Gear Diary » Laptop Gear

Gear Deal- OCZ Agility 3 2.5″ 90GB Internal Solid State Drive

Dan Cohen — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:30:57 +0000

I love starting the week with a super Gear Deal and this is a Super Gear Deal! BUT, and this is important, this deal is good for today only. OCZ's Agility 3 2.5" 90GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive is normally $150. With this deal you can get it for $99.99. Plus, it will ship for free and there is no tax in most states. If you have never seen the speed that comes with a solid state drive this is a great way to get started. And while 90GB isn't a huge amount of storage capacity, with cloud storage increasingly cheap there's never been a better time to swap out a traditional Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Gear Deal: Clickfree 2TB C6 USB 3.0 Desktop External Hard Drive

Dan Cohen — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:15:21 +0000

Today's Gear Deal brings us Clickfree's 2TB USB 3.0 Desktop External Hard Drive (model no. CA3D20-6C). Normally $169.99, our Gear Sponsor found a discount coupon that drops the price all the way down to just $129.99 and it will even ship for free. Details and ordering information can be found here on the Deal Page. Gear Deal: Clickfree 2TB C6 USB 3.0 Desktop External Hard Drive via LogicBUY Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

ioSafe Shocks Us Again at CES 2012

Thomas R. Hall — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:00:51 +0000

ioSafe is known for keeping your data SAFE. How safe? Well, first we took the initiative to burn and water-soak a drive, and the data was still recoverable. Then, starting with CES 2010, ioSafe decided to show everyone that their drives are capable of withstanding burning, soaking, dropping, and crushing. In 2011, we upped the ante again and took shots (yes, using a gun) at an ioSafe drive, and the data saved on the ioSafe drive came out unscathed. Well, we wondered what they would do next and, at CES 2012, we found out. Honestly, what we saw shocked us ... Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Tired of Boxy Bluetooth Speakers? Check Out These Q-i-sound Speakers From iharmonix

Dan Cohen — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:45:59 +0000

The Q-i-sound Bluetooth speakers from Qmadix leave the square, boring speakers that are so common in the dust. Available in black or white, they have an unusual shape that is sure to grab attention. Each speaker has its own rechargeable lithium polymer battery that charges in 3 ½ hours and gives up to eight hours of playtime. Standby time is up to 10 days. As the company puts it

Ultra portable speakers offer music lovers a great listening experience, as well as microphones for clear phone communication

It is also worth nothing that, once paired the speakers can be separated by up to 15 feet. A

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Seagate Thunderbolt Adapter Speed Comparison with USB 2.0

Dan Cohen — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:59:17 +0000

We told you about Seagate's new Thunderbolt adapters last week. Yes, we are finally seeing products come to market that take advantage of the speed increases offered by Thunderbolt. But how fast IS Thunderbolt? Sure you can see lab testing but that doesn't necessarily tell you about using it at home or work. We shot a video of moving 2.5GB of data from a MacBook air to an external drive using both USB 2.0 and Thunderbolt. This is a normal use-scenario for something like this so the speeds you see here are what you might expect if you get one of the adapters.

See for yourself…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Want to know more? Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Seagate Showcases Speed, Updates and Innovation

Dan Cohen — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:00:56 +0000

We had a chance to sit down with Seagate earlier this week, and we liked what we saw. We were glad to see an update to the GoFlex Satellite we had reviewed some months ago, we saw a product that is not yet shipping (but we WANT NOW), and we took some time to see the speed boost that Seagate's Momentus XT Hybrid Hard drive offers as compared to a traditional spinning platter. Here's a look. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Disassemble Your Tech Gear with the iFixit Pro Tech Base Toolkit

Bryan Eley — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:00:02 +0000

I have a confession to make. I love to take things apart. Back when I was a kid I had a super-sweet Milton Bradley Star Bird toy, an early electronic noisemaker with revving engines and laser blasts. In the course of kid play, something inside broke loose and rattled around, driving me nuts. Spaceships off to do ground assault ought not to have a broken piece giving away their stealth attack so I, being young and adventuresome, decided to put my Star Bird in space dock (Dad’s table vice grip) and haul out a trusty Sears Philips screwdriver and effect repairs. I was successful, and so launched my interest in taking gizmos apart. More recently, with Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

JLab b-Flex X-Bass USB Laptop Speaker Review

Travis Ehrlich — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 19:00:59 +0000

I practically live on my MacBook Pro. All of my Gear Diary posts are done using it, most all of my internet browsing and I even use it full time at work instead of my supplied Windows machine. Some would say I love this computer since it is with me everywhere I go. There is one problem with the MacBook Pro. The speaker is terrible! It is too small and provides thin, weak audio quality. The machine is so beautiful, it is a shame that the audio quality is so poor. I have tried several options to improve the audio, all of which are not exactly mobile. As luck would have it, the folks

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Gear Deal: Dell XPS 15 Intel 2nd Gen Core i5 2.4GHz Laptop w/6GB RAM, 750GB HDD + Canon ELPH 100 HS Digital Camera + Adobe Elements 9 Bundle

Dan Cohen — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:25:09 +0000

We start the week with a Gear Deal on a 15.6" Dell XPS 15 Core i5-2430M 2.4GHz laptop. This deal has the laptop come bundled with a Canon ELPH 100 HS Digital Camera, Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 and Premiere Elements 10. The base configuration of this XPS 15 laptop includes 6GB RAM, a 750GB 7200RPM Hard Drive, 1GB GeForce GT 525M graphics, a DVD burner, Wireless-N connectivity, JBL 2.1 Speakers with Waves Maxx Audio 3, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS and more. The bundle would normally sell for $1,157.99 but after all the savings our Gear Sponsor found are applied the final price is just $799.99. Details and ordering information can be found here. Gear Deal Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Doxie Mini Paper Scanner Gets a Makeover

Douglas Moran — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:15:10 +0000

Aren't scanners supposed to be these big, clunky things that require a bunch of software to install, lot's of room on your desktop, and bright lights, whirring noised, and grinding sounds that alarm the crap out of you when all's you want to do is scan a lousy sheet of paper? Isn't that the way it's all supposed to be. Apparent doesn't think so; they have this wee tiny scanner that does all that with no muss, no fuss, and on pretty much any platform you can think of. With engineers working on nanotubes for building materials, and nanobots being designed for everything from medicine to tech, it's the age of the small, and Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Andrea SuperBeam Phones SB-405 Stereo Headset Review

Dan Cohen — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:00:30 +0000

If you are into voice recognition, then you need to have a good microphone. It's a basic fact of life. Yes, you can use the built-in microphone on the MacBook Air (for example), and you'll probably get good results. But if you want great results you'll need something that's going to help filter out the background noise; that means a good headset. Among the issues with such headsets? The best of them have boom microphones that make you look like a Bell telephone operator. Sure, this is all about getting the work done and dictating your text but what if there were a way to not look quite as dorky? That's what Andrea's new headphones make Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Microfiber Touchscreen Wipes Are Just What You Need!

Douglas Moran — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:15:58 +0000

I think touch screens are a beautiful thing. I have wondered for years and years why touch screens weren't used more widely, and am very happy to see that you can now find them friggin' everywhere. But of course, that has some down sides, one of which is: the durn things gets really, really dirty. Some manufacturers have worked hard (and with a decent degree of success, I might add) on making the situation better, but the bottom line is that I still need to carry around a screen wipey thing in my pocket all the time. And Kimtech is well aware of that need, which is why they want you to know about their dry Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

What’s ioSafe Planning for CES 2012? We Don’t Know but it is Gonna be Awesome!

Dan Cohen — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 02:00:35 +0000

ioSafe is at it again and this time they are looking to outdo themselves. (At least, we sure hope they are!) To recap our experiences with data-storage dynamos ioSafe... At CES 2010 ioSafe fried, soaked, dropped and crushed one of their rugged hard drives. As you can see, it was awesome. At CES 2011 ioSafe sought to outdo themselves when they took their new portable drive for a drag behind a car and then let us all take turns shooting it with a shotgun. Check it out here! Now we've been invited to the next demo, the "ioSafe Cage of Death Demolition 2012". Here's what we know.

This year we're not going to bore you with forefoot propane fireballs, 10 contractors, 12 gauge shotguns or fully automatic M-16s – oh no, that's so last year. We are flattered that other companies have followed our lead and now come to CES to show off their rugged(ish) stuff with dishwashers and paint ball guns – loaded with real paintballs! Meh!! Our demos are a little more extreme than that and come with a moneyback guarantee if you're not 100% satisfied. This is an entirely new demo with new products. We aim to please.

We pressed ioSafe's Brett Callow for more details but he wasn't talking. No way! No how! But this is what he would tell us: "If you have a weak heart, a fragile personality or an aversion to extremely high voltages – don't come to the demo." Oh we'll be there. On THAT you can be sure. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Crimson Screen Protectors for MacBook Air

Douglas Moran — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:30:13 +0000

For me, one of the tricky things when buying a new device these days is, how do I protect it? Honestly, I love the size and feel of my iPhone when it's "naked", but there are a couple of problems with it: it's durn slippery and prone to be dropped, and it's unprotected. But I don't like bulky cases, either (unless we're talking Vaja; then we're in a whole different discussion). What to do? Some folks find that putting thin films or simply screen protectors on their precious gear is the way to go. Crimson offers a number of options in this regard, including their new offerings: anti-glare protectors for the MacBook Air (11" and 13") Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

GD Quickie: Protect Your Private Parts with LapGuard

Dan Cohen — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:00:36 +0000

Ah life… so many things to worry about these days. Nuclear proliferation, the economy, global warming (errr climate change), earthquakes, how Duke Basketball will do this year and now this… laptop sterility. Yes, in addition to worrying about whether or not your cellphone is giving you a brain tumor you now need to worry about what your laptop is doing to your reproductive system. Why? Because "recent reporting suggests that radiation emitted from Wi-Fi enabled laptop computers may be harmful to your reproductive system" and this apparently holds true for men and women. That's where Digital Innovations' LapGuard comes in. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Gear Diary at 5: Skooba Design has Got You Covered!

Judie Stanford — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:45:11 +0000

Are you still toting your Laptop around without any protection? That will never do! To help you safeguard your expensive portable computers, we have a selection of Skooba Design Skooba Skins! What's a Skooba Skin? Quite simply put, it is a slim laptop sleeve that converts to a tote with the "flip of a flap", allowing you to "protect your laptop while inside another bag, or carry it on its own". Skooba Skins are also Checkpoint friendly, which means you do not have to remove your laptop from them when going through TSA checkpoints at the airport. It's a slim and secure time-saver!

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Gear Diary at 5: Sena’s Got Your iPad 2 Covered Contest

Dan Cohen — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:00:33 +0000

Seems like our 5th Anniversary contest are spawning even more contests! So let's keep going. Before we do, here's a reminder that we already have some great contests going. There is the Gear Diary at 5 Giveaway: Trick Out Your iPhone 4 and the Gear Diary at 5: You CAN Get There from Here, Magellan RoadMate 9055-LM Giveaway and finally there is the Gear Diary at 5: Win a Sceptre 24″ HDTV / DVD Combo Giveaway (That one ends today, so hurry up and enter.) Today we are starting our Sena's Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The Beyzacases MacBook Air 11″ Zero Series Case Review

Judie Stanford — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 14:30:22 +0000

Please allow me to gush for a moment, because it is not something I'm usually inclined to do ... I truly enjoy using my little 11" MacBook Air; it is the computer that I grab when I don't want to be tied to a desk. I use it on the couch, I use it outside on our deck, and sometimes I use it "just because" ... and when it's time to travel, I typically toss my Air inside whatever bag I happen to be carrying. The 11" Air is the most totable (while remaining usable) laptop that I have ever owned. While I prefer to keep my Air inside a protective sleeve when it's being Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Gear Diary at 5: Win a Sceptre 24″ HDTV / DVD Combo AND a Grand Prize 1st Look

Dan Cohen — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 02:00:46 +0000

We have already given away some great stuff as part of our 5 year celebration but we're just getting started. Here's the next round in our giveaway plus a first look at the grand prize. Before we go there though just a reminder that we are still running our "Gear Diary at 5 Giveaway: It’s In the Bag" contest and we have three awesome review samples up for grabs. Head over to enter! Now the new giveaway. Judie just reviewed the Sceptre 24″ HDTV / DVD Combo. Aside from some disappointment with the sound coming from the speakers Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Gear Deal: Dell S2230MX 21.5″ Ultra-slim 1080p LCD Monitor

Dan Cohen — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:20:19 +0000

Ever try working on two monitors at once? You should. There is something about having one monitor that can hold your email and social networking applications while you work and a second one that can be "in use" to aid in productivity. That's where today's Gear Deal comes in. Dell's new 21.5" S2230MX Ultra-slim 1080p LCD Monitor is the "thinnest Dell LCD monitor ever". It features a contrast ratio of 8,000,000:1, 1920 x 1080 resolution, VGA and DVI-D (HDCP) connectivity and comes bundled with a DVI-HDMI dongle. Normally $219.99 our Gear Sponsor found it for $50 off. That brings the price down to just $169.99 and it will even ship for free. You can order Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

New Gear Daily Deal: Vostro 3550 with Windows 7 Professional and Dell Color Laser Printer

Dan Cohen — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:32:23 +0000

Vostro 3550 with a Dell Color Laser Printer

Designed for small business, the Vostro™ 3550 laptop packs in the features including a full HD webcam, array mics, preinstalled Web conferencing and voice-enhancing software. Add in a 2nd generation Intel Core processor and a 15.6" screen and you have a portable office! Normally $1088.99 with this NGD deal you can get the Vostro 3550 AND a color laser printer for just $739.00. Details and ordering can be found here.

New Gear Daily Because Everybody Loves a Deal

NGD: Vostro 3550 with Windows 7 Professional and Dell Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

New Gear Daily One Day Deals on Computers and Accessories

Dan Cohen — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:20:53 +0000

Dell is running some awesome deals on a wide range of computers and accessories. The savings are huge but the time is short. To check our some great New Gear Daily deals on computers click here. To check out some great New Gear Daily accessories click here.

But act fast since there deals end today.

&nbsp Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Gear Deal: Dell Alienware m14x 14″ Core i7 “Sandy Bridge” Laptop

Dan Cohen — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:05:54 +0000

Today's Gear Deal is a powerhouse 14" Dell Alienware m14X Laptop. It features NVIDIA Optimus graphics, weighs less than 7 lbs., has up to 6 hours battery life, offers an optional 1600 x 900 display, 256GB SSD and more. It also includes two USB 3.0 ports, a miniDisplayPort, an HDMI 1.4 port, a 9-in-1 card reader and much more. The laptop is now available starting at $1,099 less a $50 coupon code. That brings the price down to $1,049. If you really want to go hardcore our Gear Sponsor has highlighted the 14" Alienware M14x with a Core i7-2630QM 2GHz Quad-core, 8GB of RAM, a 1600x900 LCD, a 500GB HDD and 3GB GeForce GT555M for Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Macbook Air Gear Review: ACME Made Skinny Sleeve Stretch Shell

Judie Stanford — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:30:34 +0000

If you have one of the sexy 2010 or 2011 MacBook Airs, then it makes absolutely no sense to cover that svelte beauty in a big fat laptop case. ACME Made has got perhaps one of the thinnest and most minimalistic sleeves that I have seen, so whether you prefer to carry your Air in a laptop bag or not, the Skinny Sleeve Stretch Shell may be its perfect protector.

I was sent a review sample in black, but there is also a purple version; the Skinny Sleeve is available for both the 11" and 13" MacBook Airs. Composed Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

New Gear Daily Deal: Save on the New Dell Vostro 3550 Laptop

Dan Cohen — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 21:15:23 +0000

Designed for small business, the Vostro™ 3550 laptop brings a 15.6" screen, features a 2nd generation Intel® Core™ processors, optional Dell ProSupport for 24x7 assistance, including on-site support, a Full HD webcam, array mics, and pre-installed web conferencing and voice-enhancing software. Better still, because this is a New Gear Daily

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Waterfield’s New MacBook Air Smart Case Let’s You Carry Your MBA with Style and Protection

Dan Cohen — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 22:32:28 +0000

Apple announced the new MacBook Airs this morning and Waterfield has a new design that will make protecting it on the go simple and stylish. The new Waterfield Smart Case for MacBook Air is a simple but effective sleeve for both the 11" and 13" MBA. It features the company's excellent build-quality along with a style that belies its hardcore protective features. Among those features: a plastic insert that shields both sides and the bottom of the MBA and a snug fit that will keep the laptop from sliding out. In addition there is a mesh pocket that expands if you need to carry something but sits flat when empty. I've used the Smart Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Laptop Gear Review: USB 2.0 Port Replicator with Digital Video

Dan Cohen — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 20:00:10 +0000

My computer usage has undergone a radical change over the last year. Actually, that is not entirely true. The fact is, my computer usage has undergone a series of radical changes over the last year as I have experimented with a number of different device arrangements. At this time a year ago I had a 27" iMac and a 13" MacBook Pro. In the fall I got rid of the 27" iMac and went to using the 13" MacBook Pro full-time. The MacBook Pro was replaced by a 13" MacBook Air as soon as the updated version became available. Then computer disaster struck: I dumped Crystal Light into the MacBook Air's keyboard and was Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Skooba Design Introduces the Cable Stable Mini; a Place for Everything, and Everything in Its Place!

Judie Stanford — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 15:45:02 +0000

If you are still tucking all of your loose cables and supplies into the bottomless pit that makes up your favorite bag, then you seriously ought to take a look at the new Skooba Design Cable Stable Mini. Smaller sibling to the Cable Stable DX, the Cable Stable Mini is designed "to carry a basic assortment of power cords, adapters and other small accessories, and zips shut into a compact, (9 x 5.5 x 1.5 inch) “book” that slips easily into a laptop case, messenger bag, backpack or suitcase." You won't be able to help yourself from becoming more organized, as the Cable Stable is built to Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Coming Soon: Lenovo’s Video Docking Station with DisplayLink Technology

Dan Cohen — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:30:10 +0000

After a brief flirtation with using a Mac Mini desktop system in addition to my 13" MacBook Air, I'm back to "laptop-only living"; it works well thanks to high-resolution screens, great battery life and enough power to handle just about anything that is thrown at it. One of the things that make laptop-only living easier is a good docking station that makes it possible to connect and disconnect peripherals with ease. This is especially the case with laptops like the MBA which only have two USB ports. Well, we got word that Lenovo is once again employing DisplayLink’s technology, and they are using it to create a low-cost video docking station that "embraces the need Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

iPhone Accessory Review: WOW-keys Keyboard for Mac, PC, iPhone and iPod touch

Dan Cohen — Wed, 25 May 2011 22:00:50 +0000

For the last few months my MacBook Air has been my main computer. It works quite well for me and, thanks to the large solid-state drive and the ability to connect it to a larger monitor, it serves as a desktop computing platform quite well. When I do connect it to a larger monitor, I like to have a separate keyboard and mouse so that I don't have to worry about the placement of the laptop itself. Until now that is meant using a magic mouse and Apple's Bluetooth keyboard. I've been trying out something new, however, and it's a rather compelling option if you are using a set up such as this. In fact Continue reading on Gear Diary ...