Gadget Review: AirDrives Interactive Stereo Headphones

It's not every day that you see something new in the world of personal stereo headphones. From the lightweight over-the-ear sets that came with the first Walkman to the white earbuds distributed with the Apple iPod, real innovation has been hard to come by. The "look" of the basic product has changed radically over the last 30 years, but the actual mechanics of turning an electrical signal into sound in your ear has remained largely unchanged... until now.

The new AirDrive headphones from InAir Technology represent a significant departure from the design of previous headphones. They do this by placing the drivers that emit sound in front of the tragus of the ear, rather than over or inside the ear canal. Sound from the AirDrive headphones is then caught, reflected, and amplified to the other parts of the human outer ear, allowing the listener to hear whatever those headphones are playing...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Hardware Review: Apple Keyboard '08 Edition

I set out happily on my morning mission to the local Apple store with the intention of coming home with a shiny new-brushed aluminum (one of my VERY favorite aesthetics, BTW), Apple Bluetooth keyboards. Sadly, my happy thoughts of bringing home my new little friend (minus the number pad AND the forward delete button... a personal peeve of mine!) were dashed. They weren’t in stock. I went from the Apple store in the local mall to a CompUSA only to be told the same thing, though the words were slightly different. At the Apple store I inquired about the new Apple Bluetooth keyboard and I was handed a card and instructed to call in a week and "check up to see if they were delivered yet." At CompUSA, however, the resident Mac-geek informed me that they "hadn't shipped out to anyone," and "I don't know what's wrong with Apple, people have been asking quite often about that item."...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Hardware Review: Logitech Z-5500 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Speaker System

I made a decision about a year ago to simplify my life and living room, and make my G5 Macintosh my "media hub." I purchased an external Miglia USB TV tuner with EyeTV DVR software, a 30" Dell monitor (most HIGHLY recommended!), and sold my home theater.

At the time I had a modest Logitech analog system, which was good, but I wanted more. For a few years the Logitech Z-5500 Digital speaker system caught my eye, but the price was just a bit too high, and I just couldn't justify the close to $400 price ticket for a second sound system. But now that this was going to be my main (and only), system, I decided to take the plunge.

I purchased the system through Dell for $278.95, and say what you want about Dell, they were the best choice when it came to this item as they had very reasonable shipping ($22.32), and this was a VERY heavy item (somewhere around 40 or more pounds). Another positive thing I found with Dell is they have a very fast delivery time.

I received my system in 3 days. The setup was easy and straightforward. Included in the manual was a quick setup guide with diagrams that made the initial wiring and placement of the speakers quick and painless...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!