Hercules

I get it. Chicks are supposed to like diamonds. Diamonds make us fall in love and turn into cooing mushes of appreciation. If only they weren't so darn expensive and politically incorrect. Cheer up, gals! There is hope. Hercules is attempting to solve all of our problems with its new $40 XPS Diamond 2.0 USB Speakers.

These black beauties are "designed with female users in mind," but they could also become a big hit with the cross-dressing crowd. Each speaker is a slim 3.5 inches wide. That's way bigger than the rock on the ring that snooty lady in the next cubicle is sporting. She'll be full of envy when she sees your matching diamond speakers glinting in the fluorescent light.

The XPS Diamond speakers are powered through USB, have magnetic shielding to prevent interference, and come with a wired mini remote control for changing the volume. But who cares about the specs? Did you notice that they look like big diamonds?!… Read more

At least no one can accuse IBM of playing favorites when it comes to open source.

IBM, a longtime defender and advocate of open-source software, took a shot over the bow of the open-source community in March when it sent a cease-and-desist letter to the company behind the OpenHercules open-source project.

Has Dr. Jekyll IBM just met its Mr. Hyde?

On March 11, 2010, Mark Anzani, vice president and chief technology officer within IBM's System z business unit, sent TurboHercules a letter asserting its patents against the OpenHercules open-source project. In it Anzani expresses surprise that TurboHercules wouldn't … Read more

It's hard enough keeping track of every Netbook manufacturer nowadays, but that's not stopping Hercules from getting in the game. The relatively obscure maker of Webcams and DJ rigs has made some low-profile Netbooks in Europe previously, but has decided that now's the time to release a U.S. Netbook of its very own--with Windows 7, no less.

Preloaded with Windows 7 Starter (the hobbled, less desirable version of 7), the somewhat chunky eCafe EC-1000W Netbook is slightly notable for two reasons: it has a 250GB hard drive, as opposed to the 160GB Netbook standard, and it … Read more

For this week's installment of the weekly Crave giveaway, we're offering up the Hercules ePlug 200 Duo. The product is an Ethernet-to-powerline adapter set, and it's ideal for anyone who wants to extend a home network into another room of the house without running extra wires or setting up complicated wireless bridges. Just plug one of the ePlug units into the electrical socket near your router, and put the other one near the destination device (a game console, DVR, set-top box, or any other networked product), and you should be good to go.

Normally, this package would … Read more

Technology might be the only medium where smaller is always better, but it's starting to get ridiculous. I'm worried that my next cell phone is going to be the size of a sunflower seed. There's got to be a point where we finally decide that things need to start getting bigger, and Mobigrip thinks that now is as good a time as any.

Mobigrips, also known as "device leashes," aren't exactly at the forefront of tech innovation; it's essentially a circular hunk of plastic with adhesive on the back and a lanyard attached … Read more

Being a DJ can be an expensive and confusing proposition. Going the traditional route of turntables and vinyl offers simplicity and street credibility, but it also means back-breaking record crates, an investment in turntable needles, and the constant fear of warped or scratched records. A laptop-based DJ rig solves these problems, but with the movement still in its infancy, there's lots of confusion over what products to buy, and each choice comes with its own set of hurdles to overcome.

There's no perfect solution for every digital DJ, but we were impressed by the Hercules DJ Console Rmx'… Read more

Donald and Jasmine discuss two pairs of headphones that are anything but boring. Also this week: Find out how to be a nuisance on public transportation and get hints about the top 10 MP3 players for less than $100. Listen now: Download today's podcast

New iPods September 9!

Monster Beats by Dr. Dre headphones

Phiaton MS 400 Moderna Series headphones

Hercules DJ Console RMX

Disturb the peace with speaker-sporting MP3 players

Top 10 MP3 players for less than $100

Q: Hi guys,

Love the show. My hard drive crashed recently, and while I try to back … Read more

It doesn't get any truer to old-school disco than this--and that's not a bad thing in the least. Andy Butler and a trio of vocalists--most notably the legendary Antony--have truly formed something special with this bridge between the earliest days of Chicago house and the late '70s club scene in New York.

Download free MP3 now!

MARIN HEADLANDS, Calif.--It is sometimes amazing to discover what is right in your backyard.

I grew up in San Francisco, yet it was only recently that I discovered that just a few miles north of the City by the Bay, the United States' only fully restored Nike missile site is nestled into these gorgeous green hills, in plain view of the Pacific Ocean and one of my all-time favorite beaches.

As I was planning my departure to the U.S. South on Road Trip 2008, this year's version of Road Trip 2007, the 25-day journey I took last … Read more