New Gadget 2011

Your small or midsize business will get a whopping 3TB of storage from the four hot-swappable 750GB SATA II drives in the Iomega StorCenter 150d—and the price is certainly right. The NAS device—which uses an embedded Linux operating system, supports external USB drives (with two ports in the front and two in back), and has a Gigabit Ethernet port in the back—very nearly beats Ngadgeti's current SMB NAS Editors’ Choice, the Netgear ReadyNAS NV+.The included and easy-to-use management console software...

This system is a good first attempt at reconfiguring an outstanding enterprise-level platform to meet the NAS needs of SMBs. But while the NetApp StoreVault S300 performs well, it’s costly and requires a good deal of technical expertise to install.You purchase the StoreVault through VARs—and take it from me, most SMBs will be better off having a VAR do the install, too. The NAS runs an OS you’re not likely to know—a slim version of NetApp’s Data ONTAP 7G enterprise storage OS—rather than embedded...

With green tech still in its infancy, new products touted as energy efficient are unpredictable in terms of performance. The Kanguru Eco Drive (80GB) is not the fastest or roomiest hard drive around, but its unique power-management technology reduces power consumption and extends the life of the drive.The Eco Drive (80GB) operates in three power-saving states—Power Down, Standby, and Idle—along with a full power Access mode. The hard drive’s internal circuitry monitors activity and automatically...

If you’re working in a small space, all your technology can add up to one big mess. The ViewSonic DiamaniDuo NX2232w, part desktop monitor and part HDTV, promises to cut down the clutter and handle your everyday computing needs.I was impressed with the image quality when I connected the display to my high-definition cable box. Horizontal viewing angles were good, though vertical angles were disappointing enough to make me think twice before mounting the NX2232w at any height. The monitor’s grayscale...

If you just want a cheap media-serving and Web-sharing solution, you’ll get it with the LaCie Ethernet Disk mini–Home Edition. As with the Editors’ Choice HP MediaSmart Server EX470, the hardware, which is LaCie’s, and the software (HipServ from Axentra) come from different sources, but LaCie needs to do a much better job of integrating the two. Also, the dismal installation process needs vast improvement.Still, the slick HipServ software offers better sharing and media serving than Windows Home...

You’ve taken the time to lovingly put together a CD of your latest proposal, your band’s new recordings, or a portfolio of your photography. Shouldn’t the disc itself be as attractive as what’s contained within? Label your discs like a professional with the DYMO DiscPainter CD/DVD Printer. This boot shaped printer is a hefty investment, but it’s worth the cost if your priority is speedy printing with minimal effort.Setup is straightforward. Once you unpack the printer and run the automated installation,...

For a good example of what a Windows Home Server (WHS) appliance can be, take a look at the HP MediaSmart Server. The device, designed primarily for use as network-attached storage in homes, takes advantage of the capabilities of the OS, but it adds media-serving smarts of its own in the form of an iTunes server that creates a shared song library and automatically updates its playlist from the networked computers.As with all WHS boxes, this one runs headless—without a display, keyboard, or mouse....

Philips hopes to cater to compulsive clickers with its new Prestigo SRM7500, an easy-to-use device that controls not only your home theater gear but your PC, too.In fact, the SRM7500 is designed primarily to control your PC. In Microsoft’s Media Center, the large, green Windows button serves as an anchor, returning you to the main screen from wherever you are in the file structure.The most exciting of the SRM7500’s features is support for Windows SideShow technology. With it, compatible products...

Years in the making, Pleo, a fully articulated and autonomous robot dinosaur, will charm and wheedle its way into your heart—and it just might help pave the way for a robot renaissance.Pleo responds to touch, visual stimuli, and even physical position. It can detect whether it is standing up, lying down, or even being hung by its tail. It’s bright blue eyes open and close to simulate life, though they can’t actually see anything. The main image sensor, a color camera, is in its nose, and there are...

Here’s a sleek speaker set that packs plenty of features— including an AM/FM tuner, a sleep timer, an iPod video-out, and a better-than-average remote— all at an affordable price. And when it comes to what really counts—namely, sound quality—the Pure-Fi Elite delivers.Clad in slick black with metal speaker grilles, the Pure-Fi Elite looks as good as it sounds. It’s wide but surprisingly shallow, and you pop your iPod in the center just above its display. The remote is backlit and features six keys...

Imagine this: You come home from a day of shooting photos, and while you veg out, your images are automatically transferred from your camera to your favorite photo-sharing site. This is what the $99 Eye-Fi Card does: All you need is a Wi-Fi connection, a camera that accepts SD cards, and a PC or Mac -it’s really that simple.The 2GB Eye-Fi Card looks like your basic SD card on the outside, but Wi-Fi technology is hidden inside. To get started, you have to install the Web based Eye-Fi Manager on your...

This printer may be called mini, but in the small format printer space, it’s anything but. The Canon Pixma mini320 is larger than the unit it replaces (the Pixma mini260), which in turn was larger than many other small-format photo printers. The mini320 lets you print at sizes up to 5-by-7 and 4-by-8, and its performance isn’t small, either: It churns out quality prints in a hurry.The only flaws I saw in its output were a slight tint in a monochrome print and a tendency for some straight lines to...

What sets this cute little camera apart from the pack is its 4GB of onboard memory. That’s generous compared with the standard-issue 32MB or so you get on most point-and-shooters, and it means you don’t have to spend any extra cash on memory cards.Clearly aimed at the hip and stylish, the $349.99 T2 comes in five colors. A 2.7-inch touch-screen LCD is the interface for most of the camera’s controls. You can also edit images in-camera on the touch screen. The controls are intuitive and easy to use,...

Here’s a head-turner of a handset for Verizon that offers some extra pizzazz thanks to its cool hybrid touch-screen/keypad interface. With its faux leather back and comfortable keypad, the Venus feels luxurious. Just below the 2-inch main screen is a 1.5-inch 176-by-240-pixel touch screen with virtual buttons that change with each menu. Force feedback on the buttons lets you know you’ve pressed them, though responses lag a bit. These virtual buttons add a lot of flexibility and usability to the...

An HDTV that produces deeper, darker blacks offers better contrast and a more colorful picture than those that cannot—and the 60-inch Pioneer Elite KURO PRO-150FD delivers black levels like no other set I’ve seen. In addition, the PRO-150FD’s new video processor is the best I’ve come across for all HD sources. If you’re looking for the most pleasing plasma you can buy, this pricey set fills the bill.An antireflective screen provides native 1080p resolution (1,920 by 1,080 pixels progressively scanned)...

Bargain-price small-format photo printers don’t offer much beyond the basics. In this the HP Photosmart A526 is typical. Output quality is iffy, speed is average, cost per print is on the high side of acceptable, and its 2.4-inch LCD is underwhelming. It has one big selling point, though: It prints larger-than-standard sizes—namely, 4-by-8 and 4-by-12 panoramas.At 5.4 by 8.9 by 4.6 inches (HWD) and 2.7 pounds, the A526 is highly portable. There’s no battery option, so you have to print within reach...

Being the world’s number one PC maker has some perks, including the ability to design attractive, powerful laptops that sell for less than the competition. Case in point: HP and its Pavilion dv6500t, a 15.4-inch media notebook. HP supplies a dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 120GB hard drive, all for less than $1,000. Not to mention all the handy extra features that comes standard on all HP units, whether a budget system likes the dv6500t or a $2,000 model.I’m used to reviewing HP Pavilion...

Nokia’s newest unlocked smartphone comes with dual screens and keyboards, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, GPS, plus a suite of bundled apps that’s unmatched by any other smartphone out there. Brimming with features, this pricey beast of a device is strictly for those with extra large (and deep) pockets.Inside are an 800-by-352 widescreen and a five-row QWERTY keyboard. A quad-band GSM phone, the E90 is a good choice for business travelers, although it supports only the 2,100-MHz band for 3G data speeds overseas....

In the epic struggle to come out on top of the media center heap, design and price can really set a laptop apart. Enter the Gateway P-170L QS, a stylish hulk of a desktop-replacement notebook. Unfortunately, this 17-inch widescreen wonder is hobbled by a lack of features, weak graphics, and no HD drive.Measuring 11.4 by 15.7 by 1.5 inches (HWD) and weighing 8.5 pounds, the P-170L QS lives up to its pre-launch code name, Godzilla. The sleek chassis was designed using in-mold decoration, a process...

The best small-format dedicated photo printers are fast, with good output quality and large LCDs for previewing photos. The Epson PictureMate Zoom brings something extra, building on its sibling—the Editors’ Choice PictureMate Dash—by adding a DVD reader/CD-RW burner that lets you print from optical discs and archive photos to CD. This flourish garners the Zoom an Editors’ Choice of its own for high-end small-format photo printers.The Zoom makes burning photo CDs easy. Insert a memory card, press...

If before we have presented Kodak EasyShare Z712 IS, hence at this Z812 IS series have similar specification, like setting manual panel, high optical zoom (12x), Image Stabilizer (IS) feature to prevent blur, to high ISO/ASA choice (64-3200). But at this Z812 IS, its video ability has been improved equivalent to HD (High Definition).The presence of EasyShare Z812 IS is cheer up the line of camera with high optical zoom character like Canon S5 IS, Panasonic FZ18, Sony H9, Fuji S800fd, and Olympus...

The increasing of video player that supporting Full HD system is followed with the presence of recorder product that is also carrying Full HD. Maybe Sony step is rather late if compared to JVC which in advance launch Full HD camcorder, but Sony direct enter the market with Full HD model which said can be really great competitor, one of them is HDR-SR7. This camcorder is SR1 series continuations which already succeed in the market. What makes it different?Sony HDR-SR7E now present in more light...

Touch technology for softkey button is not a new thing; LG through Chocolate KG800 has applied this technology, including some Samsung Ultra Edition series. But, new improvement tried offered by Samsung SGH-E950 with presenting “full touch navigation key”.In the multimedia phone line, SGH-E950 can be said as testing product of some new innovations. The display now is also sweeter; in designs, user interface, entertainment amusement and some other facilities differed from its senior, E900. E950 physical...

Prism phone come out with two choices. Economical package without 3G represented by 7500 Prism and premium package with 3G is 7900 Prism. Even is considered to be older brother, this 3G Prism still have some weaknesses. Mainly lays in software support and usage of risky OLED display.Designs concept is the heart of this phone. Still same as former product, light luminescence passing prism area become its main interest.7900 prism made in a real simple candybar. In a flash it’s not different with 7500....