The speaker itself is about the size of a toddler’s fist; fairly small. Included with the speaker balloon is the audio cable (necessary to connect the speakers to the your MP3 player or computer), a USB cable to charge the speakers, a Japanese/English operating manual, and a small orange bag to hold the speakers when you aren’t using them. The speaker charges via USB from your computer and takes about 2 hours to reach a full charge. Once charged the speakers last about 5 hours. The speaker automatically turns on once connected to the audio cable. The design is practical and adorable. I’ve received  many compliments about the intriguing design.

One major disappointment is that if you leave the audio cable plugged into the speaker when the speaker is not in use the battery will drain. Another annoyance is the flimsy audio cord; it’s thin and seems as if it could easily break under stress.

The volume is loud enough and can be changed manually on your audio player. The sound would probably carry well within a group 4-5 people (think small), but is definitely not intended for party use.

The sound quality itself is surprising for such a small device. Sometimes if tilted at the wrong angle, the volume becomes very low or slightly muted, which can be very annoying, nonetheless, the speakers produce sounds clearly and vibrantly.

I would highly recommend these speakers if you are traveling with a small group of friends or maybe when mingling with buddies at a small gathering. They’ll be  impressed by the looks and maybe by the sound quality.

Rating: 3.85 out of 5 stars

The speaker will set you back $40 and is available at New People World in San Francisco and on their website.

Let’s start with the problem.  The Apple TV will cost you some dough (about $230), and then if you want to buy content for it, like a TV show episode, or a movie, it can cost you anywhere from $1-15 a pop.  Sure you can watch the content that you already own which is contained in your iTunes library, but most people get bored watching the same episode more than twice, which makes them delete the episode, or let it take up unnecessary disk space on their hard drive.  Apple figured out that people don’t want to watch the same movie multiple times, and released movie rentals, where you could rent a movie for 24 hours for a few bucks (few additional bucks if you want it in HD).  This made a lot of sense, but if you think about it, it’s still expensive compared to, let’s a say a Netflix plan which gets you access to a huge selection of movies and TV shows that can be accessed from the web or a Netflix ready device like the iPad, or a Xbox 360.  Also Netflix has a wide array of DVDs to pick from, which are delivered to your home’s mailbox.  With websites like Hulu, where you can legally watch a bunch of shows from networks like Fox and NBC, and sites like The Pirate Bay where you can pirate a ton of content, the Apple TV just seems like a expensive choice.

Here are four problems Apple needs to address to make the Apple TV exceptional:

Problem 1: Value

Apple’s advertising solution for their iOS devices (dubbed “iAd”) has been off to quite a good start.  Advertisers have noted higher profits using iAd versus competitors like Admob.  Some developers, like App Store developer Jason Ting, made $1,300 of iAd in one day. Steve Jobs mentioned during the iPhone OS keynote last April that iAd was developed so developers can afford to provide cheap or free applications to the App Store market place.  Since iAd is making app developers enough money to create free or low-cost apps, Apple can use the iAd system for the Apple TV, by placing several 15-30 second ads within a TV episode.  The ads will be enough to pay for theTV shows—making them free to watch.  Since Apple also takes a 40% cut on iAds,  they could use that revenue to justify lowering the Apple TV price from $230, to about $100.  And who knows…maybe Apple is actually working on something like this, considering they bought Lala so iTunes can go cloud-based, and Quattro Wireless for iAd.

Problem 2: Content

Most people can watch TV on their TV, watch movies on their DVD or Blu-Ray players and listen to music on their stereos. Apple TV can do all that, but to make it even more attractve, Apple could create an Apple TV App Store to run on it. Apple TV contains the same processing power as devices like the iPad, which means it’s hardware is capable of running 3rd party applications as the iPhone and iPad can. With a Twitter app, a RSS reader, even a few games, the Apple TV becomes a much more attractive device.  When you have a huge flat screen TV at your disposal,  apps shouldn’t be a problem.  The only problem is how you control and navigate these apps, which leads us to our next problem, control.

Problem 3:  Control

The Apple TV uses a cheap remote which is extremely unintuitive.  It has 7 buttons: up, down, left, right, center, Menu, and Play/Pause. If you know Apple’s style, buttons aren’t the way to go. Instead, they should make the remote a trackpad (just like the newly released Magic Trackpad, only much smaller). This allows you to efficiently scroll through long lists, pinch zoom text, images, and other on-screen content.  This “trackpad” remote could also physically click when you press down on the surface.  Not only will this make navigation on the device easier and more efficient, but it will allow Apple and 3rd party developers the ability to do things that you couldn’t really do well before.  With this remote, you could add apps like Safari, Mail, Google Maps, and more.

Conclusion

The Apple TV has been one of Apple’s least popular devices on the market.  If Apple made TV shows and content free because of iAds, added an App Store for extra functionality, and reinvented their remote by making it a responsive surface, the Apple TV will be something that is more desirable, more logical, and more suited in the living rooms of us consumers.

If you have a feature you think would be great on the Apple TV, leave us a comment below!

Kodak ESP 7 Printer
The Kodak ESP 7 Printer provides dorm dwellers versatility, cheap ink, a photocopier and it can print a page in 2 seconds. It’s semi-compact, so it can fit in a tight dorm room with limited space. The benefits of having a personal printer in your dorm are endless, it eliminates the need leave when you forget to print your assignment, and you can use it with no limitations whenever you want. At only $119.99 the printer provides a versatile printing & copying solution. You can check it out here.

Canon EOS Rebel T2i

A quality camera like the Canon T2i is not only good for sharing photos with your family back at home, but taking pictures of your friends in low light at last nights party. The T2i is the newest DSLR camera camera in the Rebel series aimed at consumers. The camera packs 1080P video, and 3FPS shooting, 18 megapixels, and tons of other features in a lightweight body but sturdy body.  The camera is $900, but with the tons of cool features the price is hard to beat. If you are not planning on splurging on a DSLR the Powershot S90 is a stylish point & shoot alternative.
Speck Aftpack

Never underestimate the power of a good backpack. The Speck AftPack is a compact backpack that can carry your tech gear, a few books and a snack. It’s small enough for travel, but big enough for daily use. If you look, you’ll find secret pockets and access flaps that make the backpack more exciting and useful. For $60, the multifaceted Aftpack is a bargain. Read our full review here.

Segate FreeAgent GO

The SegateFreeagent GO Pro Mac is a convenient portable harddrive. It has a blazing fast FireWire 800 port that blows USB out of the water. It comes with a dock that’s convinient for a desk and a travel case that kept it safe for my many trips with the harddrive. At only $70 for 500GB it’s a sweet deal for such a stylish device. We’ve also written a full review for the HD.

Hard Candy Bubble Sleeve

The Bubble Case is a nice addition to our arsenal of iPad cases because it is good for things like travel, although it is not as versatile as other iPad cases. The design of this case is similar to that of a hard sleeve but instead of having a flat exterior it has large bubbles the exterior. The case is sturdy enough for you to let your iPad tumble around inside your bag. The iPad is secured by 4 removable rubber grips to hold it securely, protecting the screen from cracks. The bumpers that hold the iPad squeeze the device to secure it in place which makes it challenging to put the iPad in the case quickly. Another challenge is differentiating the top and the bottom of the case. When I carelessly unzipped the case, I ended up dropping my iPad. If you are a traveler I suggest this case because of the tumble your iPad might encounter during your travels. The case will set you back $50, but it may be worth it to protect your $500 iPad. Buy on Amazon

Tuff-Luv Leather iPad Case

This is a substantial leather case that protects your valued iPad. The Tuff-Luv case attaches to the device and similarly to the Apple case, you can prop the case on its side. The Tuff-Luv case is made of pure leather. While this case adds significant weight to your device, the versatility makes it worth while. The iPad can be positioned landscape at many angles, from almost flat to almost 90º while using this case. The range of angles provides for an awesome viewing experience whether watching a movie or writing a novel. The leather is thick, so when the iPad is flat on a table a slim portion of the bottom of the screen is not visible. Although the options of landscape positioning are limitless, using the device in portrait can be a challenge because stability. This case is durable and versatile, but it will cost you $60. In any case, this case has got you covered. Buy on Amazon

WaterGuard Plus Waterproof Case

The WaterGuard iPad case arrived at a great time, after an exhausting day of school. I was ready for a bath and a book. Fortunately this is the twenty first century, and a bath and a book for me means a bath an iPad and an awesome padded WaterGuard waterproof case. The case has 3 layers of waterproofing. Two super sealed ziplocks and a few button closures ensure that no water touches your iPad. The case is made of thick padded plastic, making using the iPad a little more challenging, but still usable. Regardless, if you are only using the iPad for reading a book or a magazine near or in water, the case works fine. I would not recommend the WaterGuard case for everyday use. The case serves its purpose: the iPad doesn’t get wet. It’s much more challenging to use the iPad in the case, especially underwater. For only $20 the case is a bargain. Buy on Amazon

Equipped with a case that holds your iPad when traveling, a case that keep your iPad alive underwater and a case that’s for everyday use you’re ready to explore what the world has to offer. With an iPad by your side (or in your hand) there’s nothing you can’t do!

How I got involved.

As some of you may know, TeenCastic was featured last year on another Nick News episode which you can watch here. About a year after the episode Nick News had started preparing for their new special, Teens Unplugged. They put up an ad on their site and had reached out to some local schools in the New York area to find middle schoolers in the area that we’re addicted to technology, but that’s not how I got on the show. I neither applied nor was contacted directly. About three months before the show aired, in April, Shivi (an editor here) received an email from the producer asking if he knew anybody that’d be good on the show. As my colleague and someone I have worked with for over a year Shivi knew I’d be a good man for the job. Shivi gave the producer my contact info, and after a brief email chain describing my tech habits and a short phone interview they we’re pretty certain I would be on the show. There was one problem though, each kid who had to live without technology for a week had had to have someone “turn them in”. Shivi had already been on the show for the webstars episode, so they wanted to find someone who hand’t been on the show to turn me in. I suggest a great friend of mine, Eric. Eric became the one that had “turned me in” So weeks go on and on one Friday a camera crew shows up to my house.

Why did I do it?

The decision, was formed out of a mixture of my sporadic nature, the possibility the opportunity could promote TeenCastic and the interest in audio visuals. I have never been a huge fan of Nickelodeon, besides iCarly which I consider my guilty pleasure and I’d never really heard of Nick News before TeenCastic. Hence my decision to go on the show was definitely not about achieving fame in the eight to twelve year old age group that might be watching. I was also curious to what the world thought of Nick News, so when I discovered there was a Facebook group with 100,000+ fans bashing the show I knew I had to be on it.

The experience?

Well, since I think the majority of my observations on how living without technology were contained in the show I’ll talk more about the experience of reality TV. There where three people making the whole thing run, the producer, the video guy and the audio dude. The process was simple, get up at 6 AM in my pajamas with a bright light on my face a boom microphone over my head and a producer staring down at me. When they say, “pretend we’re not here,” it’s a certainly more challenging than pretending to be a prince in a game of dress up. Regardless, after getting up at 6 I took my leisurely 10 minute shower. Boy is it awkward having to get out of the shower, still getting over the morning haze, and having a camera pointed at you, wearing only a towel. After a brief breakfast I got in the car with just the camera man and we headed to the bus stop. After getting out of the car two times from different angles I hopped aboard the bus and I was free from the camera for the rest of the day.

After a day of computer less school I headed home and was faced with the task of waiting for an hour whilst my sister, my mom and my friend Eric where interviewed.

I will continue this post after I watch the episode on TV…

Apple recently released the iPhone 4. The new iPhone 4 sports a new fantastic screen, called the Retina Display, two cameras, (one 5 megapixel HD camera on the back, and a VGA on the front), which allows you to make impressive video calls ( a feature called Facetime), and a whole new design. This awesome device will cost you some dough ($200 for the 16GB model and $300 for the 32GB model), so we teamed up with @AppInsanity to Giveaway a 32GB iPhone 4! Read on for the directions on how to enter.

To Enter This Giveaway, you have to do 3 steps:

Step 1: Follow @AppInsanity (you HAVE to, or else you will be immediately disqualified)

Step 2: Follow @freeiphoneapps (you HAVE to, or else you will be immediately disqualified)

Step 3: Tweet this (fill out your creative response of course!):

Sorry, the contest is over.

This unique laptop case is unlike most other laptop cases. Instead of being made of boring polyester or nylon, it’s made of bright orange felt. It uses a thick felt which will protect your computer from the smaller bumps that it will inevitably get. Although the felt is good at absorbing small bumps and protecting the computer from being scratched, the Red Maloo case does not protect the corners of the computer.

This is an area of concern, especially with the aluminum unibody computers. Although it’s a pretty good case, an excellent case should protect all of the computer and protect it more where it needs it. Apple could have almost designed this case—yes, its that Apple-like. Remember those really nice iPod boxes that Apple used to use?

Those ones which were like origami? This case works like that. This elegant and secure method of ‘latching’ the case by folding it up and securing velcro works well and starts conversations whenever it is opened or closed. This well designed case has one one flaw—the exposed corners, but other than that, this case is surprisingly functional and it looks really good. I’d suggest this to any person who’s looking for a case that protects from minor bumps and scratches and wants a unique, good looking case.

• Fix the names of songs you import from a CD
• Add album art to songs without it
• Show videos by the band you are currently playing
• View the band’s bio from freebase
• Recommend albums and songs to you from via amazon
• Notify you of upcoming performances the artists in your library
• View news about the artists via google news
• Purchase merchandize, tickets, and music from the band through ebay

It fixes names of songs almost always accurately. Although it utilizes 3rd party resources to identify songs, it seamlessly integrates into TuneUp, making it easy to clean up your library. It does not automatically identify songs that need a TuneUp, which is a pain because with a large music library it is hard to quickly find the songs that are not complete.

Tune-Up Album Art

Adding album art is a breeze with TuneUp, it identifies albums that need art then quickly downloads all of the covers. It does not automatically add them however, you need to approve the album art. The album art for me, has always been accurate. It does not have album art for a lot of small bands.

Tune Up is a great tool for a music guru, but not for a casual iTunes user. If you are looking for an easy user interface, with a small set of necessary features SongGenie is for you.

Pros: Mostly accurate, attaches to the itunes UI. Has a lot of useful features.

Cons: Pricey, other alternatives are better. Can be confusing to use.