You don’t have to be an early adopter to appreciate the specs and utility of these devices. Find out which product fits for your needs (and budget).
Samsung Galaxy Tab ($650 to $700)
The latest iPad competitor is anything but a David fighting a Goliath. The Tab goes toe-to-toe with Apple’s tablet PC by offering a bright, seven-inch TFT LCD that is actually easier to hold than the iPad. Typing emails or notes is especially simpler on the Tab because your thumbs aren’t that far apart from each other. Boasting a 1GHz processor and 512MB of memory, the Tab is fast and loaded with goodies, from a high-def camera to the ReaderHub where you can download 1,600 newspapers from Zinio to the sleek Android UI. Another advantage over iPad is the Android browser supports Flash Player 10.1 (come on, Apple, get with the program!).
Our review unit came from thesource.ca and when we started out we were very skeptical anything could compete with iPad. By the time we were done, we were really impressed at this leading Android tablet. It’s a sexy tablet not much larger than a hardcover book and has the looks and guts of a real contender in the tablet wars.
A major drawback is the lack of voice calling, which European consumers enjoy but has failed to sway North American carriers. Maybe next year?
Sony α55 DSLR Camera and Lens ($850)
For a higher grade camera, the α55 DSLR is a sweet product. Its specs are incredible: 16.7MP, image stabilization, built-in flash, tiltable 3.0″ TFT Xtra Fine LCD, as well as an electronic viewfinder and diopter adjustment (-4.0+4.0). Not to mention embedded GPS, sweep panorama, face detection and smile shutter technology.
Its unique feature is the translucent-mirror technology, which allows more light through to the main sensor than the standard DSLR and gives you continuous autofocus, whether you snap moving objects/people or shoot video. A true photo lover will enjoy the speed of shooting pic after pic. It also helps that video recording is in high-definition at 1080i.
We found the image quality to be very sharp and vivid, even at 3,200 ISO or higher. The noise is practically silenced.
Apple MacBook Air (starting at $1,049)
It might be a tad expensive for an 11-inch/13-inch laptop but there’s many reasons why computer lovers adore the MacBook Air: so slim you barely feel its heft; intuitive trackpad; boots up in under 12 seconds; first MacBook with a 16:9 display; and the bundled iLife software suite. It boasts powerful innards and excellent performance, as we’d expect with Apple’s latest treasure.
We had fun with the 11-inch 128GB MacBook Air with 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2GB of memory. We used a USB drive to load the latest Photoshop from Creative Suite 5 on the notebook and we could play with images quite easily, despite it doesn’t have the fastest processor on the market.
Your fam and friends will definitely be jealous if you flaunt this bad boy around the home.
180s Tec Touch gloves ($25 to $80)
Ever wanted to use your touchscreen smartphone or tablet PC with winter gloves? It’s a pain in the frostbite, isn’t it? Winterwear company 180s has unveiled their Tec Touch gloves which feature conductive “buttons” on the tips of their fingers so you can easily use your touchscreen. They’re not the warmest gloves, so while you gain nerdy functionality you lose insulated support. Note that we didn’t try the glove varieties with the most insulation.
We really like that the gloves come in a variety of styles for both men and women. There is something for everyone.
ThinkGeek TK-421 Bluetooth keyboard for iPhone ($50)
It might seem redundant to add a QWERTY keyboard to an iPhone since the smartphone sports a pretty intuitive touchscreen keypad. But some users like going old school, so this Bluetooth keyboard-case is ideal for hardcore texters or citizen journalists who like writing articles via their phone. Setting up the keyboard to your phone is simple enough, and it’s great how the keyboard flips out from the back when it needs to be used. But when you first click your unit into the TK-421 you’ll notice the case is somewhat clunky. It’s not the slimmest, but it could be useful when long texts require a more familiar peripheral.
Brother MFC-J615W multifunction printer ($150)
All-in-one units are all the rage, since you can print, scan, copy and fax from one device. Brother’s MFC-J615W wins kudos for a color LCD display to edits photos. A 15-page automatic document feeder doesn’t hurt either. We like the idea of its four-cartridge ink system so users only need to change the cartridge that needs to be replaced (notice how expensive those cartridges have become?).
The black ink cartridge will set you back $28, and the cyan magenta and yellow cartridges are each $12.
Perfect for work-at-home families.
Samsung NX100 digital camera ($650.00)
This is the sub-$1,000 camera for the adventerous shutterbug. What makes the NX100 point-and-shoot so special is its i-function lens: pushing this button lets you instantly adjust settings such as aperture, speed, and exposure without needing to look away from the lens.
Packed in a small and attractive body, the NX100 features 14.6 megapixels and 420-shot battery life. Its image sensor does a great job to minimize noise so the pictures come out sharp and clear.
You can buy optional accessories such as a flash add-on, a GPS, and a useful electronic viewfinder.
Check out yesterday’s installment of the hottest tech for your office here, and tomorrow be sure to return to DigitalJournal.com for the final Essential Digital Gear article on gaming gadgets.
