Archive for Review

Hands On: Griffin Simplifi dock/charger/reader/hub

Posted in Review by Darrin Olson on November 18th, 2008

Griffin Simplifi iPod dock and charger, card reader and USB hubWe got a chance to get our hands on Griffin’s new Simplifi desktop device recently and we feel they really got the name right on this one. The Simplifi is a small Swiss Army Knife of accessories packed into a smooth silver box that adds some convenience and maybe even a touch of sophistication to your desk.

For starters, the device is a dock and charger for your Apple iPhone and/or iPod. It has the docking port right on top and comes with little plastic adapters to custom fit every iPod ever made with a docking port. However, if you happen to have the iPhone 3G you might want to check the box for a 3G sticker. The original product does not come with a 3G port adapter (not that you necessarily need it for the dock to …

SanDisk Sansa Fuze makes a great stocking stuffer

Posted in Review by Conner Flynn on November 16th, 2008

SanDisk Sansa Fuze makes a great stocking stufferIf you’re looking for an affordable MP3 player, the Sansa Fuze is a nice slim device that feels high-quality in your hands. It’s available in several color options. The device sounds good too, offers a ton of features for the price, just $80, $100, and $120 for the 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB models. The Sansa Fuze is not new by any means, but it holds it’s own thanks to the great price, easy interface, and a bunch of features. It even has an expansion slot that accepts micro SDHC cards.

Some features include: an FM tuner, Rhapsody DNA integration, photo, video, and a voice recorder. The scroll wheel makes navigation a real joy. I really couldn’t find anything to complain about with this player. The battery life is very good whether you are watching videos or listening to tunes. If you plan on buying a music player this Christmas, the SanDisk Sansa Fuze is the way to go. Drop the small amount of dough required and drop it in a stocking.

Hands On: Baylis Revolution Eco Media Player

Posted in Review by Conner Flynn on November 9th, 2008

Hands On: Baylis Revolution Eco Media PlayerBaylis is back with an update to their Eco Media Player, called the Revolution. You might remember that when we tested the original, we liked it for what it was, but our main gripe was navigation and ease of use. Does the Revolution fare better? Read on.

Hands On: Epson EX70 Multimedia Projector

Posted in Review by Conner Flynn on November 2nd, 2008

Hands On: Epson EX70 Multimedia ProjectorThose who tote around a portable projector for presentations will appreciate this one. Connecting to your computer with a VGA or DVI cable is very clumsy. The great advantage of the Epson EX70 is that you can connect via a USB cable. There are maybe one or two other projectors that can do this. If you want that convenience, check out the Epson EX70 for $799. You’ll like the fact that a USB cable is pretty easy to carry with you rather then a DVI or VGA cable. It makes setting things up a breeze.

The WXGA 1,280 by 800 resolution will go good with widescreen notebooks and the EX70 is easy to carry around. You can even show presentations without a computer, using an SD card or a USB drive. All of the ports are easily identified. Even a monkey could do it.

Hands On: SanDisk Sansa slotMusic Player

Posted in Review by Conner Flynn on October 27th, 2008

Hands On: SanDisk Sansa slotMusic PlayerAs you might have heard, SanDisk is offering players with a feature that’s a little unusual, a microSD card slot. The slot is a requirement to work with the new music format introduced last month called slotMusic.

The slotMusic format is basically just digital tracks written on a microSD card. SanDisk’s new Sansa player is made especially for the format and is pretty bare bones with no internal memory, no LCD, and no rechargeable battery. It operates on a single AAA battery. It plays slotmusic cards. Period. The device retails for $19.99. You can also get a customized player with an artist skin and a slotMusic card for $34.99. The skins on the player can be swapped if you like. Both models will be available in 2009. But how did we like it? Click through to find out.

Hands On: WowWee’s Tri-Bot

Posted in Review, Robots by Conner Flynn on October 13th, 2008

Hands On: WowWee’s Tri-BotYou’ve seen him in The Shining and in Rocky as well as various videos and pictures around the web, but is this bot just as awesome in person?

He’s a wise-cracking and highly energetic bot, that’s for sure, but did his personality win us over as soon as we took him out of the box? Hit the link for the full review. Here’s a spoiler: Tri-Bot melted my cold geek heart and has my wife wondering why I can’t stop playing with a wise-cracking robot.

Hands On: Epson MovieMate 55 Home Theater projector

Posted in Home Theater, Review by Conner Flynn on October 13th, 2008

Hands On: Epson MovieMate 55We had the opportunity to check out the Epson MovieMate 55 all-in-one projector, which offers a high-quality projector, a CD/DVD player and stereo speakers in a portable unit. Epson’s goal with the MovieMate 55 seems to be to offer consumers an affordable, easy and convenient home entertainment console that goes anywhere. Did they succeed? Read on.

Hands On: WowWee Alive Panda Cub

Posted in Review by Conner Flynn on October 6th, 2008

Hands On: WowWee Alive Panda CubWe got a chance recently to check out a robot of the cute and cuddly variety, as opposed to the kind that will take your face off. The sickeningly cuddly and cute WowWee Alive Panda Cub. While it doesn’t go so far as to chew bamboo in your livingroom and call itself Ling-Ling, it’s an impressive huggable robot for the kid or the grown up in your life. The final verdict? Kids love it because of it’s interactivity and realism. Hit the link and head over to our robot site for the full review.

Hands on: Epson Artisan 800 All-in-One Printer

Posted in Review by Conner Flynn on September 23rd, 2008

Hands on: Epson Artisan 800 All-in-One PrinterWe recently got a chance to go hands on with Epson Artisan 800 All-in-One Printer. Just like the Epson WorkForce 600 All-in-One, it didn’t disappoint. The Artisan 800 is geared toward the more creative type of office. Designed to combine sleek styling with high performance. It has many of the same features, but with a creative slant. The Artisan 800 features built in wired and wireless networking, ultra fast print speeds (38 ppm), 6-color ink, a 7.8” touch panel, a 3.5” LCD screen, standalone photo capabilities, faded photo restorations, and a smart ink system. The Artisan 800 is smaller then the Epson WorkForce 600, which is nice as it can be tucked away a bit more conveniently.

Out of the box you get an ethernet cable, power cable, driver/software disc, user manuals, some sample paper, a small bit of phone cable and the necessary printer cartridges. No USB cable, but if you plan on using it wirelessly, that’s no big deal.

Hands on: Epson WorkForce 600 All-in-One Printer

Posted in Review by Conner Flynn on September 21st, 2008

Hands on: Epson WorkForce 600 All-in-One PrinterPrinters can go either way. I’ve found that they are generally terrible due to high expectations, or in some cases they actually live up to the hype. I can tell you straight away, the Epson WorkForce 600 All-in-One Printer lives up to and even exceeds the hype. First, it looks great and it’s not much bigger then your standard printer, so you don’t need a lot of extra desk real estate. That’s a good thing for anybody, but being designed for small and home businesses, it’s a huge plus to have a work horse that looks good and goes just about anywhere. Some of the features on the 600 include WiFi capabilities, laser quality printing, fast printing speeds, built-in memory card reader, and a super handy LCD to preview your pictures and operate the whole thing effortlessly.

Right out of the box you get an ethernet cable, power cable, driver/software disc, user manuals, even sample paper, a small bit of phone cable and the necessary printer cartridges. No USB cable, which is common and with the Wi-Fi capabilities you really don’t need one.

REVIEW: Schick Quattro Titanium Trimmer

Posted in Review by Darrin Olson on August 10th, 2008

Schick Quattro Titanium Trimmer RazorHow the folks at Schick knew we were a hairy bunch here at the ‘Brick is beyond me, but we’re glad they did since we got the chance to try out this new Schick Quattro Titanium Trimmer. We’re really not in the habit of reviewing personal hygiene products such as razors, but this one is kinda’ cool and runs on batteries so we thought we would make an exception.

Review: Wicked Lasers are truly wicked

Posted in Review by Darrin Olson on August 3rd, 2008

Review of Wicked Lasers Elite 125Wicked Lasers recently gave us the opportunity to check out one of their popular laser pointers, which gave us quite a surprise. Actually, before we received it we called it a laser pointer but not any more. Wicked Lasers assured us that it is not a laser pointer - it truly is a wicked laser, and we can’t disagree.

The sample product we received was from the Elite Series of green lasers, specifically the Elite 125. This laser appears to be around the middle of the road for the different lasers offered by Wicked Lasers. The average output power according to the company runs from 125mW to 149mW. They also have lasers in their catalog with as little as 50mW and as much as 300mW. The Elite 125 for us had plenty of power and made it very clear why this is not a laser pointer for regular presentations. For starters it would be difficult to see anything on a presentation screen because the light from the laser is way too bright, even from across a large room. Also, the crowd would be so distracted by what you’re using to point with they’d never pay attention to anything else you’re trying to show them.

Review: Skullcandy Skullcrusher headphones

Posted in Review by Conner Flynn on May 22nd, 2008

Review: Skullcandy Skullcrusher headphones
Skullcandy is known for their quality headphones. Skullcandy’s Skullcrusher headphones are not new, but I wanted to give them a try and see what all the fuss was about. They don’t have any sophisticated active noise canceling features, but still manage to drown out background noise with a nice level of bass rumbling and sheer over-powering volume. And they do it very well.

The folded headset takes up an amazingly small amount of space. They are pleasingly lightweight and portable, perfect for anyone on the go, especially if you use have a backpack. You get a vinyl protective carrying pouch, one AA battery, a 1/4″ plug adapter and a two-prong plug adapter. I really like the fact that with the included adapters, I’m covered no matter what. The cord is about 5 feet long, so you have plenty of freedom.

Review: Skullcandy Icons headphones

Posted in Review by Conner Flynn on March 19th, 2008

Skullcandy Icons headphones
Normally I’m not a big headphones kinda guy. I mean, I use them fairly often, but I don’t really get much enjoyment out of them as for the most part, one pair always seems pretty much like the other. So I don’t really go out of my way looking for quality and comfort. It’s been my experience that there really isn’t much room for improvement in headphone design.

I was wrong. I can admit it after listening to these headphones. When you plug a pair of Skullcandy icons in and crank up the music, the difference between these headphones and a standard pair is obvious. First, the double headband design and weight of less than 45 grams, makes for an exact fit and total comfort. You don’t even know they are on you and they don’t bother your ears. As far as sound, the 30mm audio driver really does provide absolutely crystal clear and amazing sound.

Review: iPhone Otterbox Defender

Posted in Review by Conner Flynn on February 12th, 2008

iPhone Otterbox Defender
In honor of our current contest, Otterbox sent me their Defender case for review. Keep the funny comments coming guys(and gals), you have until midnight on Valentine’s day to enter. I have to say, you people are really surprising me with your creativity. Now, on with the review.

The Otterbox is probably the most rugged iPhone case I’ve seen. Comprised of plastic and rubber, it couldn’t be easier to install. It will protect not only the body, but the screen as well. It’s water resistant NOT water proof.(Don’t go swimming with it, ye of withered braincells) I found it interesting that the Defender actually protects the headphone jack, serial jack, speakers and mic, helping keep any debris safely outside.





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