cheaper. I remember buying my first 250 megabyte hard drive, and paying just under a dollar per meg. Now we’re approaching multi-terabyte drives at retail stores for extremely reasonable prices. The age old problem, though, is how to protect all that precious data. RAID solutions have been around for a long time, but the consumer-grade products haven’t been all that great, and the commercial-grade products have been way too expensive. Things are starting to change, though, and the iStoragePro iT4UFER is a good indicator of what’s to come. Read on for a complete review, and a chance to win a $100 Starbucks gift card!
Reviews
by Scott Merrill on September 29, 2009
by Matt Burns on September 28, 2009
The MSI X-Slim X600 tries so hard – so very hard – to be a full-size, Windows MacBook Air. It has the looks, it has the specs, hell, it even has the same shape. But one huge flaw keeps will keep it from becoming the de facto slim Windows notebook: the trackpad. It’s that bad.
Read More
by Dave Freeman on September 25, 2009
Short Version: Billed by Alienware as “the most powerful laptop in the universe,” the M17x is simply an amazing piece of hardware. It combines the latest in hardware with an extremely high-quality finish to create a laptop that is incredibly fast and well-designed. Unfortunately, it also might be the most expensive laptop in the universe.
Read More
by Dave Freeman on September 25, 2009
Wallets are a very personal thing. Generally speaking, once you find one you like, you stick with that one until it wears out, and then spend weeks trying to find a replacement that’s the same style, only to realize that they don’t make them anymore, and you’re going to have to find something else. This was my dilemma, so when I was asked to review the Flipside Wallet, I was a little dubious about how well I would like it, given how particular I am.
by Doug Aamoth on September 25, 2009
The Averatec N3400 is an ultraportable notebook with a 13-inch screen, “aluminum-clad” shell, external DVD burner, and 3.8-pound body weight. Priced at $799, it’s got a lot to offer.
by John Biggs on September 23, 2009
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my years of tech reporting it’s that you should never say Bose makes good products. Bose, like Apple, is a lightning rod for informed and uninformed attacks from both the pro and con camps and to say they do things well – or poorly – is a dangerous proposition. That said, I’m here to tell you that if you travel a lot then you should get the QuietComfort 15 headphones.
I tested these headphones during three long overseas flights. I’ve been a fan of the QuietComforts for a few years now and always wore the QC3s, the smaller version of the original QuietComfort headphones. However, the noise reduction built into the new model is quite staggering. In an airplane cabin turning these headphones on and off shows you how effectual they are. Instead of the steady, buzzing hum of the airplane you hear silence.
Read More
by John Biggs on September 22, 2009
When I saw the Vue Personal Video Network a few months ago, I was impressed. The system is dead simple to install. You plug in a base station, sync two little wireless cameras that run on tiny batteries, and watch the video on any web browser, anywhere. It’s like a little mini-security system that you can connect anywhere you have Wired ethernet. Sadly, my joy was short lived.
The biggest issue I have with this kit is the correct usage scenario. It doesn’t have motion activation, for a good reason which I’ll explain shortly, so it’s not good for security. You can’t watch multiple streams at once so it’s not good for real home monitoring. The video quality isn’t quite good enough for, say, live web streaming porno involving you and a bottle of pomegranate juice, which is not to say I’ve ever tried.
Read More
by Devin Coldewey on September 18, 2009
But what did he see in the clear stream below? His own image; no longer a dark, gray bird, ugly and disagreeable to look at, but a graceful and beautiful swan. —The Ugly Duckling
It’s been a long, brown trip for the Zune: from its early days (mocked and abject) to its awkward years (deemed a dead end and money pit) it’s been embattled and criticized, and rightly so. After all, here was an unpopular company with a frankly ridiculous brand it had pulled out of thin air, attempting to compete with the guys who defined the market. We’ve always been champions of the devices, despite their quirks, and of the service, despite its growing pains — and Microsoft occasionally made it pretty hard for us to stand by our favorite little misfit media player. Well, for once they just made it really easy.
Read More
by Doug Aamoth on September 18, 2009
After finally adding some drummy goodness with Guitar Hero World Tour and then issuing the video game equivalent of a greatest hits album, the newest installment of Activision’s wildly popular Guitar Hero series has hit the market.
Many may look at Guitar Hero 5 the same way people look at popular sports games like EA’s Madden series: the core game hasn’t changed that much at all but there are some new features here and there, plus 85 new songs to play and a slightly redesigned guitar controller.
Diehard fans of the series will likely go out and buy Guitar Hero 5 without much convincing, while people who are slowly (or quickly) growing weary of the near-endless crop of music games aren’t likely to find much here to change their minds. So let’s focus on those of us (myself included) in the middle – people who like music games enough to keep playing them but need some good reasons to keep shelling out $60 to $100 every other month (or so it seems).
by John Biggs on September 17, 2009
It was written that a great Hero would rise from the East. He would be clothed in the sun and his unique user-interface would redefine the user experience for countless fans of social networking and his majesty would reign over all over Android phones forever. That Hero is here, and he’s on Sprint.
I love the Hero, even in the form that the phone took in Sprint’s able hands. While the comparisons to another Sprint phone will be rampant, I’m here to tell you that this isn’t the Palm Pre and that this phone is my favorite phone, other than the phone that starts with “i” and rhymes with iPhone. The Hero, in this incarnation, is a perfect mix of form and function.
First, for an earlier look at the Hero drop over here for my original review.
Read More
by Matt Burns on September 15, 2009
The Harmony 700 just works. It doesn’t look as fancy as the 900, but I don’t care. What I care about in a remote is the most functionality for the lowest price. And let me tell you that this remote scores high in that area. I don’t care if I spoil the review, I just have to say that I love this remote. Read More
by Doug Aamoth on September 14, 2009
With the NFL season now in full swing, you may be looking for ways to pass the time between Tuesday morning and Sunday afternoon (or Thursdays – stupid Thursday night games screwing up Fantasy and Pick’em leagues the world over). Sure, you could converse with loved ones, do some much needed yardwork, or – gasp!!! – read a book, but maybe you’d find plenty of happiness in the newest console installment of the Madden football franchise from EA Sports.
by Peter Ha on September 10, 2009
Lowepro announced a handful of new camera bags at PMA in March and over the last couple months they’ve slowly trickled into the market. We were lucky enough to snag a Pro Roller x100 early and have spent quite a bit of time with it over the last few weeks including trips to Indianapolis for the Red Bull MotoGP.
by John Biggs on September 9, 2009
Once upon a time you dressed so fine, went out to the record store, and bought your albums. Those days are no more, although iTunes wants you to think otherwise. That’s why they added a few new features to add a little bit of that old record store attitude to the boring process of downloading tunes. Introducing iTunes 9.0 – it’s bright, it’s shiny, and it’s kind-of-sort-of new.
The first thing you’ll notice about the new iTunes is the clarity of the new user interface. First, everything is white. The backgrounds are bright and clear and the new iTunes Store carries this UI aesthetic into the shopping experience. The icons are cheery and a little more “open” and friendly.
Read More
by Doug Aamoth on September 4, 2009
Behold! A portable convergence device from faraway lands! It plays music, it plays videos, it takes photos, it’s an e-book reader, a dictionary, a notepad, it slices, it dices, it does it all! But none of that matters. None of it. Why? Because this little $30 gem plays NES games.
And so we dance…
by Doug Aamoth on September 2, 2009
Advanced Video Communications may have a winner on its hands with the internet-connected LiveLine video camera. Simple setup, a low $10-per-month access fee, and a fairly straightforward user experience make the LiveLine worth a closer look.
Early beta testers got a free camera, which AVC claims to be a $299 value. And while the company has sold out of all its initial freebies, it’s currently restocking its inventory. The actual selling price of the system once it’s out of beta will likely dictate the overall popularity of the product.
by Matt Burns on September 1, 2009
Mid- and high-end headphones are everywhere these days. AKG, previously known for recording and broadcast equipment, just added to the bunch by outing a slew of headphones, including these totally acceptable $119 K 340 in-canal buds. I’ve spent some good listening time with them, and I have to say that they are solid performers once you get over the somewhat awkward design.
by Matt Burns on August 31, 2009
I wanted to love this remote. The Harmony One has a great form factor, and I was hoping that Logitech would add its current RF system to the mix. But that didn’t happen with the $400 Harmony 900. Instead, Logitech attempted to simplify the RF setup even though the current method is easy enough and managed to muck things up. The remote’s nice, but crippled by a lackluster RF system and therefore nowhere near the best remote I have ever used.
Photo Gallery by Picturesurf
Read More
by CrunchGear Video on August 31, 2009
CrunchGear – Delta Pilar ToucH2O review from John Biggs on Vimeo.
I present to you the Delta Pilar ToucH2O, an touch sensitive tap. I’ve seen it online for about $400 so you have to really want to be able touch your tap to turn in on and off. Obviously this helps halt the spread of germs in the kitchen – you don’t really touch the handle that much – and it’s fun to live in future world. However, I’d be hard pressed to recommend the upgrade unless you’re a germaphobe or want to amaze the in-laws.
Read More
by John Biggs on August 28, 2009
While it is well known that I once did a burlesque show under the name TrickleStar in Weimar Germany, many of you don’t know that TrickleStar is also a system for shutting down idling hardware next to your TV or PC. I’m here to tell you, my kleine Kuchen, that it’s really great.
Think about your own sad situation: you have a computer or TV that you turn off. The constellation of devices that orbit these central devices remain on or in a standby state. The TrickleStars solve that problem by turning everything off when the main items are off.
- Actively Discussed Posts
- Sunday Giveaway: See the world with your very own Vue camera system
553 comments - Friday Giveaway: Nixon Newton Watch
325 comments - You can install Chrome OS on your Dell Mini 10v right now
52 comments - Psystar's folly: 12 million clones per year by 2011
45 comments - Real time, real discussion, real reporting: choose two
37 comments
- There are no posts to display.
