Up until receiving the Xshot I had not heard a thing about camera extenders. They are certainly a good idea, but for some reason I never thought to even try and find out if one was available. Still, when they sent us the Xshot I knew that my brother definitely needed to try this out. As his first camera extender, I have to say, it’s just what he needed. After using it for a brief time, there was at least one thing that I think needs to be added to the Xshot, but it’s certainly better than taking self-portraits the old fashioned way.

Before we get into the thing that I feel it needs more than anything let’s talk about the positives. First off, the Xshot is fairly lightweight. It’s not going to make your arm too tired if you’re spending a lot of time taking pictures or holding to get a shot. You just set the timer, extend the Xshot to the spot you desire to get the shot you want and wait for the timer to go off. It really could not be simpler.

If your camera is newer or at the very least has a tripod mount, you should be able to attach it to the Xshot with no problem. I’m told that you can even use this in conjunction with the Flip Mino or other, similar, video cameras, though I have yet to try this out. I am looking forward to doing it though as we do have a Flip Mino, so I would be more than willing to let him borrow it to see how videos turn out with the Xshot.

My brother isn’t always the most technically savvy person on the block, but he didn’t have a problem getting the camera mounted up and positioned for picture taking. The pictures are far better than the standard method, though they aren’t perfect just yet. The thing I think that needs to be added is a mirror so that you can see the picture before you take it. This would drastically improve all types of pictures being taken. If you have a camera with a shot window that can flip towards you, this is a good option, but it would be nice to see on later models.

The Xshot is currently available at stores like Amazon and other camera dealers. You can pick it up for around $30. It’s also available through the Xshot website. If you take a lot of pictures on your own you will definitely want to consider purchasing one of these handy accessories. They also make a great conversation starter because when you’re out using them people will definitely want to know what you’re using and where you got it! It can be such a painstaking process knowing who to ask to take your picture if you’re in an unfamiliar place, but with the Xshot you never have to worry about that again.

Technorati Tags: Camera, Self-Portrait, Xshot, Pictures, Camera Extender, Product Reviews, Electronic Reviews

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

Talking about Flash Drives feels a little bit silly on some level. I mean, either they work or they don’t work. If they don’t work you end up wasting time and money buying them. However, if they do work they end up being a very useful tool. As a college student I end up having to carry large files that include projects and papers to school with me sometimes. I cannot always print out the projects or if I can I might rather save my paper and do it at school. This means I need a reliable flash drive. I bought a few before school began and they didn’t work for me at all. I ended up tossing them out.

When I received the Mimobot I was struck by how adorable it was. It looks like a miniature Darth Vader. They don’t get any cuter than this. I put it in my computer because I needed to transfer a project over to take to a class for an interactive media presentation. When I transferred it over the first time, it transferred so quickly that I opened all of the files just to make sure that they would work properly. I was glad to see that it was both fast and accurate as all of the files transferred without any problems at all. It took seconds and I was ready to go.

If you are not familiar with the Mimobots you can look them up at the Mimobot website. Star Wars including Darth Vader, C3PO, Storm Troopers, and Wickets are just some of the options. They also offer characters from such franchises as Hello Kitty, Halo, Happy Tree Friends, and Domo among others. This is just a small selection of flash fashions offered. You can see the whole line available on the website.

The standard size for each Mimobot is 2GB, but you can get them upgraded up to 16GB. Prices begin at $25 and go up from there depending on the size that you’re interested in owning. Some might consider this pricey and it is higher than the average, but you’re also getting a chance to own something that not everyone else is going to have and it works perfectly, so it’s well worth the money. Mimobots are fun and relatively inexpensive considering how much use you can get out of them. I highly recommend checking them out and buying your favorite one!

Technorati Tags: Computers, Accessories, USB Flash Drive, Star Wars, Darth Vader, Designer Flash Drive, Product Reviews, Electronic Reviews

So, when the folks at Otterbox contacted us about a review, we requested the Blackberry Curve 8300 Defender Case. The natural reason that this case was picked is because it matches my phone. There are a few models to pick from, but I liked the Defender because it seems to be the strongest/toughest model. Still, they have many other cell phone cases for everything from more standard phones to the iPhone. A quick check of the OtterBox website will let you know what they have and how much each case costs.

In the case of the Blackberry Curve 8300 they offer the Impact case ($19.95), the Commuter case ($34.95), and the Defender case ($49.95). In terms of looks, the Commuter is definitely the best looking and the Defender looks the most heavy duty. Silicon is placed over the phone as a covering and the actual case is put over that. This means that the buttons on the side and top of the phone are covered in silicon. They are not much harder to press, but if you have an inability to press down hard on the regular buttons then you might find that these cases leave you unable to use all the functions of your phone.

Another beef, albeit a small one is that the cases for the Defender are black or yellow (the other Curve models appear to be black). I don’t mind yellow, but I think it would serve everyone, especially the customer better, if the cases came in a multitude of colors. Personally, I would have picked another color as yellow does not suit me as well as a darker shade does. I am sure that some people are interested in the cases, but hasten to buy them due to the color associated with them. People like their phones to be an extension of their own personal style and if they don’t feel that a color works for them they are less likely to take the leap and buy the product.

I tried not to be too hard on my phone, but I was a little careless for the purpose of this review. I dropped it once or twice just to see what would happen. As I expected, nothing happened. The Defender Otterbox is a solid solution for people trying to protect their phones. This is the first case that I have used for any of my cell phones. I never believed that they were necessary for someone like me. However, after using the Otterbox I can definitely see why a case would be necessary. I will be switching phones soon and when I do, I plan to check out the options available for my new model. Hopefully I will get lucky and something other than black or yellow will be available.

This makes a perfect gift for any cell phone owner, especially the ones with slippery fingers. This ensures that their cell phone will remain safe. Best of all, it will be safe but nothing will stop them from using each function as it was meant to be used. The Otterbox comes recommended, so keep it in mind when doing your holiday shopping!

Technorati Tags: Cell Phones, Cell Phone Accessories, Blackberry, Blackberry Curve 8300, OtterBox, 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

I’ve seen the new mouse add-ons for laptops for some time, but something has stopped me from buying one. The fact that they make them so small always kind of weirded me out. It wasn’t that I thought I would have a problem using them, I just couldn’t get over how small they were. However, I figured it was time to get over it when we received a Life Works iHome USB Laptop Mouse for review.

The setup couldn’t be easier. You just take the mini-USB plug-in and plug it in and your mouse should begin working within seconds. My computer picked up the hardware instantly and was working right away. Setup was as simple as could be and using it was a breeze. Once the computer picked it up, I didn’t have any problems.

I like the stylish look of the tiny mouse. The iHome Laptop Mouse they sent over to me is pink. I am normally not a huge pink fan, but the specific color they sent me is adorable. Beyond the look I love how convenient it is. I can toss it in my laptop bag and it won’t take up any space. Likewise, the USB hookup is so small that I can leave it plugged in the USB port and won’t even notice that it’s there unless I need to use that port for some reason.

Beyond the stylish look you have a mouse that provides standard functionality. The mouse offers a left and right click space with a scroller in the middle. As you can see from the picture, the only thing that sets this iHome laptop mouse apart from all the other products out there is the size. I got used to the size fairly quickly, but I have smaller hands. If you have larger hands than the average female you might not enjoy a mouse as small as this iHome Laptop Mouse. There are products like this on the market, but I cannot really compare them because this is the smallest, truly portable mouse that I have ever used.

According to the iHome website, this Laptop Mouse works on devices up to 20 ft away. I cannot comment on this one way or the other because I have only used it on my laptop which is generally on my lap or right next to where the mouse is scrolling. You can read more about what Life Works says about this Laptop Mouse by visiting their website.

You can buy Life Works and iHome products at most stores these days. After looking around for the Life Works iHome Laptop Mouse I found prices of around $30. This is probably my only complaint. While there are more expensive options out there, you can also find a mini-mouse for less than $30. If you are looking for something that you are only going to use occasionally then I would recommend purchasing something cheaper to save some money. However, if you will be using this for every day use then the iHome Laptop Mouse will definitely be something worthy of your purchase.

Technorati Tags: iHome, Computers, Mouse, USB, Mid-Size, Mini, Life Works, Product Reviews, Electronic Reviews

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

The great thing about these earbuds, in both cases, is that they offer multiple foam pieces for the earbuds to accommodate all ear sizes. I have smaller ears so I have always hated earbuds. I find that the earbuds either fall out or make my ears hurt because the one size doesn’t fit my ears. In both the iBlink and the iFrogz I never had this problem because I was able to switch to the smaller sized buds and save myself the trouble of having them not fit correctly.

Onto more important things. The price for both the iBlink and the iFrogz are reasonable. You should realize when you buy these that you’re not getting top notch ear buds. These are good basic buds but they are not anything exceptional. If you want the highest quality sound these aren’t going to be your choice in either case. However, if you want something moderate that is decent, without being spectacular or you just don’t want to pay big money, these will suit you just fine. The iFrogz can be purchased on Amazon for anywhere between $8 and $14. The iBlink are available for around $13.50. It’s a fair price when you figure that $13 doesn’t get you much anymore, but it doesn’t mean you should run right out and buy these either.

iBlink succeeds because it is gimmicky. The ear buds blink a specific color depending on which you purchase (we got blue for this review) and the colors will blink based on the beat of the music. The reason I say that it’s gimmicky is because the blinking doesn’t really benefit you in any way. In fact, I never noticed it until I lifted up the cord to watch the blinking. Other people might find it amusing, but it serves little purpose to the user of the ear buds. For this reason, I think they will be far more popular with the teenage crowd, as opposed to other groups.

iFrogz are your standard ear buds. The best thing about them is they are more stylish (they come in a variety of colors) than the stock ear buds that come with music players. I commented on how cute they were when I took them out of the package. They are also quite comfortable. Being that they are inexpensive, these are all very positive aspects.

In both cases, the negative is the ultimate level of sound quality. At times both sets of ear buds fail in the sound department in drastic ways. For the iFrogz I found the sound to be low. In fact, after using these first on my mp3 player, I began to think that the mp3 player did not get very loud at all because I turned the sound up high and got little in the way of sound. I could hear the music and it sounded good, but it never seemed to get high enough to provide that stereo-like feel that I prefer. The difference was vast when switching to the iBlink buds. The iBlink buds were much louder, which was good, but the sound quality was basic at best. The bass never managed to please without feeling forced and the louder you made them, the more sound distortion you can notice. If you compare them to the stock ear buds they end up being not much better.

So, which is better? Based on sound quality the answer would have to be iFrogz. Even with the lower sound, the quality was stronger and provided a better overall sound. If you’re looking for a holiday gift this year and don’t want to spent too much, I would recommend the iFrogz over the iBlink. However, if you have a teen/tween you might want to go with the iBlink. They will like the flashiness, even if they can’t really see it as much to appreciate it.

Winner: iFrogz (However, that isn’t saying a whole lot in terms of stereo quality.)

Technorati Tags: iBlink, iFrogz, Ear Pollution, Product Review, Ear Buds, Electronics Review, Battle, Holiday Reviews, Buds, Stereo Quality, Stock

I can look back now and say that I should have been backing everything up. The reality is that in three out of four of those instances I was backing things up. I admit that the first time I had to learn the hard way, but the other times it was more a matter of my not backing things up as much as I should be. I have an external hard drive these days and I do weekly backups to make sure that I don’t lose anything. Still, it is possible that I could lose something. With this in mind, I am always on the lookout for the next best thing in computer safety.

The Rebit is considered to be ridiculously simple in terms of backup safety. The company contacted me for a review and it sounded so good that I couldn’t wait to try it out. I received a 320GB Rebit backup system with the ability to use it on multiple PCs. This is literally an out of the box solution. The instructions are like “plug it in.” The only other step once it is plugged in via the USB cord that is provided is to click Start Protecting this Computer with Rebit when the prompt asks you to make a choice after plugging it in.

That’s seriously all it takes. When you plug it in the first time your system does a complete copy over to the Rebit. This is going to take a while, but it’s done in the background so you shouldn’t even notice it going on. From there, any chances made to your computer are copied to the Rebit as they are made. This ensures that you never lose any sensitive data.

If you run more than one hard drive you might need another backup solution because Rebit only handles the main C drive. That being said, the average person isn’t running two internal hard drives so this isn’t going to be an issue for the average person. This is about the only complaint that I could think to bring up and it’s not even really a complaint. It’s more an observation that doesn’t even actually affect me or my buying decision. I know it will affect some people though so it’s worth the mention.

I am happy to say that I have not had to use my Rebit to restore anything, but if that time comes it’s seriously as easy as opening the Rebit and dragging the folders I need to the newly formatted system. Of course, if I didn’t reformat and only lost a file, thanks to the real time backup, I could just as easily retrieve that from Rebit, too. This fact alone makes it nearly invaluable to any serious computer user that works on their computer or uses it for school.

With this in mind, Rebit is fairly cost effective. They offer a number of options for every pocket book. You can get the complete systems in various sizes and for single PC or multi PC use. You can also buy just the software and hook it up to your own external hard drive and save a few bucks that way. The 320GB system runs about $100, which is nothing to complain about.

For the amount of security it offers and the relative ease in which it provides it, this product is a definite must have. You can check out the various Rebit products at the Rebit Website. We highly recommend you pick one up for yourself and any serious computer user on your gift giving list.

Technorati Tags: Rebit, Security, Computer, Software Review, External Hard Drive, Ridiculously Simple Backup, Holiday Review, Highly Recommended

It took literally two minutes to set up the Roku and begin going through the instructions. You just hook the basic red, yellow, and white outputs to the television and turn it on the correct channel or output, if it’s necessary based on your television. Once you do that you will see the Roku screen and the set up will begin. It’s pretty simple. All you do is put in your Netflix email and password to allow the Roku to retrieve your movie queue. From there, it’s a matter of choosing a few settings and then the movies are ready to play.

You have a small remote control that works with the Roku. It’s extremely basic. It offers an up, down, and side to side option. There is also a home button which lets you pick from a variety of services including Netflix. I cannot comment on the other services and how they work with the Roku, merely because I have never tried them myself.

If you’ve ever used the Xbox for Netflix, it’s pretty similar. You move through your queue until you find what you are looking for. You can read info about the movie before you play it, rate it after it’s done, and resume the movie if you haven’t finished watching one. Once you have it hooked up there should be no reason that you would have any problem using this. The Roku is virtually fool proof.

The only complaint that I can muster in comparison to the XBox 360 is that you cannot see and add new movies to your queue. On Xbox you are able to see new movies and television shows, view recently watched and/or deleted movies, and see movies from different genres that you might want to add to your queue. You can even watch movies that are available in the other categories without adding them to your queue.

With Roku you can only watch the things that are already on your queue and you cannot add anything straight from the Roku. You would need to add it and then play it. However, I will say that the additions made via a laptop show up within seconds, so if you have your computer handy it’s not too much of a complaint.

If you’re using the Roku for Netflix, you can get the $8.99 Netflix deal that gives you one mailed DVD at a time and unlimited instant DVDs. I could care less about the mailed DVD, as we mainly stick to the instant options. That being said $9 for as many movies as we go through is not a bad deal at all.

When I hooked up my Roku to my Vizio television I was sad to note an annoying feedback sound that drove me nuts. It didn’t always play during the movies, but it was so bad when choosing a movie that I had to mute the television. I had a feeling that the Roku wasn’t to blame and I learned as much when I hooked it up to another television that was not a Vizio and did not produce the same annoying noise. This was just one of many problems I have had with my Vizio, leading me to begin looking for another television despite the fact that the one I have is only about a year old.

The Roku is one of the best things that we reviewed for the holidays this year. I love it and would highly recommend it to anyone that uses Netflix. For under one hundred dollars you aren’t going to find a better, more useful gift like this. Movie lovers will definitely want one of these boxes and they will certainly get good use out of it, especially as Netflix adds a more diverse movie lineup.

You can learn more about the Roku by visiting the Roku website. The Roku also made our Electronics Gift Guide!

Technorati Tags: Roku, Electronics Review, Netflix, Vizio, Television, Movies, Instant Queue, Gift Guide, Holiday Reviews