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Planon PrintStik PS910

Gordon Mah Ung — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:30:14 -0600

We thought thermal paper was dead and buried along with mimeograph paper, but look out, it’s back!

Folks who are nostalgic for the ’80s can get their curly thermal-paper fix with Planon’s portable PrintStik printer. Designed for road warriors, the PrintStik is a self-contained, battery-powered portable thermal printer. It’s small enough to fit in your bag, and if your expectations are low enough, it does the job. How low? It’s a gray-scale thermal printer, so you won’t be printing color graphics with it.

More on why this should be your last resort after the jump!

Polaroid PoGo

Gordon Mah Ung — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:00:00 -0500

If you still get warm and fuzzy thinking about those James Garner and Mariette Hartley Polaroid commercials, it’s time to let go of the past. Traditional film is barely hanging on, and Polaroid has completely ceased production of instant film.

But Polaroid hasn’t abandoned its interest in prints. The company is trying to rekindle the instant-print picture industry with its new Polaroid PoGo portable printer. This 4.75”x2.75”x1” device is the first to use Zink Imaging’s Zero Ink paper. Instead of shooting dots of ink onto a piece of paper, the PoGo uses a thermal head to heat up tiny crystals embedded in each sheet of paper.

Sounds rad, eh? Find out the skinny after the jump.

Accell’s UltraAV HDMI 4:2 Switch

Michael Brown — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:11:55 -0500

Accell’s UltraAV HDMI 4:2 Audio/Video Switch is either a Dr. Jekyll or a Mr. Hyde of a home-theater product. The creature you’ll encounter depends on the video source you connect to it. Read on to find out just what we're talking about.

Hands-On Reviews of 12 Hands-Free Bluetooth Devices

Steve Klett — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:21:28 -0500

Do yourself a favor: make sure your car is up to code by this July—no broken headlamps or taillights, up-to-date registration, etc. – and, oh yeah, make sure you pick up a hands-free Bluetooth device for your cell phone. On July 1st a new law will go into effect in California making it illegal to talk on a wireless phone while operating a motor vehicle. If you are 18 or older, and you want to use your phone while driving, you will need to use a hands-free device – no “ifs”, “ands”, or “buts” about it—and there will be no grace period either.

We put a dozen of the newest Bluetooth devices through the wringer to help you find the right one for your car-talking habits. All of the devices were tested with one phone along the same stretch of highway at the same time of day, and call clarity was compared via voicemail recordings.

Read on to find out which ones made the grade.

IntelliScanner Mini

Tom Edwards — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:29:41 -0500

It’s estimated that two percent of the population suffers from OCD;
IntelliScanner’s business model seems predicated on being able to
capture but a small fraction of this fraction of the populace, for only
the most compulsive of collectors—like me—will find a use for this
product. However, if you are an obsessive collector of media—and you
have a reasonable amount of disposable income—the IntelliScanner Mini
might very well become a lifelong companion.

Click Read More for more.

Headplay Personal Cinema

Michael Brown — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:17:41 -0500

If you’re just dying to strap a display to your head, the Headplay Personal Cinema is your best choice. It’s comfortable, even for people who wear glasses, supports a wide range of input devices, and delivers relatively high resolution, and the only virtual-reality feature it lacks is head tracking.

Click Read More for more.

Amazon Kindle

Will Smith — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:37:51 -0600

We’ve long appreciated the concept of the eBook, but we’ve been disappointed in its execution. The old Franklin readers ate batteries, had small screens, and included only a meager selection of books. Sony’s Reader has a better battery life, but the selection of first-run books leaves much to be desired. Amazon’s new Kindle solves many of these problems but introduces an even thornier one.

Click Read More for more.

Niles Audio RCA-HT Remote Control Anywhere Kit

Michael Brown — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:33:11 -0600

You can take one of two approaches with the gear in your home-theater system: Put everything on display, or you hide your components in a cabinet or closet. If you prefer discretion over exhibitionism, Niles Audio’s Remote Control Anywhere kit lets you to control all your infrared-controlled components no matter where you’ve stashed them.

Click Read More for more.