Zune HD & iPod touch

So apparently Microsoft's Zune HD has been selling out everywhere. Amazon, Fry's, Best Buy — you name it. Chances are it's backordered. It's received good reviews and design-wise, MS finally nailed it, so I'm not too surprised it's selling out.

Personally, I'd spend my money on a 32GB iPod touch, but to be fair, I haven't played around with the Zune HD yet and I already have all my media on iTunes. Plus, I'm primarily on a Mac (Zune software doesn't do Macs) and until MS sorts out their app store, I like being able to choose from Apple's 70,000+ catalog. So for me, there's no point in getting a Zune HD. But if you're in the market for a new MP3 player and on the fence, here's a spec-by-spec comparison to see where the two media players stand. (Click on the pic for a larger view.) And here's a link to the deals we've listed on the Zune HD and iPod touch.

Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ HD

Looking for a quick way to get all of your media off your computer and onto your flat-panel? This is the newly upgraded Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ HD. It's a small dock with HDMI, Ethernet connectivity, and Dolby Digital and DTS 2.0 support. Dock your Seagate FreeAgent Go hard drive in there and you can watch all of its media on your flat-panel. The dock also supports non-Seagate drives via its USB ports. As far as file formats go, it'll play everything you throw its way (yes, including DivX). Seagate is charging $149 for the dock or $289 for the dock with a 500GB Go drive. A wireless adapter (coming in Oct) will let you access media from any networked computer (Mac or PC). Hopefully, I'll be able to update this post when the deals start rolling in. Looks pretty cool if you're a digital pack rat.

Pepcom Holiday Spectacular Highlights

So we went to another gadget tradeshow last night. This one — Pepcom's Holiday Spectacular — was pretty busy and packed. Here's the most interesting stuff:


PowerMat Wireless Charging Mat: Last year at CES we got a demo of the PowerMat Wireless Charger. It's essentially a pad (a little larger than a mouse pad) that uses magnetic induction to wirelessly charge your gadgets. Put a small adapter (or case) on your iPhone/BlackBerry/iPod touch, place it on the mat (which is plugged into an outlet), and you're charging. The concept was cool, and we were promised a review unit, but nada. The product's launch kept being delayed. Last night PowerMat was at the show and they said they were ready for an Oct launch. The mat will cost $99 and support up to 3 devices at once. There will be device-specific cases/adapters for the iPhone 3G ($39), iPod touch 2G ($39), BlackBerry Curve ($29), Nintendo DSi ($29), and a few others. Charging older gadgets, like say a Motorola Q or RAZR, is awkward as you'll have to plug them into a small device/square and then place that and your gadget on the mat. We hope to get our review unit soon so we can compare it to...


Duracell myGrid: Very similar concept. Slightly better delivery. The myGrid is also debuting next month ($79) and will also charge up to 3 gadgets at once. It'll come with PowerClip tips/adapters so you'll be able to charge older gadgets (like the RAZR and Q) as well as device-specific cases ($34 each) for newer gadgets like the iPod touch, BlackBerry Curve, etc. Price-wise, Duracell has the lead and from the demoes we saw, Duracell's product just looks better. (You can even pre-order it on drugstore.com). Watch out for a review on these soon!



Asus SBC-04D1S-U: Not the sexiest of names, but this device is pretty cool. It's a USB-powered external Blu-ray drive that's capable of reading 4.8X BD-ROM/R/RE and writing 8X DVD+R/24X CD-R formats. No price or availability is listed yet, altho the Asus rep told us it'd come in under $100. If so, sign me up! (Sadly, the EeeKeyboard didn't make an appearance.)


Sprint HTC Hero: Before I comment on the Hero I should start by saying I'm not an HTC fan. Hated the G1's design, hated the Touch Diamond, and hated the Touch Pro. In all three cases, the hardware just seemed frail and cheap. Not to mention those damn "chins" added extra bulk to my pocket or got in the way of typing. That said, we got to check out the Hero last night and it was awesome. It's as if HTC stepped into bizzaro land while designing this phone. First off, it's very light, yet sturdy enough that it doesn't feel fragile. HTC usually does an overlay on top of their phone's OS (in this case it's called HTC Sense) and the Hero's is nice. It makes accessing your favorite apps on the phone easy because they're all front and center. Sliding through "screens" and menus on the phone is very smooth. Not as smooth as the iPhone, but damn close. Every Android phone I've used has been a bit choppy or rigid. The Hero is not. That alone sold me. Sorry Palm, but if you're looking for a smartphone for Sprint — hold off till Oct 11th when the Hero will debut for $179. We took a quick video below.


Palm Pixi: I understand this is supposed to be the Palm Pre's little brother, but man is this phone bland. Sure, it's small and light, but it just feels like the kind of phone you'll regret buying after a month. (Or the kind that'll break if you accidentally sit on it.) The keyboard is super tiny, but not as horrible as it looks. If you type with your fingernail (instead of the tips of your fingers), you should be ok. Personally, I'd pass because I have big paws and tend to text a lot. Palm's reps said it'd be out by the holidays, but gave no hints on price. We've listed the Pre for as low as $100, so I'm not quite sure the Pixi will be any lower. Bottom line, if you want WebOS, stick with the Pre. Better yet, get the Hero.

There's a few other cool gadgets we saw (Seagate's StarDock comes to mind), which I'll post about later. But for now, these were my main highlights.

ShowStoppers: Highlights

So last night Jeff and I went to ShowStoppers, a tech show here in NYC introducing the latest gadgets for the holidays. Here are my personal highlights from the show (both good and bad):


* HP DreamScreen 130: A digital photo frame on steroids. It has built-in Wi-Fi (802.11g), 2GB of RAM, integrated speakers, two card slots (it reads 6 types of cards total), and a 13.3" 800x480 res screen. It streams music, video, and photos from your computer and it can also access Pandora, HP Smart Radio (Internet radio), and Facebook. If you store your pics on HP's Snapfish, you're in luck 'cause it has a Snapfish widget that'll give you access to your online pics (although there's no Flickr support, boooo!) I particularly liked the alarm clock aspect of it where you can wake up and see the weather right on the display. There's also a 10" version (they both run Linux) called the HP DreamScreen 100 which will go for $249 (the 13" goes for $299). The prices are very high IMO, so hopefully we'll see deals on them soon, 'cause I really liked the 10".



* Navigon MobileNavigator App for iPhone: The Navigon folks were at the event showing off their iPhone app which now does Live Traffic updates. I don't own an iPhone, but I totally understand why people want a GPS app w/ spoken turn-by-turn directions. What I don't get is why Navigon is charging $89 for it (plus an additional $19 for the traffic updates). Especially when you can get a real GPS for a lot less. That said — the app itself looks cool. (It comes in at just over 1GB btw.) You can listen to music and have the app running at the same time (a small little iPod icon lets you toggle between the two if you want to switch to a diff song) and should you receive a call or txt message — a small prompt lets you decide if you want to take it or not. However, taking the call/txt means closing the app (blame that on Apple's lack of multitasking support). Again, the app looks cool, but it's priced way too high. (And btw, that $19 price for the traffic updates is just a promo for the first 4 weeks of Oct and it applies only if you just purchased the app. After the promo, live traffic is a one-time payment of $24.)

Redfly Mobile Companion: Remember the Palm Foleo? Well, Redfly is pretty much the same thing. They now support Blackberries. That's all. Just get a netbook.

Fast Pencil: This website/service makes it easy for you to self-publish. Whether you want to write an ebook for the Kindle or a hard-copy book as a gift for someone.


ZVOX Audio: These folks were showing off their new sound bars, which aren't so much "bars" but more like TV stands that double as speakers. The 525 ($400) is made for smaller TVs while the 575 ($800) can hold up to a 60" flat-panel. Inside the 575 you'll find five 3.25" speakers, two 6.5" subwoofers, and a 133-watt amp. I'm not really sold on the idea though. You already have your TV on a stand, why would you want to place it on yet another one (even if it doubles as a speaker). Plus, design-wise, I just wasn't feeling it. They're boxy and looked, well, dull.

And that was it. It was a small show. Tonight is the Pepcom show, which should be bigger and have more gadgets. I'll have an update on that tomorrow.

MagicJack, Jet Airways, and Free Wi-Fi

I'm back from vacationing in Barcelona and I got a few quick things to say.

1)I was saddened by the fact that none of the airports I came across had free Wi-Fi. Newark International (EWR), Brussels (BRU), and Barcelona (BCN) failed the free Wi-Fi test.

2)I have nothing but praise for Jet Airways. It was my first time flying with them. Not only did they have the cheapest airfare, but their plane was comfortable and spacious (this coming from someone who's 6'2" and never has enough legroom). Unfortunately, they didn't have onboard Wi-Fi, but they had a pretty cool list of movies, TV shows, and games. Brussels Airlines on the other hand was atrocious. Planes were small, they had no built-in LCD/entertainment hub, their air conditioning was a joke, and you had to pay for everything — water, snacks, food, etc. Maybe we got shortchanged by Brussels Airlines since it was the second leg of our trip, but still — it left a bad impression.

3)Although Barcelona's airport lacks Wi-Fi, the city has various open hot spots. There were blue street signs posted throughout letting people know they were in an open hotspot.

4)Europe is so energy conscious it makes us here in the States look horrible. Brussels Airport has motion-sensor escalators that only power up when you're on or near them. Many establishments in Barcelona prefer to keep their air conditioners off or powered on very low in order to save electricity. Our hotel would make it a point of taking off our lights and AC every time we left the room.

5)As any geek would, I brought my laptop with me to Barcelona. I also took my MagicJack adapter and a headset with me so I could test out MagicJack from abroad and make calls back home to New York. I wasn't sure whether the calls would be free or not, so I contacted MJ's online tech support before leaving. After a quick wait, they notified me via live chat that the calls would be free. And indeed they were. (You only pay for international calls originating in the U.S.) However, what impressed me the most was that my MagicJack calls came through loud and clear. I was using our hotel's Wi-Fi (which was so-so connectivity-wise) in Barcelona to make the calls and it was more than enough bandwidth. Again, I realize some people have had nothing but problems with the company, but I fully recommend MagicJack for the constant traveller or anyone looking for a budget VoIP line.

Mini Review: Office Depot Chair

So back in May I purchased the RS To Go Sporty Mid-Back Vinyl Chair from Office Depot for about $120. At the time I was replacing my Jake Office Chair, which was highly recommended, but broke on me after 1.5 years (one of the wheel casters broke and later on one of the steel legs snapped off). I'm glad the chair broke 'cause it was uncomfortable and rigid. I would never recommend it.

So I was pretty excited to get my RS chair. Not only was it cheaper than my Jake chair ($120 vs $169), but it had gotten some good reviews by Office Depot customers and a few good reviews on some random threads I managed to find online. Assembly was easy and my first week I thought it was pretty comfortable. I've now had it for 3 months and I'm not too wild about it. Some background information. I'm 6' 2" and weigh 250 lbs. (well within the chair's weight limit) and I use the chair when I work from home (about 9 hours a day, 2-3x a week). I also use it on weekends and whenever I'm on my computer. Essentially, it's my "everyday" chair. Here's what I hate about it:

1)It feels cheap. It has a very thin layer of vinyl that "pads" the chair, but in reality, it's not that comfortable. On parts of the chair (the arm rests) you can feel the underlying plastic beneath the vinyl. Not cool.

2)You can't adjust the arm rests. Not a horrible thing, but it'd be nice if you could.

3)Not only is the vinyl thin, but it's hot. I don't mind that so much 'cause I always have my AC on, but keep in mind that vinyl padding makes for a hot chair.

4)No back support. The RS has no back support and kinda encourages you to slump/hunch when you're sitting. The Jake chair was stiff, but at least it kept my back straight. The RS chair also wobbles a bit. (Then again, I have been wanting to drop 5 lbs.)

I do prefer the RS over my old Jake Chair, but if you're looking for an everyday home office chair, I would recommend spending a little bit of money and buying a quality chair. I've never owned a Herman Miller Aeron chair, so I can't vouch for those, but I have a feeling most of the RS / Office Depot chairs will suffer from the same traits. As for the Jake Chair, it was a huge disappointment. Room & Board immediately sent me replacement parts, BUT the chair required servicing (which was handled by a 3rd party vendor) and that cost $75 just for the visit.

So if you're looking for a home office chair, I recommend splurging a bit on a solid, sturdy one.

How I save money buying wines

So last month I mentioned how I'm addicted to my Breville juicer. My follow up post is about my other "addiction." Wine. I was never a big wine fan (I would always drink riesling or chardonnay because all reds tasted the same to me), but awhile back I went to this Argentinean restaurant in New York and had a malbec that I fell in love with. So I started drinking malbecs. Then a wine store owner suggested I try a Chilean carmenere. I did. Again, I loved it. Before I knew it, malbecs and carmeneres had become my wines of choice. Slowly I expanded from South American wines to Spanish wines (almost anything from Ribera del Duero is great), Portuguese wines (they're very cheap and taste amazing), and now I'm slowly making my way to France and Italy. Along the way I've tried and collected a good number of bottles and this here is how I save money doing so.

1) Don't buy in-store (unless it's a wine warehouse)
The mark ups you pay when you buy wine in-store are insane. Especially if you're buying in a major city like New York. (Trust me, I learned this the hard way.) Go to the stores for recommendations, but that's it. When you get home, buy your wines online. Even with shipping costs, you'll still save money.

However, like I said, stores are good for recommendations. (You should always try new wines.) In New York, I'm a huge fan of Manor House Cellar and BottleRocket. Their prices are high, but their staff is awesome and have made some great recommendations. If you must buy in-store, buy from a wine warehouse. In central New Jersey, I'm a huge fan of Wine Library and Shopper's Wine, two wine warehouses with excellent prices.

2) Make a list of the wines you like
I like keeping a few spare bottles of my favorite wines stored up. In particular, I love Achaval Ferrer malbecs, Bodegas Muga riojas, and Bogle Vineyard's Phantom (a blend of Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, and Mourvedre). Make your own list and once you have your shopping agenda, it's time for a little research.

3) Search online
Wine-Searcher.com is like Google for wines. I always start my searches here. Just type in the name of your wine, the vintage (this helps narrow your search), and wine-searcher will spit out a list of stores with prices and ordering info. If you've never heard of a particular store, look it up on the Better Business Bureau website. My Achaval Ferrer Malbec 2007 goes for $16.95 at Shopper's Wine. Cheapest price by far. In contrast, Manor House Cellar sells it for $25. Wine.com is sold out of that vintage.

4) Just 'cause you buy online, doesn't mean you're saving money
I'm not a fan of Wine.com. A lot of people flock to them thinking they're getting a discount, but you're not. If you have a coupon code and Wine.com is having a sale, you might save money. (Assuming they have your wine in stock, they're always sold out of the wines I like.) Otherwise, I'd steer clear of them. Example: A bottle of Achaval Ferrer malbec 2008 sells for $30 at Wine.com. Via wine-searcher I can buy it for $18 at Wine Anthology, another Central NJ warehouse store with excellent prices.

5) Stay away from pricey wines
$15. That's what it takes to make a bottle of wine. (According to an article in the May 2009 issue of Wine Spectator.) Pay anything over that and you're essentially lining someone else's wallet with your hard-earned cash. That's why I hate paying over $20 for a bottle of wine. It's like going to Best Buy and paying full price for an HDTV that you can get for 40% less online. As a result, I only buy bottles under $20. (Occasionally I'll do $25 if I really like the wine.) Don't get me wrong, pricey wines taste great. But you'll be surprised at how many bottles of wine taste just as good and yet cost under $20.

6) Use coupon codes
Shipping can turn a great deal into an ok deal. So just before I click "purchase" I like to scour the Web for coupon codes. Also look for online merchants that offer free shipping deals. (Wine Library, for example, has frequent free shipping offers.) Google around before you make your final order.

And that's how I try to keep my wine budget tight and in check. Any other tips, sound off below!