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Archive for the ‘Hardware Reviews’ Category

Review Update: AT&T 3G MicroCell

Written on November 02, 2009 by Charles Jade and 12 people have commented

As an iPhone user held hostage in AT&T’s network by the exclusivity agreement with Apple, the arrival of the AT&T 3G MicroCell felt like being rescued. Four weeks later, I now realize only Verizon can do that, but my updated assessment of the 3G MicroCell is still positive, mostly.

During the first three weeks of operation, [...]

BackPack: The Shelf You Never Knew You Needed

Written on September 07, 2009 by Liam Cassidy and 12 people have commented

Sometimes, owning a Mac isn’t just an option in computing…it’s a way of life. The Apple design philosophy with which we are so enamored — industrial design and elegant, beautiful minimalism — is part of every icon, every pulsing progress bar, every click of the serene Mighty Mouse. Even when the machine is asleep, white [...]

Mophie Juice Pack Air: Extend Your iPhone’s Battery Life With Style

Written on August 11, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 17 people have commented

Does your iPhone crave power like a mad dictator? Even after trying some of Clayton’s excellent tips on power conservation, you might find that by dinner your iPhone gives out like a puppet government. The Mophie Juice Pack Air external power pack promises extended battery life in a compact combination of form and function. Is [...]

Elgato Video Capture

Written on August 05, 2009 by Chris Ryan and 10 people have commented

Like many of you, most recorded footage of my youth was on those archaic black plastic things called VHS tapes. As the rest of society moves into the digital age, I’m facing a battle of preserving my childhood memories on something a little more robust and modern than 800 feet of mylar tape. With many [...]

Zefyr Pro Keeps Your MacBook Cool

Written on August 03, 2009 by Liam Cassidy and 3 people have commented

The Zefyr Pro from Moshi is one of the prettiest laptop coolers on the market. Designed for the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 15 and 17-inch models, it’s one of the more expensive laptop coolers, too, at a staggering $80. I bought it because my previous cooler — an Akasa 15 inch Classic Cooler — [...]

The Ultimate MacBook Pro Protection Suite by Moshi

Written on July 07, 2009 by David Klein and 17 people have commented

I’m a huge fan of Moshi’s Apple-centric line of products and accessories. In fact, my entire collection of Apple products has now been complimented by Moshi. For example, I use the iLynx USB/Firewire hub and Celesta keyboard with my iMac; my iPhone is protected by the iGlaze 3G; and recently, my Macbook Pro experienced a [...]

Logitech’s G13 Advanced Gameboard

Written on June 29, 2009 by Chris Ryan and 2 people have commented

While many don’t see the Mac as the ideal game platform, it still holds its own against Windows PCs and console systems. Many hardcore gamers love to trick out their systems with beefier graphics cards, extra controllers and special, high-performance input devices, and Mac users are no exception.
Today, we’re looking at Logitech’s G13 advanced gameboard. [...]

Waterfield Designs: Cases for Apple Purists

Written on June 19, 2009 by Chris Ryan and 18 people have commented

Like some of you, I’m quite the “Apple purist.” I’m not a fan of fancy cases that junk up my Macs. I don’t like skins for my iPods and those plastic snap cases for my laptop. We all know that Apple designs beautiful products, so we might as well show them off! Balancing protection and beauty, the stylish and functional cases from Waterfield Designs are some of the highest quality cases I have ever used.

MacBook Accessories: Rain Design mStand

Written on June 16, 2009 by David Appleyard and 13 people have commented

Laptop stands are widely heralded as a great solution for a more ergonomic workstation and better positioning of your computer. They come in all manner of shapes and sizes, from the downright awful to very slick and stylish.
I recently took the plunge and purchased the Rain Design mStand. This particular stand is designed specifically for [...]

Hackintosh Dell Mini 9 OS X: Is it Worth it?

Written on May 19, 2009 by David Klein and 61 people have commented

With the help of a friend who already successfully completed the process, I managed to install OS X on my new Dell Mini 9. This was my first and, hopefully, my last Dell purchase. Sorry, Apple. I became too curious. Everyone appeared to love their hackintosh netbooks, so I decided to [...]

iPod Shuffle Unboxing and Hands On

Written on March 13, 2009 by David Appleyard and 13 people have commented

Much has been said about the new iPod shuffle. Its size has been praised, lack of buttons grumbled about, and — as with most new Apple products — has caused a little controversy. I wanted to try the product out for myself as I’ve been needing a small MP3 player for exercise. My iPhone is [...]

Drobo: The Ultimate Network Peripheral?

Written on February 13, 2009 by Arvin Dang and 25 people have commented

I was recently introduced to the Drobo box. If you’re not familiar with it, simply put, it’s the ultimate home backup server.
For $400, you get a BeyondRAID array that can support up to 4 simultaneous drives, and caps at 16TB. Even cooler is the ability to swap out your drives with a single push of [...]

Power Support Air Jacket for iPhone 3G

Written on January 13, 2009 by Clayton Lai and 17 people have commented

Unlike most hard protective cases that typically consist of separate front and back parts, the Power Support Air Jacket for iPhone 3G is a single plastic case for only the back of an iPhone 3G.

Available in either black or clear, the black version is notable for its rubberized finish. Two screen protection films — [...]

Scroll Different — Mouse Engineering Moves Up Top

Written on December 23, 2008 by Charles Moore and 2 people have commented

Mouse technology has advanced a lot over the past two decades. The Apple Lisa-derived mouse with its DE-9 connector and thumb screws that attached it securely to my first Mac, a 1988 Mac Plus, was a pretty crude piece of engineering, with an analog ball of course, and a noisy, long-travel, somewhat stiff single button. [...]

SoHo Printers On a Moderate Budget

Written on December 08, 2008 by Matthew Bookspan and 6 people have commented

Do you have small office/home office (SoHo)? Is managing your peripherals (printers, scanners, fax machines) a hassle? Well, if you are looking for a new all-in-one (AIO) printer that consolidates these peripherals into one for your SoHo, thankfully, there are many choices available for you today. Compared to the marketplace just a few years ago, [...]

Printer Review: Epson Artisan 800

Written on December 05, 2008 by Josh Pigford and 10 people have commented

At the $300 price point, the Epson Artisan 800 is a very nice all-in-one (AIO) printer. For most small office/home office users (SoHo’s), it could easily meet their needs. It is very small (18.4″ x 23.0″ x 7.8″) compared to most of the printers in this price range and offers both wireless as well [...]

Printer Review: Canon Pixma MX7600

Written on December 05, 2008 by Josh Pigford and 7 people have commented

At the $400 price point, the Canon Pixma MX7600 is a beautiful all-in-one (AIO) printer. For most small office/home office users (SoHo’s), it could easily meet their needs. It is moderate in size (21.0″ x 19.7″ x 10.1″) and includes wired networking.
Full disclosure: I have owned two other Canon printers (a MultiPASS MP390 and [...]

Targus 4-Port Bend-A-Hub

Written on November 17, 2008 by Charles Moore and 3 people have commented

Targus, a company more popularly associated with its extensive line of laptop cases, also markets computer accessories. One of their newer introductions is the Targus USB 2.0 4-Port Bend-A-Hub, a modestly-priced, useful add-on and an excellent gift suggestion or stocking stuffer for computer users on your Christmas list.
This hub allows you to connect up to [...]

TV Adapters for Mac: 9 Options for Watching Live Television

Written on November 13, 2008 by David Appleyard and 15 people have commented

In recent years, the Mac has become a device capable of acting as a very powerful media center. iTunes, Front Row, and OS X in general, provide a plethora of features which justify the Mac as a living room device.
That said, one vital piece is missing as a standard: watching and recording live TV on [...]

SimpleTech Duo Pro Hard Drive Offers Do-All Quad I/O Interface

Written on November 11, 2008 by Josh Pigford and 9 people have commented

Whatever system hardware you’re using, including the port-impoverished new 13″ MacBooks, SimpleTech’s new Duo Pro Drive should have you covered.
The Duo Pro supports a variety of different backup options, including Apple’s OS X 10.5 Time Machine as well as SimpleTech’s own Fabrik Ultimate Backup, and its aluminum and grey colored plastic case harmonizes with Apple’s [...]