Kensington Computer Products Group announced that at the end of this month they will be releasing ShareCentral, a USB peripheral sharing device that will allow sharing of up to five USB peripheral devices between any two computers.
With vacation season starting to get underway, the latest buzz is about CradlePoint’s CTR500 3G travel router. The router, which is touted on the companies website as being “the most compact…in the world,” is unique in that it accepts both Express Card and USB-style Cellular Modems, and supports most of the popular modems and handsets of the major carriers. PC Perspective did a recent review of the device, the lowdown of which you can read after the jump.
With the increasing popularity of Apple computers, numerous third party accessories have sprung up across the Internet. Up for review today is one such accessory, the LowKey Stand by Macessity, a California-based company that makes a wide range of Mac accessories aimed at professional users. The stand, which is designed specifically for the iMac and Apple Cinema displays, is small enough to fit on any desk, but at the same time large enough to provide a stowing place for the new slim Apple keyboards. To top it off, the product also comes with an integrated USB hub, making up for the lack of front USB ports on the iMac. Read the Editor Daniel Foster’s take on the product after the jump.
Looking for a new GPS system for your car? PC Fastlane has a new review of the Garmin nuvi 200w. At less than $200, the device packs lots of punch in a small package and is an excellent value for the money.
The Garmin nuvi 200W is a neat little GPS navigator. Featuring a large 4.3 inch touch screen and an ultra-thin design, PC Fastlane recommends it for your next car trip. For the price, the unit offers great bang for the buck. Compared to lower-priced models, the nuvi 200w offers several unique features: a photo viewer optional live traffic info, more maps, and more.
The 200w comes preloaded with maps of all 50 states as well as Canada and Puerto Rico. If you like to keep your hands on the wheel while driving, the device has voice recognition. Garmin has improved on previous models with the nuvi 200w by adding a brilliant widescreen. The easy-to-use interface is configurable and displays a wide array of data, such as directions, maps, time, elevation, speed, trip distance, and more. There is room for an SD card in the GPS device, allowing you to expand the unit’s storage capacity.
At less than $200, the Nuvi 200w is one of the most popular GPS units. We highly recommend it to anyone looking for a budget GPS with solid quality. It can be bought at Amazon here.
With tax season upon us, many people are currently in the market for tax software. Such software can save countless hours in tax preparation and is the option most people with computers prefer. Tax preparation can be a hassle because of all the complicated paperwork involved, and hiring a tax professional can get pricey. Take a look of our comparison of the two most popular tax software products after the jump.
In a burst of kindness not at all unknown to Google, the search giant has released a standalone version of its Analytics web statistics software for everyone to use.
The software, dubbed Urchin, was actually bought by Google in 2005 and renamed to Google Analytics. The version Google released to the public is meant to run independently on a server, not on Google’s servers as is the case with Analytics. Analytics/Urchin is one of the best traffic stats programs out there, so good in fact that PC Fastlane uses it.
Who does this help? The average web user won’t be impacted by this, and neither will the average webmaster. The new Urchin release will benefit sites with content behind firewalls such as corporate intranet sites, however. If you wish to give it a go, click here to join the beta. The software works on a variety of operating systems, and is free for three months.
The Lego Mindstorms NXT might just be a toy, but it’s not just any toy. It’s an educational tool. The Mindstorm robot has many of the features of expensive robot models for adults, but is designed to be easily used to kids eight and up. The NXT is Lego’s newest Mindstorms model, and features many new improvements. It’s one of the few toys that I consider to be a gadget, and worth checking out by any adult.
The robot is meant to be programmed via the included software that works on both Macs and PCs. The software is designed for children, and easy to use. Included is a guide showing you how to make some of the most common robot models. However, one can easily get more complex with the programming and there are various third party programming tools out there.
Four sensors are included with the NXT:
Ultrasonic sensor: Detects distance and movement. There are many cool uses for this tool.
Light & color sensor:Detects light and color. Using this sensor, you can get the robot to distinguish between objects of different color. For instance, you could tell it to only pick up blue objects or red objects.
Push sensor:Can tell when the robot touches something.
Sound sensor: Can determine the volume and tone of sound.
The NXT is a great gift for any Lego or robot lover. Find out more about it at the link below.
LEGO Mindstorms NXT
Sometimes things in life can get hot, a bit too hot. That’s where the Xpad laptop cooler comes in. Through the use of several strategically located fans, it can cool your laptop up to 30 degrees, and the integrated heat shield can block up to 60 degrees of heat from your oh-so-special lap. With laptops getting more and more powerful every day, the heat they generate has increased greatly over the years. The Xpad can cut down on this heat, making your portable computer more comfortable to use and increasing its life span.
We don’t know how well it works, but we do know it’s only $16.95.
Xpad Non-slip Laptop Cooler & Heatshield
Running out of room in your garage? A company called Racor has come out with a new ceiling-mounted bike lift that can not only free up space in your garage, but also keep your bikes safe. The bike lift will store your bikes nice and high on ceilings up to 14 feet tall, but makes them easy to retrieve with its unique pulley system that lets you lift bikes up to 55-pounds up or down. At only 3.8 pounds, the Racor bike lift system comes fully assembled, ready for mounting. Though it only holds one bike, it is very inexpensive, available at most stores for less than $20. The bike lift is very easy to install, and comes with decent customer service.
Racor Ceiling-Mounted Bike Lift #PBH-1R
The Swivel Sweeper is a unique, battery-powered cordless sweeper that can clean up messes faster and more effectively than ordinary sweepers. Though criticized by some, it gets the job done at a great price. Running up to 45 minutes per battery charge, it has a reusable dirt tray and weighs only 2 pounds, making it easy to use and convenient.
Those who have complained about the Swivel Sweeper expect too much out of it. It is not a substitute for a vacuum, but a handy tool for cleaning up small messes. It works on just about any surface, and can get deep in corners. Use it for cleaning up crumbs, dirt, and more.
AS SEEN ON TV Cordless Swivel Sweeper
Some good alternatives to the Swivel Sweeper include the Euro-Pro Shark V1725 Quick-and-Quiet 10-Inch Cordless Sweeper
PC Fastlane is a technology blog that keeps up-to-date with the latest happenings in the world of bits and bytes. The brain child of computer enthusiast Daniel Foster, the site has been around for more than two years and has been viewed by hundreds of thousands worldwide.
Read more about us here.
