People that read our reviews know how picky I can be when it comes to alarm clocks. We reviewed the Moshi a few months back to some terrible results. Generally, my hopes do not run too high when it comes to alarm clocks. I suppose that is because I have not had too much luck. The iHome alarm clock sounded pretty cool even before I saw it in action though. The iH16G is one of the newest models and with it’s small and fashionable size, it’s bound to be a hit.

I knew very little of the iHome travel alarm clock before we began testing it out. I knew you had the option to wake up via music from your iPod or from standard alarm sounds. I knew that the iPod could be charged via the clock while it was in the loading dock. I knew that you could use it as a stereo to listen to your iPod, if you were interested. That was about it. I knew my brother would like it as long as it worked, because he is always listening to his iPod and does not have a stereo at home currently. This gives him a chance to listen to his music when he’s not wearing his headphones.

He prefers to wake up to music playing, but after listening to the buzzer sounds to check them out, I feel they are an acceptable option if you decide not to use your iPod. In either case, the sound starts out low and gradually increases. I have always preferred this option because the idea of being jarred awake by a burst of sound just isn’t appealing to me in the least.

As small as this is (it is travel size, so it’s smaller than your average clock) I did not think the speaker power would impress me, but it did. There are speakers on both sides of the clock and they can certainly pack a punch. This would work for people that do not have stereos that want to be able to listen to music around the house. It probably wouldn’t replace a stereo forever, but it would certainly get you by if you don’t have one and cannot afford one.

There are a number of time setting options that you can use on the iHome iPod travel alarm clock. You can press the Daylight Savings button to make sure that the time is reflected as it should be. Also, if you are in the military or prefer that time keeping method, you can switch the clock to read military time. If you’re not fond of the clock light being on all night, you can turn down the level of brightness while you sleep or you can turn it off altogether.

One of the biggest bonuses about this clock is having the ability to charge your iPod while you are listening to music. It charges while in the dock, so you’re building your charge and still getting to listen to all of your favorite music. This was especially great for my brother because he often would forget to charge his iPod until the last minute. This ensures he won’t have to worry about that anymore. He just keeps it plugged in when he’s home and when he’s ready to go, it’s charged and ready.

You can purchase the iHome iPod travel alarm clock at a variety of places, including the iHome Audio website. The purchase price is listed on the site as $59.99. You might be able to find it cheaper elsewhere, but given all it does this is certainly a fair price. This would make a fabulous gift for someone needing access to a small stereo or an alarm clock that can be used for travel purposes. Whatever reason you might choose to buy it does not matter. This comes highly recommended.

Technorati Tags: iHome, Audio, Travel Alarm Clock, iPod, iPhone, Apple, iPod Travel Alarm Clock, Product Reviews, Electronic Reviews

First impressions are given to the V-Modas. If you want something stylish, and dare I say, sexy, these are the ear buds for you. The Vibe II’s do not come with your standard look and plastic cable. Instead, they offer a cloth, rope-like cable and jewel encrusted ear buds that are quite fashionable. Both sets offer a selection of ear bud sizes that you can snap on and off to make sure that each person using them has the correct fit. This was a necessity for me, as I have smaller ears and tend to feel that most ear buds are uncomfortable or a wrong fit. I didn’t have this problem in either case as I was able to adjust to the right size for me.

To be fair, while the Shure SE115′s are a bit more plain in the looks department (you can get them in a variety of colors), they do come with a nifty carrying case, which makes taking care of them much easier than the standard twirling around the mp3 player method of carry. While both the Shure and the V-Moda’s are attractive, the V-Moda’s are definitely more fashionable. However, they are also a bit heavier and the rope cable does like to tangle quite a bit. I did not find this to bother me in the least, but some people might find this to be a problem. If you want something lightweight the V-Moda’s might not be for you, especially if you’re interested in something for everyday use. However, if they don’t bother you they will certainly make an impression.

When the sound comes into play both the Shure and the V-Moda ear buds pack a mean bass line. In the case of the V-Moda’s if you’re not a fan of bass you might find it to be too strong. The Shure ear buds excel in the bass area and would be perfect for hip hop fans because I found I preferred listening to Eminem with them as opposed to standard pop music. Unfortunately, this is where they are the best, so if you’re looking to use them for other genres you might want to look for something else. In other areas, the sound quality is not as strong.

Based on the professional quality label they offer, I was expecting some near-flawless sound, but did not receive that with the Shure SE115 ear buds. Granted, they provided a fair listening experience, but for $100 I was let down because I didn’t feel the sound was as mindblowing as the V-Moda’s. If I had to put a price range on it I would say $50 give or take a little would be a better price for these ear buds.

The V-Moda sound has very few flaws. Overall the sound is loud and strong. The bass provides a pumping, musically active experience and if you like bass you will love these headphones. If you’re looking for some earbuds based on sound quality alone where price is no object, it’s not a decision you should weigh. You need to pick up the V-Moda Vibe II’s today. The only major issues I can see with these are the weight, the cord that likes to tangle too easily, and the thumping bass (if you consider that an issue). These weren’t big issues for me though, so I found no reason not to fall in love with these fantastic ear buds.

Winner: V-moda Vibe II

Technorati Tags: V-moda, Shure, SE115, Vibe II, Ear buds, Earbuds, Battle, Electronics Review, Product Review, Holiday, Gift Guide, Headphones, Apple, MP3 Player

One of the most popular brands, of course, is iPod. However, monetarily speaking there could be more than a few problems with iPod. They are terribly expensive (Apple, can you hear me?) and because of that, they are something I would hasten to give as a gift, especially to someone younger (a big part of the portable music market). Luckily, iPod is just one brand in a slew of companies offering audio and video on the go.

My one downfall is price suspicion. If I see a product that is relatively inexpensive, I hear that voice in the back of my head asking why it’s such a good deal. If I am unfamiliar with the brand, it generally stops me from buying something. Lucky for me, the Haier MP3 with Video Player was sent over for review; otherwise I might have never experienced its greatness.

One of the best things about the Haier MP3 player is the price. This is, hands down, the best MP3 player that we have found for under $50. With this in mind, it’s perfect for the first MP3 player for your kids or if you want to give a nice, yet inexpensive gift to a friend.

There are plenty of things to celebrate beyond the price though. The Haier MP3 offers two sizes at varying prices (4GB and 8GB), crystal clear audio, and decent (considering screen size) LCD video display. Transferring songs or video (we used ours strictly for music) seems to be a breeze. We just hooked up the player to the computer and picked the songs we wanted to add to the player. Within minutes, we were in business! While the 8GB is going to be a better option for a series music junkie, the 4GB (which we received from Haier) still holds plenty of music. I was able to add most of my favorite songs and quite a few complete albums. Assuming the nearly, 1000 songs I had loaded up weren’t enough the FM tuner usually did the trick with my favorite radio station.

The size of this MP3 player is another plus. The Haier is small enough to hide it in your hand. This makes it trendy and easy to deal with, which are two definite pluses to this brand. The information I received with the player claimed that the Haier can withstand 30 hours of music playback and 5 hours of video before needing to be charged. While I didn’t stand around with a stop watch, I can say that I used it quite a bit (a few hours daily) and only had to charge it about once a week. I charged it twice usually, but when I was charging it the battery was only burnt halfway.

The only place that Haier seems to fail is in lack of the amount of size offerings. Sure, 8GB is good, but more and more brands are offering as much as 80GB or more. Assuming the user wanted to use this for video, 8GBs would not get them very far and 4GBs would get them even less.

Where Haier loses points for variety, they still remain a high, viable, reliable option thanks to their stable sound, familiar design, and the amount of options on the player. Oh yeah, and you’d be hard pressed to find a cheaper in price, not in quality, MP3 player for your money.

Technorati Tags: Haier, MP3 Player, 4GB, 8GB, Music, Audio Player, Video Player, Portable Music Player, Holiday Reviews

To enter you need to be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US or Canada. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three weeks, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

We will begin emailing winners for this the week of December 7, 2008, which means you have until December 6, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

Info on the DVD:
With its origins in carnival sideshows in the late 19th century, pro wrestling is a grueling, action packed competition of hand to hand combat that entered its golden age in the 50s with the advent of television. Today, it is a worldwide phenomenon a brutal blend of athletic ability, outrageous theatrics, sheer brawn and conniving, underhanded deceit that is not for the faint of heart.

From arenas across the country, a collage of decades of classic wrestlings most ferocious battles between its most nefarious stars is presented in a special, two disc collectors set when Classic Wrestling Presents.

Episode 1 Jerry The King Lawler, the incomparable hall of famer perhaps best remembered for putting comedian Andy Kauffman into the hospital for three days.

Episode 2 Dustin Dusty Rhodes, the second generation mega star known for his Shattered Dreams (kick to crotch in corner) and Curtain Call (snap, sit, neck breaker) finishing moves.

Episode 3 Mark Callous, known as The Punisher long before he became The Undertaker, a menacing 6 foot, 8 inch gladiator who went undefeated for nearly two years in the 90s.

Episode 4 Mick Cactus Jack Foley, the world s first Hardcore Champion, whose extreme matches featured exploding barbed wire and C4 explosives.

Episode 5 Jeff Jarrett, known for his hazardous 15 foot high steel cage battles and a Double J alter ego, an arrogant, flamboyant country singing sensation.

Episode 6 Stone Cold Steve Austin, the disrespectful, beer drinking anti-hero known for the Stone Cold Stunner finishing move that helped him become the only three time champ of the Royal Rumble.

Also features footage of Eric Embry, Gary Young, Sweet Daddy Falcone, Terry Funk, Dog of War, The Eliminator, Jimmy Jack Funk, Buddy Landell, PY Chu-Hi, Speedy Gonzales, The Texas Ranger, Sheik Braddock, Maniac Matt Borne, Taras Bulba, Kerry Von Erich, the late Billy Joe Travis, Uncle Elmer, Cousin Junior, Skandor Akbar, Iceman King Parsons, Brickhouse Brown, Cowboy Tony Falk, Wild Bill Irwin, Sheik Abdul, Bill Dundee, The Tennessee Stud Stable, Brian Lee, Robert Fuller, Dr. Tom Pritchard, Glamour Boy Shane Sewell, Jerry Johnson, Chico Torres, Frogman Leblanc, Jeff Gaylord, Percy Pringle, Jeannie Clark, Gentleman Chris Adams and Toni Adams.

Technorati Tags: Giveaway, Contest, DVD, Box Set, Wrestling, WWE, WWF, Stone Cold, Steve Austin, Jerry Lawler, The King, Classic Wrestling