Yearly Archives: 2008

Kingston DataTraveler 400 16GB

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With prices of flash drives dropping drastically, higher capacity drives are flooding the market at prices that are previously unheard of.

Kingston’s new 16GB drive is one of the largest flash drive we have tested till now.

Kingston DataTraveler 400 16GB

Kingston DataTraveler 400 16GB

In design, the DT400 is of the same size and format as most of the other flash drives. It comes with a swinging protection plate suspended on a hinge. This adds to the sturdiness of the drive and also gives it a nice look.

Password protection in the drive takes care of any security concerns, and performance is not an issue as well. It performs superbly in the sequential file tests. On an average, we got data transfer rates of between 25 and 30 MBps. Write speed are slower s expected. HD Tach showed average write speeds of around 10MBps, which is still quite impressive as compared to other drives of this capacity.

A software called Migosync comes bundled with the drive, and allows you to synchronize files. At $85, this drive makes good sense for those who are looking for good performance within a good budget.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Microsoft Arc

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The unusually designed object you see here is one of the latest pointing device from microsoft, and it’s called the Arc. The Arc looks something like the Logitech MX Air, but is in fact just another mouse with a different design.

The Arc is a wireless mouse that comes with a tiny little bluetooth dongle which also attachs itself neatly to the back and controls the device upto 30 feet range. The mouse can fold, very much like the foldable phones we see everyday. This both turns off the mouse and also useful for carrying it around.

Microsoft Arc

Microsoft Arc

With it folded, the Arc can easily fit into any shirt or pant pocket. Its also very good looking, with its dark color and the transparent glossy finish.

There are no issues with using it despite the unusual shape. It has more or less the same comfort levels as any other mouse. Performance doesn’t suffer either. There is no lag whatsoever. It makes a good desktop mouse, but the same can’t be said as a gaming mouse. the mouse feet aren’t very large and don’t seem to help the mouse slide around as easily as the other mice we’ve tested.
The scroll wheel is OK, and apart from the standard three button setup, a fourth button is available on the left side that can be customize through the IntelliPoint drivers.

The mouse runs on two AA batteries, but is still pretty lightweight. The folding mechanism is sturdy and doesn’t look like it will give way anytime soon. The mouse is symmetrical, so left handed users will have no cause for complaint. A small pouch is also supplied, to help you carry the mouse.

The price for the Arc is around $85 and laptop mouse can be bought for well under this price tag. If you want something light and compact, with a stylish design, this is a good buy.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Canon Digital IXUS 80 IS

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The Canon Digital IXUS 80 IS is a camera very similar to the slightly superior IXUS 85 IS. It brings along a decently built design for people on the move. There aren’t too many settings and controls to play around with on this camera. It is made for users who want a camera that’s really compact to carry around – like a mobile phone of short.

One of the first issues is the battery door: as is the case with the IXUS 85 IS, the battery door here too feels weak and flimsy. Most of the interface design as well as the frame design is identical. The big change is in the Megapixel rating – the 80 IS is a 8 MP camera.

Canon Digital IXUS 80 IS

Canon Digital IXUS 80 IS

All the other Canon cameras in this price bracket run on AA batteries, but the IXUS 80 IS has a Lithium-ion battery. This, coupled with its compact design makes it a lot lighter than the rest. However, the shrunken size means its no longer chunky enough to hold in your hand as easily as the Powershot Series cameras.

Its overall performance isn’t bad at all. In just plain image and video quality tests, it lags behinds all the canon cameras, but not the others. Macro shots aren’t as easy to take as with the SX100 IS or the A720 IS. In video quality, once again, colors are a little too prominent, but the exposure meter helps changes the intensity of light instantly, and there’s not a lot of lag in lightning correction while moving from bright areas to dimmer ones. Overall, it’s a very good camera if you aren’t particular about pristine quality and manual controls.

Popularity: 17% [?]