The Sims Protocol is a board that's designed for the freerider in you. I don't usually huck 20ft jumps in the backcountry and most of my riding is around Blue Mountain or near the GTA area, but I wanted a board that could keep up with me. I enjoy speeding down the mountain with the odd jumps here and there, and the Protocol was right under my feet smiling back at me most of the ti...

 To preface this, I'm a NTRP 4.5 player. I hit with a semiwestern grip and a two handed backhand. I string my rackets with polyester, and I like to take big swings at the ball. So for the record, the Liquidmetal Radical seemed like a perfect fit for me. And it was. The orange color scheme of the Radical line is still maintained in this incarnation, using Liquidmetal technology. Th...

 Owing to the death of my MX1000 (reception issues), I was given the opportunity to start a new relationship with a mouse. I felt it hard to let go, as the MX1000 was my favorite mouse I've ever used. As it was still under warranty, I asked Logitech for a replacement, but they discontinued the MX1000 : ( I tried the Revolution, but didn't like how it sat in my hand and double wheel...

 Earbuds are a no nonsense way of getting your music without the added bulk of full sized headphones. Sony's MDR-EX51 offering of in-ear earbuds are designed to seal off outside noise, while giving you rich sound and comfort. At first, these earbuds look good. The simple black and silver scheme aren't too distracting and they won't get dirty. They come with three sizes of ...

 I currently use a Liquidmetal Radical MP and am a 4.5 NTRP player. I heard around the grapevine that the nBlade offering from Wilson played very similarly, so naturally I ran out to get a demo to scoff at anything that could feel like the Radical. I was mistaken, and in a good way. The nCode series of rackets has nanofibres for more stiffness and control. But with that technical mumb...

 Now I don't claim to be Shaun White, but I've had my number of days down the slopes. And those days can be long, so having the right kind of boots helps immensely. Thirty Two is known for making high quality boots, since that's all they know how to do. The 305 was a higher end boot I found near season's end for a great price, and I was not disappointed one bit. I had ...

 SD cards are taking over a large share of the flash memory sector of electronics. They can be used for mp3 players, cameras, PDAs, and even as a USB drive with an adapter. However, they're limited to a maximum size of 2gb, a product of their file formatting, and larger sizes need a different spec. This is where SDHC (HC meaning high capacity) comes in, allowing sizes of 4gb and larger...

 Headphones are a great way to block out the rest of the world (or keep you from disturbing them). Sony's MDR-V300s are a set that are designed for just that in a nice looking but simple package. The silver and black scheme of the headphones are nice and are not too 'loud' (get it) so they wouldn't be an eyesore in public. The over the head style is accomplished with a...

 I love mice. I really do. It's basically physical contact between you and your computer. And you constantly keep in touch with your mouse, so why not get something nice for yourself? Enter the MX1000. At first, it looks big and gaudy, but first impressions aside, it's quite well designed. It's on the heavy side of mice, and if you're used to a lighter mouse, it c...

 With a Sims Protocol in tow, I needed a binding that would keep my boots attached to it (re: bindings). I decided to go with a Sims offering, thinking they'd be the perfect fit. The Sims Carbine were a mid range choice that was a decent one.  The Carbine is plastic for the most part, except for the heel hoop, which is aluminum. The plastic isn't cheap, but doesn't look li...

 Logitech? Don't they make keyboards and mice? Yeah, I dunno either. But it seems their speakers are pretty good, too. The Z-2300s are a THX-certified 2.1 set that have me opening my eyes (and ears I suppose) to Logitech's stance in the audio department. These bad boys are a sexy looking set of speakers. Matte black and silver go really well together on the speakers and sub. T...

 The grip between you and your racket is of utmost importance. After using some overgrips that were tacky, but left me blisters, I decided I needed a much less harsh grip, without sacrificing the solid grip I was looking for. Wilson stepped up to the plate with the Pro Overgrip. Yes, this is the same white overgrip you've seen Roger Federer and Justine Henin dismantle opponents wi...

 I'm sure the Nintendo DS Lite has been reviews, scrutinized, prodded and probed to death already, so I decided to take a look at the little things about the DS Lite that you might not know but wanted to find out from someone who had one. First of all, yes it is smaller than the original DS and is technically better. The screen brightness is better, the size is smaller, and even t...

Desk mics are convenient for a myriad of purposes. Recording memos, talking on skype or even letting your fellow gamers know where you are. The Labtec Desk Mic 524 comes in a no-frills package, getting you audibly connected to your computer with minimal fuss.The grey plastic mic looks unassuming at first, but it won't clash with anything on your desk. It connects with the pink mic port, ins...

 Living in Canada, we get all kinds of weather. Rain, snow, hail, hockey pucks, you name it. Carrying a big bulky jacket around to protect yourself against these elements gets tiring. The North Face figured out a way to resist against Mother Nature in a small, but functional package. The Apex Bionic jacket is a technical and slim fitting shell jacket that is designed with high quality mate...

 With HDTV taking a larger and larger share of the market place, people are becoming more inclined to drop $2k+ on HDTVs, where a $500 CRT used to be. That said, its definitely worth the investment to get that jump in picture quality. I took that jump with the Sony KDF46E2000, a 46" rear projection lcd HDTV with 720p/1080i capabilities. At first look, the design of the tv is very...

 As a student, I frequently have to print notes, lectures, diagrams and various other documents to fill up my educational portfolio. I had an HP inkjet printer that served me so well for 10 years, however buying $35 cartridges became quite a chore. Since I wasn't too big on graphics and photo printing, laser seemed right up my alley. And being a student, cheap was right up my alley as ...

 Digital cameras are a convenient way to keep your memories without too much hassle. The Canon SD800 IS comes in a small package with everything you need for a simple point and shoot camera. The Digital Elph series are known for their solid construction and sleek style and this camera is no exception.  The look of the camera is classy and very functional. A streamlined metal body with...

 USB drives are incredibly convenient, as you can bring data wherever you want, and almost never have to worry about compatibility. Kingmax decided to take the convenience factor that much farther and design the Super Stick, a USB drive that uses half the size of a normal USB connector, in an incredibly tiny package. They currently come in sizes up to 4gb.  Initially looking at the pa...

 Swivel phones are a strange breed. They open up like flip phones and look like candybar phones when closed, yet are different enough to have their own little niche. The Sony Ericsson S710a (an 850mhz compliant quadband GSM phone specifically for the Americas) is one such phone that turns heads whenever I use it. The black scheme of the S710a is a nice finish, with silver D-pad and ac...