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Review
If you're like most people these days, your point and shoot digital camera is never very far away so that you can capture every memorable moment in excruciating megapixel detail. Image stabilization technology has come a long way to mitigate your shaking hands, but there are some situations where only a tripod will do. [Read Full Review]
I was looking for a digital camcorder for some time, but I was unwilling to fork over the dough because I felt that the entire industry was in a transition period with various intermediary and soon-to-be obsolete formats. The future of digital video is in solid state recording and HD video, and the Panasonic Palmcorder HDC-SD5 seemed on paper to fit the bill quite nicely. [Read Full Review]
Review
You know how it happens. My trusty 4-year old computer (my main home PC) had been shutting down randomly for the past year, but it wasn't often enough to force me to replace it. Then it started happening every time, and when I finally got it to boot, Windows reported a series of disk errors. That was apparently the last dying interaction between me and this system, as an attempt to reboot resulted only in the click of death from the aged hard drive. [Read Full Review]
Review
Here at BensBargains we often feel compelled to buy the very deals we post. Some products turn out to be everything we expected, while other products fall short of our expectations. Coming into the new year, I was thinking of how to make this site even more useful, and it occurred to me that we can share our own experiences with these products by doing product reviews. These won't be multi-page write-ups that take 30 minutes to read, but rather a concise statement of how the product performed versus our expectations. Feel free to share your opinions in each review discussion, as well as to contact us about products that you'd like to see us tackle.
On paper, this monitor sports some decent specs. A 5ms response time means that there is no visible ghosting. The 1000:1 contrast ratio lends itself to deep blacks and bright whites. However, since it uses a TN Panel, the viewing angle is limited, and it cannot display a full complement of colors. Although this may not affect most users out there, it is something worth mentioning. [Read Full Review]
We live in a world that is growing ever more concerned about energy usage and energy efficiency. If you have a desktop computer or a home theater, you know firsthand how much wiring hides behind your systems. How much electrical energy do these devices use? The P3 International Kill A Watt aims to demystify what exactly is contributing to your electrical bill. [Read Full Review]
Let's face it: Very few people like to vacuum, myself included. Nobody is tracking mud or any other heavy-duty stains into my place, so the main issues are dust and human detritus (which is also a major contributor to dust in general). With these requirements in mind, I decided to purchase the iRobot Roomba Scheduler Vacuum. [Read Full Review]
The Samsung SGH-A437 has all the basic parts of a good phone. It has bluetooth, a camera, and it is an unlockable quad-band GSM phone. It is great phone if you don't demand much from your phone other than texting and chatting. However, if you are a power user, you may want to relegate this to "travel phone" duties. [Read Full Review]
If there is one product that has surged in popularity among the gadget crowd (besides the overplayed iPhone), it is Global Positioning Systems (GPS). GPS promises to be the holy grail of never having to ask for directions when you are in unfamiliar territory. Here we take a closer look at the Garmin Nuvi 360, a contender among the slew of mid-range GPS navigation products. [Read Full Review]
Buying a new television these days can be a tough job. There has been a definite shift from Plasma to LCD, with some manufacturers exiting the Plasma arena entirely. However, if you're looking for a TV above 42-inches, Plasma can still be a regret-free choice. Here we review one of Panasonic's latest entries into the large Plasma marketplace, the Panasonic TH-50PZ77U 50" 1080p HDTV. [Read Full Review]
Going from a GPS sytem with Text-To-Speech (TTS) to one without that feature is somewhat like going from Coke to Diet Coke. They both try to do the same thing, but the full version does it in a much more satisfying way. That was my initial impression when I first started using the Magellan Maestro 3210, having come from using the Garmin Nuvi 360 for several months. Could the Maestro 3210 impress me after I had become used to a more advanced model? Read on to find out… [Read Full Review]
In the past few years, LCD monitors have become quite affordable for the everyday consumer. You can get a 17" LCD monitor for as low as $100, or a 24" LCD monitor for $300. For those who are looking for something a little smaller, a 20" or 22" usually fits the bill. Let's look at the Dell SP2008WFP Widescreen LCD Monitor. [Read Full Review]
I've owned a couple of RC cars over the years, starting with the Team Associated RC10 1:10 Buggy that was all the rage in the early 90's. After a break of about a decade, I decided to revisit the RC scene, but this time with a vehicle of a distinctly different pedigree. I was looking for something with substantial power and ready to run out of the box. After looking around and comparing prices and features, I decided to purchase the HPI Racing Savage X 4.6 Nitro Monster Truck, which can be had for about $400. [Read Full Review]
Notebook track pads have come a long way since having a physical ball to roll around. The newest Apple gadgets even have multi-touch track pads. When I want to get some serious work done, and I don't mean typing an essay, a real mouse (not the rodent variety) is the best tool for the job. Here we take a look at the Logitech V470 Bluetooth Cordless Laser Mouse which at first glance seems to be an ideal mix of portability and usability. [Read Full Review]
Review
If you have a desktop PC, chances are that you have a complete mess of cables exploding from the back panel to your various power and peripheral connections. The Dell XPS One aims to provide an integrated all-in-one desktop solution for users willing to fight the clutter with their wallets. You need just one cable to get the XPS One up and running. Just what do you get for the $1299 base price? Read on to find out. [Read Full Review]
Review
We normally stay away from current events, but this one caught our attention quite literally since we're in SF. During lunch I tried to catch a glimpse of the torch along its planned route starting at AT&T Park, however much to my dismay the authorities whisked it away from the protesting throngs to a backup route. Some pics: 1 2 3 4 5 6. [Read Full Review]
Having recently reviewed the mid-range Garmin Nuvi 360 as well as the low-end Magellan Maestro 3210, switching to the top of the line TomTom GO 920T promised to be a significant upgrade. This is TomTom's current top of the line GPS navigation system, with a dizzying array of features including Bluetooth, FM Transmitter, Enhanced Positioning Technology, Voice Input, Traffic, Map Share, and lots more. Does the TomTom GO 920T live up to its lofty specs? Read on to find out. [Read Full Review]
Bluetooth has been all the rage recently with all the accessories being released, from headsets, headphones, mice, and more. Surprisingly, Logitech decided to break from the trend and make their newest performance notebook mouse using RF technology. Although a bluetooth mouse is nice to have since most new notebooks can be configured with built-in bluetooth, we were less than impressed with Logitech's latest V470 Bluetooth Mouse. RF is a tried and true technology for pointing devices, so the question is, does the Logitech VX Nano live up to our expectations? [Read Full Review]
How many of you own or have owned a Motorola RAZR phone? Probably a lot of you, judging by the popularity of the original RAZR over the past few years. I recently had the chance to upgrade to a new phone, so I decided to give the new Motorola RAZR V9m (aka the RAZR2) a try. Check out the full review for my ruthless take on this phone. [Read Full Review]
Stereo headsets are a great way to enjoy your music, games or movies without disturbing those around you. But with surround sound and all the 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 home theater systems that exist these days, a mere stereo headset seems to be an inadequate replacement. Over the past few years several manufacturers have tried (and mostly failed) to produce quality 5.1 headphones. So how did the eDimensional AudioFX Pro 5+1 Headset sound to our iPod-deafened ears? Click through to find out. [Read Full Review]
Bluetooth headsets have been available for a few years now, and recently there have been some certifiably tiny headsets on the market. Here we take a look at Samsung's diminutive WEP-500 Bluetooth headset. Its footprint is only slightly larger than a quarter, plus it's shinier. [Read Full Review]
Continuing our examination of "tiny headsets," we decided to check out the Motorola H700. The device itself, when closed, is fairly compact but the clunky earpiece (which must be used) and the flip-open mic gives this device a bigger footprint. Click through to see our thoughts on this bluetooth headset. [Read Full Review]
Leatherman has a long history of producing high quality multi-tools. Their Skeletool & Skeletool CX, introduced in late 2007, marks a distinct departure from the smooth designs that they've had since the early 80's with their PST. The Skeletool CX is a minimalist's multi-tool, with a knife, pliers, screwdriver, and most importantly, a bottle opener. [Read Full Review]
Our last headset review looked at the AudioFX Pro 5+1 by BenHeck (no relation), which left us impressed by its sound quality and comfort. This time, we're going to examine the Creative Fatal1ty Gaming Headset, endorsed by Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel. How did they compare? Click through to find out. [Read Full Review]
The recently introduced XPS M1330 Laptop marks a distinct change for Dell, going from bland generic do-all design to a more radical and stylish approach. In this review we take a look at a fairly loaded XPS M1330. If you've been wanting to take a closer look at this little laptop, read on for our full review. [Read Full Review]
The first Logitech MX-series wireless mouse was the Logitech MX-700. That eventually evolved into the MX-900, with the same form factor except with Bluetooth. But now, they have the MX Revolution. The name itself implies that it will be completely different from previous versions, but will the MX Revolution truly be revolutionary? Click through to find out. [Read Full Review]
The PowerMonkey eXplorer is marketed as a backup power supply to give your gadgets an extra boost of battery power. With modern gadgetry placing ever increasing demands for portable power, the PowerMonkey eXplorer Solar Charger comes at just the right time to save you from running out of juice while away from a wall outlet. The standard price is about $110, but when they started offering a whopping $100 rebate on it (bringing the price to $10 AR), I had to pick one up to give it try. [Read Full Review]
Our current top picks for Bluetooth headsets are the NextLink AX2 and the original Jawbone. With the California cell phone law in effect since July 1st (and our offices being in San Francisco), we decided to test the latest Jawbone 2 to see if it is a worthy upgrade from the highly rated original Jawbone. Click through to see the results of our testing. [Read Full Review]
The 15.4" screen size is the bread-and-butter size for most laptop manufacturers, and Dell is no exception. This fact is made even more true when you consider the premium line of notebooks that is the XPS brand. In past years, Dell simply re-branded their consumer notebook line to fill separate niches (as is the case with the Vostro). I'm glad they didn't take this approach with their first foray into the XPS notebooks. The resulting line of notebooks includes the XPS M1530, a radical departure in design & style from their heretofore vanilla notebooks. [Read Full Review]
Review
The first iteration of the Logitech G15 features 18 physical keys, a tilting LCD, and a Volume Knob. But Logitech has given the G15 a facelift, integrating the LCD into the keyboard frame and switching to a 6-key 3-profile layout (more on that later). Will its new look win us over? Click through to find out. [Read Full Review]
The Dell Inspiron 1525 Laptop is Dell's mid-range productivity laptop offering, with a standard 15.4" LCD that is the sweet spot for productivity as well as portability. It doesn't have the exciting design that the XPS series laptops have, but what it lacks in design it tries to make up with simplicity. Is the Inspiron 1525 the right laptop for your needs? Read on to see our take on this laptop. [Read Full Review]
Review
For a while, Logitech was making mice with relatively unchanging design cues. Their MX500, MX510, MX518, and G5 mice all had the same basic design, albeit with incremental improvements in features. That is not necessarily a bad thing, as the design of those mice was clearly well done, but there was never an urgent need to upgrade. Perhaps realizing this, Logitech went back to the drawing board to come up with a radical new design. With the introduction of the Logitech G9, there is a new flavor in the mix. Click through to find out more. [Read Full Review]
Review
Webcams have been around for about a decade since the introduction of the original Logitech Quickcam in the late 90's. Their use remained confined to a relatively niche community for many years, however the recent explosion in user-created video & VOIP has brought Webcam use to a more mainstream audience. Most laptops now come with integrated webcams, and external USB webcams can be had at very affordable prices. We take a look at three webcams in this review: A Dell integrated Webcam, and budget webcams from Creative and Logitech. [Read Full Review]
TV Tuners started as big, bulky PCI cards that could only be used inside desktop machines. The picture quality from early TV Tuner cards was fairly inadequate as compared to watching a real television set. With the advent of USB 2.0, numerous external TV Tuner options became available. These external USB 2.0 tuners have come to rival their desktop counterparts, all while remaining a single plug and play stick. The KWorld PlusTV ATSC 340U USB TV Tuner is only slightly larger than a standard USB Flash Drive, and it offers the ability to turn your desktop or notebook into a TV. Is it small enough to be useful as a portable TV tuner, and will the quality be acceptable? Click through to find out. [Read Full Review]
It used to be that in order to upgrade your storage capacity, you'd have to rip open your computer case and install a new hard drive. That task proved daunting for many a Geek Squad customer, causing untold amounts of cash to be blown on the simple service of installing and formatting a new hard drive. Enter external hard drives. External hard drives have exploded in popularity in the past few years because they give users an easy way to expand their storage capacity, without the headaches of a Geek Squad or FireDogs (or worse, Fry's tech) visit. Here we check out the Western Digital 1TB MyBook Studio Edition Quad-Interface Hard Drive. [Read Full Review]
Review
The Dell Studio Hybrid has arrived on the scene at a time when energy efficiency has become a topic of national concern. According to Dell, the Studio Hybrid is "Designed to fit into your environment while protecting the environment." The Hybrid is Dell's smallest desktop, and it is available with customizable sleeves including one made out of natural bamboo. Click on through to see our close up take of the Dell Studio Hybrid PC. [Read Full Review]
The Logitech diNovo Edge is a bluetooth keyboard that aims to be both useful and stylish. It is Logitech's latest installment in the diNovo lineup, which began years ago with the diNovo Cordless Desktop. Will the Edge edge out its older siblings, or will it fall short of our expectations? Click through to find out. [Read Full Review]
When you want to share USB devices connected to a particular computer, you usually have to set up sharing on that computer and leave it powered on so that other computers on the network can access those devices. With the Belkin F5L009 Network USB Hub, that is no longer an issue. You can connect your USB peripherals to the hub and connect the hub to your existing wired or wireless network to share those devices. It all sounds good on paper, but does it really meet our expectations? Click through to find out. [Read Full Review]
There is a delicate balance between size and function when it comes to notebook mice. They are getting smaller and smaller as more people are using their computers on-the-go. Newton Peripherals decided to push the envelope and developed a mouse that will fit into a notebook computer's ExpressCard/54 slot. Did they go too far or does the ExpressCard form factor fit the bill? Click through to find out. [Read Full Review]
Dell has recently revamped their Latitude line of business laptops, releasing them under the "E-Series" name. Here we take a look at the portable productivity targeted laptop, the Latitude E5400. We're trying to find out if this is going to be the computer that your company buys to deploy to the grunts such as yourself. Let's take a look. [Read Full Review]
I recently had the opportunity to make a 5+ hour drive from San Francisco down to Santa Barbara. An obvious necessity during extended driving sessions down the California coast is music, and plenty of it. Therefore, I had my trusty iPod in tow pumping tunes on my slammed ride. But there was something special supplying the power to keep the iPod battery topped off - The MySoldius Universal Solar Charger. [Read Full Review]
The time has come for all you holdouts to start buying up what you need to build your system for the new year. I just glanced through our exclusive PC Builder and was frankly amazed at what you can put together using today's deals, mostly from NewEgg.com. Everything below is $335 total after rebates, just add Memory/CPU/Motherboard/Video.
Acer X193Wb Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor = $100
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS 1.5TB Hard Drive = $130
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case = $60
Thermaltake Purepower W0100RU 500W ATX 12V 2.0 Power Supply = $15
Logitech VX Revolution Black 8 Buttons Tilt Wheel Mouse = $10
Asus Black 20x DVD+/-RW/-RAM Writer = $20
The keyboard is the main input device that we use to interact with our computers. Unfortunately, it is also the first place computer makers look to cut costs. If you're using a stock keyboard from Dell, HP... or - god forbid eMachines, you're probably not typing much. I've been using the Logitech DiNovo Bluetooth keyboard for a few years, but I recently came across a new premium line of keyboards called the Das Keyboard. Read on for my take on this re-invented keyboard. [Read Full Review]
Review
The Inspiron Mini 9 is Dell's first product to address the burgeoning netbook market. The attraction of netbooks is due to a combination of factors including portability, usability, and price. Whereas the Mini 9 was originally priced at $349, we've recently seen refurbished versions for as low as $178. With prices as affordable as that, I had to give the Mini a spin. [Read Full Review]
LCD monitor prices seem to be on a downward trend right now, with some 28" monitors reaching as low as the $200 range. Combine that with the fact that many monitors are starting to include HDCP compatibility and you've got a reason to go shopping for a new monitor. Ultimately, what I ended up with was the Samsung Touch of Color T260HD 25.5" Widescreen LCD Monitor. While not quite as big as the giant 28" or 30" monitors recently posted, the Samsung T260HD offers much more connectivity options than most other panels out there. Read on for the juicy details. [Read Full Review]
The original Jawbone Bluetooth headset from Aliph was a high-end device that enjoyed mass appeal due to its amazing Noise Assassin technology, and the Jawbone 2 managed to improve upon it by offering everything in a smaller sleeker package. Now we have the Jawbone Prime, which is the third iteration of this series of Bluetooth headsets and touts improved Noise Assassin technology – specifically in the area of wind noise. Like its predecessors, the Prime is a high-end headset with a price tag to match. Click through to see if the high price is justified. [Read Full Review]
A popular trend in computing and portable devices in particular is multi-touch input. While it lacks the "wow" factor of a glove-controlled computer interface like in "Minority Report," multi-touch has proven to be an appealing alternative, and Windows 7's improved support for it is evidence the technology is here to stay. The selling point of the 12.1" HP TouchSmart tx2z convertible tablet PC is its multi-touch display, a feature present in just-released or soon-to-released offerings from Acer, Dell, Toshiba, and possibly Apple if rumors of its cloaked-in-secrecy tablet are to be believed. The tx2z series already has a built-in niche audience, but will mainstream users want to pay its premium price? [Read Full Review]
It's been a while since my last cell phone review, which was a Motorola RAZR2, and since then I've decided to get the Apple iPhone 3GS (16GB). I've had my share of smartphones, including Symbian and Windows Mobile devices and they've mostly disappointed me. The main problem that I have with Symbian and Windows Mobile – and this is something that I see in nearly all versions of it, including 6.5 – is lag. From the menus to the programs themselves, they all seem to suffer from lag. So I switched over to the Apple camp in hopes that it would help revive my faith in smartphones. So does it? Read on for my full review. [Read Full Review]
Two years after the introduction of its Bamboo line of entry-level pen tablets, Wacom has released redesigned followups now featuring multitouch functionality. Although it was by no means a mouse replacement, I was satisfied with the original Bamboo pen tablet. So I took the Bamboo Pen and Touch Tablet for a spin to see if the new touch capabilities were a game-changer or if it was more of the same old, same old. [Read Full Review]
Review
The Aspire One 8.9" was Acer's first foray into the very crowded netbook market. Netbooks are popular because of their small size, light weight, and low cost. The Aspire One was aimed to undercut the current offerings by other manufacturers, particularly the base models with an 8GB SSD and Linux. My test model was a 160GB HDD with Windows XP, more conventional than its spartan brethren but a nice setup for users wanting a larger hard drive and familiar OS. [Read Full Review]
Review
Move over T1i, the Canon EOS Rebel T2i is here to take the mantle as Canon's newest flagship entry-level DSLR. The T2i boasts an 18 megapixel sensor, 1.04 million pixel 3:2 LCD screen, as well as a 63-zone metering sensor and improved movie functionality -- features borrowed from its big brother, the Canon 7D. Add to the mix some full-featured HD video recording, and I knew I had to take the plunge and check it out. [Read Full Review]
Earlier this year, Sony revamped their 16.4" VAIO F series notebooks with Intel's brand-spanking-new Core i7 mobile processors. Since I was in the market for a good all-around laptop, I decided to custom build a VAIO VPC-F1190X of my own. I knew the hyper-threading-enabled quad-core processor would deliver blazing fast performance, but what I really wanted to find out was if this laptop could shine as a full-fledged desktop replacement. Click on to read my impressions. [Read Full Review]
The HP 311, released late last year, was one of the first netbooks featuring the new NVidia ION graphics card with the GeForce 9400M chipset. I had read numerous reviews of the card with surprising claims for an onboard GPU. I was in the market for something very portable to take on the road without sacrificing power, so I chose the most powerful configuration available to see just how robust this netbook could be. Click to find out if it lived up to its hype. [Read Full Review]
Following up on the very popular WD TV Live, Western Digital rolled out the WD TV Live Plus last week — a revision that looks identical to the previous version in size, shape and form factor. While the transition from their first generation player to the WD TV Live was a giant leap into network connectivity for their expansive list of file support, the transition to the WD TV Live Plus doesn't feel as accomplished in comparison. Click on to read my full impressions of the player. [Read Full Review]
Review
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past couple weeks, it's hard to read the news without seeing a mention of Apple's brand-new iPhone 4. Released in the U.S. on June 24th, Apple sold about 1.7 million units of the device in about 3 days. The iPhone 4 is the fourth generation of the iPhone which started with the first iPhone in 2007, followed by the 3G and 3GS in the following years. Click on to read my full impressions. [Read Full Review]