WHAT: Sony VAIO L
COMPARE TO: Apple iMac, MSI AE2010-02SUS, HP TouchSmart 600xt
PRICE: Starting at $1300
FUN FACT: If you have any old Sony electronics, you may be able to trade them in for credit towards new Sony products through their Sony Trade In Program.
WHY COMPLEX IS CO-SIGNING: The number of people computing from a desktop computer is dwindling. Thanks to Moore’s Law, we know computers (really, all gadgets) will become increasingly smaller and more powerful as the years go on. What does this mean for you? Well, it means you’ll be able to do a lot more with a lot less, which for a lot of people is negating the necessity to purchase a desktop computer. Unless your line of work needs the power of a desktop, why get one when you can cop a thin laptop you’re able to carry everywhere? And let’s not even get started on net books. So what does the future of the desktop computer look like? We think it looks a lot like Sony’s newest all-in-one desktop offering, the VAIO L series…
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL REVIEW…
WHAT: Panasonic 360 Quick Iron
COMPARE TO: Whatever janky iron you currently own.
PRICE: $80/$50 (pictured)/$40
FUN FACT: According to a poll, 9% of people enjoy ironing. But can they cook, though?
WHY COMPLEX IS CO-SIGNING: Look, we all know that ironing is up there with flossing as one of those annoying self-maintenance chores that we’re supposed to do daily but usually don’t. But here at Complex, it doesn’t make sense for us to recommend that you buy a $300 shirt and then sit here and let you press it with some cheap dollar-store iron that’s more likely to crease (or even singe) your investment than make it look better. Enter the new 360 Quick series of irons from Panasonic…
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL REVIEW…
WHAT: Sony Reader Touch Edition
COMPARE TO: Amazon Kindle 2
PRICE: $299.99
FUN FACT: Sony will release a wireless Daily edition in December.
WHY COMPLEX IS CO-SIGNING: We’ve been waiting for Sony to drop an answer to Amazon’s watershed digital reading device, the Kindle, since its release back in 2007. Although Sony was the first to market with an e-reader offering, Amazon’s e-book device stole the show with its built in wireless connection that allowed users to download books directly to the device from Amazon’s digital store. Last month, Sony finally upped the competition with a completely updated reader line that included a mini reader, a version with built-in 3G (that drops in December) and an all new version with a much welcomed, highly intuitive touch screen.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL REVIEW…
WHAT: BenQ Joybee GP1 Projector
COMPARE TO: Samsung P400 DLP, InFocus Work Big, ViewSonic PJD5111
PRICE: $499
FUN FACT: BenQ is offering a $50 rebate on Apple’s Composite AV cable until 9/31, making it easier to play iPods and iPhones.
WHY COMPLEX IS CO-SIGNING IT: In our 2009 Style and Design package, one of the emerging trends we highlighted was the miniaturization of the video projector. Since most people haven’t actually had any experience with a video projector outside of college lecture halls and MTV Cribs, we can see why it may not seem like a big deal to the masses. But let us assure you, it is. With this new crop of mini projectors you’re basically able to carry around your own television set. Now, that can be a good or a bad thing depending on how you look at it—you know those dudes on the subway that play music from their phones without headphones? Yeah, imagine that with video—but we’re leaning towards the positive on this one. Especially with models like the BenQ Joybee GP1 on the market. Although it’s not the smallest of the bunch—some projectors, referred to as PICO projectors are almost the size of your cell phone—the GP1 offers a well balanced mix of features and ease of use in a package that can still fit in the palm of your hand…
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL REVIEW
WHAT: T-Mobile myTouch 3G
COMPARE TO: Apple iPhone, Blackberry Storm, Palm Pre
PRICE: $499; $199 w/ Two Year Contract
FUN FACT: The myTouch 3G comes in three colors: Black, White, and Merlot.
WHY COMPLEX IS CO-SIGNING IT: In the consumer gadget marketplace, fierce competition breeds great products. And nowhere has that been more evident than in the world of mobile phones. Ever since the iPhone made companies rethink the role phones play in the lives of consumers, we’ve seen a flood of models looking to replicate Apple’s success. One of those phones was the T-Mobile G1, a touch screen slider powered by Google’s new Android phone operating system. And while it brought some widely praised innovations to the market, many felt the phone was not refined enough to do battle with the other touchscreen mobile devices now going for the throne. To give it another go, T-Mobile (and manufacturer HTC) went back to the lab and came back with the more responsive, more attractive and better featured myTouch 3G.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL REVIEW
WHAT: Western Digital My Passport Essential SE
COMPARE TO: Maxtor One Touch 4 Mini, LaCie Little Big Disk Quadra
PRICE: $300 (1 TB); $200 (750 GB)
FUN FACT: Started in 1970, Western Digital made most of their money from pushing calculator chips before moving into OEM storage in the ’80s.
WHY COMPLEX IS CO-SIGNING IT: Because when your computer crashes, and it will crash, it’s going to hurt bad when your realize you just lost your term papers as well as your music, video and photo collections that you’ve been compiling for however many months or years. Western Digital’s My Passport Essential SE will help you sidestep such a disaster. Their newest mobile hard drive comes in 750 GB and 1 TB (terabyte) capacities wrapped in a sleek package that checks in at less than half a pound in weight, less than an inch thick and only 5 inches wide. Thanks to a USB 2.0 connection you get crazy fast transfer speeds (480 Mb/s) and the ability to power the drive solely with the USB connection, making it that much easier to just toss in your backpack and go. We recommend going for the gusto with the 1TB—it may sound like too much space, but that’s like saying Kim Kardashian has too much ass, it’s just silly.
CLICK HERE TO BUY THE 750 GB MY PASSPORT ESSENTIAL SE FOR $169
WHAT: V-MODA Vibe II
PRICE: $128
COMPARE TO: Shure SCL4, Sony MDR-EX500LP, Klipsch Image S4
FUN FACT: The Vibe II’s were awarded Design & Engineering Showcase Honors at 2009 Consumer Electronic Show (CES).
WHY COMPLEX IS CO-SIGNING IT: We understand non-audiophiles don’t put too much thought into their headphones. Not only do most of them sound the same, headphones are just one of those accessories you expect to misplace, so why bother? Plus who would bother paying over a c-note for some plastic and rubber? All good points. But what if a pair of headphones were priced a tick over $100, sounded as good as headphones double its price and forwent plastic and rubber for cloth and steel? Well, that’s where the new V-MODA Vibe II’s come in…
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WHAT: WowWee Rovio
PRICE: $299
FUN FACT: The Rovio can be controlled via Skype or MSN Messenger through a special video plug in.
WHY COMPLEX IS CO-SIGNING IT: Because when the WowWee team came through with the Rovio they completely changed our mind about the little three-wheeled electronic watchdog. Not only did we doubt its usefulness (we love robot’s and all, we just couldn’t think of situation when we’d need one), we were skeptical on how well the Rovio, an electronic assistant that can be controlled remotely from any computer connected to the internet, would really work once they were gone. Well, it worked pretty damn well. And after playing around with it for the better part of the afternoon, we got to thinking. As July winds down and we start planning the last of our summer getaways, we’d love to leave one on in our apartment just so we can keep an eye on everything while we’re OT…
CLICK TO READ THE FULL REVIEW
WHAT: Dell Wasabi Photo Printer
COMPARE TO: Polaroid PoGo
PRICE:$149
FUN FACT: Although only limited to 2″x3″ sheets of paper, ZINK has larger sizes on the way, so you can expect larger, instant photo printers in the future.
WHY COMPLEX IS CO-SIGNING IT: When Polaroid ceased producing the instantly developing cameras that came to be synonymous with the company’s name, a collective “WTF” was heard throughout the tech-world. We all have a memory or two involving or captured by a Polaroid camera. It’s true digital cameras and camera phones with the ability to instantly send photo’s to friends and family via the internet kinda swerved into Polaroid’s lane, but there was something awesome about the instant gratification that came along with Polaroid cameras. With summer now in full swing and our weekend beach trips leaving us with moments deserving of a hard copy, we tried out to the Dell Wasabi portable photo printer to see if we could get that old thing back…
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WHAT: Microsoft Arc Mouse
COMPARE TO: Logitech V550 Nano, Macally Optimo,
PRICE:$49.95
FUN FACT:The Microsoft Arc Special Edition is available in Marine Blue, Deep Olive Green, Eggplant Purple, and Frost White.
WHY COMPLEX IS CO-SIGNING IT:
Choosing a mouse may seem like an afterthought to most, but when you think of all the time you spend on your computer each and everyday, it becomes painfully clear that your peripherals are almost as important as the computer they’re attached to. How many of you have a special keyboard, chair or headphones at your job that you’d be lost in the sauce without? After testing Microsoft’s new Arc Mouse, we believe it deserves a spot in everyone’s desktop arsenal…
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL REVIEW
