Need a gigabit switch? Make sure you take a look at the Netgear GS608 8-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch. We tested one of these at our labs on a mixed network and were very impressed and unlike most network switches, it has a sleek design, so it blends in with any surrounding easily.

In our tests we set up the switch with four gigabit PC's, two 100 full, and a DNS-321 NAS box running gigabit speed. The performance was superb when transferring files. We recorded a 23.4GB file copy transfer from the NAS box to one of the PC's running on the gigabit side at a little over one hour.The gigabit speed is noticeable, giving you up to ten time faster speeds when transferring large files from one computer or device to another. The GS608 features 8 Ethernet Gigabit auto-sensing ports so it reduces the amount of work you need to do. The switch requires no software installation, so it is easy to set up. You basically plug in the UTP cables and play.

It is also easy to see which devices are running at gigabit speeds by the lights in the front. If the numbers are solid green you know you are running gigabit if it is orange you are running at 100MB.

We loved the Netgear GS608's simplicity and more than anything its price. You can find the switch for about $49.00 on Amazon - more than fair price for the work it does.

IN THE BOX
GS608 8-port Ethernet switch
Vertical stand
Power adapter
Installation guide
2 year warranty/support information card

THE GOOD
- Ease of set up
- Fast
- Aesthetically pleasing

THE BAD
- Can't think of any

WHERE TO BUY
Amazon

Looking for that extra boost of performance from your compact flash card? Make sure you are using the appropriate flash card reader. Although the Extreme III flash cards will work with virtually any compact flash card reader, this SanDisk SDDRX3-CF-A31 Extreme USB 2.0 Reader will give you the ultimate performance since it is designed for the Extreme III compact flash cards. You will get a whopping 30 MB/s.This reader takes advantage of the ESP (Enhanced Super-Parallel Processing Technology). The reader also comes with some handy Rescue Pro software in case you find yourself in a jam with lost files. Our Product Review staff just purchased this very unit you are seeing above for use with their extreme cards. This is also good equipment to have because downloading pictures from the camera directly not only doesn't let you use the camera in parallel but also drains your battery quickly. For 20 beans you cant go wrong with this little guy. Oh we almost forgot this little sucker measures roughly 2.5" L X 2.5" W X 3/4" H, Not too shabby.

Get yours on Amazon

Need the Fire wire Extreme IV version? We got you covered.

On February 19, 2009, TV broadcasters will stop transmitting an analog signal in the US. All analog antenna or rabbit eared TV's will require an ATSC digital-to-analog converter in order to properly receive network programming.

To avoid the need for a digital to analog signal converter, the tv viewer will need to pay for some sort of monthly cable or satellite service in order to watch tv.

The RCA DTA-800B1 Digital To Analog Pass-through TV Converter Box could get you out of that hole if you don't have cable or satellite service for an average price of about $59.00. There is some good news though, Since the government is the one mandating the analog signals to be stopped they are offering a nice $40.00 rebate. You can see if you are elligible for $40 rebates at www.dtv2009.gov and of course the DTA800 is one of the approved devices.

We don't like that all the cables are not included with this unit, but it does function well at what it does. Most users that have written to us seem to like the box.

Purchase your RCA DTA-800B1 Digital To Analog Pass-through TV Converter Box on Amazon

I've hated myself countless times when I bought a photo album without CD/DVD storage because of the way it was designed. I always end up being frustrated when I couldn't archive my DVD of pictures within the photo album itself. While browsing 5inch to see if they had any new CD/DVD prints, I found their clear gel disc hubs. The transparent crushproof disc hubs are self-adhesive and can be applied to almost any surface (ahem, photo albums) to store your data (or pictures in our case). Nice.

Found at 5inch

There are may reasons to like the Klip Kitchen Timer by American Innovative. It acts as a countdown timer (up to 24 hours) with elapsed time graphic. It also acts as a stopwatch or even just a regular old clock. But the real reason to like the Klip Kitchen Timer is that it is portable. You can remove it from the base and clip it on your person and walk around freely around the house without the worry that your food will cook longer than you'd want.

Found at Amazon.

When I'm down on all four underneath my computer desk, I hate not knowing what the cable I'm holding belongs to. I ran into that experience yesterday and it annoyed the crapola out of me. Did some quick Google searches and come up with the simply-named, Cable ID. The rubber helix shape allows you to wrap the Cable ID around the cord and then with a ballpoint pen you simply write what the cable is for in the space provided.

A pack of 8 differently colored ids will set you back about $7 at most stores.

Found at Sternform

The Earfun clips are a bit on the useless side, but it does add more personality to those dull iPod earphones. Our personal favorite: flower power.

Found at The Afternoon.

Ok, you got us: we are all a bunch of geeks and love these kinds of products. The Light O Rama is a must have for the Christmas junky that must have the best Christmas display in their neighborhood.

Sit back and imagine a synchronized light show to your favorite Christmas tunes at your home. Are you done imagining? We know what you are thinking, you probably have no programming experience and think, well it'd be cool but I can't program for squat. No problem. The guys at Light O Rama created a software that you install on your PC, which makes it real easy to program your light extravaganza visually. That's what makes the process easy. You can even download a demo of the software before you purchase to try it out.

So how much does it cost? There are different products at different price ranges, but the one that caught our attention is the 16 channel starter kit, which retails for $419.00. This particular unit can provide enough power to control a 9,000 mini-light display.

Anyway it's always better to see what this stuff can do, so here are two videos taken from Light O Rama's website to show you what its all about.

Enjoy!

Light O Rama 2008 Contest Winner 1
Light O Rama 2008 Contest Winner 2

You can get these at Light O Rama.

The Vers 2X Speaker/Dock is a universal MP3 player dock made out of cherry wood veneer and sustainable materials in recycled packaging. For those who need to know if your version of the iPod is supported, the Vers 2X supports iPod touch, the iPhone, iPod Video, the nano, the mini, and iPod classic. In other words, you've got your bases covered. The system is powered by two 3 inch 15 watt speakers and has support for 3.5mm audio input and output. There is also a nifty 14-function remote control that let's you perform all the basic functions you'd use on your mp3 player.

Found at Rare Device for $179.

We are big fans of the VUDU set-top box because of the quality of the SD content instant stream over a standard 1.5 mbps DSL line. While the set top box is for any movie fan, their new product, the VUDU XL2 is for the hardcore. The VUDU XL2 is designed for installation into rack-mounted home theater systems. It has 1 terabyte of space for storing up to 500 purchased standard definition movies and every output known to the modern man, including Component and HDMI. It has NetRemote capability along with remote control system integration. Cost for this kind of system? $1,200 USD.