All posts filed under: Gadgets

I want – I got’s Holiday Gift Guide – Gagdets

Published by

It’s that time of year again and I want – I got is putting together massive Gift Guides of things I think would be perfect to give as gifts this season. So the fashion route is out for holiday gifts. I can’t blame people for that, it’s hard to get the right piece. Don’t worry about sizing, colour or style as this third gift guide in the series is all about the gadget. My Mom is always asking me to print her photos of my nephew and niece. I didn’t have a proper photo printer until I went to an HP event and got my hands on the HP Photosmart 7520 e-All-in-One Printer. It’s wireless which is such an important part to my home network as I’m trying to get rid of excess cables. I can print photos from my smartphone using HP software or Google’s Cloud Print. Some other great features include a touch screen, duplex printing, Internet access, scanning, copying and faxing. The Photosmart 7520 will automatically print a selection of NYTimes stories …

geekiviews: Sodastream

Published by

Believe the hype. The Sodastream is an amazing kitchen appliance. The Sodastream system allows you to carbonate plain old tap water at home. Pair this carbonated water with many of the different flavours of sodamix and you have an alternative to buying pre-packaged bottled and cans. Most Sodastream systems carbonates tap water without electricity or batteries. It uses an exchangeable CO2 carbonator that can be refilled with beverage-grade CO2 drawn from the air. The company also makes flavoured syrups so you can make your own drinks like cola, root beer and even tonic. The flavours have less calories and carbs than traditional sode and the major bonus of no awful aspartame and high-fructose corn syrup. Weeks before I got my hands on a Sodastream system I heard nothing but praise. “It’s a game changer” is something I’ve heard from more than one person when describing the Sodastream. These incredible endorsements from people I trust peaked my interest, perhaps I should invest in a Sodastream. I love pop and my local convenience store can attest to …

geekiviews: Microsoft SurfaceRT

Published by

I’m a Microsoft Girl. It’s not sexy and probably not cool but Windows is my operating system of choice since the DOS days. Now while I might be a windows junkie, I’m also very, very slow to adopt new versions. I ran Windows 2k and XP till the bitter end. I skipped everything in between XP and 7 and only reluctantly started using Windows 7 when it came pre-installed on a Dell laptop. So just as I’m getting comfortable with 7 here comes Windows 8. My aversion was at high alert again. I read about how differences in the OS, including the moaning of the missing Start button. I started thinking about how long I could put off upgrading again. The Start button is life on a Windows platform. A constant reassuring feature that every Windows user understands. Now that I’ve tried a flavour of Windows 8 I don’t have the same extreme aversion I used too. I got over myself a bit. I don’t do well touch devices. I’m a staunch Blackberry lover. I …

i want: Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker II

Published by

I was in Bay Bloor radio looking for some spare earbud covers but somehow ended up getting a demo of the Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker II. My earbuds were sold out but I started talking to the Sale Associate about the Beats Pill, a portable speaker. The wasn’t sold on Beats but mentioned that Bose has the best portable speaker in the business right now. I was intrigued so it was demo time. The speaker connect to devices wirelessly via Bluetooth which makes it available for use by any Bluetooth enabled device. A major plus for those that love their iPhone upgrades and the inevitable change in hardware that makes all peripherals obsolete. I connected my iPhone to the Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker II and started pumping out some Lucy Pearl. Bay Bloor Radio was filled with the sweet sounds of “Don’t Mess With My Man”. There was power and clarity in this portable speaker. I was really impressed because I’ve never heard a small portable speaker with such huge sound. It’s only …

I want – I got Holiday Gift Guide – Part 1

Published by

So, this year I lost my mind and I decided to create a holiday gift guide. I’m usually anti-gift guides because I’m not much of a Christmas person and gift guides are a shit ton of work. I don’t know what made me change my mind this year but here we are. People have told me this is a good idea, so I hope you find it helpful or amusing. This is the part one of four in the I want – I got Gift Guide series. I have so many favourite things I wanted to include. This gift guide is very much I want – I got. You’ll see things I want, things I got and other obsessions.  Some things are affordable and some aren’t but I’ve tried to mix it up. The list covers fashion, beauty, electronics, art, toys and booze. Basically, all the items on the gift guide are I want – I got approved. So, join me on this exploration of things I would love to see under my tree at Christmas. …

geekiview: Velocity V50 Compact Vapor Generator Iron

Published by

I’m a total garment care nerd. I love my clothing and I take care of it so it lasts. I hang dry a lot of my wardrobe and that results in lots of ironing and steaming. I ditched my old iron years ago when I learned about Rowenta steamers. However for garments like dress shirts and pants I really, really missed that crisp feeling and look an iron provides. I tried for many years with a steamer but I just can’t replicate that look. Last year, I broke down and bought a shitty cheap iron for pants and shirts. It wasn’t that good but it was sufficient. I attended the TFI New Labels Contest this year and I sat at a table with folks from TNT and Reliable Corporation. I knew who TNT was so I proceeded to find more information about Reliable from my seatmate, Kimberly. They are a long time sponsor of the TFI and the company specializes in professional and commercial steam cleaning products as well as sewing and fabric care products. …

Q Collection by iWatchz

Published by

I get a lot of email and I’m not very good at keeping up on top of it. I get my fair share of  WTF and shady type emails too. I usually ignore these. Last weekend, I got a short and cryptic email about an amazing watch that I just needed to see. I would be getting a scoop and the company is Toronto based.  Looking at my BlackBerry Torch (Thanks RIM) I thought, Do I reply or not? I was very skeptical but my desire to reply for shits and giggles over took me.  Hell, I like watches too. We had a bit of back and forth with me blowing him off with each exchange. Then he dropped a name I knew. My bullshit filter dropped as I realized that we’ve met. It was during my trip to NYFW for the Spring 2008 collections. We were sitting in at the beautiful Four Seasons Hotel lobby drinking with his wife and The Oracle. I agreed to meet him to finally see this thing. The thing …

geekiviews: Zi8 Pocket Video Camera

Published by

I received the Zi8 Pocket Video Camera just in time for LGFW this year. I’ve used the HD video feature on the Olympus E-PL1 so I was curious how these dedicated video cameras function. I guess the Zi8’s main competitor is the Flip video camera. I’ve never used the Flip camera before but I’ve held it. The Zi8 is a bit wider but they are very close in size. The camera has the following features: Capture video in 720p HD at 60 fps, or 1080p HD at 30 fps holds a up to 32GB SD/SDHC card External microphone jack takes 5MP 16:9 Widescreen HD photos built-in image stabilization 2.5 colour LCD screen Internal USB connector, no extra cables Includes HDMI cables so you can hook it up to your HDTV Included KODAK Li-Ion Rechargeable Digital Camera Battery Compatible with PC and MAC Includes video editing software The Kodak site has a great video that explains the features that the Zi8 offers. In perfect lighting the Ki8 takes some great video. It packs a lot of …

Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience Centre

Published by

I raved about the Kinect for Xbox 360 when I played it at the X’10 Canada: Xbox 360 Holiday Preview Event. Now the public can experience the Kinect at the new Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience Centre on Yonge Street. I was invited to the private launch party where I got to drink beers and play Kinect for 4 hours. IT WAS AMAZING! I really can’t think of a better way to spend an evening. I predict lots of drinking and Dance Central parties once I get my hands on the Kinect for my place. I brought my friend Mark Rabo ( who runs Gamercamp with Jaime Woo) along. I think we played pretty much every game available to us. We were sweating like crazy as the Kinect isn’t a passive gaming experience. You are moving around and if you are crazy like me you’re flaying around too. Thank god for the beer. I love the Volleyball game. It brought back memories of big air and spikes on the high school volleyball team. Le Sigh. …

X’10 Canada: Xbox 360 Holiday Preview Event

Published by

I don’t do much on I want – I got that deals with video games. People send me links to their iPod/iPhone apps but nothing from any of the game companies. That was until the invite to the Xbox 360 holiday preview came through email. Jackpot! There were all types of games at this preview event like the new incarnations of Halo, Fable and Mortal Combat. The Kinect for Xbox 360 system impressed the hell out of me. I want a Kinect Xbox 360 system. I NEED a Kinect Xbox 360 system. Kinect for Xbox 360 brings games and entertainment to life in extraordinary new ways — no controller required. Simple to use and fun to play, Kinect for Xbox 360 allows owners to jump into Kinect-enabled games for any type of play, and the Kinect Hub puts your favourite movies and TV programs, music, live sports, and social networks all in one place. The Kinect sensor recognizes you, responds to your gestures, listens to your voice and works with every Xbox 360 console. That’s …

Sanrio 50th Anniversary – Sanrio x Girl Skateboards

Sanrio 50th Anniversary – Sanrio x Girl Skateboards

Published by

Here is some Sanrio 50th anniversary goodness from Girl Skateboards. It’s a Hello Kitty skateboard along with matching t-shirt and wheels. Hello Kitty for the guys seems is the focus of this collaboration. You can see more details about this collaboration on the JapanLA blog. They are also selling everything from the Sanrio x Girl Skateboards collection. As a “thank you” to their ever-loyal fans, SANRIO plans to unveil special co-branded collections, starting this summer with SANRIO x Dr. Martens. Signature Dr. Martens 8-eye boots & mary jane strap shoes will be bestowed a trademark Hello Kitty bow for this limited edition collection. Collaborations with a diverse group of brands including Brunswick, Girl Skateboard Co., Aerial7, Lomography, Demeter Fragrance, Mimobots, and Build-A-Bear Workshop will launch a plethora of amazing products at retail partners worldwide, featuring an assortment of SANRIO characters. A benchmark of SANRIO’s 50th Anniversary will include iconic characters appearing together for the first time ever (outside of SANRIO’s Harmonyland and Puroland theme parks in Japan), on products including the 8-eye Dr. Martens boot, …

geekiviews: Nikon S230

Published by

Strategic Ampersand provided me with a Nikon S230 to evaluate for two weeks. I’m never really pleased with the performance of point and shoot cameras but it’s the cruel bargain I have made with myself. A digital SLR is just too big to carry around to events and that trumps any idea I have about owning one. I like something small and compact. I use a Pentax right now and I have a bit of a love hate relationship with it. I hate it more than my old Pentax. I broke my old Pentax but we had a great relationship. I was able to take consistently good pictures with the camera and I haven’t been able to replicate that feeling with the new Pentax. I was hoping the Nikon S230 might return me to those carefree days of great photos. The big claim to fame for the S230 is the 3 inch touch screen. I’m usually not a touch screen fan but I was curious to see what the technology was like. Some of the …

geekiviews: LG TE365 Neon Mobile Phone

Published by

During LG Fashion Week I had the opportunity to test out one of LG’s new mobile phones the LG TE365 Neon. I love playing with gadgets so I accepted. A full QWERTY keypad for fast texting, quick access to your favourite social network sites, and threaded SMS keeps you in touch wherever and whenever you want. It also comes with a 2.0MP camera, a music player that supports 4GB of music, and a trim design that easily slips into any pocket or purse. Dimensions :101.6 x 50.8 x 16.8mm Weight :08 grams (3.65oz) Battery Life Talk Time :Up to 4 hours, Standby Time :Up to 250 hours Camera :2.0 megapixel Digital Camera Messaging Type :QWERTY keypad for text entry Ringer Type :64-chord polyphonic ringer Voice Recording and Memo :Yes Scheduler/Calendar :Yes I’m a Blackberry user so going to a plain messaging phone is always a step down for me. However, the phone itself is compact and small. The slide out keyboard felt pretty sturdy and not flimsy. The screen was a good size and the …

geekiviews: The Arc Mouse by Microsoft

Published by

The nerd in me is all excited about the Arcâ„¢ Mouse I received Microsoft and Highroad Communications. It’s product that combines fashion/style and technology that would be fitting of a debut at LG Fashion Week. It’s an interesting departure for Microsoft; I don’t know them as a style conscious company on the level of LG or Apple. However, this mouse is making me change my mind. It’s lovely and I don’t usually say that about technology. Features of the mouse include 2.4 GHz – 30 ft. Wireless Range, Folds For Portability, Micro-Transceiver snaps into the bottom of the mouse and the ambidextrous design makes it comfortable either way. It also has a little pouch for carrying. I immediately plugged it into my work machine. It worked without having to install any software. I had my Eee PC out at lunch and it was plug and play with that. My Eee PC runs Linux and I didn’t have to install anything. I was so pleased. It opens up to become a fullsized mouse that is very …

LG Prada phone @ CES 2009

Published by

So, my LG Canada friends have been keeping me posted about the new Prada phone that debuted at CES this year. I’m always interested in the intersecting world of fashion design and electronics. It looks very slick but there isn’t much in way of specifications right now: Camera 2M CMOS Camera / LED Flash Dimensions 98.8 × 54 × 12 mm Weight 95g Memory External Memory Slot (Micro SD) Standard Battery Innerpack Battery 800mAh USB USB 2.0, USB Mass storage Bluetooth Bluetooth 2.0 Frequency EDGE Tri-Band (900/1800/1900)

geekiviews: Zune Edition – Zune Premium Headphones

Published by

This is the second post in a series about the Zune. You can read the first post here. To recap, I’m a guinea pig testing out the Microsoft Zune – 8G. I have Matchstick to thank for this. I’m one of 300 people in Canada in the program. So I’ve been fully immersed in the Zune for the last couple of weeks. I have a lot to say, but I’m going to talk about the Zune Premium Headphones right now. All headphones provided with media players are crap, so I was pleased when I was provided the upgrade. I have a pair of Shure Headphones which I love to death, so these would have to be pretty good for me to be impressed. The Zune Premium Headphones are a step up from the standard but they aren’t my Shures, that’s for sure. (bad pun!). I took the headphones blading which is my standard for determining sound isolation – they failed unfortunately and I heard way too much wind for my liking. I think that might …

geekiviews: Zune Edition – Microsoft Zune, initial thoughts

Published by

So I’m a guinea pig again this time it’s for Microsoft instead of Motorola. I’ve been asked to test drive the Microsoft Zune – 8G. I’m not particularly attached to my iPod so I said why not. I have Matchstick to thank for this. I’m one of 300 people in Canada in the program. So you’ll be seeing some Zune posts on the site as I give you my thoughts about the product and if it can be an iPod killer. Initial thoughts: 1. Interesting packaging. They are really trying to emulate the Apple way of packaging. The player is packaged great, not a lot of waste. I can’t say the same for the headphones and AC adapter that came with it. 2. Not sure about the packaging colour scheme, brown, orange. It’s unobtrusive I guess. 3. It’s a lot smaller than I thought. 4. Don’t like the scroll wheel 5. The interface is very flashy, with animation and all that. I’m definitely not used it to, so I’ll reserve judgment for now 6. It …

i want…

Published by

As a rollerblader, these Emporio Armani Skorpion Quadline Roller-Skates are very appealing to me. IThe Armani ones are a little pricey at about $425USD. I checked out the other types from Skorpion, the company who created the skates for Emporio Armani. The Quadline is the much cheaper option with black costing $189USD and colours costing $250USD. I have no idea where you can buy these in Canada right now, but I will update this post once I find out. You can get them online at skates.com though. images: emporioarmani.com and skorpionquadline.com

i got: Asus Eee PC

Published by

Eee PC 2G Surf I love my little new toy. It’s not a laptop but a mobile internet device. It’s the size of a tradepaperback, weights about a kilogram and I’m in love. I was debating about getting a laptop, but I haven’t been jazzed up about laptops since Apple put out 12″ ones, they were sweet. I didn’t want to buy a used mac so I decided to evaluate what I really would use the thing for. Can you guess? That’s right, mobile blogging and general keeping up with email. I realized that I just wanted to be able to browse the internet, blog and check email. I started to research my options and saw the Eee PC around a lot. The price is awesome, the comes in a range of colours and the size is perfect. It runs a GUI version of Linux. I’ve only really used Linux in a terminal and the GUI version is like any other GUI based OS, like Windows or Leopard. You basically just plug the thing in …

Okay Steve, I take everything mean I ever thought of you back.

Published by

I attended the Motorola RAZR 2 Party last week at Kool Haus. I have to thank Ian from Hill & Knowlton for the invite. I brought Danielle from Final Fashion with me. The venue was draped with white cloth and had weird ethereal lighting. We drank, ate and chatted with the Motorola models. The crowd was a little strange at first, mostly suits and their significant others. The atmosphere changed once our friends started to slowly stream in. The music was great from the start and DJ Steve Aoki was coming up. I admit that prior to him hitting the decks I haven’t had anything nice to say about him; another L.A. hipster blah, blah. However, I had a change of heart after he begun. He played great music, seemed unpretentious and professional. No, I didn’t talk to him, just observations. Anyone that can make me dance my ass off with great friends around is amazing in my book.

Geekiview: Would you wear this?

Published by

I get some funny submissions at times. Yesterday, I received information about the CPC STRAPâ„¢ which claims to be a hip and stylish way to wear your cellphone. I have a couple of issues with this: 1. I don’t want to wear my cellphone and I think those that do have a serious problem, it’s a tool dammit. 2. These things are neither hip nor stylish. I would use the word ugly, tacky even. You can tell this person didn’t read my blog because then he would know that I have something called taste. Adding tacky jewelery off a cellphone holder is not something I would endorse as hip and stylish. Normally I would just ignore this stuff, but this was good blog post fodder. image: www.htl-wireless.com

KRZRblogging

Published by

I’ve been meaning to do another post about my adventures with the KRZR for a while, but things would come up. Fashion and the Mobile Phone I’m going to start with a response to the question posed by my KRZRblogging friend Sonja from TorontoStreetFashion.com. She asks “Are mobile phones a fashion or in fashion? Do you think people notice your phone at all?” When it comes to mobile phones I’m a function over fashion girl. It’s a tool not a dress. People do notice mobile phones even in Canada, I’m guilty of it too, but it’s usually more from a technology standpoint than a design one. Software I made a comment about the KRZR software that is totally incorrect. It truly sucks. It’s beginning to remind me of my battles with my Sony MD player software back in the day. I have a couple questions for the software designers. 1. Every time I connect the phone to my computer I’m prompted to install the Motorola USB Modem software. Why is this? 2. Why must you …

KRZR me!

Published by

I was asked to preview the new Motorola KRZR and since I love to give my opinions to whoever will listen I said yes. 🙂 I met with Ian from Hill & Knowlton to pick up the phone. He handing me this snazzy metal briefcase. Jesus, I said, am I on some kind of secret mission. The photo below was taken with the KRZR. Not bad at this size. I’m a Moto Q user so I’m not loving the phone as much as I would like. I really miss my email access :(. I said I would use the KRZR so I bit the bullet and switched the handset yesterday. Yes, that’s email withdrawal in less than 24hours. I’m pathetic. If I wasn’t already spoiled with a smartphone I think I would love the KRZR. I’m still getting used to the phone. Uploading my contacts, calender and tasks was super easy thanks to Windows XP and Outlook. The MP3 player function is what stands out to me from my initial usage of the phone. It …