Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve been toying with a VholdR ContourHD helmet cam for a few weeks now, seeing how well it blends in with our adrenaline-fueled lifestyle. We’ve mounted it on various helmets, tried it with some moderately extreme endeavors, and, now that we’ve had a chance to refill our asthma inhalers, we thought we’d share a few of those adventures and give our impressions of this helmet-mounted HD shooter.

Continue reading VholdR ContourHD wearable HD camcorder hands-on and impressions

Filed under: Digital Cameras

VholdR ContourHD wearable HD camcorder hands-on and impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know a lot of people out there who take any changes to the ThinkPad line very seriously, so it’s easy to see why Lenovo didn’t make any huge revisions to the T400 formula when designing the new T400s. Sure, it’s slimmer, lighter, and all around sleeker than big brother, but it’s still a ThinkPad, and it’s still tough as nails. You might think of it as the internals of the T400 stuffed into a slightly thicker version of the X300’s case — it might not quite fit into a manila envelope, but it’s still pretty easy to forget you’ve got it in your bag. Of course, it’s hard to cut down on size without sacrificing performance, and the T400s is no exception — although our tester’s 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo was more than capable of handling our day-to-day workload, the only graphics option is Intel’s integrated 4500MHD chip, and that means hardcore image processing and most intense gaming are out. Good thing ThinkPad owners are all business, right?

Continue reading Lenovo ThinkPad T400s hands-on and impressions

Filed under: Laptops

Lenovo ThinkPad T400s hands-on and impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here’s the one-line summary of the Kindle DX: It’s a Kindle 2 with a larger screen, hair-trigger orientation sensor, and an awful keyboard. Seriously awful. Yes, we know we should be focused on things like PDF support or even content partners like newspapers and textbook publishers, but we’re having a hard time getting over the keyboard — it’s emblematic of some puzzling design choices Amazon made with the Kindle DX. What do we mean? Read on.

Continue reading Amazon Kindle DX review

Filed under: Handhelds

Amazon Kindle DX review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Let’s be straight here: we’re a little perplexed by the new MacBook Pro line. On one hand, Apple didn’t really make enough changes to warrant a whole new review of the unibody lineup, and minor speed bumps aside, briefly using one of the new machines feels pretty much like using most any recent Mac: it’s OS X on a really nice, albeit extremely glossy screen. On the other hand, after a week in the trenches, it’s clear that all those seemingly minor changes will have a big impact down the line — especially the move to sealed-in batteries across the board, which is a decision with decidedly mixed consequences. What’s more, we think these changes impact the 13-inch and 15-inch models very differently — the $1,199 13-inch configuration might have a shiny new Pro label on it, but even Apple admits that it’s an entry-level consumer machine, and consumers and professionals don’t have the same needs.

So while this isn’t going to be a full-on review, we think just slightly more than just our usual bullet-pointed impressions are in order — and we think it’s important to actually break things down by model. How do Apple’s latest laptops stack up? Read on for more.

Continue reading MacBook Pro (mid 2009) in-depth impressions

Filed under: Laptops

MacBook Pro (mid 2009) in-depth impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LeapFrog’s Text and Learn QWERTY BlackBerry-styled educational toy for the little ones left such an impression on us that we went back to check out its latest offerings. Two things caught our eye — up first, the Scribble and Write, which is a Text and Learn-style device applied to writing skills. Designed for children about the age of three, it teaches basic letter-writing skills, making use of a roughly 3-inch LCD and attached “pen” to trace over the letters. This one is actually available now, and runs $21.99. The second item we checked out is called the Chat & Count — and it looks incredibly similar to a candybar style mobile phone. The one we checked out was actually a prototype, and not the final product, but it’s aimed at children starting at 18 months old, and teaches basic phone skills (believe us, the kids need those), numbers and counting. It’s also got plenty of ringtones and custom noises built in, which start out super cute but would likely be… grating over time. The Chat & Count will be hitting shelves sometime around December of this year, and will run you $14.99. Both of these products join Leapfrog‘s Learning Path offerings (which also includes products like the Tag Junior we’ve previously seen).

Gallery: LeapFrog hands-on

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

LeapFrog Scribble & Write, Chat & Count hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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