The Smorgasbord

Sony T90 Digital Camera

Sony’s new T90 camera boasts a 3 inch touch screen and a 12 mega pixel image sensor. Is it worth its 265 dollar price tag? Find out now!

The T90 is the the absolute thinnest point and shoot I have ever seen, hands down. I was so enamored with its form factor I almost didn’t see its many flaws, almost. It may be thin but its main selling point, the 3 inch touch screen, is just a gimmick. It feels very fragile and feels like if I pushed to hard it would crumble to dust. Also it has that bleed affect when you touch the screen, kinda like an old LCD, not 2009 technology. The buttons are big and the menus are okay to navigate but call it a touch screen is a little deceiving as requires more nail than finger.

Even though I hated the screen I really don’t hate this camera. It is loaded with all sort of detection software. It detects smiles, faces, and it even detects the environment of the picture and picks appropriate settings. Those features are nice but what really matters is the image quality. The quality of pictures are decent but nothing fantastic. Also low lights are pictures are grainy and just not impressive. The image quality is an improvement over other Sony cameras but with so many good point and shoots on the market, just okay is not good enough.

265 dollars is just far to steep to justify purchasing this camera. Its main selling point, touch screen, is just to gimmicky to really work with everyday use. I feel like with so many other great options out there I just can’t recommend this camera at the price tag. This camera is with around 200 dollars and if the price is dropped I could see the purchase justified. Look for this on your favorite electronic stores clearance rack in the near future.

My Rating: 5.75/10

Do a quick search of “Jesus Phone” on google and you will see why its the iPhone’s nickname. Okay so the iPhone is great on its own, but you can open a whole new world of possibilities by doing a hack know as “jailbreaking.” Basically jailbreaking is a process that allows iPhone and iPod Touch users to run unofficial code on their devices bypassing Apple’s official distribution mechanism, the App Store. Once jailbroken, iPhone users are able to download many applications previously unavailable through the App Store. As of today, July 27 2009, jailbreaking is not illegal but the US Copyright Office is expected to rule on this later this year.

*As always this process is not recommended if you lack experience with electronics*
*Backup all of your data before beginning this process!*

Step 1: Download the software “redsn0w” from http://theiphoneproject.org/windows/redsn0w-win_0.7.2.zip
Step 2: Follow the software prompts.
Step 3: Plug into your PC or Mac and press the buttons it tells you to.
Step 4: Enjoy your new jailbroken iPhone!

Now that the hack is completed you should get familiar with the new app store that was installed, cydia. Its nearly identical to the old Apple App Store so it should be easy to get used to it.

Now on the good part: The Apps! First you should download Cycorder. This app allows you to record video @ 15fps in Quicktime format. This means you wont need to buy the 3GS for video because you just got it for free! Next you should download PDANet. This awesome app allows you to use your iPhone as a wireless router or a mobile modem. Basically this means you can now use your teether you iPhone to a MAC or PC connect to the internet where it would otherwise be impossible! Finally there is Discover. This app makes your iPhone accessible to every computer on your home network. This means you can add media files to your iPhone from any computer in your house! These are just a few of the great apps you can download with your jailbroken iPhone!

I have also included a video from G4’s Attack of the Show. They detail everything you can now do with your brand new Jailbroken software and they also include a video guide for installing the hack!

Enjoy the hack and make sure to post your results in the comment section!

If you get a wireless Skype phone chances are you’ll ditch your landline for VOIP (if you haven’t already). A lot of people have switched over to Vonage already, and it appears that the idiot proof gadget the “magic jack” has sold millions as well. Skype started years back and you had to hook up a headset with microphone to use it. It caught on in droves because you could “call” anyone anywhere in the world using the service for FREE (as long as they also had a “skype” account). The ability to call anyone anywhere in the world for free was quite the incentive to sign up. Then Vonage came along and made it easy to just plugin a tiny box to your router and use a regular phone to make calls over the web unlimited for just $24.95 a month.

Now it appears that Skype has kind of caught up, because you can now buy a wireless skype phone – so not only do you not need the headset, but the phone works automatically over the Internet just like your land line! They’re pretty reasonable too, I’ve seen them for as little as $30-50. Skype has been growing in popularity, but in the last year it’s probably exploded due to the constant promotion of “Oprah” – every time she interviews guests now outside of the studio they’re shown on video “Skyping” in.

Here’s some wireless skype phones in auctions ending soon:

US $9.99 End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 21:05:19 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $9.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $59.85 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday Mar-17-2010 2:30:16 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

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US $125.99 End Date: Wednesday Mar-17-2010 19:59:41 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $125.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $58.49 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday Mar-17-2010 20:26:48 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $64.99 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

This heated vest is just right for winter outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing and more! My wife and I have been using an electric blanket for the last few years in our bed – and I don’t know how we ever did without it! I’ve been snowmobiling plenty of times where I was just chilled to the damn bone! These heated vests run on lithium ion batteries no bigger than a pack of cigarettes and can keep you warm 4-12 hours! This is a great time of year to pick something like this up too – because you always get better deals at the end of the season! It might be a litle low-tech actually, but I love it!

US $48.99 End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 16:09:09 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $48.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $60.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 18:32:59 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $61.00 (7 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 19:16:49 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $9.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 19:59:40 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $9.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 21:14:38 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $9.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 21:16:49 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $9.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 21:18:13 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $34.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 23:12:11 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $39.00 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

I’m always surfing eBay for weird gadgets and I came across these USB HD Receiver / Tuners that seem pretty cool. Most of them are under $50, and I knew that you could get TV tuners on a USB stick, but I hadn’t seen Hi Def ones before. I think to be able to watch, and in some cases record in HD quality from a USB key shows just how compact and small technology has become. They even come with little portable antennas (awww, how cute!). This would make a great gift for somebody that travels a lot for sure, it might make waiting in the airpot much more bearable!

Check out some of the ones I found:

US $13.49 End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 15:34:42 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $13.49 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $13.99 End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 16:27:33 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $13.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $13.49 End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 16:53:18 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $13.49 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $26.44 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 21:03:33 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $30.99 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $0.01 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 21:07:13 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $1.29 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 21:29:23 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $0.01 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 22:22:51 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $0.01 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 22:37:36 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

The new version of the Amazon Kindle 2 is out, so I thought I would give it a review. This time around they’re really taken the time to refine the device and create something very functional, elegant, lightweight, and cool. This first thing you’ll notice is how darn thin it is. It’s only as think as most magazines. Also it doesn’t weigh much more than a standard paperback (10 ounces). The screen is more legible and battery life has been extended by 25%. It has 2GB of internal memory, and uses Sprints 3G network for connectivity (no cost for this beyond the device). One of the really cool things about the Kindle 2 is that is has PDF document conversion – you can email documents to the device and they will be converted to PDF for you to read. You can even listen to music and podcasts on the eReader. Kindle 2 only weighs a little over a pound and a half.

Here’s a video review of the Kindle 2:

There are all kinds of deals for Kindle in auctions ending now – check some of these out:

US $6.99 End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 16:06:05 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $6.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $5.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 16:38:12 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $6.59 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $5.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 16:50:12 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $6.59 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $222.50 (3 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 17:01:20 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $265.00 (25 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 17:02:25 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $5.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 17:08:12 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $6.59 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $5.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 17:08:12 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $6.59 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $192.49 (5 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 17:08:55 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

You can also check out the price of a New Kindle 2 on Amazon now:

Last year I blogged about the Eye-Fi Wireless SD cards that were oh so cool! Eye-FI SD cards have an onboard chipset that access your wireless network and automatically uploads your pics and videos to flickr and YouTube among other places! What could be better – right? I’ll tell you what, they have 2 new versions, the “Explore Video” and “Share Video”. They are both 4GB capacity (double the old versions), and the Explore version adds geotagging and hotspot wifi service on top of the old features.

With the new models out, you can find some great deals on the old 2GB versions – as well as deals on the new share and explore Eye-FI versions in auctions ending soon:

US $30.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 20:41:23 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $99.99 End Date: Wednesday Mar-17-2010 7:28:05 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $99.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $20.00 (1 Bid) End Date: Wednesday Mar-17-2010 10:22:37 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $59.99 End Date: Wednesday Mar-17-2010 22:23:58 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $59.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $107.99 End Date: Thursday Mar-18-2010 2:10:04 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $107.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $43.33 End Date: Thursday Mar-18-2010 7:55:32 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $43.33 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $199.99 End Date: Thursday Mar-18-2010 9:46:45 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $199.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $49.99 End Date: Thursday Mar-18-2010 18:33:30 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $49.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

After yesterdays post about power outlet wireless adapters, I got to thinking about extending wireless router range. You can buy a multitude of devices to help extend the range of your home of business wireless (and wired) network – but there are ways to do it on the cheap you know.

I mean, you could build a cantenna. It costs less than $5, what do you have to lose? You can make one out of an old soup can – and it’s probably better than one you could buy from the store anyway.

You could also get a second router and use it as a switch or access point. What?! You didn’t know that? Of course you can. You can setup a second router anywhere in your house, and the first one will be the gateway and the second just an access point. You might even have a second router lying around you can use already.

Did you know you could change your router’s channel? Sure you can, and you probably just left it on the same channel it was defaulted to (like all your neighbors). If you’re all on channel 5 don’t you think there will be some interference? Log into your router admin screen and change it to something different, all you can do is IMPROVE the performance!

You could even make your own antenna extender for about 5 cents. I came across this video that shows you how to do it in about 10 minutes (awesome!):

If none of that works, or your just not the homebrew type – you can just buy a long range wifi antenna….here’s a bunch for sale right now:

US $100.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 15:10:41 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $63.00 End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 15:10:57 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $63.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $97.01 (1 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 17:27:45 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $22.99 End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 19:28:39 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $22.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $23.26 (7 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 20:31:02 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $119.00 End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 21:48:00 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $119.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $89.00 End Date: Wednesday Mar-17-2010 1:55:00 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $89.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $124.20 (1 Bid) End Date: Wednesday Mar-17-2010 15:14:20 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

An AC Powered Wireless Ethernet Adapter can help you get devices connected in your home that are either not wireless or too far or inconvenient to run wires too. For example – let’s say that you have a tivo or cable box that needs to be connected to the Internet. May an older computer that doesn’t have wireless capability? You could even connect an XBox 360, Playstation 3, or Wii with these devices. All you need is a power outlet – and problem solved! What a wireless power adapter does is plug into any standard power outlet and connects to your wireless router. It has a ethernet jack, and you just plugin your cable box or computer and voila – Internet connection! It couldn’t be any easier.

The Panasonic BL-PA100KTA is an HD-PLC device, or High Definition Power Line Communication. Basically you get an Internet connection through ordinary AC power outlets. This particular device comes with 2 adapters, and one connects to your router and a power outlet, and then other plugs in any outlet in the house making your electrical wiring a network to connect to the Internet through. Error correction and encryption is available, and the devices can be used up to 490 physical feet. Here’s are some great deals on Panasonic Internet power adapters right now:

US $83.00 End Date: Saturday Mar-20-2010 22:16:59 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $83.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $99.95 End Date: Monday Mar-22-2010 10:16:19 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $99.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $119.19 End Date: Saturday Mar-27-2010 13:58:24 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $119.19 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $146.95 End Date: Saturday Mar-27-2010 23:03:25 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $146.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $99.99 End Date: Sunday Apr-04-2010 12:35:02 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $99.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $125.00 End Date: Saturday Apr-10-2010 20:04:10 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $125.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

You could also use the Netgear HDX101, which can be purchased as a single adapter to connect to the Internet (very popular for DVR boxes and XBox 360’s). You can use this device in up to a 5,000 sq foot home! Get speeds up to 200Mbps over a your power lines and transfer large files. This is a great little device at a very reasonable price. Find one now:

US $81.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Mar-21-2010 14:30:47 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $89.50 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $81.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Mar-21-2010 14:32:00 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $89.50 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $129.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Mar-21-2010 20:09:13 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $155.00 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $51.00 (3 Bids) End Date: Monday Mar-22-2010 12:54:42 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

This “MSI Wind Netbook Review” shows that there actually are some differences between all the sub and ultra compact laptops flooding the market right now. The biggest complaints about these little netbooks are that they keyboard is too small, the screen is too small, or the processor is too slow. The MSI Wind doesn’t really seem to have any of those problems since it boasts a 10 inch screen, a pretty good sized keyboard, and a Ghz atom processor that’s overclockable. It’s 2.6 lbs and just a bit more in physical size than the eee PC. It’s got jacks for LAN, headphone, mic, VGA, a memory card reader, decent speakers, and about 4-5 hours of battery life. The MSI wind has a 6 cell battery (most of the netbooks have only 3), and the right shift key is actually normal sized. Oh – did I mention that it also had integrated wireless bluetooth built-in?

Here’s a video review of the MSI Wind:

US $22.99 End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 16:35:06 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $22.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $5.00 End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 17:48:50 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $5.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $395.99 End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 18:59:35 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $395.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $497.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 19:15:42 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $499.99 End Date: Wednesday Mar-17-2010 0:00:09 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $499.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $200.00 (21 Bids) End Date: Wednesday Mar-17-2010 0:02:31 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $156.66 End Date: Wednesday Mar-17-2010 10:17:36 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $156.66 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $59.99 End Date: Wednesday Mar-17-2010 10:41:52 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $59.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list