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Gadgets and gear

Here are reviews and previews of the hottest tech toys, as well as coverage of military gear you can buy to supplement your military-issue kit. You’ll find weekly updates on the best gadgets, as well as reviews of military gear ranging from knives and gloves to goggles and guns.

DualView camera makes taking your own pic easy
In the social-networking age of Twitter and Facebook, lots of people snap self-portraits for online profiles and such. Samsung has designed a digital camera that promises to make it much easier to...
Sacred steel
Exactly 2,979 days after the World Trade Center fell, and not far from Ground Zero, the Navy’s newest warship was commissioned with more than 7 tons of steel recovered from the Twin...
Cutting-edge ’hawks
Referenced by the American military as far back as 1757 in the 28 orders of Robert’s Rangers, the tomahawk has seen a resurgence in popularity as an effective weapon and useful battlefield...
Tactical Snuggie?
Get on board the hottest train in fashion with your very own camouflage Snuggie. Perfect for keeping yourself warm in your drafty shop — while also staying tactical — the fleece Snuggie...
Sony’s new Reader is intriguing
Amazon’s Kindles get most of the ink when it comes to e-books. But virtual bookshelves are more crowded than ever thanks to new entries from rivals. Sony, which has been at this for a while,...
Turn LPs into MP3s — and other new gadgets
Whether you’re nostalgic for albums or eager to experience traditional sounds, the Audio-Technica AT-LP2D-USB LP-to-Digital Recording System can bring old records to life. Designed to connect...
Take your best shot
Sgt. Brendan Mackie, a history junkie who loved studying old military photographs even as a kid, realized when he deployed to Iraq in 2007 that it would be his shot at recording history.
The essential gear
Ready to start snapping? If you have aspirations for National Geographic covers, you can spend thousands, but if you’re just trying to capture the moment, it doesn’t take a lot to get...
To shoot or not to shoot?
Not sure when it’s OK to break out your camera while deployed?
Tips for getting the shot
Coming back from deployment with decent shots can be easy if you follow a few basic principles, courtesy of some professional shooters. Find which category you fit into and work on these skills:
Sony plans a Kindle rival with wireless downloads
Want to take “Band of Brothers” with you on your next deployment but don’t feel like lugging around all 336 pages? Your choice of e-book readers just got wider now that Sony is...
Samsung debuts dual-screen cameras
Thanks to a dual screen on Samsung’s TL225 DualView Camera, photographers finally get to say cheese. In addition to having a 3.5-inch wide-screen touch display on the back, the camera also has...
5 insider tips for iTunes users
Thanks to the iPod, iTunes is among the most popular music programs. We use it to manage our music and movies. But, chances are, you aren’t getting all you can from iTunes.
Navigon app for iPhone hits bumps
Many applications on the iPhone take advantage of knowing where you are. But despite GPS (and other location-based technologies), it’s only relatively recently that apps have appeared on the...
A gift of a gift
If you can’t celebrate your anniversary this year with a romantic dinner — or even (whoops!) a last-minute bouquet — because you’re busy fighting a war halfway around the...
Troops get top priority for Google Voice
Google is building buzz for its new call management system by offering a preview to one communicationally challenged demographic: the military.
Army lifts Web 2.0 blockade, for some
Try to look at the Army’s new Facebook page. Or check out the Navy’s YouTube Channel or follow the Air Force’s steady stream of Twitter tweets. If you’re on a government...
‘Shifty Memorial Monday’
An e-mail written in tribute to the passing of a humble World War II veteran has gone viral, spurring a slew of memorial pages on Facebook and other social media sites, including a flurry of Twitter...
The e-mail
We’re hearing a lot today about big splashy memorial services.
About Facebook
The brass are blogging, friending and tweeting. And they want you to join in.
Front-line tweeting tells war’s story, in brief
In a recent post from his forward operating base on the frontier of Pakistan, Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Rex Temple details the trials and tribulations of the Afghan National Army troops his unit...
Social media — the good, bad and ugly
Social media is ideal for troops who have friends all over but don’t have the time to call or e-mail them individually, Army blogger Sgt. Selena Coppa says. “It’s a great way to...
Two new riffs on radio hit flat notes
You love your HDTV and MP3 player. But your heart belongs to radio.
Consider these five GPS units under $200
The nuvi 265T ($180) features a 3.5-inch screen and Bluetooth functionality. It includes maps for all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada, with more than 6 million points of interest. You’ll get...
Love @ first byte
Krystina Perry wasn’t looking for love. The self-proclaimed Army brat signed up for an account with MilitaryLoveLinks.com in 2007, she said, so she could find a pen pal. When she signed into...
10 great gifts for Dad
He’s got a garage full of tools, but does he have a camouflage recliner? This year, get creative and give Dad one of these thoughtful and unique gifts that let him share his service pride, make...
Father’s Day from afar
If the father in your life happens to be deployed this Father’s Day, here are a few ideas to help bring him closer to home, if only in his mind:
Grill instructor
Your complete guide to summer sizzle is only a click away.
New Products: Shoot like a pro with Sony’s digital SLRs
Sony’s new digital SLR cameras aren’t just for serious shooters. Equipped with a built-in screen guide, the digital SLR cameras make it easier for point-and-shoot photographers to make...
7 great tech freebies you’ll actually use
Free iPods! Free TVs! Free money! Unfortunately, these online offers are almost certainly scams. I’m using the word “almost” because I haven’t checked every single one.
Home phone calls likely answered on cell
WASHINGTON — In a high-tech shift accelerated by the recession, the number of U.S. households opting for only cell phones has for the first time surpassed those that have only traditional...
New tech products allow ease of access to your music
It’s a beautiful day and you’re in the park, multitasking while listening to music or e-mailing colleagues. What do you do when the power for your iPhone or iPod starts running down, and...
Save money with a netbook
Netbooks, which are much like laptops, only smaller and less powerful, are becoming more and more common these days. And they can save you a bundle over the cost of a full-featured laptop.
Update your grilling tools as the season begins
There’s nothing like the smell of grilling food to make a person hungry. Make sure your warm-weather dinner tastes its best with a new grill and some additional accessories.
USO in a Box
You no longer have to stop in to your nearest USO center to find a piece of home, kick up your feet and relax. The United Service Organizations has spent more than a million dollars to deliver home...
Here comes the sun
Oh, the weather outside is ... wait a minute, how is the weather outside? To determine whether it really will be frightful out there, more and more people are turning to wireless weather stations and...
Military ‘Man Caves’
Man Cave: (man kav) n. The ultimate indoor playground where men can be boys.
10 tips for the perfect ‘Man Cave’
Courtesy of licensed contractor Jason Cameron, here are 10 tips for building your own ultimate “Man Cave”:
Airman’s playlist earns camo guitar
Congratulations to Air Force Staff Sgt. Sean McGowan, who sent us his iPod playlist and won a random drawing for a Dean Vendetta digital camo electric guitar. McGowan was selected from nearly 200...
Don’t get burned
Peer into any family’s closets and you’ll find the tokens of previous holidays. Scented candles. Reindeer sweaters. A stuffed bass that sings “You Are My Sunshine.”
Pride at play
If you’re looking to instill some esprit de corps in your little soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines this holiday season, we’ve done the shopping for you. From tactical gear to...
Flippin’ sweet
LAMAR, Colo. — At festivals, funerals and graduations, the distinct sputter of their 9-cylinder radial engines indicates an approach.
Gifts for gearheads
We know what serious gearheads want for Christmas: more horsepower, more chrome, and more turbochargers — preferably on a brand-new ride that’s sparkling in their driveway. Oh, and a...
Gotta-have gear
The best thing about the gargantuan military expositions held every year near the nation’s capital is not always the “million-dollar systems” for use on the battlefield. It’s...
From dog tags to DNA
In the days before the Civil War, U.S. service members who died in battle usually remained nameless in mass graves — if they were buried at all.
Credit Matters
Among the debates that tend to vex shoppers, there’s one standby: Credit or debit?
Flickr’s ‘Common’ site lets photo buffs play history detective
A collaboration between the Library of Congress and the Internet photo-sharing community Flickr is giving photography enthusiasts a chance to play history detective.
Who’s watching you?
Wireless spy cameras. Eavesdropping bugs. GPS tracking gadgets. All of these things may have once seemed far-fetched, or Special Forces-only sort of gear. But now they not only exist, they’re...
New military-themed comics finding homes on the Internet
Beetle Bailey may be well-loved, but he’s what the Pentagon calls “legacy technology” — a laugh-delivery system left over from an era before today’s joint, net-centric...
Gear gone wild
SOMEWHERE NEAR FREMONT STREET — Ahhh Vegas, home to bright lights, bad girls and big paydays, especially on Super Bowl weekend. Generally what happens here stays here, but considering the...
Bright ideas
These products will light up your life.
Scope out these optics
The expression may be cliché, but it is so true: What you see is what you get. In a firefight, nothing is more important than the ability to quickly and accurately put your eyes on a target...
Add-ons help you go great guns
Gunslingers will take note of three new grips and ammo holders for ’08. The lowdown:
Sweat-wicking, grime-kicking garb
Of all the slick stuff on display at SHOT Show, the new garb was far and away the slickest: gritty ballistic goggles, tough-as-nails tactical gloves, European underpants (that’s right,...
Blades that mean business
A quality knife must be well-designed and finely crafted, dependable in the direst of circumstances. Here are some interesting steel surprises, by manufacturer, for 2008:
Give your gear a home
Sure, all these new knives and tools are great — but have you thought about where you’re going to stash that trash? After all, those fancy britches of yours have only so many pockets, and...
Many jobs, one tool
For 2008, advancements in multi-tools are going beyond the standard knife/plier tweaks. Lighter, redesigned models abound, and hooks are hot.
Soldiers get new winter glove
The Army has retooled its standard winter glove to wrap soldiers’ hands in ski-glove comfort.
A gearhead gift list
Buying gifts for a gearhead is easy — if you’re a gearhead. But what if you have no clue what to buy for your four-wheel-minded (or two-wheel-minded) significant other? No worries....
High tech holiday
There you are, roaming the local shopping mall. Cell phone stuffed in your britches, some suave-looking Bluetooth latched to your skull.
Gear for Grunts
More than 300 gear vendors set up shop at Quantico Marine Corps Base, Va., for three days to show off their latest and greatest toys for your combat kit. Marine Corps Times scoped out the terrain...
New utility trousers feature built-in tourniquets
NORFOLK, Va. — Seeing a man bleed to death while trapped in a Humvee in Afghanistan was a moment of inspiration for Dr. Keith Rose.
Gear test: Hydration systems
When the mercury is nearing the triple-digit mark, training for your next physical fitness test isn’t as simple as just lacing up your running shoes. Forget your fluids and you’re a...
Gunning for varmints
Semiautomatic variants of the M16 and M4 are increasingly popular in the varmint hunting world. In its .223 Remington counterpart, the NATO 5.56mm round enjoys an enduring niche as a leading varmint...
New slings offer more options
With so many rifle slings available for the M16 and M4, the days of the standard-issue, two-point canvas web sling are long gone. Now, how you choose to carry your weapon into combat is largely a...
Predator shell is tough enough for battlefield
Soft shells are all the rage, with outdoor outfitter stores so packed that you feel like you’re squeezing your way through to the open bar at a Jacques Cousteau cocktail party. But when it gets...
Spec.-Ops Brand offers simple, durable ruck
For all the room it offers, your standard-issue combat rucksack sometimes isn’t quite enough to haul all your gear to the field.
Ultimate Ears: Big sound, small package
It’s all about the sound.
4 ways to be seen — and safe
Most of the time, you’re in the business of finding the enemy before he finds you. And you’re pretty good at it.
Pistol makers offer tactical .45s
For a while — a very, very brief while — the M9 pistol finally looked like a goner. In August 2005, the Army and Special Operations Command announced their aim of buying as many as...
Triple threat: Hot multitools
ORLANDO, Fla. — We thought everything that could be done to a multitool had been done, but they surprised us yet again.
3 new ways to refuel for the fight
ORLANDO, Fla. — Looking for a quick fix of caffeine or electrolytes to keep you going on deployment but don’t have the space to lug around a case of Red Bull or Gatorade?
Only the organized survive
Unless you’re a seasoned special operator, you’re probably stuck hauling your standard-issue gear to war in the one-size-fits-all MOLLE pack. But, if you’re looking for some smaller...
New tech toys
Here’s an overview of the latest gadgets to hit the market:
The clothes that make the warrior
ORLANDO, Fla. — Admit it -— you’re about as picky about your clothes as the boys from OutKast.
Doublewide gear guide
ORLANDO, Fla. — We like big stuff and we cannot lie. Monster trucks. Twelve-ounce Red Bulls. Double Stuf Oreos.
6 reasons to love leftovers
ORLANDO, Fla. — For the sake of our more sensitive readers, we’ll just call this our “rat junk” box.
New sights make every shot count
ORLANDO, Fla. — We’re big fans of iron sights. Generally dork-proof and hard to break, iron sights have been spreading democracy for decades. You can leave them turned on 24/7 without...
Give yourself an extra edge in battle
ORLANDO, Fla. — There are few pieces of gear that are more personal than a knife.
Shine on, you crazy flashlight
ORLANDO, Fla. — What we wouldn’t give for a set of night-vision contact lenses. Wander into your favorite gear store and you’re bound to find umpteen million flashlights in every...
Best of Day 4: Butterflies, bigfoots and bags
Day 4 Video: Jani-Song – Bigfoot Bag - Sleeka
Find of the day: Get a grip
ORLANDO, Fla. — Those paw-covers you’re wearing may fit like a glove right now, but have you tried throwing them in the wash to get the funk out?
SHOT Show’s best of day 3: Losing weight
ORLANDO, Fla. — You can’t always take it with you when you go.
BugBand: The SHOT Show find of the day
ORLANDO, Fla. — It may seem like the human equivalent of Fido’s flea collar, but the makers of the BugBand might be on to something with their insect-repellent bracelet.
Find of the day: Death around the corner
ORLANDO, Fla. — Warning: Objects in mirror are closer to death than they appear.
SHOT Show — Best of Day 2
Video: M&P45 –
Find of the day: Beating blisters
ORLANDO, Fla. — File this cool find of the day under “fighting fire with fire.”
SHOT Show — Best of Day 1
Video: Kroma Milspec – T-1 Micro – GPS02
The only gear show that really matters
ORLANDO, Fla. — Let the world have its cars and gadgets — there’s only one trade show happening this week as far as we’re concerned.
New products: MP3 case speaks for itself
Have a tech question? YourTechOnline.com provides free video advice on basic topics, such as how to perform better Internet searches and speed up your...
Computer-powered chiller puts your drinks on ice
The CoolIT Beverage Chiller is even better than ice. Plug the beverage chiller into a USB port on a computer, a Microsoft Xbox 360 or a Sony PlayStation2...
New products: USB hub lets you go wireless
Need a discreet way to listen to music at work or school? Try on a pair of in-the-ear earphones from Etymotic Research. Designed to fit comfortably in your...
New Products: Adapter boosts iPod’s running time
The iTurbo charge adapter gives you the power to keep on listening to your favorite music when your Apple iPod’s battery is running low. Simply plug...
New gadgets: Backpacks get charge out of sun
If the sun’s out, you can charge your cell phone while hiking with Reware’s Juice Bag. Equipped with a solar panel and a socket for a car...
New gadgets: Delphi offers portable GPS device
Drivers who share cars will appreciate the portability of the NAV200, a pocket-size Global Positioning System navigation device that can easily be moved from...
New gadgets: Free software helps families organize
Cozi Central promises to turn your computer into a Command Center that can help your family get organized. Available as a free download, the software service helps...
This boot dryer can save your feet
Ever had trench foot? It's probably one of the most painful -- and most easily prevented -- conditions an outdoorsman or field soldier can suffer.
Great gear for combat or camping
With a bottomless wallet and a team of pack mules, you could bring enough equipment to fill every conceivable need or want you might have in the field.
10 new must-haves: knives, goggles, lights and more
It takes a lot to get us to walk right past a big-and-bad vehicle bristling with weapons. The new Stryker light- armored vehicle with the 105mm cannon? Missed it.
Brew coffee in your Nalgene bottle
There's no such thing as "bad" coffee when the suck-factor is high.
Gellin', tactical style
Your hands are filthy. Dirtier than Paris Hilton's home movies, even.
Emergency kit packs a .500 kick
When the folks at Smith & Wesson make an emergency survival kit, they don’t screw around. Fire-starter, saw, whistle, signal mirror, .500 Magnum pistol, compass, Mylar blankets, folding knife.
New GPS units not just for directions
Millions of Americans have finally traded the folded gas station map in the glove compartment for a handy Global Positioning System unit.
Plugged in
You worked hard all year so you can afford to buy toys for your little troops this holiday season. Now it’s your turn. We found some of the newest, techiest and coolest products on the market...
Tech gadgets galore for 007s and others
If Santa wasn’t as kind as you’d hoped, you might consider treating yourself to one of these new tech toys.

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