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Brother Business Smart MFC-J4510DW Hands On Review

Marco C — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:59:00 GMT

One of the great things about working at a site like HotHardware is that I get exposed to a ton of PC hardware and related accessories. Most of my time is spent testing and evaluating high-end processors, graphics cards and storage devices, but every once in a while something new and different comes along that catches my eye and I take it on with the intent of showing it to you all here. Such was the case with the Brother Business Smart MFC-J4510DW Multi-function All-in-One inkjet printer.

All-in-One, multi-function printers have become somewhat commonplace. And although their specifications and features vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, they all do essentially the same things—print, scan, copy, and sometimes fax. Consumer-class multi-function printers almost always print on standard 8.5” x 11” paper (or smaller) as well. But not the Brother MFC-J4510DW. Brother did something very creative with the MFC-J4510DW, and essentially turned the print mechanism 90 degrees, so the 11” edge on a standard sheet of paper is what feeds into the device, not the 8.5” edge like most other printers. That seemingly slight tweak (which is not so slight in actuality), allows the MFC-J4510DW to produce prints up to 11” x 17”, despite the fact that the printer itself is smaller than most of its competitors.

Aside from the innovative print mechanism, other features of the Brother Business Smart MFC-J4510DW include (courtesy of Brother):

Fastest in Class. With speeds up to 35ppm black and 27ppm color. ISO print speeds up to 20ppm black and 18ppm color (ISO/IEC 24734).
Easy-to-Use 3.7" Swipe Touchscreen Display plus Touch Panel
Smallest in Class up to 35% smaller footprint
Low Cost Printing Help save more print more with replacement super high yield ink cartridges
11" x 17" Printing. Print high-impact easy-to-read documents up to 11" x 17"
Mobile Device Printing. Wireless printing from your mobile device via: AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Brother iPrint&Scan, Cortado Workplace and Wi-Fi Direct.
Innovative Landscape Print Technology Allows paper to be stored and fed in the machine in landscape orientation. This unique technology delivers the ultimate combination of features in a machine with a compact and sleek design.

You can also take a look at the MFC-J4510DW’s full specifications at this link. To summarize though, the Brother MFC-J4510DW is a compact All-in-One, multi-function printer that can print at high speeds on a wide variety of paper sizes, connect via cables or Wi-Fi, and it’s compatible with virtually every platform, desktop or mobile.

I’ve been using the Brother MFC-J4510DW exclusively for the last couple of months now and have gotten a good feel for the device and its capabilities. Let’s get some of the good points out of the way first. The Brother MFC-J4510DW is very easy to set up and configure. Whether connecting wired or wirelessly, a single installer from the Brother website takes care of all of the drivers and utilities and the front-mounted touch-screen makes connecting the MFC-J4510DW to a wireless network quick and easy. The setup was really painless.

The Brother MFC-J4510DW is also very fast. Full pages of text shoot out of this thing in a blink. Photo printing is also very quick. 4x6 and 5x7 borderless prints took no time at all and 8.5” x 11” full color, high-quality prints took no more than a couple of minutes. Print quality was also very good; surprisingly good, despite the fact that this is “only” a four color printer. I own a couple of 6-color photo printers as well, and only the most discerning users are going to pick up on the quality differences, and even then only when using the best paper.

Scanning and copying documents was flawless on the Brother MFC-J4510DW as well. The 2400 x 2400 dpi max scanner resolution should be more than enough for any household or small business needs. And ink cartridges for the Brother are relatively affordable too. XXL, ultra-high capacity black ink cartridges are about $25 (approx. 1200 pages) and 3-packs of XXL color cartridges are roughly $59.

For day to day use, making copies, printing documents, photos, and even a number of envelopes, the Brother MFC-J4510DW was mostly well behaved and I generally had no complaints. I did, however, run into a couple of issues worth mentioning.

First, the MFC-J4510DW’s paper-handling mechanism is loud. When the printer pulls in a sheet of paper and starts feeding, it bangs, clanks and spins and is very audible. It’s easily louder than an aging HP LaserJet and an Epson Artisan I have here in the lab. I also found that the printer would pull in extra sheets of paper on occasion, though it never jammed or needed any real maintenance other than an occasional head cleaning.

The most significant issue I ran into with the Brother MFC-J4510DW happened when printing 8.5” x 11” photos wirelessly. Twice, the printer simply wouldn’t complete the print properly. The last 1/8” of the page or so was left partially dithered or blank and the printer never threw any errors or warnings—it just spit out the unfinished page. I can’t say with 100% certainty that this was definitely the fault of the printer—it *could* have been a Wi-Fi glitch of some sort—but another wireless multi-function printer I have here never exhibited the same behavior. Recycling the MFC-J4510DW’s power and printing again would usually resolve the issue.

Overall, I’d consider the Brother Business Smart MFC-J4510DW a very good device. For about $199, the MFC-J4510DW offers all of the features that have become standard in the multi-function printer space, with the added benefits of high-speed printing and an innovative paper-handling mechanism that can print to large 11” x 17” sheets of paper. Factor in the easy setup, high-capacity print cartridges, and a compact foot print, and the Brother MFC-J4510DW looks all the more appealing.

Test Drive: Patriot EP Pro Series 32GB SDHC Card

Marco C — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:23:00 GMT

Every so often, I get my hands on a product that doesn’t necessarily require a multi-page, deep-dive technical analysis, but is interesting nonetheless and something worth talking about. When that happens and the product is something that I (or another member of the team) can use on a daily basis, we’ll take it for a spin and then post our findings in a concise piece, just like this one. We’ve covered some really cool stuff in our blogs here on HotHardware, like the Eaton 5PX UPS, the Ooma, Logitech's Wireless BoomBox, and some of my favorite peripherals, i.e. mechanical keyboards.

The Patriot EP Pro SDHC Card

In this post, I’m going to cover something I suspect many of you would benefit from, a fast, high-capacity SDHC card--a Patriot EP Pro Series 32GB card to be specific. The Patriot EP Pro Series of flash memory cards are SDA 3.0 (SD Card Association) and UHS-I (Ultra High Speed) compliant and offer Class 10 speeds. Patriot rates the EP Pro 32GB model we tested at up to 90MB/s for reads and up to 50MB/s for writes, which is impressive to say the least. The rest of the specifications are as follows:

Product Name:	EP Pro Series
Patriot Part #:	PEF32GSH10333 (32GB)
Description:	Patriot EP Pro Series Flash SDHC/SDXC Class 10 Flash Drive
Certifications/Safety:	CE/FCC/RoHS
Product Warranty:	5 years
Unit Dimensions:	0.20 (D) x 2.40 (W) x 3.20 (L) cm
Packing Dimensions:	0.20 (D) x 12 (W) x 18 (L) cm
Net Weight:	2 grams

At first glance, there’s nothing to distinguish the Patriot EP Pro from other SD cards, save for the custom decal / branding of course. The cards feature standard black casings, with a write protection slider on the left side. It’s what’s inside the casing that counts though, and Patriot seems to have done a good job with the EP Pro.

Last year, I sprung for a new camera, an Olympus PEN EP-3. The PEN EP-3 is a fairly advanced MICRO Four Thirds camera with a 12.3-megapixel Live MOS Image Sensor, speedy TruePic VI Image processor, and 1080i video recording capability. To go along with the camera, I also picked up a SanDisk Extreme Pro memory card, which also happens to be UHS-I compliant and Class 10 rated, but only up to 45MB/s. Since Patriot’s card is so much faster (and a higher capacity than the card I purchased) I thought it would make for an excellent companion to the camera, so I’ve been using it exclusively for the last few weeks.

Although we’ll only feature a few images in a typical article here, we’ll (or at least I’ll) sometimes take hundreds of shots from various angles in preparation for a piece. Then we’ll cull down the pics and post our favorites. When you take hundreds of digital pictures, the write speed of your memory card can have a measurable impact on how long it takes to complete the “shoot”. How much faster is the Patriot EP Pro than the SanDisk card I purchased with my camera? In real world usage it’s only slightly faster. Shooting in burst mode, my camera is able to capture 10, full resolution images in 8.3 seconds with the SanDisk memory card. The same test took 7.9 seconds with the Patriot EP Pro. There is a caveat, however. I conducted this test with a stopwatch, and while repeatable to within a tenth of a second or so, there is a human element involved here.

To put a more quantifiable measure on performance, I also ran some tests on both cards with CrystalDiskMark using a USB 3.0 card reader from Kingston. Here are the results...

Patriot (left), Sandisk (right)

As you can see, read speeds exceed the 90MB/s mark on the Patriot card, as opposed to 47.1MB/s on the SanDisk card. Writes are much more evenly matched, which jibes with our “real work” in camera example. 512K and both 4K tests show huge advantages for the Patriot card.

The most obvious way the faster speeds of the Patriot EP Pro will affect your digital images though, is when copying them off the memory card. To pull a directory crammed with hundreds of images totaling over 700MB, it took the Patriot EP Pro only 10.3 seconds, whereas the SanDisk card took 18.6 seconds to copy the same exact folder.

The other area where a high capacity card will impact your photography is in regard to the number images that the card can hold (obviously). The 32GB Patriot EP Pro can hold over 10,000 images with my camera, whereas an 8GB card can hold “only” 2,550. That’s a lot of pics.

The long and short of it is this: if you’re in the market for a SDXC memory card, give the Patriot EP Pro some serious consideration. In weeks and weeks of testing, the card has been nothing but flawless and its speeds can potentially save you time, not only when capturing multiple images quickly, but especially when copying images off the card, for post processing or archiving on a PC. And at only $55 for a 32MB model, Patriot’s EP Pro won’t break the bank either.

My Experience with the Eaton 5PX UPS

Marco C — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:12:00 GMT

A few weeks back, Eaton sent over one of their enterprise-class 5PX uninterruptable power supplies for testing and evaluation. If you haven’t seen what Eaton has to offer in the power protection space, I definitely suggest taking a look. I was aware of the company before, but hadn’t had any firsthand experience with their products. Having experimented with the 5PX for a few weeks now, however, I suspect I’ll be using more of their products moving forward.

The Eaton 5PX arrived in a relatively large box and was quite heavy; although I didn’t drop it on a scale, the box had to weigh at least 75lbs (the 5PX alone is 63lbs). Opening the box revealed the UPS itself, some user documentation, mounting hardware, a screwdriver, and of course a power cord. Everything was well packed, and despite the weight, relatively easy to unpack.

As is the case with most UPSes, there is some assembly required with the Eaton 5PX. The device can be rack-mounted, which requires installing some retention brackets on either side. Or is can be stood vertically, which also requires the installation of a couple of stands. In either case, there are only a few screws that need to be tightened, and since the thing came with a screwdriver (and a nice one at that), installing the mounting hardware should be a breeze for anyone. I should also point out that the logo and even the LCD on the unit can be rotated for easy reading / viewing regardless of how the 5PX is mounted.

In addition to installing the mounting hardware, users are required to connect the internal battery. Eaton has made some good design decisions in this regard, as the battery cables are neatly hidden behind a panel on the front of the device. All that’s necessary to get the 5PX ready is plugging in the battery cables and snapping a cover in place over them. It really couldn’t be easier.

Once I had the mounting hardware in place and battery connected, I set the 5PX up in my server closet, with three NAS devices connected (17 drives in total), a home server system, and a handful of networking equipment. Load on the 5PX was minimal to moderate, but in the weeks since it’s been set up, it hasn’t faltered, despite a few brown outs in my area. This is, however, what’s to be expected of a UPS. Stable power and maximum uptime is what a UPS is all about, but they are not all create equal.

The Eaton 5PX’s Front Mounted LCD

Having experienced the Eaton 5PX’s handy front-mounted LCD display and “Intelligent Power Software” suite, I can say the Eaton 5PX isn’t your run of the mill, store-bought UPS. The 5PX’s software is relatively easy to set up and offers all of the features you’d expect from a high-end UPS (elegant shut downs, e-mail notifications, etc.). The front-mounted LCD also offers a myriad of info “at a glance”. If you’d like to see how the LCD works for yourself, Eaton has a cool, interactive demo available on their website.

MSRPs for the various capacity 5PX models range from $739 to $1999, but street prices are considerably lower. At those prices, the Eaton 5PX probably isn’t something most home users are likely to be interested in, but SMBs and enterprise users in need of a high-end UPS should definitely consider Eaton’s 5PX. The Eaton 5PX is well built, easy to set up, performs well, and has some excellent features. There’s not much more you could ask for in the space.

Two Weeks with Ooma: Quasi-Free Phone Service Never Sounded So Good

Dave_HH — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:35:00 GMT

There's an old saying that goes something like "the best things in life are free." Then there's another, more cynical one that says, "there's no such thing as a free lunch." While I'm not here to choose sides or recite old proverbs, I'd offer that, in reality, both views are often very true and have merit.

Which brings us to the notion of "free home phone service," that the folks at Ooma like to market their Telo Voice-Over-IP product with. Could it be that this product really offers free residential phone services? The answer of course isn't that simple, though the short answer technically is, "no."

Now before you scream cries of false advertising, I'll give you a bit more backdrop, in case you're not in the know. Ooma sells their Telo VOIP device for $199.99. At this price, you get just the Telo device itself, which is compatible with your existing landline phones. Just connect the Telo unit to a wired network connection (or wirelessly with an optional wireless USB adapter) and then plug in your existing phone (or pipe it into your residential phone wiring) and you're in business. The cost for the service? Zero... for the service. However, like virtually everything else in life, you have to pay taxes and in some areas there are regulatory fees too, all of which can add up to about $3.50 to $4 per month or so. From there you do get unlimited nation-wide calling in the US and per-minute pricing for international calls including Canada. So free isn't exactly free but pretty darn close.

That said, you do have a higher start-up cost with the Ooma Telo at $199 for the base system ($249 with handsets). However, if you're still paying in excess of $40 per month for a phone line or a similar service like Vonage, Oooma's low monthly cost could help you recoup that investment within six months or so.

Design, Aesthetics and Performance - Impressive:

The Telo device itself is quite nice, so you do get a bit of justification for the initial investment. The buttons on the face of the unit are all capacitive touch sensitive and allow you direct access to voicemail services and instant playback. It's actually a really nice feature, when you consider the need to call-in to voicemail services when you're at home or in the office. No need to go through the dance of voicemail menus getting your messages, just press the play button if you see the message indicator light blinking and your messages are played back to you like traditional answering machine. You can of course retrieve voicemail remotely as well.

The backside of the device has Ethernet in and out ports, as well as a standard phone jack, a USB port and power jack. Ooma suggests you hook the Telo unit up inline, right after your DSL, Cable or Fiber modem and before your network router, for optimal performance but you know as well as I do that most folks are just going to hang this thing off a spare router port. That's how I tested the system as well of course.

Performance-wise, call sound quality was excellent, though we did notice a small hiccup just once, where someone we were having a conversation with noted we dropped out for just a second. Overall though, we'd say that Ooma's service quality was excellent and actually surpassed our experience with Vonage, both in terms of call quality and robustness of connection, holding calls together. Heavy network congestion may cause a drop out here and there but for the average user, for small office or personal use, Ooma performs nicely.

You can check out the voicemail MP3 file that was emailed to me here, upon setup of the Ooma device (I configured Ooma's Premier service to send me voice notes via email). It will give you a rough idea of call sound quality - Ooma Configuration and Welcome Test Sample .

One of Ooma's online preference control panels, accessible from any web browser.

Within Ooma's basic service package, you get things like call waiting, caller ID, voicemail and E911 features. 411 info calls are .99 per call, though. You can however, upgrade to Oooma Premier for $10/month which opens up the product to a world of features like call forwarding. Some of the added features are standard, quite frankly, with competitive landline and VOIP services but not all. If you want things like voice-to-text, voicemail forwarding of MP3 audio files to your email, Google Voice support, three-way conferencing, call screening, unlimited calling to Canadian provinces, and other advanced services, then you're going to want to shell out the monthly ten-spot for Ooma Premier.

Personally, I really like the Multi-Ring feature of Ooma Premier, that gives you the ability to have calls simultaneously ring to your cell phone and as well as Ooma line, should you step away from your desk. It worked like a charm and is a great way to aggregate your calls if you're on the road and don't want to miss someone coming in on your business line, for example.

With the optional Ooma Wireless Adapter you can take the device anywhere there is a WiFi signal.

The final feature that got me a bit jazzed about the Ooma is its WiFi USB dongle. First you have to configure the stick for the WIFi network you're on, with an available PC. Then plug the little fella into the Telo's USB port and you'll have Ooma calling service no matter where you are, as long as you have a WiFi connnection. This could come in especially handy at a vacation rental location, for example, where cell service might not be so hot, or if you want to have access to your business or home phone line for checking messages or intercepting the more important calls, that you don't mind being disturbed on vacation for.

Summing up my short experience with Ooma's service and their Telo VOIP device, I'd have to say that the features aren't primarily what are most attractive though. Ooma Premier is a good value for $10/month but what's really interesting about the product is the low monthly cost in general, which is about as close to free as it gets right now, if you want a dedicated number. It's even cheaper than a Skype dedicated number on an annual basis, though again, the initial start-up cost is a bit steep. If you're stuck currently with a standard landline or more expensive VOIP service like Vonage, Ooma is almost a no-brainer because again, you'll quickly recoup the upfront costs over a few short months. The only minor risk involved is how long Ooma will be in business with their current model. The company was started in 2004 with service availability in 2007, so it's safe to say they're stable and not going anywhere any time soon. In short, risk is minimal and we've also read many end user reviews that praise the company's customer service and the service itself as well.

Perhaps Ooma isn't a completely novel offering in the VOIP arena, though their Telo device definitely is a cut above others on the market. They've also been out there for a while, so perhaps my personal experience report here is a little late to the party. But hey, I just tried the service and I'm pretty pleased with it, so I thought I'd share. That's how we roll around here. No wait, that's what we do. Enough cliche's...

Have any direct experience with Ooma? Drop your thoughts in the comments below as usual. I'd be happy to hear what you think too.

We've also heard Ooma is lining up to debut new "smartphone-like" services this year at CES 2012 in Las Vegas. I'll keep you posted if I see something new and innovative from the Ooma team. I've got my eye on them now and may very well move my phone services onto their network too.

NZXT HALE 82 and Corsair TX Series Power Supplies Tested

Marco C — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:16:00 GMT

I tend to shy away from doing full-blown power supply reviews. Without using specialized (and expensive) equipment with which to precisely control load and environmental / operating temperatures and monitor output stability and noise, it is difficult to draw any solid conclusions regarding one PSU’s capabilities and performance over another. And unfortunately, I do not have said equipment in the lab. I know--Boo!

With that said, however, I do believe there is some value in testing power supplies in real-world situations to see how they hold up (or not) under the stresses of a high-end system. There is also some value in evaluating the build quality, pricing and features of a given unit.
It is with that in mind that I took a look at a few recently released power supplies, three of which I’ll discuss here—the Corsair TX 550M and TX 750M, and the NZXT HALE 82 850W.

The Corsair TX 550M, Partially Modular PSU

The names and model numbers of these power supplies tell part of their stories. The Corsair TX 550M and TX 750M are partially modular units targeted at enthusiasts, with output ratings of 550 watts and 750 watts, respectively. The NZXT HALE 82 850W unit has—you guessed it—an 850 watt output rating with 82% efficiency.

Although they don’t all look similar, these three units have a number of features in common. They all have partially modular cable configurations, which is to say the ATX and EPS power cables (and some of their PCIe power cables) are hard-wired, but the peripheral and accessory cables are modular. All of the units are also 80 Plus Bronze certified, they all feature single 12v rail designs (with varying output ratings), over-voltage, under-voltage, over-current, and short circuit protection and they all have five year warranties. NZXT does, however, takes the warranty protection a step further and offers what they are calling “less than three” warranty service. With NZXT’s “less than three” service, the company promises to replace a failed unit within three business days and pay for any shipping charges. They’ll even cross-ship if a credit card is given, without having first received the failed unit. Hopefully, owners won’t have to use this service, but if the need arises, it’s good to know NZXT will rectify the situation quickly.

A breakdown of the various output ratings and cables / connectors available on the three units is posted in the chart above. As you can see, the more powerful units have more peripheral, PCIe, and SATA connectors available and higher maximum output ratings on their 12v rails. The Corsair TX 750M also sports more powerful 3.3v and 5v rails than the others.

In terms of their physical dimensions, the Corsair units are identical, but the NZXT HALE 82 is just a bit longer. Although a tad smaller, the Corsair units are actually outfitted with larger, 140mm cooling fans, however; the NZXT unit has a 120mm fan. I should note that all three of these power supplies are also very quiet. The fans on the units don’t spin up until loads approach the 50%-60% mark, but even under heavy loads when the fans approach their maximum speeds, noise output from the units is tolerable and hovers around 40dB.

NZXT Will Replace Your HALE 82 PSU Within 3-Days Should It Fail

To test the performance and stability of the three units, I connected them to a high-end system consisting of an overclocked, Sandy Bridge-E based Core i7-3960X processor running at 4.5GHz (liquid cooled), 16GB of RAM, an Asus P9X79 Deluxe motherboard, four drives (one SSD, two HDDs, and an optical drive), and either one or two GeForce GTX 580 graphics cards. While idling, this system pulled about 162 watts from the wall socket, which was obviously no problem for any of the units. While under load, however, the system was able to pull over 490W from the wall when a single GPU was installed and about 700W when a second GPU was installed. (I tested the Corsair TX 550M with a single GPU and the TX 750W and NZXT units with dual-GPUs).

With the test system hammering away on the units with maximum load for over an hour, none of the units faltered and the system remained perfectly stable. The voltages on the 3.3v, 5v, and 12v rails also remained stable, with minimal fluctuation under various workloads. Based on how they handled my test machine, I’d say all three of these units are well built and reliable.

Save For A Couple Of Decals, The TX 750M and TX 550M Look Identical

As of this writing, the NZXT HALE 82 850W unit is available for $139, the Corsair TX 550M for $89 ($79 after MIR), and the TX 750M for $129 ($114 after MIR). At those prices, all of these units are priced competitively with other quality units from well-known brands in their respective classes. The Corsair TX 550M in particular would be a good fit for a mainstream build that will feature only a single graphics card. The Corsair TX 750M and NZXT HALE 82 850W would both serve high-end systems well and offer plenty of power for all but the most extreme, overclocked, multi-GPU systems.

Is Unprofitable Yelp Ready for their $100 Million IPO?

jdrucker — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 10:08:00 GMT

There's nothing better than traffic when trying to prove a website's worth and Yelp is starting to show some serious gains as they prepare for their initial public offering. The user-generated review site made it into Hitwise's top 10 Social Networks list the week before they filed for an IPO of up to $100 million.

Are they ready? They aren't turning a profit, yet, with losses of $7.4 million in the first 3 quarters of 2011. Traffic is up 63% over last year with 61 million monthly visitors, but they are still behind other less-known social sites like myYearbook and Tagged.com in terms of pure visits. Some critics are pointing to their reliance on Google traffic as a flaw in their business model.

The biggest problem for Yelp is that they are not self-sustainable. It isn't just Google. Yelp is forced to rely on mobile apps, search engines, and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to keep their traffic growing. Unlike other anticipated IPOs for social companies such as Facebook and Groupon, Yelp cannot stand alone. Other companies such as Zynga also rely on the symbiotic relationships they hold with Facebook and others, but Zynga has reached a tipping point that would allow them to stand alone even if major changes happened on their current venues. More importantly, they're profitable ahead of their IPO.

Yelp needs help and in many ways must allow others to control their future. To make things more precarious, Yelp has shown a willingness to fight with bigger companies such as Google despite having a deep reliance on them. Google is pressing hard for Google Places to continue to grow and integrate with Google+ and even purchased restaurant-review specialists Zagat. 23% of Yelp's 22 million reviews are on restaurants.

Facebook has an on-again, off-again opinion about reviews and business listings but will likely push forward to try to be the social sharing centerpiece for everything personal- and business-related. Smaller sites continue to try to catch the review wave as consumers migrate away from "experts" and rely on user-generated reviews.

Yelp has a good potential for a bright future. They seem to be an ideal moderate risk for venture capital, but are there too many landmines in front of them that make them a bad candidate for going public. They have a few months to prepare, but without major changes and a sustainable revenue model, they don't seem like the safest bet.

Keyboards Redux: Rosewill, Ducky, Thermaltake, and More

Marco C — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:05:00 GMT

It has been a long while since I last wrote about my favorite PC peripheral—the mechanical keyboard. Too long, in fact. Since my last blog post on the subject, there have been a number of developments in the mechanical keyboard scene, with a handful of major players now in the game, like Razer and Rosewill. Keyboards with less-common switches like the Cherry MX Reds (which are linear, and non-click, and require less force to depress than Cherry MX Blacks) are now somewhat easier to obtain in the U.S. as well.

With all of the developments in the space, I thought it would be a good time to shoot a few of my more recent acquisitions on video and to compare and contrast them with a few rubber-dome boards I’ve been testing out as well.

In the video below, I’ll quickly show you the Gigabyte Aivia K8100, Microsoft Sidewinder X4, Thermaltake’s Tt eSports Challenger and MEKA G1 keyboards, Wireless Computing’s Long-Range RF-600 wireless mechanical keyboard with AES encryption, the Ducky DK 9008G2 Tiger Year Edition, and the Rosewill RK-9000.

Of these boards, the Ducky DK 9008G2 Tiger Year Edition is my favorite, but it was a limited edition product and is almost impossible to find right now with clicky switches—versions with linear, non-clicky Cherry MX Black switches are still floating around, however.

The real star of the show though, has to be the Rosewill RK-9000. Rosewill just recently introduced four mechanical keyboards based on Cherry MX Blue (clicky / tactile), Black (linear / non-clicky), Red (linear / non-clicky / light touch), and Brown (tactile / non-clicky) keyswtiches. All of the Rosewill boards look exactly the same and differ only in the type of keyswitches used. Rosewill prices the boards from $99 (black, blue) to $129 (reds). And anyone that’s shopped for quality mechanical boards with these keyswitches knows those are fairly good prices, especially for the Cherry MX Red version. I have been typing exclusively on the Rosewill RK-9000 since getting my hands on one and can say that it is a quality product all around. My only gripes with the board are the looks of the logo—which I’m not very fond of—and the fact that the cable end protrudes out of the back on the board, rather being recessed like the Ducky product.

You can find out more information on all of the keyboards seen here at:

Logitech's Wireless BoomBox, Good Vibrations via Bluetooth

Dave_HH — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:40:00 GMT

Sometimes with technology, what appears to be a fairly simple product opportunity in the market, isn't always delivered with timeliness or solid execution. Consider the current deluge of smartphone products in the market, all of which are enabled with Bluetooth wireless connectivity. And of course, every smartphone under the sun has some sort of music player functionality, whether you're an iPhone / iTunes type, Android or otherwise.

So why on earth didn't more of the major players think of this one a long time ago? With all these people walking around with Bluetooth-ready music to stream, why not design speaker systems and portable boom boxes with Bluetooth connectivity as well? Perhaps I've been living under a rock. I mean sure, there are a few Bluetooth ready speakers out there from the likes of Bose and Creative but there really aren't that many worth considering, when you think about it. And who the heck wants to "dock" mechanically? Uggh... dude, that's so 90s.

Recently I've been searching around for a reasonably priced solution to my fair weather audiophile requirements. I say "fair weather" because I'm not interested in dropping $400 - $500 on an over-priced Bose system or the like. I was interested in something with decent sound quality and portability that I could connect to my Android smartphone and take with me to the workout room, outside for cookouts etc. For that, I had a budget in mind of about $100 - $150 or so, for something decent.

I found the Creative D100 Bluetooth speaker system for about $80. Two words, "not decent." I mean really. Creative ought to be ashamed of themselves for producing something with such a boxy, dog-food-can sound. This is a manufacturer with extensive audio electronics design experience. Honestly, and I'm no Maxell Man looking to be blown out of my seat, you should consider the D100s maybe if you're looking to pipe in some elevator music in a library or Dentist office environment. I've got to tell it like it is. Simply, no nuts at all. Sorry.

Then, out of nowhere, Logitech pops into my inbox offering up their Wireless Boombox for evaluation here at HH. I'm thinking, okay, who was the marketing rocket scientist that came up with the naming for this product? I'm slightly miffed at Creative's weak attempt; now Logitech is stepping up with an 80s retrofit? God help them. I'm already cranky.... SURE, send it over. I'll be gentle, honest.

Hear that? Me neither. That's someone in Logitech PR holding their breath right about now. Well guess what. As the song goes, Just Breathe.

Actually, this is one of those oh-so rare occasions that a journalists and product evaluation writers are extremely paranoid of. I'm about to gush, well just a little. Logitech's Wirless Boombox, completely mops the floor with Creative's D100. It costs a bunch more at $150 but to say it's well worth it would be an understatement. I hate that word but alas I'm still cranky, so let's journey on, shall we?

Batteries? Yep, those are of the Nickel-metal hydride variety though and that AC adapter charges them while the system is in use, so you can take the Boombox on the go; you know, in case you have a break dance date with Vanilla Ice... Boombox? Really? I kid, just messin with ya, Logitech. It's nice to be green though and rechargeable batteries are the only way to fly for this system in my opinion. Score another one for Logitech.

Then there's that delicate, sometimes magical or perhaps mysterious rather, process of "pairing." As you know, with some Bluetooth devices it's hit or miss. You know the drill, put your smartphone or iPod in discovery mode and pray for a connection. Not so with the Boombox. My Samsung Infuse 4G Android 2.2-based phone found the Logitech Boombox and connected to it without a hitch. You can hit that little Bluetooth button on the top if you like but it just worked for me. That blue light you see here goes from blinking to solid blue when connected. And the next time I powered up the speaker system, my Infuse found it (as did an iPod Touch we had lying around) and automagically connected to it again.

So, sound quality, remember that's why I got all cranky-pants in the first place...

Technical Specifications:

Wireless audio: Bluetooth® (A2DP)
3” laser-tuned neodymium drivers:2
½” neodymium tweeters: 2
2” passive radiators: 4
Rechargeable battery: Nickel-metal hydride
Battery life: 6 hours
Auxiliary input: 3.5 mm (cable included)

The Logitech Boombox has surprisingly good volume and tonal quality. The system can easily fill a large room or back yard deck venue. It's not going to blow your hair back like ol' Maxell Man but for a portable system it pumps the jam pretty well. Bass response is excellent for its driver size, as was its midrange and high end. The one drawback I observed was the absence of tone control. My personal tastes would have been to dial treble and bass so things were just a tiny bit more open.

However, I also noted that depending on the source music being piped in, that need for a bit more high-end or midrange was less apparent. From Cake, to the Black Keys, to a little G.Love, Foo Fighters, and more delicate stuff like Grace Potter, this portable Bluetooth-enable sound system handled it all with impressive reproduction and very little loss over its digital connection.

I should also note that range over the Bluetooth connection seemed pretty solid for me as well. I never really wandered more than 30 or 40 feet from the speaker but I didn't notice any flutter, distortion or drop-outs. I'll have to dig deeper here in the coming weeks.

For $150 or so, I'd say the Boombox is a solid deal. No need to break the bank for that fancy Bose bling and spare your tired ears from Creative's carnage. Logitech Wireless Boombox. No one ever said originality in branding was the hallmark of a solid product. I'll just hoist this bad boy over my shoulder and rock it. All good.

Evaluating The Soundscience rockus 3D|2.1 Speaker System

Marco C — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:14:00 GMT

I recently had the chance to test out an interesting set of speakers targeted at PC users, the Soundscience rockus 3D|2.1, designed by Antec. At first glance, these speakers may not stand out with their smallish-looking satellites, and unassuming rectangular sub, but upon closer inspection there’s obviously something special going on here.

Before I get to some of the particulars, let me quickly point out the main features and specifications of the Soundscience rockus 3D|2.1 speaker system (feature list and specifications courtesy of soundscienceaudio.com):

3Dsst digital surround signal processing - 3Dsst is a suite of DSP (digital sound processing) algorithms that creates a virtual surround sound experience from 2.1 stereo speakers.

Active subwoofer with passive radiator - This compact unit creates an extended low frequency response, producing deep bass from a compact subwoofer enclosure, eliminating the need for a larger, bulkier subwoofer.

Preassembled speakers/stands - The speakers come ready to use out of the box to aid in quick set up.

Magnetically shielded speakers - This ensures that your components and speakers are protected from interference from other magnetic fields.

Three inputs - Enjoy three audio sources simultaneously. Connect your computer, console gaming, and portable device all at once.

Looking at the specifications doesn’t reveal anything out of the ordinary, except for maybe the speakers’ support for 3Dsst digital surround signal processing. But dig a little deeper and a few very interesting attributes become apparent.

The Soundscience rockus 3D|2.1 speaker system consists of a subwoofer, two satellites, and a wired control pod. Let’s start our discussion with the satellites. The cylindrical enclosures, which house 2.5” drivers (25w, each), are made from anodized aluminum. The volume of the enclosures is tuned specifically for the driver, and because of their shape and rigid build material, they help minimize distortion.

Moving on to the control pod, the simple looking, round devices allows users to easily adjust the volume, select and input, and change the sound mode selection, from 3D to Music modes. There’s not much else to say here. The pod does its job and works as it should—I did with the cable included with the pod was a bit longer, however.

Now for the subwoofer. Like most other 2.1 channel speaker systems, the sub-assembly houses the kit’s amplifier, and the satallites and control pod all connect directly to it. The sub is fed 100w (total output for the kit is 150w) and features a 6” driver with a passive radiator. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a passive radiator somewhat like a typical driver, but it lacks the large magnet and isn’t fed any power. Instead, because they’re in the same physical enclosure, when the actual subwoofer vibrates the air in the enclosure is compressed (or decrompressed), forcing the passive radiator to move in tandem with the sub. Using a passive radiator extends the low frequency range, which is how the Soundscience rockus 3D|2.1 can produce deep bass from a relatively smallish sub.

Music:
Overall the look of the Soundscience rockus 3D|2.1 is probably not the everyone—the sattelite’s cylindrical enclosures, with chrome flares and large honeycomb grills aren’t particularly attractive. But the sound this kit is able to product is nothing short of impressive. We listened to a variety of music sources on the Soundscience rockus 3D|2.1 speaker system including low-quality, streamed internet radio, high-bitrate MP3s, and store-bought CDs. Across the board, they excelled. The almost total-lack of distortion from the speaker system itself seems to mitigate some of the poor audio qualities of streamed content at all but the highest of volumes. High bit-rate file playback was simply excellent. Listening to a variety of top 40 titles, including artists such as Pink, Cee Lo Green, and Rhianna, we were continually impressed by the sound quality of the speaker system. Highs are clean and very crisps, mids are clear and easily distinguished, and lows are solid and punchy. The same can be said of the store-bought CD playback, which was also excellent. We tried discs which included everything from the ‘Walk the Line’ soundtrack to childrens’ titles from Laurie Berkner and everything sounded great.

Movies:
Watching movies was also very good on the Soundscience rockus 3D|2.1, for the most part. We watched a handful of movies including Zombieland, WarGames, Saving Private Ryan, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Walk the Line and sound quality across the board was great. Vocals were particularly easy to distinguish and highs were crisp. As good as the sound quality was, however, this 2.1 channel setup cannot compete with a true 5.1 setup in terms of positional audio / surround sound effects. So, while sound quality was great, the movies were perhaps not as immersive as they would have been with a surround sound setup. Which brings us to the kit’s 3Dsst support. Here’s how that’s explained...

“3Dsst is a suite of DSP (digital sound processing) algorithms that create a virtual surround sound experience from 2.1 stereo speakers. The technology analyses the frequency content and pan/positioning of sounds in the incoming audio stream, and then uses certain types of filtering and phasing to widen the sound stage and create the effect of listening to a much larger surround speaker system.”

I personally didn’t find any content that was particular enhanced by 3Dsst. It’s easily turned off, however, so it’s not a hindrance in any way.

Gaming:
Many of the same comments we had with regard to movies ring true with gaming as well. We played a lot of Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2, F1 2010, and Bad Company 2. BC2 and F1 2010 performed exceptionally well. Quality was excellent and the gunshots and explosions in BC2 were clean and clear. These are great speakers for gamers that don’t have the room for a true surround-sound setup.

Ultimately, I very much liked the Soundscience rockus 3D|2.1 speaker system. For under $200, they’re absolutely worthy of consideration.

Cadence 4-Bit Binary Watch: Upping Your Geek-Cred

Marco C — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:45:00 GMT

We geeks are a diverse bunch that run the gamut from pretty-boy, genius, millionaire entrepreneurs that regularly change the world, to socially inept, stereotypical nerds that really have no place leaving the confines of our cubicles (I fall somewhere in between). And our interests are equally as diverse. Don’t agree? Come to a big tech-centric trade show and do some people watching for a few hours, then we’ll talk. Until then, I’m sticking to my guns. But if there’s one thing all of we geeks have in common, it’s our love for cool gadgets--especially those that can be used to spur some interesting (and geeky) conversation.

Enter the Cadence 4-bit Binary watch. On the surface, the Cadence 4-bit Binary watch seems like nothing more than a basic time keeper. And on some levels, that’s all it is. Give its face more than a passing glance, however, and you’ll see what makes the watch so wonderfully geeky—its 4-bit labels. In lieu of numbers or roman numerals, the Cadence watch uses a 4-bit binary array to report the time.

The clock mechanism on the Cadence seems well made. I didn’t pull it apart for fear of damaging the thing with my giant club fingers, but it’s solid, has some heft, and feels good in the hand. The leather straps on the model I took a look at also seem well made, although they’re not quite on the same level as some designer watches I’ve had. The leather is a bit tougher and the stitching had some uneven separation. Honestly though, no one is going to care about the straps. It’s the watch face that’s the star of this show.

The specifications of the Cadence 4-bit Binary watch include:

- Case made from jewelry grade (316L) stainless steel.
- Saddle stitched two part leather strap with stainless steel buckle.
- Miyota quartz movement.
- Five year limited warranty on movement and hands.
- Case size: 40mm diameter, 9mm thickness.
- Water resistant to 3ATM.
- Sapphire coated quartz glass.

Since I’m writing about a watch, I guess the first point I should make is that the Cadence 4-bit Binary watch keeps good time. In the few weeks I’ve had it on hand, it’s been right on the mark, so score one for its Miyota quarts movement. One issue I have to point out, however, is the lack of any lighting or glow on the watch hands. The binary designators and second hand on the watch glow in the dark, but the hour and minute hands do no, so it’s difficult to read in the dark.

Overall though, I dig this thing. The Cadence 4-bit Binary watch is currently on-sale for $69.99 (regular price $90). Although it’s no Brietling, the Cadence 4-bit is a cool piece of personal gear that’s certain to up your geek-cred. I know I’ll be wearing this puppy the next time I’m off to a tech-event...

Google+: The Best Thing That Could Have Happened To Facebook (And Its Users)

jdrucker — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:50:00 GMT

When Google+ first launched and started making waves in the social networking world, many things changed. The perception of Google as a search-only company changed. The way that people viewed social networking as a 1-horse race with a couple of niche players on the side changed. Today, we're starting to see that something else changed.

Facebook went in a new direction based upon the threat that Google+ represents. Today, they announced sweeping changes to simplify and enhance user privacy. People will have more control over how they're tagged in photos and other content with a new feature that allows tags to be reviewed before going live. Perhaps more importantly, they made many of the privacy settings much easier to find. Rather than going into settings, users can now manage things inline through a dropdown menu next to the content on their profiles.

Prior to the change, it simply wasn't very easy. Facebook did their best to make it seem easy, but the reality was quite complicated. "Most of the settings for stuff on your profile were a few clicks away on a series of settings pages," said Chris Cox, VP of Product at Facebook.

On top of those changes, Facebook has been switching gears to focus on improving design and functionality through acquisitions. The prospect of a new Facebook design is always a fun one in the blogging world, as previous attempts have been met with a plethora of negative feedback.

Is it really possible that all of these changes are a direct result of Google+?

It's pretty clear that Google+ did more than register as a blip on Facebook's radar. They immediately launched Skype video calling a week after Google+ and their own video calling feature, Hangouts, launched. Facebook confirmed they were planning on turning the integration into a group chatting feature and today's purchase by Skype of Groupme is the first step towards that goal. The changes in privacy settings mirror Google+ in many ways.

Not everyone agrees.

"Facebook has been a consistent revolving door," said Erin Ryan, Social Media Promotional Director at Hasai. "Perhaps G+ has caused some tweaks to what would have already been a thought out plan. Look at its history."

Regardless of the motives, the real winners will be the users.

Competition is Good for Us

Let's face it. Until Google+ rolled onto the scene, Facebook was practically a monopoly. Twitter has never been a true social network. LinkedIn is focused on business (a niche that Facebook can still take over). Tagged is about making new connections, something that Facebook has avoided. MySpace is heading in another direction altogether. The competitors are so thin, if you combine all of the major social networks users, Facebook would still be larger.

Along came Google+, and for the first time in a couple of years, Facebook is feeling heat from the competition.

Whether you believe that Google+ is the driving force or not, the results have been beneficial. Having the attention of a large chunk of the population has given Facebook the ability to push aside user concerns. They made half-hearted attempts to simplify privacy in the past but have always kept it somewhat complicated. The reason is easy - they don't want things to be private. They want as much information about the users exposed and visible, forcing users and businesses to pay more attention to the site and what's posted on it.

Competition has forced them to pay more attention to the users. They have shown signs of plateauing usage and Facebook growth has slowed in recent months. Google+ has a slicker interface and is built on a more modern platform. Plus, they're Google. Facebook still has a major upper hand as well as control of their own destiny, but fickle social media users will make the switch if concerns aren't addressed.

This renewed focus on improving user experience is due to the Google+ threat. It may be the best thing that every happened to them (and us).

Silicon Valley: High Salaries, High Costs

jdrucker — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 08:02:00 GMT

The economy is still in shambles for many industries that are trying to recover, but one are that is exploding is tech. In particular, Silicon Valley has rebounded in the last 12 months ahead of the economy in ways that mean only one thing: tech is hot and getting hotter.

Social media companies such as Facebook, Twitter, and (now) Google are growing like weeds. The average salaries for those working at LinkedIn, Paypal, and Apple are much higher than anywhere else in the nation.
Of course, the cost of living is equally higher relative to the rest of the country. It's the price one must pay to be in the heart of the technology world.

This graphic by our friends at Focus breaks down what has been happening in Silicon Valley over the last year and points to trends of an even greater increase in jobs and salaries. There are currently more tech-related Silicon Valley jobs than there were during the dotcom hayday. Will this bubble burst as well?

MonsterVision MAX 3D Eyewear System with Active Sync

Marco C — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:15:00 GMT

While in the process of reviewing the ASRock Vision 3D home theater PC a few months back, I became entrenched in all things 3DTV. At the time, I had already been building up a new home theater around a Samsung 3D TV and the opportunity coincidentally arose to evaluate a 3D-capable device, so I jumped at the chance. With that ASRock HTPC and some support from NVIDIA and Cyberlink, I was able to check out 3D photos, 3D Blu-Rays, 3D TV, and of course 3D games.

Throughout the review process, I had been using the Samsung active-shutter glasses included with my TV. While I found them to be decent, I felt that their overall quality seemed to be a slight step down from the glasses included in the NVIDIA 3D Vision kit I reviewed when they were first introduced. Regardless, I trudged on and ultimately came away impressed by that HTPC and the NVIDIA 3DTV Play technology at its heart.

Just before wrapping up that piece, I was also given the opportunity to evaluate a newly released set of “universal” 3D glasses from the folks at Monster. I thought it would make for an interesting comparison at the very least since I already had access to two other types of active shutter glasses.

Right away, the MonsterVision MAX 3D Eyewear System with Active Sync which I tested offed some clear advantages. First off, they use an RF transmitter, so there are no line-of-sight issues like there are with glasses that use IR technology. Using RF meant the glasses stated in-sync regardless of whether I turned my head too far to one side, or even walked around the room, as long as I stayed within the transmitted roughly 30-foot range. With IR (Infra-Red) technology, if the light from the IR emitter isn’t directly in-line with the sensor on the glasses, a sync can’t be established—in other words, “No 3D for you!”

Another advantage to the MonsterVision MAX 3D glasses were their relatively tall lenses and thick frames. The lenses in these glasses extended further above and below my eyes and they were wrapped in a thick frame which helped block out more ambient light while at the same time giving me a larger field of view through the lenses. These are important points to consider, because it made for a more enjoyable overall viewing experience (at least for me) due to the fact that my eyes had to do less “re-adjusting” if my attention was drawn to another light source for whatever reason while viewing a 3D movie—it seems I was always looking through the lenses and not above or below them like was possible with the Samsung glasses.

MonsterVision MAX 3D Eyewear System with Active Sync

The build quality and overall quality of the MonsterVision MAX 3D optics also seemed very good. Admittedly, I found it very difficult to spot clear viewing-quality differences when switching quickly between the Samsung, NVIDIA, and MonsterVision MAX 3D glasses, but uniformity and contrast did seem ever so slightly better with the MAX 3D glasses. This was perhaps due to them better covering my eyes though, and not because Monster actually uses higher-quality optics. I should also note that battery life is awesome too. Monster claims the glasses will last for about 60 hours of use before needing a charge. I can’t confirm that actual number because I wasn’t about to sit through 30 movies, but I didn’t have to recharge the things for weeks on end.

The only real downsides to the MonsterVision MAX 3D Eyewear System with Active Sync kit were its installation and price point. My particular HDTV does not have an IR sync port, so I was required to install an IR sensor (which is included with the kit), along with the Max3D RF transmitter, plus a USB power cable (also included) to provide the necessary juice to run the whole setup. In addition, proper placement of the IR sensor took some work. Although I was able to neatly bundle the wires and transmitter behind my TV, and neatly mount the IR sensor to my TV, the setup seems somewhat “kludgey”. Once installed properly though, it did work well. And if your TV does have an IR Sync port, installation will most definitely be easier and cleaner.

As for pricing the full MonsterVision MAX 3D Eyewear System with Active Sync has an MSRP of $229, but street prices hover closer to $179. That price includes the RF transmitter, IR sensor, the glasses, and all necessary cables to connect the kit to virtually any 3DTV. While the kit does offer some distinct advantages over some others, the price is pretty steep when you consider Samsung’s active shutter glasses can be had for about $50 a pair.

While the MonsterVision MAX 3D Eyewear System with Active Sync may be somewhat pricey in light of some other solutions, I find myself using them far more often than the Samsung glasses included with my HDTV. In fact, I reach for the MAX 3D glasses first due to their larger lenses and use of RF technology. They may cost more, but not having to worry about the glasses staying in sync and the better overall viewing experience offered by the larger / taller lenses definitely add value.

Was The Cake A Lie? Retailers Say Social Media Is Not Growing Sales

jdrucker — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 21:49:00 GMT

"Social media will save the economy, unite the people, and shine peace and prosperity across the land!" ~ Random Social Media Marketer, 2010

Fads come and go. In the business world, most have tried some new widget, gadget, web scheme, or marketing technique in recent years that simply did not produce a return on investment as hoped. Does social media fall into that category?

To many retailers, particularly local ones, the answer is "Yes!" They have tried or are currently trying to leverage Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media sites to promote their business and bring the promise of gold at the end of the Web 2.0 rainbow. With all of the hype, only 29% of those participating in a study by Shop.org said that social marketing strategies have helped them grow their business.

Are they simply doing it wrong is was the cake really a lie?

Click to enlarge.

This graphic by Milo breaks down the dissatisfaction that many retailers are feeling. Despite all of the skepticism, it appears that even more money is going to be spent on social media marketing strategies. Will the results improve?

The Psyko Carbon 5.1 Channel PC Gaming Headset

Marco C — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:06:00 GMT

A few months back, we took a look at a true-5.1 channel headset from Psyko. We started that post off with this opening, “Aside from a powerful graphics card and large monitor, one of the best ways to increase the realism and immersiveness of PC games is with a high-quality, multi-channel speaker setup. Hearing sounds that seemingly wiz by your head and being able to pick up on subtle tones coming from different directions, can transform a ho-hum gaming session into an adrenaline-rush producing experience.”

That statement will always be true. Unfortunately, for many gamers, it's not always possible to properly set up a multi-channel speaker configuration. The shape of their computer room, objections from the significant other, etc., can all hinder the proper setup. For those situations, a good set of gaming headphones can be a godsend.

To help satisfy users that may not be able to properly set up a multi-channel speaker system, Psyko audio released the Psyko 5.1 PC Gaming headset. As we mentioned earlier, the Psyko 5.1 PC Gaming Headset featured a 5.1 speaker setup integrated into a set of headphones. Unlike some competing offerings, however, the Psyko 5.1s don't use any digital signal processing to simulate multi-channel audio. Psyko's solution is actually a true 5.1 channel speaker setup, complete with distinct front, rear, and center channels and subwoofers. There are actually five mid-to-high frequency speakers / drivers in the headband, each with 30mm neodymium magnets, and two low-frequency woofers (one in each ear cup), each with 40mm neodymium magnets.

When we first took a look at the Psyko 5.1, we came away generally impressed, but found the kit to be somewhat expensive and lacking in the audio quality department. Psyko has heard our concerns, however, and have just released the Psyko Carbon 5.1s, which take all of the good things about the originals and upgrade some of the questionable aspects. And also update the look of the unit with a darker black and red color scheme that eschews the greys of the originals.

The Psyko 5.1 can Carbon 5.1 PC Gaming headsets set themselves apart from other true multi-channel headsets as well. Whereas some other multi-channel headsets shoehorn multiple drivers in the actual headphone cans, the Psyko 5.1’s drivers were located in chambers in the headrest, where waveguides direct the audio down into the cans at their proper positions. The use of the waveguides not only allows for proper positioning, but the differing lengths of the left and right waveguides also result in the delay necessary for our brains to distinguish direction. There's also a removable boom mic, which plugs into the bottom of one of the cans.

Setting up the Psyko Carbon 5.1 PC Gaming Headset couldn't be any easier. They feature standard 3.5mm inputs that simply plug right into the front, rear, and center channel audio outputs on a sound card or the integrated audio outputs on a motherboard. Once connected, the only thing users have to do is open up the audio control panel and set the configuration to a 5.1 channel speaker setup. We should also note, that in-game audio needs to be set to 5.1 channes as well. The headphones can be connected directly to a sound card, but Psyko also includes a mini-amp that boosts the volume and gives users easy access to volume and bass controls in a standalone pod as well.

The Psyko Carbon 5.1 PC Gaming Headset is relatively heavy, but they are also well balanced and comfortable to wear. There is plenty of padding, so there were no issues with pressure points getting sore. And the Psyko Carbons 5.1s are also fairly adjustable, so it's easy to position them on your head comfortably. There vents that can be opened or closed on either can as well that help keep your ears cool during extended gaming sessions.

Our experiences with the Psyko Carbon 5.1 PC Gaming Headset were very good. Although this headset was not designed with audiophiles in mind, sound quality is noticeably improved over the originals. Music playback still isn't optimal—the headset was designed for gamers after all--but the frequency responds is improved clear highs, and warm mid-range and bass. Due to the driver configuration, however, music still has a “distant” sound to it. Tweaking the equalizer settings in your favorite media player can compensate somewhat, but like the originals, the Psyko Carbon 5.1s will not compare to a quality set of headphones designed for music in terms of audio fidelity. Watching movies offered a somewhat better experience. The positional surround sound effects were easy to pick out and the headphones performed well overall.

Where the Psyko Carbon 5.1 PC Gaming Headset really shines is while gaming. Once accustomed to the headset, distinguishing sounds coming from different directions comes naturally. Playing L4D2 or COD was a real treat. You could hear enemies creeping up behind you very easily and react accordingly, and even pick out subtle noises that get lost without a multi-channel speaker setup. The Psyko Carbon 5.1 PC Gaming Headset also seems to be better tuned for gaming audio, because the fidelity issues that we noticed during music playback were non-existent.

Psyko Audio is asking for $199 for the Psyko Carbon 5.1 PC Gaming Headset—a huge price reduction from the originals, which hit the scene at $299 a few months back. Considering the improved look of the kit (at least in our opinion), along with the all-around improved sound quality, and retention of the original’s excellent feature set, we think Psyko has a winner on their hands with the Carbon 5.1 gaming headset.

The Das Keyboard Model S Professional Silent

Marco C — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:21:00 GMT

By now, regular readers of my blog should know that I have an unhealthy obsession with input devices. I constantly experiment with different mice and keyboards in an effort to find the “perfect desktop”, at least for my tastes. Over the years, my quest has led to me to two conclusions: 1) I prefer wired laser mice, with high-resolution sensors (the wakeup delays with wireless mice were simply too annoying to live with) and 2) well-made mechanical keyswitch keyboards are superior to mushy rubber domes or membrane ‘boards.

After experimenting with virtually every keyswitch type over the last couple of years, I have settled on the Cherry MX Brown as my preferred keyswitch, with Topre Capacitives coming in a very close second. The Cherry MX Brown is a tactile, but non-clicky keyswitch that requires only a light touch to actuate (relatively speaking). Once accustomed to Cherry MX Brown switches, typing for extended sessions resulted in less finger fatigue and faster typing speeds, though the latter could also partially be attributed to sticking with one keyboard (a Filco) for much longer than usual.

Due to the fact that I’ve grown so fond of Cherry MX Brown keyswitches, I was immediately intrigued when I heard the news that Metadot would be releasing a new Das Keyboard based on the switches. The keyboard would be called the Das Keyboard Model S Professional Silent, and in addition to using Cherry MX Brown switches, it offered a number of enhancements over the previous version of the Das Keyboard as well.

I really liked the look and feel of the previous Das Keyboard Professional, which featured clicky Cherry MX Blue keyswitches. But while that model was built well and looked great (I liked the glossy casing, some did not), it suffered from a weird controller glitch that could cause transposed keystrokes at very high typing speeds. For most people this wasn’t an issue, but for fast typists who could “burst” to very high speeds while typing common words, the transposition errors were quite a nuisance. Metadot acknowledged the bug, and went to work on the keyboard featured here, the aforementioned Das Keyboard Model S Professional Silent, along with new Ultimate and clicky Pro models as well.

The Das Keyboard Model S Professional Silent looks much like the previous version of the Das Keyboard Pro, save for some minor tweaks. The new model has more subdued blue backlighting on its status indicators (caps lock, scroll lock, num lock) and the new laser-etched keycap inscriptions make the keycap font look somewhat different, although it really isn’t. The glossy, black case returns and the shape and overall layout of the keys, ports and cabling are the same.

The Das Keyboard Model S Professional Silent separates itself from the previous version in a few ways, however. First, there are the laser-etched keycaps which are more durable and won’t fade. Then there’s the new keyboard controller which features N-Key rollover, and a new USB hub which provides enough power to charge devices like a smartphone or media player. I should point out though, that N-Key rollover only works when the keyboard is connected to a PS/2 port (which is the case with all NKRO keyboards), when connected via USB, the board offers 6-key rollover. And that the new USB hub has its own dedicated USB connector—whereas the previous Das keyboard has only a single USB connector for both the keyboard and USB hub, this latest version has two.

I have been using the Das Keyboard Model S Professional Silent exclusively for the last few weeks and have been nothing but pleased. The keycaps are surprisingly durable and haven’t begun to get shiny at all (which I couldn’t say for my FIlco board after the same amount of use), the USB hub works perfectly, and the N-Key rollover works as it should. Throughout many hours writing and gaming, the Das Keyboard Model S Professional Silent has served me well. Perhaps the only downside is that the keyboard’s glossy black case attracts fingerprints and is easy to scratch, but it cleans up easily.

For $135, the Das Keyboard Model S Professional Silent is a great keyboard that’s priced competitively with other high-end Cherry MX Brown-based boards. I should point out that Metadot is also running a promo through the end of August that’ll get you 24% off and free shipping, which makes the Das Keyboard Model S Professional Silent a great buy in my opinion.

I think I’ll be sticking with the Das Keyboard Model S Professional Silent for the foreseeable future. So far, nothing has turned me off about the keyboard at all. It’s durable, it looks good, and it hasn’t failed me yet. I’m sure I’ll be compelled to switch between the Das and my Topre and / or Filco boards at some point, but it’ll be due to my OCD and not any inherent problems with the Das. If you’re thinking about taking the plunge and investing in a mechanical keyswitch keyboard, the Das Keyboard Model S Professional Silent is a great place to start—especially if you can take advantage of the Back to School discount.

The VueZone iPhone App—Don’t Use it to Spy on Your Children

NewYorkDan — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:19:00 GMT

While trying out the VueZone iPhone app, I consider the ethics of having my two-and-a-half year-old daughter under surveillance.

By Daniel A. Begun

A number of months ago I was watching one of the final episodes of 24. (I was never really much of a 24 fan, but I started watching it during the final season because Battlestar Galactica babe, Katee Sackhoff, was in it). There was an interrogation scene, where for a few brief seconds, I could have sworn I saw something sitting on the table that looked very familiar. That familiar-looking item was a Vue camera from the very same Vue Personal Video Network Wireless Camera System that I looked at last October.

In case you haven’t read my previous blog about the Vue: The Vue is a wireless camera system that connects to your home network and sends live streaming video to a cloud-based server for live monitoring, recording, and playback, over the Internet

As to what Jack Bauer and company were doing with such a decidedly consumer-centric product in their state-of-the-art facility is another matter. TV shows and movies often veer away from reality for the sake of dramatic license. For instance, I was watching a movie (It’s Complicated) the other night that takes place in Santa Barbara. In one scene it was raining cats and dogs. I’m sorry, but I lived in Santa Barbara for five years, and I never saw it rain like that.

So when I spied the Vue camera on TV, it got me to thinking. When I first looked at the product, one of the things I wished I could do was view the camera feeds remotely from my iPhone. Avaak (the Vue's manufacturer) promised an iPhone client sometime in the future, but it didn’t materialize in the time frame I was evaluating it. The iPhone client had since come out, however; so I thought it would be interesting to do a follow up and play around with the iPhone app—especially since I had considered it an essential missing ingredient of the device’s capabilities. I also had an ulterior motive as well:

My two-and-a-half year-old daughter has reached that developmental stage where she can now play by herself for long periods of time. She often plays in her room and it is wonderful hearing all the things she says as she plays with her toys and “reads” her books. But, similar to the pitfalls of physics’ “observer effect,” if she knows she’s being watched, she’ll act differently—in this case, most likely wanting me to play with her. (For those geeks who actually know what the “observer effect” is, I’m not implying that watching my daughter is necessarily directly related to quantum physics—I was merely trying to find an appropriate analogy, without having to invoke the macabre Schrödinger's cat thought experiment. Oops, too late.) So I thought if I put a Vue camera or two in her room, I could see what’s she’s doing without her knowing she was being watched.

As soon as the Vue system arrived in my home (for the second time), I wasted no time in setting up both cameras that the Vue system comes with, in my daughter’s room. Unfortunately, the Vue cameras have a very limited field of view, and simply can’t cover a lot of area in cramped spaces. Even with both cameras set up and positioned carefully, I still couldn’t get full coverage of her room. I had also forgotten just how strong the glue was in the peel-and-stick tape for the camera mounts. Needless to say, I took a few layers of paint off when I later removed the mounts. Note to self: buy Spackle and white paint.

Before I installed the iPhone app, I reacquainted myself with the product and its Internet-based interface. Not much had changed since I looked at it last fall. In addition to the introduction of the iPhone app, the only other significant change I could detect was that the ability to schedule recordings had been added. I ran into a number of issues with the scheduling utility and it often didn’t record when I thought it was supposed to. But scheduling recordings wasn’t my main point of focus.

I downloaded the free VueZone app to my iPhone. (The VueZone Website states that Android and Blackberry apps are “coming soon.”) . When you launch the VueZone iPhone app, you have to supply your VueZone UserID and password. Once you log in, it shows a simple-looking screen that shows options for viewing your two cameras individually or for viewing all the cameras at once. If you have additional cameras set up, or if another Vue user grants you access to his cameras, then they would also show up as additional cameras. The listings for my two cameras displayed thumbnails that showed static images from the last time I viewed the cameras using the iPhone app. The View All listing uses a thumbnail that shows four different views from someone else’s home; I thought for a moment that I was going to get a voyeuristic view into someone else’s house! Perhaps I would be lucky enough and it would be Katee Sackhoff’s! But it was not to be. The View All thumbnail is just a generic image that never changes. Sigh...

When you click on the View All button, you see two small images of what the two cameras are currently seeing. In this mode, you are not actually watching live video; instead the app shows you a static image of what the cameras see, and switches back and forth between the two live feeds about once every second. Whichever is the most recently updated feed is highlighted in green. If you want to see live streaming video, however, you do that by viewing the feed of just that one camera by selecting it from the main screen.

When you select a camera to watch, it shows you a live feed of what the camera sees. The resolution isn’t that great and the frame rate leaves much to be desired—but hey, it’s a live video going from your Vue camera to your iPhone (or iPad or iPod touch) over the Internet--not too shabby in terms of technological capabilities! The screen includes a few other items as well. To the right is a small battery icon that displays the approximate charge left in the camera’s battery (Avaak claims a camera’s battery should last about a year with typical usage—the camera only operates at full power when it is being actively viewed or when it's recording). At the bottom of the screen are options for increasing or decreasing the brightness of the image. At bedtime, when lights are out in my daughter’s room, the camera just shows pitch black, regardless of the brightness setting. Unless I were to use an infrared camera, I’d see the same dark results with virtually any camera.

To the left of the live video-feed image are three buttons. The top one is a play/stop button, the middle one is a video-record button, and the bottom one is a snapshot button. When you press the record button to record the video, the record button flashes to indicate it is recording. Press the stop button to stop recording. When you stop recording, however, the live video feed to the iPhone stops as well. To resume watching live video you have to press the play button. A number of times I ran into an issue where once I stopped a live feed, I couldn’t resume watching it again unless I actually quit out of the application and started it over again. Pressing the snapshot button captures a static image. Any video you record or photos you snap are saved to the Vue server. Unfortunately, you cannot access recorded video or captured images using the iPhone app. The only way to view captured video and static images is to login to the VueZone Website from a computer’s browser that supports Flash.

For my purposes I didn’t really need the recording feature; I just wanted to be able to pick up my iPhone to quickly get a gander at what my daughter was up to. While it worked, it didn’t do what I wanted it to very well. Since the field of view was so limited, there were times she was out of view of both cameras. Also, due to the limited resolution, it was often difficult to make just what she was playing with or what she was reading. But perhaps most importantly, I found that the more I used it to “spy” on my daughter, the more I started to get a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I shouldn’t be doing what I was doing.

Yes, she’s only two-and-a-half, and as such, it’s my duty as her father to keep a close eye on her to help keep her from getting in harm’s way. But in normal instances, she’s at least aware that I’m watching her—simply because we’re in the same room together and she can see me. It became increasingly obvious to me that I had my daughter under surveillance. Was this the example I really wanted to set for her? Is it possible for a parent to actually encroach on the privacy of a two-and-a-half year old? After only a few days of this, I removed the cameras from her room. Regardless of her age, it just wasn’t fair to her for me to be watching her without her knowledge.

The VueZone Website offers a number of potential uses for the Vue, and the very first example is “What are the kids up to right now?” Been there, done that, and no thank you. The second example is “Keep close tabs on your tabby.” I have a cat... A 17-year old cat. I could have one of the cameras focused on the basket she likes to sleep in. And if I did that, I don’t think I’d ever see the image change. She sleeps a lot. If she was a more active cat, I I’d be hard pressed to figure out where to put a camera that had a chance of actually seeing her for more than a fleeting second. Too bad the Vue doesn’t support motion detection.

The third example is “Keep an eye on those you love.” This one actually makes a lot of sense to me. If you want to make sure that elderly or disabled family members are okay, you could use the Vue to provide a quick visual peace of mind. But if you do this, I feel it is important that the people who’s homes you’re putting the cameras in are fully aware that there is a video camera recording them and that they know exactly where the cameras are pointing. I’d even go so far as to say that any visitor coming into their home should also be made aware of the cameras. I can just see the home health aide bristling at the sign on the front door of the septuagenarian’s home she’s about to visit, which says “Anyone entering this home is under video surveillance.” Perhaps there is a better way to word that. The problem is, the Vue camera transmits its signal back to a base station that attaches to a router or broadband modem—so Grandma’s house better have broadband Internet if you want to see what’s she’s up to with a Vue camera.

The next example shows that you can make sure that no one else is hanging out in your vacation home when you are not there. This is also a good idea, but it means that you’re vacation home also better have a broadband Internet connection that stays on when you are not there. The next example after that shows that you can use the Vue to let people virtually attend a party. Isn’t that what iChat and Skype are for? The final example is actually just a variation of a previous example: take a remote vacation by visiting your second home with the Vue. You can see the leaves turn color, the sun rise, the grass grow, the mail pile up, or the wasps come and go from the new nest above the front door.

So maybe Jack Bauer and company had it right all along…Use the Vue to stream live video (but no audio) from a very important interrogation. Okay, maybe not. At least, one interesting recent use of the Vue was to create a time-lapse video from the installation of the Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit at The San Diego Museum of Art, which you can see here.

I still stick to my original opinion that the Vue is very much a 1.0 product in desperate need of a makeover. And as it just so happens, an Avaak spokesperson told me “a new version of the Vue will be coming in Fall 2010.” I don’t have any details on what the new version will be like, but I was told by a different spokesperson that many of the changes in the new version are based on feedback that the company got from its user base. Let’s hope that is actually true and not just marketing speak.

Performance Quick-Take With WD's 7200 RPM Scorpio Black 500GB Notebook Hard Drive

Dave_HH — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:32:00 GMT

When it comes to notebook hard drives you almost can't get enough of two things, capacity and speed. Though SSDs (Solid State Drives) definitely address the speed issue, they only exacerbate the capacity issue (at least currently). Not to mention, the higher you go up in capacity with SSDs, into the 256GB range especially, costs scale upward in multiples of their standard spinning media-based counterparts. Don't get me wrong, there's an exploding market for SSDs and they'll likely some day displace rotational media completely but they're definitely not what notebook manufacturers are using for mainstream product builds currently or even in the near future. It just isn't practical from a cost standpoint alone. As such, bellwether hard drive manufacturers like Western Digital continue to drive rotational media storage technologies further to improve both capacity and speed, as well as drive cost structures downward.

Not long ago we took a look at Seagate's Momentus XT notebook drive. This little speed demon combines both 4GB of solid state storage along with 500GB of traditional rotational media into the industry's first OS-independant "hybrid" SSD-infused hard drive. It offered great performance, especially after the drive's caching algorithms optimized data usage on the drive but its cost was also about 2X of traditional notebook hard drives of similar capacities. So, as usual, there were trade-offs.

Recently, WD took the time to send us in their fastest 7200 RPM 500GB notebook drive. I decided to take the opportunity to do a little A/B comparison in performance. The new WD Scorpio Black 500GB 2.5-inch notebook hard drive weighs in at half the price ($76 at Amazon) of the Momentus XT, and as you'll see, does a fairly good job of hanging with it, from a performance standpoint as well.

Looks just about like any other 2.5" hard drive - WD's 7200RPM Scorpio Black 500GB

Left to right: WD Scorpio Black 500G, WD Scorpio Blue 750G, Seagate Momentus XT 500G Hybrid HD/SSD

ATTO tells us that in small file reads and writes, the WD Scorpio Black drive is actually faster in spots, especially with respect to write performance. However, as we top out at 32K sized transfers and above, the drives are neck-and-neck, with the WD Scorpio black slightly faster with writes, while the Seagate Momentus XT chalks up slightly faster reads.

WD Scorpio Black 500G HD Tach Results

If you scan back over our Seagate article, you'll see the Momentus XT and Scorpio black are right on top of each, for average read and write speeds, according to HD Tach. Still, the Momentus XT has a random access time of less than a millisecond when its solid state storage comes into play, while the Scorpio Black clocks in at a more traditional hard drive-like 14.8ms.

Finally, we ran PCMark Vantage's HDD Performance module in order to tests the drives under significantly more real-world conditions. Common standard access patterns for desktop usage scenarios and applications are exercised in these tests.

Here the new WD Scorpio Black 500GB drive edged out the Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 desktop drive, as well as the WD Scorpio Blue notebook drive in just about every test. It also offered better overall performance versus the Seagate Momentus XT hybrid SSD/hard drive combination, compared to its first run performance but after three runs of conditioning for the Momentus XT, the new Flash-infused notebook drive from Seagate put up scores up to and sometimes 2X as fast as any drive we tested here. Bear in mind again, the Momentus XT is also 2X the price of the WD Scorpio Black but that's a fraction of the price of even the average 256GB SSD. Also, I'll note that the Momentus XT is also a "tweener" in terms of performance versus the average full-fledged SSD, which offers dramatically better numbers all around in these tests.

Regardless, all told, if you're the type to stick with tried, true and economical standard rotational hard drives for your mobile computing requirements, the WD Scorpio Black is one of the best performing 2.5" drives on the market right now. For a mere $76 or so, you'll get 500GB of 7200RPM-class storage for your notebook and that's a pretty good deal in my book. Though this isn't technically a formal HH review but just my little ol' blog post, I'm giving it an HH Recommended for sure. Thanks for reading all and for stopping by HotHardware.com in your web travels.

Evaluating The Phantom Lapboard

Marco C — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:29:00 GMT

In an attempt to squelch my insatiable--and sometimes unhealthy--need to experiment with all kinds of keyboards and other input devices, I recently acquired three more 'boards for the collection, the latest Das Keyboard Pro Silent, the Microsoft Sidewinder X4, and the unique Phantom Lapboard. Although they all technically do the same thing, these three keyboards are actually quite different. I plan to write about all of them in time, but for this post I'd like to focus on the Phantom Lapboard.

The trials and tribulations of Phantom Entertainment and their so-called Phantom console have been well documented over the years, so I won't rehash any of that drama again here. Suffice it to say, after much ballyhoo, the Phantom console never saw the light of day, and things were quite ugly for a while. Throughout all of the drama, however, the company's Lapboard as it was known, seemed to garner much interest. It took a number of years to finally arrive, but the Phantom Lapboard is actually available for sale and has been for quite a while.

For those unfamiliar with it, the Phantom Lapboard is a clamshell-like wireless keyboard and mouse combo, designed for gamers. It is meant to be used on one's lap, and has a flat mouseing surface beneath the keyboard keys. The kit, which is available in glossy black or white finishes, includes the keyboard, a 1200dpi wireless mouse, and a single 2.4GHz USB-transceiver. Simply plug the transceiver into an available USB port on any Windows (2000 or newer), Mac OS, or even Playstation 3 system, and it'll be detected and be ready to use in seconds. Installation is that simple. And the devices range is good enough to cover even a large living-room. If you're close enough to enjoy gaming on a TV or large monitor, the Lapboard will almost certainly be in range.
Using the device takes some getting used to, but the design is ultimately quite comfortable.

The keyboard, which can be spun around its base for both left and right-hand operation, tilts up at a slight angle, and the mouse is meant to be used on the hard surface incorporated into the base beneath. We found the keyboard to be responsive and very good for gaming (although it doesn't support N-Key rollover), despite it being wireless, and the mouseing surface is as slick as could be. In fact, the surface may even be a little too slick--if you're sitting at a steep angle, letting go of the mouse will cause it to slide right off the surface.

The included mouse works well, but doesn't sport any unique features--it's a basic three-button design. We wish it had at least two more programmable buttons, but for most games, three buttons and a scroll wheel will suffice. Adjustable DPI settings would be nice too.

The keyboard itself sports low-profile, short stroke keys, with scissor-type key-switches. I found the keys to be a little stiff, but didn't suffer from any fatigue during long gaming sessions. The keys have held up well during a couple of weeks of use too, although in time, the lettering will likely wear away and the keys will "shine" like most do. On a related note, I also found the keys to be fairly good for typing (better than a crappy membrane board, but not on the level of true mechanical key-switches). The shape of the board, however, isn't conducive to long- comfortable typing sessions. And there's no numpad.

Overall though, I am quite pleased by the Phantom Lapboard. It does what it is was designed to do, and it does so quite well. It's $139 asking price is somewhat steep, but the Lapboard's range and the precision of the included mouse are better than many other wireless desktops, and you won't get the uniquely designed base that makes the Lapboard so good to use while gaming. If you're looking for a wireless keyboard and mouse for an HTPC that's also used for gaming, the Phantom Lapboard is worth serious consideration. it's a very cool device.

Psyko 5.1 PC Gaming Headset Impressions

Marco C — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 21:51:00 GMT

Aside from a powerful graphics card and large monitor, one of the best ways to increase the realism and immersiveness of PC games is with a high-quality, multi-channel speaker setup. Hearing sounds that seemingly wiz by your head and being able to pick up on subtle tones coming from different directions, can transform a ho-hum gaming session into an adrenaline-rush producing experience.

Unfortunately, for a multitude of reasons, it's not always possible to properly set up a multi-channel speaker configuration--i.e. the shape of the room, objections from the significant other, etc. For those situations, a good set of gaming headphones can be just the ticket.

To that end, Psyko audio has released the Psyko 5.1 PC Gaming headset. As their name suggests, the Psyko 5.1 PC Gaming Headset features a 5.1 speaker setup integrated into a pair of headphones. Unlike some competing offerings, however, the Psyko 5.1s don't use any digital signal processing trickery to simulate multi-channel audio. No, Psyko's solution is a true 5.1 channel speaker setup, complete with distinct front, rear, and center channels and subwoofers.

The Psyko 5.1 PC Gaming Headset takes a different approach than all other true multi-channel headsets as well. Whereas some other multi-channel headsets shoehorn multiple drivers in the actual headphone cans, the Psyko 5.1s move the drivers into chambers in the headrest, where waveguides direct the audio down into the cans at the proper positions. The use of the waveguides not only allows for proper positioning, but the differing lengths of the left and right waveguides also results in the delay necessary for our brains to distinguish direction. There's also a removable boom mic, that plugs right into the bottom of one of the cans.

Setting up the Psyko 5.1 PC Gaming Headset couldn't be any easier. They feature standard 3.5mm inputs that simply plug right into the front, rear, and center channel audio outputs on a sound card or the integrated audio outputs on a motherboard. Once connected, the only thing users have to do is open up the audio control panel and set the configuration to a 5.1 channel speaker setup. We should also note, that in-game audio needs to be set to 5.1 channel as well. The headphones can be connected directly to a sound card, but Psyko also includes a mini-amp that boosts the volume and gives users easy access to volume and bass controls as well.

The Psyko 5.1 PC Gaming Headset is relatively heavy, but they are also well balanced and comfortable to wear. There is plenty of padding, so there were no issues with pressure points getting sore. And the Psyko 5.1s are also fairly adjustable, so it's easy to position them on your head comfortably. There are also vents that can be opened or closed on either can that help keep your ears cool during extended gaming sessions.

Using the Psyko 5.1 PC Gaming Headset was an interesting experience. First the bad. These headphones were obviously not designed for audiophiles. Music playback isn't optimal. Sound quality seemed flat and distant, with decent highs, but lackluster mid-range and bass. Tweaking the equalizer settings in your favorite media player can compensate somewhat, but the Psyko 5.1s will not compare to a quality set of headphones designed for music in terms of audio fidelity. Watching movies was a somewhat better experience. The positional surround sound effects were easy to pick out and the headphones performed well with voice reproduction.

Now for the good. Where the Psyko 5.1 PC Gaming Headset really shines is in games. Once accustomed to the headset, distinguishing sounds coming from different directions comes naturally. Playing MW2 and L4D2 was great. You could hear enemies creeping up behind you and react accordingly, and even pick out subtle noises that get lost without a multi-channel speaker setup. The Psyko 5.1 PC Gaming Headset also seems to be tuned for gaming audio, because the fidelity issues that were prominent during music playback weren't nearly as prevalent.

Psyko Audio is asking for $299 for the Psyko 5.1 PC Gaming Headset. That's a big pill to swallow considering the sound quality issues we mentioned. But when used for their designed purpose--gaming--they deliver. Psyko Audio have truly incorporated a 5.1 channel speaker setup, that accurately reproduces positional effects, into a headset. If you can justify the price (other gaming headsets regularly sell for $200 or more), it's worth checking out the Psyko 5.1.

Evaluating The Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000

Marco C — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:33:00 GMT

I am a total keyboard snob; there's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Over the last few years, I've personally tested virtually every possible keyboard type--and every key switch type--and am convinced there is no better option than a mechanical keyswitch keyboard if you spend any significant amount of time in front of a computer.

There are, however, instances where it's just not practical or possible to use a high-end keyboard, for example, when you're on the road working from a notebook. Sure, I could spring for a tenkeyless compact keyboard and carry that with me, but I'd hate to damage a pricey board like that while lugging it around, and constantly connecting and disconnecting its cable to a machine. Plus, they're relatively heavy and bulky--not something you'd want to keep stuffed in a laptop bag. To that end, I was recently intrigued by a new mobile keyboard kit from Microsoft, the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000.

The Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 consists of a wireless mini-keyboard with separate number pad. As its name implies, it connects to a system via Bluetooth and it features an ultra-slim profile. The Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 has a full-sized key layout, with a slight curve; Microsoft calls it their Comfort Curve design.

I used the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 for a couple of weeks in lieu of my Asus laptop's integrated keyboard, which features a funky, shrunken right shift key that drives me insane when I'm trying to type quickly. Without a doubt, the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000's keyboard is of better quality than the integrated unit and I found the keyboard easier to type on as well. The curved design is quite comfortable and there is almost no keyboard flex--the unit is so thin, there's almost no place for it to flex.

I would consider the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 an upgrade from most of the keyboards integrated into entry-level to mid-range laptops, especially if they have a non-standard layout. I'd rate the key-feel on Lenovo's keyboards higher than the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000, but for a slim-line membrane keyboard it's not bad. There is minimal travel, but that is par for the course of keyboards like this, and it's not quite as mushy as I expected it to be. As for portability, the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 hits the mark. It's light, and slim, and won't add much bulk to your laptop bag at all.

Now for the $64,000 question--Would I spent $99 on this kit? The answer really depends. Personally, I would. I'm not ready to replace my notebook, and my productivity is undoubtedly enhanced by having access to a comfortable, wireless keyboard that I can position to my liking when working on my notebook. For others, I'm sure the answer will be different. But if you find yourself correcting too many errors or wishing you had a full sized keyboard on the road, the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 may fit the bill.

Seagate BlackArmor PS110 USB3.0 Performance Kit

Marco C — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:53:00 GMT

Although USB 3.0 is a relatively new technology that is not yet natively supported by any of the core logic chipsets currently on the market, a number of motherboards from major players like Gigabyte, Asus, and MSI (among others) sport an NEC-built USB 3.0 controller that supports the feature. The main advantage of incorporating such a controller on their products is that USB 3.0 offers significantly more bandwidth than USB 2.0, while also maintaining backward compatibility with the older standard.

To get the most from USB 3.0, however, peripherals that can take advantage of the increased bandwidth offered by the technology also have to be used. A few weeks after motherboards that supported USB 3.0 hit the scene though, a smattering of peripheral manufacturers were at the ready with products that support the new standard as well, including long-time storage giant Seagate.

I was recently given the opportunity to test out Seagate's new Black Armor PS110 USB 3.0 portable hard drive kit. The PS110 USB 3.0 device is a 500GB, 2.5" external / portable USB 3.0 hard drive, which features a 7,200 RPM spindle speed, that's bundled with a couple of interesting accessories and software (please note, a USB 2 version that bares the same name is also available). Of course, a USB 3.0 cable is included in the kit, along with some documentation and software. But more interestingly, a USB 3.0 ExpressCard expansion adapter is included as well, for users who'd like to add USB 3.0 support to a notebook or netbook that features the correct slot.

The drive itself is housed in a sleek, black enclosure that easily fits in a pants pocket. It's quiet and with 500GB of capacity, it'll hold plenty of data. To put some of that capacity to good use, Seagate includes a useful application BlackArmor Backup, that couldn't be easier to use. As its name suggests, BlackArmor Backup can be used to backup files on a system.

The tool is much more capable than a simple file-copier, however. BlackArmor Backup gives users the ability to restore backup images, create protection points, and it has a "try and decide" feature that'll create a secure temporary workspace to testing applications.

Of course, USB 3.0 support is the PS110's main feature. As such, we did some performance testing to see just how USB 3.0 transfer speeds compared to USB 2.0...

USB 2.0

USB 3.0

As you can see in the ATTO and HDTach scores above, USB 3.0 transfers with the Seagate BlackArmor PS110 are about 3x faster in USB 3.0 mode than in USB 2.0. While connected to a USB 2.0 controller, the drive was able to read data at about 33MB/s and write at about 24MB/s. While connected to a USB 3.0 controller though, the PS110 was able to read and write at about 95MB/s.

If you're in the market for a portable hard drive, the BlackArmor PS110 is an excellent choice. The kit we featured here, which includes the ExpressCard USB 3.0 controller, retails for $179. That's much pricier than generic USB 2.0 500GB drives, but the extra investment nets users much faster transfer rates, some useful applications, and a bit of future-proofing.

Gabbing With the Sound ID 400 Bluetooth Headset

NewYorkDan — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:16:00 GMT

By Daniel A. Begun

Those who know me well enough, know that I’m not much of a phone person--which is to say I don’t like to talk on the phone much… I’m more of a talk-to-you-in-person, eye-to-eye, kind of guy. But then again, as my wife likes to point out, I’m not much of a talker to begin with... She says I’m a good listener, and claims that I only speak up when I have something meaningful to say. I’m happy that she sees me this way--even if I don’t quite agree with the assessment--but I’ll still take the compliment, thank you very much. This actually marks a strong contrast to my childhood, when it was near impossible to get me to shut up. My father used to joke that I was vaccinated with a phonograph needle (if you are too young to know what a phonograph needle is, go look it up). But I digress...

As I was saying, I’m not much of phone person, at least as far as talking goes. Yes, I own an iPhone 3GS, but I own it more for all the other things it can do... To be honest, considering how crappy the AT&T Wireless service is in my area, it would have been unwise for me to switch from Verizon to AT&T if I actually wanted to use the phone for voice calls! But as I followed the herd and jumped on the iPhone bandwagon, I had no choice but to switch to AT&T. (As to the crappy service in my area, this assessment comes from just about everyone I know who has AT&T as their mobile carrier in my neck of the woods. And I can now also attest to it as well, with plenty of dropped calls and crappy connections--and remember, I don’t even use the phone that much for voice calls.)

I also refuse to talk on the phone when I am driving--hands free or otherwise--unless it is an emergency. So needless to say, I have never owned a Bluetooth headset--I've used them sporadically, but I never owned one. But I love tech and I love toys, and I especially love tech toys; so when Sound ID offered to send me their latest Bluetooth headset, the Sound ID 400, I had to say yes. I’ve actually had the headset for a couple of months now; so before I go any further, a profuse apology to Liz for taking so long to getting around to writing about the product... But, it has given me more time to play with the device and really get a feel for what it does and how well it works and how well it works when it does what it does and how well--well, you get the picture. So, without further ado (of which there has already been way too much ado), on with my two months with the Sound ID Bluetooth headset...

As far as Bluetooth headsets go, the $129.99 Sound ID 400 is rather unassuming in its basic black plastic shell and it is somewhat on the diminutive side--it lacks the bling of the Jawbone headsets and heft of some of the Plantronics headsets. It has one LED on its outward facing side and only two buttons. The main button is on the back of the device (well, the back of the device when you are wearing it), and a side button--which is not actually on the side (at least not when the headset is in your ear)--but is actually on the top (when it’s in your left ear) or bottom (when in your right ear)... I suppose it could still be considered a side button, as in topside or bottom-side... I’m sure you’ve probably lost track of the Sound ID 400’s sides by this point--I know I have--so, the Micro USB connector is on whatever side you want to call the one that holds the earplug... Let’s just call it the side-that-faces-your-face-side and be done with it.

The Sound ID 400 weighs a mere 0.28 ounces and measures 2.1x0.6x0.3-inches. It comes with three different size earplugs, an over-the-ear loop with ear cushion, a Micro USB charging cable, and an AC charger. Sound ID claims that the device is capable of up to seven hours of talk time and up to eight days standby time. Not being much of a talker and being an obsessive recharger, I never had a chance to put the battery claims to the test. As for compatibility, it supports Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and eSCO.

I had no trouble pairing it with my iPhone 3GS, and it actually worked amazingly well without needing to make a single adjustment to it. Audio quality was crystal clear and callers on the other end of the call frequently claimed that they had no idea I was outdoors... In hindsight, I’m not sure if they were amazed at the call quality or just that I had actually left the house. The occasional bit of background noise slipped in every so often; but for the most part, the Sound ID did a great job of filtering out---or at least significantly reducing--most background noise, including wind (and I live in a very windy area, as many a discarded umbrella can attest to). I also found that I never had to adjust the volume, as the Sound ID did a great job of automatically adjusting the volume based on the background noise level with its Automatic Volume Control.

I could easily stop here and say it worked great--and it did--but I would be remiss as a technology journalist and tech-toy enthusiast to not also talk about some of the Sound ID 400’s additional features--or in more technical terms, the device’s bells and whistles. Actually, in the case of the Sound ID, its advanced features are designed to eliminate bells and whistles--at least the annoying kind of bells ringing in the background and whistles blowing in your ear, while you are trying to talk on the phone. The Sound ID 400 has a feature called Personal Sound; by pressing the side button for a couple of seconds when on a call, you can cycle through four different Personal Sound modes: Normal, Moderate, Strong, and Off. As you cycle through the modes, they use progressively more aggressive noise filters. I found that the more aggressive modes did a good job of filtering out additional noise, but they also impacted voice quality--you'll likely only need these settings in very noisy environments. I found that I never needed to use any mode other than Normal. Pressing the side button for a shorter period advances the Sound ID 400’s volume settings--which, as I already stated, I didn’t need to fuss with either.

The Sound ID 400’s other neat feature is its Environmental Mode, which is capable of lowering your carbon footprint... Okay, so it’s not that kind of environmental... Actually, what the Environmental Mode does it help you hear what’s going on around you when the device is busy plugging up one of your ears. When not on a call, if you press the side button for a couple of seconds, the Sound ID 400 turns on Environmental Mode; with this mode on, audio is picked up from the microphone and amplified for you to hear. I’ve never had any major hearing problems (although, I do suffer from selective hearing), but if I did, I imagine the sensation I felt with the Sound ID 400’s Environmental Mode is similar to what it must be like to wear a hearing aid. Needless to say, I wasn’t a big fan of the Environmental Mode; but I can sort of, kind of, see its usefulness to some users in some situations. Your mileage may vary.

Another thing the Sound ID 400 can do is pair to two Bluetooth phones simultaneously. You can only actively use it with one phone at any given moment, but the device will seamlessly switch over to whichever phone is active at the time. The Sound ID 400 also works with Sound ID’s $79.99 Remote Microphone, which can be used as a remote audio amplifier, hearing aid, or to spy on unsuspecting people--just hide the Bluetooth microphone in a potted plant, leave the room, and gasp as you hear what they really have to say about you!

As much as I liked the Sound ID 400, there are a few things I wish it could do. I would have really liked if it supported voice commands, especially for voice dialing. Also, as far as I can tell, there is no way to reject a call. There is nothing in the documentation about this, and I tried mashing just about every combination of buttons I could thing of, but I never could get the device to send a call straight to voicemail. If the Sound ID 400 supports this feature, I couldn’t find it.

Overall, I was very impressed with the Sound ID 400. If I was more of a phone talker, I might very well choose this as my Bluetooth headset; but as it is, I will likely continue to be Bluetooth headset-less when I am out and about with my iPhone 3GS. When I am gallivanting about town, or whatever it is I do when I’m not at home, I usually have my V-MODA Vibe Duo stereo headphones on, listening to music--I am of the solid opinion that everyone’s life needs a soundtrack. So if I am jamming to my tunes and the phone rings, I just hit the call button on the headphone cable. But for all of you Bluetooth-headset-loving, frequent-mobile-phone-using, looking-like-you-are-talking-to-yourself-while-walking-down-the-street folks, the Sound ID 400 might be just the Bluetooth headset for you.

Adventures in Firewall Permissions: Getting BitDefender to Work With Netflix Watch Now in Windows Media Center

NewYorkDan — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:05:00 GMT

At a recent tradeshow, while I was walking by the BitDefender booth, a BitDefender representative literally shoved a copy of BitDefender Internet Security 2010 into my hands. Never one to say no to free software, I was grateful and actually stopped to talk cybersecurity for a bit--I guess I felt I had to earn that free software! And I knew exactly what I was going to do with the software: install it on my Windows 7 test machine.

I was actually already a BitDefender user, running BitDefender Internet Security 2009 (using licenses that I paid for) on several of my Windows systems. But I had yet to install any security software on my recently set-up Windows 7 rig. (This was before Microsoft released its free security app, Microsoft Security Essentials.) My Windows 7 system is actually a dual-boot system with Vista Home Premium (64-bit) on one partition and Windows 7 Ultimate (64-bit) on the other. I installed BitDefender on both partitions (you can install each copy on up to three systems). After installing BitDefender on both partitions, everything continued to hum along smoothly, with the occasional window popping up either telling me that an exception was added for a particular app or asking me to allow or deny an app's network access.

Then came the day that Microsoft released the Netflix Watch Instantly module for Windows 7's Windows Media Center. As a longtime Netflix subscriber (and, yes, I pay for my subscription), I wanted to see how well the feature worked in Windows 7's Media Center. I had used it before in Vista's Windows Media Center, but it had been a while. I launched Windows 7's Media Center and was happy to see the Netflix Watch Instantly module, which had not been there previously (I have Windows 7 set to automatically download and install updates). I went to launch Netflix Watch Instantly in Media Center, but instead of being asking for my login credentials, a window popped up saying that it couldn't connect. I could use Internet Explorer 8 in Windows 7 to watch the Netflix Watch Instantly service, so the problem was definitely isolated to Media Center. I rebooted into the Vista partition, and discovered the same problem there as well. It didn't take me long to make an educated guess that this was due to a firewall issue... I quickly confirmed my suspicions by temporarily disabling the firewall and then successfully connecting to Netflix in Media Center. The challenge I now had was to figure out what sort of exception I needed to create that would allow Netflix to connect in Media Center, but wouldn't punch too large a hole in the firewall.

It took me a while, but I narrowed down the culprit to two potential apps: ehshell.exe and svchost.exe. I decided to tackle ehshell.exe first. By monitoring ButDefender's Activity window with the firewall disabled, I saw that ehshell.exe was using connecting via TCP on ports in the 49400 range. So I created a rule that permitted ehshell.exe TCP connections on ports 49400 to 49500. I had to position the rule so that it came before an existing system rule for ehshell.exe that blocked all connections--rules are used in the order in which they appear in the list. On the very next try, Media Center's Netflix Watch Instantly worked! It turns out that I didn't need to create an additional exception for svchost.exe. But wouldn't you know it, on the very next attempt, Media Center couldn't connect to the Netflix Watch Instantly service. So I once again temporarily disabled the firewall and watched what was going on again in the Activity window. Now ehshell.exe was using ports in the 49500 range. With some experimenting over time, I discovered that ehshell.exe uses successively higher ports each time it connects to Netflix. I also discovered that it sometimes uses ports in the 49200 range as well. In fact, there might very well other port ranges it uses that I have yet to see. So I wound up adjusting the rule to encompass a rather wide port range: 49200 to 65535.

I don't claim to be a networking expert, so I wanted to run my rule by the BitDefender folks to get their two cents on if I was opening up too big a hole in the firewall with my rule. The answer I got back was that my rule was fine, as long as I made sure that Active Virus Control (Antivirus -> Shield -> Advanced Settings) and Intrusion Detection (Firewall -> Settings -> Advanced Settings) were both enabled. I checked, and it turns out that Intrusion Detection was not enabled; Active Virus Control was already enabled. I turned on Intrusion Detection and tried Media Center's Netflix Watch Instantly again just to make sure it still worked... And it did.

So now I can watch Netflix Watch Instantly in Windows 7's Media Center. I offer this story for anyone else who might have encountered the same problem I did. Of course, how often will I actually watch movies using the Windows 7 Media Center Netflix Watch Instantly module? That's hard to say... Especially since I just received a Roku box...

UPDATE: A comment that user "Cristian" made (see below) reminded me that I left out an important part of the rule that I created. I also opened up remote port 80, which shows up in the BitDefender rule simply as "HTTP." As to Windows assigning random ports, it is possible that at some point in the future I might encounter a situation where the Netflix app wants to use ports that are outside of the range I have permitted. I will cross that bridge when and if it happens--I feel more comfortable limiting the rule to just those ports I have actually encountered (with the exception being that as I keep encountering higher and higher ports, that I did open it up to the highest possible port number). As to enabling Intrusion Detection and Active Virus Control, these were not enabled to permit the Netflix app connect, but were enabled (per BitDefender's suggestion) in order to better protect my system. Here are screenshots of the BitDefender rule:

My View of the Vue Personal Video Network Wireless Camera System

NewYorkDan — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:06:00 GMT

Back in February, I met with some very smart folks from a San Diego-based company called Avaak. They were demonstrating a wireless camera system meant for remote video monitoring. What impressed me the most about the technology behind the wireless camera system is that it used a mesh network, which is based on technology that the company originally designed for DARPA. Some of the same folks behind this new wireless camera system also designed the PillCam. I did say they were smart, right? You can see the news story I originally wrote up about the technology here.

Fast-forward to a few weeks ago and the technology they were demonstrating finally made its public debut in the form of the Vue Personal Video Network. The Vue comes with two wireless cameras, four camera mounts, and a wireless gateway device. The cameras are very small and light--measuring 2.9x1.0x2.1-inches and weighing only 28-grams (0.98 ounces) without batteries (each wireless camera uses a Lithium-Ion CR123 photo battery, of which two are included.) The kit sells for $299.99, and additional cameras sell for $99.99 each (the gateway device can work with up to a total of 50 cameras). The $300 price tag includes a one-year subscription to the Vue service, which "allows you to view live streams, record up to 2GB of content and share live and recorded content with your friends and family." After the first year, you need to pay $19.95 per year in order to continue to use the Vue as well as utilize these features.

Setting up the Vue is very simple. You connect the gateway to your router, install the batteries into the cameras, turn on the cameras, and sync the cameras to the gateway. You sync the cameras by bringing them to within 12-inches of the gateway and pressing the Sync button on top of the gateway--within a few seconds the cameras are synced to the gateway. The next step is to register the Vue on the Vue website and set up an account. The kit comes with four rounded camera mounts; the mounts and the back of the cameras are magnetized, so the cameras effortlessly connect to the mounts and can be easily aimed exactly where you want them. The mounts include peel-and-stick tape for mounting on virtually any surface. The cameras can communicate with the gateway up to 300 feet away via line-of-site--in most practical installations, which will go through walls and such, that maximum distance will be less. The folks at Avaak claim the Vue has a similar transmission range as an 802.11n device.

I set one camera up looking out my living room window--I've got a great view of the Hudson River. The other camera was set up in my daughter's room, aimed at her crib. My thinking about the camera looking out the window is that it might be interesting to see what the weather back at home was like when I was out and about. The thought behind the second camera is a little more obvious--I could keep an eye on my daughter when she naps and sleeps without me being in the room with her. The Avaak site offers a few examples of how others are using the Vue, such as keeping an eye on a weekend house or monitoring a disabled child.

To view the camera feeds, I log into the my.VueZone website, which then takes me to the watch page. The watch page displays thumbnails for my two cameras on the left in a My Cameras window; I can drag one or both thumbnails to the My Vue window and then click on the Start button to view them. Note that you can currently view only one camera at a time. According to the Avaak folks, "there is 2MB of bandwidth on the radio within the gateway, and all of that is needed to stream to one camera for the best user experience." That said, they also told me that they are "considering enhancing the capabilities in the future." The cameras are only powered on when they are being actively viewed on the my.VueZone site. Avaak estimates that a camera battery should last up to a year, based on "normal usage"--which they define as "10 minutes of viewing or recording a day." There is also a View All button, which quickly switches back and forth between your camera feeds.

When you view the feeds from your cameras, you have several options. You can set the video window size to small, medium, or large. You can also record a live video feed or take snapshots. There are also three available light-level settings: Bright Light, Normal Light, and Low Light--which you manually adjust based on the current lighting conditions.

In addition to the watch page, there are also pages for playback, share, and settings. The playback page is where you can view video or snapshots you've previously recorded. The share page is where you can share your camera feeds and recorded videos and snapshots with others, and upload them to flickr and YouTube. You can share with anyone--the folks you share with do not need to be other Vue users--those you share with receive an e-mail with a link to the shared content, which is stored online. If another Vue user shares one of their cameras with you, you can view their camera on the watch page, alongside your own cameras. The settings page includes sections for My Schedules and My Camera Settings. Unfortunately, when you try to use the scheduling feature, you get a message that says "Coming Soon." I was told "Avaak is currently working on this feature; however, at this time there is no confirmed date on when it will be available." The settings information lets you name your cameras and gateway, and it shows data about the cameras and gateway, such as remaining battery capacity and whether they are currently connected.

I used the Vue for a couple of weeks, and I have to say I was underwhelmed. I like the concept--especially because the device is easy to setup and use and because the cameras are wireless. But I experienced limited functionality with the cameras as well as a few annoying bugs with the my.VueZone website.

First of all, I wasn't impressed at all with the image quality and frame rates. The highest resolution supported is 640x480--and that is when there is a strong signal--when the signal is weak, the resolution downgrades to 320x240 or 160x120. Even with a camera placed within feet of the gateway, the image was blocky, blotchy, and slow to respond to movement. The next issue I ran into was that it actually took a fair bit of light to make a scene bright enough for the camera to see images clearly (the website states "the cameras need the light of a 40 Watt bulb or higher to get quality pictures"). You can tweak the brightness settings via software, but if the area you are recording is not bright enough to begin with, there is not much you can do about it. I'm not just nitpicking here--I have other devices, such as webcams, that have better light detection than the Vue. The Vue seems much better suited for well-lit outdoor settings than dark indoor environments. I also found that the field of view of the cameras was rather narrow--I would have preferred a much wider field of view that could take in more area of small spaces. The hardware lacks the ability to do motion control or record audio; however the Avaak folks told me that "future versions of the Vue that incorporate audio and motion detection features are being considered."

I also experienced a number of bugs while using the my.VueZone website, which is flash-based. In order to perform a number of functions, you need to drag a thumbnail of the camera image to the action you want to do, such as viewing a camera or sharing a camera. A number of times, I dragged a thumbnail, but it never actually showed up in the desired window. Other times, I couldn't resize the video windows or get the View All function to work. I used the my.VueZone website with a number of different browsers on Windows and Mac systems, experiencing these bugs on all platforms and browsers. As the my.VueZone website is flash-based, it does not work natively on the iPhone; there is an iPod app version in the works--it is currently in beta--and Avaak hopes to be releasing it "as soon as possible."

As to my two usage scenarios, I didn't get much out of the Vue. I work from home, and when I leave the house I usually don't take a laptop with me--but I do have my trusty iPhone on my person at all times (much to the chagrin of my wife). Since there is no iPhone app, I can't view my personal "weather cam" when out and about. And as far as monitoring my daughter’s crib, I can only use the Vue when my daughter naps during the daytime with the shades open. Once night hits and the lights go out, the image goes dark (her nightlight is much less than 40 watts). The field of view was also very tight, which is why the camera was only looking at her crib, as opposed to more of her room in general.

In my opinion, the Vue is very much a 1.0 product. It has lots of potential, but its current execution leaves much to be desired. With the knowledge that the Avaak folks will be reading this (Hi!), I thought I would end my evaluation of the Vue with a wish list of improvements I'd like to see.

* Better image quality and faster frame rates
* Better low-light sensitivity
* Wider field of view
* Enable viewing live feeds from both cameras simultaneously
* Integrate motion control and audio capabilities in future versions
* Bring the scheduled recording feature online
* Make the iPhone app available
* Iron out the bugs in the web interface