Crave

If you've wished you could connect your external hard drive to your computer without having to use the USB cable, now you can.

Imation announced Thursday the availability of the first wireless USB external hard drive, the Pro WX. The hard drive works just like any other USB hard drive, with one exception: it doesn't require a USB cable.

The Pro WX wireless USB external hard drive.

(Credit: Imation)

Wireless USB has been under development for about five years, and some of the first products were demoed at CES 2009. This technology allows you to connect USB 2.0 devices to a computer wirelessly from up to 30 feet away with a throughput speed of up to 480Mbps.

According to Imation, the Pro WX wireless USB external hard drive offers less than that, with speeds of up to only 120Mbps or 15MBps; this is about three times slower than regular USB 2.0 hard drives. At this speed it can finish copying the entire content of a CD-ROM (roughly 800MB) in about 50 seconds. Other than that, this drive is based on the 3.5-inch desktop hard drive and offers 1.5TB of storage.

The Imation Pro WX features a sleep-mode feature to conserve energy and a one-touch, backup sync button for you to manually start a backup when needed. The device is compatible with both PC and Mac operating systems

In order to take advantage of the wireless USB, your computer needs to support this. As most computers don't have built-in wireless USB, there are adapters that you can add to the machine. It's unclear if an adapter is included with the Pro WX.

What's clear, however, is the fact that this is going to be one of the most expensive external hard drives you can find. At the estimated price of $500, about three times the price of regular external USB hard drives of the same storage capacity, I am not sure if it's worth it when the only benefit is losing the USB cable.

Tony Hawk on CNET's The 404 Podcast

CNET's The 404 Podcast is very proud to welcome Tony Hawk to the studio today! The man who rode skateboarding to mainstream success sits down with us for a chat about his expansive video game franchise, skateboarding being added to the Olympics, and, of course, his newest game, Tony Hawk: RIDE.

All of us have been huge fans of the Tony Hawk video game franchise since the first Tony Hawk Pro Skater, but his latest game, Tony Hawk: RIDE, brings a new level of entertainment to the series with a physical skateboard equipped with a contoured base, infrared sensors, and four smart motion sensors that help you push, turn, lean, and pull off unbelievable tricks within the virtual environments. Tony tells us all about the creation of the board and the prototype decks that didn't make the cut. He also explains the motivation behind making the switch to a physical board instead of the hand-held controller that propelled the original games into instant classics, making comparisons to the Wii Fit Balance Board to show how much extra work went into the dual accelerometers.

(Credit: Activision)

After getting the full scoop about the game (in stores tomorrow for $120), we're all very excited to see him in action with a live in-studio demo on an Xbox 360. Tony shows us how the accelerometers pick up the movement of your feet on the board and how to grab the nose by simply bending over and reaching toward the front of the board. After he goes through some of the basic moves, he hands the board over to me to give it a shot. Obviously, Tony Hawk himself is a hard act to follow, but I think I pulled off a few tricks before face-planting onto the concrete. Be sure to check out the video for all the action.

After the break, we talk to Tony a bit more about the game and how influential the series has been on bringing the sport to mainstream popularity, the eclectic music choices in the soundtrack, and some of the active characters you can choose. And, of course, we have to get Tony's take on the future of skateboarding and whether or not the sport will ever go the way of snowboarding to make it as an official event at the Olympics.

There's a whole lot more to talk about with Tony, a few Calls From the Public, and some insightful questions from the chat room, so be sure to listen or watch the entire episode for the full scoop. Much thanks to Tony for coming on the show and keep listening for a chance to win a copy of the game!

Due out later this month, the Voyager Pro UC lists for $199.99.

(Credit: Planatronics)

Plantronics trotted out a new Bluetooth headset on Monday, the Voyager Pro UC headset, which adds a plug-and-play Bluetooth USB adapter "to deliver richer wideband audio on softphones along with Voyager Pro's superior noise and wind cancellation on both mobile phones and softphones."

On the consumer front, the Voyager Pro UC is geared toward Skype users and has some firmware in the dongle that lets you answer Skype calls or swap between a cell and Skype call by simply pressing a button on the headset. Additionally, Plantronics says the dongle helps improve audio quality and range.

The Voyager Pro UC (the UC stands for "unified communications") is also compatible with enterprise softphone applications from Avaya, Cisco, IBM, and Microsoft, and works with Google Talk, though you'll have to use your PC's mouse to answer and end calls (in other words, there are no special features geared toward Google Talk users).

In case you're wondering, you cannot pair the original Voyager Pro headset with the dongle. It's also worth noting that this "UC" version is enhanced for PC communications but should sound the same as the identically styled Voyager Pro for cell calls.

The Voyager Pro UC will be available this month and carries a list price of $199.95. For a complete list of supported softphone applications, visit www.plantronics.com/personosuite.

Anybody want one? Should we do this as a Crave giveaway of the week?

You probably haven't heard of Envizen, but it's one of several off-brand companies putting out new digital portable TVs to replace all the obsolete analog units that were toted to sporting events or kept around for emergencies when the power went off. As implied by its name--the Envizen Digital Duo Box Pro ED8850A--this model is actually two products in one: a portable DVD player and a portable DTV.

The ED8850, which costs around $150 online, looks and feels like your typical inexpensive portable DVD player. To put it politely, there's nothing sexy or slick about it. That doesn't mean it's ugly, just that it's very basic and generic-looking (at least it's black and not silver). But we did like what the ED8850 offers in terms of features.

Read the full review of the Envizen Digital Duo Box Pro ED8850A.

(Credit: Plastic Logic)

Plastic Logic and Barnes & Noble announced on Tuesday that Plastic Logic's Que proReader will be sold through Barnes & Noble's retail stores and on B&N's Web site in 2010. The Que is Plastic Logic's long-awaited e-reader that is not set to be officially unveiled until January 7 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, but both companies continue to promote the device vigorously as Barnes & Noble gets set to launch its Nook e-book reader in November.

While Plastic Logic has yet to show a full profile image of the Que, it has provided some details. The device will feature a larger, "shatterproof" 8.5-inch by 11-inch e-ink display with an integrated capacitive touch screen--it's unclear whether the touch screen is a separate, smaller color LCD like the one found on the Nook or whether the entire display will be a touch screen--and have Wi-Fi and AT&T 3G wireless capabilities, like the $259 Nook does.

The slim Que (one-third inch thick), which is geared toward mobile professionals, is supposed to be able to handle PDF, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents as well as having tools for "interacting with and managing the content." Most pundits expect the Que to a more sophisticated e-reader with more processing horsepower than existing models and a higher price tag--we're guessing at least $400.

Both Barnes & Noble and Plastic Logic suggest that as such the two models won't really be competing against each other even if they'll be on display near each other in stores. The news release notes that the two readers represent a choice for Barnes & Noble's customers "based on their reading needs." Just as importantly, the additional device also helps Barnes & Noble foster the impression that its e-book platform has a strong foundation with multiple business partners.

What do you think? Is it a good strategic move or will having two readers on display at stores be confusing for potential buyers?

The hand-built JH 13 Pro in-ear headphone.

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

If you have ears, prepare to open them now.

I've just reviewed a bunch of contenders for the world's best full-size, over-the-ear headphone: Audio Technica ATH-W5000, Denon AH-D7000, Grado PS-1000, Sennheiser HD 800, Stax SR-007Mk2, and Ultrasone Edition 8 headphones--and all boast higher MSRPs than the JH Audio JH 13 Pro in-ear headphone.

Sure, full-size headphones can be used with iPods and MP3 players with varying degrees of success, but they're a lot more of a hassle to lug around than the JH 13 Pro. Honestly, I prefer the sound and comfort of over-the-ear models compared with in-ear headphones. Then again, the JH 13 Pro is a very different type of in-ear design, it uses six drivers--two woofers, two midranges, and two tweeters--to lower distortion compared with other in-ear designs. It's a difference I can hear.

The JH 13 Pro's resolution of fine detail is extraordinary, drums sound more realistic than I've heard from any other type of headphone. The JH 13 Pro is "fast," cymbals' shimmer and sparkle the way they do in real life, and when a drummer whacks his sticks against the drums' metal rims, the sound is more realistic. Dynamic oomph and slam are the best I've heard from an in-ear headphone.

The JH 13 Pro's bass goes deeper than any in-ear headphone to date, but it's the way these headphones decode palpable bass textures that's highly addictive. Electric, acoustic, and keyboard basses sound more different from each other with the JH 13 Pro. Switching over to Monster's excellent new Turbine Pro Gold in-ear headphone ($299) is startling, the Turbines sound mushy and muddled by comparison. The Monster has more mid-bass fullness, which some listeners may prefer. I do not.

The JH 13 Pro's midrange clarity is radically better than any in-ear 'phones I've used to date. Its bass, midrange, and treble are better balanced and accurate than what I'm used to from in-ear designs.

(Credit: gDial Pro)

Back in September, we tested out a Google Voice app for Palm WebOS phones called gDial Pro. The free gDial Pro just recently updated to version 0.8.9, and is available now in Palm's App Catalog. While gDial Pro still isn't quite as integrated into the Palm Pre as Google's native Google Voice app is for Google's own Android platform, it remains a good option for Google Voice users on Palm's comeback platform.

In addition to fixing some dialing bugs, the developer made a ton of other user interface adjustments, including changing the wording in the Preferences screen to make gDial Pro a little easier for new users to set up. Web dialing, the smoother dialing option of the two, is presented as the default in an expandable, advanced-features window.

Other notable additions include now being able to dial a number in the same U.S. area code without having to dial the area code. gDial Pro will also now alert you to new voicemails. Importantly, you can also listen to voicemail messages from within gDial Pro without first calling out to Google Voice.

You can find a full list of changes at Download.com.

This is the 411, my Q&A column answering all your questions about cell phones and cell phone accessories. I receive plenty of questions about these subjects via e-mail, so I figured many of you might have the same questions, too. At times, I might solicit answers from readers if I'm stumped. Send your questions and comments to me at nicole.lee@cnet.com. If you prefer to remain anonymous, let me know in the e-mail.

The Nokia N86 has Wi-Fi, an 8-megapixel camera, and 30 fps video recording, but is only available unlocked.

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

I'm looking into purchasing a new phone and possibly upgrading to a smart phone with AT&T. The hitch is that I can't afford a data plan yet. I would like a smart phone with Wi-Fi so that I can take advantage of the capabilities and processing power of a smart phone, but just not web enabled everywhere I go. In reality, most places I imagine needing wireless data, there is an open WiFi network nearby, so 3G connectivity and dealing with expensive data plans isn't totally necessary either. I would also like this phone to have a decent camera (3 to 5 megapixels) and 30 fps video recording. I would also like the ability to view full HTML web pages with zoom capabilities (multi-touch). So what are my best options without buying an unlocked phone? -- Mike, via e-mail.

Unfortunately, you can't get a smartphone without a data plan unless you're purchasing an unlocked phone. This is the same with pretty much all U.S. carriers, and it's regardless of whether the phone has Wi-Fi or not. As for smartphones with Wi-Fi and a 3-5-megapixel camera with 30 fps video recording, I can only think of unlocked models, like the Samsung Omnia 2, the Nokia N97, and the Nokia N86. You could look into getting an iPod Touch or something similar if you just want to use Wi-Fi, but of course you won't get the camera in that case. Readers, let me know if you can think of other solutions.

I have been investigating cell phone options and I am stumped. I am currently a Verizon Wireless customer (no contract) and I need a new phone. I would like to get a phone with email and web access. My husband has an iPhone. We have a Mac laptop at home and subscribe to Mobile Me. An iPhone might seem to be a no-brainer, but I am not sure. My main concern is the network. I have never had service problems with Verizon and the coverage is great, and I hear there are many service issues with the iPhone especially in big cities (we live in Chicago). Do you anticipate improvements to AT&T's 3G network that would make it comparable to Verizon's? Also, how big a deal is it to buy a phone without wi-fi (which most of Verizon's phones lack)? -- Dana, via e-mail.

Since you're concerned about the iPhone coverage in your area, I'm assuming your husband has reported a lack of AT&T coverage. This is, as you might have heard, not uncommon in metropolitan cities like Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. This is not a universal issue by any means--we've heard reports of good coverage as well--but your mileage may vary depending on where you live and work. If your primary concern is voice and data coverage, then a Verizon phone would probably work better for you. You can certainly find a way to get a Windows Mobile or BlackBerry smartphone to work with a Mac (usually via third-party software), and if you can wait for the Motorola Droid, Android phones can sync with a Mac as well. You probably won't be able to use iTunes to sync music or podcasts though (Let us know if we're wrong on this). As for the lack of Wi-Fi, it's not a huge issue as long as you're not downloading big files. You do have to watch out that you don't hit Verizon's monthly data cap of 5GB though.

Could you please help me out? I do appreciate your time!! I am thinking of either getting the Hero or the Touch Pro 2 from Sprint. I will use the phone mainly for messaging,web browsing and utilizing NFL live whenever possible and maybe a word document every now and then but not too often. I like that the Hero has a smaller foot print but wonder if the keyboard on the TP2 is worth the extra size or not? Does the virtual keyboard work very well? Do you like the Qwerty on the TP2 better? If you were to choose one, which one would you choose? Could you please give me your opinion and help me out. I really do appreciate your time. -- Bruce, via e-mail.

It comes down to whether or not you would be comfortable with a virtual keyboard. For me, I'm fine with a virtual keyboard, and the virtual keyboard on the HTC Hero is actually quite usable. Still, it's not quite as easy and intuitive to use as a physical keyboard like the one on the HTC Touch Pro 2. If you think you'll only use the keyboard once in a while, then the Hero might be a better bet. Another thing to consider is that the HTC Hero runs on the Android platform, while the HTC Touch Pro 2 uses Windows Mobile. It sounds to me like you won't be using the Office apps that often, which again makes me think you might be better off with the Hero. Still, I would suggest trying out both phones in your local Sprint shop before you make the final decision.

You may not have heard of Astak, but it's one of several non-name-brand companies that are jumping into the e-book reader space with a range of new models, including the 5-inch EZ Reader Pocket Pro.

While this model is smaller than the Amazon Kindle, which has a 6-inch screen, we actually like the size of the Pocket Pro and other 5-inch nontouch-screen e-readers, such as the Sony Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-300). This model, like the Sony, has a list price of $199, so it makes sense to compare the two units, especially since both models have Adobe Digital Editions compatibility, which allows you to read downloadable e-books in the secure ePub format that's increasingly becoming the standard--outside of Amazon's Kindle--for online e-booksellers.

So, is it any good?

Read the full review of the Astak EZ Reader Pocket Pro to find out.