Today there is a huge variety of keyboard musical instruments to meet your very needs: pianos, digital pianos, MIDI keyboards, PSR keyboards, portable keyboards, workstations and various types of synthesizers. While standard pianos have 88 keys, electronic keyboards offer three different sizes to choose from. A 76-key model as well as 61-key one is good enough up to the intermediate skill-level, while 49-key being the smallest keyboard standard size, is just for beginners.

Such manufacturers as Yamaha, Casio, Korg, Roland, Kawai, Emu, Kurzweil and Technics offer a wide range of musical keyboards, which vary greatly in prices and features. Yamaha ranks second to none in digital signal processing technology among a large number of professional musicians, educational institutions, related industries and consumers.

Yamaha renowned acoustic pianos line features the YPG-235 76-Key Portable Grand Piano elaborated for a student or performer looking forward to bridge the gap between acoustic piano and portable keyboard. 76 Graded Soft Touch action piano-style keys are specially designed to suit both the starters and the experienced professionals, while 6-track sequencer allows recording original compositions and performances.

The YPG-235 carries on the Yamaha tradition of quality and functionality with the last piano-focused features including:

• 76 piano-style keys with Graded Soft Touch, which allow you to produce a louder note by pressing the key harder, mimicking a piano;
• 6-track sequencer, which records one or multiple instrument parts at a time and assigns each part to a different track. Six tracks are presented to accommodate sophisticated melodies, chord accompaniment and rhythm parts.
• USB port and Flash ROM to download new songs, styles and keyboard set-ups from your computer or pop your newly recorded song in a portable USB drive;
• the interactive Y.E.S. (Yamaha Education Suite) feature, which helps you to set your own tempo and monitor your progress as you learn;
• Yamaha 489 GM and XGlite compatible voices plus 5 Sweet and 3 Cool voices feature for even more expressive playing;
• Split and Dual modes, which let you play bass notes with your left hand controlling a string section with your right;
• Easy Song Arranger feature, which allows you to remix MIDI files so you can play them your own way;
• Performance Assistant Technology* : with the Chord Mode on you’ll never play a wrong melody!
* Updated with the Chord/Free Mode, which corrects the notes you play with your left hand if you’ve learnt the melody with you right hand
• 32 notes of polyphony and 16 different parts or sounds played back at once (16-part multi timbrel);
• Backlit LCD, panel lights, pitch bend wheel;
• Portable Grand Button: turns your portable keyboard into a stereo-sampled piano.

To produce true stereo, amazingly realistic sound there are 9 reverb, 4 chorus and 5 preset Master EQ effects, as well as 26 types of harmony and 160 styles plus user (SFF) styles including intro, ending, A/B and 2 Fill variations.

The Yamaha YPG235 keyboard comes with 6W + 6W amplifier, 12 cm x 2/ 3cm x 2 built-in speakers, headphone jack and a sustain pedal jack for practicing playing the piano pieces. The beautiful instrument is available on eBay for $320-$389 or at the Amazon price of about $340..

The YPG-235 high-tech keyboard with a decent price tag is the one, which beginners won’t be confused or intimidated with and more seasoned players with a high enough skill-level are sure to appreciate. Capture the precious moments of inspiration and create high-quality musical parts with the variety of features for songwriting fully represented in YPG-235 portable grand piano!

Yamaha YPG-235 Portable Grand Piano Photo Review

Yamaha YPG-235 Front View

Yamaha YPG-235 Front Panel View

Yamaha YPG-235 Front Panel Details Views

Yamaha YPG-235 Performance Data Transfer Scheme

Yamaha YPG-235 Portable Grand Piano Video Review

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wecpok4jGcU

Yamaha YPG-235 Preset Demo Song: “Boogie-Woogie”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Nz93fHreh0

The Kindle imposed upon reading public when it was first revealed. After all, a portable, wireless device lets you carry the whole library with you and enjoy reading your favorite books and periodicals wherever you are: on the go, during a business trip or just at home. It’s amazing how convenient it is!

And now that in early May 2009 Amazon has officially launched Kindle DX, the latest in the Kindle line, even conventional paper book lovers are greatly impressed by a larger, widescreen and higher capacity version. The fact is that the DX is a clear improvement on the Kindle 2, the previous version though the two devices have much in common.  

The principal difference between the new Kindle DX and Kindle 2 is the size of the screen. The Kindle DX’s 9.7” screen, compared to the Kindle 2’s 6”, means two and a half times more display space, more text on a page, more lines and a bigger font, less page turning and more pleasure to read via the DX.

Besides, the Kindle DX is the only e-reader to introduce the auto-rotating feature that automatically switches the DX’s display mode (from portrait to landscape) when you turn the device.  It is very convenient to read newspapers, magazines and other texts containing graphics.

The DX is very thin and lightweight. It’s comfortable to hold in hand though Kindle DX is considerably larger than its predecessor.

The increased memory is also a great update. The DX comes with 4 GB of internal memory that is quite enough to store about 3,500 books, as against the 1,500-book capacity of the Kindle 2.

Additionally, the new Kindle DX features native PDF support so you can just download PDF files and read them with no conversion and no fuss. Many Kindle followers will breathe with relief.

More over, built-in stereo speakers let you read your favorite book and listen to the audio version of it if you like.

The Kindle DX Specifications:

• Display: 9.7″ diagonal E Ink® electronic paper display, 1200 x 824 pixel resolution at 150 ppi, 16-level grayscale electronic paper;
• Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.2 x 0.38 in;
• Weight 18.9 oz (540 g);
• System requirements: none, because it doesn’t require a computer;
• Storage capacity: 4GB internal flash memory (approximately 3.3GB available for user content);
• Battery Life: read on a single charge for up to 4 days with wireless on and up to two weeks offline;
• Connectivity: Amazon Whispernet using EVDO/CDMA AnyDATA wireless modem E727NV WN2 (ESN: 5BA671AE), with fallback to 1xRTT;
• Input: USB 2.0 port (micro-B connector), 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack, built-in stereo speakers, AC power adapter jack;
• Content Formats Supported: Kindle (AZW), PDF, TXT, Audible (formats 4, Audible Enhanced (AAX)), MP3, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML, DOC, RTF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion;
• Included Accessories: Power adapter, USB 2.0 cable, battery. Leather book cover sold separately.
• Warranty and Service: 1 year limited warranty and service included. Optional 2 year Extended Warranty sold separately.

Surely the Kindle DX has changed the way we all looked at ebooks because it is not a pure ebook reader but a device for reading all sorts of digital documents, including PDFs, magazines, blogs, word documents, textbooks, Excel spreadsheets and e-mails.

The DX is quite pricey but all the evident benefits make the cost fall by the wayside. It goes for $489 on Amazon, compared with the Kindle 2′s $359. eBay offers the device for much less if you look at the auctions and not Buy it Now prices.

Amazon Kindle Image Review

Kindle Family

Kindle DX Front View

Kindle DX Back View

Kindle DX Slim

Kindle DX Box Content

Kindle DX Packaging

Amazon Kindle DX Video Review

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfmNp8kKXJs

CK One Summer 2009 is a limited edition of traditional summer fragrances line by CK. Previous collections CK One Summer 2007 and CK One Summer 2008 were fresh, aquatic and original. The new CK One Summer 2009 carries on the trend bringing new notes.

CK One Summer 2007 was sweet and fruity. The One Summer 2007 composition included tangerine, pineapple and grapefruit scents.

CK One Summer 2008 scent was more delicate and oriental. It had watermelon, cardamom, cucumber, jasmine blossom as well as musk notes.

2009 version became a much more aquatic perfume in contrast to 2007 and 2008 collections. CK One Summer 2009 (Limited Edition) aroma is based on sea-water and woodsy notes like the previous editions, but it is fresher and more expressive, super energetic and crisp - just what you need in a heat wave.

The key CK One Summer 2009 fragrance notes are:

• bergamot, lime, cucumber, mint;
• rosemary, lotus, green apple, sea-water;
• sandalwood, rum, woody notes and oak moss.

The new rich and intensive CK One Summer 2009 fragrance is a unisex perfume for everyday use. The aroma is strong enough for men and is sophisticated for women. CK One Summer 2009 is created for active young men and women who like pure sea breeze coolness. You can see it in the below official commercial.

The clean, non-pretentious shape of the CK bottle is comfortable to use and hold in hand. The combination of yellow and neon blue colors with transparent glass highlights summer resort freshness of the perfume.

CK One Summer 2009 (Limited Edition) is available at Amazon for $34 and on eBay from $20 to $32 per 3.4oz bottle.

CK One Summer 2009 Photo Review

CK One Summer 2009 Bottle

CK One Summer 2009 Packaging

CK One Summer 2009 over ocean background

CK One Summer 2009 over tropical background

CK One Summer 2009 Video Commercial

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I_CyeNhUUU

So on June, 19 Apple unveiled a refreshed model of the iPhone, called the iPhone 3G S. The new device looks just the same as its predecessor, though it comes not only in black but also in white. It has the same size and shape, so if you possess the 3G, your accessories will still work with the new one.

Let’s see what’s so special about the new version.

Speed. To my mind, it’s the core feature of the 3G S. Actually, the “S” in the name stands for speed. Its processor is 50% faster than in the 3G model and it sports a new graphics chip. Applications do open much more quickly and Web pages load far faster. As a result the device consumes less, which has an impact on the improved battery life.

Battery Life is also an important upgrade. The 3G S provides:

• Up to 12 hours of talk time on 2G and 5 on 3G, with up to 300 hour standby time;
• 5 hours of internet use on 3G;
• On Wi-Fi Internet goes up to 9 hours;
• Video playback 10 hours and 30 hours for audio.

Another strong point of the new iPhone is Camera. Its resolution has been increased up to 3 megapixels and now it has auto focus, auto exposure, and auto white balance. Besides it supports video (!!!), 30 frames per second VGA with editing features. Feel free to share it via MMS, email, MobileMe and YouTube.

On top of it, there are some new special features to be mentioned:

• Voice control. You can dial contacts and control music playback by uttering voice commands. The phone can even tell you which song is playing.
• Compass application. Along with the magnetometer, it points your location in the general direction of North.
• Nike+ support provides you with all the running features you use on any other Nike+ device.

The iPhone 3G S is a real step forward in the iPhone family. Maybe it’s not as compelling upgrade as last year’s, but it’s evidently clear that the increased processing speed, extended battery life and new additions and applications will impress a great number of smartphone users.

eBay offers iPhone 3GS 16GB in the price range $450-$1000. 32GB device you can find there for $640-$1200. AT&T offers the 16GB version for $199 and the 32GB phone for $299 with a contract.

Apple iPhone 3GS Photo Review

iPhone 3GS Front View

iPhone 3GS in Black and White

iPhone 3GS Features

iPhone 3GS Camera

iPhone 3GS Video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7uhO3bM6jw

The AV920 is a stereoscopic headset that creates the effect of 62″ screen focusing an image on each eye. The image is created by two separate 640x480 resolution LCD screens, one for each eye. Besides, sending different images to each eye enables 3D video watching.

Providing advanced optics such as 32-degree field of view and 2.5″ interocular distance, iWear AV920 displays millions of colors and weighs only 2.9 ounces.

The AV920 Video Eyeware features :

• a virtual display equivalent to a 62-inch screen viewed from 9 feet thanks to built-in twin high-resolution 640x480 (920,000 pixels) LCD displays;
• automatic 2D/3D control;
• multiple 3D video formats:
  - Side by Side
  - Field Sequential
  - 3 formats of Anaglyph: Amber/Blue, Red/Cyan, Red/Green
• removable, integrated speakers;
• 6 hours of continuous operation (an internal rechargeable lithium ion battery);
• AccuTilt™ viewer pivoting up to 15° for comfortable viewing angle;
• soft and comfortable, hypo-allergenic nose piece, which extends up to 3/8″;
• custom fit head strap;
• light shield.

The iWear AV920 video glasses are compatible with any video device with a standard analog video output, NTSC or PAL. Keep in mind that the iWear AV920 are not compatible with pre-1998 gaming consoles! The glasses come in pack with a set of cables to allow connection to various video devices. This includes cables for composite video, DVD player, iPod, Nokia N95, Creative Zen and Archos players.

iWear AV920 Supported Devices include:

• Wireless Video Receivers
• Portable DVD Players
• Media Players
• Gaming Systems
• Digital Cameras
• Camcorders
• Cellular phones with video output;
• iPod 5th generation devices.

The shiny black plastic glasses have a 53 inch cable with a small module to plug in the included mini USB cable for charging, or one of the included video cables to connect to a video devise.

The AV920’s resemble normal glasses in the way that they have folding temples and a removable adjustable nose bridge with nose pads on bending wires. The ear buds attached to flexible stems are built into the frame of the glasses.

A single control underneath the right-hand eye piece provides access to a comprehensive on-screen menu for you to adjust brightness, contrast and volume and to select an appropriate 3D mode if necessary.

The video glasses not only show impressive videos and 3D content, which is definitely fun, they are by all means useful in the way that you can take any comfortable position without having to look down or hold the screen of your iPod up to watch (if lying down). You can walk and even keep notice of the life going on around you by looking above or below the display screens!

So, turn on your imagination and get the best from your video device with the absorbing sensations of the AV920 Video Eyeware for $301 on Amazon! eBay sells it from $290 to $308. The rest of the world will start just fading out…

Vuzix iWear AV920 Photo Review

Vuzix AV920 Eyewear Package Contents

* Model of iPod cabel subject to change by region and current iPod models and availability.

5V, 500MA AC Power Adaptor/Charger for AV920 Video Eyewear Battery

Hard Travel Case for Vuzix iWear

Vuzix AV920 Video Review

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WXypkoOcJQ

Vuzix iWear for 3D Movies Video

Mini Tripods

Mini tripods do not cost much, and they are a great accessory even for amateur photographers especially useful to avoid blurry (particularly at night) shots. Mini tripods provide you with camera stability, without weighing you down with a huge camera accessory. For travel and wandering you would prefer to have lighter, more flexible and portable tripods.

Gorillapods

The coolest and most beautiful version of the small compact tripods is offered by Joby who features very small Gorillapods. The tripod legs are so bendy, you can use it on uneven surfaces or even wrap the legs around trees, columns and whatever!

The prices vary depending on the model ranging from $12 to $100 on eBay and $19 to $100 on Amazon.

Pro-Gripper Quad Camera Car Mount

If you are fond of shooting video while driving, than a specially designed for using on cars camera support is what you are looking for. Pro-Gripper Quad Camera Car Mount suitable for HDV/HD size cameras (max camera weight 14 lbs) has strong adjustable joints to ensure captivating high-quality video of the viewpoints from outside the car.

Pro-Gripper Quad mounts solidly on an automobile, boat, light truck or any type of vehicle, from anywhere on the outside of the vehicle or from the interior windows. The camera mounting system is adjustable to any height and position and allows you to fix a small camcorder on a moving vehicle in a variety of configurations by means of telescoping aluminum arms and glass reinforced plastic knobs.

Velbon Ultra Luxi SF Tripod

one of the Velbon’s compact, lightweight travel tripods. The Velbon Ultra Luxi SF tripod with ball and socket head features unique “twist-lock” leg system, which allows you to quickly adjust the tripod’s legs to the desirable height. Besides, there are two-section center column, which not only ensures even more steady images, but can be also removed to take the multi-angle legs all the way down for low-angle or macro photography.

Available from $94 to $150 on eBay and from $144.59 on Amazon.

Ergorest Multi Pod

For other non-standard circumstances of video shooting there have been designed a lot of lightweight mini-tripods, such as for instance Ergorest Multi Pod, which can be used as Car Window Mount, Table Top Tripod, Upright mini tripod, Shoulder/Chest Pod, Flat mini tripod and so on. This mini tripod made by a Finnish company is available on eBay for $134.52.

A Video Introduction to Tripods

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMPDj4orh-s

One would think that fresh ideas, for example, of mp3 players, are depleted. What else can be created when we’ve already got an mp3 player, phone, camera, internet, mini playstation, radio, voice recording and much more in one device?

Nevertheless the company of Tonium has managed to present a brand new, revolutionizing variant of an mp3 player.

It’s Pacemaker Handheld DJ system – an mp3 player, portable mixer, sound effects generator and turntables fitting into your pocket. It has all the necessary features to DJ anywhere and anytime. The Tonium Pacemaker allows you not only to listen to music but also interact with it altering the sound in your own way.

Even if you lack the true experience in DJ’ing, the system makes it easy to use and mix tunes with the touch of a button. Frankly speaking, I’ve never thought DJ’ing can be so portable and accessible for just about everyone.

Its functionality and features really amaze. The Pacemaker offers:

• four channels of audio;
• a touch-strip crossfader;
• a wide selection of EQ, pitch, loop, and audio effect features.

Its LCD screen reflects BPM readouts, EQ, track names, and shows all the different sound effects you add in. The Pacemaker’s two digital “decks” let you scratch, bend, and stretch tunes. The advanced options help altering pitch, levels and BPMs with a tap and glide of the scroll wheel. You can adjust track speed to seamlessly mix two tracks without changing the pitch. Besides there is a separate headphone and line outs to preview your mix before the party hears it.

The DJ system also allows saving and sharing mixes. While transferring them to a computer, you can edit and refine the mixes with the free desktop application, Pacemaker Editor. After that you can upload the mixes to the mix community for everyone to listen to them.

The Pacemaker supports the following formats: MP3, MP3 VBR, M4A (AAC-LC), AIFF, FLAC, WAV, Ogg Vorbis and SND audio files. It has a 3.5mm lineout jack, a 3.5mm stereo jack and a miniUSB 2.0 port.

The original Pacemaker Handheld DJ System packs a 120GB drive and goes for $546 on Amazon. The P666 model costs less, comes with fewer accessories and a 60GB drive. eBay offers P666 in the price range $430-575, on Amazon P666 Pacemaker is available for $500. The price may seem like a pretty penny for an mp3 player, but compared to some other DJ hardware the size and price make people buy it with no regret.

Of course, the Tonium Pacemaker is not a substitution for a full DJ system and professionals may look down on the device. But for beginners or amateurs who love experimenting with sounds, the handheld DJ system is just the ticket.

Tonium Pacemaker Photo Review

Tonium Pacemaker DJ System

Tonium Pacemaker Front View

Tonium Pacemaker from Different Angles

DJ with Tonium Pacemaker

Pacemaker Packaging

Pacemaker Unboxing

Pacemaker Box Content

Tonium Pacemaker Video Review

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRZEmdt-K9E

Despite the fact that the Palm Pre has some common features with iPhone like stylish design, camera, MP3 player, Wi-Fi, GPS, Internet browsing, 8 GB of storage, accelerometer, and Bluetooth functionality, there are peculiarities that lay emphasis on Pre’s uniqueness.

First and one of the most important is that the Palm Pre brings an all-new Linux-based operating system called webOS. WebOS is an advanced and user-friendly platform designed to run a wide variety of sophisticated third-party programs, or apps from social-networking gateways to games and business tools.

Besides the new OS, the Palm Pre smartphone is significant for the background applications. For instance, its Deck of Cards feature is an innovative way to interact with the device and organize information. It does make multitasking on the handheld easy and smoothly. The Synergy functionality pulls in all the personal management information (contacts, e-mail, calendar) from different sources like Google, corporate Exchange servers etc., into one place. That’s so convenient for businessmen and people on the go!

Pre’s 3.1 inch 320x480 capacitive, vibrant LCD display with multi-touch functionality and a sliding QWERTY keyboard also distinguish the phone among all the contemporary handhelds.

The other Pre’s claim to fame is its wireless charging. It utilizes electromagnetic induction through an optional wireless charging dock (dubbed the “Touchstone”) and a special back cover (sold separately). Users can also charge the phone with a supplied MicroUSB cable.

Here are some other specs of the Palm Pre:

• 4.8 Ounces
• Multi-touch gesture area
• 3G EV-DO rev. A and Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR w/ A2DP stereo support and GPS
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• 3-Megapixel camera
• LED flash
• Micro USB connection with mass storage support
• Supported formats: MP3, AAC, AAC+, AMR, QCELP, WAV; MPEG-4, H.263, H.264; GIF, JPEG, PNG BMP

Of course, nothing is perfect and the Pre has some drawbacks:

• quite short battery life
• no memory-expansion slot
• no video-recording capabilities
• Palm App Catalog is still in beta with a limited number of titles.

But despite the mentioned blemishes, it’s evidently clear that Palm has put a lot of thought into the user interface, design, and features, as everything works together seamlessly. With its Pre phone Palm has really shaken up the world of smartphones setting new standards in handhelds’ functionality and ease of use.

The Palm Pre goes for $640 on Amazon. eBay offers the unlocked device from $400. Sprint exclusively sells it with a contract for $199 (after rebate)

Palm Pre Image Review

Palm Pre Front and Back Views

Palm Pre Slideout Keyboard

Palm Pre Multitouch LCD Display

Palm Pre Wireless Charging Dock

Palm Pre GPS Navigation

Palm Pre Video Review

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRnlzbuLRwM

The contemporary digital camcorders are very small and convenient to travel with. To complement your camcorder or camera, you might be interested in buying a sturdy or flexible camera support to shoot professional-quality video or just to avoid the “shaky” video effect.

The below going mini-overview sheds some light on modern camera supports, which represent extensive research in stability technology and the ways of tripod application. In the first part we will review the full-sized tripods and the second post will be dedicated to the review of original mini-tripods.

Full-sized Tripods

Usually tripods are designed to fit most film and digital camcorders. If you are looking for a lightweight and collapsible full-sized tripod to capture images and shoot video from any angle you imagine, you have a pretty wide variety of tripods to choose from.

Manfrotto tripods are all sturdy and inexpensive. If you care for quality, choose Gitzo. Slik, Velbon tripods are cheaper, but more flimsy. Nevertheless, sometimes cheaper and lighter tripods are more convenient to take with than professional heavy ones.

So, wherever you go and whatever fantasy you have in mind don’t be afraid to capture the most unusual impressions and revelations with your video cam equipped with one of the modern camera supports, which makes the process of shooting easier and more creative and the videos – smoother and sharper!

Camcorder Tripod Trick Video

Though a traditional tripod is not that convenient to use while traveling, you can get some pretty impressive camera moves from it. The below video shows you how to shoot breath-taking videos just by shortening the front leg of your tripod:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqPX0gH2id0

Video Review: Manfrotto 190XPROB Best Tripod

It’s my favorite video tripod: light and powerful. Great option for under $160 shipped from Amazon.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-6wW1XC_Ko

Fred & Friends is one of the companies that also have been inspired by Apple. They’ve created speakers in the shape of giant iPod earbuds. To be more precise they are 500 times the original iPod headphones size. The earphones’ measures are: 8.75 inches wide x 9.5 inches tall x 4.5 inches in diameter. Looks cool!

Fred 500XL speakers definitely astonish by their design and create a humorous effect. You can’t help trying the earbuds on to feel like a midget in the country of giants.

500XL provides good sound and can be used for a desktop PC and with almost any music source around you:

• iPod or other MP3 player
• gaming console or PSP
• CD/DVD player
• cell phone

The 500XL speakers are connected to the devices with a 3.5mm audio jack and feature a built-in amplifier and 3-way power. The system also includes a 3.5mm audio input cable and a USB power cable. The gadget can be powered by USB or by three AAA batteries if you want to drag the earphones around with you. 500XL stands up by itself thanks to the back of each earbud.

The system looks great on a desk at home or work and can evoke a smile and wide response among family, friends or coworkers. Besides 500XL can be a perfect gift for fans of Apple and/or design.

Fred 500XL speakers run at about $50 for Buy It Now on eBay, but there are deals with some auctions from time to time. Amazon has a better price for the system -- about $40.

Fred 500XL Speakers Image Review

The Giz Wiz and the Fred 500XL Speakers Video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWM8WfFJrLw