I’ve been a fan of AllHipHop.com for some time now and now
that I have a chance to contribute, I wanted to make sure I hit you guys with
something worth while. In my first installment of Tech Talk, I’m going to show
you some of the toys I’ve been playing with.
The first set of gadgets includes the iPod and an iPod
companion. The iPod in one flavor or another has become a staple in almost
everyone’s bag of gadgetry. The new generation of the Nano is part of the
reason why. While this version is smaller than a credit card, the screen is
larger and allows you to browse your collection by album art. Not only that, it
now plays video.*Hot Point – Video playback capabilities
*Not
Hot Point –
Stuck using iTunes to move files onto the device
So now you’re stylin’ with your new iPod, and your car
stereo ain’t that fly. You still want to listen to your mp3’s in the car, but the
problem is you can’t afford an iPod ready stereo? Well, you might want to try
an FM transmitter like this one from BlueRaven:
The first thing you will notice
is this unit is extremely tiny. Not only that, it weighs next to nothing, so
you will barely notice it when browsing your music library.
It comes with a car adapter that allows you to charge your
iPod while the transmitter is connected. It’s also extremely easy to use. You
just plug it into your iPod, set your station then set your radio to the same
station. You can store up to three pre-sets so you don’t have to search around
for good station.
*Hot Point – Small size and station presets, you can use it
with any fm radio
*Not Hot Point – Sound quality could be better
Next we have a product that is perfect for the old school
music fan that doesn’t want their record collection to go to waste, the
professional DJ that wants to step their digital game up or the producer
looking for that sample. It’s the TTUSB10 by Ion Audio.
If you own records, you
know how it works. It connects to your PC via USB, can automatically detect and
label tracks, and even accepts auxiliary audio sources.
*Hot Point – Software automatically detects and labels
track info
*Not
Hot Point –
You have to manually tell it when each new track begins
Finally, for your home or small office, you need to be online
to stay connected with the world. Let’s face it; stringing wires and cables all
across your home is not a good look. I found this product duo that gets the job
done – the ZyXEL p-330w. It is a wireless router, and your gateway to the
Internet (sends the signal to computer).
It allows you to give internet access to multiple computers
at once, so split the bill and share the service. The Linkskey G750 is a
wireless network adapter (catches the signal from the air) that plugs into you
USB port, so no need to open you pc.
Put them together and your network will be
up and running in no time.
*Hot Points – Connect to the internet wirelessly, share file
between multiple computers
*Not Hot Points – Not the fastest on the market, but it’ll
do
Troy Gayle is the
founder of www.gadgets-t.com