Gear Patrol

After releasing the 27-inch iMac in the fall of 2009, it was only a matter of time until a 27-inch Apple LED Cinema Display ($999) made its way to Apple’s shelves. Now we’ve been given an official date of September for the IPS (In-plane switching) display, that features a massive 2560×1440 resolution, and a true…

Apple is bringing the, um, “magic” of the Apple laptop multi-touch trackpad to a Mac desktop near you. The Apple Magic Trackpad ($69) supports full gesture control. Swiping, flipping, inverting, inertial scrolling, momentum, caressing, cooing, and hugging have all made it to the Magic Trackpad including features like the smooth, wear-resistant glass surface that’s 80…

Not all USB drives are created equally. Most are relegated to being generic tsotchkes handed out at conventions, but on the other hand you have the LaCie XtremKey ($50+) which offers industrial-grade data protection. With a pipe-shaped casing constructed of Zamac (an alloy of zinc, aluminum, magnesium, and copper) that’s brawny enough to laugh at…

You know what that svelte, sleek MacBook needs? It needs hair. Actually, it needs hair and a mustache. Well, the creative folks at Herraiz Soto & Co in Barcelona, Spain have got the fix: Stick with me, baby! stickers. Whether you want to Bro or Mo your Macbook (Pro) they’ve got some genius sticker options…

Conceptual gadgets with a serious potential to join the legions of other vaporware devices circulating online is typically something we try to avoid covering. In some cases though, the teased device is just too gadgetastic to ignore. Case in the point is the Toshiba Libretto W100 ($1,100). Promised by Toshiba to hit shelves in August…

This is not Google. This is not Chess. These are not just answers. Code-named “Watson” after IBM’s founder Thomas J. Watson, the Deep Blue QA based supercomputing technology is IBM’s high-engineering attempt to understand and answer complex questions. Not just any ol’ Q&A system, IBM feels so confident in Watson’s capabilities that they are putting…

Just in case you missed Engadget’s note, we wanted to share that Apple has released an update for its white-headed step child computer otherwise known as the Mac Mini. Why they opted to pull this move amidst the mad iPhone 4 pre-order scramble is a bit of mystery, but that always seems to be Apple’s…

Riding the wave in on the next evolution in external storage, the updated Iomega eGo Drives ($77-200) to be compatible with USB 3.0. Sure, they may look virtually identical from the previous gen, but noteworthy change revolve around new protection and security integration. First off, Iomega claims to have the best drop spec in the…

Choosing a hard drive typically requires two decisions: storage-size and connectivity. Problem is, when it comes to connectivity options things are a mess. Your current options: USB, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, eSATA, FireWire 800 don’t necessarily make it easy to choose a hard drive to buy that fits your current needs and promise compatibility as…

HP was one of the first PC manufacturers to embrace touch interaction through their Touch Smart All-In-One desktops, and today they showed a further desire to integrate it in notebooks as well. Revamped with a new etched metal casing option similar to the HP Envy, the dv6 is clearly meant to serve as multimedia machine….

You may not be able to design the next great iPhone app on it (per Steve himself), but if you can stomach for the price tag, Adobe Creative Suite 5: Master Collection ($870 Upgrade, $2,599 Full) will reward you with a veritable blitzkrieg of creative tools. Likely, more than you’ll ever know what do with….

Mac laptop users finally have a clean looking and space saving solution for using their MacBook or MacBook Pro like a desktop at home. Built to work with the majority of modern Apple portable computers from 2008 onwards (except the Air), this sleek dock positions the computer vertically without limiting access to your optical drive,…

There’s not a lot to complain about here at Gear Patrol, but one pain-point that we repeatedly encounter is a need for storage. Between Ben’s project to create our own high-definition video and audio Library of Congress and the entire crew’s ceaseless photography and video work, we fill up hard drives faster than cups at…

The Apple iPad has caught the eyes of many, but frankly not all of us are in the the Federated Obsessed Fanboys of Apple. The Microsoft Courier isn’t yet entirely real, nor can you order it next week like the Apple iPad, but the recently leaked specs show that the tablet/e-reader/netbook will be under 1″…

MLB At Bat has just been updated for the 2010 season and you baseball fans are going to want in on this (that is if you have an iPhone or iPod Touch). MLB.com At Bat 2010 ($15 still brings you live streaming audio for every regular and postseason game, video of live streaming games (minus…

Remember Alienware before it was acquired by Dell in 2006? Its goal was to create ridiculously powerful and customized PC’s for the gaming obsessed. Correction, its goal was to create custom PC’s for the filthy rich, and gaming obsessed. Well once the firm sold out, one of Alienware’s founders Kevin Wasielewski decided to found another…

Back in January, you might have noticed a flurry of online chatter related to the category-bucking Sony Dash. After reviewing the product’s specs and features announced in the device’s initial press release, we were slightly disappointed to learn that the Dash seemed to be positioned really as a jack of all tech trades but master…

Apple products are notorious for their gorgeous factory finishes being as magnetically attractive to scratching and scuffing as seedy women are to Tiger Woods. While there are a plethora of products on the market for protecting your iNvestment, those offered by Speck Products shine through. Speck has been making cases for various Apple products for…

In a world where laptop sleeves tend to blend into the neoprene sea of brightly-colored sameness, Hello Rewind stands out both in product and in purpose. Their wares consist of a single offering: unique laptop sleeves – but their business doubles as a mission supporting and empowering sex trafficking survivors, whom they help regain their…

Apple has just rolled out the latest iteration to its semi-pro/pro photo management and editing software. Aperture 3 ($199, $99 upgrade) brings it with 200 new features including Faces (facial recognition), Places (geotagging), and Brushes: an enhancement tool that lets photographers and editors paint, use filters, and make adjustments directly onto their images. Aperture 3…

It’s no secret that there is a massive cottage industry producing accessories and the like for the full range of Apple’s coveted products. In fact, it seemed that only seconds after the iPad was officially announced, it was possible to order protective sleeves, a bevy of adapters, and maybe even themed pet fashions dedicated to…

As part of my 1/2 marathon training, I’ve enlisted the help of RunKeeper to act as my virtual coach and running companion. While tracking time is all well and good, the RunKeeper Pro App utilizes the iPhone’s GPS to measure distance, speed, and average pace. It will even give you verbal updates on each metric…

Blue Microphones has a short, but strong history of designing and engineering microphones for every sort of recording function. While some of their models are in the $1,000+ price range and cater to the needs of professional studios, the Snowball serves the casual recording and podcasting crowd. For under $100, the Snowball is the best…

The Apple iPad is here, and it’s both as much/little as people had hoped, expected, worried, drooled over, and even prayed for. The Apple Newton 2010 iPad ($499-$829) will arrive well equipped: 9.7″ (1024×768) IPS enabled Multi-Touch LED backlit display, 1GHz A4 processor, built-in speakers, Bluetooth, microphone, ambient light sensor, 720p video playback, fingerprint-resistant oleophobic…

Despite the drone of analyst chatter related to whether e-ink based eReaders are here to stay or simply a transition display medium that will shortly be replaced, plenty of electronic manufacturers are releasing noteworthy devices based on the technology. Looking similar to the previously released Barnes & Noble Nook, the Alex eReader, built by Spring…

Whatever your style is, chances are there’s a laptop bag for sale that matches it. For those who tote their computer on a daily basis, though, things like comfort and protection are far more important than looks, particularly for long commutes walking outside. Along that line, luggage manufacturer Ken Kai’s new DRI laptop messenger bags…

More often than not, so-called “green” electronics earn that title thanks to their low or efficient energy consumption. Sony, like Apple, though has decided to up the ante by building this 10-inch netbook system out of 23% recycled CDs. Gee, I wonder where they could have gotten those from?

Hear that sound? That’s the quivering sound of the Amazon Kindle team quaking after today’s formal announcement of the Skiff E-Reader (until an inevitable Apple Tablet/Slate launches). At a minuscule .268 inches thick and sporting an 11.5 inch screen with a whopping 1,600 x 1,200 resolution, the Skiff is capable of displaying a newspaper page…

Apple may have the nation’s tech fiends in a frenzy over the calculated slow drip of details and rumors circling its potential tablet announcement at the end of January, but that doesn’t mean other major tech manufacturers can’t come up with lust-worthy ideas of their own. Take the Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid. Part Linux-powered web…

Powerpoint-addicted road warriors and control freaks alike should appreciate the relatively low-key release of Lenovo’s multimedia remote with keyboard. Small enough to be used with one hand, the “remote” features 2.4GHz wireless keyboard and mouse with track ball and communicates with most windows machines using a USB nano dongle. Though aimed at Lenovo’s business-oriented clientele,…