G4 TechTV Canada

IK Multimedia iRig Mic Studio digital pocket-sized studio quality mic

August 14, 2015 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

IK Multimedia, known for the iRIG series of hand-held and portable microphones for artists and podcasters has added yet another flavour to its line with iRig Mic Studio. It’s a large-diaphragm, digital desktop condenser mic designed for iOS and Android as well as for Mac and PC. It features an ultra-compact form-factor, smaller than their other handhelds that can actually sit in the palm of your hand.

What’s impressive, for it’s size, is it packs a hefty 1-inch diameter condenser, back electret capsule into an ultra-compact enclosure. It’s digital, so it has a built-in 24-bit audiophile-grade A/D converter offering 44.1/48kHz sample rates and a built-in low-noise, high-definition preamp all powered from whatever device you’re connected to. It has the capacity and sensitivity to capture a wide range of sounds from something that’s loud and proud to a soft whisper, making it very useful in a wide range of applications, including professional and broadcast quality recordings. Read full Review at G4TV Canada.

Filed Under: Audio, G4 TechTV Canada, GadgetGreg, Hands On, New Product, Product review, sound · Tagged With: digital audio, mic, music, product review

Review: The Pop, Universal Pop Filter by Blue Microphones

August 5, 2015 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

If you’re a podcaster or record lots of audio, you just might need The Pop. No, it’s not the ultimate soda beverage or someone’s Dad; it’s a universal windscreen that helps eliminate those extremely annoying popping “P” sounds that can really ruin what could have been an awesome voice recording.

While The Pop is commonly used with the Blue Yeti or Yeti Pro desktop USB microphones by Blue Microphones, it can be used with virtually any microphone as long as you can find a way to attach it.

The Pop is an interesting looking gadget. It consists of a curved brass frame with embedded wire mesh attached to a pliable gooseneck that is then attached by thumbscrew to a steel bracket. At the end of the bracket is another thumbscrew, which is then used to attach to either the frame of the microphone, mic stand or desk. The general idea is that you attach the bracket to some sturdy anchor point then bend the gooseneck so that the steel mesh frame sits nicely in front of a microphone and in essence filtering out the popping “P” sounds as you speak, or maybe sing. Read the Full Review at G4TV Canada.

Filed Under: accessories, G4 TechTV Canada, GadgetGreg, Hands On, Product review, sound · Tagged With: accessories, Audio, microphone, podcasting, product review

Gadgets and Gifts for your Golfing Dad

June 18, 2015 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

With Father’s Day right around the corner, I don’t know of any Dad who wouldn’t be happy with a little gift that can help improve his golf game. And one gadget that can help him with that task is the Blast Golf Precision Motion Sensor. It’s a small easy to use waterproof sensor and golf club attachment that sits discretely atop almost any putter or driver grip. It is so smart, it knows when Dad is moving and dynamically powers itself up and by using Blast’s proprietary motion detection algorithms, accurately collects real-time 3D action metrics.

The sensor works with Blast Golf Replay, the free companion app that connects via Smart Bluetooth that captures and analyzes Father’s putts and swings. And with Blast’s patented Smart Video Capture feature, it allows Dad to record his play and automatically clips the video when it identifies “high-energy” events to create a highlight series. It then overlays the data collected – like swings speed, lie, loft, rotation and more, onto the video, so Dad can replay and see what went well and how he can fine- tune his game. The app also allows Dad to set goals, track his progress and even share highlights on his favourite social networks with one easy touch. READ FULL REVIEW at Tech News on G4.

Filed Under: accessories, G4 TechTV Canada, GadgetGreg, Product review · Tagged With: father's Day, gift ideas, Golf

Review: ECOPEBBLE Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker

May 21, 2015 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

There are many portable Bluetooth speakers on the market, a number of which are rated to resist occasional splash. However, the new ECOPEBBLE by EcoXGear has a waterproof/dustproof rating of IPX7, so it’s designed to not only keep out debris, but also water even when fully immersed to a depth of one metre for 30 minutes.

The ECOPEBBLE speaker is tiny and almost square, measuring 2.8 inches high, 2.9 inches wide by 2.8 inches deep and weighs a mere eight ounces. Its perimeter is fully rubberized with big button controls on the top and threaded camera mount screw post on the bottom to attach accessories or mounts. On one side is a colour grille and the other cleverly hidden panel behind a lanyard mounted lens-cap style cover that hides a 3.5” AUX audio-in jack for a wired connection, a microUSB input port for charging, a status indicator light and a main power switch. Read full article at G4TV.ca.

Filed Under: accessories, Audio, G4 TechTV Canada, GadgetGreg, New Product, Product review, Review, sound · Tagged With: bluetooth, Review, speaker, travel

REVIEW: Electrohome Signature Vinyl Record Player Classic Hi-Fi System

April 14, 2015 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

Retro always seems to be in vogue and despite the fact that physical media like CDs and DVDs have more or less given way to streaming and downloading there still seems to be place in some people hearts for the warm sound of vintage vinyl. As a former collector and one who still dusts off the turntable from time to time, I jumped at the opportunity to test drive the Electrohome Signature Vinyl Record Player Classic Turntable Hi-Fi System (EANOS700).

The hi-fi is an eye-opener right from the start. It’s more reminiscent of a mid-century radio rather that the boxy look of a 60s record player. The hefty cabinet has a large footprint (17.9”x13.5”x12.1”) and weighs a hefty 26 pounds. It has a sturdy build, handcrafted mainly from MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) with an antique real walnut veneer finish. It has a retro cloth grill and antique finish brass knobs and buttons. It looks like a model from yesteryear, save for the blue LED panel and front USB port (for both recording and playing), giving telltale signs of a more modern production date.

Hidden behind the grille are four speakers – 2 x 15W and 2 x 5W. The front face shows an obvious built-in AM/FM tuner with an analog scale and rotary tuning dial. It also has a single tray-load CD player. Read Full Review at G4 Canada

Filed Under: Audio, G4 TechTV Canada, Hands On, New Product, Product review, sound · Tagged With: Audio, product review, vintage

Review: Seidio Tetra bumper for iPhone 6

March 2, 2015 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

I’m simply amazed how many people carry around a thousand dollar smartphone like the Apple iPhone 6 Plus in their back pocket without any sort of protection. For some, it might be a case of just never getting around to it; others might prefer to show off their fine gadget’s natural beauty and some may simply hate any extra bulkiness an add-on accessory might bring.

But frankly, everyone needs some sort of protection. If that’s the case – pardon the pun, then the Seidio TETRA might just be the solution – a two-part system comprised of an inner gasket and an outer metal frame. It’s not an actual case, but rather a bumper that fits around the perimeter of your smartphone offering protection, for the most part, from many of those angled drops. READ FULL review at G4TV Canada

Filed Under: accessories, Apple, G4 TechTV Canada, GadgetGreg, New Product, Product review, Review · Tagged With: accessories, Apple, New product, product review

Review: Yantouch Diamond+ Light, Sleep / Wake & Music Device

December 21, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

If you’re looking for a gift for that someone special who seems to have everything, chances are that he or she doesn’t have the Yantouch Diamond+, a 3-in-1 mini entertainment system that’s a sound, light and a sleep/wake device all built-in to a desktop diamond-cut shaped globe. This latest model from the Taiwan based company is a new and much improved follow up to their previous Diamond II and Diamond 3 models.

First of all, Diamond+ get its name from its rounded diamond shape. It’s a 2.1 stereo Bluetooth 3.0 speaker system, that allows you to stream your music wirelessly from various devices including Android and iOS. It can also work in wired mode too. It has a pair of drivers, one on each side and a bass resonance tube to give you bigger sound from the smaller form factor. Built into the globe are eight RGB and two white LED lights that offer illumination that range from a bedside reading white light to a kaleidoscope of over 16 million colours. READ FULL REVIEW at G4TV Canada

Filed Under: accessories, G4 TechTV Canada, GadgetGreg, Hands On, New Product, Product review, sound · Tagged With: Audio, bluetooth, product review

Great gadgets come in small gift packages

December 15, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

Gifts come in all shapes and sizes, but bigger isn’t necessarily better or more desirable. So here are a few gift ideas all of which I had an opportunity to test-drive, that are all much smaller than a bread box and some of which might actually fit in the palm of your hand.

High Fidelity Electronic Earplugs

This first one certainly fits the criteria, but it’s designed for your ears. The Music•Pro High-Fidelty Electronic Musicians Earplugs by Etymotic Research as the name says is ideally suited for musicians, but equally sensible for anyone to find themselves in environments where hearing protection is without trading off sound fidelity, which something like typical passive earplugs can’t accomplish. READ FULL ARTICLE at G4 Canada.

Filed Under: accessories, G4 TechTV Canada, GadgetGreg, New Product, Product review · Tagged With: Gadgets, gift ideas

NewerTech NuGreen desk lamp features 50 LEDs

December 12, 2014 by Greg Gazin · 1 Comment

nugreen_gall2 Desk lamps are not typically something in this Gadget Guy’s repertoire or even on my list of tech gifts for under the tree but I was happy to make an exception for the NewerTech NuGreen energy efficient flexible neck LED desk lamp.

The first thing you’ll notice is that it looks pretty cool. It has a flat aluminum base, a bendable 12-inch gooseneck, which allows you to position, it depending on where you need the light and an equally flat disc-shaped head that matches the lamp’s base quite nicely.

What’s even cooler is how it puts out the light. The lamp head features an impressive 50 5mm light emitting diodes (LEDs), producing a very bright (4500K) white light similar to what natural daylight would look like. This makes it ideal for almost any room in the house. It’s not designed to light the whole room, but more in a concentrated area like a desk. Still, you wouldn’t want to switch it on and looked directly at it, as it would be truly blinding. What’s even more amazing is how energy-efficient it is. With all that light it puts out, it only consumes a mere 3.6 W total power and the LEDs remain cool to the touch.

According to the company, the LEDs are designed to last for up to 45,000 hours of use, which they say is up to 22 times longer than a traditional bulb. And they’re eco-friendly too. They contain no mercury and therefore can also be recycled. READ FULL Review at G4TV Canada’s Tech News.

Filed Under: accessories, G4 TechTV Canada, GadgetGreg, Hands On, Product review, Review · Tagged With: accessories, LED, product review

iStabilizer Shutter Remote snaps pics videos and more

November 26, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

1Shutter-RemoteiOS_1024x1024 Long before the term was popularized but now abuse, people struggled to find the way to get that perfect “Selfie”. While there have been hardware and app solutions to solve that ultimate puzzle, the Shutter Remote by iStabilizer has come along to give you that wireless proverbial extra long arm that you need, plus more.

Shutter Remote is a pocket sized remote that that not only gives you a wireless Bluetooth remote shutter button, but also a media controller for your music and video, a remote iOS Home/Siri controller and a wireless presenter, good for a range of up to 3 m.

It’s a little thicker, wider and shorter than the Apple Remote, but it still very comfortable to hold and with a lot more functionality. It runs off 2 x CR2025 batteries (large coins cells), so it’s not rechargeable, but the company says they should last up to six months if you use it for about an hour a day.

Its thickness allows for a conveniently located on/off switch on the left side and pairing button on the right. It has a familiar circular media controller, with the “+” (Volume Up) button (or Volume down – not documented), acting as your shutter release for your perfect Selfie. READ FULL REVIEW at G4TV Canada.