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Sylvania's G Netbook Meso reviewed, pushed aside

We won't say it got picked dead last in kickball or anything, but Sylvania's G Netbook Meso certainly isn't the class king. The ho hum netbook was recently reviewed over at Laptop Mag, and while critics did applaud the Ubuntu Netbook Remix operating system and relatively great battery life, the 512MB of RAM hindered performance. Additionally, the design was harshed on quite heavily, eventually leading to a perfectly middle-of-the-road 2.5 out of 5 stars. Be honest, though -- did you really expect anything different?

Canon's EOS Rebel XS / 1000D DSLR hits the test bench


With all the DSLR noise going on, the EOS Rebel XS managed to sneak in without too many people noticing. The proper entry-level replacement to the XTi / 400D recently took the time to cave to Camera Labs' every request, and when all was said and done, critics didn't find too many negative points to harp on. The all-important image quality ranked very highly, and the built-in live view was obviously a boon. Granted, the fixed screen and 7-point AF system (versus the 9-pointer on the XTi) were slight bummers, but it still managed to secure an 82% (Highly Recommended) rating. Care to see how it stacked up against Nikon's D60, Sony's A200 and a Polaroid 80B Highlander? Two of the three comparisons await you in the read link.

[Via DigitalCameraInfo]

AMD's ATI All-in-Wonder HD gets reviewed


Loyal All-in-Wonder users from years past have probably been watching the progression of AMD's revised version of the card with extreme interest. After such an absence, however, we understand the need to be cautious before snapping this up for your upcoming HTPC. HotHardware recently received one of these units for testing, and while it was only deemed "entry level" in the gaming department, the multimedia performance was smiled upon. To quote, "the [card] did an excellent job presenting digital video content in a quality manner without creating excessive power consumption in order to do so." As expected, the unit wasn't recommend for everyone (read: non-TV buffs), but those who'd utilize the built-in ClearQAM support probably can't go wrong for $199. Hit the read link for a whole gaggle of test results.

Samsung Omnia reviewed on Engadget Mobile


Remember the Touch Diamond? Yeah, well, cherish that memory, because it may be gone by the time you get done with our quick look at Samsung's mighty Omnia. We're not saying the Sammy entry blows away HTC's -- not by a long shot -- but it's a solid competitor that makes Windows Mobile looks shockingly passable for the year 2008. Read on!

Popcorn Hour's A-110 HD media streamer / B-110 motherboard reviewed

If you've been putting off that purchase of Popcorn Hour's evolutionary A-110 HD media streamer or all new B-110 motherboard, here's a decent compilation of facts and opinions to help you make up your mind once and for all. The cats over at DigitalReviews took the time to not only detail, test out and report back on the newest duo from the company, but it also revisited the original (and heralded) A-100 in order to give a better comparison. Overall, critics did tend to prefer the A-110 over its predecessor, but the minor list of changes made it a hard sell for folks teetering on upgrading. The B-110 was seen as an even tougher sell, with only the hardcore DIY crowd likely to even find it worth investigating. Nevertheless, we won't spoil the rest for you -- head on down to have a look for yourself.

[Thanks, Anton]

Telus' HTC Touch Diamond gets video review

While Sprint and Verizon consider final monikers for the HTC Touch Diamond, some North Americans are already enjoying the thing up in the Great North. The ecstatic folks over at Mobile Syrup were able to snap up Telus' version of the WinMo 6.1-packin' handset, and of course, they put together a video review for us Americans to drool over. The 7:15 clip includes a few comparison angles with other mobiles and a full walk-through of the user interface. Reviewers found the web browsing on Opera Mobile to be a real treat, and of course, they couldn't deny the awesomeness of the 640 x 480 resolution display. You can check the review in full just after the jump, but if you're easily made envious, we'd suggest you not.

Engadget Mobile reviews Sprint's AIRAVE


We promised you a review, and it's a review we're delivering. We tested out Sprint's AIRAVE femtocell to see if it really would improve service in a Sprint dead zone, and sure enough, the thing was pretty close to magical. Head on over to the Mobile side for the full spill.

Gigabyte's swivel screen M912V netbook gets reviewed

There's a whole mess of netbooks out there, but if you're scouting one with a swiveling screen, chances are the M912V is sky high on your list. For starters, this one's pretty pricey at $699, and for that much change, you'd really expect the battery life to be better than "poor," the temperature to remain a few degrees below boiling and the keyboard to not be described as "cramped." Of course, not everything was a downer -- the speakers were strong, the port assortment was praised and the touchpad was smiled upon. Still, critics couldn't recommend procuring one without strong reservations, so unless you're just goo-goo for swivel, your dollars are probably better off spent elsewhere.

Acer's Aspire One now available: unboxing and impressions


Given that Acer's contribution to the netbook craze was reviewed over a fortnight ago, it follows logic that the thing finally be available for purchase. Apparently the Aspire One is already on shelves in at least one Circuit City location, so chances are you can run out and grab one for yourself today as well. But what if you're not totally convinced it's the mini laptop for you? If you're 100% okay with subjecting yourself to a 26-minute "geek session" (their words, not ours) that unboxes it and gives a few brief impressions, jump on past the break and hit play. We're warning you though, don't venture down there unless you've got your coke bottle glasses on. We're serious.

Read - Acer Aspire One first look
Read - Acer Aspire One impressions

Canon gets official with VIXIA HD camcorders, HF11 gets reviewed


Thanks to an early jump in Japan, we already knew that Canon's VIXIA line was getting a refresh, but now we can rest easy knowing they'll be coming to America. The HF11 Dual Flash camcorder (32GB in addition to an SDHC slot) and HG20 (60GB) / HG21 (120GB) HDD camcorders all boast 1,920 x 1,080 capture modes, Instant AutoFocus, SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization and 24Mbps recording to the AVCHD format. The whole lot is expected to ship next month for $1,199, $949 and $1,299 in order of mention, and the increasingly intriguing HF11 has already spent some quality time on Camcorder Info's review bench. Check out the in-depth writeup below before pulling that trigger in the heat of the moment.

[Thanks, Robin]

Read - Canon VIXIA releases
Read - Canon VIXIA HF11 review

ASUS Eee Box B202 reviewed, smiled upon


So, can a $299 mini desktop really find a place in your jaded heart? Based on a recent review by HotHardware, the answer is a resounding "yes." In terms of general performance, the box delivered more potency than critics expected, and the hardware within was able to provide a "a fluid experience in all but the full 1080p digital video playback test." Of note, it didn't have any trouble churning through a 720p clip, so there's still hope for folks obsessed with flipping through HD trailers for hours on end. Furthermore, the unit was found to be remarkably energy efficient, with only "a slightly heavier draw than an Eee PC 900." Of course, we wouldn't expect this to replace your Alienware or anything, but for the most average of tasks, the B202 should be adequate enough. Hit the read link for the full rundown.

Garmin Oregon 400t gets reviewed

Garmin's Oregon 400 nav comes in a few different flavors depending on how you like to experience the outdoors, but the essential 3-inch touchscreen package is the same, and it looks like it's a winner -- the folks at PC Magazine just put the 400t variant through its paces, and found that it's an "excellent hiking companion." Of course, for six bills you'd damn well better get a sensitive GPS receiver with quick acquisition times, but the 400t also impressed with solid battery life on just two AAs and easy set up. Of course, as an outdoor-centric PND, the highway guidance features are a bit lacking compared to devices like Garmin's Nuvis, but if you're looking to tromp around the woods in style and you've got cash to spare, it sounds like the Oregon series is worth a look.

Olympus' 10MP EVOLT E-520 DSLR gets reviewed


Although we were able to take an all-too-brief peek at Olympus' EVOLT E-520 late last month, the results weren't exactly indicative of what this thing is capable of -- you know, considering the unit in question was defective. The cats over at PhotographyBLOG managed to secure a fully functional unit, and results were much, much improved. Although reviewers didn't go quite so far as to call it the perfect camera, it sure came close in their eyes. Aside from the depressingly small viewfinder and the low quantity of AF sensors, critics found the unit quite hard to bash. Overall, it managed to snag a stellar 4.5 out of 5 rating, and better still, it was said to be just the thing for "beginners and enthusiasts alike." Taking Olympus more seriously in your search for a suitable DSLR just might be in order.

WowWee's Femisapien gets reviewed, does want to play forever and ever


If you've been on the fence about whether or not you want to spring for a WowWee Femisapien, perhaps a thorough, multi-page review would help. If you truck on over to robotsrule, you'll find an ultra-in-depth look at the female automaton, with explorations into the bot's interface, modes and behaviors, and a variety of other Femisapien idiosyncrasies. The conclusion? We'd have to say the reviewer is pretty much in full gush-mode over the new toy, calling it a "blockbuster hit" that's "destined to take over the world." We assume by "take over the world" they mean "obliterate humanity."

NVIDIA's sub-$100 GeForce 9500 GT gets introduced and reviewed


Should the GTX 280 be a bit too rich for your blood, NVIDIA's lookin' out. Introduced (and reviewed) today, the PCIe 2.0-compatible GeForce 9500 GT checks in a few bucks south of $100 depending on where you go and provides a 550MHz core clock, 1,400MHz shader clock, 32 stream processors, 800MHz memory clock, 256MB / 512MB of RAM and twin dual-link DVI ports. Assuming the specifications meet your standards, you're probably curious about performance. Based on the first reviews, it was found to be "measurably faster than the Radeon HD 3650, and pretty much on par with the GeForce 8600 GTS." For under a C-note, it's a solid buy for those okay with being a few steps behind, and HTPC builders will find the low power consumption, quiet operation and small size to be quite appealing. Check out the links below for pages upon pages of in-depth coverage.

Read - Introduction, benchmarks and review
Read - Benchmarks, images and another review



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