As commencement season comes upon us, a lot of your favorite grads may have already amassed a fortune in gadgets and electronics. But as 2008′s gadget of the year begins to age and the student loans start to come due, you can bet your class of ’12er won’t be running around to buy the latest and greatest anytime soon.

So we put together this little gift guide. Give them one last thrill, will ya?

IoSafe Rugged Portable SSD

Speed, security, and reliability are the criteria for purchasing any hard drive, especially an external one. The ioSafe Rugged Portable is a 500GB USB 3.0 SSD drive, and it’s one of the best on the market. It is durable and reliable, and will work even with 2.5 tons of weight crushing it. It will work even if it’s soaked in fuel, oil, water, left out in the sun, sunk in salt water for three days, frozen in ice, or left in a dust storm. This is the Glock of hard drives, and your data will thank you when it’s not lost in damage or failure.

It’s also a solid-state drive, so it’s fast to boot. Technical reviewers like Maximum PC have given the IoSafe high marks. It takes a sledgehammer to break one of these babies. The sleek milled-aluminum (titanium available) case also looks great in a workspace.

Warpia ConnectHD

This may be a better gift to give to the student entering college, but either way it’s a good one. The Warpia ConnectHD is one of the better ways to communicate online over a great distance. It’s a product that looks business but is all personal when you get down to it.

The ConnectHD lets you have live, high definition video conferences online while giving you the power to stream that conference to your living room television, so you’re not stuck sitting in front of the computer to talk to your parents back home. It enables more personal communication over these long distances, and it might help empty nesters, too.

The product features 1080p streaming, HDMI output to your television, a crystal clear multidirectional mic, and 16-bit audio. While you’re running the video conference from your laptop, you can stream up to 30 feet away to your television. Setup is quick and easy, but it’s PC only.

Turtle Beach Ear Force XP400 wireless headphones

For the audiophile who has everything, we offer this. The Turtle Beach Ear Force XP400 is an uber-high quality headset that, while wireless, will not interfere with your WiFi. The set features adjustable Dolby Surround Sound with virtual 5.1 audio, digital/analog connections, and adjustable bass/treble/midrange effects.

The XP400 also features dual Bluetooth pairing, allowing you to game on your Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 while answering calls on your smartphone if need be.

At $219, they are an investment, but you’d be pressed to find better headphones.

MUNITIO 9mm Billet earphones

It’s hard to believe, but most people I see walking around, jamming to their tunes on their iPhone or other portable device are using the default earphones/earbuds that came with the phone/iPod.

Fair enough, but allow me, if you will, to propose an alternative.

MUNITIO 9mm Billets are machined from aircraft aluminum and deliver a clear, well-defined sound that outperforms default earbuds and similarly-priced competitors. They are comfortable and produce remarkably tight bass with little distortion on the highs.

And for those of you who multitask, there is a microphone built in for on-the-fly phone conversations.

Spring is in full force — with 80 degree days tempered by torrential rain tempered further by dry spells and brush fires here in New England. Gotta love the weather.

Spring cleaning is a chance to throw out the old and bring in the new. It is a chance to declutter and demessify your domicile. As a lover of gadgets and cleanliness (not extremely good at the latter) I decided to put out this little guide to gadgets that will not only help you be cleaner, they might axe some of the clutter on your desk and allow you to throw out a few monthly bills in the process. It’s spring, start anew!

IQAir HealthPro Plus

All the hundreds and thousands of dollars that people spend on devices and chemicals designed to eliminate allergens and make their homes smell better — it’s a waste. You need one product to improve the air quality in your home, and it’s the same device that hospitals use to purify air in some operating rooms. It’s the same company that’s been in business for 45 years. It’s not available in the Sharper Image catalog.

The Swiss-made IQAir HealthPro Plus is simply the best air purifier on the market today or ever.

Around 100x more powerful than a traditional HEPA filter, the HealthPro Plus eliminates particles down to 0.003 microns. It strips viruses, pet dander, dust mites, air pollution and harmful cigarette smoke. It allows you to live with a dog or cat despite your allergies.

It’s good for asthma, too.

Depending on where you live, an air purifier is a must-own device. Save yourself money, trouble, and failure. At under $1,000, this is an investment in your health. I’ve used the IQAir HealthPro Plus for months, and it’s the best air purifier you can own.

Altec Lansing inMotion Air — $179

This six-pound, battery or AC powered modern boom box lets you stream any audio wirelessly, up to 300 feet away via Bluetooth or any Apple device via the Apple Remote App.

You can take your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphone and Bluetooth devices and play your music in crystal clear, CD quality excitement with the Altec Lansing inMotion Air.

I’m a big fan of all things Altec Lansing. I’ve been reviewing their products since 1996, and I haven’t found anything to dislike. This is a great way to do spring cleaning, because it can replace a bulky bookshelf unit and all the wires that it brings. You also save energy by blasting you music without having to power up your home theater or PC equipment.

netTALK Duo WiFi

For $60, you get a year of phone service.

The tiny size and free Enhanced 911, 411, visual voicemail, call waiting, conference calling, and fax service make the netTALK Duo WiFi a great way to remove a monthly bill from your stack and ditch your phone company. You clean up by removing outdated equipment from your house and you REALLY clean up with the money you’ll save.

Honeywell with Febreze Freshness Cool & Refresh Fan

Fabreze is all the rage right now, and it’s no surprise that a fan maker finally caught on and incorporated “Fabreze Freshness” into a room fan. Honeywell’s Cool & Refresh Fan does both of what it says — it cools you off and makes a room smell better. It’s not a replacement for the IQAir HealthPro Plus, but if you have a room that the pets tend to stay in or a bedroom that needs a freshness boost, Honeywell has made a very affordable winner for only an astounding $30.

While we’re talking about fans, Honeywell would like to point out that 65 percent of Americans say that they get a better night’s sleep with a fan, while 73 percent use one at night for white noise. I had a fan in my bedroom — it was old, dirty, and didn’t look right in the room. Honeywell cleaned the room up and styled it up at the same time.

iHome iDM11B Wireless Speaker

There are wireless “sound bricks” you can get for your iPad or smartphone in the $99 and $150 range. This one does it for about $70 and sounds amazing. We know the iHome brand. We’ve been reviewing these guys since 2007. We like the quality and love the price.

The iDM11B is a Bluetooth speaker system with a rechargeable battery. No wires. No mess. Sounds great. Clean looking.

The speaker works with tablets, media players, smartphones, laptops, and anything else that works with Bluetooth. Great bass and crisp highs make this one a good value and a good way to clean up your desk.

Swingline Stack-and-Shred 60X

Talk about the ultimate cleaning device for any home, or office, or home office. You need a heavy duty shredder, and the Stack-and-Shred is the one. You can feed a few sheets up top, or you can open it up and toss in up to 60 pieces of paper for mega-massive destruction. It also takes out credit cards.

Everyone needs a reliable shredder in this day and age. The Swingline not only shreds documents but destroys them with cross-cutting blades. Try putting that back together again.

CBTL Americano single cup coffee maker

OK, I’ll say it, if you already have a Keurig coffeemaker, you can skip this section. But if you still have an old, 2006ish Tassimo single-cup coffeemaker, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s CBTL single serve beverage system is a great upgrade and a very interesting alternative to the Keurig.

I first encountered this system in an upscale hotel, and was pleasantly surprised. It makes a fantastic espresso and makes everything from tea to various shades and flavors of traditional coffee. It costs a little more than an entry-level Keurig, and New Englanders won’t be too moved by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf brand, which is much bigger on the West Coast. But if you still have a Tassimo, toss it and upgrade.

“Minds of Modern Mathematics” is a new free iPad app that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

Half a century ago, the husband and wife design team Charles and Ray Eames, created the exhibit Mathematica: A World of Numbers… and Beyond. This evolved into the ground breaking IBM-sponsored exhibition at the 1964/1965 World’s Fair in New York, called Minds of Modern Mathematics (MoMM), which was seen by millions. It was a richly vivid visual display of 1000 years of mathematical history, mathematicians and their discoveries, culture and events. It included a stunning 50 foot long timeline.

Now, IBM is offering this invaluable World’s Fair-in-an-app from the comfort of your iPad, for free. Students, teachers, families, and avid fans can peruse history in new and exciting ways. You can be at any level of knowledge about math. MoMM covers the history of “Modern Mathematics”, that is from 1000 to present.

Be you right-brained or left-brained, this app has it all. You can view milestones and people in the context of their culture and history, and with detailed closeups. The Millennium view, captures a big picture view of the entire history of math, including the explosion of discoveries in recent times. View by century, with the ability to zoom on the interplay of ideas between math and culture. View the entire timeline, one object at a time. Consider the lives and biographies of these interesting men who’ve paved the path for what we have today in math and science. View the World’s Fair exhibit, as if you were there! Or check the “Men of Mathematics” poster rendition, which you, mom or dad might recall from display at school. MoMM brings all these traditions to the iPad, but now it’s paperless. Plus we have the benefit of nine original Eames educational videos and over 500 other hi-res images.

Let your fingers do the dancing, in this wonderful iPad remake of MoMM. What’s not to like?

Indulge yourself in some trivia. Who’s Fibonacci? Pascal? How did those cathedrals get built? Why do I want to know this? If you think, therefore you do.

We can all agree, nothing is sexier than a nerd. So get your geek on, slip into something comfortable, and download this app.

For more informations see the IBM Minds of Math site and the Eames Office.

There are those times in life where we are faced with emergencies that need an expert hand and the Internet is not fast enough. We know it is a crisis but it is not serious enough to call 9-1-1. For those moments there is 5Star. The popular product from greatcall is now available in App form for iPhones and Android and it provides a level of safety rarely seen from emergency response apps.

Every emergency is different, and 5Star will personalize the situation to your need. When you get the App you must go through a registration process where you fill in your information. Everything from where you live to potential allergies to the car you drive are taken into account. This can all be seen by the 5Star operator when you call in and they will make sure to cater the help to your needs.

The 24/7 operator is no joke as we tested the App in 3 different cities (Boston, Chicago and Seattle) at different times of the day and there was always someone on the other line within seconds. Furthermore the instant GPS location is a godsend when you need to get directions to the hospital or just need to find the nearest public bathroom. 5Star also offers access to a live nurse which will quickly diagnose anything from a sore throat to a serious ailment.

When we first received the App, we were not sure if we would even need it during our test time. However, in several instances (such as getting locked out of your car in a shady neighborhood or having a small medical emergency) 5Star proved to be the answer over the police or ambulance. Nonetheless, the operators can dispatch the authorities at any time they feel you are in more danger than previously expected.

5Star by greatcall is a smartly designed app that will have more uses than one expects. Several features, such as the “Shake for Help” method that will dial in 5Star when you shake your phone, stand out in the impressive package to prove that is was not designed in a rush.

Retailing for $14.99 a month, 5Star can provide the security overprotective moms seek or just help out a college student in a jam. While it may not be necessary for every month of your life, it can prove indispensable when you are visiting a new city or just moved to a strange new place.

Fender has been a staple of the guitar manufacturing world for over 60 years.

World famous guitar maker Fender has filed with U.S. regulators today to raise $200 million as an initial public offering, reports Reuters.

Fender Musical Instruments Corp, the first guitar maker to mass produce the solid-body Spanish style guitars used by Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, among others, was sold to the CBS group in 1965 after having been founded in the 1940’s by creator Leo Fender. When CBS sold the company Fender’s then CEO William Shultz teamed up with some distributors and bought his company in 1984.

Today, a majority stake is owned by the private equity firm Weston Presidio, while the Shultz family still owns about 6 percent of the company.

The move into the public market comes as a means to try and pay off some of the debt the Scottsdale, Arizona based company has amounted, despite the $700.6 million in net sales reported last fiscal year.

“It is a leader in its field. I think there will be demand for its stock,” said Josef Schuster, founder of Chicago-based IPO investment firm IPOX Schuster, when speaking to Reuters.

Fender has not confirmed the number of shares to be sold and at what price.

William Blair & Company will act as the independent underwriter in the IPO offering.

The guitar manufacturer will apply to the list on the NASQUAD under the title “FNDR.”

InformationWeek has released a list of steps to increase privacy while still using a smart phone.

1. Lock Your Phone
2. Use ‘Find My iPhone’ or Similar Services
3. Don’t Leave Your Smart Phone Unattended
4. Don’t Give Your Phone to Strangers
5. Keep Your Smart Phone Up-to-Date
6. Manage Location Settings
7. Do App Due Diligence
8. Don’t Download Apps From Untrusted Sources
9. Watch Those Attachments
10. Encrypt Smart Phone Data

For the list and full descriptions, visit here.

If the shockingly large screen and 4G speed on the LG Nitro HD isn’t enough for you, we’ll delve into the greedy, dirty little details a little bit.

When, you get up close, the Nitro HD’s 4.5″ screen might as well be a 50″ plasma in your den. Combined with 4G speed, it turns the phone into a portable man cave that you can use to actually fulfill those fantasies of watching a football game during a wedding or making a last minute fantasy team switch during church that you see on all those commercials.

The 4G LTE is amazing. It’s still relatively new around here in Boston, so we’re still getting used to not having to troll around for Wifi hotspots to download vides and apps. YouTube videos stream just as fast as they would on WiFi. That makes watching game highlights and an occasional catch-up episode easy on the train or during downtime at work.

It is amazing how far the cell phone has come in the past few years, and this is a prime example. The display is in 1280 x 720 resolution, at 329 pixels per inch, with real RGB pixels, giving you the best possible display on a cell phone.

And the phone zooms Android 2.3 with a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor.

The display is truly impressive. There’s a lot of real estate, and it’s incredibly crisp when playing videos. I checked out some highlights from my Steelers absolute laydown against the 49ers on Monday night, and I loved how detailed everything looked on the phone’s screen. Everything sounded clean and clear as well.

The ESPN ScoreCenter app also looks amazing on the larger screen of the Nitro, letting you check on all your teams, but what’s even more amazing is the ESPN Bowl Bound 2011 app that gives you highlights and analysis of the coming college bowl season. If you’re not a huge college football fan, all you have to do is play with this app for five minutes, and you’ll be hooked.

What makes it easier is that, on the 4G LTE network, the videos and data stream as fast as they would if you were sitting at your office computer. The only difference is that you can check everything on your mobile man cave of a phone instead of “company time” on your work computer.

Having high-def video content over 4G LTE makes a world of difference. You really notice the improvement over the grainy “mobile video” content of yesterday. It’s like having HDTV at your fingertips.

If you’re a Google user, the phone will be more comfortable right away, because the Nitro HD comes preloaded with the major Google apps like Maps, Mail, and Calendar. There is also an office-esque app, visual voicemail, and YouTube and Twitter onboard.

The 8 megapixel camera is also a great feature, same as the iPhone 4S. Finally, phones take real photos.

The whole package also makes it easier on the battery. The display is energy-efficient, and the battery gives you up to seven hours of talk time, so you can also use your man cave as a phone.

What makes LG Nitro’s True HD IPS Display so amazing? 16:9 Aspect ratio for widescreen entertainment, sharper, crisper images, amazingly accurate colors and more. Exclusively available on AT&T’s 4G LTE network. Find out more at NitrobyLG.com.

LG provided a sample phone for the purposes of this article, and the author was paid or otherwise directly compensated to promote the product in the article.

We Blasters tend to raise our electrical bills in November and December as we test out the holiday season’s gifts, games and gadgets. This year is no exception, economy or no economy. But what did surprise us this year were the extraordinarily low prices of some of the gifts — many of which are under $100 this year.

Without further ado:

OCZ Technology 240 GB Vertex 3 Solid State Drive – $400

If you have someone on your gift list that needs a computer upgrade, the odds are this is it. Solid state hard drives are the best thing going right now, the the OCZ Vertex 3 is a great one.

With a transfer rates averaging over 190 MB/sec on HD Tune, it is much faster than a traditional hard drive. Windows 7 is optimized for solid state drives, and they zoom. PC’s aren’t dead yet, so keep upgrading!

First Act Soulo iPad Microphone and Karaoke App – $69-$99

Of all the things your iPad can do, I bet you never thought to add “karaoke machine” to the list. Well keep on thinking, because you haven’t yet found something that your iPad can’t do.

The Soulo iPad Microphone and Karaoke App does both things. It has a full-size mic to jam away, and a functional app that displays lyrics from the songs in your iTunes library. It also has audio effects to improve pitch and make yourself sound halfway decent when you belt out your favs.

It even has a function to record music videos with the iPad 2′s camera.

The Soulo is $69 for a wired mic or $99 for wireless.

Callet Case, Cover and Wallet for iPhone 4 – $19.99

The Callet is just an example of smart thinking. It’s a simple piece of silicone that fits over your iPhone 4 and has slots on the back for your license, credit cards, etc. In the months before app-based payment takes over at every retail store, this looks like a happy medium.

The case is durable and comfortable both to store in your pocket and hold in your hand. It doesn’t obstruct any of the buttons, either.

If you’re looking for an affordable iPhone accessory that they’ll actually use, look here. Comes in pink and black.

Kensington AbsolutePower – $89.99

The Kensington AbsolutePower Laptop, Phone, Tablet Charger is the authority on device charging. Finally, there’s a device with enough juice and enough plugs to charge your laptop and two USB devices (phone, GPS, bluetooth, etc.) AT THE SAME TIME. Plug the AbsolutePower into one outlet, and it does the rest.

The device works with just about all laptops on the market. It has a power plug with a variety of adapters and two built-in USB ports with 2.1 amps of charging power, good enough for tablets and cell phones alike. This is a great dad gift, too.

Ecobee Smart Internet Thermostat – $400 plus installation

This is one of the most expensive items on the list, and it’s not a give-and-go present. The Ecobee Smart Thermostat requires about two hours of professional wiring and installation by an HVAC contractor, so be prepared for a $600 investment between the device and installation. You also need a WIFI network.

That said, this thing is awesome. The Ecobee is the best Internet-enabled home thermostat on the market, and the pros agree. You get a programmable, touchscreen-based thermostat that’s easy to use on the wall. But the reason you buy the Ecobee is that it’s also entirely app-enabled.

Download the free app for your smartphone (or iPad) and you’re good to go. You can access your thermostat from anywhere in the world, including any computer. You can program complex schedules or just turn on your A/C when you’re on the way home from work, so you arrive to a cool house in the afternoon.

The Cdock – $55, $65, $70

The Cdock is a simple as it gets. An iPhone dock, it uses the phone’s display to create a retro-looking clock while charging your iPhone/iPod touch in style. You use whatever clock/alarm app you want, and the Cdock makes it look good on the outside.

It’s a dock-only. No speakers or anything, but the Cdock plugs in via USB or regular electrical outlet to charge your phone.

The reason we’re drawn to the Cdock is simple: style. You can buy it in glossy black, brushed aluminum or natural walnut. This lets you actually match your iPhone dock to your furniture decor, without some black plastic dock standing out in the crowd.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 – $39.99 to $95.99

This is the year of the voice.

With Siri getting things done for iPhone 4S users, this should be the year you finally give your wrists a rest with Dragon NaturallySpeaking. You can have the home edition for under $40 or the premium package for under $100.

Most importantly, the software works. You talk. It types. It’s accurate right out of the box or can be trained with your own style or accent. This makes a great student gift or a present for someone with a small office. Of course, if you’re buying for a doctor or lawyer, they may already have the software, so ask.

AeroPress Coffee Maker — $30

If you have a friend who’s a huge coffee nut, they probably already know about this device, but many still haven’t given it a try yet because they’re hopelessly dependent on a Keurig or even possibly a traditional coffee maker.

But the AeroPress really works. I have it and love it. Special thanks to Useful Things for providing me with one to test out. The video below, by former Maximum PC editor Will Smith, was my first experience seeing the AeroPress in action. Take a look.

Dazzle DVD Recorder HD — $50

For some reason, Avid did not put their brand name on the Dazzle DVD Recorder. That was a dumb move, because Avid is a symbol of video quality. It’s the software used by TV stations to edit news footage.

So for $50, the Dazzle DVD Recorder is a good bet. You can take any video from your old camcorders, new camcorders, digital cameras, smartphones, DVDs, and even your gaming consoles, and put it on your computer, YouTube, etc.

It’s a really poorly named product. It should be called Avid Dazzle HD. It can record DVDs, but that’s not
what your recipient will use it for.

playGo Wireless Media Streamer — $450

This is another one on the expensive list, but if you have someone in your family who loves music and gadgets, the playGo is a great gift.

It works with all computers (PC and Mac) and allows you to send any music or audio wirelessly to anywhere else in your house, including your kickass home theater receiver/surround sound.

The playGo is a way for people to play their home music library on their “good” speakers without needing to put it on an iPod/iPhone and without having to buy a second computer or a home-theater PC. It works great, and sends high-quality, distortion-free sound up to 75 feet away.

Remote Control Helicopter — $40

No matter what, you’re going to end up at T.J. Maxx and/or Marshalls at some point during your gift-buying frenzy.

In doing some research, I found a couple products that I’d be happy with. The first one is their Remote Control Helicopter. It’s a toy. Not much to it. You use the remote; it flies. It’s a great way to break stuff indoors, and I’m sure we could all figure out interesting ways to break IT outside.

More to come in the next few days, right up until Christmas!

Whether you’re a musician, or are shopping for one this holiday season, here’s a look at JAM, by Apogee Electronics, a professional grade digital converter for studio quality recording.

With a true “plug and play” setup, it takes just a few minutes before your ready for some high quality recording on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Unlike a simple adapter, JAM is a converter, which transforms the analog signal from your instrument to a digital one before it enters your device, avoiding any unwanted noise.

The input is particularly useful for recording multiple tracks with clarity. Just plug your headphones into your computer or other device, and you’ll have in-ear monitors. Alternatively, let it play through your built in speakers and play/record new parts to your creation while listening to existing tracks. Either way, the integration with GarageBand is seamless, and the sound quality superb.

Although originally designed for electric guitar and bass guitars, JAM is compatible with any instrument that has a built in pickup. We also tested JAM with a Taylor 510ce acoustic/electric, and it sounded very crisp and clear.

Physically speaking, JAM is compact and convenient in size, and is easily stored in a guitar case or bag. It comes equipped with two cables, one for use with Mac (via USB) and one for iPad/iPhone. You won’t have to worry about a lose connection as the output on JAM locks into place. It is also a very lightweight design that poses no threat of pulling the cable out of your guitar — all in all a very functional design.

For a hundred bucks, and a piece of American engineering (Made in USA!) JAM is a great pickup.

You can’t help but love the Vers brand. A start-up, local company that makes natural wood speakers and accessories for Apple products. It’s like a tree-hugging vegan made a baby with a super-geek.

And that starts their iPhone 4/4s Slimcase off on the right foot.

“For each tree we use in production, 100 are re-planted through our partnership with The Arbor Day Foundation and the U.S. Forestry Service. Use a tree – plant a forest; we’re excited to be able to go beyond achieving sustainability to helping to restore the environment where it’s needed most,” said David Laituri, creative director and founder of Vers, which is based in Wayland.

The case is designed to be slim and fit in a pocket, and while it does add some girth to the phone, the case keeps the phone size manageable. The case also doesn’t add much depth to the screen, so it’s still easy to text and type. The lightly-colored bamboo shell also gives a great contrast to a black iPhone.

The Slimcase comes in two pieces that snap together and pull apart cleanly with some force. When assembled, you can tell that it’s two pieces of wood, but it doesn’t detract from the loook.

The felt-backing on the inside of the case allows you slide it on smoothly without damaging the back.

If there’s one drawback, it’s that the case does add some depth to the bottom of the phone, which doesn’t allow you to plug it into some common device docks. You have to pull the bottom piece off to fit it in.

The Slimcase is $39.99, so get your wood on.

Real Drum is a fresh release from Rubel Co. released this week that puts a variety of drum sets and sounds at your fingertips.

Rubel, which also makes the Real Guitar iOS app now offers 11 unique drum sets with the newly released app. You can take your pick from: Abstract, Acoustic, Bongos, Break Beat, Conga, D’n’B, Electro, Hip Hop, Japan, Jazz, or Rock.

Tested on none other than the iPhone 4S, we could not get this app to miss a beat, pun intended. In Real Drum, you’ll find a relatively bare bones approach, consisting of two screens: the choose drum set screen, followed by the drum set screen to jam on.

While jamming, aside from the instruments, there are only two buttons, one to switch drum sets, and the other to open up the volume toggles – which allows the volume of each individual drum or cymbal to be adjusted, a nice touch for the talented finger drummer looking to perfect their beat.

Even while tapping the snare as rapidly as possible, throwing in some high hat and kick drum – this app will not lag behind the aggressive drummer. Playing multiple drums/cymbals simultaneously was clean and clear as well. You will not find any option to record, save, or upload any of your creative beats – but make no mistake, this app has the basics down. Real Drums looks and sounds great, so for $1.99, it just might be worth tapping into.

I’ve had a plethora of cases for my iPhone 4. Along with snap-on cases, I have also owned slide-on cases, silicone cases, and everything in-between. With all of these cases, none has been as fun as the Gameboy iPhone 4 case from iCovers4U.

Simply put, this case is really cool. Both the original Gameboy and the iPhone are seen as iconic symbols in the world of technology, and bringing those two icons together has never looked so good. The iCovers4U Gameboy case comes in some bold colors; made for the iPhone
that’s looking to stand out in the crowd.

The case is your basic silicone iPhone case. It’s easy to put on and just as easy to remove. The one thing that is different with this case over other silicone cases I have used is that, instead of the usual “sticky” feel,it  has a smooth powdery finish that leaves it not only pleasant to the eyes, but also to the touch. The iCovers4U Gameboy case is great for the nostalgic gamer or even just the iPhone 4 owner that loves to have a conversation piece by their side. I have definitely gotten some double-takes of my phone while having this case on.It’s not all for amusement though, it also provides a lot of shock absorbency against hits and drops.

Blast Factor: iCovers4U has made a case that I literally have no complaints about. If you’re not a fan of silicone, this amazing looking case is most likely not for you. With it being unusually powdery soft to the touch, this case may convert some silicone-case-haters. Most importantly — It looks like a classic Gameboy! Need I say more?

There is so much to do in Boston that living here can feel like a full-time job. It only seems fair that someone should offer monetary compensation.

No matter how satisfying your real job may be, getting paid for what you do in your leisure time will always seem ideal. Sadly, no matter how much you think about it on the T or ponder it in the Public Garden, there is nothing out there that will allow you to cash in on your spare time.

Unless of course you’ve got an iPhone. Want to get paid for your walk home? There’s an App for that.

Gigwalk is an application that allows users to report, record and share information about their surroundings. The application is free, and works by notifying users when a job is available in their area.

According to Jenifer Silver, a local Gigwalker, there are over 4,000 gigs in Boston. Provided you’re willing to snap a photo, you can now earn a second paycheck for doing whatever you’re doing, wherever you happen to be.

People rely on Gigwalk to provide them with information the internet may fail to capture, such as the daily drink special at a tiny independent cafe. Gigwalkers, as Gigwalk employees are known, function as a human search engine, providing photographic proof to specialized queries.

Silver reports responding to anywhere between five and 40 gigs per week. “My favorites are the ones where you can pop in and out without anyone noticing, such as Starbucks, McDonalds and other fast food settings. Occasionally I’ll make friends with the person working and they’ll give me a coffee!” Though Silver’s rate of response depends on her daily schedule, she points out that any time can be a good time for a gig: she’s even completed gigs on dates with her husband.

If the idea of earning $5 while dining out sounds appetizing, take heart in the fact that Gigwalk is growing. Over 100,000 gigs are available nationwide, and 5,067 of them are coming to Boston. With most gigs paying between $4 and $7 each, Gigwalkers have the potential to earn $12 to $20 an hour. Unlike you’re entry level office job, effort is always rewarded at Gigwalk. The more gigs you complete accurately, the higher your odds of accessing gigs that pay between $70 and $90 each.

“Since launching Gigwalk in May, we have rapidly grown into an on-demand mobile army of 50,000 iPhone users nationwide,” said Ariel Seidman, CEO and co-founder of Gigwalk. This army isn’t fighting for just anyone, either. With a client roster that includes TomTom and MenuPages, Gigwalk could prove beneficial to both your wallet and your resume.

So go out to eat, drink, and enjoy your city. And, if you’re a Gigwalker, get paid for doing so.

This happens a lot. A family member or friend buys a new PC and says “Gee can you install all the software for me and set it up?” My dad finally bought a new PC, only his second since 2003, and the task fell on me to get it ready for everyday use.

And sure, we admit it, our inner nerd squeals with delight whenever we get our hands on a fresh computer, out of the box.

Depending on who the computer is for, you may have some business software and games to install, but if you’re the technologically-adept one in your family, make sure you don’t overlook these five programs that will make everyone’s life easier now and in the long run:

5. The PC Decrapifier

The PC Decrapifier is a magazine and tech-site favorite, and it is well-regarded as an essential tool for new computers.

What is boils down to is this: sometimes it’s not only about what you put into a computer, but what you take out of it that makes a difference.

When you buy a new computer, it’s loaded with software. Loaded. We call this “bloatware.” It’s fat. You don’t need all of it.

You want to remove trial software, search engine toolbars, Dell/Sony/etc. support software and anything else that you don’t need — and don’t need running in the background — on a new PC.

You can run ‘msconfig’ and then open up the Control Panel’s software add/remove tool to get this same task done, but the Decrapifier has online resources that will tell you which software should go and which software can stay. So it’s helpful.

4. Dropbox

With all this talk about cloud computing and online data storage, even your mom or dad should be able to take advantage. Enter Dropbox, an easy-to-use service that gives you 2GB of online storage for free or up to 100GB for $19.99 per month.

Dropbox is useful. You can store software installations, photos, videos, documents, website files and anything else you need to access later.

3. iTunes and/or VLC

iTunes has come a long way on the PC since I ranted about it in 2009.

And the fact is, your parents and aunts and uncles are using iPads and iPhones, so they need iTunes. Go ahead and install it for them, but then make sure you set up their iTunes account also. Old people get confused.

Beyond iTunes, there’s a bit of Gen-Y software magic that even dear-old-dad can enjoy. VideoLAN’s VLC Media Player is the best, open source, cross-platform media player that can play nearly every disc, video file and audio file available, including DVDs, DivX movies and MP3s, and it has no advertising or spyware

It’s software that we use, so they should use it too.

2. Chrome or Firebox

I still install Firefox on family computers. It’s faster, better and more secure than Internet Explorer. A growing number of people are plugging into the Google matrix, however, so Chrome may be the way to go.

Either way, you need to install a second browser and set it as the default.

Just make sure you tell your loved one to allow the updates to install when prompted. Keep that most recent version running.

1. Microsoft Security Essentials

Go back to the Decrapifier for a second. Now remove whatever trial version of Norton or McAfee came with the computer. Get rid of it. Your relative is never going to pay to renew it after it expires, and the constant prompts reminding then to upgrade will result in “I think I have a virus” phone calls that you don’t need.

So just uninstall the stupid trial editions.

Install Microsoft Security Essentials. It is the best piece of software that Microsoft never charged for. As long as you have a genuine version of Windows (and all new, out-of-the-box commercial PCs do) you can download and install Microsoft’s always up-to-date antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-malware security suite.

It integrates with the Windows Firewall (make sure that’s turned on, especially once you remove the Norton/McAfee software) and gives you real-time protection just like the expensive boxed products.

If you have some moral problem with Microsoft securing your computer, you could try avast! and the free version of its antivirus software. It’s a very good solution that keeps your computer secure.

Honorable mentions

You may also want to consider EASEUS Partition Master, if you’re really doing some hardcore configuring. If the PC has one big 2TB drive, it may be a good idea to break it up into a system drive and some workspaces.

Recuva is a good choice for file recovery. It helps you recover accidentally-deleted files. We’ve all been there. Another phone call-saving measure.

If you’re doing well in this economy, and you really want to blow the world away with your audio and video, check out the Marantz SR7005 receiver.

There is simply nothing better on the market right now.

Some people who spend a lot of money on audio/video products will say “no, Denon is better,” but they are essentially the same thing in different cases.

The SR7005 has six HDMI inputs, including one in the front, iPhone/iPod integration/AirPlay receiver, network media (Windows 7 compatible) playing and multiple zones to power speakers in different rooms.

OK so the catch is it’s $1500, but when you figure out that you spend about triple that on speakers, a TV, video game systems, Blu-ray, etc., it gets less scary.

The unit is advertised as a 7.1 system, but I’m very happy using it as a 5.2 system, as it has two subwoofer outputs.

As our friend Kirk Hobbs from South Shore Audio Video Installation points out, if you are going to go 7.1 or increase your speakers in any way, it’s best to start from the front. You don’t necessarily need four speakers behind you. Start with the basic 5.1 system, and add two additional front speakers, set above your first ones. This is especially true if you have high ceilings and are mounting speakers to the wall with the television.

You have plenty of room on the SR7005, because it supports up to 11 speakers in three different zones.

Setup was a breeze. The on-screen menu makes life easier. Plug everything in, then assign the correct names to your devices. Then plug in the included microphone, which automatically starts the speaker setup. Let it run through its paces, and your surround sound will be optimized automatically to the architecture of your room.

AirPlay is certainly one of the best features, especially for iPhone users, you can literally press a few buttons and send music and movies to their television. Windows 7 connectivity adds a similar bonus.

With its network connectivity features, the SR7005 also allows you to access Pandora and similar music services. The only thing I was looking for was Netflix. Perhaps in a future firmware upgrade…

Audio quality blew me away. The unit’s seven discrete, 125 watt amplifiers really do the job. Bass is powerful, high notes are clear with no distortion. Voices sound like they are in the room with you.

It also handles the full suite of Dolby technology: TrueHD, Digital Plus, Pro Logic IIz, IIx, II, Virtual Speaker, and Dolby Headphone as well as DTS features including HD Master Audio, High Resolution Audio, ES Discete6.1, Matrix6.1, Neo:6, 96/24, Express, and Neural Surround.

The unit is also sized right. It’s no bigger than any other receiver. It fits in your rack or TV cabinet just fine with the cable box and PS3.

If you’re looking for a high-quality choice to focus your home theater around, the SR7005 is right on the money.

Let’s face it, you just don’t reach kids with textbooks anymore. Enter the new Revolutionary War App, which aims to change how students learn.

The premise behind this iPad app is very promising and interesting, to get a more rich interaction into a history class and to add more excitement than simply reading a book. While using the app, I pictured a class room full of iPads where the teacher says to play with this app this period instead of using lectures.

Unfortunately this version of the app doesn’t live up to that expectation. There are a lot of videos, but otherwise it’s almost entirely text and pictures offering nothing that a regular text book doesn’t already offer. The videos that they do have, consist of pictures while someone talks, adding little over the text  that consists of the same information.  One such example is they include the poem of Paul Revere both as a video where they show a picture and have someone reciting it, and as the full text of the poem. The app seems to have lacked mentioning the inaccuracies of the poem, such as mentioning the other riders that warned the militia.

They do include one interactive exercise, the NY Battle Simulation. This was a good idea, but needs more polish. The Simulation is very brief on descriptions of the choices, which makes me feel like either you have to know what the expected outcome is or you randomly pick a choice.  If you pick a choice that’s different from what happened in history the simulation simply goes to a page that says “America Loses the War” with a try again button. They should have added more reasoning for why Washington took the actions he did. Information such as the state of the troops at that time, or the number of British and American troops available for the fight, and other troops that could assist in other areas. More important when you picked the wrong answer a description of why it was wrong would be helpful. Would fighting the British there have caused too many loses that they wouldn’t have been able to fight a more important battle later? Would they have likely captured all the troops including Washington?

The try again button points to another major complaint I had in this version of the app; the app has many quality assurance problems. The articles don’t have a consistency in style, the layout of one article will be completely different from another, such as the Title might be in the middle on one and Left Justified on another. There are also spelling mistakes and what looks like errors from a scanner. There are places where they replaced numbers with letters that look similar, Such as, “At z o’clock we bega.1 our march by wading through a very long ford up to our middles. After going a few miles we took 3 or 4 people who were going off to give intelligence.”  There are other places with characters that obviously are wrong, “The letter stated: “the single question then, is whether you consider Boston as now suffering a common cause, and sensibly feel and resent the injury and affront.””

One of the best parts of the app though, is that they included the full text of many important documents and diary entries of people that were relevant to the war. In a book, these documents are usually left out or put in the appendix, because of lack of interest, and the space they take up. In the American Revolution on the Go App they were able to just have a button that linked to the doc, so people could view it easily if they wanted to, or ignore it if they weren’t interested.

One of the developers, Marc Schulman, has stated that they plan “to add by the first week of September a few more interactive activities like the one at the Battle of New York as well a bibliography and of course some fixes for typos”.  I still can see them do some interesting things with more interactive scenarios, but with the version that’s available currently, I would recommend a regular text book over purchasing this app. The app still has interesting promise, but they have a lot of work still to realize that promise.

We’ve been through this before with Sony’s movie-making software. I can’t list every feature — heck, I can’t even test every feature. Suffice to say, I’ve been a big fan of with the Vegas line of movie software and the Acid line of audio software for many years.

The word is usually “value.” Sony’s software is cheaper than it’s competitors, especially the Movie Studio line, which can be had for under $70 online.

If you are editing video on a PC, Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 is easier to use than Corel VideoStudio and just as good as Adobe Premiere Elements, both of which are more expensive than the Sony title.

You can import video directly from your camera, drag and drop everything into place, and export or burn the product onto a disc with full DVD or Blu-ray menus.

One feature that I found even more useful is the ability to upload your videos directly to YouTube. As you probably won’t be using $60 software to make a full-scale Hollywood motion picture, the rest of us, on YouTube, can be satisfied.

There are also intuitive tutorials built-in to the software, taking away some of the learning curve. The software is stable, streamlined, and powerful. Pound for pound, Movie Studio is a good buy.

Are you a fan of “American Idol?” How about “America’s Got Talent?” Or the “The Voice?” Well what if you could actually create your own fan base of people who’d want to hear you sing and even pay you for it?

TheStage.tv is something new and interesting. It is a place where people from all walk of life that has a dream to showcase their talents. What TheStage.tv does is create a virtual “open mic” for those aspiring artists who want to show off their vocal expertise online.

Featuring the new Spotlight Player, a video player that allows the audience to donate money, purchase music as well as link/share performances of their favorite artists from TheStage.tv. The video player can be placed anywhere, such as a website or social media page.

“The Spotlight Player represents the next generation of social media sharing where the traditional video player has been enhanced by embedding a call-to-action to support the artist in a variety of innovative ways,” said Kevin Kaljan, co-founder of TheStage.tv. “Finally, there is a one-stop mechanism for donation, email subscription and music purchase so that fans can take action immediately.”

The Spotlight Player was developed in partnership with Donortube.com. Basically any artist who performs an original work on The Stage.tv can add the player on their website as well as social media site. The cool thing is that it will link directly to iTunes and Amazon. The Spotlight Player will allow fans of the artist to offer donations as well as help aspiring artists who are planning a tour, record music or donate funds to their own important causes.

You can also subscribe to be notified via email of your favorite artists upcoming performances. The Spotlight Player also offers integrated social media interaction with Facebook and Twitter. Why is this important? When a fan “Likes” a performance on Facebook, for example, the like will automatically embed the Spotlight Player on the user’s wall, all with the same features.

TheStage.tv is the world’s first online open mic that connects artists with new fans and introduces audiences to live music from performers around the globe. Since opening its doors in 2010, TheStage.tv has showcased nearly 60,000 performances from artists across a variety of music genres including shred, jazz, country, singer/songwriter acoustic, karaoke covers and much more. Continually pushing the technology envelope, TheStage.tv is first in supporting dual video relay and 3D webcams.

To watch the Spotlight Player in action visit: http://www.thestage.tv/spot or visit Suzen Juel on the Spotlight Player at: www.suzenjuel.com.

For more information on TheStage.tv please visit: www.TheStage.tv

Mower Ride is a fun way to tilt your off hours away with your iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

The game, released today by Vivid Games is a top-down hybrid racing and combat game, entirely motion controlled.

It is a casual game, in the spirit of a SkiFree, where you don’t need a story or elaborate point system. Just move and try not to die.

You take your turbocharged riding lawnmower through back yards, clipping lines of grass, dodging swimming pools, and trying to take out other mowers before they kill you. All while, you are trying to collect energy icons before you run out of power.

The game scores your personal best depending on how much distance you can cover before you run out of power or get taken out by an enemy.

There’s not much skill involved, and that’s the beauty of Mower Ride. It has nice cartoon graphics, catchy music, and provides just enough entertainment value to make it 99 cents worth spending.

If you get really hooked on racing a lawn mower, you can challenge your friends and spend some more cash to pimp and primp your vehicle.

The Eclipse Litetouch Keyboard is a wireless keyboard that can either connect via USB or Bluetooth with pretty decent range (seems like it loses its juice once you are 15-20 feet away). This sleek looking keyboard also offers a little trackball mouse (with left/right click capabilities) so that the keyboard is essentially an all-in-one peripheral. The mouse isn’t the greatest, but it will certainly do the job for web browsing and the like. The mouse would not be good if you are trying to play a game on the computer, for example. The keyboard is also backlit, which looks really nice and is easy to see when used in the dark, and it has a lit up touch pad on the side that I will later go into further detail with. The keyboard works with any computer and also works with my ps3.

The keyboard has a rechargeable battery inside that can be recharged through a wall socket or through a USB attachment directly with the computer. The battery is strong, it can be used regularly for a few weeks without needing a recharge and the recharge itself goes relatively quickly as well. The keyboard is light and mobile and the keys feel good and solid to the touch. But what sets this keyboard apart from the others is the touchscreen to the right of the keyboard.

When you purchase this keyboard, it will come with a disc that you can install on the computer that lets the user create shortcuts directly from the keyboard’s touch screen. Out of the touch screen controls, the user has the ability to change the computer’s volume level and brightness level through one of the touch screen’s icons and you’ll also see the keyboard’s battery level through an icon on the touch screen. The touch screen also offers three different modes: number pad, favorites, and music/file controls. The music control mode will allow you to pause, record, play, rewind, etc. when you play music/video files. You can have particular music or videos turn on once you press the corresponding icon if programmed and there is also the mode that gives you a functional number pad. You can program in favorite website shortcuts, command shortcuts, or even program shortcuts in the favorites mode. What is also unique is that you can save different profiles so that if multiple people are using the keyboard they can have their own settings, commands, favorites, etc. saved as a profile and when others want to use the keyboard, all of their saved settings are just a click away.

The only problem that I have seen or heard about this product is the connectivity of the keyboard. Sometimes there are minor malfunctions that make the keyboard lose connectivity with the computer and that can be frustrating for users if they have to keep trying to figure out how to get the peripheral re-connected. Otherwise this is all in all a really nice wireless keyboard if you are in the market for one. The attached mouse and the functionality of the tough screen really bring the keyboard home for me. It really has everything you need as far as a mouse/keyboard is concerned. Look online for decent prices.

We’ve tried a bunch of times to objectively and subjectively rate and review complicated software programs, but it’s impossible to delve into all of the technical nuances of video editing and CAD/CAM titles.

Suffice to say, Vegas Pro 10 is a great video option for filmmakers and anyone else who is looking to author DVD or Blu-ray discs in particular. The price tag ($599 new) is also a breath of fresh air for people who have paid $800 for Premiere. If you’re editing video on a PC, it’s also easier to pick up and learn than Avid, though Avid is much better for broadcast applications.

The interface is similar to most editing packages. You have your preview panes up top, timeline on the bottom, and in the bottom left, you have your clips and resources that you can drag and drop into the timeline and do your work.

The suite’s DVD Architect Pro 5.2 program (included) is what allows you to take your complicated video package and throw it onto a disc. It allows you to create menus, insert subtitles, and add alternative camera angles into movie scenes.

This Sony title is also great for audio. Vegas Pro 10 can output in multichannel Dolby Digital surround sound and encode in AC-3.

New features in Vegas Pro 10

• Leading edge technology, including support for stereoscopic 3D, 4K, and GPU-accelerated AVC encoding
• Improved closed captioning
• Improved multicam functionality
• Performance improvements for DSLR video
• Enhanced plug-in support
• Customizable UI and flexible workflow environment
• Track grouping
• Support for Blu-ray Disc

Orb Audio puts out a bangin’ audiophile-approved sound in a tiny package.

What’s best about the company’s products is that they’re infinitely expandable — from 2.0 left-right speakers to full-on 7.2 monsters. You can buy two speakers for your setup, and when you’re ready to expand, you can keep the little orbs coming until you have your dream unit.

In a way, this translates to their “Computer Unit,” which Blast had a while to test out lately. But it’s not a perfect marriage.

The Orb Computer Unit is build on two speakers and a Pyle Pro PTA 2 2X40 watt stereo amplifier. By rewiring the orbs, you can bang out an amazing stereo experience, with up to eight speakers wired in four-unit pairs, but since the product is built on a two-channel amplifier, you can’t go beyond the two channels without scrapping the amp and buying a brand new one that can do 3-4-5-6-7 channels of audio.

The Pyle amplifier also doesn’t have an output for a subwoofer, so you have to run speaker wire from the amp, to the subwoofer, to the speakers if you want some real bass. That gets clunky quickly.

There also isn’t any design ingenuity. The product is just two orb speakers and the stock amplifier. If this was really a computer/standalone unit, Orb should have scrapped the “expandability” concept and engineered a modular product with an amplifier’s guts, its orb speakers, and some flashy casing.

On the flip side, the 40-watt amp is plenty of power for the Orbs, though they can certainly handle at least 100-watts. And to be even more fair, the product sounds fantastic. Music, gaming, and movies all sound crisp, clear, and well-defined. The Orb unit sounds better than most standard computer speakers that you could buy in the store.

But it is more expensive than most, at $299. You have to be pretty dedicated to your computer audio to shell out $300 for speakers.

If you’re interested in Orb, and you should be, I’d invest in a surround unit. An Orb Audio Mod1 Plus 5.1 system at $999 is pretty moderate when you think about what people invest in five speakers and a subwoofer.

Keep your computer performing at top speed with RegCure registry cleaner from ParetoLogic.

This article is meant to serve as warning for all who are looking into purchasing a new piece of gadgetry but are wary that the value of the product will go down significantly after the purchase. This worry is totally understandable since over the course of about two years, a newer and a better version of any given electronic will make your old piece of tech obsolete. I think Best Buy realized that there is a value to this and therefore they started their “Buy Back” program. But first, let’s discuss what the program actually is.

When you go into a Best Buy store and find the product you want, in order to enter into the Buy Back Program you MUST first purchase the Buy Back offer that is associated with the device. Think of it as an “extended warranty” that the person ringing you up will shout into your ear until you comply to buy it. So in order for you to give back your product, you have to pay them to take it back. Every price range has a buy back price. For example, a $600 product has a Buy Back price of $50. The payout, in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card, is organized into different term periods which create a dynamic where the longer you have the product, the more it depreciates. Here’s the breakdown: within 6 months you’ll get 50 percent back, 6 months to one year (40 percent), one year to 18 months (30 percent), and 18 months to 2 years (20 percent). TV’s get somewhat of an extension as the last term of 2 years to 4 years will yield you 10 percent in returns. If you go over the 2 year period for regular electronics and the 4 year period for TV’s, then the whole deal is canceled. It is unlikely that a piece of tech, such as a smartphone, will get so far in advance within 0-12 month period that it will be worth trading in. It is more likely that you will want to return the product somewhere in the one year to two year time range.

As previously stated, in return for submitting your old electronic that must have been purchased from a Best Buy store, you will get a Best Buy Gift Card, not cold hard cash or even credit back on your plastic. You must have photo ID along with the receipt and all of the parts and accessories that came in the original packaging. This means that the Buy Back Program is non-transferable, so that if you happen to sell your device to a friend, they cannot reap the minor rewards of the Buy Back Program. If your gadget has more than just regular wear and tear, i.e. dents, scratches, or even minor functional damages, Best Buy will cut your payout by half. If there are major problems on the surfaces or internal failures, then you get $0 and the Buy Back purchase is wasted (hear the playing of the world’s tiniest violin).

Understand that this is a clever way to trick people who may not know the ins and outs of future projections for electronics, but there is a well-known formula, Moore’s law, that basically states that the amount of transistors on a circuit board will double every two years. This means that you’ll unlikely see a big increase in technology with the same type of gadget and within the time frame that would allow you any substantial amount in returns. Still not convinced that the deal is sour? Let’s do the math then. Say you get a laptop worth $600, you have it for a period of a little less than two years, and you purchased the Buy Back for $50. It is in good working order with no internal or surface problems with the laptop. Being that it has been almost two years since you bought the laptop; (recall Moore’s law) the electronic companies have managed to double the advancements for the device for the price of $600. After you pass the inspection, your buy back would be $120 (which is essentially $70 net if you take away the $50 initial fee). If there were any significant scratches or faulty hardware problems, then your gift card would be reduced to $60 (or $10 net). So if you wanted to buy that newer, more advanced $600 laptop, the Buy Back Program will net you either 12 percent or 2 percent towards the new purchase, depending on how well you maintain your gadget. But consider this… if your laptop is in good condition, there should be no reason to give it back. If it works well enough, you should use it for as long as it works and take it somewhere that recycles old electronics when they are completely blasted. Instead, Best Buy wants you to take that $120 gift card and put it towards a new laptop in their computer department. You are more likely to sell your gadget for more when you sell it on eBay, Craigslist, Amazon, etc. with the added bonus of getting that cash money in return.

For the reasons above, you should be skeptical of the Best Buy “Buy Back” Program. The only positive, I hope, is that Best Buy recycles the old electronics so that they do not clutter our already oversized toxic waste dumps.

So here is a list, in no particular order, of five applications/widgets available for free on the Andriod Market that everyone should have downloaded (if they don’t already) on their android smartphone. If there are other applications that you feel are vital to the operation of your android smartphone, please feel free to comment below and just maybe you’ll make someone very happy for providing them an application treasure trove.

1. Widgetsoid (2.x)

This app lets the user create customizable widgets that looks like the “Power Control” widget that the android phone already has. What is particularly awesome about this app is that you can change the color schemes, use any of your apps, settings, and other tools as buttons (against Power Control’s GPS, WiFi, BT, Sync, Brightness buttons only and without any customizations). This widget creator allows users to modify the buttons to control silence/vibrate/ring, or use the phone’s flash as a flashlight on command, or the amount of RAM your phone is using, or even a battery widget that takes you directly to your phone’s battery usage. This widget simply has it all and is a great starting point to customizing your smartphone with a sleek and organized design.

2. Fancy Widget

This widget, when placed on your home screen, displays a digital clock, the date, battery percentage, and most importantly the weather (with a temperature gauge, his and lows of the day, and a weather icon) in a “fancy” looking interface. You can tap the time to bring up the customizable settings or you can tap the weather icon that will immediately bring up a screen that forecasts the next three days, gives you sunrise and sunset times for the current date, and even humidity and wind calculations for the current date. You can even change the color combinations and the location of all the information displayed. Essentially, this widget not only looks cool on your phone, but is also a productive tool to keep you informed of the weather situation in your locale.

3. PdaNet

As my absolute favorite app, PdaNet allows the user to tether their phone to a computer, laptop, tablet, etc. and use the phone’s 3G/4G service to browse the internet on the computer. Although the critics may say, “but most android smartphones already have USB enabled tethering”, this app also pops up incoming text messages on your laptop that allows the user to directly answer from their computer rather than picking up the phone to respond. The only thing with this app is that you must go on PdaNet’s website and download the software for the computer you plan to tether to. This app is particularly useful when you want to peruse your favorite websites (like Blast!) on trains and other public transit systems or anywhere else you can imagine that doesn’t supply free and secure WiFi. Once that’s done, all you have to worry about is going over your service provider’s data plan.

4. Handcent SMS

There are a lot of messaging service applications out there, but I like Handcent the best for its reliability and customizability. This app lets the user completely customize their text message interface, from icons to fonts, to LED color notifications on the front of most android phones. If you are like every other person who has went through high school with text messaging, then you’ll want an app that allows you to pick color schemes, backgrounds, appearance settings and so on. If you haven’t tried this app yet, give it a whirl and maybe you’ll experience some more pleasure in text messaging.

5. Lookout Mobile Security

This app offers spyware and malware protection, backup to their website (after creating an account on the website) and it offers a missing device service. If you lose your phone in between the cushions or leave it behind, you can go on that same website where your backup rests and make your phone ring, even if it’s on silent, so that you can find it in no time. If you regularly keep your GPS enabled, you can also get a GPS location on your device through the website. If someone has the sleight of hand to steal your phone, then this app may bring you back to your long lost android smartphone and catch a thief in the process. What an app.

Honorable Mention: Launcher Pro

This last one replaces the standard android home screen functions and replaces it with a similar, but customizable user interface. Launcher Pro also has a variety of new icons, a bottom app bar, color customizations, backup, and a customizable app drawer. This app may offer a smoother experience for some users in comparison to some of the others (like Dolphin Browser or even the stock android Launcher), but as these smartphones become more power (Dual-Core, Snapdragon processors), the less smoothness will be noticeable between the different platforms.

With the holidays upon us, you may be struggling to find something for that frequent traveler or music junkie on your holiday buying list. These may have you covered.

Any frequent traveler will agree that there’s nothing worse than trying to relax to your favorite album or movie, only to have that audio be replaced by the roaring sound of the plane’s engines or a crying baby. Look no further than to a pair of noise canceling headphones, which may be perfect companion for that frequent traveler, music junkie or anyone wishing to hear the beauty of their collections without background noise getting in the way.

The first thing any shopper should be concerned about is the price and at $79.99, JVC’s HA-NC120 noise canceling headphones are a steal for the quality of sound they deliver and their overall performance.

As you set your eyes on a pair of these NC-120 headphones, one can’t help but notice the compact and sleek design of the product with its an all black and shiny, mirror like finish with chrome trim running along the outline of product. There are two switches on the device, which can be found at the bottom each individual headphone and enable/disable volume limit and function as a power switch. Under the left headphone, the product features a nice retractable 3.5 millimeter headphone cord which can be extended by simply pulling out on the cord and retracted by pressing a small button which sucks the wire back into the headphones where it is stored nicely and out of the way. This feature alone is great because it makes for easy and quick stowage by virtually eliminating the cord, saving you the time and hassle having roll and pack away the cord.

My favorite feature is that they can be folded down to about half their original size, allowing for easy portability. When not in use, the NC120 headphones can be folded in half and the individual headphones can then be swiveled and folded inward condensing the product to fit easily in a small purse, glove compartment or forward set compartment.

Sound quality was overall very good, considering the relatively low price and the small design of the product. When in use, music sounded crisp and lifelike, and the base levels were much better than I initially expected from a product in this price range.

JVC claims these headphones are capable of 88 percent ambient noise reduction, and I decided to put this claim to the test and take these headphones along with me on an eight hour flight to Europe and see just how well they blocked out the loud engine roar and passenger cabin noise. The results actually stacked up to be pretty well, and I found the headphones did a decent job at removing background roar. One thing to keep in mind with these headphones is loud background noise is only eliminated when music is playing, so you might find ear plugs to be a better solution if your trying to sleep in say a noisy environment.

In conclusion, I was very much impressed by both the performance and design of this product for its price range. At $79.99, this product is definitely worth the money and is an overall great set of headphones that sound excellent, look great and are a breeze to travel with for the money.

I’ve long been a sucker for certain audio brands. Here in Boston, there’s no shortage of original talent, including Bose, Cambridge SoundWorks, and Tivoli.

Nationally, Altec Lansing’s long history for producing superior sounding products makes them stand out. Even their cheaper products stand out. The audio system on my computer at home is still an Altec Lansing SoundBar. The SoundBar, from 2008, has lasted longer than my last three computers, and I have access to nearly every computer speaker system out there.

And I feel the same about Cambridge SoundWorks products, even since their buyout by Creative. SoundWorks’s Newton speakers are divine. The company’s compact radios sound excellent and rival other tiny sound systems that promise big sound.

That’s what pains me about the SoundWorks i525, an iPod docking radio/alarm clock. By itself, the audio quality and construction make it a great choice. That’s how we should base audio products, right? Sound. Construction.

Well not quite. The i525 was not designed with the iPhone in mind. It plays and charges the iPhone, but Cambridge Soundworks did not get the product certified by Apple. A warning pops up on my iPhone 4′s screen when I dock it with the i525, warning me that it’s not optimized for my phone.

The product is fully functional, but WiFi and cellular phone activity can cause audio distortion and interference.

“The SoundWorks i525 will charge and function with iPhone. The Optimization flag appears as we are not yet certified for iPhone support. The product is fully functional with iPhone; however,” said Maria Cataldo, a spokeswoman for Cambridge Soundworks. “Please note, since we are not yet certified ‘for use with an iPhone,’ the user is presented with a warning that the iPhone may cause interference with the radio and offers you the choice to enter Airplane Mode. If the user does not enter Airplane Mode, the phone will still operate normally, but may introduce some interference from the radio when communicating with cell towers.”

In the device’s defense, I ran it through a few hours of trials and did not encounter any audio distortion.

Should we judge the i525 by this? On one hand, no. The i525 outperforms many similarly priced bedside iPhone docks. At $149.99, it’s the cheapest radio ever produced by Cambridge SoundWorks. it has an AM/FM radio that gets clear reception, and the company’s proprietary Smart Volume feature normalizes volume levels between songs, so you don’t get one really loud song and one quiet song.

But on the other hand, the company really needs to get that certification thing taken care of. The dock needs to fully play nice with what’s docking on it.

Doesn’t it seem like a matter of time before the car “cigarette lighter” power socket is replaced by — say — a USB hub? Does anyone smoke in their car anymore? Better question: does ANYONE use the car’s cigarette lighter to light up?

Answer: No. Your GPS is already plugged into the cigarette slot. Or your phone charger. Or your iPod charger. Or something besides a cigarette lighter.

That’s where the Kensington PowerBolt comes in. It fills the slot snuggly — sheesh that sounds dirty — and replaces the cigarette lighter function with a 2.1 amp powered USB port that you can plug any device into.

The device is specifically marketed at the iPod/iPhone/iPad market, with the 2.1 amp capability meant to deliver quick charging to the Apple devices. It also comes with a detachable Apple cable. But you can plug in anything you want, even another smartphone or audio device.

By the way, there are about 6 billion USB devices out there. The electronics standard has been popular since its mainstream introduction in 1996.

The device works. It plugs in, fits perfectly, and has an LED indicator to let you know that you’re in business.

It’s 10 bucks and available at Amazon or most electronics stores. Tell your car “welcome to 1996.”

Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer unveiled the new Windows Phone 7 platform showcasing the 4 device partners set at an AT&T conference this week. Microsoft Phone 7 vision comes 7 years after the first smartphone release but focused more to reflect our modern lifestyles by allowing the user to get more done in fewer steps by getting the user “in, out and back to life.”

“Windows Phone 7 is a big bet for Microsoft, and we think, for the industry,” says Steve Guggenheimer, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Division. “We focused on three things: making a phone that’s easy to use, rich end-to-end experiences, and building great hardware and software together.”

Microsoft Phone 7 share the green animated Live Tiles “so you can quickly see everything you care about”  to reflect pending messages, appointments, news & weather or game & friend status, all refreshing wirelessly so you always have the most current information available at all times. The user can change colors, pin people/apps/playlists/pictures and other favorites so they’re always at your Start screen.

• The People Hub brings your contacts (phone book, email address, Facebook) all together in one place that makes it easier to update your status, change your profile picture across multi-networking sites at the same time from your phone with the innovative “The Me” card.
• The Pictures Hub houses your entire collection including the opportunity to automatically sync all of your photos from your pc, save the photos on your phone and those that your friends have posted and you’re even able to take pictures even with the phone locked so you never miss the perfect moment again.
• Office Hub provides full mobile versions of Word, Excel, and Power Point. OneNote allows you to take notes during meetings, make lists, keep track of random thoughts on your phone and access them from your PC later. OneNote syncs wirelessly and can even include voice clips and pictures all with the ability to share with coworkers.
• The Games Hub provides you with the ability to play Xbox Live from your phone as well as access other games, sync music wirelessly from your pc, apps, view TV shows, movies, pod casts on a hi-resolution screen, stream/download from the Marketplace Superstore which is available on either your pc or phone with one-click billing, purchase directly to your phone bill. As a user you can create custom playlists, recommend music to friends, enjoy the built-in FM radio and optional Zune pass subscription for unlimited music is available for a low monthly fee.

“Ending bad phone behavior with better phone design.”

Todd Peters, corporate vice president of Microsoft Mobile Communications Marketing Group said “Microsoft thinks there is a better Smartphone experience….By designing a better way to organize all that information Windows Phone 7 helps people get to the stuff that is most important to them – easier and faster.”

Internet Explorer allows up to 6 tabs with the ability to toggle between them making browsing a cinch; scroll with a flick of a finger and zoom with a pinch much like other Smartphone’s we are already familiar with.  The address bar suggests as you type and does web searches that allows you to tap the phone or addresses to either call or map quickly. Search Bing for web, maps, turn-by-turn directions down to the street level look at your final destination, with the optional voice search if for those days when you just need a little help.

Emailing is easy with Outlook Mobile which is streamlined to work with Windows Live, Google, Yahoo! and other popular providers that also support multiple Microsoft exchange accounts for work.  You are able to combine both personal and work in a single, color-coded Calendar making it easier to manage your time. Map appointment locations with a single tap and if you happen to get stuck in traffic there is one touch pre-written “I’m running late” email sent.

The “Find my phone” service on Windows Live gives the owner an opportunity to log into Windows Live from any pc to remotely ring, lock, erase, show location on a map or post a “please return to me” note on the screen for those panic induced times all without requiring any additional paid services or apps.

According to PCMag.com who got the chance to actually experience each of the devices, the Samsung Focus ranked the most impressive for AT&T’s selection, with the Dell as the favorite for the T-Mobile option with workable keyboard, and full of custom apps provided by T-Mobile. The HTC HD7 will also be carried by T-Mobile providing a 4.3” screen, the largest screen of the Microsoft phones. Each of the new phones with the Windows 7 phone software will run on the Qualcomm 1-GHz QSD8250 chipset which provides ample speed to the carriers. All of the new phones will share similar hardware such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a minimum 5 megapixel camera.

Windows Phone 7 Device Lineup

“We’re going to have the biggest TV marketing campaign in the history of the mobile business, with the ads running on shows such as “Hawaii Five-O”, “Bones”, “Saturday Night Live” as well as late-night talk shows. The holiday season is coming and the ads will be running frequently. If you don’t see them, then we’re not doing our jobs” said Peters.

The Microsoft enabled phones will be available at AT&T, T-Mobile, select Microsoft stores and Amazon November 8, 2010. Sprint is set to release Microsoft Phone 7 devices early 2011.

The idea of either of my children driving makes my head spin but the Lemur Monitors SafeDriver would rock when that day comes. SafeDriver installed easily in my vehicles data port which then wirelessly relayed the info to the display on the pocket-sized key fob.  I can say now my readings were pretty lame due to the fact I’m in my mom driving mode a majority of the time not allowing SafeDriver to pick up much in the week long test but I could see where it could cause a few gray hairs or even possible car privileges being revoked by displaying maximum speed, distance traveled, and any sudden braking. The only concern I have is that it is easily unplugged and key fob reset by just entering a pin so you run the risk of errors erased to delete the miles reflecting a midnight cruise across town, 37 brake checks in a 10 mile radius or a lead foot like I had back then. In order for SafeDriver to be effective, I wouldn’t even say it was in the vehicle and hide the remote portion somewhere unless of course you have a very responsible teenager without the slightest bit of devious behavior in the back of their mind. What they don’t know can’t hurt them but you could end up saving their life by noticing undesirable driving habits or at least a brake job which isn’t cheap these days.  I also thought about if I actually owned a car that I cared about, I wouldn’t think twice about installing it if a friend were to borrow the vehicle.  

For peace of mind and a great way to encourage better driving, Lemur’s SafeDriver can be purchased at Brookstone and The Sharper Image for $69.95.

There’s no shortage of music apps out there, but we are fans of this one, which helps you make real music, instead of tapping buttons to create more fake music.

Star Scales Pro 2.1 is the latest update to the iPhone/iPod/iPad app that teaches aspiring guitar players scale patterns instead of complex charts. It helps improve speed and accuracy while playing the real guitar while working on your muscle memory.

The update doesn’t change much of the core functionality, but it adds better sound effects, graphics, and a cleaner fretboard interface.

The app is the product of Slovakia-based JoyApps, and it lets you practice on a six or seven string virtual guitar. It’s a teaching tool that’s good for pros and wannabes a like.

Highlights from the developer:

• Clustered scales for easy orientation
• Double length playback for root note of the scale
• Scale pattern on the whole fretboard in landscape mode
• Random generator to getting to practicing to the scales

“We would like to make the play on the guitar as easy as it could be. Time and time again, the pattern method has been proven the most effective method for learning scales that is why we hope scale pattern will assist in achieving better results,” said Zoltan Bognar, the app’s developer.

Star Scales Pro 2.1 is $0.99 and available worldwide through the App Store in the Music category.

When you think of the iHome brand, chances are your familiar with their compact clock radio speaker systems. These inexpensive devices sound great and scored highly in our reviews, but lately the company has been stepping things up a bit, entering into an entirely new territory focused more on audio performance.

The iHome iP1 debuted the company’s new line of performance-based audio products, named to be their “Studio Line.” Being the first product in this new line, the iP1 showed consumers that the company means business and their latest “Studio Line” iP3 is no exception.

Offering up to 50 watts of power along with Bongiovi Digital Power Station technology which specializes to better enhance and restore lost details due to audio compression, the iP3, iPod/iPhone audio system packs a punch of power and is sure not to go unnoticed. Music on the device sounded great and audio levels were excellent for the small overall size of the unit. If loudness is what you are looking for, you will be very pleased with the iP3 as the unit cranks and will just blow you away in terms of volume, despite the idea you might get from its small form factor.

The Bongiovi Digital Power Station technology is exclusive to both the iP3 and iP1 and is without a doubt worth mentioning. Sound quality when using the technology was very good as opposed to when the technology was turned off which was dull and almost computer speaker sounding. We decided to really put the technology to the test by playing a few of our favorite tracks and toggling on and off the Bongiovi technology just to see how much of a difference it made. When enabled, music sounded loud, crisp and had a strong base and when switched off, tones sounded dull and low quality.

From first glance, the product offers a basic, yet compact design featuring an all black body with a transparent border that obtrudes from out and around the speakers. This makes for a unique design allowing the product to be placed practically anywhere and blend in with the surrounding background. On the front of the unit, between the two speakers houses an adjustable iPod dock that no longer requires an iPods inserts — definitely a nice plus. Toward the bottom of the system, you will find the audio controls, which from left to right include the Bongiovi on/off button, power button, and volume up/down controls. Finally along the backside of the unit you will find a power port, component video out connection and a line in port, giving you the ability to connect other devices to the unit rather than just an iPod.

We’re very pleased to see iHome included a component video out port on this device. If you are unfamiliar with what this is, it allows for the video on your iPod to be displayed on an external television or other type of display.

While the unit does sound great, there are some shortfalls to mention, with the price being the number one con of this device. At almost $200, this product is quite costly and we’re not sure it’s worth its high price tag. The iP3 sounds nice, but it has some tough competition out there, the Sony MHC EC709iP being on top of the list. This 180-watt system is $50 less and offers some added functionality like an AM/FM tuner, which isn’t available on the IP3.

It would have also been nice to have seen support for the iHome+Sleep application like featured on the A5. The iP3 does not offer any type of alarm clock functionality, which is what made iHome famous in the first place

Overall we’re pleased with the performance, design and portability of the iP3, but it’s not perfect and lacks a few features that should come with a hefty price tag.

The folks over at Joby were kind enough to send this Blair Witch style video-taker a nifty device. The Gorillapod Video can be placed anywhere with its ridiculously strong magnetic feet and positional legs that you can twist in any direction or attach to just about any fixture. Joby suggests that “video seasickness be gone” with either your point-and-shoot cameras with video capabilities or mini/pocket camcorders.

The Gorillapod Video has a compact 7-inch design which allows for easy toting and storing. The Omni-directional aluminum positioning video head allows you to direct the camera in any possible direction with a smooth 360-degree pan and 135-degree tilt. You can easily attach your camera to the Gorillapod Video by screwing in the plate to the camera and sliding it into the base. The quick release button allows you to quickly remove your camera making the Gorillapod beyond easy to use. You can even use it for still shots for when you need that 3rd pair of hands.

The Gorillapod Video definitely ranks as a favorite little gadget with its simple yet unique design and easy to use features. You may even find yourself taking more videos since they will actually be worthy of viewing at a later date.  For under $30 at the Joby website, you can’t beat it. You can also find them in many brick-and-mortar stores throughout the US by using the search feature on their website to find the one closest to you.

There are always those electronics that are a pain to shop for, especially those that you’re not able to test out prior to purchasing. Headphones and earbuds are prime examples. Sure you can return them if your not satisfied, but how many trips to the store are you going to be willing to make before you become frustrated? Hopefully we can help simplify the process here at Blast with our review on Wicked Audio’s Wicked Empire WE-8803 in-ear earbuds.

From the clear little window on the box, you really can’t help but notice the sleek design and nice styling of the product. With an all black finish, long cord length, and an eye-catching design/symbol on the ends of the buds, its no wonder why the product is so eye appealing.

While looks are important, sound quality is crucial and can make or break a product like this, but the product delivers well for its price range. We were very impressed with the sound quality for these small mid-priced earbuds. Both base and treble sounded great, and the earbuds had no problem reaching louder volumes without distorting all that much.

One thing however, is that the product may not be for everyone especially with people with odd ear sizes and people that are planning to exercise while using these earbuds. We noticed when running or fast walking with the earbuds in, that they slid around a little. This creates slightly annoying pounding noise.

The product retails for $39.99, and you can find them cheaper on Amazon and other online outlets.

Like many Americans today, I have a variety of gadgets that I use on an everyday basis. There’s my Blackberry, iPod, laptop, handsfree car system, camera and more. How do I manage to get everything charged? Frankly, I have a whole shoebox full of chargers and it’s almost impossible to keep the wires bundled together, so you always end up with a mess of wires. Then there’s the problem of never having enough outlets available to charge all your electronics, especially with the ones that use large power bricks.

A product from IDAP called the IDAP i4 recently came across the desk and claims to help to change all this and free up your outlets. The IDAP 4 is a charging station that allows you to charge up to four different devices simultaneously on just one plug, without the need for messy cables. The device comes with a series of interchangeable tips that insert into the three slots on the product and the other end simply plugs right into the device you wish to charge. Also along the side of the device is a USB port for devices that need to be charged via USB. The company claims the IDAPT i4 is compatible with over 3,500 brands of mobile devices, including Apple, Nintendo, PSP, Blackberry, Garmin, and more. The IDAP i4 creates a hassle free and mess free solution that doesn’t require you to dig out tons of cables or allocate lots of space for charging your gadgets.

The IDAP i4 ships with either six tips from the factory or you may choose up to four of your own tips online. Additional tips can also be purchased for $9.99 and an AA/AAA battery charger tip is also available for $19.99. Customers may decide purchase additional power cords for $13.99, which is a great option especially for travelers who plan to be in another country and want to still use the IDAP i4 to charge their gadgets.

I found the device works perfectly. Gadgets fit well when placed onto the unit and can be removed also very easily. I’m pleased to see that the company included both small LED status lights directly in front of each charging slot that indicate that charging status and a main power switch located in the back center of the unit.

The IDAPT i4 sells for $59.99 and is available online in three-color choices of black, white or silver.

The use of cell phones while driving not only poses a danger for yourself, but for everyone else on the road as well. Hand-held cell phone use while driving is distracting and its no wonder many states are prohibiting it while driving.

Currently eight states including: California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Washington as well as the Virgin Islands and D.C now have laws prohibiting drivers from using hand-held cell phones while driving. In Boston, young drivers can’t be caught on a cell phone and no one is allowed to text while driving.

You will need to pickup a hands-free device to avoid a hefty ticket if you get caught.

Moshi feels they have the right handsfree calling solution to keep you safe while driving, allowing you talk on your cell phone handsfree with their Bluetooth Handsfree car kit. So you’re probably wondering what exactly is it?

Basically the device is nothing more than an advanced speakerphone about the size of a standard garage door opener transmitter, just like the one that attaches to your visor. But don’t let this fool you because it does much more than act just as a speakerphone. The device ships with integrated Bluetooth, so as soon as you get into your car, it will automatically connect to your cell phone and give you the ability to dial and check basic phone status information like battery life, signal strength and allow you to place calls using the built in voice command system, all hands free.

Once you pair the device up with your phone, just say "Hello Moshi" to activate the voice commands and your able to say commands like "redial," "call back," "call favorite # 1-5," "call home," "call voicemail," etc.

I found the device to work very well. Callers were able hear me clearly and vice versa and the voice recognition picked up on what I was saying almost every time. I was also impressed to see that the device recognizes voice commands even from a long distance away. Battery time is also decent with six hours of talk time and 40 hours of standby time.

The device ships with the Moshi Car Kit, magnetic visor clip, car charger and a manual. I was impressed with the design and build quality of the accessories. Normally this isn’t something I pick up on, but I do like the design and how they incorporated in a magnetic visor clip instead of using something non-detachable like plastic. The device removes easily from the visor clip and it is a breeze to bring it inside your home or to switch it out from car to car. The included USB car charger is also a nice plus since it uses standard USB, which can be used to charge other USB devices you might have laying around in your car like a maybe a cell phone or iPod.

There were a few things I didn’t like about the device however. One being that you don’t have the ability to say extension numbers for the device to dial. You also can’t disconnect from a call without pressing any buttons. I also wasn’t pleased when receiving a call from someone in your contacts, the device doesn’t say call from (Persons Name here); instead, it will just read out the person’s number. I found this annoying because I don’t know everyone’s number and I rely heavily on my phone’s contact book for numbers. Finally, I would have liked to have the ability to play my own custom ringtone or jingle rather than having the voice prompt’s machine voice tell me I have an incoming call.

Overall I would recommend this device to anyone looking to go handsfree. Setup was simple, it took less than a few minutes and once the product was paired to my phone, it worked great and connected no problem every time. Another added plus is the compact size and weight of the product. Its almost the exact size of a garage door opener so you can practically charge it up, leave it there and forget about it.

The product is available for $79.99 at moshilifestyle.com.

LaCie recently announced a brand new product to its portable flash drive lineup called the XtremKey. This new drive offers industrial strength and guaranteed protection of your files in some of the most extreme environments.

Featuring a military tested Zamac enclosure; composed of zinc, aluminum, magnesium and copper, the device is practically indestructible and is tested to withstand drops up to 10 feet, endure 10 tons of truck resistance and can tolerate temperatures ranging all the way up to 392 degrees to as low as -122 degrees.

The list continues, with a fully waterproof design of up to 333ft, wear-resistant screw threads as well as a rubber O-ring to keep water and other materials out and if speed is the only thing your worried about, you will be pleased to hear that the XtremKey offers maximum read speeds of up to 40MB/s and 30MB/s write speeds, which is very good.

So even if you find yourself to be biggest klutz, you should never have to worry about dropping or somehow destroying an XtremKey flash drive and having it bust into a million pieces like a regular flash drive might.

With all these cool stats and claims LaCie throws out at us, I decided to actually go outside myself and put the product to the test. I witnessed some pretty impressive results from this product. First off, I threw it up a few feet and let it drop onto the concrete a few times. No physical damage was present and when I plugged the drive into my laptop, I was able to access my files no problem. Finally, I took a five-gallon bucket, filled it up to the top with water and submerged the product. When I unscrewed the metal casing, there was not a single drop of water inside.

Aside from the rugged design and strong build quality, the product performed no different than a regular 16GB flash drive. Files loaded on and off the device very quickly and I really like how when plugged into a Mac computer, the product displays an image of the device on the desktop instead of the regular drive icon. This makes the XtremKey really easy to find on a cluttered desktop. Another nice plus is that the company includes a two-year subscription of four gigabytes of online storage through Wuala.com as well as a two-year product warranty.

One thing I found that I wasn’t happy about is when the drive is plugged into the computer, it generates a lot of heat and since the drive is metal, naturally it acts as a conductor and retains the heat. As soon as I went to disconnect the drive out from the USB port, I noticed the product was almost burning hot and I wasn’t able to hold it for more than a few seconds without burning my fingers. I would have also like to have seen an LED light or something on the drive to show activity and that it is plugged in correctly. My final gripe is I wish LaCie had scaled down the end of the product since it sometimes can block access to other USB ports. Other than those few things, it’s a very solid product.

So is the XtremKey for you? If you are in the construction field or outdoors and need to carry your files, the XtremKey is a must. It is also great for people that misplace things often since chances are if you do happen to leave it outside in the rain, the product shouldn’t be affected. I found the XtremKey to work as advertized and I don’t consider it a bad value for the money. The XtremKey is available in eight, 16, 32 and 64 GB capacities ranging from $49.99 to $249.99.

There are few things worse than running out of cellphone “juice” at the worst possible time. Well, enter Technocel’s Sprint Battery Boost. The Battery Boost is a portable recharging solution and SD card reader all-in-one for your mobile phone, Bluetooth headset and most micro USB devices. Sprint Battery Boost features include:

• Built-in Battery – With a 600 mAh lithium ion battery, the Battery Boost provides convenient recharging to your mobile or USB device for up to 1 hour of additional talk time* via the micro-USB connector
• Micro SD card reader — Battery Boost doubles as a micro SD card reader that allows you to store and transfer data files including photos, documents and music files
• Retractable USB Connector — When Battery Boost is placed within any USB port such as a computer, home or car charger, it will automatically charge its internal battery. You can even charge a battery and your handset at the same time
• Built-in Carabineer Clip — While on the go, use the built in carabineer to clip it on your belt loop, purse, keys, backpack or anywhere else
• Power button & internal battery status indicator — This indicates a low to high battery charge so you can easily see how much juice you have remaining

"Battery Boost consolidates mobile power and media storage into one convenient all-in-one device.  Perfect for a quick recharge or sharing your latest pictures, movies, and songs, this is one product that you’ll truly never want to leave home without," said Rami Rostami, CEO and founder of Technocel.

Sprint Battery Boost is available for $29.99 at Sprint Stores nationwide, and 1-800-SPRINT1. For more information on product specifications and availability please visit www.technocel.com

Expandable phone systems have been around for quite some time now, but what makes the VTech LS6245 so much different from the others and worth mentioning?

How about if we told you this phone system can wirelessly connect to your cell phone via Bluetooth and give you the ability to use your cell phone plan minutes while enjoying the ease and comfort of your home telephone system? Best of all, if you no longer have a landline phone or you are considering getting rid of it, in place of using your cell phone, your in luck as the LS6245 does not require a landline phone connection and will seamlessly work off just your cellular connection.

The unit is also designed for individuals who receive poor cell phone reception in most of their home. The LS6245 is great in a situation like mentioned above because users can connect their cell phones to the unit and leave their phone in a spot where cell service is plentiful and then use the LS6245 handset to travel around their home, even in the basement where you would never receive cell signal, all without having to worry about dropped calls or reception issues.

Out of the box, the system includes a base station with one handset that lives and charges on top of the base station. From there, you can connect up to 12 additional handsets to the base station, which do not require to be connected to a telephone jack. The first thing you notice when your unpack the device from the box is the sleek, shiny, all black design with brushed aluminum trim, which makes for modern looking, nice appearance. Both the base station and the handset use touch sensitive buttons pressed against an all black shiny surface. It’s almost similar to the two front soft keys on a first generation Black LG Chocolate phone. The shiny, all black surfaces look great and give the unit an elegant, yet modern feel; however one thing to keep in mind is that it does attract a lot of fingerprints. VTech is aware of this and includes a black microfiber cloth that easily removes dirt and fingerprints from the unit.

When you remove the handset from the base station, the first thing you notice is the eye appealing backlit keys that pop out and can easily be seen in both day in night situations. We really have to hand it over to VTech for doing such an awesome job with the backlighting on the handset and the stellar appearance. We also really like how they added a red circle around the navigation buttons, which is especially helpful at night and adds better organization. We can’t say that about the base station however. The company did such a great job with the backlighting on the handset, that it seems they forgot about the base! It’s disappointing that only the home and cell button keys light up, which makes it almost impossible to dial or operate the unit from the base station at night.

Aside from that, we’re pretty impressed with the LS6245. It paired very easily and works excellent with a BlackBerry Bold 9650. The entire pairing process took just a few minutes and was very simple. Once paired, the unit was very easy to operate, and call quality was excellent on both the handset and base. We initially thought that the touch sensitive keys might be a problem and make dialing and navigation issue, but that wasn’t the case. Both dialing and navigation was very good and I didn’t end up with one misdialed call, which we have had happen with other phones that utilize touch sensitive buttons. Dialing took a little to get used to since after you enter the number, you must press one of two buttons: one with a house on it or another one towards bottom of the handset that says "Cell." As you would imagine, these buttons correspond with the type of phone connection you wish to use. Calls placed though the landline gateway sounded loud and clear, even when using speakerphone on the base and handset.

Calls being placed though the cellular connection will connect via Bluetooth to your phone and the phone will then dial and place the call. One thing to note is the LS6245 does not charge your cell phone and your phone will continue to work off battery power unless you have it plugged in and charging through and AC adaptor. Also keep in mind that your plan minutes still do apply when you are connected though the cellular connection. Its also nice that the LS6245 has a nice little battery meter in the corner, which keeps you posted on the battery life for the cordless phone, but not the battery life on your cell phone.

The LS6245 is feature packed offering answering machine with remote access capability, Bluetooth connectivity, a directory, call log, intercom support, handset locator, inferred sensor, customizable ringers for each handset and for both landline and cellular calls, call transfer, call waiting, hold, voicemail, conference calling, call screening, automatic redial, caller ID, call sharing, DECT 6.0 technology for better call clarity, range and more.

We also like the intercom functionality. This feature alone is a key selling point of the device and it is incredibly useful. It almost works like an extension system you would find a public building. Select intercom from the main menu from either the base station or from a handset and then select which unit you wish to call. This will ring that phone or base station and you can have a one-on-one conversation with the person where the phone is located. This is perfect for families since they’re now able to call each other for simple things, rather than have to walk across the house for just a short message. One feature we would have liked to have seen, is the ability to broadcast a message to all the handsets at one time. Again, think how useful this could be in a family situation. Mom could say, "Dinner is ready" and broadcast the message to everyone simultaneously, rather than have to yell across the house or call room by room. I’m not complaining though; the one room at a time works for now, but in the future or through a software update, it would be nice to see a broadcast message feature.

There were a few things we didn’t like. In the directory, you must manually program each contact into the phone. This is not only time consuming, but is a pain and We’re not sure why VTech didn’t include the ability to import contacts via Bluetooth. The missing backlight on the base station makes it hard to dial at night and the phone can only be connected to two Bluetooth phones or a handset at a time, but paired to four, which may be an issue with large families. Finally, the LS6245 isn’t really an expandable phone system out of the box and to give it that functionality you must purchase additional handsets that cost around $40.00 per phone.

With its excellent call quality, ease of use and Bluetooth functionality, we can’t help but to recommend the device. It works great, looks amazing and is feature packed. The system is available online in a variety of configurations.

We’ve been really pleased lately with some of the new products from iHome. We love all the improvements and it seems like the company has been innovating a lot and the iP90 is no exception.

The iP90 is a Dual Alarm Clock Radio and also functions as an iPod speaker system. Simply place your iPod or iPhone onto the dock and the product will instantly start charging it and allow you to listen to some of your favorite tunes through the built in stereo quality speakers, which surprisingly sound very good for such a small unit.

As soon as I unpacked the iP90, the first thing I noticed was its very sharp appearance, featuring an all black design with silver trim along the front, which accents the product very nicely. As you glance at the face of the iP90, you can’t help but notice the large glimmering LCD screen and the two stereo speakers, in which are covered the black-wired speaker grill. As you work your way to the very top, you’ll notice an array of backlit glowing, large sized buttons that are very easy to see perform well. On the back of the iHome, you really find anything interesting there besides a line in jack, power port, FM and AM antenna ports, the set time zone and the manual clock set/time sync buttons.

Aside from design, performance is what really matters. So how does this product rack up? Music playing from the iPod dock through the built in stereo speakers sounded impressive for the small device size. There was a good amount of base, tones sounded loud and clear and when I increased the master volume, I really didn’t hear much distortion at all, which again is a nice plus.

When using the duel alarm clock, I found it worked well and when pressed and held the settings are very customizable, which is superb. Users can set the time they wish to wake up, select whether the alarm just be weekdays, weekends or seven days a week and then finally choose to wake up to either the buzzer, playlist, iPod or the Radio. Then when the alarm does sound, the unit will gradually increase the volume over a period of time, so you wont be startled out of bed, which I really like. Also, for those of you who can’t get out of bed and relay on the snooze button, you’ll be pleased to know its located at the center front of the device.

A nice touch on the iP90 is sleep mode, which lets you gradually fall sleep to your favorite audio. Simply set the sleep timer from 120, 90, 60, 30 or 15 minutes and the iHome will gradually lower the music and shut off once you reach the allotted time. Other notable features include: fade in sound, a play/pause button directly on the unit and on remote, ability to skip songs using the plus/minus toggle, daylight savings time and time sync switch, battery backup and more.

I was also very pleased with included the remote control. Not only is it well built, feels great in the hand, but it allows you to control almost everything the unit does from a distance. I’m very glad to see such a functional remote, since on my prior iHome iH6 unit this wasn’t the case.

A few disappointments I had with the unit were its large depth and the fact that the input/line in button doesn’t list the iPod as a source; Instead, I found to get to the iPod source you have to press the pay/pause button. This isn’t entirely a big deal, but I’m not sure why iHome doesn’t list the iPod as a source there and why the unit is so large in the rear. One small thing to note is the unit doesn’t come with every insert for the iPods that it supports. If in the box you don’t get the proper insert for your device you can order one the company. In my case, the unit didn’t ship with an insert for my first generation iPod Touch, so you have to place a call to order one.

Other than those small things, the iHome iP90 is sounds fantastic, is well priced, performs great and because of its relatively small size, it is ideal for college students living in dorms or for any room in that matter. The iHome iP90 is available for $99.99.

The location-based app, Poynt for iPhone now has a new category of search that’s already been available for the BlackBerry and Android versions: gas prices. Now when you use this nifty little app for the iPhone, you can sort gas price results by price or proximity, and launch right into Maps for turn-by-turn directions. Additionally, there’s a few new features, such as being reminded of movie times or dinner reservations, and you can now add theaters to your favorites for quick access later on.

Download Poynt for your iPhone (for free!) after the jump!