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Ask Engadget: best cheap external Macbook Air monitor?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Neil, who wants a display for his Macbook Air that costs less than a cinema display. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Dear Engadget, I use my Macbook Air in clamshell mode 95% of the time. I use an Acer V223W 22-inch monitor, but connected over Mini Displayport to DVI, it looks dull and fuzzy. I know an Apple Cinema Display is fantastic, but I don't want to splurge over $1000 for one. Can you suggest something a little more reasonably priced please? Thank you!" The first thing that came to our mind was one of Dell's high-end offerings, the 27-inch U2711 is available for $815 (a little cheaper) and comes with the same 2560 x 1440 IPS panel. But we suspect there's an even better option out there, tucked away in the brains of our commenters. So why not share your knowledge with the group and add a note below?
Ask Engadget: best sub-$200 super-powerful router?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Richard, who needs a router capable of handling all of his not-inconsiderable household traffic. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm looking into buying a router than can handle Netflix streaming to my Blu-Ray player, a wireless printer, two smartphones, a tablet, an always-on desktop, external HDD and an Airave signal booster. My Linksys WRT45G can't handle two data-heavy connections at the same time, so I have to restart it when it drops. I'll need something hefty, but under $200 would be ideal, if it's got a USB 3.0 connection for my HDD, even better. Distance isn't as important as stability and capacity, since I've got a single-level 3 bedroom house. Thank you!" Several of our staffers are fans of Netgear's N900, a dual-band unit that can certainly handle everything you'd care to throw at it, although it does only have USB 2.0 ports. There's always Amped's R20000G, but whilst we know its signal strength is good, we don't know how well it could handle a hefty load. But that's just our first thoughts, plenty of you out there will know the answer, so celebrate the long weekend and share your knowledge in the comments below.
Ask Engadget: Electric commuting on the cheap?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from is from Warren, who wants to find an electrical moped within his budget. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "What's the cheapest two-wheeled electric vehicle that goes over 45mph available in the US? I looked at the Gas-powered $2,500 Sym Symba, but as far as I can tell, I'd have to spend four times that much for an electric equivalent. Am I missing something? Thank you!" Unfortunately, you are. The biggest barrier to joining the EV parade is the price of batteries, which are often more expensive than the vehicles they're situated inside. For example, even a motorized bicycle like the Grace One is $6,000 -- but that's as far as our knowledge goes on the subject. Perhaps there is a solution out there, all it needs is for one of our friendly commenters to tell all in the river of text below.
Ask Engadget: best smartphone for the over fifties?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from is from Daniel (no relation), who wants to upgrade his parents cellphones. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "My parents (aged 52 and 57) are long-time Nokia (dumbphone) users who aren't savvy at all. I told them about how me and my girlfriend's Android phones automatically sync calendars and they want something similar. My father's eyes aren't the best and he's a carpenter, so I thought about a dust-proof handset like the Lumia 800 or the Galaxy Xcover, but I'm worried Android's too technical for them. We're in Europe, so carriers are no problem, but any help you can give would be great. Thanks!" We're all getting older, so let's try to work out a great handset for those who need a little help. We speak from personal experience when we say it's probably not going to be the Samsung Galaxy Y -- trust us. If you think you've got a better idea, throw it down in the comments below.
Ask Engadget: best 'money is no object' laptop?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Chris, who simply has too much money to blow on a super-laptop. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I sold my business and I want to replace my laptop [HP Pavilion G6] with a completely unreasonably expensive top of the line machine. I want it to do everything I do (gaming, coding, web design) all at the same time. Apart from the fact I need two hard drive bays, I'm completely open-minded, so what should I be buying? Thank you!" Quell your gnashing teeth, members of the 99 percent, he's done well for himself and now he needs our help. We were able to trick out an Alienware M18x to full capacity for $6,700 -- with an over-clocked 4GHz Intel Core i7 CPU, 32GB of RAM, two 2GB NVIDIA GTX 675M GPUs in SLI mode and 1.2TB of SSD RAID storage. That's the benchmark, folks: who out there can find something more powerful?
Ask Engadget: best heavy-duty cloud-storage solution?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from is from is from Joe, who needs to backup half a terabyte of data to the cloud, as you do. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm looking for an online backup solution for between 100GB, up to 500GB of data. New options are popping up everywhere recently, but what's the best cloud storage backup solution that'd allow for easy drag-and-drop backup, syncing across multiple computers both Mac and Windows, access from Android devices and at a reasonable price? Thanks!" Well, he doesn't want much, does he? Just world-class storage, universal device access and all for a rock-bottom price. There's plenty of contenders in this particular competition, from Dropbox all the way through to, erm, Box. It's kinda clear that Joe's not just backing up his holiday photos, so even enterprise-level offerings are worth suggesting. Still, the floor's now open to you, so fire away.
Ask Engadget: best NYC wireless carrier?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from is from Is from MigFig who's relocating to the five boroughs and is worried about his cellphone service. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hi guys, I'm moving to NYC next month and wanted to know if I should stick with Sprint or switch carriers. I'm aware Sprint's cheaper to AT&T and Verizon and I like unlimited plans. Thing is, coverage is spotty where I am right now, 3G is a joke (no 4G, either). Will this get better when I'm in the city or should I start shopping around for a new carrier? Thank you, Engadget!"So, New York residing Engadgeteers, let's tear up the cellphone coverage maps and tell us which one you can really trust when you're wandering around mid-town. Chime in with your real-world experience down there in the comments section, where it's nice and warm.
Ask Engadget: Best HD Camcorder for live shows?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from is from Keith, who needs our help to become the next internet comedy sensation. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hey Engadget! I'm a fledgling stand-up, performing at my local open mic, but I'm thinking of branching out. I'd like to record some of my performances on something better than my QuickCam Pro 9000. Anyone know the best HD video camera for live performances? I'm looking for something reasonably priced and audio quality is paramount. Thanks for your help!" The comedy clubs we've been in are rarely well lit, so we'll add that this camera has to have fantastic low light performance, which is going to increase the price by a hefty amount. Still, if you can think of a HD camcorder that can do the job -- and let's be honest, carving things out of stone would be better than a QuickCam Pro 9000 -- and is within the budget of a struggling artist then lob your suggestions into the river of comments below.
Ask Engadget: using an iPad as a remote viewfinder?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from is from William who is looking for an solution to the problem of badly designed public spaces. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hi guys. I'm getting married in a church with a weird split-hall design. The result is that half of the attendees won't be able to see the ceremony at all! I'm wondering if I could hook up my Canon Rebel T3i up to my 3rd-generation iPad and use it as a quick-and-dirty closed-circuit display? There's no WiFi in the location, so it has to be a wired solution too. Please help me!"It's an interesting request and that's why we're here: solving those problems that three minutes on Google just can't. So, dear friends, what say you? Wish the soon-to-be-wed couple all the best by adding a helpful solution to the comment feed and spread a little joy.
Ask Engadget: Best AT&T smartphone for occasional tethering?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from is from Paul who is looking for a handset for his tethering needs. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hello! Can you help me decide if I should take my freshly available upgrade on AT&T or hold on for a while. In the past I've made some rash decisions that led to immediate regret and two years of gadget envy. If I had to choose today, I'd pick a Samsung Focus S, because of the overall feature set of Mango and its small size. It'd be nice to have a mobile hotspot for syncing my Kindle Fire while I'm camping and a camera should Bigfoot happen across my path. Please help me, Engadget gurus!"If you asked us, we'd advise keeping our powder dry for a month or two, because there's a whole slew of handsets that were announced at MWC we'll be seeing in Q2 of this year. But heck, what do we know? There's a river of eager commenters below this post all desperate to help, so help away!
Ask Engadget: best Android PMP?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Livebriand who wants the Android equivalent of an iPod Touch. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "What would be the best Android PMP (basically, an Android iPod Touch) to get? I don't want a data plan and I'm normally within WiFi, so I just want to run apps and surf the internet from it. The best thing I've found so far is the Galaxy Player, but that's only got Gingerbread. What suggestions do you guys have?"If we're honest, we're not sure if he'd just be better off with a small tablet, but his wish is our command. A PMP-class device that runs Honeycomb or better, that's a more attractive prospect than the Gingerbread-running Galaxy Player? Does such a device exist, or would it be better just to get the ROMs out and pimp one of Samsung's devices that way? You know the answers dear friends, don't let us down.
Ask Engadget: Best boardroom Skype gear?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Hugh, who wants his businesses conference calls broadcasted in eye-watering detail. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. Our office here in Sydney is getting some big screen HDTVs hooked up to a PC running Skype. We'd like to put together an amazing HD video conferencing setup with a webcam that can show the six or seven people around our table as well as a noise canceling microphone or USB table mic. Any suggestion anyone has would be great, thanks heaps!Let's improve the general standard of the traditionally dour boardroom IT setup by suggesting something world-class, okay chaps and chapesses? It's over to you.
Ask Engadget: Best tablets for students?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from a pair of guys called Joe on opposite sides of the planet that both need a tablet-based solution for their higher education woes. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.Joe from New Zealand writes: I'm a second-year university student with a health issue that means I can't carry round heavy textbooks. I've been looking at tablets that I can use as a replacement for textbooks and paper notes. I think I need a tablet, pen and software combo that'll let me read, edit and annotate ebooks, PDFs and PowerPoints, have a day-long battery life, display A4 sheets and a camera that can take pictures of textbook pages -- but I've only got a budget of $600. Thanks!Joe from America writes: I'm enrolled in a class where my professor won't post his power points and talks too fast to handwrite notes. I'd type on a laptop, but I don't wanna be that guy. Is there a physical keyboard that's silent, or an on-screen keyboard that'll work as well as a real one?Our thoughts skipped to the solid if underwhelming ThinkPad Tablet, which has a stylus input, decent camera and eight hour battery life. If you could get it to play nicely with Thanko's Silent EX keyboard, then both Joes would be happy -- but what do we know? They asked us so we could ask you guys, share your wisdom in the comments below.
Ask Engadget: Best sub-$100 camera/laptop bag?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Joseph (he's from Atlanta) who needs a camera bag for his semi-professional photography enterprise. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I've recently gotten into semi-pro photography and I've come to the problem of how to transport all my gear. I'm looking for a camera / laptop bag that has enough space for a DSLR body (Nikon D90), a 15-inch laptop, 3 or 4 lenses and a speedlight or two. My budget can't stretch beyond $100 and I need it to be durable and weather-proof. I don't have any preferences with style (backpack, messenger bag etc), I just need a large, affordable bag to carry all of my gear. Thanks for the help and keep the gadget passion guys!"We don't think you should scrimp too much on a bag, given it'll be carrying $3,000 worth of kit. Your host uses a Lowepro Fastpack 250, costing $99.95, its only drawback that it has no space for a tripod or cables, so you have to sacrifice a couple of lens slots just to tote your power lead. Other staffers suggested using a standard bag with individual Crumpler pouches (a suitable Crumpler like the "7 Million Dollar Home" is $150) or the KataKTD, which sadly doesn't pack a laptop sleeve. How about you, commenters? What's the budget bag you wouldn't let your DSLR venture away from? Together, we can work it out.
Ask Engadget: Best HD LED Pico Projector for a small room?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Ellio, who fancies switching up his home entertainment kit with a HD LED projector. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm looking to buy a small HD LED projector to use at home for movies and games etc. I'd prefer it to be small to avoid having another large black box cluttering up the place and LED because of the decent lifetime compared to traditional projectors. I'd be happy with a 720p resolution device, but a lot of pico projectors are under 30 lumens, is this level sufficient for a decent size-display in a dim room? Thanks a bunch!"So, what's it gonna be dear friends? If you don't know the drill: it's a jump to your left, a step to your right, put your hands on your hips and leave a comment below.
Ask Engadget: Are there UK-based Voicemail to SMS / email alternatives?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Nish, who needs to replace his voicemail to SMS/email system due to Ribbit Mobile's forthcoming closure. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hi there, I've been using Ribbit Mobile for the past few years for voicemail -- the voicemail to SMS/email function is brilliant. However, the beta trial is ending on the 31st January with no immediate plans to go live. Do you know of any UK-based alternatives for voicemail to SMS/email systems I can switch to? Thanks!"So guys, come help out a brother from the motherland with your suggestions for digital telephony transcription, any Brits out there find Google Voice to be the answer? Is there something only a few of you know about that'll change the world? If you're in an animal home, sat down on your own, why not share your knowledge in the comments below.
Ask Engadget: Is there a Roku DVR?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Jaime, trying to escape the tyranny of Windows Media Center with a DVR-enabled Roku. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. I gave up cable TV last year, making do with a (not very user-friendly) HTPC running Windows 7 Media Center. I watch free over-the-air HD and Netflix, but WMC is buggy and crashes a lot. Is there a Roku-style streaming player that has a built-in TV tuner and DVR functionality in addition to Netflix, Hulu and other services? Any help would be greatly appreciated!Our first thought was to hook up a Roku with Nowhere DVR and Elgato's EyeTV, but perhaps there's a device that's even simpler to set up that wedges both functions into a single unit without any sort of tweaking required. If you know the inside-skinny, rock on over to the comments and holler.
Ask Engadget: best sub-$70 smartphone battery pack?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from a nameless Engadgeteer, who needs a heavy-duty smartphone battery for his nomadic life. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm kind of a nomad: I travel anywhere I can, sleeping away from civilization in my sleeping bag. My only issue is that my smartphone needs a recharge every two days. What I need, is an external battery pack that can give me a week's worth of juice -- but can I get a lightweight one that costs under $70? Many Thanks!"This is going to be a tough one, we know -- our first thought was toward a Powerbag with a 6000mAh battery, but that costs $170, more than twice our man's budget. Is there something cheaper you could suggest to our nomadic friend that'll enable him to stay off the grid long enough to become a modern day Grizzly Adams? All we ask for is a comment, and your knowledge to steer it by.
Ask Engadget: best live traffic standalone GPS?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Elliot 'Mr. E' M. Smith who is trying to avoid Los Angeles rush-hour traffic with the help of his GPS. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I prefer using a GPS unit, not my phone, when I'm driving around LA. The best traffic I've seen is via Google Maps, since it shows surface traffic for streets in Hollywood. Navteq HD Radio maps (which is what I use now) doesn't show this kind of information: it's only for highways. There aren't any highways between Hollywood and Beverly Hills, but there's a ton of traffic, which you're blind to when using a standalone GPS. Is there an easy way to get surface traffic data on a GPS unit rather than forking out for a phone / tablet and $30/month data plan? Thanks!" It's a tricky one to round off the year, dear commenters. Is there a GPS unit with live-traffic that you hold dear to your hearts? Does it let you glide around the gridlock with the Beach Boys cranked up? Let your fingers do the commenting in the space below.
The Civil War Today app brings four years of daily history updates to your iPad
History and A&E Television Networks Mobile have teamed up to bring an excellent history app to iPad owners. The Civil War Today application chronicles the events of the Civil War over the next four years. Each day, iPad users will be greeted with an update detailing the battles and historic information from that date 150 years earlier. These details are presented interactively using photos, maps, newspaper clippings, diary entries and more. Socially aware, the iPad app also includes a Twitter feature that lets you send telegrams via Morse code and a tie-in with GameCenter to earn Civil War achievements. The Civil War Today application launched on April 12, 2011, the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War. Daily application updates also began on April 12 and will continue until April 26, 2015. The Civil War Today app is available now in the App Store and will set you back US$7.99. All things considered, this is a reasonable price for four years of fresh content straight from the annals of history. [Via ZDNet]
