We checked out some of OWC’s newest products at CES 2012, including a UL listed in-wall charging unit that sports dual USB ports with auto-shutoff, as well as 10-finger capacitive touch gloves for use on iPads and other multi-touch displays.

LaCie dropped a couple of new Thunderbolt devices at CES 2012.  In addition to the previously announced Little Big Disk, the LaCie 2big sports dual drives for a total of 4TB or 6TB capacities.

The other new Thunderbolt device is an eSATA hub, which features 2 eSATA ports and 2 Thunderbolt ports, which allows for additional Thunderbolt devices to be daisy chained.

No word on pricing yet; however, they should ship first-quarter 2012.

Check out the photos and video below for a closer look.

CES 2012 officially kicked off Sunday evening.  Speck Products was showing off some new products like their new gaming cover and cover with built in stand for the iPhone 4S.  Check out the video below to check it all out.

Ever wish the pesky glare on your MacBook would just go away.  At lease those of us that have a 13 inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or didn’t opt for the anti-glare screen do.  Well, Moshi has the iVisor Pro and iVisor Air anti-glare screen protector as an inexpensive alternative.

The iVisor is a patented technology, multilayer, anti-glare screen protector designed to be 100% bubble free on the first installation and thanks to the polymer adhesive the iVisor can be removed washed and reapplied repeatedly.

From the time I first turned on my 13 inch MacBook Pro I have been irritated by the annoying glare from the glossy screen and Apple doesn’t off the anti-glare option on the 13 inch model or the MacBook Air, but the Moshi iVisor Pro and iVisor Air can take care of the problem.

Upon opening the iVisor Pro I was met with simple instructions and a microfiber cleaning cloth.  After initially cleaning the screen with window cleaner to remove smudges, I wiped it down again with the microfiber cloth, peeled the protective backing from the iVisor and positioned it on the MacBook’s screen.  Once in place, I pressed firmly around the edges and installation was complete.  No bubbles, no fuss and there’s the added protection benefit as well.

Before iVisor.

After iVisor.

As you an see from the pictures above, glare is almost eliminated.  The downside is reduced contrast, but after having gotten use to the iVisor and cranking up the brightness a click or two, I rarely even think about the protector… and I don’t have as much eye strain as before.  Thanks Moshi.

If you are in need of an antiglare solution for your MacBook, check the Moshi iVisor out.  It does the job and for less than $40.

• iVisor for MacBook Pro or MacBook Air from Moshi
• iVisor for MacBook Pro 13 inch and 15 inch or MacBook Air 11 inch and 13 inch from B&H
• iVisor for MacBook Pro 13 inch and 15 inch or MacBook Air 11 inch and 13 inch from Amazon

By clicking the links here on Tech Tilt and making your purchases through our trusted affiliates, B&H and Amazon, you help us to continue to publish quality tests, news and reviews. Thank you for your continued support.

Anyone with a MacBook knows that the aluminum body can get quite hot at the position of the processor especially when pushing the processor during tasks like video editing.  Moshi has a solution to that problem.  The Zefyr 2 is a cooling fan that sits underneath the rear portion of the MacBook and blows air along the underside offering a dramatic temperature reduction.

The Zefyr 2 is constructed of aircraft grade aluminum and finished to match the MacBook Pro and Air, but is not limited to just the Macbook.  Since the Zefyr 2 is USB powered it can be used on pretty much any machine with a USB port.  The attached USB cable provides the power and the plug is designed with an integrated port so that there is no loss in available ports.  Fan speed is controlled by a 3 position selector switch on the back side when open.  When storing the Zefyr 2 the USB cable hides into the body and the whole thing folds in half making a nice small package.  There is even a nice soft case to tuck the Zefyr 2 into for safe storage and travel.

The Zefyr 2 exceeds my quality expectations feeling solid and good looking, like an Apple product.  Just as I began writing this review my 13 inch MacBook Pro had become quite hot, (I was not using the Zefyr 2…shame, shame) so I put the Zefyr 2 into position and within a couple of minutes (literally) quite hot became barely warm on the lowest fan speed.  So far I’ve not found any reason to run the fan speed any higher.  I am sold on the cooling ability.  An added side benefit comes from elevating the rear of the MacBook.  A more comfortable, ergonomic typing position is formed when the Zefyr 2 is in place.

Operation comes it the form of 2 small fans at either end of the body, pushing air out slots on the front allowing a stream of air on both sides of the MacBook to pass continuously for even coverage and will accommodate the MacBook Pro 13, 15 and 17 inch as well as the MacBook Air 13 inch.  The only complaint I have is the noise of the fans.  The noise is not intolerable by any means on the low setting and the tradeoff for a cool MacBook is a no-brainier, however, quieter operation would put the Zefyr 2 over the top.

We all know that heat is the number one enemy of a CPU and left uncontrolled can drastically shorten the lifespan.  If you need to cool a MacBook Pro or Air, the Moshi Zefyr 2 is the perfect companion.

Moshi Zefyr 2 at Moshi

Moshi Zefyr 2 at B&H Photo/Video

Moshi Zefyr 2 at Amazon

By clicking the links here on Tech Tilt and making your purchases through our trusted affiliates, B&H and Amazon, you help us to continue to publish quality tests, news and reviews.  Thank you for your continued support.

Last year at CES I met a company called Quirky.  They help average folks bring their ideas and inventions to life.  Quirky churns out a couple of new products about every week. They have loads of tech gadgets and tons of products that will make everyday life a little easier from the kitchen to the car and everywhere in between.

The image at the top of this post is called the Split Stick, which is a 4GB double-sided USB drive (4GB per side) that lets home and work files stay separate, but still together on one device. I picked this thing up from Quirky at CES back in January, 2011 and it really is great and well made. There is a few days left before Christmas, so I urge you to check out the stuff at Quirky. You might just find something unique for the hard to buy for someone. They’ve got a great website too by-the-way.

The video below quickly explains what Quirky is all about.  If you have an invention idea you can get in touch with them via their site about that also.

Mac users, for a short time B&H has the Western Digital 1TB My Book Studio external hard drive for a $99.95 deal and free shipping.  Western Digital ships this My Book Studio HFS+ Formatted for Mac, is Time Machine compatible and has an aluminum enclosure.  Connection comes in the form of Firewire 800 or USB 2.0 (cables included) and an onboard LCD helps keep tabs on what stored and how much space has been used.  256-bit hardware-based encryption keeps things safe from intruders.

More deals after the jump.

Some other deals worth mentioning are the SanDisk 16GB Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-I memory card,  Nikon 1 V1 mirrorless digital camera (available for pre-order) and the Fujifilm FinePix F600EXR digital camera with prices $49.95, $1,149.95 and $349.95 respectively.

 Engadget reported about this uniquely designed solar charger, shaped like a bonsai tree, which retails for $370.  On the surface, it seems like a great idea, but whether it is efficient (given it’s use is indoors, most indirect than direct sunlight), green (looks like it’s made of plastic), and cost effective (it’s expensive!) remains to be seen.  Nonetheless, it’s a great looking design, if not the most practical.

Coincidentally, I previously bought and reviewed a solar charger from Ebay, made by a Taiwanese company, and cost $24 + shipping.  Feel free to drop by the link below and check out my review of that (much more) portable unit, compared to the tree.

Solar Charger Review, via MyGeekGarage

-via Engadget.

In addition to reading Kindle books on a Kindle (that statement was genius..), there are the Kindle apps for iPhone, Android, and pcs/macs.  Now there’s a cloud based reading app that is integrated into your browser (Safari, Safari for iPad, and Chrome; I/E and Firefox to be released soon).  Other than PDFs, purchased books will not reside on your local hard disk, but in the CLOUDS (insert heavenly music here).  Check out some screen shots after the break:

For those who use Chrome, here’s what the chrome app will look like, as well as shots of the reader app:

Chrome Apps

Kindle Chrome app 'home'

sample page view, turn page via mouse or arrow keys

Customizable screen fonts, margins and background

via Amazon.com

If you need a way to connect a MacBook Pro to an HDTV via HDMI, Moshi has an adapter that will do just that.  The Moshi Mini Display to HDMI adapter supports 1080p video and multi-channel digital audio for the DisplayPort-based MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini or Mac Pro.

When thinking about making the purchase for a HDMI adapter, I thought back to CES 2010 and the Moshi booth I stumbled upon with all the wonderful adapters and accessories geared toward Apple products.  I decided to buy the Moshi adapter for my own MacBook and give it a go along with an inexpensive HDMI cable to tote along wherever I go.  To date the adapter has performed flawlessly and is compact enough to run accessories in adjacent ports with no interference.

Moshi introduced this adapter in mid-2010 to complement the newest DisplayPort Macs and is HDMI v1.3 compliant, so it will work with most any HDMI TV on the market.  Couple this adapter with a Bluetooth keyboard and make work or play a much more comfy proposition while kicking back on the sofa or favorite recliner.  Throw in a BookArc and you’ve got the perfect lazy man’s office setup.

The Moshi HDMI adapter is constructed of seemingly quality components including an aluminum housing to minimize electromagnetic interference and closely matches the MacBook body  While I get a sense of an Apple product, I still feel that it falls just behind what Apple might produce.  With Moshi requiring a premium price, on average two to three times more than other adapters, a bit more attention to detail would put this adapter over the top.  That said, the Moshi Mini Display to HDMI adapter is a complement to the MacBook allowing that HDTV you already have to serve as the second monitor or monster primary display.

I recommend purchasing the Moshi Mini Display to HDMI adapter from Tech Tilt’s trusted online retail partners, B&H Photo/Video and Amazon.