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Top 12 Gadget Gifts for Mom

by Evan Shamoon, posted May 9th 2008 at 8:07PMFeatured Story

Mother's Day is here, as it is every year, and we've got some top picks of the latest gadgets that most Moms would like. Some of our choices save time, others just look cool while offering some basic functions that we expect of our gadgets (such as taking pictures or blasting music). We've picked some devices based on their ease of use, for those Moms who are tech-averse, as well as some slightly harder-to-use, state-of-the-art items, for moms who are tech-savvy. Either way, your Mom is bound to be a little more wired after you hand her one of the following 12 items.


This brand-new ultra compact from Samsung L210 boasts a 2.5 inch LCD display, as well as a 10.2-megapixel sensor with 3x optical zoom. It uses two forms of image stabilization -- both optical and digital -- meaning it's great for those moms who always end up with blurry photos (you know who you are...mom). It also incorporates face recognition technology: This detects the subject's face, automatically adjusting auto focus and auto exposure to ensure better composition and image quality in portraits. All of this is included with 10-megabytes (MB) of internal flash memory, and the ability to record MPEG-4 movies. Oh, and it comes in a variety of mom-friendly colors, including red, black, pink, and silver.

Mother's Day Gift Guide: Kodak EasyShare M1020 Digital Frame

by Evan Shamoon, posted May 9th 2008 at 9:11AM



Kodak's latest M1020 digital picture frame ($229.95) comes in at an impressive 10.2-inch screen size (800 x 480 pixels), and along with showing standard photos, also plays videos and MP3s. It features Kodak's Quick Touch Border, which lets you zoom, delete, or organize images just by touching the screen. The frame supports pretty much every memory card format out there, including SD, MMC, Memory Stick, xD, and Compact Flash cards. Oh, and its subtle white bezel looks more like a real picture frame -- something your tech-averse mom will certainly appreciate. Just make sure to load it with family photos before giving it to her...

Mother's Day Gift Guide: Smart Shopper

by Evan Shamoon, posted May 9th 2008 at 8:59AM



Call it grocery shopping 2.0: With the Smart Shopper ($122), Mom simply presses the center button on the unit and speaks the name of a grocery item or errand she needs to run (i.e. Pink Lady apples, Fruit Loops, Nacho Cheesier Doritos). The device uses voice recognition to to categorize the items on the list for quick reference in the grocery store, and designates quantities needed next to each item. Once she's ready to head out to go shopping, mom just presses print and the entire list is printed out. Or, instead, she teaches dad how to use it....

Mothers Day Gift Guide: Boston Acoustics Horizon

by Evan Shamoon, posted May 9th 2008 at 8:48AM



Boston Acoustics' new Horizon radios have "Mom" written all over them. The Horizon comes in two models: a mono model (Horizon Solo, $99.99), and a stereo model with built-in iPod dock (Horizon Duo-I, $199.99) -- both have a built-in AM/FM tuner. The Horizon radios have a clean, light visual design: rather than the being stuck with the usual gunmetal/black/gray color options, moms can customize the look of their radio with optional metal grilles in different home-decor-matching colors: Glacier, Rosebud (pictured), Onyx, Pearl Gray, Caramel, Chocolat, Spanish Moss, Olive, Red Hot, and Chili Pepper are all available.

Mother's Day Gift Guide: Wii Fit

by Evan Shamoon, posted May 9th 2008 at 8:42AM




For the mom that simply can't find time to make it to the gym, Wii Fit makes a great stand-in (and a wonderful excuse to buy a Nintendo Wii). The package comes with two components: the gaming software and a Wii Balance Board that you stand on. There are plenty of Wii Sports-style games included -- football, skiing and hoola hooping, to name but a few -- and a range of others designed to get Mom shaking her booty in the living room (competitively, of course). The package also includes a series of more intense exercises, ranging from yoga to circuit training: these are broken down into aerobic exercise, muscle conditioning, yoga poses and an assortment of fun balance games.

Mother's Day Gift Guide: iMac

by Evan Shamoon, posted May 9th 2008 at 8:32AM



There's no prettier or easier-to-use computer on Earth than the iMac, and Apple just launched the newest iteration, so it's the perfect time to buy one of these for a mom who's been asking about a new computer for monhts. The models range in size from 20 to 24 inches, and start at a decidedly affordable (though admittedly still high for Mother's Day) $1,200.They all include the speedy Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a minimum of 1-gigabyte (GB) of RAM and 250GB hard drive, an 8x SuperDrive for burning DVD's and CD's, a built-in iSight video camera, and AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless capability and Bluetooth 2.1. functionality. Oh, and a Mighty Mouse and Apple keyboard, obviously. Essentially, everything mom needs to get going ... or, rather, sitting.

Mother's Day Gift Guide: Dyson DC 16 Animal

by Evan Shamoon, posted May 9th 2008 at 2:36AM



Dyson's newest handheld vac is designed specially for those frustrated by pesky pet hair pick-up. The specially engineered motorized brushbar and twice the suction power of standard vacs, and the lithium Ion battery technology enables it to recharge up to three times faster than others like it. The vac is hygienic and quick to empty -- just push the button to release the toxic fallout. Oh, and there are no extra costs -- no bags to buy, and a two-year warranty for parts and labor. If there's one task every mom hates (besides giving birth), it's vacuuming -- might as well make it as painless as possible.

Apple Tops Consumer Reports Tech Support Ratings

by Evan Shamoon, posted May 6th 2008 at 1:47PMBreaking News



According to a recent Consumer Reports survey, Apple took the top spot for "technical support offered by computer makers" -- for both laptop and desktop support. The feedback came from owners of more than 4,500 laptops and almost 5,600 desktops computers who contacted manufacturer with technical difficulties.

On the 100 point scale, Apple scored an 83 in the laptop survey and an 81 on the desktop side -- both of which translate to "more than very satisfied"; according to Consumer Reports, Apple was the only manufacturer to top 80 in either category, beating out Lenovo, Dell, Toshiba, Gateway, Sony and HP.

A large part of Apple's success came from the on-site service that customers receive when visiting Apple stores: Genius Bar staff provided "the best troubleshooting by far," according to the report, solving problems 90 percent of the time. "The only drawback is if you're living somewhere that there isn't a store close by or if you're in a big city where the Genius Bar is likely to be really crowded," said Donna Tapellini, associate editor at Consumer Reports.

And while there's still room for improvement at Apple, which limits its phone-based tech support to 90 days, they're fixing ass and taking names. "Apple should continue to build out the store infrastructure," Gartenberg added. "And they should continue to invest in customer training. They're doing many of these things in the store at little or no cost. Apple is becoming the Nordstrom of customer service in terms of technology."

Which actually makes us think Apple could actually sell designer jeans, and people would buy them. Apple Bottoms, perhaps? [Source: MacWorld]

10 Least Useful iPod Accessories

by Evan Shamoon, posted May 5th 2008 at 10:39AMBreaking News


Okay, so the all-singing, all-dancing iPod is great for many things: Listening to music, watching movies, and ... well, that's kinda it, actually. But, like any social phenomenon, the iPod has had its fair share of exploitation by various corporate hangers-on.

So the folks at Cracked have compiled a list of the least useful iPod accessories money can (but really shouldn't) buy, ranging from an iPod breathalyzer to a hyper-uglifying bulletproof iPod case. But the worst bang for our collective buck? It's a toss-up between the SongThong (pictured above), which was seemingly designed solely on account of the fact that the names rhymed, and the PodShave/PodShaveLady, which was designed solely on account of some designer's deep psychological delusions. Cracked succinctly summarizes the device for us:

"Great for morons and camping enthusiasts, the PodShave and PodShaveLady are electric razor attachments that utilize your iPod's battery. It costs $41.05, and supposedly can both suck up your stubble as it shaves it off, and allow you to listen to your music as you shave."

If someone gives you any of these as a gift, immediately disavow them as friends and move on with your life.
[Source: Cracked]

Best iPhone Accessories

by Evan Shamoon, posted May 4th 2008 at 11:56AMFeatured Story

Chances are, you treat your iPhone better than you treat your children. You lavish it with attention, show it off to friends, and rub its underside when its battery is low. It sleeps next to you, and turning it on is your first order of business in the morning. So why not make it happy with some top-notch accessories? We've compiled a list of the best in every category -- and make your iPhone love you as much as you love it. Freak.



Best Case:

incase Slider

We've put quite a few cases on our iPhones, and there's a clear winner: incase's Slider ($34.99). It's ultra slim and made of quality, hardshell plastic -- something not the case with most of its competition (no pun intended), which quite drastically change the silhouette of the phone. On the inside are rubber guardrails, which provide shock absorption, and the bottom cover is removable, making it fit easily in most docks (the device is actually thin enough that it fit in all of our docks as-is). And then, of course, there are the looks: It's shiny, black or white Storm Trooper plastic that just looks awesome. It sounds crazy, but we like the way our iPhone looks more with the case on than without it. (And incase just released a black matte version if a more understated, non-Storm-Trooper look is more up your alley.)

Top Six iPhone Accessories

by Evan Shamoon, posted May 1st 2008 at 2:17PMFeatured Story

Chances are, you treat your iPhone better than you treat your children. You lavish it with attention, show it off to friends, and rub its underside when its battery is low. It sleeps next to you, and turning it on is your first order of business in the morning. So why not make it happy with some top-notch accessories? We've compiled a list of the best in every category -- and make your iPhone love you as much as you love it. Freak.



Best Case:

incase Slider

We've put quite a few cases on our iPhones, and there's a clear winner: incase's Slider ($34.99). It's ultra slim and made of quality, hardshell plastic -- something not the case with most of its competition (no pun intended), which quite drastically change the silhouette of the phone. On the inside are rubber guardrails, which provide shock absorption, and the bottom cover is removable, making it fit easily in most docks (the device is actually thin enough that it fit in all of our docks as-is). And then, of course, there are the looks: It's shiny, black or white Storm Trooper plastic that just looks awesome. It sounds crazy, but we like the way our iPhone looks more with the case on than without it. (And incase just released a black matte version if a more understated, non-Storm-Trooper look is more up your alley.)

Bill Gates Uses 10,000 Times the Energy of the Average American

by Evan Shamoon, posted Apr 29th 2008 at 10:16AMBreaking News




Some Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) students have begun to track the carbon footprint of different lifestyles in different nations. As you may have guessed, Americans don't fare too well. Apparently, even the most power conscious yankees use at least twice the energy of the average person around the world. There is a oft-cited statistic that says if the entire globe used power like we do, we'd need five Earths to compensate for it. MIT Professor of Mechanical Engineering Timothy Gutowski says, "Regardless of income, there is a certain floor below which the individual carbon footprint of a person in the U.S. will not drop."

Because carbon footprint impact tends to rise with income, it may come as no surprise that the worst carbon criminals are the super-rich -- Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey are specifically named. Perhaps more remarkable, however, are the numbers: the MIT folks estimated Bill Gates' impact at 10,000 times the national average.

Bill, dude, easy on the AC, okay? We know it's hot. [Source: TG Daily]

Debunking the Science On ABC's 'Lost'

by Evan Shamoon, posted Apr 28th 2008 at 12:11PM




If you're a living, breathing human being, it's safe to say you watch 'Lost.' But do you ever wonder just how "scientific" their science is? Popular Mechanics did, and spoke with its creators about it.

Apparently, show runners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse "agonize over the real-life science behind the sci-fi drama as much as they do over six-year plot arcs and love triangles."

Of course, it's not all hard science, but before the crew in Hawaii gets going, eight writers in Los Angeles dissect each episode like a polar bear cadaver. Script coordinator Greg Nations tracks down specific research, while the rest of the writer's room relies on their own knowledge and decades of engineering know-how passed down by Cuse's father.

Interestingly, though, Michio Kaku, author of Physics of the Impossible, thinks the 'Lost' creators are "using cutting-edge science to lay the groundwork for a transversible wormhole to another point in space and time" – specifically the Orchid station, which Lindelhof and Cuse have promised would be a key to the next few episodes. "They're amping up the energy to the point where space and time begin to tear, and the fabric begins to rip," says Kaku. "When the fabric of space and time begin to rip, things that we consider impossible become possible again."

Continue the geekout at PopMech. [Source: Popular Mechanics]

Yahoo to Rewire Itself Into Vast Social Network

by Evan Shamoon, posted Apr 28th 2008 at 8:06AMBreaking News




You know how Google has managed to integrate all of its services – Google Maps, Google Docs, Gmail, etc -- into one intuitive, inter-connected whole? Yahoo's about to try to do the same thing.

But the plans go even bigger: specifically, to transform the site into a vast social network where Yahoo users can quickly find, communicate, and share information with one another.

"We are literally in the process of rewiring Yahoo from the inside out," said Ari Balogh, Yahoo's CTO, in a speech at the Web 2.0 conference in San Francisco. They've made a bunch of acquisitions recently -- photo-sharing site Flickr, bookmarking site Del.icio.us and social calendar site Upcoming -- and now they want them all to play nice together.

"We are not building another social network," said Mr Balogh. "We are building social into everything we do."

Well, everything done by people sitting at home, alone, in front of their computers, with nothing but their cat, some Cheetos, and the blue glow of their monitors to keep them company, that is. [Source: BBC]

GetBack.com Leads Visitors Back In Time

by Evan Shamoon, posted Apr 24th 2008 at 5:56PMBreaking News



Do you have a nostalgia addiction? Are your best moments those spent singing Def Leppard and Twisted Sister karaoke at the top of your lungs? Do you scour eBay for signed photos of The Fonz, and cry tears of joy when you inevitably win? Do you actively miss high school?

Well, have we got the site for you. Getback.com is a destination for all things retro: essentially a multimedia social networking site (think: MySpace), it attempts to chronicle the most memorable pop-culture events of the '60s, '70s, and '80s ... and allow you to chat longingly about them with your friends. There are separate channels (Music, Movies, Games, Life & Style), each packed with various audio/visual content.

"We set out to create a social media experience that will resonate with pop culture enthusiasts of all ages. We are creating a feel good experience for our users: listening to music, looking at album art, remembering their favorite films, playing games," states Chris Dominguez, President, of GetBack Media. "We developed GetBack to connect users to a digital reincarnation of year's past in an emotional and impactful way."

Our tour of the site included precisely one listen to Harold Faltermeyer's Axel F, one This Day in 1972 (including John Lennon's attempt to form his own country, Newtopia), and a joyride through a chunk of the 1980's Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) library. You can even browse by year: click on 1986, for example, and you'll find blurbs about The Kids in the Hall, the price of jeans, and Boy George guest starring on an episode of the A-Team.

The site has some major backers -- Getty Images, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, All Media Guide, and Intellivision (to name a few) -- so there's no dearth of content.

Now, make with the reliving your glory years. [Source Getback.com]


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