REVIEW >> Soundcast Systems OutCast brings everyone back home

Soundcast Systems know that having a fantastic audio system is the other half of a successful combination when you watch an engaging movie or music video, which is why they did not skimp on quality with their latest release – the new OutCast 3.4 multi-room, multi-source wireless speaker system with subwoofer that will definitely find a place in most homes this summer as folks watch reruns of blockbusters, including recently released movies. This is surely the right step to take if you are looking to live out a wireless lifestyle.

Not only does it come with a pocket friendly price as claimed by the press release (without actually divulging its price tag), you will also get to enjoy iPod/iPhone access and control. The Outcast 3.4 intends to be the most utilized speaker that you will ever own, so with such hype surrounding it, we do hope that it is able to live up to its billing!

OutCast 3.4 will deliver technology that allows you to easily access and enjoy up to three different sources of your favorite music in a quartet of areas of your home or business. Yup, that means you need just a single device for you to listen indoors as well as outdoors – different tunes in different areas, to boot! With a powerful wireless broadcast range that goes all the way to around 300 feet, it will allow clear, precise transmissions to travel easily through walls, doors, floors, ceilings and roofs, delivering rich, multi-directional, uninterrupted sound anywhere and anytime.

Other features of the Soundcast OutCast 3.4 include :

• Tri-amplified, high-definition audio reproduction w/DSP
• Long-range, interference-free wireless technology
• Internal battery provides 10-to-20 hours of wireless music (+/- power level)
• Easy to use backlit top panel keypad for control

Not only that, OutCast 3.4 will also be able to take advantage of Pandora, Rhapsody, iTunes, Radio, HD Radio, Cable Music and even legacy audio sources thanks to the receivers’ zone 2 output.

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REVIEW >> One Touch Photo Dialer

 

Making a phone call has never been easy, especially for those who can’t quite seem to put a name to a face. Enter the $39.95 One Touch Photo Dialer which will take an unorthodox route when it comes to making a phone call. Relying on easily identifiable pictures, this unique idea will deliver one-touch dialing for commonly called or emergency telephone numbers. This is made possible thanks to individual buttons which measure 1.5″ x 1″, as they can be customized with a picture or symbol. It doesn’t matter who you put there, but for sure you can’t call Osama bin Laden since he’s sleeping with the fishes. Each of the dialer’s dozen buttons can be linked to a different telephone number that is entered via the recessed numeric keypad on the dialer’s underside. Shame this works with a land line only…

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REVIEW >> Maggie Pro 3-inch LCD Magnifier

I suppose that this next product is targeted at the elderly, or anyone else whose sight is depleting.

The Maggie is a handheld electronic magnifier that can magnify print or digital content up to 4x, 6x, 8x, and 11x. It is small enough to fit in a pocket with a 3-inch LCD screen, and there is a brightness control for varying lighting conditions for indoors and out.

Maggie is powered by a lithium-ion battery which can be charged via USB or wall-socket charger for about 3.5 hours of use.

Here’s the good news: I got to try out the Maggie-Pro 3, and I found that it worked well to magnify whatever print that I put in front of it. It was simple to use, and I would imagine that your grandparents wouldn’t have a problem with it if they remembered to charge it.

Okay, now here is the bad news. After looking at the functions of the Maggie, I couldn’t help but wonder if “there’s an App for that”. I checked the Android Market, and I found IDEAL Magnifier for Free, and it pretty much did the same thing.

That’s bad because the Maggie-Pro 3-inch LCD Magnifier costs about $215.00 on the X-treme Geek site. Yes, that is pretty up there, but I will have to say that Maggie is much clearer than an App. If you are truly vision-impaired, I would highly suggest trying both of them out and “seeing” what works best.

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REVIEW >> LED Bulb Screw Fit with Remote Control

 

How many engineers does it take to screw on a light bulb? Well, we guess that depends on how complex the light bulb itself is, as well as the technical proficiency of the engineers themselves. One thing’s for sure though – it doesn’t take an engineer to figure out how to install the £29.99 LED Bulb Screw Fit with Remote Control, and to make things all the more interesting, you will be able to change the lighting in an instant thanks to an accompanying remote control that works within a 10 meter range. Basically, this LED Bulb functions like any other light bulb save for the ability for you to control it with a quartet of lighting effects and 16 colors to add some zest to your living room.

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REVIEW >> SoundRacer Ferrari V12 engine

 

If you feel that your ride lacks enough ‘oomph’ underneath the hood, then you would do well to get a better paying job so that you can afford a faster car, or to just fork out £29.99 for the SoundRacer Ferrari V12 engine. This will definitely make your vehicle sound like an exotic supercar from Italy, although the only person you would impress would be the visually impaired – at least until they sit in it and wonder how come the acceleration is slower than what they expect.

Recorded from an actual V12 Ferrari, all you need to do is plug it into your cigarette lighter socket and you’re good to go. Just select a frequency, turn up your volume and let your speakers do the “talking” as you enjoy those high-quality revs that will send the adrenaline rushing, all without having to burn more fossil fuel than necessary. Just in case you’ve gotten bored of the same old revs, just hook up a compatible device via its 3.5mm audio socket and you can tune in to your favorite tunes.

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REVIEW >> Leader International offers Impression 10 tablet device

Tablets are dime a dozen these days, and with so many different kinds of examples to look at, it can be kind of hard to arrive at a purchase decision. Do you settle for something from Cupertino, or with the myriad of Android-powered tablets out there, is something else more suitable? How about the BlackBerry PlayBook? So many questions, and Leader International intends to provide an answer in the form of their Impression 10.

Also known as the I10, the Impression 10 will retail for $349.99, but don’t be fooled by the budget-centric price tag as the I10 is said to have raised the bar for that particular category by quite a margin, with the kind of innards it carries. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it runs on the Android operating system either, now we just have to wait for Leader International to make sure that future software updates will arrive on time to remain updated at all times.

The I10 will come with 9.7″ capacitive widescreen IPS (In Plane Switching) display which is capable of delivering brilliant color at 1024 x 768 resolution, not to mention wide viewing angles which your eyes will appreciate. Apart from that, there is the powerful and energy-efficient 1GHz Samsung processor which runs on Android 2.2 Froyo with Flash 10.1 support, letting you enjoy maximum performance including functions such as the streaming and playback of high-definition videos.

With that kind of hardware and software, you can be sure that the I10 is somewhere at the top of the budget tablet food chain. Other hardware specifications include a microSD memory card slot for expansion purposes, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) and Bluetooth connectivity, 4GB of flash memory that can be expanded to 32GB, a G-sensor, USB 2.0 (one mini and two standard ports), a 2-megapixel camera, stereo output and an HDMI port.

All units will come pre-loaded with a bunch of third party applications, and fret not – there is plenty of room for more. Would you consider this as part of your tablet purchase if you’re currently looking at the moment?

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REVIEW >> G155 Mobile Gaming Environment

If you tend to do a whole lot of traveling, then surely you would have something to keep yourself occupied especially on those long transits. Some people rely on their iPhone or iPod touch, others prefer a more hardcore gaming experience in the form of a Sony PSP or a Nintendo 3DS. Either way, games are the perfect (and popular) way to kill time these days, so it is no surprise that we see yet another peripheral hit the market in the form of the G155 Mobile Gaming Environment.

The £299.99 price tag might just scare off most folks, but wait for a while and read what it is capable of doing. This unique gaming peripheral allows you to enjoy your gaming on the go as long as there is a nearby power socket. Featuring an integrated 15.5″ LED HD display, it will be accompanied by a pair of stereo speakers, a fitted foam base and velcro straps that ensure your gaming hardware remains right where it is supposed to be while you save the world from an alien invasion. With a hard plastic shell protecting it from knocks and scratches, the lightweight design is even TSA compliant to let you tote it on an airplane as hand luggage.

A 3.5mm headphone jack tops off the list for a personal portable gaming environment – we just wonder whether the price is well worth it or not, or just get a Nintendo 3DS or PSP instead.

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REVIEW >> OtterBox protects Motorola XOOM with its new cover

So you’ve just gotten yourself a brand new Motorola XOOM – what are you supposed to do with it next? Well, there is always the move to purchase some sort of protection for your tablet, and what better name than OtterBox if you want to keep your spanking new Motorola XOOM pristine? Well, there is the new Defender Series case for the Motorola XOOM, where it will deliver an exclusive multi-layer design to keep your investment safe.

The outer layer comprises of a durable silicone skin which has been enhanced with patented “honeycomb” coring, making it specially designed for increased impact resistance. It has an inner layer that comprises of a hi-impact polycarbonate shell that has been lined with memory foam in order to cushion the XOOM from any knocks and drops. To know more about the OtterBox Defender for the Motorola XOOM, read on after the jump.

There is also a removable polycarbonate screen shield that delivers an impenetrable level of protection (reasonably speaking, of course), where it will also double up as a display stand with a couple of viewing angles. You can always make use of one angle while typing notes during a meeting, and the other angle will see action when watching videos while you’re on a trans-Atlantic flight (or any other flight, for that matter).

OtterBox Founder and CEO Curt Richardson is proud to claim, “No other case can withstand the same degree of rough treatment. The Defender Series provides superior protection but also allows complete interaction with the tablet.”

Silicone plugs will ensure the cover the charge, micro USB and HDMI ports in addition to the headphone jack and microSD memory card slot/SIM tray, helping make sure that dirt and dust will remain where it belongs – outside. Even the volume keys are covered by silicone to make sure they are protected. As for the microphones, sensors, camera and flash, these will obviously remain exposed for full functionality.

Bear in mind that this isn’t water resistant in any way, but it sure is tough as nails to get the job done, brushing off scratches and knocks without batting an eyelid.

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REVIEW >> Wattbike helps you keep in shape

So you have been trying to keep to your word of staying in shape after all the feasting, but failed to due to the lack of discipline (not to mention the place you live in actually has some pretty good stuff to munch on round the clock). Apart from getting a gym membership (that will gather dust after a while), there are other ways to shed those pounds – how about getting some form of exercise machine in your home? This is what the Wattbike is all about, being an innovative indoor cycle trainer.

This is actually one of the world’s first affordable indoor bikes which will accurately measure power (Watts). Watt computers are there for a reason – they enable athletes to instantly see how much power (Watts) they are producing compared to just measuring one’s heart rate after a certain amount of time spent on the hamster wheel…sorry, treadmill.

This is actually the first indoor bike that has ever been endorsed by British Cycling, and it sees widespread action by UK and European elite athletes, sports bodies and professional sports teams as being part of their preferred high performance cycle training device. Meant to replicate the sensation of ‘real’ cycling, while delivering accurate, repeatable and comparable results. Basically, they enable the user to train harder within a shorter period of time simply because they enable each session to be tailored to a specific intensity and training goal, doing away with any down time which outdoor riders would encounter in the real world.

With a Wattbike, you are able to analyze and fine tune your cycling technique, monitor and record key performance parameters in real-time at an unprecedented level of accuracy. Best of all is, working on this feels like an actual bicycle, boasting air and magnetic braking systems that enable you to replicate any desired training session, ranging from low intensity recovery riding to maximal intensity sprints.

Get this if you want to look buff – just make sure you have the discipline to follow up on your commitment though.

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REVIEW >> ChiliPad helps you sleep better

Are you one of those who toss and turn all night long, simply because you cannot find that perfect position to go to sleep and catch some much needed forty winks? Well, how about getting some external help in the form of gadgets – the ChiliPad is one of them, where this mattress pad will not only cool, but it is also able to heat your bed. Being one of the better dual climate bed warmers to date, this also doubles up as a fantastic cooling mattress pad.

Not only that, the ChiliPad will sport separate controls on each side, allowing you to set your sleep temperature anywhere between 46 degrees and 118 degrees – and your bedmate is able to do so for his/her side without running into any silly arguments after a long hard day at the office. Choose from Queen or King size – makes no sense if you want a single-size version, right? The ChiliPad can be yours for $599.99.

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REVIEW: Ila Portable Door Alarm Wedge

Door wedges are useful so that your expensively fitted door will not cause any marks on the doorframe should a strong gust of wind blows through your home, and it also works handy in keeping a door in place so that it won’t shut by itself – but it is no guarantee against poltergeist activity! One interesting question is this – will a standard door wedge be able to amount to anything more than its designated purpose?

The answer is yes – in the form of the Ila Portable Door Alarm Wedge. This £14.95 gizmo is the perfect traveling companion, especially when you are living in an unfamiliar city, putting up in a new hotel or hostel. The Ila Portable Door Alarm Wedge can be turned on and slipped under your bedroom door before you have your sleep for the night, and when anyone tries to intrude, it will automatically set off a shrill alarm – hopefully you don’t sleep like the dead and try to look for the snooze button on your alarm clock!

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REVIEW: Magnetic Levitator Classic

I would say that rewind the clock by a couple of decades, and you would find the Magnetic Levitator Classic to be simply magical, as it is touted to be the ultimate anti-gravity spinning device. Retailing for $11.95, this toy will deliver cool kinetic motion of a carefully positioned item at the point of the axle against the clear glass plate. Once you have managed to perfect the smooth spin, all you need to do is challenge yourself and see just how long you are able to keep something spinning on it, making this a better time killer than a desktop computer game at the office whenever you are bored – since there are no Alt-Tab buttons to press.

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REVIEW: Silva SIJU Headlamp

Ever wondered how it felt like to be a miner, wearing one of those cool looking headlamps? That’s what we thought, with the Silva SIJU Headlamp that is available from Firebox. This £14.99 device will come in either black or green shades, where it will let you experience a hands-free moment whenever darkness falls outside, coming in handy as well if you have plenty of basement projects to work on.

Apart from that, the Silva SIJU headlamp is also perfect for those emergency moments when the power is suddenly cut off – most importantly, you will have a couple of hands available so that you can always attend to other important stuff, such as saving a life. With a battery life of up to 48 hours at 16 lumens brightness, this is a water resistant device according to IPX6 specifications. It can be operated even when you are wearing gloves, thanks to a relatively large button.

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REVIEW: Robomower for the modern caveman

Isn’t the modern caveman an oxymoron of sorts? That’s what we thought, but we realized that it also isn’t too far from the truth, either. After all, how many guys you know prefer to stay cooped up in their rooms, playing video games and munching on pizza and drinking beer all day long? Perhaps the married act differently, but for many teens as well as college students (and single yuppies), they have gone through such a phase in their lives before.

Mowing the lawn? That’s a chore that ought to be done by someone else, but if you don’t feel like interacting with more human beings, then there is the Robomower which will come in a variety of models, and all of them do their job well within their scope. All you need to do is press “GO”, and you can get back to your room, enjoying your newly purchased video game. We wonder whether this Robomower will be able to mow down zombies in case of an undead invasion…

Depending on the model, you will need to fork out anywhere from $1,999.99 to $2,799.99 for the Robomower, and it comes with a user controlled theft protection alarm system for added safety for your investment, especially if you don’t have a guard dog to help you out. Just to be on the safe side, the Robomower sports a tilt sensor safety feature that will stop rotating blades the moment the Robomow tilts.

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Review: Tentfinder Light

Since it is summer in some parts of the world, what better way than to spend your summer break than with your close ones in the great outdoors? The annual pilgrimage that many people take often ends up in this activity known as “camping”, and pitching a tent is all part of the fun. Well, going at it solo is one thing, but if you head for a popular campsite, it can get quite tough to remember just where you set up your little home away from home, since there are dozens of other domes all around. A late night trip to the toilet might just leave you with the same sinking feeling once you’re done just like when you “lost” your own car in a car park.

But with the £19.99 Tentfinder Light, this need not happen ever again – it comprises of a light that you can hook inside your tent, while a transponder of sorts with a button will illuminate the light’s three center LEDs with a single push. Pressing it the second time will illuminate just the outer ring of twenty LEDs, while a third push will get the entire lot going.

Since it has a 50 meter working range, it makes perfect sense that you’re nearby your tent before it can work. As it relies on low power-consumption LEDs instead of conventional bulbs, you won’t need to replace them, ever, and the batteries will be able to go the distance as well, giving up to 5 hours of light with all 23 LEDs turned on. That ought to give you ample time to look for the right tent, no?


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