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Ask Engadget: best music player and service to start fresh?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Sarah, who has a clean slate to begin using music services and wants a device to help her along. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hello! Long story very short, I don't own any CDs anymore, or HiFi gear, and all I'm doing for music is playing the odd track on YouTube and listening to 6Music. I'd really like some sort of HiFi that I could just hook up to Spotify without having to sit in front of a computer to pick out tracks. Is there anything that exists that could help me? Thanks!" If we're honest, we're not sure the device you describe exists, but there is a reasonably useful (albeit expensive) alternative. For instance, Spotify Connect is now available on a fair few pieces of audio gear, so all you'd need then is to grab a mobile device (cheapie tablet, for instance) as a controller. That's as far as our thinking goes, so perhaps now we can turn this one over to the Engadgeteers in the hope that they can suggest something better.
Daniel Cooper12.07.2013
Ask Engadget: best online photo album with public contributions?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Jeff, who wants to crowdsource his wedding photography without any mess. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "As part of my wedding plans, we're expecting plenty of our friends to take pictures of the big day on their smartphones and cameras. I'd like to create a public online photo album to let everyone upload the pictures to one place, and then I can download them later. I'd really rather not have anyone set up an account anywhere (so Flickr won't work) and, ideally, I'd like those who shoot in .RAW to be able to upload the full sized files. Any ideas and suggestions of places would be great, thanks!" Well, actually, your humble narrator has this same problem early last year. My solution, which won't work for you, was to sign up with a Flickr Pro account and set up a new group. As you can email in images to a specific group email address, we sent this address out on our invitations. That way, anyone who took pictures could just email them straight to the site. As you've said, that's not going to work with .RAW images, so let's turn this question over to the community and see what they can come up with.
Daniel Cooper11.30.2013Ask Engadget: best sub-$500 laptop?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Joel, who has one eye on our archives and another on his wallet. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "It's been a while since you had a Best Laptop under $500 question. I'd be curious to know what all of the Engadget readers would suggest?" It certainly has, Joel, so let's throw this open to the bounty of real-world testers that we have in the Engadget community. If you've spent $500 on a laptop that you love, share the details in the comments section below.
Daniel Cooper11.24.2013
Ask Engadget: best wireless trackball mouse?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Andrew, who loves his trackball and needs to help find a wireless replacement. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm a huge fan of trackball mice, and I've been using a Logitech Cordless Optical Trackman since 2002. They can't be popular, because the company no longer makes them, and I haven't been able to source one except at ridiculous prices on eBay. I've even tried the Logitech M570, but I simply can't use it. I've looked at Kensington's offerings, but they are geared towards thumb-ballers rather than index-finger ballers, so what I want to know is: is any company making a wireless trackball mouse that offers the same experience as my beloved Optical Trackman? Thanks!" Now, if we're honest, we did some digging and we really do feel your pain. In our searches, it looks as if the wireless trackball world has collapsed down to the Kensington Orbit or the M570, which you've already discounted. So, do any of you, out there in the ether, use a suitable trackball from a niche manufacturer? Heck, are you a niche manufacturer looking for an audience? The comments section below is where you need to go.
Daniel Cooper11.16.2013Ask Engadget: best home backup system?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Stevie, who wants to get into the archival game. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'd like to set up a central backup system for all four of our home computers. I'd like to have a wired and wireless option as they're all scattered around the place, and would need to have a very safe redundant disk system of some kind, and also to act as a media storage device for future HTPC uses. Am I wanting too much? Is there some hope out there for me? Thanks!" Now, in our humble opinion, what you're really looking for is a beefy NAS with enough speed to pump backups in and movies out at a comfortable rate. Our first thought, therefore, is to suggest the LaCie 2big, which'll throw information around your network at 100MB/s and can be picked up for under $500 (if you go for the non-Thunderbolt version). The big upside of using a device like this, of course, is that it'll happily work with both Windows and OS X backup software, taking a lot of the hard work out of your hands. Still, that's just one suggestion from us, we're reasonably sure that the mavens who lurk in our comment threads will more than happily oblige you with some more suggestions.
Daniel Cooper11.09.2013Ask Engadget: best stepper motor and drive?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Dylan, who has the rarest of all beasts: a question relating to engineering for us all to get our teeth into. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I currently own a Koyo Click programmable logic controller and I'm looking at getting a Raspberri Pi. What I need to ask you, is what would be a good and versatile stepper motor and drive combination that is both cheap (sub-$50) and doesn't tie me down to a specific hardware platform? All of my searches seem to converge to Arduino stuff that, while cool, isn't the platform I'm investing in. I know cheap motors and drives can be found on eBay and the like, but can you suggest a proven and reliable name? Thanks!" If there's one thing we love, it's meaty questions that venture beyond asking us which smartphone you should buy. The question here is to find a platform-agnostic stepper motor and drive for under $50, so let's turn this puzzler over to you, our brilliant community, in the hope that together, we can come up with the perfect solution.
Daniel Cooper11.02.2013
Ask Engadget: best device for the elderly?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Douglas, who wants to help his aunt get online. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I live in California and my elderly aunt lives in New York. I'm looking for a way to get her online in an easy and accessible way. I've looked at a Chromebook, but I'm worried that it'll be too intimidating and the text will be too small for her weak eyes. I've also looked at a first-gen iPad, since I can find one for $150 which is about my budget. All she really needs to do is run Skype and Facetime, Facebook, email and looking at pictures." Well, if you're concerned that a Chromebook will be too intimidating, then perhaps a first-generation (or second-hand iPad 2) will be just the thing. Then again, you can't just take our word for it, so let's open this up to the commenters to see if they've found something even easier for getting your elderly relatives online.
Daniel Cooper10.26.2013
Ask Engadget: how can I bring WiFi to my shed?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Jonathan, who has the age-old problem of how to bring the internet to his outbuilding. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hi Engadget, I'm more of a DIY-er than a technophile, so I need your help with a project of mine. I live out in the middle of nowhere and have just finished fixing up my shed as a place where I can work and write. Alas, it's too far away from my house to be within my router's WiFi signal and, as I understand it, ethernet cables don't work if they're longer than 20 meters. I could buy a repeater, but there's no power or waterproof areas between the home and the shed -- so would I just have to hang it from a tree and hope? Please help me!" We're not sure where you heard about the 20 meter limit, but we can assure you that it's not true. In fact, the rule-of-thumb is that you can work up to 100 meters of cable without worrying about the signal degrading. That said, we'd recommend snapping up some Cat 6 cable rather than anything cheaper to ensure that you're getting the best level of signal there. All you need now is a long pipe to run the wire down without getting it exposed to the elements. At least, that's our opinion. Now it's over to the Engadget community for their opinion, so, what say you?
Daniel Cooper10.19.2013
Ask Engadget: best way to get Skype on my HDTV?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Brian, who wants to video-chat in his living room without having to buy a whole new HDTV. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hi Engadget, love the site! I'm looking to get Skype functionality onto my HDTV. What's the best standalone device with a camera and microphone that I can use without having to go out and buy a camera-enabled smart TV? Thanks!" Well Brian, there are some options, but as far as we know, the market's not particularly wide-ranging. For instance, the only two models that spring instantly to our mind is Logitech's TV Cam HD and Tely Labs telyHD. At least, those are our suggestions. Now it's time to turn this question over to the readers and let them suggest items to you that they've used, loved and would recommend to a friend. So have at it!
Daniel Cooper10.12.2013
Ask Engadget: best entry-level 3D printer?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Andrew, who wants to print all the things, you know what we mean? If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hi, I've been looking into 3D printers for some time, and I think I'm ready to take the plunge. Do you think it's worth getting an entry-level (sub-$500) model for tinkering, and if so, is there one that you'd recommend? Thanks!" Given the number of entrants into the 3D Printing market of late, we're reasonably sure there's something that'll let you whet your appetite for additive manufacturing. Solidoodle's second-generation printer, for instance, retails at $499, while the Portabee is similarly priced. Now, the only question is, of course, down to which of these two (or any others) our audience has tried and prefers. So, dear friends, which one do you suggest?
Daniel Cooper10.05.2013
Ask Engadget: best next-gen console projector?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from "Eager Gamer," who has asked a question that's appeared more than a few times in our inbox over the last month. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "With next-gen consoles around the corner, could you please help me out with some of the best gaming projectors to choose from? I'm looking for something in the $2,000 - $2,500 in the price range. Thanks for any and all advice you can offer, as buying my first projector is much harder than I thought it'd be." Never fear Easy Gamer, as we'd rather you ask us than run the risk of buying a bad gadget. On the upside, both the Xbone and PS4 will support 4K video (the Xbone will also be able to run games in 4K where supported). On the downside, the cheapest 4K projector is more than ten times your top budget. So instead, let's look at a high quality projector that you can grab that is within budget. Sony's VPLHW30ES, for instance, offers 3D projection, a 1,300 lumens bulb an HDMI-in for $2,500, while ViewSonic's PRO9000 can be snapped up for $1,800. Still, those are just two options from us -- we're reasonably sure that the Engadget community can suggest something even more suited to your tastes.
Daniel Cooper09.28.2013
Ask Engadget: best job search tools?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Hildy, who's looking for a new job and doesn't just want to trawl the back page of the local newspaper. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm on the hunt for a job, but I was wondering if there's a site or service that people think is better than the rest? Is there perhaps a service, like Kayak, that pulls together all of that data from various sites and aggregates it all together? The other thing I want to know is if there's a program that would track applications at their various stages and offer reminders rather than just using a spreadsheet? Any ideas and help would be fantastic, thank you!" So, what do you all think? Have any of you managed to avoid a pink slip with job search website or app that you'd like to recommend? Did you pay for a month's free LinkedIn premium and you'd never turn back? Let us know in the comments below.
Daniel Cooper09.21.2013
Ask Engadget: best mobile printer?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Ryan, who needs a device that'll save him time out on the job. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hi. I'm an electrician that travels around in a van all day. Right now, I can either write receipts by hand or email to my customers after the fact. Is there any printer that I can use in the van and print from a phone or tablet? I only need to print out black and white on standard 8.5-inch by 11-inch paper, but nothing online seems to be what I need. Any help you can provide would be great, thanks!" Well Ryan, we always feel a bit icky recommending printers, since we all know that they are the devil's work, but you've got a specific need, so we shall do our best. Assuming you can grab a power inverter and therefore use any consumer-level printer that runs WiFi Direct or AirPrint (if you have an iOS device). Some examples include Brother's HL5470DW or the HP 1102W. Beyond that? Well it's time to turn this shebang over to our commenters, who will be happy to share some knowledge.
Daniel Cooper09.14.2013
Ask Engadget: best soundbar?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Shoheb, who wants a soundbar and doesn't want to miss his surround sound set up. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm looking for a reasonably-priced soundbar that's got the power and quality that I won't miss 5-point surround sound set up. Is such a thing possible? Thanks!" A few months back we saw a demonstration of the Orbitsound M12 and we were blown away by its ability to dominate the sound even in a crowded trade-show hall. We've also heard plenty of good things about Sony's HT-CT260, given its reasonable price, and we'd be remiss if we didn't mention Philips' Fidelio HTL9100 with detachable speakers (should you need more immersive sound). Of course, that's three from the top of our heads, we dare the Engadget community to suggest some more.
Daniel Cooper09.07.2013
Ask Engadget: share a single muni-fi account with multiple devices?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Zoe, who needs to help out her mum (she's in the UK) with a tricky WiFi problem. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "My mum's retirement community offers a municipal WiFi service for £130 per year, but only provides a login that can be used on a single device at a time. More annoyingly, that device has to use a web browser, which means that you can't access it using an Apple TV at all. To get around that, I've leant her my Mac Mini, and then I share the WiFi connection over Ethernet to an Airport Extreme. Unfortunately, this only works for short bursts at a time before the DHCP or connection sharing goes screwy and needs to be reset. My question, therefore, is what can I buy that will connect to this crappy WiFi and share that connection to the other wireless devices around the home? Would it be possible to use Raspberry Pi or some other small device to do the job? All it has to do is be stable and have an uptime longer than 2 hours. Thanks!" This is the sort of question that most geeks love getting their hands on, because it's a good old-fashioned problem. You'll just have to ignore all of the people who tell your mom to move house instead of coming up with a useful solution. Either way, we did think that perhaps there was a way to share this connection using a hotspot device, but they primarily use Ethernet. As such, we're going to turn this question open to our community for some sage advice. Surely there must be a simple way to do this without depriving Zoe of her Mac Mini?
Daniel Cooper08.31.2013
Ask Engadget: best device locator?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Eric, who needs help overcoming a memory condition with regards his wallet. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hello! I've got a problem whereby I can forget things, and I've lost my wallet on more than one occasion. Naturally, the lack of technology makes it difficult to find, so is there a way I can add a tether (to alert my phone when it goes out of range) or a GPS tracker to save yet more tedious calls to cancel my credit cards? Thanks!" That's an interesting puzzler, and certainly one that we think we should throw straight out to the wider community. What have y'all seen that'd help our friend Eric overcome his burdens and keep his wallet close to hand? You know where to leave your comments.
Daniel Cooper08.24.2013
Ask Engadget: best fitness accessory?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Michelle, who's worried about the lumber she's carrying and if she can be doing more to exercise. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm worried that I don't get enough exercise, or even walk around enough during the working week. I'd love to be able to measure my activity and know when I've had a really slovenly day. Keep up the great work!" Firstly, we'd say that there's no one device that's perfect for everyone. If you want motivation, then Strivv's option of donating cash to charity the more activity you make is a great option. If you want pure data collection, then the Withings Pulse and Fitbit One are more likely to suit your tastes. Then you've got Jawbone's Up and Nike's Fuelband, which offer lifestyle features and stylish hardware to the mix. Of course, that's just our brief summation, now let's turn this over to the commenters and see what they say, eh?
Daniel Cooper08.17.2013
Ask Engadget: what's the lightest laptop with discrete graphics?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Steve, who wants to shed weight but retain power for his next mobile computer. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm a professional motion graphics editor looking for a laptop to take on the road with me. While I like the idea of a Haswell-powered machine, I'm really looking for a machine with proper discrete graphics. Is there an Ultrabook or really light laptop that marries both? Thanks!" Our first thought was to look at Lenovo's W-Series, which offers a 2GB Quadro K2000M on the higher-end models and weighs in at a comparatively svelte 2.61kg. If, however, you want power and the ability to sneakily game while on planes, then there's one of Alienware's 14-inch units, which offer a GeForce GT750M and a weight of 2.7kg. Finally, you could always break the bank with a Retina Macbook, which offers a GeForce GT650M as a build-to-order option but weighs a relatively slender 1.02kg. That's three from us, we bet the Engadget Community can find you something even lighter.
Daniel Cooper08.10.2013
Ask Engadget: best retro gaming / homebrew machine?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Brady, who just wants to play NBA Jam, dammit. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hey, I used to be really into the homebrew and homemade software communities, but times changed and I fell out of the scene. Now I'd like to get back into it, and would love a new device that'll let me play all of these old-school games without having to chop and change -- letting me swap between titles like Mario Kart 64 and NBA Jam without any effort. There are so many new options, from buying an OUYA through to snagging a new PC, so what's my best (and cheapest) bet? Plus, anything that can take a wireless controller is a big plus. Thanks!" Well, we're thinking that if you're prepared to get your hands a little dirty, the OUYA can be turned into an Android-based emulator thanks to its hacking-friendly setup. If that's a bit too rich for your bones, however, you can set up EmulationStation on a Raspberry Pi which will let you run a wide variety of consoles from the same piece of hardware. Still, let's turn this question over to the Engadgeteers for them to share their experiences.
Daniel Cooper08.03.2013Ask Engadget: best outdoor TV?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from John, who is so baller that he wants a TV for his pool and doesn't end his emails with thank you. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm getting ready to have a pool installed and I need a TV for the back porch. I'm looking for something in the 50-inch range that works outdoors, has good viewing angles and backlighting (for the sun) and can handle whatever the weather throws at it. Any suggestions?" We can imagine it now, you, kicking back watching the Superbowl American Idol finals while submerged in a few feet of water as the sun goes down. So, what device should you go for? For starters, there's SunBrite's 46-inch outdoor TV, which'll set you back $2,795, or a 55-inch model, which costs $5,595. You could also paint a wall white and get set up with an outdoor projector, like Panasonic's PT-AE7000U, which we're informed will work outside perfectly well. But that's just our scratching the surface, what about you all chip in with a suggestion or two of your own?
Daniel Cooper07.27.2013