Greg Gazin

HUB-IT Sync and Charge review & giveaway

October 8, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

Wouldn’t it be cool to have one device that can sync and charge up to seven devices regardless as to what type of connection they actually have? Well you can, with the new HUB-IT, an all-in-one sync and charge station from Eggtronic.

Designed by a former Maserati employee, HUB-IT is a funky desktop device (6.7” x 6.7” x 1.3”) that combines the aesthetics of Italian flair with USB 3.0 technology. And it actually looks like a hub in the traditional sense of the word, because you can connect your devices from all four sides of its perimeter. It has seven ports including three USB 3.0 super-speed ports and four cartridge connectors (Apple Lightning, Apple 30-pin, micro USB or mini USB connector) – a different one on each side. Each is fitted with about a 10” retractable cable which you can simply pull on to expand the cable and when it reaches a little tension at the end, simply let go and will spring back into place. There is also an LED indicator next to each port that displays its charging status. Read more… and enter the GIVEAWAY at CANOE TECH BLOG

Filed Under: accessories, Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, Hands On, New Product, Product review · Tagged With: charger, contest, USB

Runtastic Orbit fitness activity and sleep tracker review

October 6, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

I spend a significant amount of time in front of some form of screen and probably not enough time at the gym, doing things that keep me in shape like walking which I strive to do at least three to five times per week. Now depending on whom you talk to, it can take 21 days, 40 days or somewhere in between to form a habit. Whatever that number is for you, having a device able to be with you 24/7 is a probably a good way to start. So I jumped at the opportunity to test-drive the new Runtastic Orbit, a real-time activity, fitness and sleep tracker.

Austria-based Runtastic is not a newcomer to the tracking game; they already have a whack of other apps on the market like Runtastic Road Bike, Pedometer and Wintersports. However, this is their first foray into providing their own complete hardware and software solution. The heart of the Orbit comes in the form an interestingly shaped waterproof module. It’s designed to slip into one of the two wristbands provided or a clip you can attach to your belt or wear on a lanyard around your neck. Read more…At Canoe Tech Blog

Filed Under: accessories, Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, Going Mobile, Hands On, New Product, Product review, Signs of the Times · Tagged With: fitness, health

Drobo launches world’s highest capacity portable storage array

October 3, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

Storage arrays are something you’d probably expect to find in a server room but with technology being so portable these days, it would make sense for someone to come up with a storage solution for people on the go. So Connected Data the creator of the Drobo line of start smart storage solutions has unveiled the new Drobo Mini 8TB Bundle, the industry’s first portable protected storage solution.

The new bundle features four hot-swappable 2.5” drive bays that come factory preloaded with four 2TB Samsung Spinpoint M9T drives which are only 9.5mm thick. The system is configured with Connected Data’s BeyondRAID technology that allows the restoration of data in the event that one or two drives fail simultaneously. Read more…at Canoe Tech Blog

Filed Under: accessories, Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, Going Mobile, In the news, New Product · Tagged With: accessories, hard drives, storage

Rapoo ultra-slim wireless keyboard has built-in touchpad

October 1, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

As the battle of the on-screen keyboards continue, we’re still seeing more of the smaller touch-feely tactile keyboards coming to market as people use them as alternatives to full-sized keyboards for computers, media player and smart TV remote controls. And one such keyboard is the Rapoo E2700 Ultra-slim Wireless Multimedia keyboard with Touchpad.

At 10″ long x 3 1/4″ deep, only 1/4″ thin and weighing a mere 186 grams, it’s lighter, smaller and thinner than most keyboards including Apple’s Wireless Keyboard (approx 11″ x 5″). It has a minimalist design, denoted by the lack of a bezel around its perimeter and no LEDs. Read more… At Canoe Tech Blog

Filed Under: accessories, Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, Hands On, New Product, Product review, Review · Tagged With: accessories, wireless

Syncable-Duo 2-in-1 microUSB/Lightning cable solution

September 26, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

Cables are considered accessories and rarely take the limelight in the gadget arena. You usually expect them to be either included with the device or an add-on that you have to buy. The truth is people take notice of them only when they really need them, can’t find them or if they don’t work. Others say, “Who needs cables when everything’s wireless?” Funny thing though, most wireless devices today still require cables to charge them. Universal inductive charging across all devices is still little ways away.

So that’s my little preamble for the Syncable-Duo Charge and Sync Cable by TYLT. It’s a 2-in-1 microUSB/Lightning solution. And like the name says, it’s both a charging and syncing cable for USB devices like smartphones and tablets. The neat thing about this cable is that it basically combines two cables into one.

Read more…AT Canoe Tech Blog

Filed Under: accessories, Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, New Product · Tagged With: accessories, Gadgets, New product

Toastmasters Podcast #082: Introducing Greg Gazin, Newest Host of the Toastmasters Podcast

September 22, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

I have to admit, I pretty excited and honoured to now be one of the official hosts of the Official Toastmasters International Podcast along with co-hosts and my good friends, Bo Bennett and Ryan Levesque. Have a listen as we chat about Toastmasters and why I’m now part of the team.

Visit the official site: The Toastmasters Podcast

Filed Under: GadgetGreg, podcast, Toastmasters · Tagged With: podcast, Toastmasters

Latest iPhone first weekend sales blast through 10 million

September 22, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

EDMONTON, AB, Sep 22, 2014/ Troy Media/ – After record-breaking pre-orders and massive line-ups world-wide, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models – which launched on September 19 – broke first weekend record sales by topping the 10 million mark. This milestone is one million more than the then record-breaking nine million iPhone 5S and 5C handsets sold on their first weekend release set under a year ago.

“Sales for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus exceeded our expectations for the launch weekend, and we couldn’t be happier,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We would like to thank all of our customers for making this our best launch ever, shattering all previous sell-through records by a large margin. While our team managed the manufacturing ramp better than ever before, we could have sold many more iPhones with greater supply and we are working hard to fill orders as quickly as possible.” READ MORE at Troy Media

Filed Under: Announcements, Apple, Business, GadgetGreg, In the news, Signs of the Times, Taking care of business, Troy Media · Tagged With: Apple, iPhone

iPhone 6 lineups prove Apple’s magic continues

September 19, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

Jesse Letain emerges with his iPhone 6

With pre-orders at record levels, early indication was that Apple’s new iPhone 6 models were going to be a hit. And it looks like it is as the lineups at Apple Stores around the world are proving once again that Apple still has a lot of magic left in it.

And such was the case at Edmonton’s Southgate Centre where the first people to line up arrived at the doors of the Apple Store almost 24 hours before.

Review: Cambridge Audio DacMagic XS USB DAC (DIGITAL/AUDIO CONVERTER)

September 18, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

You’ve just upgraded your headphones. You sit down at your computer, plug them in grab your favorite tune or launch your favorite game and start to play. You now expect the sound would be much better particularly with high quality audio content. However, you find the difference is marginal and you’re somewhat disappointed. You may not realize it, but it may not have anything to do with the headphones or the audio files but more to do with the on the laptop hardware itself.

The reality is that not all headphone jacks are created equal. It’s not actually the jack per se, but rather the onboard audio sound processor that’s built-in to your computer. And while some systems do reproduce respectable audio quality, for whatever reason, often to keep costs down others are built with cheap audio chips that the manufacturers deem as good enough.

Now all is not lost. You don’t have to toss your computer just yet. And the Cambridge Audio DacMagic XS USB DAC (digital to audio converter) just might be the answer. It’s appropriately named because it magically takes your audio to a new level.

READ FULL Article at G4 TV Canada

Filed Under: Audio, Hands On, New Product, Product review, sound · Tagged With: Audio, Digital

Tips before installing iOS 8 Update

September 17, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

The rush to get the latest iOS 8 is in full swing. But before you hit the “Install Now” button and do the upgrade there’s a little homework to do and few things you should know.

First, whenever you are doing any major update of any kind, stuff can and often will happen – so it’s probably a good idea, no, it’s a great idea to do a full backup of your device. You can either backup through iCloud or even better, hook your computer up to your Mac or PC and do a full backup through iTunes. Make sure that you have the latest version of that app installed. Read more… at Canoe Tech Blog

Filed Under: Apple, Apps Alive, Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, News · Tagged With: Apple, Apple iOS, iOS