With the outstanding popularity of the iPod, I thought it would be appropriate to begin a set of reviews of the wide variety of accessories available for the iPod.  We begin with two different kinds of accessories by Griffin Technology: the iBeam and the Earjams.  These are two products which are purchased separately.  The iBeam allows you to use your iPod as a mini flashlight as well as a laser pointer.  The Earjams, on the other hand, attaches to the default iPod earbuds to provide bigger and better sound. 

As an audio enthusiast myself, I have always appreciated the possibilities of achieving higher sound quality in all applications.  Today, I will be having a look at a unique set of earphones called the Etymotic ER 6i Isolator earphones.  As the name implies, these earphones isolate unwanted sound and are in the form of small earphones.  There are two types of earphones that I'm aware of.  The first kind is also known as earbuds, which are the kind which are generally placed in the ear.  The other kind are ones that are placed further in the ear just like the ones being reviewed today.  It is just like placing those foam tips in your ear if you are at an extremely loud rock concert or event. 

Many people have come to enjoy the freedom from wires by owning a wireless mouse.  Almost all wireless mice these days rely on batteries.  Rechargeable or not, many people dread the day where their mouse will stop functioning right in the middle of a game or when when working on an important task.  Today, we will be taking a look at a wireless optical mouse that immediately sets itself apart from all other wireless mice because it does not use any batteries at all.  It is A4Tech's Battery Free Wireless Optical Mouse. 

We have reviewed a number of Rikaline GPS receivers over the years and tested them out on our aerial platform, a Cessna Centurion. They’ve always performed well and came through our tests with flying colours, as they say… The latest Rikaline product caters to a different group of navigators: those plying the watery waves. The Rikaline GPS-6051 Marine receiver is housed in a white, spherical, waterproof module that houses the antenna and receiver. 

LCD displays for the computer have come to the point where they are more affordable and are starting to become more common.  Computer manufacturers now provide consumers with the option of choosing a CRT monitor or upgrading to an LCD display.  When comparing LCD displays with CRT monitors, each have their unique features that tend to a user's preference.  LCD displays are much thinner, lighter, and definitely more portable than a CRT monitor.  CRT monitors on the other hand are much heavier, but are much cheaper. For the enthusiast gamer, the CRT has always been the choice because it simply performs better than LCD monitors.  The reason that gamers have been hesitant in adopting an LCD display is because of the "ghosting" issue that occurs when playing extremely fast paced games that involve tons of fast moving images.  The ghosting issue is related to the pixel response time of an LCD monitor.  The typical pixel response time of an LCD monitor these days is around 25ms these days.  Unfortunately, it is a bit disheartening how manufacturers place such an emphasis on the pixel response time of an LCD monitor.  There are definitely other important features that a consumer should look for such as the contrast ratio and viewing angle of an LCD monitor. Today, I will be reviewing the Samsung Syncmaster 172X LCD display.  Although this is a 17" inch monitor, what is special about this monitor is that it sports a very low 12ms pixel response time which is pretty much the main selling point of this monitor. The low 12ms pixel response time is certainly believable, but we'll also have to see how well the display looks. 

 When thinking about motherboards, many people think of popular companies such as Intel, Abit, Asus, etc.  They have provided quality motherboards for many years now and are brands that can be trusted.  What I wasn't aware of is that the fact that Tul makes motherboards as well.  With the recent review of Tul's PowerColor Radeon X800XT as well as other reviews I had seen of their products, they have made excellent graphics cards with their award winning PowerColor series.    Now, Tul has brought the PowerColor series name to their motherboards as well.  I was surprised when I first learned that Tul made motherboards, because they have released quite a few of them already.  I suppose that many of us have not really heard about their motherboard products because we simply have not heard much news about them.  Today, we had the chance to review Tul's PowerColor A350-VF motherboard.

 When people think of digital camera brands, most immediately think of well known and popular brand names such as Canon, Nikon, Olympus, etc.  How many people consider the name 'Casio' when it comes to digital cameras?  When I think of Casio, I usually think of their quality and unique electronic watches.  Casio has been in the digital camera market for quite a number of years now.  The main focus of Casio's product line is the Exilim series which is composed of cameras both for the consumer or for an amateur or professional photographer.  The upscale cameras are part of the 'Pro' line and the snapshot consumer cameras are their "Zoom" line.  Today, I will be reviewing Casio's latest Exilim Z-50 digital camera.  This camera is meant for quick snapshots.  This camera sports a large 2 inch LCD screen on the back of the screen and an outstanding 5 mega pixels in an extremely small package.

With the overflowing amount of MP3 players to choose from in the market today, it can become a daunting task to decide which one to buy. Since there really has not been any technological advances in the playing of music files, the companies' main concern has been refining the player. Companies mainly differentiate their MP3 players either through design or features.  The design of an MP3 player includes making it smaller and more compact. On the other hand, companies can also add a unique set of features such as a longer battery life or the ability to play multiple types of media files. Today, I will be reviewing the mobiBLU DAH-1200 MP3 player.  This MP3 player is a flash based player with a maximum capacity of 256MB. 

Computers have now evolved into a media centre in which you can listen to music, watch movies, and even play games.  With this is mind, having a good set of speakers can make the difference in your media centre experience.  Decent-sounding speakers can make music much more enjoyable as well as games more immersive.  Today, I will be reviewing Altec Lansing's MX5021 multimedia speakers.  This is a 2.1 speaker configuration (2 satellite speakers and a subwoofer) aimed at users looking for full and accurate sound.  Since these speakers are also THX certified, you can probably expect that these speakers will sound just as great when watching movies. 

I’ve spent about 3 months with arguably the best-connected ultra-portable notebook in the world, most of that time on the road and all of the time the Flybook being the only computer I worked with. How did that go? Have my enthusiastic first impressions (see our July 21 review) mellowed or did I discover the Flybook is for keeps? Follow me as I put my traveling companion to work.