Hasta La Gadget!

Look at this guy! What a cutie! It’s like Elvis‘ microphone cross-bred with some sort of weird alien USB bumblebee. Samson’s Meteor Mic is unquestionably shiny, but its competition is an increasingly attractive bunch as well. Does Lil’ Samson’s beauty run only grill-deep? Read on to find out!

Continue reading Samson Meteor Mic review

Samson Meteor Mic review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At last, Intel’s wish may come true. There are reports that the Thunderbolt technology might cut off the USB 3.0, before the USB update even takes off. Or at least that is what some people are guessing.

Despite that Intel has been mocked for the Thunderbolt, Intel has stood beside it. Unlike Apple who used FireWire in the past, which later flopped, it appears to have a strong fan base. More companies appear to be looking into adopting it, as we reported last week. No word on why some experts are claiming that the Thunderbolt will beat out the widely used USB’s next generation.

No study has been released, nor has the USB 3.0 officially been rolled out. However, one of Thunderbolts strong points is that it supports both USB, FireWire, and, many of the other common ports used today.

Via TG Daily

What if your media streamer was as small as your media card reader? What if your list of “what ifs” shrunk by one this evening? And what if, by chance, said media streamer shipped with a remote nearly double the size of the product itself? We’ll confess, it’d be a weird, weird situation, but it’s one that you can actually experience for yourself if you’re cool with handing over £49.99 ($82). The bantam PicoHD5.1 packs a lot of oomph into a pocket-sized device; on one side, there’s room for a USB hard drive, thumb drive or SD card. On the reverse, you’ll find HDMI / component outputs capable of piping whatever media you just plugged in onto your television or monitor. There’s even support for 5.1 channel surround sound, and we’re told that it’s encased in aluminum — you know, for those inevitable bumps and bruises. Is the “smallest HD multichannel media player” truly as spectacular as it sounds? Hard to say from afar, but hey, that’s what 60 day money-back guarantees are for… right?

Minuscule PicoHD5.1 media player looks like a card reader, acts like a media streamer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIC Gadget’s new iHub has lawyer bait written all over it. Not only does the four-port USB hub come in the same shape as an Apple TV, it has Apple’s own logo right up there on the top.

The hub really does look like an actual Apple product. The lines are clean, and the cut-out logo actually lights up when you plug it in, just like the logo on the back of your MacBook. Even the packaging is Apple inspired, looking a lot like an oversized iPod Nano box.

The iHub comes in black or white, and also has a little cut-out in the corner for threading it onto a lanyard.

I am posting a gallery of product shots here for a couple of reasons. First, so you can get an idea of just how much “inspiration” the MIC Gadget folks have taken from Apple. And second, as a kind of image archive so you can still see the thing after Apple sics its law dogs in MIC Gadget’s ass. Available now for $10.

iHub product page [MIC Gadget via MIC Gadget blog]

See Also:

• Topic Page for MIC Gadget
• Dongle Adds USB, SD and MicroSD to iPad
• Finally, a Compact Flash Reader for iPad

Samson’s Meteor has a 1/8th inch socket and a one-inch diaphragm

The Samson Meteor mic, released today, offers lucky buyers fold-back legs and the largest diaphragm available. If this sounds to you like a great way for a frustrated musician to spend a weekend alone than you are dead right. And if you’re chuckling right now, you have a filthy mind.

If the gun from Portal had been made in the 1950s, it would look like the Meteor. It’s a chrome and mesh lozenge which stands stout on its stocky “fold-back” legs and stares at you with a single menacing blue eye. Inside the Dalek-like body is a cardioid-pattern mic which sends a 16-bit, 44.1/48kHz output to the USB port of your choice (it will work with the iPad via the camera connection kit).

If our lone musician starts to long for a little pillow-talk, he can flip the Meteor over and jack into the 1/8 inch hole at the back. This gives no-latency headphone monitoring, and the volume can be adjusted via a front-mounted knob.

There’s also a mic-mute switch (should the neighbors start to complain), a stand adapter for when you finally build up the confidence to go out in public and — finally — grippy rubber feet to stop the mic from sliding away from you.

The Samson Meteor is now available nationwide at Best Buy, for just $100, or cheaper than a date with a real girl.

Samson Meteor [Samson. Thanks, Brad!]

See Also:

• Shure Busts Out USB Microphones for Musicians, Podcasters
• Super-Microphone Picks Out Single Voice in a Crowded Stadium …
• 3 Lies Guitar Center Told Me Today About Microphones (Updated …
• New Microphone Uses Smoke — and Lasers!