lgpOnTheMove

Accessory Corner #3 - Energizer XP18000 and XP8000 Battery Pack

I must admit that this review has been coming somewhat late. Both of the products have been in my hands for at least a month so far, but I've only been able to get this piece together at the end of this month. I've been very interested in seeing these work, since I own both a smartphone and netbook, and am on the move a lot.

Powering my devices is often at times a challenge, especially on days when I am out from morning to evening, I happen to be miles away from my car and/or I don't have a power outlet nearby. Do these two battery packs meet the requirements of powering my gear effectively or do they fall short? I was very surprised by the results I found.

Image credit: Netgear

Last month I got to experiment with a very sophisticated all-in-one wireless solution from Netgear, the DGND3300. The ability to plug in any external hard drive to its USB port for use as storage accessible over both wired and wireless networks makes it an extremely useful solution. Moreover, since that storage can be accessed over an internet connection when away from home, it makes for a compelling alternative to subscription-based cloud storage services. That can be especially ideal if you like to have your data "to go".

Image credit: Netgear

Continuing on with my wireless roller-coaster ride, I'm now fortunate to look at a significantly more potent solution, again from Netgear. The DGND3300 builds on the earlier DSL modem router I tested last month, with the addition of 5.0GHz capability and a USB port for network storage. In turn, the WNDA3100 is a wireless USB adapter able to take advantage of the speed and range of that 5GHz signal, making devices with support for wifi perform far better. How does this combination work? Let's find out!

I've been going through quite a lot of wireless gear lately, evaluating hardware from Netgear as well as connecting that with my smartphone, netbook and notebook using multiple wireless networks. The experience has made it clear to me that setting up a home wireless network is fairly painless, not to mention a relatively simple matter to keep secure while ensuring connectivity to all your wireless gear.

If you've been wary of setting up a wireless network for fear of being hacked, your data stolen or your PC being hijacked - fear not. It's a relatively simple few steps you need only take to ensure your wireless signal remains yours.

Image credit: Toshiba

You may remember last year my quick look at Toshiba's first candidate in the netbook category - the NB205. This very attractive netbook had a lot going for it, but it somehow came at a time when Microsoft's latest OS was just out the door, and Intel had delayed Pinetrail by a matter of weeks. While I did make the NB205 a top lgpOnTheMove netbook pick for 2009, I was eagerly awaiting the replacement model coming from Toshiba in 2010.

Today I have that unit, the NB305, here with me to review. Does it build on what made the NB205 so great? Let's take a look!

Image credit: Newegg

EDITOR'S NOTE: Back from my winter break (or prolonged rehab if you will) I'm kicking off the spring edition with yet another new series here on my blog. In these installments you will see me provide reviews on some of the cool accessories I use on a daily basis with my notebook and netbook.

We all know notebooks are great at what they do, but as we have also seen, a notebook can be enhanced considerably with the use of special accessories. My recent acquisition of a new wireless router/modem combo from Netgear has been performing very well, not only improving my overall work flow, but deserving of a closer look.

UPDATE: lgpOnTheMove on Hiatus

In an unexpected fashion, I have been removed from service this month due to a bout of pneumonia. I was actually hospitalized for a few days and put under observation to make sure it wasn't anything more serious. All is well now, as I'm at home recovering nicely. Hopefully next month I can get back to work here with some newer articles, and maybe a new toy to review.

Stay tuned!

UPDATE: Still on break during March, but some new gadgets are on the way - definitely an article (or two) coming for April.

Tech Tips #7 - Hot Gear for 2010

With CES in Las Vegas officially kicking off today, it seems more than appropriate that I put together my list of cool gear and innovations to look out for this year. 2009 saw a lot of advances and a close peek at what to expect. 2010 promises some major changes for notebook users in particular, so if you are itching to make that purchase, you'll be eager to see all the hot, new tech coming now.