Hasta La Gadget!

What is this strange pendulum hanging below the camcorder? An external battery? Some eccentric fashion accessory from the Far East? Actually, this is the ReadySteady: a camera stabilizer (and potentially a stand) designed for use with various pocket camcorders such as the Flip Mino, Sony Bloggie, Sanyo Xacti (like our HD1010 here) and Kodak PlayTouch. The device really is as simple as it looks — it consists of just a two-part 3.5-ounce aluminum disc and a flexible camera stand, the latter of which can be stored within the disc. Likewise, the instructions are pretty straightforward: simply poke the stand through the disc, screw it into your camcorder, put a grip near your camcorder’s bottom, and then apply some force onto the disc with your other hand (as pictured). Voilà! So, does this $29.99 device work? And is it worth it? Read on to find out — an extensive test video awaits you after the break.

Continue reading ReadySteady pocket camcorder stabilizer review

ReadySteady pocket camcorder stabilizer review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For demanding gamers, initial excitement upon procuring a Nintendo Wii was quickly dampened by disappointment: the durned Wiimote wasn’t nearly as precise as we’d all hoped it would be. It took a couple of years for Nintendo to step up and fix the issue, releasing the MotionPlus and finally making the Wiimote work for sword-fighting games and the like. But, that left us all stuck with a dongle hanging off the bottom, causing compatibility issues with many early peripherals. The Nyko Wand+ is the solution, putting the MotionPlus right inside a stock-size controller, as it should have been in the first place. In some ways, it’s better than first-party.

Continue reading Nyko Wand+ review

Nyko Wand+ review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We never really understood the value proposition behind Dyson’s (admittedly boisterous) Air Multiplier, but that’s mostly due to the $300+ MSRP. Cut that back to right around $40, and you just might have us singing a different tune. Thanks to the wonders of KIRFing, Dyson’s bladeless fan has seen itself duped and multiplied over in China, with a 10-inch version now selling for just $41.05 so long as you buy ten or more units. Abiko seems to the company hawking the knockoffs, with its version reportedly “indistinguishable from the original.” So, what’s it going to be? The real deal? Or the real deal?

Update: Dyson requested that we add this comment, so we’re more than happy to present you with it. “The Dyson Air Multiplier[TM] fans were launched in 2009 after four years of research and development. A team of specialist Dyson engineers have refined and patented the technology: illegal copies are of significantly inferior quality. Dyson rigorously defends its intellectual property and treats any infringement very seriously. Dyson is taking legal action against anyone who copies its technology.”

Keepin’ it real fake: Dyson’s Air Multiplier gets ripped off, multiplied a few more times originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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“Rugged” is one of those terms thrown around pretty loosely by the consumer electronics industry. So when Klipsch, a name that’s not exactly synonymous with husky men in the saddle, rolled out a rugged version of its S4i in-ear speakers under the Image S5i Rugged moniker, well, we just had to put them to the test. But first we had to give these $129.99 ‘buds a listen… from the very noisy floor of the Messe Berlin convention center. Fortunately, the oval ear tips did an excellent of job of isolating most external sounds, thus allowing us to hear a rich reproduction of lows and mids with a noticeable emphasis on bass. Not a surprise since the Image S5i headphones feature the same acoustic characteristics as the Image S4i and Image S4 headphones that came before them.

But what we really wanted to know was how that “moisture-resistant” (not waterproof) Apple-compatible three-button remote / mic would hold-up to a torture test. Fortunately, the Image S5i Rugged managed to keep the music playing and under control even after a generous bath of bottled water. Rugged and classy? Looks like iPod, iPhone, and iPad owners just made a new friend.

Continue reading Klipsch Image S5i Rugged in-ear headphones earn our respect (video)

Klipsch Image S5i Rugged in-ear headphones earn our respect (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 10:23:00 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, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Calvin, who needs a replacement for his recently broken Switztool 6-piece screwdriver kit. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’ve always used a Switztool 6-piece screwdriver for my computer work. I love how it retracts all the bits into the screwdriver. But it just bit the dust after a very heavy fall. Just want to know from other fellow readers: what’s the best screwdriver (or kit) out there for DIY computer work and electronics hacking?”

Quite an interesting question, indeed. We’d probably recommend a kit with a 00-sized Philips screwdriver for getting those laptop bolts out from the casing, but desktop-specific ones are certainly allowed. And… go!

Ask Engadget: best screwdriver kit for DIY computer work? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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