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** Summer Infant BestView HandHeld monitor, www.summerinfant.com  $110

** Toshiba Netbook NB100 computer, www.toshiba.ca  $479

** HP IQ816 Dekstop Computer, www.hp.ca   $2500

** Linksys Powerline AV Network Kit, www.linksys.ca  $120

** SLEEPTRACKER.ca Watch, www.sleeptracker.ca  $200

** Mophie Juice Pack Air, www.mophie.com  $79

** Apple iPod Shuffle, www.apple.ca  $89

 
** Tri-Specs Bluetooth Sunglasses , www.trispecs.com  $200

 
** iHome iH15W iPod Dock Colour-Changer, www.ihomeaudio.com  $70

 
** Wacom Intous4 Writing Tablet (medium), www.wacom.com  $350 

 
** emwave personal stress reliever , www.emwave.com  $150

 
** Breville Ikon Electric Kettle, www.breville.ca  $120

 
** Xantrex PowerSource Mobile 100, www.xantrex.com  $100

 
** Karaoke Kit from The Karaoke Channel, www.thekaraokechannel.com   $99 with 1 yr. subscription

** Magellan Triton 2000 GPS, www.magellangps.com  $500

 

Akash on the Jenn & Joe Show Talk 1410, April 2, 2009 from Gadgets Explained on Vimeo.”>

** XLink Cell BT Gateway  www.myxlink.com $99

** Stiletto TB15MC Titanium Hammer, www.stileto.com, $300

** Milwaukee M-Spector Camera, www.milwaukee.com   $299

** Samsung USB DVD drive, www.samsung.ca  $79

** elgato eyetv 250 plus, www.elgato.com   $

** Scottevest Jacket (Fleece 2.0), www.scottevest.com  $120

** Holey Soles, www.holeys.com  Getaway Beach Bag $50, Critter Cap $15, XP2 Shoes $25

** Kodak ESP 9 AIO Printer, $279 www.kodak.ca ** nanovision mimo UM-710 side monitor, $129, www.thegadgeteers.com  

** Palm Treo Pro (Bell), $99 3yr plan, $550 no plan, www.palm.com/ca  ** Belkin USB Network Hub, $99, www.belkin.com  

** Human Touch CMS-300 Neck Massager, $120, www.humantouch.com  ** Balanzza Ergo Portable Scale), $25, www.balanzza.com

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** WowWee Rovio robot, www.wowwee.com
** Kodak EasyShare W1020 WiFi Digital Frame, www.kodak.ca
** SensoGlove (golf glove), www.sensoglove.com
** Brookstone Wireless Key Finder, www.brookstone.com
** ASUS 1000HE Netbook, www.asus.com
** Logitech PureFi Anywhere 2, www.logitech.com
** Griffin iTrip Auto Universal with SmartScan, www.griffintechnologies.com
** ECOSOL Powerstick (USB charger) (Made in Canada), www.ecosolinc.com
** Mophie Juice Pack, www.mophie.com
** magicJack long-distance device, www.magicjack.com
** Matias Laptop Armor Case (Black, 15”), www.matias.ca
** Digital Thirst Light plant meter, www.thirstylight.com
** Mini-Motion Games (skateboard, racing, etc.), www.aptusgames.com

ieXbeta.com have been keeping a running tab on compatibility issues with Windows Vista since it’s first Beta release and have a comprehensive list of what programs work, what programs have problems and what programs don’t work under the new operating system.

More on their findings and a few surprises inside.

Not surprisingly most (if not all) major software applications that work with Windows XP work equally well with Windows Vista. The programs that do have problems are mostly lesser known applications and specialized systems that the everyday user would not use anyway. There are also issues with a number of lesser known games.

Anti-Virus and firewalls

Vista touts a stronger firewall and security system than Windows XP and synchronous with the launch of the operating system came the launch of Microsoft’s new security suite OneCare which contains spyware, anti-virus and enhanced firewall protection. As a result many firewalls and anti-virus programs do not work under Vista – most notably F-Secure 2007, AVG Anti-Virus Suite and Zone Labs Zone Alarm suites. One can argue that the malfunctioning firewalls are a minor problem as the built in firewall in Vista is said to be as solid as they get but there should still be the option of installing a 3^rd party firewall if the user so wishes. The “loss” of AVG’s Anti-Virus suite is more alarming as it is one of the only free high-quality anti-virus packages available today. Norton Anti-Virus and Norton Internet Security along with most other well known virus software have no problems.

Ahead’s Nero Burning ROM software already had problems with XP Service Pack 2 and these problems seem to have compounded with Vista. The site states that Nero “causes Explorer crashes when viewing directories that have video files in them, as well as file copy/move operations” and recommends using Nero only if you use a Virtual Machine version of XP within Vista – in other words don’t bother.

Other incompatibilities

Most worrisome is the incompatibility with a number of established software suites – mostly due to hardware driver issues. Steinberg’s Cubase and Nuendo suites, Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X and XI and Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 don’t work at all. Neither does Pinnacle Studio 9.4 and 10 but Vista upgrades for these will be available in March.

Even with the problems mentioned above the overall list shows that software incompatibility is a relatively minor problem with Windows Vista and should not be much of a factor when deciding whether to upgrade. And as Vista takes over as the new standard we can expect that most if not all of these problems (maybe with the exception of Nero which still has problems with XP!) will be fixed. If you are still worried take a look at the ever growing list of tested programs and see if your software is on the “working” or “not working” list.

Windows Vista RTM Software Compatibility List (ieXbeta.com)

The devil is in the details. As with the introduction of most new technology the electronics retailers are making a killing on the sale of HDMI cables for your newly aquired PS3, HD-DVD / Blue Ray player and / or HDTV flatscreen. The people over at ArsTechnica.com recently published an excellent article on the topic of overpriced cables. But there is an even more important factor that needs to be addressed here:

When it comes to HDMI all cables are equal (or at least almost equal).  The old claim of superior (and more expensive) cables just doesn’t hold up in the new digital reality. Read on and learn why price does not equal quality.

Most newer HDTVs and HD-DVD and Blue-Ray players come with HDMI in/outputs and while the PS3 is currently the only gaming console to support the standard rumours say a new version of the XBOX 360 will soon join the club. With the transition to HDTV as the new  television standard the industry is moving away from component and other cables and toward a new type of cable called HDMI or High-Definition Multimedia Interface . Unlike older cable standards this one carries both high-definition video and audio in one neat package. Therefore it is an excellent way to reduce the cable clutter in your home entertainment centre. But you have to be careful when buying the cables or you will get ripped off.
In the past the claim that better cables meant better quality held through. This was because the signals transferred through the cables were analog – meaning that the signal itself is is the image or audio being transferred. This meant that if the signal deteriorated due to inferior cables the end result – the sound or picture – would deteriorate as well. But in the digital world everything is different. The signal sent between digital devices is a series of 0s and 1s that are interpreted by the devices. Therefore signal degradation has very little impact on the end result. A weak 0 or 1 is still a 0 or 1.

The best way to see the difference between an analog and a digital signal is to think of the difference between an old record and a CD. When you play the record a needle picks up minute vibrations in the record and amplifies these vibrations before reproducing them in the speaker. That is why when a speck of dust or a small scratch appears on the record you can hear it loudly through the speaker. A CD on the other hand does not contain the sounds themselves but a digital interpretation of the sounds. The information on a CD is actually just a series of holes that the player interprets as a 0 or a 1. The sound is produced when a computer interprets this information into sound. That is why even a scratched CD can play without fail and also why deep scratches make the CD unplayable because too many 0s and 1s are obscured.

Now back to the cables. As I said before, in the analog world the quality of your cables is very important. But in the digital world it is of little importance as long as the signal reaches it’s destination. Therefore the claims of “premium digital cables” and “better sound and picture” is little more than an advertising gimmic. For regular length cables the end result is the same whether they cost $20 or $200. The only difference is how hard the salespeople laugh at you when you leave the store.

Cable quality does start to matter if you are sending the signal over a longer distance (more than 3 meters) but even then the more expensive cables are not necessarily better.

A good rule of thumb is to buy the cheapest cable available from a store that allows you to return in within a set time and test it to see if the signal does infact deteriorate. Digital signal deterioration will appear as either popping audio or weird squares or “twinkles” in the image. If you don’t experience these things your cable is fine. If you do experience interference upgrade to a slightly more expensive cable. But no matter what the sales people say there is no reason to buy the most expensive cable unless you want to throw your money away.

One final note: Monster cables have long been hailed as the best on the market. This company is now touting their HDMI cables as supperior to any others on the market. The reality is that there is no difference between their cables and ones that are half the price or less. Unfortunately people still believe the advertising gimmics. But don’t be fooled. There really is nothing to gain from a more expensive cable.