Four New Gadgets, Ranked And Rated « Sharp - Canada's Magazine for Men Sharp – Canada's Magazine for Men

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June 2013

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Four New Gadgets, Ranked And Rated

<b>Asus MeMo 370T tablet</b>
<br> <br>
The most attractive tablet
proposition this side of iPad may be the Asus MeMo 370T,
a 7” unit that houses a quadcore processor and will cost only $249. It features an 8MP camera and Android’s newest OS, 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
<br> <br>
<b>Verdict:</b> Adopt.
<br> <br>
<b>Why:</b> The MeMo 370T will
easily offer the best value in
this crowded market, with
more horsepower and half the
price tag of the iPad.

<b>Ultrabooks</b>
<br> <br>
In the tablet-era laptops are a harder sell. And while bulk is out, sometimes a guy needs a full-featured computer. Apple’s solution was the ultra-thin Macbook Air. Its success inspired Intel to throw its hat in the ring with the <a href="http://sharpformen.com/cars-tech/what-the-hell-is-an-ultrabook/">Ultrabook</a>, a Windows machine half the thickness and weight of traditional laptops, without moving parts. Dell, HP and Samsung all showed models at the last Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
<br> <br>
<b>Verdict:</b> Adopt.
<br> <br>
<b>Why:</b> With competitive pressure
from the tablet market,
Ultrabooks offer a good priceperformance
ratio, and after
using one it’s hard to imagine
buying a “fat” laptop again.

<b>Sculpted Eers</b>
<br> <br>
Audiophiles may gush about “Custom in-ear monitors,” but they have a point. Snugly sealed <a href="http://sharpformen.com/cars-tech/the-best-headphones-period/">earphones</a> are the only way to get great sound with deep, resonant bass from a pair of earbuds. The most comfortable in-ear tips are those made specifically for your ear canals. Previously, custom jobs required a trip to an audiologist, piles of money, gunk in your ears and weeks of waiting. Sculpted Eers are a DIY, custom earbud injection mold device that comes with a set of high quality monitors in one package. It sounds gimmicky, but Sculpted Eers work.
<br> <br>
<b>Verdict:</b> Hung.
<br> <br>
<b>Why:</b> Unless you’re seduced by the novelty, we expect a small revision later in the year that will push us safely into the sculpted camp.

<b>OLED Televisions</b>
<br> <br>
Organic LED televisions easily made the biggest splash at this year’s CES. If you recall the great leap forward that was high-definition TV, you’ll appreciate how jaw dropping OLED is in action. Samsung and LG will have 55” OLED models available soon. Mark our words—an OLED TV is in your future.
<br> <br>
<b>Verdict:</b> Wait.
<br> <br>
<b>Why:</b> Price. Expect Samsung
and LG’s initial OLED offerings
to debut at $6,000 to $8,000.
Prices will become saner in
time for Christmas 2013.

<b>When Early Adopting Goes Wrong:</b> They were expected to take the world by storm, but within a few months they were just taking up space in your garage.
<br> <br>
<b>1977—Betamax:</b>
<br> <br>
Still the gold standard of failed tech punchlines.

<b>1978—LaserDisc:</b>
<br> <br>
The lovechild of a CD and a vinyl record—that got into showbiz.

<b>1983—“Lisa” home computer:</b>
<br> <br>
It was a marvelous machine, but consumers weren’t willing to pay $10,000 for the pleasure of her company.

<b>1992—MiniDisc:</b>
<br> <br>
As music cassette tapes were dying off, Sony introduced these promising little numbers, which were swiftly made irrelevant by less expensive, more versatile compact discs.

<b>1995—Pippin:</b>
<br> <br>
What happened when Apple partnered with Bandai to try its luck in the console-gaming market? Well, you’re just hearing about it now, right?

<b>2006—Zune MP3 Player:</b>
<br> <br>
Microsoft propositioned the world with an iPod alternative that was clunkier to use and rented music instead of selling it. The world politely declined.

<b>2007—HD DVD: </b>
<br> <br>
Sony led the charge on Blu-ray against the Microsoft backed HD DVD. It won, largely by Trojan horseing its technology via the PS3.

<b>Present—3D TVs:</b>
<br> <br>
Public demand for these gimmicky sets is questionable; they’re expensive, inconsistent and the amount of available 3D content is miniscule.

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