AA USB Flash Drive Battery

We’ve seen batteries that can be recharged over USB but the AA USB takes this concept a step further adding a 4GB flash drive to the battery so that you can keep your data with you and power your battery eating gadgets.

The AA USB is the size of a standard AA battery with a built in 4GB flash drive that pops out of the “-” end of the battery for data transfer and charging.

Unfortunately right now the gadget is just a concept so you can’t buy one, but if you like the idea you can take a closer look over at Yanko Design.

We’ve seen batteries that can be recharged over USB but the AA USB takes this concept a step further adding a 4GB flash drive to the battery so that you can keep your data with you and power your battery eating gadgets.

The AA USB is the size of a standard AA battery with a built in 4GB flash drive that pops out of the “-” end of the battery for data transfer and charging.

Unfortunately right now the gadget is just a concept so you can’t buy one, but if you like the idea you can take a closer look over at Yanko Design.

Click Here To Read The Full Story »

How To Fix ‘User Profile Service Failed to Start’ In Windows 7 (Quick Tip)

Say you boot up your Windows PC one morning and happen to see the User Profile Service Failed to Start error message when you try to log in?

The User Profile Service service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded

First of all, this is not a good sign, it means your user account is probably corrupt. A number of factors can contribute this, such as a software program you recently installed or driver or your computer was not shut down properly. Since we likely know why, we need to at least find a way to get into the account and recover our personal files.

If there is another user account on the computer, then you can try logging into that account and create a new user account and copy over your files to it. If you don’t have another account, then move on to the next step.

Restart in Safe Mode

Recently, Notebooks.com showed you how to start Windows 7 in safe mode, a special diagnostics mode of Windows that can be used to fix some problems. If you are unable to log in, you will need to load Safe Mode when the computer starts up. Just before the Windows operating system is loaded, press F8 multiple times on your keyboard until the Advanced Boot Options menu appears. Use the up and down arrow keys to select Safe Mode if it is not selected then press Enter on your keyboard.

Once in Safe Mode, log in. You might see some error messages popup, close those.

Open the command line. Click Start, type: CMD Right click CMD, click Run as administrator

We are going to attempt to create a new user account.

Example: net user Username Password /add

Where there is Username replace with the account name and where there Password replace with the desired password.

Example: net user adacosta2 pwhelp /add

Press Enter on your keyboard

You should see the following message The command completed successfully.

Type exit to close the command prompt.

Restart the machine and try logging into the new account.

Say you boot up your Windows PC one morning and happen to see the User Profile Service Failed to Start error message when you try to log in?

The User Profile Service service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded

First of all, this is not a good sign, it means your user account is probably corrupt. A number of factors can contribute this, such as a software program you recently installed or driver or your computer was not shut down properly. Since we likely know why, we need to at least find a way to get into the account and recover our personal files.

If there is another user account on the computer, then you can try logging into that account and create a new user account and copy over your files to it. If you don’t have another account, then move on to the next step.

Restart in Safe Mode

Recently, Notebooks.com showed you how to start Windows 7 in safe mode, a special diagnostics mode of Windows that can be used to fix some problems. If you are unable to log in, you will need to load Safe Mode when the computer starts up. Just before the Windows operating system is loaded, press F8 multiple times on your keyboard until the Advanced Boot Options menu appears. Use the up and down arrow keys to select Safe Mode if it is not selected then press Enter on your keyboard.

Once in Safe Mode, log in. You might see some error messages popup, close those.

Open the command line. Click Start, type: CMD Right click CMD, click Run as administrator

We are going to attempt to create a new user account.

Example: net user Username Password /add

Where there is Username replace with the account name and where there Password replace with the desired password.

Example: net user adacosta2 pwhelp /add

Press Enter on your keyboard

You should see the following message The command completed successfully.

Type exit to close the command prompt.

Restart the machine and try logging into the new account.

Click Here To Read The Full Story »

Kids May be Tech Experts, But They Can’t Tie Their Own Shoes

Go ahead and marvel at how fast kids pick up on the iPad and can whiz around the computer, but if you’re from the older generation you’ll be happy to know that you are still one step ahead of today’s tech savvy youth — well as long as you can tie your own shoes.

A new survey of 2,200 mothers by AVG found that while today’s children are quickly gaining the technology skills and know how that will shape their future person to person interactions and career paths, kids aren’t learning life skills.

While I’m not ready to say that computer games are the root cause behind fewer kids learning how to swim or ride a bike, the results below may cause you to question the capabilities of future generations to handle an emergency or get from point A to point B without a car, at least before they turn 6.

• More young children know how to play a computer game (58%) than swim (20%) or ride a bike (52%)

• 28% of young children can make a mobile phone call, but only 20% know to dial 911 in case of an emergency

• 69% of children aged 2-5 can operate a computer mouse, but only 11% can tie their own shoelaces

Take away from this the fact that most children 2-5 can get around the computer, which is a huge change from when I grew up and you were lucky to touch a computer before grade school. Thanks to the iPad, tablets and internet connected devices that parents are sharing with their children I wouldn’t be surprised to see the number of children who can find their way around a computer before they can tie their shoes or swim increase.

Aside from the downside that the time spent on the computer could take away from time spent socializing and learning other life skills parents also need to be aware of the implications of their children using these web connected devices at such an early age

Go ahead and marvel at how fast kids pick up on the iPad and can whiz around the computer, but if you’re from the older generation you’ll be happy to know that you are still one step ahead of today’s tech savvy youth — well as long as you can tie your own shoes.

A new survey of 2,200 mothers by AVG found that while today’s children are quickly gaining the technology skills and know how that will shape their future person to person interactions and career paths, kids aren’t learning life skills.

While I’m not ready to say that computer games are the root cause behind fewer kids learning how to swim or ride a bike, the results below may cause you to question the capabilities of future generations to handle an emergency or get from point A to point B without a car, at least before they turn 6.

• More young children know how to play a computer game (58%) than swim (20%) or ride a bike (52%)

• 28% of young children can make a mobile phone call, but only 20% know to dial 911 in case of an emergency

• 69% of children aged 2-5 can operate a computer mouse, but only 11% can tie their own shoelaces

Take away from this the fact that most children 2-5 can get around the computer, which is a huge change from when I grew up and you were lucky to touch a computer before grade school. Thanks to the iPad, tablets and internet connected devices that parents are sharing with their children I wouldn’t be surprised to see the number of children who can find their way around a computer before they can tie their shoes or swim increase.

Aside from the downside that the time spent on the computer could take away from time spent socializing and learning other life skills parents also need to be aware of the implications of their children using these web connected devices at such an early age

Click Here To Read The Full Story »

HP Pavilion dm1z (with AMD Fusion) review

We mean this with no disrespect to Lenovo, but when you first lay eyes (or hands) on the incredibly attractive IdeaPad U260, it's pretty hard to believe that it was made by the company. Sure, the Chinese laptop manufacturer has always had a certain knack for creating very powerful and well-rounded ultraportables, but "drop-dead gorgeous" isn't exactly how we'd describe systems like the Lenovo IdeaPad U160, Edge 11, or ThinkPad X301. The U260 is indeed a total 180 for the company, and it's one of the most dapper and svelte laptops we've seen in a long time -- there's no question about it, its magnesium-aluminum alloy shell, leather palm rest, and glass touchpad even give the newest MacBook Airs a run for their money. But even better, the 12.5-inch system has the brawn to match that external beauty – its 0.7-inch shell has been injected with a Core i5 ULV processor, 4GB of RAM, and 320GB of storage. At $1,100 (the Core i3 version starts at $999), there's no denying that it's more than enticing, but is the U260 immune to Lenovo's typical ultraportable pain points, including poor battery life and tepid temperatures? We've been lucky enough to spend the last few days with the beautiful machine (yes, we took it on vacation!), so jump down below to find out in our full review!

It's obvious by now that we've got a real crush on the U260's bronzish, mocha exterior (it comes in an orange hue as well), and a glance at a few of the pictures in the gallery above makes it very easy to see why. It isn't as minimalistic as some others out there -- say Google's Cr-48 --but the soft-to-the-touch magnesium-aluminum alloy that envelops the system like a book cover gives the entire system a very clean and simplified look. Believe us, it's more than a welcome change from the glossy lids and rounded edges that we've gotten used to on the ThinkPad Edge family. The U260 also feels as high-end as it looks -- it may not have a unibody build, but it has a very rigid construction and that almost-rubbery metal lid not only seems to protect it from scratches, but feels really soft in hand. No, seriously, we've caught ourselves petting this thing a couple of times. Under the lid, the U260 loses its metal coverings, yet has an equally soft faux leather palm rest.

But, it's those aesthetic pieces combined with the U260's very slender design that really makes it turn heads. The system is a uniform 0.7-inches, which means there's no enlarged battery back or slight flare in the front to make it appear uneven, and when you open it up you certainly notice the svelteness of the screen. At 3.4-pounds, the U260 was just slightly heavier than pulling out a netbook at airport security, and it's just the right size and weight to comfortably transport it from the desk to the couch with one hand. Naturally, to maintain its lean body, Lenovo had to nix the DVD drive, but the U260 still houses a good array of ports along its edges. The right side is home to a USB socket and headphone jack, while the left houses USB, Ethernet, HDMI, and VGA ports. Unfortunately, there's no SD card slot, and while there's a place for an ExpressCard card slot, it doesn't open.

There's no doubt that Lenovo knows how to make some of the best keyboards around (see: Thinkpad Edge, ThinkPad T410), but the one on the U260 leaves a bit more to be desired. Don't get us wrong, the squircle shaped, matte keys have a great curve to them and feel as if they were molded for our fingertips, however, the chiclet layout is a bit cramped and doesn't stretch to the edges of the panel. Instead, the right Shift key is noticeably smaller than the one on the left and even the Caps Lock and Tab keys on the left are shrunken. It's not a deal breaker, but it did take us a bit of time to get into the groove of typing this review. Our bigger complaint about the keyboard comes with its lack of a backlight. In fact, it actually seems like oversight to not include a backlit keyboard option on a higher end system like the U260, and we definitely found ourselves wishing it was a feature in a dimly lit airplane cabin.

However, the polished glass touchpad receives our highest stamp of approval. The smooth surface, which feels similar to that a piece of sea glass, was incredibly soft on our index finger and just let the cursor glide along. Additionally, the two dedicated right and left mouse buttons, although slightly mushy, were quite comfortable. While two-finger scrolling worked decently in Word and Chrome, the dedicated scroll strip happens to give you a bit more control.

So, what's it like using the world's first laptop with a 12.5-inch display? To be honest, not that different than using a laptop with a 12.1-inch panel, considering the new screen still has the typical 1366 x 768 resolution. Okay, so it's not exactly great for pixel density, but that doesn't mean we're not seriously impressed with the anti-glare matte display. Yes, that means there's no glossiness or reflections, and yes, it's great! We actually were able to work on the laptop on a bright day without putting up any sort of shade. Too boot, the display is quite bright and the viewing angles are rather decent -- we had no problem sharing the screen in a tight airplane seat with our neighbor. We do have one complaint though -- the screen bezel is certainly glossy and can pick up its fair share of fingerprints.

Like the ThinkPad Edge 11, the U260 is available with both Core i3 and i5 ultra-low voltage processors -- Lenovo sent us the highest end configuration with a 1.33GHz Core i5 CPU and 4GB of RAM. As one would expect, the machine handled the brunt of our usual computing tasks, including simultaneously writing this review in Microsoft Word, chatting with friends in Trillian, checking our Twitter feed in TweetDeck, and surfing the web with multiple tabs open in Chrome. Even when we threw a 720p clip into the mix the system was able to keep up.

Speaking of HD content, the machine has no problems with full HD video, but as you can see from its 3DMark scores, it's definitely not a gaming rig. It should be fine for some light mainstream or Flash games, but you're not gonna want to fire up Black Ops on this thing, unless you're cool with playing at very, very low settings. We have to admit it would have been nice to see Lenovo put the U260 up with both discrete graphics and SSD options, though the latter can be accomplished on your own as the entire bottom of the system is removable. Obviously, we didn't test the waters on that with our review unit.

	PCMarkVantage	3DMark06	Battery Life
Lenovo IdeaPad U260	3858	1153	2:56
Lenovo IdeaPad U160 (Core i7 ULV)	3863	1175	3:10
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 11	2964	1105	4:42
Dell Inspiron M101z (Athlon II Neo K325)	2572	1311	3:35
ASUS Eee PC 1215N (Intel Atom D525)	1924	181/2480	5:42
Acer Aspire One 721 (Athlon II Neo K125)	1814	1235	3:30
Alienware M11x (Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300)	2689	654 / 5593	4:30

Processor:	Intel Core i5-470UM Processor ( 1.33GHz 800MHz 3MB )
Operating system:	Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64
Graphics:	Intel HD Graphics
Total memory	4 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz
Display:	12.5″ HD AntiGlare with integrated camera 1366×768
Pointing device:	Industry Standard Multi-touch 2 button touchpad
Hard Drive:	320GB 5400
Battery:	Li-Polymer
Network Card:	Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 1000
Bluetooth:	Bluetooth Version 2.1 + EDR
Warranty:	One year

Unfortunately, battery life is the U260's (expected) Achilles heel. On our usual video rundown test, which loops the same standard definition video with brightness set at 65 percent, the integrated 20Whr, four-cell Lithium Polymer battery lasted just two hours and 56 minutes. In regular use -- basically surfing the web and writing this review -- the system ran for about three hours and 20 minutes. Obviously, for a highly mobile system like this, the endurance is pretty terrible, and because there's no way to swap out the battery, you're pretty much stuck dragging the AC adapter with this thing everywhere you go.

Thankfully, there's better news on the heat side of things. Given our experience with the U160, we expected the system to get rather warm, but for the most part the system stayed relatively cool thanks to its "breathable keyboard" and Intel's latest Advanced Cooling technology. While we did notice the bottom right edge getting slightly warm, the vents in the back kept the entire chassis, including the keyboard and touchpad, at room temperature.

Software-wise, Lenovo's actually done a decent job of keeping this one crapware free. However, like the U160 it has a "Smile Dock," which can be launched by clicking on that creepy smile icon on the desktop. You can search Google and check Weatherbug from the dock itself, but other than that it's pretty useless and takes up precious screen real estate. Oovoo and McAfee are also preloaded.

How much are you willing to sacrifice for love? If you're anything like us, you're absolutely smitten with the U260's metal build, soft leather palm rest, brushed glass touchpad, and the fact that it packs Core i5 power in such a thin shell. But you're also asking yourself one question: can you live with just three to three and a half hours of battery life? For us the answer is sadly a flat no -- in fact, that sort of battery life is simply unacceptable in our book, especially when you consider that equally portable systems like theToshiba Portege R705 or the new MacBook Airs last at least two hours longer on a charge. It's a sad story of an amazingly attractive and solid performing laptop brought down by a single fatal flaw -- but if you can get past the battery life, nearly everything else about the U260 is almost perfect

We mean this with no disrespect to Lenovo, but when you first lay eyes (or hands) on the incredibly attractive IdeaPad U260, it's pretty hard to believe that it was made by the company. Sure, the Chinese laptop manufacturer has always had a certain knack for creating very powerful and well-rounded ultraportables, but "drop-dead gorgeous" isn't exactly how we'd describe systems like the Lenovo IdeaPad U160, Edge 11, or ThinkPad X301. The U260 is indeed a total 180 for the company, and it's one of the most dapper and svelte laptops we've seen in a long time -- there's no question about it, its magnesium-aluminum alloy shell, leather palm rest, and glass touchpad even give the newest MacBook Airs a run for their money. But even better, the 12.5-inch system has the brawn to match that external beauty – its 0.7-inch shell has been injected with a Core i5 ULV processor, 4GB of RAM, and 320GB of storage. At $1,100 (the Core i3 version starts at $999), there's no denying that it's more than enticing, but is the U260 immune to Lenovo's typical ultraportable pain points, including poor battery life and tepid temperatures? We've been lucky enough to spend the last few days with the beautiful machine (yes, we took it on vacation!), so jump down below to find out in our full review!

It's obvious by now that we've got a real crush on the U260's bronzish, mocha exterior (it comes in an orange hue as well), and a glance at a few of the pictures in the gallery above makes it very easy to see why. It isn't as minimalistic as some others out there -- say Google's Cr-48 --but the soft-to-the-touch magnesium-aluminum alloy that envelops the system like a book cover gives the entire system a very clean and simplified look. Believe us, it's more than a welcome change from the glossy lids and rounded edges that we've gotten used to on the ThinkPad Edge family. The U260 also feels as high-end as it looks -- it may not have a unibody build, but it has a very rigid construction and that almost-rubbery metal lid not only seems to protect it from scratches, but feels really soft in hand. No, seriously, we've caught ourselves petting this thing a couple of times. Under the lid, the U260 loses its metal coverings, yet has an equally soft faux leather palm rest.

But, it's those aesthetic pieces combined with the U260's very slender design that really makes it turn heads. The system is a uniform 0.7-inches, which means there's no enlarged battery back or slight flare in the front to make it appear uneven, and when you open it up you certainly notice the svelteness of the screen. At 3.4-pounds, the U260 was just slightly heavier than pulling out a netbook at airport security, and it's just the right size and weight to comfortably transport it from the desk to the couch with one hand. Naturally, to maintain its lean body, Lenovo had to nix the DVD drive, but the U260 still houses a good array of ports along its edges. The right side is home to a USB socket and headphone jack, while the left houses USB, Ethernet, HDMI, and VGA ports. Unfortunately, there's no SD card slot, and while there's a place for an ExpressCard card slot, it doesn't open.

There's no doubt that Lenovo knows how to make some of the best keyboards around (see: Thinkpad Edge, ThinkPad T410), but the one on the U260 leaves a bit more to be desired. Don't get us wrong, the squircle shaped, matte keys have a great curve to them and feel as if they were molded for our fingertips, however, the chiclet layout is a bit cramped and doesn't stretch to the edges of the panel. Instead, the right Shift key is noticeably smaller than the one on the left and even the Caps Lock and Tab keys on the left are shrunken. It's not a deal breaker, but it did take us a bit of time to get into the groove of typing this review. Our bigger complaint about the keyboard comes with its lack of a backlight. In fact, it actually seems like oversight to not include a backlit keyboard option on a higher end system like the U260, and we definitely found ourselves wishing it was a feature in a dimly lit airplane cabin.

However, the polished glass touchpad receives our highest stamp of approval. The smooth surface, which feels similar to that a piece of sea glass, was incredibly soft on our index finger and just let the cursor glide along. Additionally, the two dedicated right and left mouse buttons, although slightly mushy, were quite comfortable. While two-finger scrolling worked decently in Word and Chrome, the dedicated scroll strip happens to give you a bit more control.

So, what's it like using the world's first laptop with a 12.5-inch display? To be honest, not that different than using a laptop with a 12.1-inch panel, considering the new screen still has the typical 1366 x 768 resolution. Okay, so it's not exactly great for pixel density, but that doesn't mean we're not seriously impressed with the anti-glare matte display. Yes, that means there's no glossiness or reflections, and yes, it's great! We actually were able to work on the laptop on a bright day without putting up any sort of shade. Too boot, the display is quite bright and the viewing angles are rather decent -- we had no problem sharing the screen in a tight airplane seat with our neighbor. We do have one complaint though -- the screen bezel is certainly glossy and can pick up its fair share of fingerprints.

Like the ThinkPad Edge 11, the U260 is available with both Core i3 and i5 ultra-low voltage processors -- Lenovo sent us the highest end configuration with a 1.33GHz Core i5 CPU and 4GB of RAM. As one would expect, the machine handled the brunt of our usual computing tasks, including simultaneously writing this review in Microsoft Word, chatting with friends in Trillian, checking our Twitter feed in TweetDeck, and surfing the web with multiple tabs open in Chrome. Even when we threw a 720p clip into the mix the system was able to keep up.

Speaking of HD content, the machine has no problems with full HD video, but as you can see from its 3DMark scores, it's definitely not a gaming rig. It should be fine for some light mainstream or Flash games, but you're not gonna want to fire up Black Ops on this thing, unless you're cool with playing at very, very low settings. We have to admit it would have been nice to see Lenovo put the U260 up with both discrete graphics and SSD options, though the latter can be accomplished on your own as the entire bottom of the system is removable. Obviously, we didn't test the waters on that with our review unit.

	PCMarkVantage	3DMark06	Battery Life
Lenovo IdeaPad U260	3858	1153	2:56
Lenovo IdeaPad U160 (Core i7 ULV)	3863	1175	3:10
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 11	2964	1105	4:42
Dell Inspiron M101z (Athlon II Neo K325)	2572	1311	3:35
ASUS Eee PC 1215N (Intel Atom D525)	1924	181/2480	5:42
Acer Aspire One 721 (Athlon II Neo K125)	1814	1235	3:30
Alienware M11x (Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300)	2689	654 / 5593	4:30

Processor:	Intel Core i5-470UM Processor ( 1.33GHz 800MHz 3MB )
Operating system:	Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64
Graphics:	Intel HD Graphics
Total memory	4 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz
Display:	12.5″ HD AntiGlare with integrated camera 1366×768
Pointing device:	Industry Standard Multi-touch 2 button touchpad
Hard Drive:	320GB 5400
Battery:	Li-Polymer
Network Card:	Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 1000
Bluetooth:	Bluetooth Version 2.1 + EDR
Warranty:	One year

Unfortunately, battery life is the U260's (expected) Achilles heel. On our usual video rundown test, which loops the same standard definition video with brightness set at 65 percent, the integrated 20Whr, four-cell Lithium Polymer battery lasted just two hours and 56 minutes. In regular use -- basically surfing the web and writing this review -- the system ran for about three hours and 20 minutes. Obviously, for a highly mobile system like this, the endurance is pretty terrible, and because there's no way to swap out the battery, you're pretty much stuck dragging the AC adapter with this thing everywhere you go.

Thankfully, there's better news on the heat side of things. Given our experience with the U160, we expected the system to get rather warm, but for the most part the system stayed relatively cool thanks to its "breathable keyboard" and Intel's latest Advanced Cooling technology. While we did notice the bottom right edge getting slightly warm, the vents in the back kept the entire chassis, including the keyboard and touchpad, at room temperature.

Software-wise, Lenovo's actually done a decent job of keeping this one crapware free. However, like the U160 it has a "Smile Dock," which can be launched by clicking on that creepy smile icon on the desktop. You can search Google and check Weatherbug from the dock itself, but other than that it's pretty useless and takes up precious screen real estate. Oovoo and McAfee are also preloaded.

How much are you willing to sacrifice for love? If you're anything like us, you're absolutely smitten with the U260's metal build, soft leather palm rest, brushed glass touchpad, and the fact that it packs Core i5 power in such a thin shell. But you're also asking yourself one question: can you live with just three to three and a half hours of battery life? For us the answer is sadly a flat no -- in fact, that sort of battery life is simply unacceptable in our book, especially when you consider that equally portable systems like theToshiba Portege R705 or the new MacBook Airs last at least two hours longer on a charge. It's a sad story of an amazingly attractive and solid performing laptop brought down by a single fatal flaw -- but if you can get past the battery life, nearly everything else about the U260 is almost perfect

Click Here To Read The Full Story »

Contour GPS helmet cam review

Helmet cameras have now achieved the pinnacle of HD recording: 1080p. If you have the cash, a head, and a pastime worth filming you have a few choices for full HD extreme POV recording. So what's a little lid-mounted recorder to do for its next trick? If you're Contour it's to add a positional sensor and the letters G, P, and S to your product and create the ContourGPS. It lets you not only record your extreme antics but also how fast you were going when you were partaking in them, plus a lot of other information. And, more promisingly, there's a suite of hardware updates here, some paving the way to letting you use your smartphone as a viewfinder. But how does this $350 piece of helmet jewelry perform on the ice? Keep on reading for some video evidence.

Updated hardware

The biggest update here is the included GPS receiver, naturally. Using it the camera adds positional information to the footage that it captures (at your choice of resolutions up to 1080p), which lets you later view the path covered and speed achieved while recording. Also new is a Bluetooth module, a nugget of silicon that's not doing anything right now but, in the near future, will enable mobile devices to receive video in real-time and to modify camera settings, a feature Contour calls Live Viewfinder.

Beyond that Contour has a habit of subtly tweaking and improving its camera designs with each revision, with the ContourHD 1080p model getting a more progressive slider compared to its 720p predecessor, along with a few other subtle tweaks. The new ContourGPS still shares the same look as those two that came before, but it offers still more modifications. The slider up top, which is used to start and stop recording, is now raised with little rubber nubbies sticking out. This makes it even easier to start and stop this camera without having to take off your super-comfy, fleece-lined mittens.

Around back the door that covers the battery case is now hard plastic and spring-loaded, much more secure than the previous one that always felt a bit flimsy. To keep it from flipping open at the wrong time a little lock has been added, but the push power button on the back remains unchanged. It's still awful hard to find with gloves on and sometimes hard to activate even bare handed.

Flip the door open and the layout inside is much the same, with a miniUSB port on the left (still no micro), battery on the right, and a microSD slot in the middle. The battery is now held in place by a spring-loaded clasp instead of the finicky rotating lock that always gave us problems before, and there's a tiny switch that lets you toggle between one of two modes. Which two modes? We're glad you asked.

We've never exactly been a fan of the software suite that's been provided with Contour's cameras, so we weren't too disappointed to see a wholly new software suite introduced here. It's called Storyteller unfortunately it's basically the same as before. Through this app you can download footage from your camera, view it, and upload it to Contour's site. You can also do simple editing -- as long as you only want to trim the front and the back off of the video. You can't do anything more advanced and, while you're free to do what you will using an external video tool (footage is encoded in a .mov container), if you do so you'll lose the GPS data. So much for that idea.

The software also lets you configure the camera, creating two configurations with different resolutions, exposure and sound settings, and also selecting whether GPS is enabled. Many of these tweaks will mess with your battery life, which the app will warn you about -- though it stops short of giving you any estimated figures.

Upload a video from the app and it'll show up on the Contour website, which attempts to offer a bit more social interaction than your YouTubes and the like. More important is that it has room for a map over on the right, providing a real-time Google Maps overlay of where the wearer was during this frame of footage and how fast they were going. At least, it will do that assuming the camera scored a GPS lock before the footage started recording.

So lets take a look at what comes in the box with the Contour GPS Camera:

• ContourGPS Camera
• Rechargeable Battery
• MicroSD Card (2GB)
• 2 Rotating Flat Surface Mounts
• Goggle Mount Rails
• Lens Cap
• Goggle Mount
• 2 Mount Tethers
• USB Cable
• Quick Start Guide

Lots of good stuff to get you started.

Now, let’s cover the specifics:

• 1080p Full HD at 30fps, 960p Tall HD at 30fps, 720p Action HD at 60fps and 720p Contour HD at 30fps.
• Built in GPS Receiver.
• Water Resistant Aluminum Shell weighing in at 5.3oz / 150 grams.
• 5 megapixel Still Photo Capture at intervals of 1, 2, 5, 10, 30 or 60 seconds.
• Expandable Storage - SD Memory Capacity up to 32GB.
• 135º Angle of View in 960p and 720p, 110º in 1080p.
• Newly Designed Omnidirectional Microphone.
• Rechargeable Lithium Battery.
• Multi Sport Mounting - package includes Goggle Mount, 2 Rotating Flat Surface Mounts and 2 Mount Tethers for camera security.
• Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7; Mac OS X 10.5 and later.
• 180 day manufacturers warranty.

Testing

Our first impressions with the camera out of the box were good, improved hardware feeling nice but still sharing the same sophisticated design as before. Sadly, our first impressions trying to use the thing were not so good. There's a little light on the front of the camera that blinks green when it's looking for GPS, turning solid when locked on. We tried and we wished as hard as we could but we just couldn't get it to go solid.

Once, when leaving the thing outside and on for 30 minutes it finally scored a lock, but we'd later find that it didn't connect to enough satellites to actually track our position. It was only after many, many failed attempts that we finally got a solid satellite lock -- while standing in the middle of a frozen lake, where we captured the above ice racing clip. Any trees overhead would block the signal, even particularly cloudy weather seemed to affect it. Once the camera had a lock it seemed okay even with some foliage overhead, but if we didn't start in a wide, wide open area all was lost. Well, all the GPS data, anyway. The footage would still record as normal.

You can see the results in the embed above for when we did finally get a lock, which charts our progress around the plowed out track, chasing down an opponent in a white Mitsubishi EVO. The pass was ultimately made but the position later given back, clipping a snow bank on the last lap of the race. Unfortunately we can't show you that part because the driver of the camera car took that opportunity to hurl a few choice bits of profanity. Since the Storyteller app doesn't allow you to cut out sections or do anything with the audio we simply had to cut the clip short.

Overall video and audio performance of the camera seems unchanged from our earlier review of the Contour 1080p, so you'll want to read that. Wind noise at high speeds is perhaps a bit better managed here but still very noticeable, as you can see in this other clip that we captured with the camera mounted on the roof. Curiously, the GPS didn't work for that one.

Battery life seems comparable to the 1080p model as well -- at least it is with the GPS module disabled. Recording at the highest quality 1080p mode with GPS enabled we eked out a minute short of two hours before our camera went kaput. Without GPS that time went up to 2.5 hours. Moving down to a 720p encoding at a lower bitrate battery life jumped another 30 minutes to three hours of continuous recording. If that's not enough you can plug the camera in to a charger while it's in use, assuming you have access to a charger while doing whatever extreme thing you're doing.

GPS accuracy, meanwhile, is good, but a low refresh rate in the camera can make for some occasionally chunky interpretation when you're moving at speed, as evidenced in the hairpin turn. You can see the difference of the camera's trace above on the left, compared to an external 5Hz Bluetooth GPS unit connected through TrackMaster on Android, shown on the right. However, since we captured this footage Contour has released an update enabling 4Hz refresh rates in GPS, which should go a long way to making things much more smooth.

The ContourGPS offers a subtly improved design that we think is definitely a step forward, and the inclusion of Bluetooth to enable the use of a smartphone as a viewfinder will be a huge coup when that releases. But that's not out now, and the poor performance of the GPS module itself makes the extra cost here -- $350 vs. $280 for the 1080p model -- something of a hard sell. At this point we'd go for the 1080p, get an extra battery for $30 and spend the rest on a nice dinner. But, that opinion may change once we get a chance to test out that upcoming live viewfinder mode, a feature that could truly set this camera apart.

What About Battery Life?

The Contour GPS sucks its power from a rechargeable lithium-ion battery… so not only are you doing something nice for the environment by not tossing out batteries… you are also giving yourself a nice, long battery life of up to 3 hours. Need to keep shooting? Grab an extra battery and keep it charged in your bag… just in case.

Durable Doesn’t Always Mean Heavy

The durable construction of this unit allows it to be used in some heavy hitting situations. Built from a tough, water resistant aluminum shell, the Contour GPS remains lightweight, sporting a streamlined silhouette, that really is perfect for mounting anywhere. Weighing in at a minimal 5.3oz / 150 grams, the Contour GPS is provides the best in versatility, because it really doesn’t hold you back in any way.

Designed to work perfectly with Contour’s TRail mounting system, the Contour GPS is perfectly compatible with all of Contour’s existing mounts. However, due to the new, more substantial record button which houses the GPS unit, this camera doesn’t fit into the existing waterproof case, but Contour is working on a case of its very own, to be released sometime this winter.

A major improvement in the body design of the Contour GPS has been made with the inclusion of the new locking back latch. This eliminates any fear of the latch opening to expose the battery, memory card and heart of the camera to the elements. In addition to this, the new, stiffer record button is much more difficult to accidentally knock into the on or off position. These welcome changes provide peace of mind when you are tearing down a super bumpy trail or a wet, muddy slope.

Right off the bat, this camera is different. I mean, it resembles its brethren, sporting Contour‘s great, original design… it’s sleek, cool, smooth and light… but the Contour GPS is still a little different. There are a few additions and alterations that put this camera into a place of its very own. Holding the two cameras at same time suggests that the Contour GPS has been beefed up a bit. This lends a bit more piece of mind, in terms of the cameras capabilities in those extreme, rough and tumble situations. It doesn’t stop there… in addition, the Contour GPS also addresses some previous concerns about the original ContourHD 1080p Camera. For instance, the back cover on the previous design wasn’t all that it could be… and for some, had the periodic tendency to flip open, exposing the battery and memory card, eliminating any protection they were getting from the elements. With the all new Contour GPS, this has been fixed, replacing the previous cover with a latching and locking back cover that isn’t going fly open in the middle of an extreme adventure.

Another sweet improvement is the new record switch. Requiring a good amount of pressure to move between the record and off positions, now there is no fear of accidentally bumping the switch, which was previously easy to slide with no effort. The new Contour GPS record button also houses the GPS unit, adding a bit of height to the camera… which I think totally adds an added sharpness to its silhouette. The down side to this button is that it makes the Contour GPS too tall to fit into the existingWaterproof Case. However, to rectify this, Contour is on it, and will be releasing a Waterproof Case specifically for the Contour GPS in Spring 2011.

I am also a fan of the Contour GPS’s Angle of View. It is just wide enough, without overly distorting the imagery. Wide angles lenses are great for recording action sports, no question, although personally, I think 110º in 1080p and 135º in 960 and 720 are totally sufficient, taking in the scene without too much of a fish eye effect. But hey, that’s just me!

I find it handy that the Contour GPS sports a range of indicator lights as well, it is always letting you know what’s going on. The blinking light on the front of the base systematically blinks green until a GPS signal is acquired, in which case it turns solid green. This is definitely a handy feature, because it lets you know that your engaged, instead of just hoping that you are. Directly behind the GPS signal light, at the back of the base of the camera, you’ve got a second light that engages when your memory card begins to reach capacity and finally, on the back of the camera at the top, you have a battery light, which indicates when you are reaching the end of your battery’s life. These are some pretty convenient features that make up for the lack of an LCD screen.

How about Pros and Cons…

Pros

• Outstanding HD Video Quality.
• Durable, rough and tumble body.
• 5 MP Still Photo Capabilities.
• Built in GPS, documenting speed, altitude and location on an interactive map.
• It comes with a lens cap… no more scratches!
• Slim, Sleek and lightweight.
• Rechargeable battery.
• Newly Designed Omnidirectional Microphone for better audio capture.
• Default data recording rate is half of the ContourHD 1080p, which provides the same high quality recording, while using half the space.
• Replaceable lens in case of scratching or breakage.

Cons

• No LCD screen, but this does keep the camera streamlined.
• Not waterproof without a Waterproof Case.
• Settings have to be configured through Contour’s Storyteller Application.
• The Storyteller Application is still a little buggy, but Contour is working on this issue.

Helmet cameras have now achieved the pinnacle of HD recording: 1080p. If you have the cash, a head, and a pastime worth filming you have a few choices for full HD extreme POV recording. So what's a little lid-mounted recorder to do for its next trick? If you're Contour it's to add a positional sensor and the letters G, P, and S to your product and create the ContourGPS. It lets you not only record your extreme antics but also how fast you were going when you were partaking in them, plus a lot of other information. And, more promisingly, there's a suite of hardware updates here, some paving the way to letting you use your smartphone as a viewfinder. But how does this $350 piece of helmet jewelry perform on the ice? Keep on reading for some video evidence.

Updated hardware

The biggest update here is the included GPS receiver, naturally. Using it the camera adds positional information to the footage that it captures (at your choice of resolutions up to 1080p), which lets you later view the path covered and speed achieved while recording. Also new is a Bluetooth module, a nugget of silicon that's not doing anything right now but, in the near future, will enable mobile devices to receive video in real-time and to modify camera settings, a feature Contour calls Live Viewfinder.

Beyond that Contour has a habit of subtly tweaking and improving its camera designs with each revision, with the ContourHD 1080p model getting a more progressive slider compared to its 720p predecessor, along with a few other subtle tweaks. The new ContourGPS still shares the same look as those two that came before, but it offers still more modifications. The slider up top, which is used to start and stop recording, is now raised with little rubber nubbies sticking out. This makes it even easier to start and stop this camera without having to take off your super-comfy, fleece-lined mittens.

Around back the door that covers the battery case is now hard plastic and spring-loaded, much more secure than the previous one that always felt a bit flimsy. To keep it from flipping open at the wrong time a little lock has been added, but the push power button on the back remains unchanged. It's still awful hard to find with gloves on and sometimes hard to activate even bare handed.

Flip the door open and the layout inside is much the same, with a miniUSB port on the left (still no micro), battery on the right, and a microSD slot in the middle. The battery is now held in place by a spring-loaded clasp instead of the finicky rotating lock that always gave us problems before, and there's a tiny switch that lets you toggle between one of two modes. Which two modes? We're glad you asked.

We've never exactly been a fan of the software suite that's been provided with Contour's cameras, so we weren't too disappointed to see a wholly new software suite introduced here. It's called Storyteller unfortunately it's basically the same as before. Through this app you can download footage from your camera, view it, and upload it to Contour's site. You can also do simple editing -- as long as you only want to trim the front and the back off of the video. You can't do anything more advanced and, while you're free to do what you will using an external video tool (footage is encoded in a .mov container), if you do so you'll lose the GPS data. So much for that idea.

The software also lets you configure the camera, creating two configurations with different resolutions, exposure and sound settings, and also selecting whether GPS is enabled. Many of these tweaks will mess with your battery life, which the app will warn you about -- though it stops short of giving you any estimated figures.

Upload a video from the app and it'll show up on the Contour website, which attempts to offer a bit more social interaction than your YouTubes and the like. More important is that it has room for a map over on the right, providing a real-time Google Maps overlay of where the wearer was during this frame of footage and how fast they were going. At least, it will do that assuming the camera scored a GPS lock before the footage started recording.

So lets take a look at what comes in the box with the Contour GPS Camera:

• ContourGPS Camera
• Rechargeable Battery
• MicroSD Card (2GB)
• 2 Rotating Flat Surface Mounts
• Goggle Mount Rails
• Lens Cap
• Goggle Mount
• 2 Mount Tethers
• USB Cable
• Quick Start Guide

Lots of good stuff to get you started.

Now, let’s cover the specifics:

• 1080p Full HD at 30fps, 960p Tall HD at 30fps, 720p Action HD at 60fps and 720p Contour HD at 30fps.
• Built in GPS Receiver.
• Water Resistant Aluminum Shell weighing in at 5.3oz / 150 grams.
• 5 megapixel Still Photo Capture at intervals of 1, 2, 5, 10, 30 or 60 seconds.
• Expandable Storage - SD Memory Capacity up to 32GB.
• 135º Angle of View in 960p and 720p, 110º in 1080p.
• Newly Designed Omnidirectional Microphone.
• Rechargeable Lithium Battery.
• Multi Sport Mounting - package includes Goggle Mount, 2 Rotating Flat Surface Mounts and 2 Mount Tethers for camera security.
• Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7; Mac OS X 10.5 and later.
• 180 day manufacturers warranty.

Testing

Our first impressions with the camera out of the box were good, improved hardware feeling nice but still sharing the same sophisticated design as before. Sadly, our first impressions trying to use the thing were not so good. There's a little light on the front of the camera that blinks green when it's looking for GPS, turning solid when locked on. We tried and we wished as hard as we could but we just couldn't get it to go solid.

Once, when leaving the thing outside and on for 30 minutes it finally scored a lock, but we'd later find that it didn't connect to enough satellites to actually track our position. It was only after many, many failed attempts that we finally got a solid satellite lock -- while standing in the middle of a frozen lake, where we captured the above ice racing clip. Any trees overhead would block the signal, even particularly cloudy weather seemed to affect it. Once the camera had a lock it seemed okay even with some foliage overhead, but if we didn't start in a wide, wide open area all was lost. Well, all the GPS data, anyway. The footage would still record as normal.

You can see the results in the embed above for when we did finally get a lock, which charts our progress around the plowed out track, chasing down an opponent in a white Mitsubishi EVO. The pass was ultimately made but the position later given back, clipping a snow bank on the last lap of the race. Unfortunately we can't show you that part because the driver of the camera car took that opportunity to hurl a few choice bits of profanity. Since the Storyteller app doesn't allow you to cut out sections or do anything with the audio we simply had to cut the clip short.

Overall video and audio performance of the camera seems unchanged from our earlier review of the Contour 1080p, so you'll want to read that. Wind noise at high speeds is perhaps a bit better managed here but still very noticeable, as you can see in this other clip that we captured with the camera mounted on the roof. Curiously, the GPS didn't work for that one.

Battery life seems comparable to the 1080p model as well -- at least it is with the GPS module disabled. Recording at the highest quality 1080p mode with GPS enabled we eked out a minute short of two hours before our camera went kaput. Without GPS that time went up to 2.5 hours. Moving down to a 720p encoding at a lower bitrate battery life jumped another 30 minutes to three hours of continuous recording. If that's not enough you can plug the camera in to a charger while it's in use, assuming you have access to a charger while doing whatever extreme thing you're doing.

GPS accuracy, meanwhile, is good, but a low refresh rate in the camera can make for some occasionally chunky interpretation when you're moving at speed, as evidenced in the hairpin turn. You can see the difference of the camera's trace above on the left, compared to an external 5Hz Bluetooth GPS unit connected through TrackMaster on Android, shown on the right. However, since we captured this footage Contour has released an update enabling 4Hz refresh rates in GPS, which should go a long way to making things much more smooth.

The ContourGPS offers a subtly improved design that we think is definitely a step forward, and the inclusion of Bluetooth to enable the use of a smartphone as a viewfinder will be a huge coup when that releases. But that's not out now, and the poor performance of the GPS module itself makes the extra cost here -- $350 vs. $280 for the 1080p model -- something of a hard sell. At this point we'd go for the 1080p, get an extra battery for $30 and spend the rest on a nice dinner. But, that opinion may change once we get a chance to test out that upcoming live viewfinder mode, a feature that could truly set this camera apart.

What About Battery Life?

The Contour GPS sucks its power from a rechargeable lithium-ion battery… so not only are you doing something nice for the environment by not tossing out batteries… you are also giving yourself a nice, long battery life of up to 3 hours. Need to keep shooting? Grab an extra battery and keep it charged in your bag… just in case.

Durable Doesn’t Always Mean Heavy

The durable construction of this unit allows it to be used in some heavy hitting situations. Built from a tough, water resistant aluminum shell, the Contour GPS remains lightweight, sporting a streamlined silhouette, that really is perfect for mounting anywhere. Weighing in at a minimal 5.3oz / 150 grams, the Contour GPS is provides the best in versatility, because it really doesn’t hold you back in any way.

Designed to work perfectly with Contour’s TRail mounting system, the Contour GPS is perfectly compatible with all of Contour’s existing mounts. However, due to the new, more substantial record button which houses the GPS unit, this camera doesn’t fit into the existing waterproof case, but Contour is working on a case of its very own, to be released sometime this winter.

A major improvement in the body design of the Contour GPS has been made with the inclusion of the new locking back latch. This eliminates any fear of the latch opening to expose the battery, memory card and heart of the camera to the elements. In addition to this, the new, stiffer record button is much more difficult to accidentally knock into the on or off position. These welcome changes provide peace of mind when you are tearing down a super bumpy trail or a wet, muddy slope.

Right off the bat, this camera is different. I mean, it resembles its brethren, sporting Contour‘s great, original design… it’s sleek, cool, smooth and light… but the Contour GPS is still a little different. There are a few additions and alterations that put this camera into a place of its very own. Holding the two cameras at same time suggests that the Contour GPS has been beefed up a bit. This lends a bit more piece of mind, in terms of the cameras capabilities in those extreme, rough and tumble situations. It doesn’t stop there… in addition, the Contour GPS also addresses some previous concerns about the original ContourHD 1080p Camera. For instance, the back cover on the previous design wasn’t all that it could be… and for some, had the periodic tendency to flip open, exposing the battery and memory card, eliminating any protection they were getting from the elements. With the all new Contour GPS, this has been fixed, replacing the previous cover with a latching and locking back cover that isn’t going fly open in the middle of an extreme adventure.

Another sweet improvement is the new record switch. Requiring a good amount of pressure to move between the record and off positions, now there is no fear of accidentally bumping the switch, which was previously easy to slide with no effort. The new Contour GPS record button also houses the GPS unit, adding a bit of height to the camera… which I think totally adds an added sharpness to its silhouette. The down side to this button is that it makes the Contour GPS too tall to fit into the existingWaterproof Case. However, to rectify this, Contour is on it, and will be releasing a Waterproof Case specifically for the Contour GPS in Spring 2011.

I am also a fan of the Contour GPS’s Angle of View. It is just wide enough, without overly distorting the imagery. Wide angles lenses are great for recording action sports, no question, although personally, I think 110º in 1080p and 135º in 960 and 720 are totally sufficient, taking in the scene without too much of a fish eye effect. But hey, that’s just me!

I find it handy that the Contour GPS sports a range of indicator lights as well, it is always letting you know what’s going on. The blinking light on the front of the base systematically blinks green until a GPS signal is acquired, in which case it turns solid green. This is definitely a handy feature, because it lets you know that your engaged, instead of just hoping that you are. Directly behind the GPS signal light, at the back of the base of the camera, you’ve got a second light that engages when your memory card begins to reach capacity and finally, on the back of the camera at the top, you have a battery light, which indicates when you are reaching the end of your battery’s life. These are some pretty convenient features that make up for the lack of an LCD screen.

How about Pros and Cons…

Pros

• Outstanding HD Video Quality.
• Durable, rough and tumble body.
• 5 MP Still Photo Capabilities.
• Built in GPS, documenting speed, altitude and location on an interactive map.
• It comes with a lens cap… no more scratches!
• Slim, Sleek and lightweight.
• Rechargeable battery.
• Newly Designed Omnidirectional Microphone for better audio capture.
• Default data recording rate is half of the ContourHD 1080p, which provides the same high quality recording, while using half the space.
• Replaceable lens in case of scratching or breakage.

Cons

• No LCD screen, but this does keep the camera streamlined.
• Not waterproof without a Waterproof Case.
• Settings have to be configured through Contour’s Storyteller Application.
• The Storyteller Application is still a little buggy, but Contour is working on this issue.

Click Here To Read The Full Story »

iPad 2 Announcement Coming on Feb.9 – iPad 2 Release Date Announcement

Earlier today we also brought you the news that the higher-definition display that has been speculated, is more likely to come to the iPad 3 rather than the iPad 2. Here’s one that almost is too easy to believe. The original iPad had a 27 on the calendar app and was presented on January 27th. The new iPad has a 9 so one would think that Apple’s presentation will be on February 9th (a Wednesday).

Also, a February 9th announcement would mean a 2+ month lead time for the iPad 2, assuming an April release date. Our writer and in-house Apple expert John Brownlee, noted the lead time was long for the original iPad, but that was a new product and the speculation about it had gotten completely out of hand by January 2010. He expects a shorter turn-around time between the iPad 2 announcement and its release date, possibly under a month.

Apparently the image is supposed to be from an iPad 2 launch homescreen that shows a calendar application date of February 9. This matches what happened last year when a leaked shot of the original iPad showed a calendar application date of January 27, which indeed turned out to be the date that Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the iPad to the world.

Earlier this month Apple released a beta version of iOS 4.3 to developers, who in typical fashion, promptly uncovered all sorts of hidden gems, including a hint about the announcement of the iPad 2. Within iOS 4.3, developers uncovered an image in the iOS that allows user to preview wallpaper selections by overlaying array of standard iOS icons, including an icon for Facetime, Camera, and Photobooth. While these fall in line with previous rumors that the iPad 2 will sport front and rear facing cameras, some allege a clue can be found within the build’s calendar icon.

Earlier today we also brought you the news that the higher-definition display that has been speculated, is more likely to come to the iPad 3 rather than the iPad 2. Here’s one that almost is too easy to believe. The original iPad had a 27 on the calendar app and was presented on January 27th. The new iPad has a 9 so one would think that Apple’s presentation will be on February 9th (a Wednesday).

Also, a February 9th announcement would mean a 2+ month lead time for the iPad 2, assuming an April release date. Our writer and in-house Apple expert John Brownlee, noted the lead time was long for the original iPad, but that was a new product and the speculation about it had gotten completely out of hand by January 2010. He expects a shorter turn-around time between the iPad 2 announcement and its release date, possibly under a month.

Apparently the image is supposed to be from an iPad 2 launch homescreen that shows a calendar application date of February 9. This matches what happened last year when a leaked shot of the original iPad showed a calendar application date of January 27, which indeed turned out to be the date that Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the iPad to the world.

Earlier this month Apple released a beta version of iOS 4.3 to developers, who in typical fashion, promptly uncovered all sorts of hidden gems, including a hint about the announcement of the iPad 2. Within iOS 4.3, developers uncovered an image in the iOS that allows user to preview wallpaper selections by overlaying array of standard iOS icons, including an icon for Facetime, Camera, and Photobooth. While these fall in line with previous rumors that the iPad 2 will sport front and rear facing cameras, some allege a clue can be found within the build’s calendar icon.

Click Here To Read The Full Story »

True Utility Fire Stash

There are many things you could put on your keychain that you might think are cool and some of them may have some significance to you, however, you are probably missing one very interesting item. You probably do not have anything from the True Utility line of keychain products and you should. They offer some very interesting items that are both practical and very stylish to carry around on your key chains.

The True Utility website features products that are made with the newest technology, like windproof lighters and ultra-bright L.E.D. torches. If you are a smoker and you have ever tried to light up when it is windy, then you know how cool it would be to have a windproof lighter right on your keychain. Plus how many times have you lost your lighter or had someone accidentally borrow it and never give it back? This will never be an issue if it is attached to your keys, unless, of course, you lose your keys on a regular basis.

The keychain products you will find at True Utility are comfortable, compact, very sleek, the smartest on the market, and always multi-functional. These will not just be some extra decoration you are hauling around in your purse or in your pockets, but instead this will be a useful item that you might just be using every single day.

There is a multi-tool for everybody. From the LED version to the simple key chain version you can choose from a wide range of compact multi tools that will keep you prepared even in the strangest of circumstances. Plus every single one of the tools that True Utility offers comes with a 1 year guarantee so you know they are quality tools.

True Utility was founded in 2000 and since then has grown to supply over 3,000 retail stores with their products. They have stuck to their goals of providing the highest standards in product design, on-going brand development, and customer service. They do all of this and still offer affordable prices on all of their products.

Simply put, if you do not already own one of the windproof lighters, LED torches, multi-tools, knives, pocket tools, or one of the many key ring accessories that True Utility offers, then you need to check out their website. You will be impressed with the selection of products and designs. There really is something for everybody and you will be happy you ventured on over to their website

There are many things you could put on your keychain that you might think are cool and some of them may have some significance to you, however, you are probably missing one very interesting item. You probably do not have anything from the True Utility line of keychain products and you should. They offer some very interesting items that are both practical and very stylish to carry around on your key chains.

The True Utility website features products that are made with the newest technology, like windproof lighters and ultra-bright L.E.D. torches. If you are a smoker and you have ever tried to light up when it is windy, then you know how cool it would be to have a windproof lighter right on your keychain. Plus how many times have you lost your lighter or had someone accidentally borrow it and never give it back? This will never be an issue if it is attached to your keys, unless, of course, you lose your keys on a regular basis.

The keychain products you will find at True Utility are comfortable, compact, very sleek, the smartest on the market, and always multi-functional. These will not just be some extra decoration you are hauling around in your purse or in your pockets, but instead this will be a useful item that you might just be using every single day.

There is a multi-tool for everybody. From the LED version to the simple key chain version you can choose from a wide range of compact multi tools that will keep you prepared even in the strangest of circumstances. Plus every single one of the tools that True Utility offers comes with a 1 year guarantee so you know they are quality tools.

True Utility was founded in 2000 and since then has grown to supply over 3,000 retail stores with their products. They have stuck to their goals of providing the highest standards in product design, on-going brand development, and customer service. They do all of this and still offer affordable prices on all of their products.

Simply put, if you do not already own one of the windproof lighters, LED torches, multi-tools, knives, pocket tools, or one of the many key ring accessories that True Utility offers, then you need to check out their website. You will be impressed with the selection of products and designs. There really is something for everybody and you will be happy you ventured on over to their website

Click Here To Read The Full Story »

JVC announces 3 new Everio HD Camcoder

JVC announced this morning three new Everio Camcorder with two of them, the High-end GZ-HM690 and GZ-HM670 (Picture above) comes with a 3.3Mpix B.S.I or Back Side Illuminated CMOS Sensor, offering better video quality in Low light. While the lower end model the HM450 only has a 1.5MP CMOS sensor.

Both Models comes with AVCHD and Full HD video recording at 24Mbps, the support of SD, SDHC and SDXC cards and for 32GB of internal memory for the GZ-HM670 or 64GB of internal memory for the GZ-HM690.

All three models will be available in Japan, pricing $950(80,000 Yen) for the GZ-HM670 with 32GB of internal memory, $950(100,000 Yen) for the HM690 with 64GB internal memory and $540(45000 Yen) for the low-end model with just 8GB on board. No information as yet has been provided regards worldwide availability.

JVC announced this morning three new Everio Camcorder with two of them, the High-end GZ-HM690 and GZ-HM670 (Picture above) comes with a 3.3Mpix B.S.I or Back Side Illuminated CMOS Sensor, offering better video quality in Low light. While the lower end model the HM450 only has a 1.5MP CMOS sensor.

Both Models comes with AVCHD and Full HD video recording at 24Mbps, the support of SD, SDHC and SDXC cards and for 32GB of internal memory for the GZ-HM670 or 64GB of internal memory for the GZ-HM690.

All three models will be available in Japan, pricing $950(80,000 Yen) for the GZ-HM670 with 32GB of internal memory, $950(100,000 Yen) for the HM690 with 64GB internal memory and $540(45000 Yen) for the low-end model with just 8GB on board. No information as yet has been provided regards worldwide availability.

Click Here To Read The Full Story »

Olympus E-PL2 Camera’s New Image emerged online

You may have seen Olympus E-PL2 a few days ago, Here’s the new Image of Olympus E-PL2 to be announced at CES on January 6.

The Micro Four Thirds is expected to boast a new 14-42mm f/3.5 – 5.6 kit lens, a ‘direct movie’ button, a high-resolution 3-inch display, and an optional Bluetooth model. The adjustable LED will not run off an extra battery, which means the total weight of your camera will be maintained without any worries of suffering from dislocated or sore shoulders after a long day of toting it around.

The camera may also revolve around a special companion to help smartphone owners offload photos. Nicknamed Penpal, the module would slip on to the hot shoe and send photos over Bluetooth to a paired Android or Windows Mobile (but not Windows Phone) device. Resulting images could then post to Facebook, Flickr and others without having to bring a computer into the equation.

It seems the Device will be available around February in the Market

You may have seen Olympus E-PL2 a few days ago, Here’s the new Image of Olympus E-PL2 to be announced at CES on January 6.

The Micro Four Thirds is expected to boast a new 14-42mm f/3.5 – 5.6 kit lens, a ‘direct movie’ button, a high-resolution 3-inch display, and an optional Bluetooth model. The adjustable LED will not run off an extra battery, which means the total weight of your camera will be maintained without any worries of suffering from dislocated or sore shoulders after a long day of toting it around.

The camera may also revolve around a special companion to help smartphone owners offload photos. Nicknamed Penpal, the module would slip on to the hot shoe and send photos over Bluetooth to a paired Android or Windows Mobile (but not Windows Phone) device. Resulting images could then post to Facebook, Flickr and others without having to bring a computer into the equation.

It seems the Device will be available around February in the Market

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FINEPIX REAL 3D W3 DIGITAL CAMERA

My family loves keeping pictures and videos of everybody. It matters a lot that in times of gatherings and different events; everything is captured through photos and videos. My mother’s weakness great weakness is cameras. She keeps in her cabinet a lot of camera – from the cameras that requires films that needs to be developed, to the digital and SLR cameras of today. She toys a lot with our images using her cameras. She uses different themes and edits the pictures that she took in her laptop. When my elder sister saw the new camera model released by Fujifilm, the FinePix REAL 3D W3 Digital Camera, we already planned on getting her one – in time for her birthday next month. Its slim feature is very fashionable. You can simply slip it somewhere giving you the ease of carrying it anywhere. For one, at its thinnest point, it only measures 21mm while weighing a surprising 8.5 ounces. Personally, I am fascinated with this new camera model from Fujifilm. You can take photos and videos with high resolution and in 3D and playback the stuff you took through 3D television systems. It has a autostereoscopic 3D widescreen 3.5” LCD display. With its twin 10-megapixel CCD sensors alongside dual FUJINON 3x optical zoom lenses, capturing high-definition and 3D photos and videos gives delight to anyone who’ll use it. Indeed, the world now goes 3D.

My family loves keeping pictures and videos of everybody. It matters a lot that in times of gatherings and different events; everything is captured through photos and videos. My mother’s weakness great weakness is cameras. She keeps in her cabinet a lot of camera – from the cameras that requires films that needs to be developed, to the digital and SLR cameras of today. She toys a lot with our images using her cameras. She uses different themes and edits the pictures that she took in her laptop. When my elder sister saw the new camera model released by Fujifilm, the FinePix REAL 3D W3 Digital Camera, we already planned on getting her one – in time for her birthday next month. Its slim feature is very fashionable. You can simply slip it somewhere giving you the ease of carrying it anywhere. For one, at its thinnest point, it only measures 21mm while weighing a surprising 8.5 ounces. Personally, I am fascinated with this new camera model from Fujifilm. You can take photos and videos with high resolution and in 3D and playback the stuff you took through 3D television systems. It has a autostereoscopic 3D widescreen 3.5” LCD display. With its twin 10-megapixel CCD sensors alongside dual FUJINON 3x optical zoom lenses, capturing high-definition and 3D photos and videos gives delight to anyone who’ll use it. Indeed, the world now goes 3D.

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Jawbone ERA Bluetooth headset

You know what the big deal about using your cell phone while driving – it not only endangers your life, but that of other road users as well. Hence, in many countries, it is against the law to do so, making hands-free kits a must. Some people prefer to opt for a wired solution, while others look towards Bluetooth connectivity being their savior.

Jawbone has brought their expertise to the world of wireless communications with the Jawbone ERA Bluetooth headset, which is also the latest in their collection. The Jawbone ERA Bluetooth headset is touted to deliver the highest quality HD audio experience on-the-go, boasting unprecedented intelligence courtesy of motion technology and a robust computing platform which will work in tandem to deliver richer applications.

Jawbone CEO and founder Hosain Rahman claims that they have “perfected a complete in-bound and out-bound audio experience that is so rich it is almost addictive – whether you are listening to your favorite song or a phone call.” Of course, apart from HD (High Definition) audio, the use of integrated sensors and intelligence will also pave open the road for new ways to interact with the device and apps via natural, intuitive motion control, and this alone is hoped to change the way we use headsets.

Thanks to a 25% larger wideband speaker, expect High Definition audio to be the norm even while you converse over the phone, listen to music, watch movies and play games. Jawbone will also be relying on their legacy of noise-cancelling expertise by including the newest version of military-grade NoiseAssassin 3.0 technology with the Jawbone ERA Bluetooth headset. Being able to detect your surroundings, it will then go ahead and adjust the inbound volume and intelligibility, regardless of whether you are in a restaurant, ball game or traffic, so that your ears will be able to enjoy the clearest, richest sound, automatically without any user intervention.

Not only that, the Jawbone ERA Bluetooth headset is also hailed to be the first headset with a built-in accelerometer and MotionX, being one of the more accurate motion sensing technology on the market thanks to their partnership with Fullpower-MotionX, the leaders in motion technology. Jawbone ERA is capable of detecting your natural movements when you interact with it right out of the box. Available for $129 a pop, it will come in Shadowbox, Smokescreen, Midnight and Silver Lining designs.

You know what the big deal about using your cell phone while driving – it not only endangers your life, but that of other road users as well. Hence, in many countries, it is against the law to do so, making hands-free kits a must. Some people prefer to opt for a wired solution, while others look towards Bluetooth connectivity being their savior.

Jawbone has brought their expertise to the world of wireless communications with the Jawbone ERA Bluetooth headset, which is also the latest in their collection. The Jawbone ERA Bluetooth headset is touted to deliver the highest quality HD audio experience on-the-go, boasting unprecedented intelligence courtesy of motion technology and a robust computing platform which will work in tandem to deliver richer applications.

Jawbone CEO and founder Hosain Rahman claims that they have “perfected a complete in-bound and out-bound audio experience that is so rich it is almost addictive – whether you are listening to your favorite song or a phone call.” Of course, apart from HD (High Definition) audio, the use of integrated sensors and intelligence will also pave open the road for new ways to interact with the device and apps via natural, intuitive motion control, and this alone is hoped to change the way we use headsets.

Thanks to a 25% larger wideband speaker, expect High Definition audio to be the norm even while you converse over the phone, listen to music, watch movies and play games. Jawbone will also be relying on their legacy of noise-cancelling expertise by including the newest version of military-grade NoiseAssassin 3.0 technology with the Jawbone ERA Bluetooth headset. Being able to detect your surroundings, it will then go ahead and adjust the inbound volume and intelligibility, regardless of whether you are in a restaurant, ball game or traffic, so that your ears will be able to enjoy the clearest, richest sound, automatically without any user intervention.

Not only that, the Jawbone ERA Bluetooth headset is also hailed to be the first headset with a built-in accelerometer and MotionX, being one of the more accurate motion sensing technology on the market thanks to their partnership with Fullpower-MotionX, the leaders in motion technology. Jawbone ERA is capable of detecting your natural movements when you interact with it right out of the box. Available for $129 a pop, it will come in Shadowbox, Smokescreen, Midnight and Silver Lining designs.

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