Hasta La Gadget!

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Charles, who’s capping off the year with a fine question about DIY PC chassis. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I work in motion graphics and it’s upgrade time. I’m a DIY and Windows nut, so I’m looking to build my own tower, but the cases are all so horrible! I don’t need a plastic window, or something that looks like it was designed by aliens — just something that’s sharp, solid, good looking and has a respectable airflow. Is that too much to ask?”

Well, we trawled our brains (as well as a fair chunk of the internet) looking for some classy chassis, and this is what we found:

• Corsair’s Obsidian 550D may have a plastic window, but otherwise it’s a monolithic piece of imposing black metal that won’t ugly up your office.
• Coolermaster’s Silencio 650 is hewn from diamond-cut aluminum and drops the plastic window, and given the company’s heritage, should have excellent airflow.
• Finally, there’s the Lian-Li PC-A71F, which can only be described as terrifyingly sleek.

But what about you all? Let’s cap the year off with some stylish PC cases, peace and goodwill to everyone and a very happy New Year to you, the Engadgeteers.

Filed under: Desktops

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Todd, who has fallen out of love with his aging gadgets and wants to swap ’em back for some money. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“When upgrading your kit, you’ll naturally want to sell your old hardware. eBay has been the go-to place to auction your items, but lately its newer policies leave a lot of holes for unsavory buyers to exploit sellers. I’ve had a $1,200 laptop stolen from me, and I’m sure others have experienced similar, so I’d like to ask what’s the best way to sell a used gadget?”

Well Todd, while we wouldn’t ever dream of getting rid of gadgets (an Engadget editor’s apartment is very much like a technology-focused episode of Hoarders), we won’t judge your desire for minimalism. As such:

• Stores like Amazon and Best Buy offer trade-in programs for your old gear, the only downside being that you’re paid in credits for that particular establishment.
• Online recycling services like Gazelle, NextWorth and CashforGadgets have you send the gear in and judge it based on its criteria. While you’ll probably not get the most money for your gear, the process is relatively easy.
• Other than that, you could always enlist the services of an independent retailer who buys and sells second-hand tech or, you know… sell it privately.

Let’s turn the question over to the Engadget fraternity, and see what successes and failures they’ve had when it comes to flogging their gadgets — you know what to do, folks.

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Diamar, who is eyeing up a new smartphone, but doesn’t want one the size of a table tennis bat. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I read your site and I figured I’d give this a shot. I’ll be in the market to upgrade my iPhone 4S, but all of the best smartphones now have huge screens. I’ve wanted a Galaxy SIII, but its 4.8-inch screen is pushing it. Can you recommend any current or future smartphones that don’t have massive screens? Thanks!”

Were we in the construction trade, we’d be sucking the air over our teeth in a disapproving manner. If you’re looking for a flagship model, then it’s probably going to be on the sizable side:

• Sony Xperia T – 4.6-inch
• Nokia Lumia 920 – 4.5-inch
• HTC 8X – 4.3-inch
• HTC One S – 4.3-inch
• Motorola RAZR i (or M) 4.3-inch
• Apple iPhone 5 – 4-inch

Of course, if size is your only concern, then you could drop down a few levels (and price points) and snag a Galaxy S III Mini, which has a 4-inch display, but far more modest specs. That’s our take on the situation, anyway, but what about the community? Share your thoughts, folks.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Scott, who needs some peace of mind with his new laptop, since it doesn’t have a security slot. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I have a Lenovo U410, which doesn’t have a Kensington lock slot. Do you have any suggestions as to how to keep it physically secured? Thanks!”

Well, Scott, while it’s not the greatest situation, there are a few alternatives you might want to try. For example:

• Griffin’s TechSafe connects through the device’s hinge, and should do a job to deter casual thieves.
• There’s also Kensington’s laptop docking station, which also clips around your device’s display — but does require you to drill some holes through your desk.

Of course, that’s just our two cents, now it’s time for you lot out there to chip in with your own suggestions. If you’ve learned the secret to securing Kensington-free laptops, share your knowledge in the comments below.

Filed under: Laptops

Ask Engadget: how do you secure a laptop without a Kensington slot? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Nov 2012 23:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Benjamin, who feels a little let down by the most recent changes to Evernote’s image-sharing software. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“Hi guys. I’m a graphic designer who, until recently, used a desktop app called Skitch to quickly share images with clients. I loved being able to just click and drag a portion of my desktop, click “share” and have it uploaded in a seconds. Of course, Evernote has screwed with it, so now it won’t default to keeping my pictures private (not so good for the clients, or my reputation) and the new layout hides the sharing feature in a stupid drop-down menu. Frankly, a really useful piece of software has been ruined, so can you suggest a replacement?”

We feel your pain Benjamin, even if we did have to slice out your more colorful descriptions of Evernote from your e-mail. A site favorite has been ruined by the changes, and as such we’re on the hunt for an alternative.

• Jing, from TechSmith lets you share screenshots and even record video on your desktop.
• Slingshot is a Mac exclusive that’ll set you back $3, but uses the cloud service of your choice (Dropbox, Imgur etc)

Of course, this is the moment where we turn it over to our amazing commenters, who we hope will share the skinny. You never know, maybe some enterprising indie dev has already created the program to replace that hole in our lives — friends, head down below, grab the candle and bang on.

Filed under: Internet, Software

Ask Engadget: best Skitch replacement? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Oct 2012 23:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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