Autonet Mobile Hits Amazon
With the death knell of the auto industry sounding loud and clear, Autonet Mobile is looking to expand is customer based by offering is in-car WiFi router to the mass via Amazon. The idea is sound, but in my opinion the execution sucks. The box runs off of any EV-DO and/or HSDPA network (i.e. Verizon/Sprint/AT&T, although the published coverage map is VZW’s EVDO coverage) and allows you to connect up to 10 devices within 150 feet of the vehicle at average speeds of 400 Mbps.
What I find lacking in the service is the sky high monthly fees paired with the minuscule data allowances. 1 GB for $29 or 5 GB for $59 with a 1 year contract. That is inline with the typical national wireless carrier aircard fees, but with the Autonet you are tethered to your car to use the service, at least with an aircard, you can use your data anywhere. Plus the Autonet rings up at a hefty $299 after a $100 rebate. Most aircards can be found for free after discounts and rebates. Sure it sounds nice to be able to have 10 users on the “network” at any given time, but if you really need that functionality, the MiFi is a much better option.
Link: Autonet Mobile KT-ANMRTR-01 Automotive Wi-Fi Router
- Price: $299.00
- Share This
Tags: Autonet Mobile, MiFi, WiFi
Clear’s Fast Track Pass is Dead
I read about the Fast Track Pass about a year ago and thought the idea was solid gold, if it was ever universally adopted. For a one time fee of usually $199, members who passed an extensive background check, would get access to super speedy and exclsusive TSA security check points eliminating one of the biggest headaches frequent flyers faced.
Well the if has become never. As of 11:00 PM PST, the dream is over. After garnering interest from roughly 150,000 travelers but just 20 airports , Clear has ceased operations after failed negotiations with its senior creditors. No word yet on how current customers will be compensated, my guess? They won’t be.
Link: Clear Lanes Are No Longer Available.
- Price: TBA
- Share This
Tags: Clear, Fast Track, Recession, TSA
Belkin Gigabit Powerline HD Kit
High speed internet is a business necessity, not luxury. But depending on your set-up it might extremely difficult to hardwire in access or even get a WiFi signal. If this describes you, then Belkin might just be your savior with their new Gigabit Powerline HD Kit. While turning your electrical wiring into an internet gateway is not new technology, the trade off in loss of speed for convenience was not worth for someone with any other options.
But with the introduction of Gigabit Powerline HD Kit, speed loss is a thing of the past. The system is rated for speeds up to 1000 Mbps compared to past iterations that could only reach 200 Mbps. Of course if you have crappy wiring you most likely won’t top out, but you should still blow past the competition. The system includes two adapters for $150 and is available today.
- Price: $150.00
- Share This
Tags: Belkin
Canon Speedlite 270EX Flash
We are a Nikon shop for all of our high DSLR cameras and accessories, but if you are ready to put down the point and shoot model and graduate to a “Professional Grade” camera the choices can be pretty overwhelming. In our opinion, if you are spending less than $1,000 on your camera most brands will not produce a discernible difference in quality.
One factor to consider are the accessories. You can easily end up spending more on your add-on’s then the camera itself. That is one of the reason we like the Canon Speedlite 270EX Flash. It small, but packs plenty of power, has a wonderful range of motion including swivel and a recharge time of less than 4 seconds.
The best part is at about $150 the Canon Speedlite 270EX Flash is half the price of other comparable models. Plus as you get more comfortable and want to explore other options Canon has a whole family of EX flashes available suitable for just about any need.
- Price: $150.00
- Share This
Tags: Cannon, Digital Photography, DLSR, Flashes
The Oxo Curvy Clipboard
One of our favorite unsung heroes around the shop is our clipboard collection. They are great for helping us keep our various project papers neat and organized, plus we always have one with us in the trucks when we head out to a scene for better note taking. Without them, we probably would not be able to read our own handwriting. Despite their utility, we have never found ourselves sitting around thinking on how to improve this venerable tool. Good thing there are companies like OXO out there.
With a one swipe of their design pen, they added a simple but very nice improvement to our friend: a concave edge on at the bottom making balancing it on our bellies much easier. As an added bonus, the board is also coated with a non-slip surface to help better secure all those papers. Pretty nifty if you ask us. Available at Staples.
- Price: $7.99
- Share This
Tags: Organization, OXO, Popular Mechanics, Staples
Mag-Lite LED Conversion Kit
Mag-Lite makes some of the best general purpose flashlights around. They are durable, reliable and reasonably priced. We probably have 10 laying around the shop. Breath new life into your old Mag with this 3 Watt LED conversion kit. It’s about 1/2 the price of a new unit and since Mag-Lite’s are pretty much indestructible, we see no reason to go any other route.
- Price: $15.00
- Share This
Tags: Flashlites, LED, MagLite
Scansnap S1500 Document Scanner
Still trying to convert to a paperless office? If you are going to win this battle, you must have a dedicated scanner. Multi-function devices are nice but I have not found one that can keep up once you introduce it to a heavy volume. Instead of wasting a bunch of time, drop a few bucks on the Scansnap S1500. It can scan double sided documents and handles paper of about any size all at up to 40 pages per minute. Plus is comes with Abobe Acrobat. All wrapped up in a much smaller than expected package. I think its the best document scanner out there.
- Price: $446.00
- Share This
The Gerber Artifact
I see a lot of function in this little multi-tool. First, it is small enough to attach to your key ring which you will probably always have it on hand. Next, it gives you a nice mix of tools including wire strippers, screw drivers and a razor blade. That blade is what we like best about this tool. Since it is removable, just pack your extras in your check bag and you can carry this guy right onto a plane. No more worries about the TSA drones helping themselves to an expensive knife.
- Price: $10.44
- Share This
Kobalt SpeedFit System
About a year ago, Kobalt (Lowe’s in-house tool brand), decided to rename and repackage the venerable multi-bit screwdriver as the SpeedFit System. In addition to the standard screwdriver bits, other tools including picks, files, an adjustable wrench and sockets were designed and launched to all fit in one universal handle topped with a standard quick change connection.
What initially intrigued me about the SpeedFit product line was its versatility and portability. Any product that can lighten the travel tool bag without compromising functionality is definitely worth a look. That is where the rub lies, the SpeedFit’s functionality. It just is not professional grade. Something that I found surprising, considering its Kobalt pedigree. While a relatively new line of tools, especially when compared to Craftsman, I have found the brand to a worthy competitor when comparing professional/contractor grade durability across other manufacturers.
The SpeedFit lives and in this case dies with its ability to quickly change bits on tools on the go. The problem was, this connection was also the weak spot of the tool. It was not as solid and secure as it should have been, allowing for a little “travel” in the bits and leaving concern of breakage in high torque applications. So for us the promising system was a no go. But we do see merit in it for the typical homeowner or as an emergency car toolkit considering the variety of combinations the system comes in and its reasonable price points. Let us know what you think in the comments.
- Price: $25.00
- Share This
Jawbone Prime
I have been a fan of the Jawbone family of bluetooth headsets since that original monstrosity. While the JB 2 made marked improvements in styling for the line, the JB Prime provides the technical updates we have been waiting for. With the Prime, Aliph upgrades the unit’s software to NoiseAssassin 2.0 which improves its already great noise canceling performance and adds the ability to automatically fall back to “traditional” noise canceling - read crappy but better than nothing - should the JB lose contact with your face. Add in a much needed button refresh making the controls much more user friendly and a new ear cup option that makes it possible to wear without the awful (IMHO) ear hook and you have perhaps the best headset on the market today.
- Price: $130.00
- Share This
