Gadgets Blog » gadgets

The countdown to Mother’s Day is imminent, which means that it’s a great time to start shopping for something that shows how much you appreciate your mom. While standbys like chocolate and flowers are excellent, I’ve decided to buck the traditional here on the Smarter Gadget blog and find some truly unique gifts for Mom that are useful to boot! In this regard, other Internet resources have been a bit shaky. One even recommended the Roomba Robotic Vacuum Cleaner, which while a nice idea, certainly doesn’t fit into something my own mom would appreciate! So instead, today’s gadget is something that will let her stay in better contact with family and friends: the Belkin Skype WiFi Phone!

Unlike ordinary telephones, which operate either via landlines or cell towers, a WiFi phone, as could easily be surmised, uses wireless Internet to make it’s telephone calls. While this may initially seem to limit the capabilities of such a device, in reality it provides a quickly-growing and less expensive alternative to other telephones. The Belkin Skype phone employs a program called Skype, enabling the user to place calls to anyone else with a Skype account on either a computer or another Skype-enabled phone. Instead of having a phone number, the user is able to call other people with a Skype account. This entire process is done over the Internet entirely free of charge, making it a great investment!

While the number of Wi-Fi only phones on the market is currently small, Skype has emerged as a leader in the field, enabling countless users to make free calls online. In addition to calls made to computers, apps are quickly becoming available on the iPhone and Android phones to increase the number of users. While it might take a bit of a learning curve for Mom, the result is a great deal! The Belkin phone is activated entirely separate from a computer, but her account will cross-over as well. On the computer version of Skype, it’s possible to video chat with spectacular clarity. I’ve personally used Skype to keep in touch with loved ones from across the country. It’s a great Mother’s Day present, especially if Mom is somewhere far away. What better gift than one that makes it easier for her to hear your voice and see your face?

I’ll confess that I recently converted from the world of PCs. Perhaps I was drawn in by the shiny aluminum bodies the new MacBook computer possesses, or perhaps it was due to chronic frustration caused by Windows Vista on my old HP laptop. Regardless, I’ve been immensely satisfied with my MacBook Pro, although a few things do still bother me about the Apple brand as a whole.

Apple users, the sort with iPhone, iPod, MacBook, and additional Apple paraphernalia, can be bothersome to me at times. While yes, Apple makes some great electronics, the level of devotion to the brand can be a bit absurd. Nonetheless, Apple promises to give people something new to get excited over, as they announced a January 27 event to roll out their newest foray into the electronics market.

Inviting people to “Come see our latest creation,” the company has (wisely) left the exact content of the unveiling up in the air, leaving many people to speculate on what it will be. In all likelihood, the product will be Apple’s much-speculated upon tablet, as sources have told the Wall Street Journal that the new product is intended to ship in March. That makes it fairly certain that Apple will be showing it off starting on the 27th, unless they have something truly remarkable up their sleeves, which would be exciting in its own right.

With such an important company preparing to launch a tablet based computer, a look at what exactly such a unit would entail can give us a bit of a sneak preview of such a hypothetical Apple Tablet. First and foremost, the tablet would operated with touch screen type interface. The iPod Touch has been a tremendous success for the company, and its possible that this tablet would feature at least a portion of its menu arrangements in a similar style to the Touch and its cousin, the iPhone. The idea of a computer that is operated without a mouse is exciting, and the fact that this technology is now being adapted to larger units means some great new technology is in the future.

There are some questions that need to be asked about the tablet, however. First of all, price is a huge concern. Before its untimely demise, the CrunchPad was rumored to go on sale for around $400. The Apple Tablet has been speculated as high as $1000, which in some ways is unsurprising, given that this is an Apple product. The unit would likely have the same great wireless capability as Apple laptops, making connecting to and surfing the Internet a breeze.

However, what sort of operating system can we expect with the unit? Will it run Snow Leopard, or a more application based operating system similar to the iPhone? These types of specifications will likely be answered when the gadget is unveiled, but issues over what types of programs will be able to run on the computer will be a concern for most users.

The main question I have for the future of tablet computers is where they fit into the computing world as a whole. Will a tablet be able to have all the functionality of a normal laptop? This seems very unlikely, and let alone the fact that for effective word processing, an external keyboard would likely be needed. If the primary capabilities of the unit are Internet use, then why pay so much money for such a gadget? The flexibility the unit will have, as well as the fragility of the tablet design, is concerning for such an item. Nonetheless, it will be exciting to see Apple’s product when they (hopefully) unveil it. I’m just not sure if its something I’ll be adding to my wish list anytime soon.

Investing in a new electronic can be expensive, and oftentimes its a difficult decision if your current gadget works well. Instead of opting for a new device, look into making a purchase that extends both the life and functionality of something you already have. You’re likely to save money in the process, and you can open up some exciting new abilities in your home, office, or living room.

XBOX 360 20 GB Hard Drive
A great asset of the Xbox 360 is that it can serve as far more than a video game console. The 360 is capable of playing movies, music, and storing pictures, but most of these other media options require a significant amount of storage space. If you don’t already have one, the addition of a hard drive to your Xbox 360 enables some great new functions. The unit simply snaps onto the top of the game console and then it’s ready to use. Files can easily be transported through the USB ports found on the front of the console, making it easy to move movies over for viewing on the big screen. Finally, the 360 has some great built-in programs for music and photo organization, and the addition of a hard drive can make the Xbox a great home media center in your living room.

Deals on Computer Servers
An upgrade to your computer server can be a great benefit to the networking capabilities of your company. These servers, available at some great prices through Smarter, have the ability to increase both the speed of your network computing as well as the amount of traffic your network can handle. While businesses with larger networking needs might be best to look for upper-end models, a smaller company will find more than enough in some of these budget servers. Whether you’re working on a local network or looking for the hardware to support an overhaul to your company’s website, Smarter has a server that can fit both your business and budgetary needs.

HP USB TV Tuner
If you have a PC desktop or laptop that runs Windows Vista, this gadget is a great way and inexpensive way to bring television to your computer. The device lets you watch, record, and pause live TV, and also features a built-in FM radio receiver as well. If you’re on the go, this unit can be a great way to keep on top of your favorite television shows, and its strong reception power means you’ll have access to signals regardless of where you are. As an added bonus, there’s no additional software to install for the model to work; you can simply plug it into a USB port, and it’s ready to go. This is a great device for a frequent traveler and an inexpensive way to increase the media functionality of your PC laptop.