Gear Patrol

In July 2003 picture messaging was a luxury, SARS was a global concern, and Apple had just introduced its futuristic and incredibly powerful Power Mac G5. The drilled-out brushed aluminum tower looked like a prop from The Matrix Revolutions (also debuted in 2003, not worth remembering). Fast-forward to nearly 10 years later, and Apple is finally introducing a form-factor update to its longstanding pro desktop tower. Boy, did they go big.

Microsoft Xbox One Microsoft just announced pricing for its new flagship gaming system, the Xbox One, due for a November launch. To the chagrin of everyone, espeically teenage boys subsisting entirely on allowance and lawn-mowing money, at $499 it’s priced a bit higher than anticipated. $499 PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 will be released in…

When it comes to choosing the right laptop, everyone seeks three necessities: a sleek profile, high performance, and most importantly, portability. A weighty — or worse, bulky — portable computer can take a heavy toll on the body and make daily commuting a pain in the ass; yet everyone from business buffs to college grads wants a machine powerful enough to meet computing needs. We’re fortunate to bask in a beautiful balance of both virtues thanks to the latest leaps in laptop engineering. From convertibles to high-end subnotebooks, we sifted through the market to find the best laptops weighing in at under four pounds. Just remember, they’ll probably make you look fat in comparison.

It wasn’t so long ago that 10-key calculators and instant messenger were the most exciting things happening to technology. But nowadays, tech moves fast — new computer segments are born and buried quicker with each passing year. Don’t let that scare you away from the good ole desktop, though. All-in-ones have more to offer than ever: effective touchscreens with the UI to back them up (Windows 8), high-def displays that can easily double as TV screens (thanks to HDMI and built-in TV tuners), and slimmer profiles for fitting just about anywhere.

Sure, it’s tough explaining to grandma where to put the floppy disc, but we’ll leave that to you. Before choosing which one is right for you, though, figure out just what it is you need. Whether that means sexy looks, entertainment nirvana or a gamer’s sweaty-palmed fantasy, our five picks for the best all-in-one desktops are awaiting below to help out.

So you managed to score that shiny new iPad Mini. Next step: a case. We’ve saved you hours of SafeSearch Googling by rounding up 30 of the best iPad Mini cases at a variety of price points to help get your new Cupertino buddy from birthday suit to warm and cozy. Whether you prioritize looks, function or insurance for your butterfingers, each of these iPad Mini cases has a forte — and a price. We’ve ordered our selections starting with the most affordable and will update this article as better entries come along. So peruse, hone in, and for god’s sake, cover your shame man.

To the inexperienced, the words “techie” and “guy” seem synonymous. Sure, most guys do like technology these days — but like does not true a techie make. So while this list can absolutely be applied to any modern man, its real target is the hardcore gadget nut. The one who scours the blogs and refreshes…

The iMac has dominated the all-in-one desktop market for years despite only receiving incremental updates in recent memory. The New Apple iMac ($1,300+) finally represents the next step in desktop design, proving once again that thin is definitely still in. Specifically, the new form factor is 80% skinnier than the last model and weighs 8…

Steve Jobs had a lot to say about the market for 7-inch tablets back in October 2010: in his eyes, it boiled down to a conflict of hardware and software. “Apple’s done extensive user-testing on touch interfaces over many years, and we really understand this stuff… there are clear limits of how close you can…

After flipping the middle finger to the rest of the laptop market with the MacBook Pro Retina last summer, it was only a matter of time before Apple’s Midas touch turned to the smaller 13-inch companion. The new Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch Retina ($1,699+) has received the same innovations: a smaller body, a retina display…

Unveiling a new iPod along with the new iPhone is becoming a bit of a tradition, so it’s no surprise that a shiny new iPod Touch and iPod Nano were rolled into today’s big iPhone 5 launch. As usual, the Fifth Generation iPod Touch ($299+) takes its cue from many of the features from the…

Let’s face it, not much was kept secret about Apple’s latest iPhone — so let’s start with what the geekosystem didn’t already know. The new device is powered by an A6 chip that doubles the speed and graphics processing of the iPhone 4S. Like Amazon’s recent Kindle Fire HD, so-called “ultra fast wireless” is onboard,…

The iMac’s design is unquestionably stunning, but it’s hard to marvel too long at a screen that’s burning your corneas with glare. The MacFrame ($49+) protects you from needing your grandma’s glaucoma shades while you surf the web. Luckily, glare is actually caused by the screen’s glass cover and not the glass LCD monitor screen…

Asymmetrical fan blades? Yup. And there you have it. Details like this sum up the all-new next generation MacBook Pro with Retina Display ($2,199). Just announced, the MacBook Pro with Retina offers — bone stock — a 2.3GHz quad-core i7 processor (configurable up to 2.7 with 3.7Ghz Turbo Boost on demand), 256GB-768GB of solid state…

From outcries that they’re paying too much for current technology to being badged as label-driven sheep, Apple fan boys take a lot of flack for their devotion. But regardless of whether or not you agree with any of the admonitions, one thing has never been in doubt –Apple products are gorgeous. For those of you…

Apple previously described its foray into the living room as a “hobby”. Now that the tiny black puck has been launched side-by-side with the new iPad, it seems more like the ultimate tablet accessory. Given the new iPad’s crazy-retina display, the new Apple TV finally matches the 1080p output of competing set-top streamers like the…

Right on schedule, Apple has announced their latest iteration of the new iPad. Yes, that’s its official name and it was the biggest surprise of the entire announcement. You can guess that the most important upgrade to the third generation of Cupertino’s market-dominating tablet lies in the ridiculous 2048 x 1536 retina display packed with…

Like Harold Camping on the subject of Judgement Day, audiophiles are notorious for predicting the death of high quality audio at the hands of the digital music revolution. We certainly think today’s emphasis on MP3s has put a dent in the quest for high fidelity, but initiatives like Apple’s Mastered for iTunes series do give…

One of the few knocks on the iPhone 4S has been its battery life. While our own iPhone doesn’t seem to be plagued with any battery-sucking gnomes, having a longer battery life, when you need it, is never a bad thing. PowerSkin makes a number of cases for major mobile phones (ahem, your iPhone) that…

People at the helm of Apple, like Jony Ives and the late Steve Jobs, tend to get all of the credit for the company’s constant innovation. Startups like the Nest Learning Thermostat and Flipboard, which were both founded by Apple alums, proved though that Cupertino’s talent pool is incredibly deep and certainly capable of innovating…

If we had to guess what famed Apple hardware and software engineers Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers would do after leading the team responsible for the first 18 generations of the iPod, and the first three generations of the iPhone — revolutionizing the thermostat wouldn’t immediately spring to mind. Now, after launching the Nest Learning…

Oh the torture! Our Pavlovian anticipation for a new iPhone every 12 months has been pushed to the limits this go around, especially after being teased earlier this summer about what to expect from iOS 5 (which, FYI will be available to all current iPhone 4 owners October 12th). Now the news is out and…

Dutch designer Michiel Cornelissen has devised a clever product to tame Apple’s ubiquitous ear buds. The CableGuy ($13) features four slots for holding the ear buds and 3.5mm plug in place, leaving room in the middle to wrap up the pesky cord in a nice ‘n tidy fashion. There’s also a built-in clip for attaching…

Screaming thunderbolt three times while hoisting a sword into the sky won’t do anything. The nifty technology embedded in Apple’s latest über monitor does, however, provide new Mac owners with a hassle free docking station, not to mention 27 glorious inches of display real estate. Specifically, connecting one MagSafe cable to the display, and one…

Mac heads are normally a pretty cohesive group — that is until you ask what “magic” product they prefer using. Both the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad have their respective advantages, but until recently, dealing with frequent battery changes was an issue for either side. Thanks to the Mobee Magic Charger ($50) the tides have…

The glossy spawn of iMovie and Final Cut Pro, Apple’s new Final Cut Pro X ($300) is completely rebuilt from the ground up with an all-new interface, 64-bit fully parallel processing, raw video tagging, built-in color correction and a cool new editing method called Magnetic Timeline. Of course, the revolutionary software won’t transform your scripts…

After sulking in the corner for the last two years from lack of attention, the Time Capsule ($300-$500) has finally received an update from the loving engineers in Cupertino. Well, sort of. Now the line consists of a 2TB and beefier 3TB model, which are available at the price points of the old 1TB and…

The speculation started long before today, but now the folks in Cupertino have officially released iCloud, a new service designed to help consumers effortlessly store and access digital assets in Apple’s freshly-minted data centers. iCloud is free to all, and will launch in full with iOS 5 this fall — presumably to coincide with a…

IPhone, iPad, and iPod touch owners will receive a ton of new features in iOS 5. The bad news is that the latest and greatest mobile operating system won’t be available until fall of this year for consumers. On the up side, we’ve made getting a knowledgeable head start on what’s to come super easy….

2011 is the year of the tablet, no matter how hard we and our wallets squirm over having another gadget thrust into our lives. But why now? A discussion on that topic could take longer than the birther diatribe if explored in full, but the short answer is we have our smartphones addictions to thank….

When it comes to traveling you may still rely on tried and true packing lists, but it goes without saying that gadgets and tech, have become both welcome and obnoxious additions — so much for packing light. In this Essential Gear feature we bring you our list of travel-tech endorsements, field tested by the GP…