Recently in Gadget Envy Category

For those of us who own a tablet computer, a case is a necessity you can't be without. Sure the iPad Smart Cover offers a clever solution for protecting the screen, but it doesn't do anything to protect the rest of your iPad. Seven inch tablets, like the Kindle Fire and the Nook Tablet need protective cases too.

After trying a bunch of different cases along the way, I wound up using the CaseSmpl eReader ballistic nylon case for my Kindle Fire. The case goes beyond the simple protective cover and offers additional storage for many of the things I keep with me all the time. The iPad case offers similar protection and even more additional storage because of the size difference between the Kindle Fire and iPad.

I'm a hack as a snowboarder and a very casual cyclist, so the idea of attempting to recording myself doing any extreme sports is laughable. I do appreciate the snowboarding videos put out by companies like Burton to generate excitement around their new product line and have even attended a couple snowboarding movie debuts. My real interest in wearable cameras is in the area of life logging, where you record anything in your field of view. When done properly, wearing a camera can also be a good way to put an otherwise nervous interviewee at ease when recording a conversation (with permission, of course).

The new Liquid Image Ego, which includes WiFi and the ability to stream back to a WiFi connected source looks like a great middle ground for both types of activities. While the company isn't billing the Ego as a wearable camera, it is most definitely a mountable camera for mountain bikers, car enthusiasts, and motorcyclists. It can also be mounted on a helmet, but I think the company would prefer you buy one of their other models instead. For life logging, with the right attachment, you could easily wear one of the cameras with you anywhere and not find it too distracting.

Lenovo's classic boxy ThinkPad design hasn't ever been something destined to win design awards, but the company is challenging laptop design conventions with the IdeaPad YOGA. Part Ultrabook and part Windows 8-powered tablet PC, the IdeaPad YOGA combines the Ultrabook form factor with a functional tablet implementation that makes touch computing make sense on a product with a keyboard.

While the IdeaPad YOGA unit I saw at Digital Experience is still a protype that was heavier than the promised 3.1 pounds of the shipping model, it still felt far lighter than the competing Envy 14 I examined at HP's booth. The 13.3-inch screen displayed the Windows 8 touch interface with what they say is a 1600x900 screen, though we weren't allowed to interact with Windows 8 for some reason, so I couldn't verify the screen specs. The real fascination for me is the way the screen folds over on itself.

When a phone form factor looks like it's better suited for the side pocket of my cargo pants, I'm fairly likely to dismiss the device based on size. That said, the HTC Titan II, which will soon be available from AT&T has a fairly amazing looking 4.7-inch screen that almost makes me want one. The Titan II is running Windows Phone 7 Mango, comes with a 16-megapixel camera, 4G LTE radio, and a 1,730mAh battery to power that enormous screen. Just how big is a phone with a 4.7-inch screen? Check out some of the photos I took comparing the size of the Titan II to an iPhone 4.

Here's the front view of the Titan II in my hand:

Here is the Titan II compared to the iPhone 4:

A side view of the Titan II and iPhone 4:

And here is the back of the Titan II:

The design reminds me of something like the HTC Thunderbolt or a giant sized version of my old Google Nexus One. I don't have very large hands and holding the Titan II made me think I'd need to use it with two hands for most functions, rather than the one-handed navigation I'm frequently able to do with my current myTouch 4G or with an iPhone 4.

HP TouchPad is the first tablet I'd consider a true competitor to the iPad. I love my Android phone, but there are simply too many quirks with Android to make it a stable tablet OS at this point. WebOS, the operating system powering TouchPad, has many features that make it perfect for tablet computing. At HP Discover, I had the chance to get a demo of TouchPad, which begins shipping on July 1.

Many things about TouchPad will look similar to other tablet experiences. Applications all have their own icon. You have an app marketplace to download new apps. TouchPad provides access to productivity tools like email, document authoring, calendar, and other business basics. TouchPad also has entertainment options like viewing video (including Flash) and games. At the same time, HP has taken steps to create a device that is truly different than the competition.

Etymotic consistently makes great headphone products. The Etymotic hf2 takes that design to the smartphone headset market, providing an stereo audio experience for your phone calls, coupled with a wired microphone. One of the primary things I like about Etymotic headsets is noise isolation. Similar to wearing earplugs, the Etymotic hf2 headset reduces outside noise by 35-42 dB. This noise reduction dramatically improves your ability to hear the person on the other end of the call, while also reducing your need to crank the volume and possible damage your hearing in the process. The headphones also work as an excellent way to listen to music on your iPhone or Android phone anytime you aren't on a call. The integration means you can easily listen to music, hear an incoming call, and switch from music to call without needing to change headsets in the process.

There are many options for having a set top box streaming media solution. While the market is still emerging and we will likely see a number of additional options emerge, the biggest fight seems to be Apple TV vs. Roku XDS. Roku has been streaming media to the HDTV screens far longer than Apple, but Apple has a way of taking any market and owning it. When it comes down to comparing Apple TV vs. Roku XDS, for me it really boils down to the content and the user experience.

I really like my Lenovo ThinkVision L2440p monitor. The 24-inch screen and 1900x1200 resolution are perfect for the type of work I'm doing with video and photos. It's also fabulous for seeing more lines on a spreadsheet at once, but that's not nearly as sexy. I paid for that ThinkVisionL2440p and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. I've also been reviewing a couple of ThinkVision L2250p monitors coupled with an ThinkCentre M75e provided by Lenovo. I like that the M75e can easily drive FOUR Monitors without feeling a drag on the system. With that in mind, I'm letting you know about a Lenovo offer that expires on December 31, 2010.

Intel recently sent me a Sony Vaio VPCS111FM laptop bundled with a Netgear Push2TV device to test out the new Intel Wireless Display technology. A more complete review of Intel Wireless Display is coming soon, but in the meantime, I thought I'd provide a review of the Sony Vaio VPCS111FM. This is a Best Buy exclusive model, although you can also buy other S Series laptops directly from Sony. At the $1000 price range where the VPCS111FM sits, this is a solid choice, particularly because that price includes the Netgear Push2TV as part of a bundle. Read on for specs and my thoughts about the Sony Viao VPCS111FM laptop.

The Flip SlideHD has been out for a few months now and the price is currently $249 in places like Best Buy or $199 if you're shopping on Amazon. That's down from the original list price of $279 when the Flip SlideHD made its debut. The big difference between the Flip SlideHD and Flip UltraHD models is a slide up touch screen that provides you a much larger screen for viewing videos in playback mode. The touch screen functionality doesn't really add much, but having the larger viewing area certainly improves on all previous Flip camera models. Does that mean I think you should buy it?