New Gadget 2011

Out of the box, my system lacked the software update required to use the DVR Expander drive, so I downloaded version 9.2 from the TiVo Web site. I strongly suggest that you take the time to read your DVR’s instructions before connecting to the DVR Expander, because if you don’t follow the process step by step you may lose all your currently recorded programs. That said, connecting the two is simple enough, but unfortunately, removing the DVR Expander later will cause you to lose any saved programs. The unit reformats when paired with new device, meaning that you can’t use it to transfer video,

I hope that the DVR Expander will support more DVRs besides TiVo and Scientific Atlanta down the road. The unit is pricey, but if it’s nearly unlimited TV viewing you crave, then it doesn’t get any better than this

Western Digital My DVR Expander Review
Price: $199.99 list
Check This Out:

Ultra TravelDrive Review: Mini hard disk from Memorex

NetDisk Network Direct Attached Storage: An Unique Data Storage

Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini: Disaster Recovery to Go

The m9040n is multimedia to its (quad) core. It loads an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor, 3GB of system memory, two 320GB hard drives in a RAID 0 array, an over-the-air ATSC (HDTV) tuner, wireless networking, a media card reader, and a plethora of ports. It would have been nice if HP had included an HD DVD or Blu-ray drive instead of its dual layer DVD±RW drive, though that would have pushed the price up significantly.

The m9040n has both Personal Media Drive (desktop class) and Pocket Media Drive (notebook class) bays for HP’s cartridge-style hard drives. Just pop an HP Personal Media or Pocket Media Drive into its respective bay and it’ll read like any other hard drive. With the Easy Backup button on the m9040n’s front panel, you can either back up manually or as a scheduled automatic backup to either the Personal or Pocket Media Drive (or to an external drive).

The m9040n proved its mettle on our multimedia tests. It ripped through our video encoding test in 1 minute flat and our Photoshop CS2 test in a sizzling 42 seconds. It likewise turned in a stellar 29seconds on our new Adobe Photoshop CS3 test.

If you’re looking for a multimedia powerhouse desktop, the M9040n should be on your short list. In both features and performance, it’s true to its “Elite” moniker, yet proletarian in price.

HP Pavilion Elite m9040n PC Review
Price range: $1,190
Specs:
- 2.4-GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor
- 3GB 667-MHz DDR2 SDRAM
- Two 320GB 7,200-rpm SATA hard drives in a RAID 0 array
- 256MB nVidia GeForce 8400 GS graphics card
- Windows Vista Home Premium

Check This Out:

LG VX10000 Voyager Review: Isn’t an iPhone killer

Nikon D3 Reviews: Nikon Great D-SLR Camera

HTC Touch Dual Review: HSDPA In, Wi-Fi Out

Technology- wise, the XO-1 is a study in contrasts. Its sub-500-MHz processor, 256MB of RAM, and 1GB of flash storage are puny by today’s standards (though fine for its target audience of 6- to 12-year olds). Other features, such as its networking capability, LED-backlit screen, and ruggedized exterior are things we’ve seen in $2.000 notebooks.

The two antennas serve as both screen latches and port covers, shielding the three USB ports as well as the headphone and microphone jacks. The XO-1 is Wi-Fi enabled, compatible with 802.11b/g, and capable of 802.11s mesh networking, in which the laptop acts as a node in a P2P network.

The laptop’s 7.5-inch screen can pivot 180 degrees into an e-Book mode. The interface is built on Fedora Linux. A taskbar at the bottom displays icons for functions such as Chat, Browse, Write, Paint, and Calculate, as well as open-source, educational programs. Among the more advanced are the TamTam music-creation program, and TurtleArt and Pippy, this programs will teach computer programming. The browser, a tweaked version of Firefox, supports Flash and AJAX-based sites.

The XO-1’s green-and-white frame is resistant to water, tumbles, and temperature extremes. The keyboard is very responsive. The XO-1 uses so little power that any 8-to-11-volt power system (hand generator, solar panel, or car battery) is enough to run it. I measured power usage at 18 warts while the battery was charging and 6W when charged. (Even an energy-efficient value desktop draws 60 to 100W.)

Millions of kids around the world have never used a computer and lack the means to get one. Putting the power of technology into their hands, and those of their families, has the potential of both improving their standard of living and moving us toward a true global village. And who knows? The Xo-1’s success may change the future of laptops in the U.S. as well.

OLPC XO-1 Review
Specs:
- 433-MHz AMD Geode LX-700 processor
- 256MB 333-MHz DDR SDRM
- 1GB flash storage
- Integrated graphics
- 7,5-inch LCD screen
- Fedora Core 7 Linux

Check This Out:

Apple MacBook Air Review: Thinovation

CloudBook Review: Eee PC Competitor

Asus Eee PC Review: This Year Hot Gadget (After iPhone)

Elegant design isn’t one of the Ibiza’s strong points: Taking cues from other popular devices, it has an iPod- esque screen (2.5 inches, 320-by-240-pixel resolution) and a Zune-like touch-sensitive control pad, but the body of the player is covered with buttons. It isn’t exactly ugly, but it’s not as graceful as an iPod or a Zune. The Ibiza also comes with some adequate-sounding but flimsy earbuds. It didn’t take long for the left ear on mine to give out.

The Ibiza excels at seamless (and wireless) Rhapsody Integration. Samsung’s P2 and the iriver Clix Rhapsody integrate the service into their devices by loading content when you connect to your PC via USB, but Haier has them beat. When powered up, the Ibiza searches for available wireless networks (it uses 802. 11b/g). Once connected, you get Rhapsody’s home page, formatted for the device’s screen. Log in, and all your channels and selections are available. You can save songs to the player-just press the click pad and tunes are downloaded as you listen.

You can move non-Rhapsody content onto the player via Windows Media Player or Rhapsody on your PC. The Ibiza supports DRM-free AAC, MP3 (all bit rates), WMA, and WAV for audio; MPEG-4, WMJV, and H.264 for video; and JPEG and PNG for photos. But once I loaded the player with my own non-Rhapsody MP3s and WMAs, operation became painfully slow-as slow as dial-up. The sluggishness didn’t seem to affect Rhapsody functions, but the wait to listen to tunes or view images from the hard drive was long enough to wreck my mood.

If you want access to your Rhapsody account on the go, you should give the Ibiza a try. On the flip side, if you’re not a Rhapsody fan, there’s no reason to buy this device over an iPod or a Zune. The integration of the service is excellent and the PC-free concept is brilliant, but the interface is too slow. This player is only for the very patient.

Haier Ibiza Rhapsody Review
Price range: $288- $299
Check This Out:

Sony PMX-M70 Review: Super Slim Media Player

Cowon Q5W: Super-Portable Media Player

Creative Zen 32 GB Review: Maximum Mini Player

Apple should take notes on a number of the Voyager’s features, including the virtual T9 keypad that makes texting a breeze, the stereo Bluetooth support for music, and especially the way the touchscreen buttons “bite back” with force feedback. It’s a godsend when you use on the touch screen, allowing you to fly through the menu system’s large icons and even type URLs without opening up the phone.

If you don’t want to deal with virtual keys, you’ll find the Voyager’s spacious QWERTY keyboard, plus an additional screen and stereo speakers, once you flip it open. Moreover, the device supports Verizon’s mobile TV service, which provides eight channels of broadcast mobile TV (for $15 per month), making the Voyager a dandy little desktop TV set.

As a phone, the Voyager is fun to dial and use. Tapping the Unlock button on the front screen gives you a main screen with four icons: messaging, phone, address book and main menu. Tap the phone icon and you can dial on a virtual keypad. You can also use voice dialing, whether over a wired or Bluetooth headset, or flip the phone open and dial using the full keyboard. To scroll through the address book, just flick your finger as with an iPhone.

The Voyager’s phone reception and audio are acceptable but not impressive. While the earpiece achieves good volume, sound is distorted considerably at the top of the range. The speakerphone, on the other hand, doesn’t get tremendously loud, and it works only with the clamshell flipped open. The Voyager’s 4.5 hours of talk time isn’t bad for a phone with two huge, power-sucking screens.

There’s a lot to like here: You get a generous 183MB of available internal memory, and the device also has a microSD card slot. The huge internal screen makes the Voyager a great gaming phone, and the device works well with Verizon’s VZ Navigator GPS service. The Teleca browser makes Web pages look good, but surfing is slow despite the phone’s fast EV-DO connection-and there’s no Wi-Fi. But the 2-megapixel autofocus camera takes decent photos.

The Voyager’s flaws illustrate how Apple’s competitors struggle to make their high-end phones just work as well as the iPhone does. Like most other Verizon handsets, it has some frustrating menus and a perplexing inability to sync calendars, contacts, and videos with PCs or Macs.

No, the Voyager isn’t an iPhone killer. But if you choose your network first, and you’ve chosen Verizon, this is the closest you’ll get to a true mobile revolution-for now.

LG VX10000 Voyager Review
Price range:$499,99; $299,99 and up with contract
Check This Out:

HP iPAQ 512 Voice Messenger Review: Voice Smartphone from Hewlett-Packard

HTC Touch Dual Review: HSDPA In, Wi-Fi Out

Pantech Duo Review: Pretty Dual-Slider Has Problems