Vlad's Gadgets

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Brief Blogs for Week Ending 2013-03-07

Cracked: 5 Despicable Things People Do For Good Online Reviews - http://t.co/Trf7SYZ16p ->

Brief Blogs for Week Ending 2013-02-28

The Conversation: Cheaper hardware, software and digital downloads? Here’s how - http://t.co/gmOEYXJqMr ->

Brief Blogs for Week Ending 2013-02-14

APN settings for mobile networks around the world, to set up your smartphone to access the Internet when traveling: http://t.co/xk3DwiYr ->

Australian government forces Adobe, Apple & Microsoft to explain their…

Brief Blogs for Week Ending 2012-09-13

Lifehacker: "Top 10 Tricks for Turning Your Junk Into Money" - tips on selling old, unwanted stuff - http://t.co/YZsYtLG1 ->

Brief Blogs for Week Ending 2012-08-09

Comprehensive article on Lifehacker has lots of advice on how to protect your gadgets from theft: http://t.co/HGJ6UeRI ->

Excellent tip: To find great deals on Gumtree/eBay/Craigslist, include the search keyword "moving"…

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Latest Posts

Logitech Z4 Stereo Speaker System

Written by Vlad on September 20, 2010 – 5:05 pm -

Logitech Z4 Speakers - alternate view showing sides of satellite speakers

If you want good stereo speakers under $100, the Logitech Z4 is an excellent choice. It’s a 2.1 stereo speaker system consisting of two satellite speakers and a subwoofer, providing a total of 40W RMS power.

Designed for PC sound, it also works well for getting big sound out of your iPod or portable MP3 Player or connecting to an electronic music instrument, like a synth keyboard.

Why I Bought the Logitech Z4 Stereo Speaker System

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Aussie Automatic Coin Counter

Written by Vlad on September 16, 2010 – 6:37 pm -

Automatic Coin Counter filled with coins

The Aussie Automatic Coin Counter is a coin jar with a lid that contains a coin slot and an electronic counting mechanism. The mechanism measures the diameter of each coin that you insert into the slot and works out its value. An LCD display tells you the total balance of all coins that you have deposited. I bought this from Catch Of The Day for $10.

Why I Bought the Automatic Coin Counter

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Skypix Portable Scanner for People On The Go

Written by Vlad on September 9, 2010 – 4:24 pm -

Skypix Portable Scanner - elevated left hand view showing micro SD slot

The Skypix Portable Scanner performs colour and greyscale scanning with a maximum resolution of 600dpi. It is shaped like a wand, which you slide across the document you want to scan. This allows you to easily scan pages from books and magazines, which is not possible with portable page scanners, like the popular Fuji Scansnap series.

The scanned images are saved in JPEG format onto a MicroSD card. The scanner connects to your computer via a mini USB cable and it appears like a removable flash drive – all the scanned JPEG images are placed inside a folder.

It is powered by two standard AA batteries, which provide enough power for about 200 scans.

It weighs just 210g (7.4oz) and is 25.4cm (10″) long – 4.4cm (1.73″) longer than the width of a sheet of A4 paper. The Skypix portable scanner is 3.05cm (1.2″) tall and x 2.79cm (1.1″) wide. This makes it easy to fit into a backpack or handbag.

The scanner comes with a drawstring bag, mini USB cable and a CD with bundled OCR software.

I bought it on eBay for just under $100 including shipping.

Why I bought the Skypix Portable Scanner

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Posted in Computer Hardware | 5 Comments »

USB Wireless N Adapter Transfers At Up To 300Mbps

Written by Vlad on September 2, 2010 – 7:59 pm -

RALink RT3072-based USB Wireless N 300Mbps 2T2R Adapter

This is a generic-branded USB Wireless N adapter based on the Ralink RT3072 chipset. It can transfer at up to 300Mbps, unlike commonly found less-capable models that only support 150Mbps. It is also compatible with older 802.11g and 802.11b networks. It is supported under Windows XP, 2000, Vista, Windows 7, Macintosh and Linux.

I bought it for $25.90 from GoodBargain.com.au.

Why I Bought the USB 300Mbps Wireless N Adapter

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Posted in Computer Hardware | 1 Comment »

Microsoft Digital Media Keyboard 3000

Written by Vlad on August 26, 2010 – 11:27 pm -

Microsoft Digital Media Keyboard 3000

The Microsoft Digital Media Keyboard 3000 is sturdy, feels pleasant to type on and has a spill resistant design. It has extra hot keys for document editing and controlling media playback. It connects to your PC via USB. I paid $40 for it at Harvey Norman.

Why I Bought the Microsoft Digital Media Keyboard 3000

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Posted in Computer Hardware | 1 Comment »

Billion 5210SRC ADSL2+ Modem & Router With Annex M

Written by Vlad on August 25, 2010 – 8:53 pm -

Billion 5210S RC ADSL2+ Modem & Router with Annex M

The Billion BiPAC 5210S RC is a basic ADSL2+ Modem & Router with both USB 2.0 and 100Mb Ethernet ports for client computers, and support for the ADSL2+ Annex M extension. It is perfect for when:

  • You only have a single desktop computer or laptop accessing the Internet
  • You already have a good wireless router and are either upgrading your old ADSL modem or are switching from Cable to ADSL.

I purchased it from MegaBuy for about $55.

MegaBuy Technology Superstore

Why I Bought the Billion 5210SRC ADSL2+ Modem & Router

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LineX Stereo FM Transmitter

Written by Vlad on August 25, 2010 – 2:19 pm -

LineX Stereo FM Transmitter

The LineX Stereo FM transmitter transmits any stereo audio signal that you connect to its 3.5mm jack. This can be from any audio device including your iPod, MP3 player and CD player. You can receive it on any FM radio on 7 selectable channels. Unlike other transmitters designed for cars, it is battery powered and this works in your home, outdoors and when carried around. It uses a PLL to ensure a stable transmitting frequency.

I paid about $35 for it on eBay.

Why I Bought the LineX Stereo FM Transmitter

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Seniors Citizens Phone for Elderly People Also Useful For Young

Written by Vlad on August 24, 2010 – 7:05 pm -

Senior Citizen Mobile Phone for Elderly People

This is a basic dual-band 900/1800Mhz GSM mobile phone aimed at elderly people. Unlike most phones currently on the market, it has large keypad buttons.

Why I Bought The Senior Citizen’s Phone

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SwissGear Wireless Presenter with Laser Pointer

Written by Vlad on August 22, 2010 – 6:12 pm -

The SwissGear wireless presenter is a small handheld remote control for PowerPoint presentations. It also has an inbuilt red laser pointer. It is manufactured by Wenger, who are famous for being the official supplier of Swiss Army Knives to the Swiss Army.

The wireless presenter works by transmitting to a USB receiver, which you plug into the USB port of computer running the presentation, which can be a PC or Macintosh. The receiver can be anywhere within a 10 metre (approx 30 foot) radius of the wireless presenter. When not in use, the USB receiver is safely stored in a slot underneath the remote control, preventing it from being misplaced.
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Silicone Rubber Tape Sticks To Itself Without Being Sticky

Written by Vlad on August 22, 2010 – 5:12 pm -

Tommy Tape Silicon Rubber Tape in Packet

Silicone rubber tape differs from other tapes in that it fuses to itself without using glue or adhesive. This means that there is no sticky side that can leave a residue or become gooey. It is useful for tasks such as electrical insulation, sealing and waterproofing. It can replace electrical insulation tape and duct tape in many applications.

Silicone tape comes in the form or a roll. The actual silicone tape has a plastic backing that you peel off and discard. When you apply the tape, you stretch the silicone rubber tape tightly as you wind it around a wire, pipe or other object ensuring that each layer of tape has a 2/3 overlap to produce a strong seal. The end of the piece of tape should be wrapped over the last layer. Over a period of 24 hours, the silicone tape cures and forms a permanent seal. If you ever need to remove the tape, you just cut through all the layers with a sharp knife and peel it off.

The most popular brand in Australia is Tommy Tape, but it is sold under many other brand names including Rescue Tape, QuikTape, Silicone Sealing Tape, Stretch & Seal, X-Treme tape and Emergency Repair Tape. The most common colour is black, but it is also made in grey, white, clear, red and blue and possibly others.

Why I Bought Tommy Tape

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