Ultra Cool Gadgets

Garmin’s nüvi 700 series brings two exciting new features — multi-destination routing and, “Where am I?/Where’s my car?” — to its popular pocket-sized GPS navigator lineup. As with all nüvis, you get Garmin reliability, the fast satellite lock of an integrated high-sensitivity receiver, a slim, pocket-sized design with a gorgeous display, an easy, intuitive interface, and detailed NAVTEQ maps for the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico with more than 6 million name-searchable points of interest. All of the 700-series navigators also feature a rich array of features including spoken directions in real street names, MP3 player and photo viewer, and an FM transmitter that will play voice prompts, MP3s, audio books, and more, directly through your vehicle’s stereo system.The nüvi 760 and 770 add integrated traffic receivers and Bluetooth capability for hands-free calling. The nüvi 770 adds maps for Europe. The nüvi 780 adds enhanced MSN direct content capability..

Technical Details
4.3-Inch Diagonal Touch Screen Color Display
480 X 272 Pixels, Wqvga Display With White Backlight
Preloaded With City Navigator(R) North America Nt
Bluetooth(R) Wireless Technology For Hands-Free Calling
Speed Limit Indicator Displays Speed Limits For Highways & Interstates

Customer feedback:

1. How do I like the 760? For the most part, I am extremely pleased with the performance and functionality of the 760. Like most people I do have a list of my personal improvement and enhancements for the system but they are not deal breakers. When I first received the unit, I tested it on a trip to Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park. The directions to and from the Park and Palm Springs were flawless and the GPS recognized all the main roads within the park. We actually encountered some road construction on one of the main highways and the traffic receiver recognized the jam but gave us a strange recommendation. It directed us to go down the off-ramp and immediately get on the next on-ramp. We did this twice and it actually moved us ahead in traffic. I’m not sure how effective that strategy would be in other similar situations. The speaker volume could be louder but I could easily understand the commands traveling at 80 mph. I have also tested the system on several routes throughout Southern California and the system performed very well. All of the main features worked as published with a few exceptions noted below. The user interface is very well designed and I was able to operate 80% of the functions without reading the manual. In addition to the 760, I also purchased the Garmin Friction Dashboard Mount which I believe is superior to the glass suction mount provided.

2. Garmin 760
Pros: routing engine seems very good, multi-destination routing optimization, good POI database, more map updates compared to competition, great user interface
Cons: touch screen is not very sensitive, outdated map data, FM transmitter is useless, expensive

The DriveStation TurboUSB External Hard Drives let you store, back up, and easily transport various files without taking up room on your computer’s main hard drive. Based on the SATA hard drive technology for larger capacities and with TurboUSB technology, DriveStation’s transfer rates are up to 37% greater than those of standard USB hard drives. The DriveStation is a plug-and-play, secure and reliable USB backup and storage solution.

Technical Details:
Up to 37% faster TurboUSB transfer rates via USB connector
Fast 7,200 RPM Serial ATA Hard Drive
Easy Setup, no drivers required
Pre-formatted Drive for Immediate Use
Turns On and Off Automatically With Your Computer

Customer Feedback:

1. I have owned this drive for over six months now, it is my second external drive (the other is Cavalry and I wouldn’t recommend that brand at all) The best feature included, that I think you must have with an external drive is that it powers off and on with the system automatically (Cavalry does not do this) The drive is quiet, access speed is very good (no Turbo feature installed) and the indicator lights are not glaring like so many other exernal drives are, a small green light indicates power and red for activity. I have not bought a new cord for it as the other reviewer did, mine is placed on the desk above the computer and the cord length was fine. I also did not have to reformat the drive, it was pre-formatted NTFS. I would recommend this drive highly, it runs cool and is nice enough looking to be displayed on the desktop. Mine stores all my videos and I play them directly from the drive. Go for it!

2. I purchased 2 of these drives a year ago from another retailer. I play alot of my HD movies of the drive and everything runs smoothly. The drive looks alot better than some of the other externals out there. Being a Lian Li case owner, I had to have a nice looking external for my htpc. The auto shut off feature comes in handy, because I would always forget to turn off my other external drives. My drives came formatted in FAT, but it was no big deal to reformat. With the price of internal drives dropping i’m debating on buying more or going with an internal hd and case.

The LaCie Hard Disk 301302U 500 GB USB 2.0, Design by Neil Poulton adds a sleek, sophisticated style to your desktop while delivering high-speed performance as a hard drive. You no longer have to worry about running out of disk space for your latest music, movies, and photos. And with universal compatibility and a compact size, this portable drive lets you easily share your music, photos and video files with your friends and family.
Designed by internationally acclaimed designer Neil Poulton, the Hard Disk features sleek and sophisticated styling. The case is entirely black with a fashionable, mirror-polished finish. A cool, blue LED strip on the bottom casts an ambient glow. The ultra-minimalist look will blend perfectly into home entertainment setups and workstations.
But don’t think the design is just about looking good. Built to optimize heat dissipation so that it can operate without a fan, the drive is also designed for convenience and portability. At just 4.6 x 1.8 x 7.6 inches (WxHxD) and weighing barely two pounds, it can be easily transported into your briefcase, allowing you to shuttle files between your home and office, or move your work between your laptop and desktop with ease.

Technical Details
- 500 GB USB external hard drive with a stunning design by Neil Poulton
- Fast USB 2.0 interface offers connectivity and transfer rates of up to 480 Mbps
- Plug and Play functionality for both Macs and Windows
- Includes 1-Click Backup Software (Windows and Mac) and LaCie SilverKeeper Backup Software (Mac)
- Measures 4.6 x 1.8 x 7.6 inches (WxHxD); 2-year limited warranty

Customer feedback:

1. I was about to purchase one of the older F.A. Porsche disks when I stumbled upon this one last week. I purchased this to primarily be the Time Machine disk for my 230GB iMac (Leopard). In the spirit of a nearly all-wireless iMac, I wanted the disk to be as inconspicuous as possible. The glossy black enclosure is nearly invisible sitting under the iMac on our black desk. The only truly visible feature is the ambient blue light beneath the front, but that’s just cool. There are no markings whatsoever on the front or top of the drive.
Out of the box, the drive is easy to setup. After plugging it in, the Setup Assistant popped right up and had the drive properly formatted in just a couple of minutes. Then, Time Machine popped up automatically and presented the options to use the new disk.

2. I love this product. I just bought it a month ago. Easy to set up, it’s fast, it’s got huge storage and such a sleek design.

These elegant portable drives are simple to use, light and easy to carry, and require no power adapter — they are powered directly through the USB cable (except where the computer limits power available from the USB port). Works with Windows and Mac. Synchronize files between home and office and encrypt everything on the drive for added security. Pick from multiple colors to express your unique style.

Ideal For
- Storing or backing up your digital music, videos and photos.
- Carrying important files and e-mail between work and home or on the road and keeping them in sync.
- Sharing large files between office and home, between PC and Mac.

Technical Details
- Box Contents - My Passport Essential 320GB Portable USB Hard Drive, USB 2.0 cable, Quick Install guide
- 320GB Hard Drive Capacity
- Installation is a snap because you don’t really install this drive; you just plug it in and it’s ready to use. There is no CD to install; the included software loads from the drive the first time you plug it in
- Powered by the USB bus. No separate power supply is needed
- This ultra-portable drive fits easily in your pocket or purse, weighs only a few ounces, and holds tons of valuable data

Customer feedback:

1. Pros
+ Great capacity options at good prices available in this line of products
+ Nice portable form factor that easily connects via USB
+ USB powered, no A/C required, which is great for portability
+ Works well on Windows Vista, XP and Mac OS X
+ Easy to set up disk encryption for security and privacy
+ Nice looks, and cool color options for those that care about that
+ Turns on and off with your computer or easily ejected via system tray
+ Easy plug-and-play installation
+ Integrates nicely with my growing stable of WD MyBook drives
+ Included software may be useful for some novices
+ Drives are sufficiently durable holding up to normal use over time
+ 320 GB capacity is just about right for most users

Cons
- Somewhat slow file transfer speeds for larger backups
- Included software not useful for power users
- Shiny body attracts scratch, fingerprints and dust
- Only USB, so look to the LaCie 250 GB Rugged Hard Disk if you need fire-wire ports too
- Only up to 320 GB right now, so look to the LaCie 500 GB Rugged Hard Disk with FireWire and USB if you need more capacity in a portable drive
- Have to spend your cash to get a case that should have been included

2. The Western Digital Passport reduced my 388 CD rack to a pocket-sized miracle. Likewise, all the photos, lesson plans, and Power-Point presentations that were cluttering my computer are now on my Passport.
Here’s the low-down. I was a bit worried that I might have difficultly setting-up this little guy. My fears were alleviated in about 15 seconds. About a month ago, I downgraded from Vista to XP and had NO PROBLEMS with the installation of this product … whatsoever (seems some people who run Vista have been having some trouble). It could not have been easier. (Thank you Western Digital!)
Now, the pre-installed software is REALLLLLY bad (that part is true). Western Digital should rethink this approach since nearly everyone removes it (and it deters some people from even purchasing their products). Minus one-star for being SERIOUSLY annoying!!
As mentioned by other reviewers, the product is whisper-quiet. And, while some folks found that they need an USB Power Adapter Y Cable, I did not. I have a two-year old Alien Area 51 m5550 and experienced no problems with power (regarding this product). I would advise that you purchase the Passport without the substitute cable and give it a try before you invest the extra cash.

When its time to back up and protect your digital content–photos, music, documents, and more–it doesn’t get much easier than the Seagate Free Agent Desktop USB Portable Hard Drive. Simply plug it in to any power source, connect the USB cable to any computer, and you’re ready to go. This hip-looking hard drive takes up less room on your desk than an ordinary stapler, giving you more space for your other desktop items.
Computers come and go, but your content should always be nearby. With up to 1000 glorious gigabytes, the Free Agent external hard drive is the best place to gather and access all of your important photos, movies, music, games and documents. Simply plug in the power and the USB cable and you’re ready to go. The Seagate Free Agent is big enough to store a huge portion of your digital content in a safe and secure environment, but small enough to let you take that content with you wherever you go. In other words, having the Seagate Free Agent is like having your entire computer with you at all times, but in a package that’s a small fraction of the space and weight of your computer.

Technical Details

- 500 GB external hard drive connects to your computer via USB cable
- 7200 RPM spindle speed for high-speed performance and fast read times
- Footprint is no bigger than a stapler; Just plug it in and you’re ready to go
Backup CDs, DVDs or store files and programs for on-the-go
- Includes external drive, USB 2.0 cable, AC power adapter, and quick start guide

Customer feedback:

1. If your sole purpose is to offload archives, then this is a great product. Most people don’t think twice of backing up their existing data. Also, each version of windows comes with a backup program which originated from the Veritas Brand of Software. You can easily set the Free Agent Hardware and make it an active drive, then setup the Backup Software within MS 2000, XP, or Vista.
I’ve read reviews that seem to point out the burden of USB2 write speed. It makes no difference if the interface is Firewire or USB if the intent is to just backup data. If it takes a few extra seconds or minutes, no big deal. Either way the data will get to the disk and you can rest peacefully.

2. Love everything about this product! It came quickly and it is excellent! Brand new and works great!

Now you can quickly and easily add gigabytes of storage space onto your network with the Network Storage Link from Linksys. This tiny network appliance connects USB 2.0 hard drives directly to your Ethernet network. You can connect up to two stand-alone USB disk drives of any size, and access them from anywhere on your network. You can even plug a USB flash disk into the Network Storage Link, for a convenient way of accessing your portable data files. The Network Storage Link can also be set up so that your storage devices are accessible from the Internet — files can be easily downloaded via your web browser. Your files can be available publicly, or create password-protected accounts for authorized users.
Installation of the Network Storage Link is simple — just plug it directly into your 10/100 Ethernet network, and attach your USB 2.0 hard drives or flash disk. It can self-configure to your network via DHCP or you can use the built-in utility to manually configure it. With the speedy USB 2.0 interface, you’ll get quick response times with even your largest files.

Technical Details

* Connects USB 1.1 or 2.0 hard drives and flash drives directly to your network
* Share music, video, or data files with managed access by user name or group
* Integrated file server — access your files from the Internet
* Built-in disk utilities — format, backup, and scandisk
* Connects directly to a 10/100 Ethernet network for throughput up to 200 Mbps

Customer feedback:

A. Last week I purchased the linksys storage link. This product is an excellent example or a device that does not try to be all things to all people. Essentially, it is an tiny computer or embeded device with a tiny os that runs code that provides SMB or Windows file sharing. It is 100% compatible with windows, linux, or mac as long as you dont have a personal firewall installed.
Installation is simple.
1. Unbox device
2. Use CD-ROM to set up address, if you have dhcp this is not neccesary
3. Connect drive
4. Format drive via web interface
5. Set any password information
6. Add Users and permissions
7. Enjoy

B. I have been using this for past 1 week. It is a great product. I have learned to work with it rather than against it. Here are some observations that actually add exceptional value to the product. I have discovered some undocumented features too.
1. You can actually use it as a webserver! I am running one, though for personal use. To do this you need to put the files in the public area on the NSLU2, and using webhop like feature from DynDNS, you can map the index.html to a web address.
2. If the above feature is used and the html files are put into the restricted area, it will webserve, but will need password and user name. I serve my family photo site using this method!
3. The file systems seems to be Linux based. I used Acronis True Image 7.0 for backup of the USB drive. It indicated 3 partitions. Two of them were ext3 and one Linux swap! Acronis complained about some errors in the Linux partition. Looks like some propriatory stuff in there.
4. The device features really needs to be explored carefully before deployment and making any judgement call. The features like user+group+password can be used for excellent security. I have multiple pseudo users setup with private directories categorized according to the data, like music, videos, photos, downloads etc. Then I setup most of the actual users without private directories and provided them with selective permission to use the data. This adds to security since I can bump off any user without having to move files or data.
5. Documentation is lacking details and examples. In fact it is inadequate. But this does not make the device any less valuable. I had to explore and experiment with the device to make full use of it.

Serious professional photographers who demand one of the fastest, most rugged, and most durable memory cards on the market should choose the SanDisk Extreme III SD card. Built to work under the most challenging conditions, with SanDisk Extreme III you’ll get more speed, better performance, and unmatched reliability. That’s because only SanDisk Extreme III memory cards feature innovative ESP Technology for the fastest speeds and highest performance. ESP stands for “Enhanced Super-Parallel Processing”. Simply put, it means you are getting the fastest read/write speeds available – an amazing minimum 20MB per second sequential read and write speed – speed you’ll definitely appreciate whenever you find yourself shooting and storing pictures in harsh environments, extreme temperatures or at high altitudes.
Every SanDisk Extreme III SD card comes with RescuePRO so you can recover images, documents, mail, video, music – just about any digital file, with ease. Built with leading-edge media recovery algorithms, RescuePRO lets you preview recoverable data before you try to retrieve it. With RescuePro’s unique recovery algorithm for MPEG audio and MPEG video recovery (MPEG-1/2/3) what you see, and what you hear, is what you can recover.

Advanced features:

# Fast 20 MBps sequential Read/Write speeds
# Ideal for demanding photo shoots under severe weather conditions – heat, cold, wind, rain, snow, etc
# Durable, reliable and thoroughly tested for heat, cold, shock and vibration
# Class 6 speed performance rating (based on SD 2.0 specifications)
# RescuePRO data recovery software - ensures your photos will always be there

Customer feedback:

1. For anyone with a fast 10-megapixel camera that accepts high-capacity SDHC cards (check with your manufacturer!), this choice is a no-brainer! Nikon USA reassuringly has this specific card on their “approved” list for the D80 and other recent DSLR models. Shooting in high-quality RAW format, capacity is now up to 326 images (or more), meaning less chance of running out of image storage — usually at the worst possible moment — when you’re paying more attention to the scene before you rather than the image count-down indicator. And if you shoot in .jpg format, you now have a virtual warehouse for your images. The free USB reader is a bonus, allowing for quick, reliable image transfers to your hard drive, Mac or Win.

2. Got this for my canon SD870IS compact camera. I’m not sure if I really needed the speed but the cost of this card wasn’t much more than others and it came with a reader. I am happy with the video quality using this card as I use this camera for video as much as still. The only problem is the card reader doesn’t fit into the recessed usb slots on the front of my comp (just need a usb extension cable), but downloading directly from the camera is still faster than my old cf card reader. I’ve only shot about 100 pics so far, but the card has worked flawlessly.

Cruzer Micro now ships with U3 smart technology. Co-Invented by SanDisk, U3 technology gives you the ability to carry your files AND your software on a secure USB drive. You can have your wallpaper, preferences, favorites, profiles, and more - everything you need for a familiar computing experience on any PC, wherever you go.
Includes Skype exclusively on all Cruzer Micro and Cruzer Titanium USB flash drives. Make voice and video calls from PC to PC anywhere in the world. Cruzer Micro allows you to easily carry and transfer key documents, pictures, music and video clips from one computer to another. The new retractable USB port eliminates the need for caps and protects your USB connector.

Features

* 4 GB capacity
* Retractable USB connector
* Brilliant amber LED
* U3 smart enabled
* Loaded with the following U3 programs: CruzerSync synchronization software, SignupShield password manager, SKYPE, and AVAST antivirus software
* Dimensions: 7.94mm x 20.6mm x 57.15mm (D x W x L)
* Hi-Speed USB 2.0 certified (backwards compatible with all USB 1.1 ports)
* Compatible with Windows 2000, SP4 and XP*
* Certified Windows 2000 and XP

Customer feedback:

SanDisk makes a great product, every time. I use nothing but SanDisk for my flash drive/memory card needs because quite frankly, other companies don’t make reliable products. The software issues with this device are not even a problem if you simply UNINSTALL the U3 software. Once you do that, it’s treated as a mass storage device just like anything else. There is no law written down that you need to use software on a device just because it came with it. Using the Windows explorer to manage your files is easier and more effective anyway.

The Xbox 360 120GB Hard Drive is the best option for media enthusiasts who game on Xbox 360. It is the largest storage option for Xbox 360 to expand your gaming experience with downloadable content. Save your game progress, Xbox Live gamer profile, game demos and custom soundtracks from your own music collection. Download movies and television shows from Xbox Live Marketplace. Play original and retro games in Xbox Live Arcade. The Xbox 360 120GB Hard Drive includes a data transfer kit to easily migrate all of your saved data from your 20GB HDD to your 120GB HDD. It comes preloaded with great HD game demos, videos and an assortment of Xbox Live Arcade game trials. Keep a huge assortment on hand to suit any mood and whim.

Product Details:

* The 120 GB Hard Drive matches the style of the original Xbox 360 console and 20GB Hard Drive
* Even the most dedicated of gamers could spend a lifetime trying to fill up 120GB with game saves
* Rip CDs to the hard drive with reckless abandon and no concern for space constraints
* Xbox Live Marketplace offers a wide variety of video content from gaming and movie trailers to television programs and HD movie rentals
* Download gamer pics and dashboard themes from Xbox Live Marketplace or create your own with the Xbox Live Vision Camera.

Customer feedback:

1. Most people who already own a xbox 360 this product may be very tempting and some people have been waiting months on this. You could use this to store music on your xbox hard drive as well as videos and xbox live arcade games and game demos.
For people who are continually running out of space on their 360 this is a Godsend. If you’re downloading HD movies you’ll really appreciate this. If you want to store your music on your 360 you’ll love this. However, if you’re just using the xbox 360 hard-drive for your game saves then this is more than you’ll ever use.
2. The drive comes with a kit (disc and USB cable) that allow you to easily transfer all your data from your old 20GB drive to the 120GB one. The transfer was easy and hassle-free. The entire process took less than 90 minutes. When I turned on the 360 afterwards with the new drive attached, everything booted up exactly as it had with the old 20GB drive. There was no further configuration or registration needed. All data had been preserved perfectly - downloaded demos, trailers, and other content, saved game data, music, etc. The new drive is even a little bit faster than the old one - although it’s possible that my old one had gotten fragmented and that was slowing it down, so maybe it’s really the same speed.

SDHC (SD High-Capacity) is the new generation of SD cards (Version 2.0). Formatted in FAT32, SDHC cards reach a maximum capacity of 32GB and can fulfill the high-capacity demand of the new SDHC devices such as Casio Exilim Z1000/Z600/S600 cameras, Panasonic DMC-L1 camera, and HP printer A/B. Now you can enjoy a high-quality digital life and store all of your MP3 music files, high-resolution pictures, and video clips on your SDHC card.
Customer review:
1. Works well with a 10 MP camera (PowerShot G7) - fits about 900 highest quality JPEGs. No problems shooting continuous video. You are much more likely to run out of battery power than space.
2. This card does eveything they say about it. It’s got tremendous capacity and it’s plenty fast enough for 640 x 320 resolution 30 frame/sec videos on my Canon A560 camera.

Product features:

* Fully compatible with the SD 2.0 Standard
* Class 6 specification
* Original NAND Flash Chip
* Supports Error Correcting Code (ECC) to detect and correct errors