Find Our Latest Video Reviews on YouTube!
If you want to stay on top of all of our video reviews of the latest tech, be sure to check out and subscribe to the Gear Live YouTube channel, hosted by Andru Edwards! It’s free!
Latest Gear Live Videos
VoIP Headset Sale at Amazon
Posted by Frank Bisono Categories: Accessories, USB, Hot Deals, Peripherals,
Holy smokes, Amazon has lost their minds. Amazon is currently selling the Plantronics DSP-400 headset for $40.94 with free shipping! I personally own this headset and I can vouch for the fact that it is absolutely kick-ass. If you use Skype or any VoIP service, or maybe do a little podcasting, this headset is definitely a must-have, and at these prices, it’s insane not to go grab one. I remember this headset costing upwards $120+ not even a year ago. Grab ‘em while they’re hot!
Read More 
| Amazon
Gallery: VoIP Headset Sale at Amazon
Advertisement
Gateway FPD2185W 21-inch Widescreen Monitor
Posted by Frank Bisono Categories: PC / Laptop, Peripherals,
Yeah, that’s right - you read correctly. Gateway. They are still in business somehow, and just dropped a pretty decent new monitor on the market. Not to be outdone by the widescreen fashionistas at Apple and Dell, this box of pixels is a 21” widescreen LCD, all for $599 (with free shipping to boot). Not a bad deal if we do say so ourselves.
...offering HDCP content protection over DVI, which will allow you to play content from digital set-top boxes and high definition disk players, should the latter ever ship. Having HDCP also makes the display Windows Vista-ready. While HDCP isn’t a requirement for normal Vista desktop use, it will be necessary if you plan on using a Vista system to play back protected video content from HD-DVD or other sources, if those HD-DVD or Blu-ray discs require it.
All the details and lab test results can be found over at Extreme Tech.
Read More | ExtremeTech
Gallery: Gateway FPD2185W 21-inch Widescreen Monitor
As if most people don’t have enough things crammed into their wallets, Wallatex has developed a flash drive that is the size and thickness (pretty close anyway) of a credit card. The Wallet Flash as it is so aptly named, can be had in a myriad of capacities from 64MB all the way up to 2GB. With ample “real estate” for company branding, the Wallet Flash can easily be used for promotional purposes, and the optional magnetic stripe lends the possibility of a multi-purpose card. Walletex has designed durability into the flash drive as it is waterproof, temperature tolerant, and made of “double laminated unbreakable plastic”. Unbreakable sounds good on paper, but that little USB connector sticking off of the drive is just begging to be snapped off.
Read More | Walletex via Cnet Asia
Gallery: Walletex Wallet Flash Drive
In the audio/video world, digital connections are arguably superior to their older analog brethren. Because of the increased signal quality, many more devices are coming with DVI or HDMI video outputs - Media Center PCs, progressive-scan DVD players, digital cable/satellite receivers, and so forth. Unfortunately, unless one has deep pockets, most AV receivers with HDMI/DVI switching capability and upconversion, are far out of reach. It then becomes a matter of deciding which component gets the “good” connection to your HD display of choice, and settling for an inferior connection method with the rest. With Octava’s Clear EYE HDMI Switch, you can hook all of your HDMI/DVI equipped devices up all at once. The Clear EYE comes in three and five port versions, both of which utilize Octava’s “Smart Scan” algorithm to choose the correct display source with no need for manual selection. At a price point that’s hard to beat compared to the alternatives ($229 for the 5-port with no cables), Octava looks to have a real winner on their hands.
Read More | Octava via CD Freaks
Gallery: Octava Clear EYE HDMI Switch
Art Lebedev Optimus Mini Three Officially Announced
Posted by John Goulden Categories: Accessories, Features, Peripherals,
Imagine if you will a keyboard that changes the look of its keys to fit the software you are using. Such a keyboard could be used in any country with no modification as the keys could display whatever character set is required by the local language. The possibilities are endless. Gear Live first reported on such an amazing device back in July, 2005, and the concept was met with equal amounts of curiosity, disbelief, and a passionate
want to have one. Time passed and eventually we were rewarded with a tidbit of information that “Good things come in small packages”, a few sample pictures of a 3-key device and a teaser date of February 1, 2006. The date has finally arrived and product availability and pricing have been announced although its not quite what everyone was hoping for…yet. The initial concept was for a full-sized keyboard with tiny OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screens replacing the top of each key at a price “less than a good mobile phone”.
Every company with a great idea has to start somewhere, and Art Lebedev Studio chose to start with a smaller scale device - the Optimus Mini Three. The Mini Three will utilize 3 keys, each with a 20x20mm (96x96 pixels) OLED display capable of a 5 second refresh rate. The tiny OLED displays have a lifespan of 5000 hours (roughly 208 days if used non-stop) and will have a screen saving mode to extend their life. Although the Optimus Mini Three is currently shipping with Windows-based configuration software only, the company expects to release versions for MacOS and Linux shortly thereafter. Three keys is a bit limiting (six would have been better), so shift states have been implemented which will allow the keys to display other functions. Even though shift states aren’t going to speed up the use of shortcuts (what normally would take one hand will now take two), they will make the Mini Three more useful to some extent.
The keyboard will be available for pre-order later this week at a price of $100 with an expected ship date of May 15th. Modders, early-adopters, and gadget freaks rejoice.
Read More | Art Lebedev Studio
Gallery: Art Lebedev Optimus Mini Three Officially Announced
So there you are, trying to decide what to get for your loved one this Valentine’s Day, and the thought hits you that a flower with your picture on it would be just swell. Now, how do you go about accomplishing this feat? Enter our beloved Asian brethren to save the day. The aptly named “Flower Printer,” allows you to print a graphic image of your choice on a flower. Yes, apparently a real, live flower. The details are sketchy, but for a mere $1250 you too can
impress the person you hold dearest with a personalized flower just for them.
Read More | Compact Impact via Gearlog
Gallery: Flower Printer
If you do any kind of photo editing and printing you’ll know that what you see on your monitor isn’t necessarily what comes out of your printer. For most people the differences are neglible, but for those individuals doing proofs, printing their own gallery prints, or who are just plain anal-retentive, exact color matches are a necessity. ColorVision (a division of Pantone), sells products aimed at helping you calibrate and profile your monitors, scanners, and printers. Their latest product is the PrintFIX Pro, which is designed to calibrate and profile your printer’s output so that WYSIWYG. The PrintFIX reads color samples printed from your printer, and provides you with a profile based upon the paper used and the settings specified. These profiles can be tweaked at the user’s discretion to account for viewing conditions or personal taste. At a MSRP of $549 it’s a cheap way to get decent accuracy without spending an arm and a leg. Available late January/early February 2006.
Read More | ColorVision
Gallery: ColorVision PrintFIX Pro
ID Pilot Wire Management Labels
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Misc. Tech, Mods / Hacks, Peripherals,
Here in the Gear Live labs, you wouldn’t believe how many charger cables, power cords, and other random-yet-generic black plugs we have laying around. Even for the average technophile, attempting to unplug the correct component from the wall when you have eight black cords protruding from the wall can be risky. ID Pilot wire management labels look to be a great answer. Rather than relying on a color-coding scheme, you actually get little icons on small stickers that give you an idea as to what your different cords are for. There are three different sets of stickers available:
“Office” contains 22 office computer labels & 10 office equipment labels; “Electronics” has 16 home computer labels, 16 audio/video equipment labels & 8 charger labels for wireless devices; “Household” has 8 kitchen basics labels, 8 gourmet kitchen labels, 24 household labels & 8 workshop labels.
At a price of just $5.95 USD each, this one seems to be a no-brainer.
(Thanks, Babe!)
Read More | ID Pilot
Gallery: ID Pilot Wire Management Labels
Jaht Technology Bluetooth and WiFi Antenna/Dongle Impressions
Posted by Kristin Wenzel Categories: Peripherals, Product Reviews, Wireless / WiFi,
I’d never heard of Jaht until recently. But I found myself in need of a BlueTooth dongle and a better wireless antenna for my PC (my PowerBook has both built in) so I did some bargain shopping. I found both on NewEgg for a grand total of $20 including shipping while they were running a damn good sale, and despite my misgivings about ordering things made by a company I’d never heard of, I decided to gamble that $20 was too good a deal to pass up. I ended up being absolutely right.
Click to continue reading Jaht Technology Bluetooth and WiFi Antenna/Dongle Impressions
Gallery: Jaht Technology Bluetooth and WiFi Antenna/Dongle Impressions
Non-Ergonomic Nintendo Mice
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, USB, PC / Laptop, Peripherals, Video Games,
Calling all retro gaming geeks - now’s your chance to show your roots at the next LAN party while developing a severe case of carpal tunnel syndrome. These computer mice do look cool, we must say. Pretending that your click-fingers are really Mario’s feet stomping the head of the Goomba has gotta be good times. Of course, a Mario version - also lacking anti-aliasing - is available as well. You can grab one for $14.95 USD.
Read More | Lik-Sang via Gadget Review
Gallery: Non-Ergonomic Nintendo Mice
Advertisement
© Gear Live Inc. {year} – User-posted content, unless source is quoted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Gear Live graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, videos, articles, blogs, forums, scripts and other service names are the trademarks of Gear Live Inc.