The Wii’s graphics can’t compare to the graphics of the other new gaming systems, but once you start playing you get so caught up in the games that the graphics don’t matter. You see, when you play with the Wii, you don’t just move your thumbs. The motion sensitive wireless controller will have you out of your chair and moving about. You really get into the game.

The controller looks like a TV remote which you hold in your hand and move to perform certain functions. So to bowl, you actually go through the motions of throwing the bowling ball. In golf you swing the remote just like is a golf club. In Excite Truck, you turn and twist the remote to steer the truck. The remote comes with a wrist strap and I highly recommend that you tighten it around your wrist when you play to prevent accidental release.

One of the wonderful things about the Wii is that both the games and the way they are played are appealing to adults of all ages. I wouldn’t even consider taking on a twenty-something in a shoot-em-up game that requires finger dexterity. But I’d be happy to take them on in a game of Wii baseball or bowling.

TheWii game console itself is a small (1.75 inches by 6.25 inches by 8.5 inches), sleek white device. The console comes with everything you need to connect the Wii to your television. It has a wireless controller, a motion-sensitive nunchuk (secondary controller used in some games), a sensor bar that is set on top or in front of the television,  a cradle (for mounting the console vertically), the power adapter, and a set of composite A/V cables. The Wii Sports package with baseball, bowling, boxing, golf, and tennis, is also included.

Setup is simple. Follow the Quick Start guide to plug everything in. Then turn the TV to the proper input, like Video 2 or Video 3. (This will differ depending on which input you plugged the cables into.) The games come on a CD which is easily inserted into the game unit. If the game doesn’t start, it means that you inserted the CD in the wrong direction, as I did on my first try. Just press the eject button and insert with the CD facing the other direction. Software setup is fairly straightforward, like entering your name and choosing the number of opponents and difficulty of the game.

Wii has wireless network built-in. It can hook up to a secure WEP or WPA encrypted network or to a wired network with an optional adapter.

The Wii’s navigation is done through an interface that Nintendo calls “channels.”  There is a Weather channel, a News Channel and a Message Channel that can be used if the unit is hooked up to your Internet connection. There is also Mii Channel where you can customize your own Miis. These are the cute little roly-poly avatars that are used in many of the games. There is also a Photo Channel which can be used to view and edit photos. You can load up to 1,000 photos through the Wii’s SC card slot and can view them individually or in albums. You can also create a slideshow with music.

There are lots of accessories for the Wii and you may want to purchase a few of them. Although you can play many of the games alone, an extra remote is almost a necessity to really have fun with two players.

Games for the GameCube can also be played on the Wii, but they don’t take advantage of the Wii’s motion sending capabilities. To play them as you are used to, you may want to purchase a classic controller for the Wii.

Then, of course, you will want to buy some games. The has plethora of games including Nintendo classics like Zelda, Mario and others. In addition you can buy Wii Point Cards to purchase classic games like Alien Crush, Pinball, Poker, Sim City, and others. Hits from the Sega Genesis and Nintendo 64 systems will also be available. If you remember playing asteroids or other retro games, you’ll love this feature.

This is a game system that will last. As game designers work with the Wii, they will find new and innovative ways to employ the systems motion-controlled interface. So there are sure to be many inventive new games in the future.

Many gamers will find the Wii’s pricing very attractive. The game console with everything you need to set it up and the Sports Package can be purchased for $199.

Nintendo Wii

Nintendo Wii Designed for kids ages five to 95, the revolutionary Nintendo Wii isn’t just a next-generation system it’s an all-generation system. The innovative minds at Nintendo discovered that the evolution of gaming has made video games very complex, and those who once enjoyed playing games with their entire families have become alienated. The Wii is pronounced “we” for a reason it symbolizes Nintendo’s driving philosophy: this system is for everyone. Whether you’re a hardcore gamer, a casual player or a grandparent who’d like to play a game with your grandchild, the Wii will provide you with a wondrous experience that returns gaming to simpler times while also defining a new age of game development. In addition to amazingly realistic next-generation graphics and a variety of outstanding titles to choose from, the true magic of the Wii starts right in the palm of your hand the controller. The unique Wii Remote controller is wireless and motion-sensitive, allowing you to use everyday motions to simulate the motions in your game. The Nunchuk controller attaches to the Wii Remote and uses an analog stick along with motion-sensing technology to assist in character movement. Imagine yourself in the thrilling world of Wii Sports, the awesome, action-packed sports game included with your Wii console. Using your Wii Remote controller, you’ll chase down powerful tennis serves, add touch to your golf swing to avoid tricky sand traps, overpower speeding fastballs to knock them out of the baseball park and more. The Wii Channel Menu, which is the first screen that will appear on your TV, provides a simple user interface that includes the Video Console Channel, News Channel, Forecast Channel, Photo Channel, Internet Channel, Wii Message Board and the Wii Shop Channel. Using the Mii Channel, you can even create playable caricatures of yourself called Miis that you can use in a variety of Wii applications. With an innovative motion-sensitive controller and the Wii Channel Menu, the Wii will truly make you feel less like just a player and more like you’re really part of the game. The Wii system has been wildly popular since its release. The Wii, the games, and the price are sure to appeal to the baby boomers whether they want to play alone or with the younger crowd. If you are into shoot-em up games and hard rock, look at a PS3 or an Xbox. If you want to taste some old-fashioned fun with a hi-tech twist, try the Wii. To see pictures and an even more detailed review, click over to Hardware Secrets.com.

If you happened to see the commercial of the little boy who uses an Olympus Tough camera as a “throw and fetch” stick for his dog, you might wonder if a camera could be that durable. Well, I am here to tell you that it can. While I might not be as careless as that little boy, I put the Olympus Stylus Tough-6000 through some pretty rugged testing and it took everything I threw at it without blinking. It is waterproof, shockproof, and basically — very tough!

The most amazing feature, might well be the “tap” feature. When it is turned on you can tap the right side of the camera to adjust the flash mode. Tap the left side and the camera will cycle through the Macro modes. Tap on the screen  to switch to  the Playback mode and tap on the top to confirm the selections. Everything is pretty well thought out. You can even tap twice on the top to turn the tap feature on and off. This feature alone makes the camera great for working in cold conditions when you want to wear gloves, It is also great under water. The LDC screen is one of the best I’ve seen in bright sunlight.

The camera is small and will easily fit in your pocket. It has a 3.6x optical zoom and is a 10-megapixel camera. It takes good pictures with good color representation. For a retail price of $279, it does a lot. It’s a great camera for outdoor scenery in cold, wet, or bright conditions. It’s also perfect for harsh conditions and klutzy people.

Conclusions:

This is not the most expensive waterproof  and shockproof camera, but it performs admirable for the average outdoor enthusiast at a very reasonable price. Picture quality is good. The screen is fantastic in bright sunlight. And the waterproof and shockproof qualities live up to their hype. The tap function works quite well making the camera good for cold weather or underwater photography. The camera is good-looking and easily pocketable.

Pros:

• Well priced for the features
• Compact and very portable
• Good level of waterproof/toughness
• LCD screen is excellent in bright sunlight
• Good macro ability
• Distinctive tactile feel to half-press of the shutter
• Good dual image stabilization
• Great Tap Feature

Cons:

• Slow flash underwater
• Relatively slow to start
• Slightly slow shutter response

My more detailed review with pictures can be found at Hardware Secrets.

Click the link below to read some owner’s reviews and/or to buy the camera at Best Buy.
Olympus Stylus Tough 100-Megapixel Digital Camera – Orange

BlackBerry Tour from Verizon

BlackBerry Tour from Verizon

When Verizon sent me the new BlackBerry Tour to review, I was pretty excited. This phone has the traditional excellence of BlackBerry’s email and messaging, a QWERTY keyboard, and a sturdy build, but it is also updated. Although the changes are minor, some make a major difference. For instance, I really liked the new design — not too big and not too small, with rounded corners and a great feel in the hand.

All-in-all, it’s a capable phone. It has a really great screen and a good camera and music player. It even does a great job at playing videos, if you are able to watch them on the small screen. The biggest negatives are that the BlackBerry OS is getting a bit dated, especially when compared to newer smart phones like the iPhone and the Pre and the Tour does not have Wi-Fi. Here are my general conclusions and Pros and Cons:

Conclusions

The BlackBerry Tour is the best CDMA BlackBerry that I’ve tested. Even with an aging operating system, it is quite functional as either a personal or business smart phone. The poor browser is offset by applications like Facebook, Flick3r and MySpace that allow you to access much-used web applications without actually using the browser. Phoning, e-mailing, messaging, and other functions work well as does the visual voicemail. The Tour is an excellent choice and all of the things we found wrong with it are minor, except for the lack of Wi-Fi, which will be a deal-breaker for some.

Pros

• Excellent screen
• Good keyboard
• Very Good Design
• Great feel in hand
• Good selection of apps for social networking, instant messaging
• MicroSD Card
• Good IM and social networking applications
• Good camera and video
• Accessories include a variety of plugs and a 2 GB MicroSD card

Cons

• No Wi-Fi
• Small screen
• Aggravating nested menus
• Inconsistencies in menu choices across the platform
• Poor web browser
• Keyboard needs dedicated @ and period keys

My full review including detailed pictures is at: Hardware Secrets.

Palm Pre

Palm Pre

The Palm Pre will not kill the iPhone, but it will give it a good dose of competition. It is a solidly built cell phone with a great, written-from-the-ground-up operating system. I fell in love with webOS, Palm’s new operating system. Although it is not always intuitive, this new operating system is easy to use. I can’t believe that I am advocating an operating system that is not intuitive, but I am. Here’s the reason.

If someone hands you a Pre and tells you to use it, you will most probably be baffled as to how it actually functions. It looks like a touch screen phone and it is, but it also has a slide out keyboard. In fact, it has three different input and control areas: the screen itself, the keyboard, and the small area below the screen which is called the Gesture area.

It this combination is what make the Pre so functional, but you may not be able to use it without any knowledge of how it works. However, that said, just have someone show you a few things or check out the Quick Start guide, and it won’t take you more than five or ten minutes to get going.

If you like to multi-task, this is the phone for you. It lets you fully  and easily control which applications are open and which you want to close. To give you an example of what I call “non-intuitive, but easy”, to close an application, you simply take your finger and swipe it in an upward motion to throw it off the screen. You might not be able to figure that out at first, but once you get it, it is very easy. As a matter of fact, it is also fun. The Pre has the same functionality as the iPhone with similar ways to expand and contract text, a screen that can be viewed either vertically or horizontally, but for some reason, it seems like more fun to use.

The Pre is easy to set up and uses an online system called Palm Profile to sync information, so you will spend less time with it tethered to your computer. It handles email beautifully and has all the other normal options like a camera, sms, mms, and cut & paste. It even has turn-by-turn navigation.

The Pre is perfect for information junkies and busy people. It has an excellent universal search. It also has a system called Synergy that congregates information from various areas and puts it all together for you. So if you have a contact in Facebook, and the same contact in Gmail and in your POP email, you won’t see him or her three times on your Pre. The Pre is smart enough to put all the info that you have on that person on one contact screen.

In fact, the Pre is one smart cookie. Although I think the keyboard needs improvement, this is still one to look at.

Here are my pros and cons:

Pros

• Excellent crisp and responsive touch screen
• Excellent webOS operating system
• Handles multitasking applications beautifully
• Synergy consolidates information very well
• Very good universal search
• Excellent email support
• Slide-out keyboard
• iTunes sync
• Palm Profile for online backups

Cons

• Keyboard slightly cramped and plasticy
• Difficult to navigate through the Apps
• Lack of Apps and App Store
• Apps do not readily show their price

Right now the Pre is available only from Sprint, but Verizon will also carry it in a few months. My full review with pictures is at HardwareSecrets.com.

FujiFilm Z30

FujiFilm Z30

The Fujifilm’s FinePix Z30 is a pretty point-and-shoot camera with a somewhat unique design. It comes in a shocking  pink, an intense bright orange, and a vibrant purple. That plus its rounded corners certainly set it off from the crowd.

I love bright colors, but unfortunately, the bright metallic look of this camera make it look a bit toy-like.  Also the designers didn’t take functionality seriously enough. The camera has no place to comfortably place your fingers to hold it when you take a picture. Although the two rows of rubberized buttons on the back look good, every time you want to press one, you have to put on your glasses to find just the one you want. Oh, and you have to open the battery door to plug in the USB cable.

The Z30 is a 10-megapixel camera with a 3x optical lens and a nice-sized CCD. Although the pictures were good, I found that many of the flash pictures had unevenly distributed lighting.

Have I said enough?? Take a pass on this camera. What is amazing to me is that the A150, a similarly priced and sized camera from the same manufacturer (Fujifilm), was one that I really liked. The A150 had impeccable design and took great pictures. (Check out my review of the A150).So take a pass on this camera and check out the A150 for a good entry-level digital camera.  The Z30 retails for $149. The A150 goes for $129. So a higher price is not necessarily a better camera.

Here are my pros and cons fro the Z30:

Pros:

• Compact size
• Good manual on CD
• Numerous continuous shooting, self-timer and flash modes

Cons:

• Poor lens placement
• Body feels flimsy
• Control buttons too small and close together
• Poorly placed USB port
• No place to grip
• 4-way directional control which is on the buttons, is difficult to use
• Not many manual controls
• Nested menus that can be difficult to navigate

My full review with pictures, specs and more details is at Hardware Secrets.

Check out the prices: Best Buy Digital Cameras

The A150 takes very good photos. The color representation is good and the low light photos are excellent. You also get a lot of extras. The camera has face detection technology that tracks a face and adjusts the setting for the best picture. It also has picture stabilization, continuous shooting, a self-timer, and macro mode. It has 14 different scene positions, and can even take movies.

If you want a simple camera to have on hand for a quick picture or to slip in your pocket to have available anytime, this is a good choice.

Here are my pros and cons:

Pros

• Sturdy, attractive build
• Large, clear screen
• Much added functionality
• The ability to shoot videos with sound
• Easy to use controls
• Excellent documentation including owner’s manual on disk
• Inexpensive

Cons

• Tripod mount poorly placed
• No viewfinder
• Screen fades out in bright sunlight

My full review with pictures is at HardwareSecrets.com.

Click the link below to see the current price for this and/or similar cameras at Best Buy:

FUJIFILM FinePix 100-Megapixel Digital Camera – Black

Kindle DX

Kindle DX

Bigger is not always better. Although Amazon has added some new features to it’s over-sized Kindle, I found several things that I didn’t like about it. Most noticeably is the fact that it is not as easy to handle as the smaller Kindle 2. Second (which may be first to many), it is very expensive. Third, it has a really crummy keyboard that’s difficult to use and even harder to see the letters on. Here’s a chart that compares the Kindle DX to the Kindle 2.

Everything that was great about the Kindle 2 is still great in the Kindle DX. The device is sleek, thin, and attractive. The Amazon’s Whispernet service allows you to download books (and browse the Internet) over the Sprint cellular network without any monthly fee. The screen is bright, clear, and easy-to-read. It has excellent battery life. You can make the text larger or smaller. There is a speech-to-text option that can read the text to you. You can play music while you read. There are over 300,000 books and periodicals available in the Kindle Store.

Although the larger screen is great and it requires less page turning, the device itself must be held with two hands and is a bit heavy for extended reading. Where the Kindle 2 could be handled and read like a paperback book, I found the DX gave a whole different feel.

The DX does have native support for PDFs and you can turn it to read the text horizontally as well as vertically. Yet the auto-turn mechanism is a bit too touchy and it often turns when you don’t want it to.

Amazon has lowered the price of the smaller Kindle 2 to $299 while the DX is $489. Even $299 is expensive for an ebook device. I can buy a whole netbook computer for that price. As you know, I am usually the first one to fall in love with a new device, but if I were to purchase a Kindle right now, I would go for the Kindle 2 rather than the pricer DX. Here are my pros and cons of the Kindle DX:

Pros

• Excellent design
• Large screen
• Less page turning necessary
• Good  battery life
• No monthly fees for wireless
• Excellent text quality
• Large library of content
• Good in bright light
• Easy to buy books, magazines and newspapers
• Speakers and headphone jack for audio
• Compatible with PCs and Macs
• Can be used without a computer
• Native support for PDFs
• Useful text-to-speech feature

Cons

• Very expensive
• Not as portable as the Kindle 2 with 6” screen
• Very poor keyboard
• Grayscale only. No color.
• You cannot change the size of the type in the Kindle Store
• Stiff scroll button
• Somewhat heavy and slightly awkward for lengthy reading
• No zoom for PDFs

You can read my detailed review of the Kindle DX with pictures on HardwareSecrets.com.

The Storm has good call quality, cut & paste, excellent email functionality, an adequate media player, and a nice 3.2 megapixel camera with zoom, flash, and stabilizer. It can also take videos. It actually has a lot of great features, but over all, I’ll take a BlackBerry with a keypad or the touch screen on the iPhone. Here are my pros and cons:

Pros:

• Excellent call quality
• Good navigation
• Enterprise email access
• Good pictures and camera features
• Included 8 GB memory card
• Replaceable battery
• Good battery life
• Voice dialing
• Set up wizards and online tutorials

Cons:

• Text input somewhat difficult
• Poor auto correction
• Commands often too close together to press
• No Wi-Fi
• Slow camera focus
• Browser not as good as some others

You can read my more detailed review with pictures at HardwareSecrets.com.

There are now many Flip imitators, but the Flip was the first in this market area, and it still holds up well against the competition. The Flip now also comes with a better resolution in a Flip appropriately called the FlipHD (1280 x 720).

The Flip has a pop-out USB connector, so there are no clumsy cables. Just insert it into your computer. The included software is also easy-to-use.

Here are my pros and cons:

Pros:

• Simple, easy-to-use controls
• Self-contained, easy-to-use software
• Easy uploads
• Quick start-up
• Good video quality
• Good in both high and low light conditions
• No cords
• Small and light
• Tripod mount
• TV playback

Cons:

• Plasticy feel
• Low resolution
• Few editing options
• Doesn’t always fit in USB port without hub or extender
• No optical zoom

You can read my more detailed review with pictures at HardwareSecrets.com. Although it a great little camera, the Flip is getting a lot of competition from cell phones whose video hardware is getting better and better! Buy one now if you want to have a small video cam and want to upload to Youtube quickly. Else, wait a while — these things just keep getting better and better.

Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder - White/Orange

Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder – White/Orange Flip Video Ultra is the easy-to-use, pocket-sized camcorder that allows you to shoot and share high-quality video anywhere and everywhere. Its flip-out USB arm and built-in FlipShare software make it simple and fun to view and save your videos, e-mail them, or upload them to popular video-sharing sites, including YouTube, MySpace and AOL Video.

The new DSi plays all of the DS games, so I didn’t have to give up the Nintendogs game that I love to play with my grandchildren. We each have a DS with a Nintendog game so we can send gifts to each other’s dogs and our dogs can visit each other. It’s great fun. I simply substituted the new DSi for my old DS and everything worked as before.

Playing with the cameras on the DSi was great fun. Not only can you take pictures, but you can easily add frames, stars, kisses, and other nifty objects. You can also manipulate the photos in fun ways….make a nose bigger, make a mouth turn down, etc. Yes, for grown-ups it can get old quickly, but it is still provides an occasional smile.

The DSi also lets you record your own voice and manipulate it just as you do the photos.

There are not yet a lot of games out that take advantage of the DSi’s new cameras and microphone. I can’t wait for them to start appearing, as they should be really fun. The DSi is currently $30 more than the DS. I think it is worth the price.

Here are my pros and cons:

Pros

• Two cameras & software add to the fun
• Can be used to play music
• Audio recording
• Excellent new interface
• WPA support
• DSi Store
• Can play large selection of DS games
• Replaceable battery

Cons

• Games can currently run only from internal memory
• Audio clips are limited to 10 seconds
• Pictures can’t be easily emailed or posted online
• WPA support doesn’t allow online play
• Supports only unencrypted AAC files

You can read my full 7-page review with pictures at HardwareSecrets.

Nintendo Nintendo DSi (Blue)

Nintendo Nintendo DSi (Blue) Experience a world of sleek and powerful portable gaming and so much more. Nintendo DSi builds on the DS Lite with a succession of new and enhanced features designed to appeal to both gamers and casual users. At a mere 18.9mm thin, the almost effortlessly portable DSi fits conveniently into your pocket and your life, making it easy to play games on the go, take a quick mental break in the middle of your busy day or even share favorite photos and music with friends. The 3.25″ screen of the DSi brings images to life with even greater depth and clarity for intense gaming or convenient photo showcasing. Two built-in cameras, one on the interior and one on the exterior, make it easy to snap photos of yourself or your friends, and a variety of photo-related functions let you compare facial photos, edit colors, distort shapes and other fun activities. Indulge in your favorite music with the DSi music player, which lets you play favorite music saved on an SD card, adjust the pitch or speed, view imagery generated by the Music Visualizer, edit audio files you’ve recorded using the DSi microphone and more, and the improved speaker volume and sound quality make music and gaming audio even more immersive. You can even use Nintendo DSi Points to download DSi-exclusive software, such as the DSi Browser (which lets you browse the Internet) and Mini DSi Brain Training (which offers fast and convenient mental challenges) for additional fun and convenience.