Savvy Duck Reviews

Presenting independent ratings and expert reviews of many of the devices that I've used for Savvy Duck repair work, along with other gadgets, software, and services that I've encountered in my daily life.

The Arcimoto FUV Did you know that there is a startup electric vehicle manufacturer right here in Eugene? After seven years of development, Arcimoto is on the verge of releasing their first product, a three-wheeled electric vehicle. They're starting to make a big splash in the transportation industry, and they intend to use their innovative two-seater to revolutionize the entire concept of personal transportation.

Angry Birds Space Angry birds has been the most successful iOS game series for a long time, and has become very popular on other platforms as well. Their newest release, Angry Birds Space, is their first departure from the traditional physics of the previous games. Read this review to find out if the game holds up to new concepts of weightlessness, gravitational fields, and variable strength of gravity. One thing is for sure: it's a heck of a twist on the Angry Birds genre!

The EVGA GeForce 210 Video Card Low-end video cards can be a good solution for someone looking for graphics capabilities on a budget. However, one needs to be careful, because they are often made cheaply and can be unreliable. EVGA is one of the better-known manufacturers in the video card business, and are often lauded for the reliability and performance of their products. Read this review to find out how their low-end card stacks up and whether it lives up to EVGA's reputation.

Week Calendar iOS App The default iOS calendar is useful, but is not exactly feature-rich. You can't color-code your entries, you can't attach them to contacts, and most noticeably, there is no weekly appointment view. These and other shortcomings are addressed by the app Week Calendar, published by Utilitap. It has an amazing amount of features missing from Apple's calendar app, but some might say that these make the app cumbersome and difficult to use. So is it work the purchase? Read this review and find out.

The Apple iPhone 4S The Apple iPhone, year after year, has been one of the most sought-after products in consumer electronics. However, Apple's latest iteration is a bit less of a leap over the last model than past avances. Do the hardware improvements and the addition of Siri (among other enhancements) give the 4S enough to be worth making the leap to owners of the iPhone 4? Read on and see for yourself.

The Samsung NB30 Plus Netbook Durability isn't a common trait among most consumer netbooks, but the Samsung NB30 line of mobile devices attempts to deliver it in style. Not only is the casing heavily-textured and durable, but there are features inside the device that makes it less prone to damage as well. But how well do these stack up at a netbook price point, and are there any tradeoffs? Read this review to find out.

The TP-LINK TL-WR1043ND Wireless Router Wireless routers are becoming a more and more common household item as wireless tablets, phones, and computers permiate the market. However, there are literally hundreds of choices in routers, from basic to high-end, from simple to complex. One mid-price wireless-N router that claims high-end features and capabilities is the TL-WR1043ND from TP-Link. Read on to find out how well these capabilities truly compare to the rest of the pack.

The IOGEAR GKM561R RF Keyboard Wireless keyboards and mice are useful in many ways, and are becoming more and more common. The IOGEAR GKM561R wireless keyboard combines these two devices into one sleek unit. Never use a mouse again! Read this review to find out how well the built-in trackball really works and what the concept of the keyboard-mouse combination has to offer.

Google+ Social networking is a constantly-changing business, but in the past few years, Facebook has unquestionably dominated the field. Its newest (and strongest) competitor is Google+, which supposedly offers a smoother, uncluttered interface, better privacy, and unique features that will allow users to more easily communicate with their friends and family. Read on to learn how well it really works, and where it might need some improvement.

USB SATA Adapters Compared: The Diablotek EN4433A and the Vantec NexStar CB-SATAU3 With large media files becoming more and more commonplace, it is sometimes helpful to have multiple hard drives. But what if you want to swap them out frequently? Disassembling your computer every time you want to do so is a poor solution, and that's where USB to SATA adapters come in. With the advent of USB 3.0, these devices are becoming very useful. But this is still early in the history of USB 3.0; what kind of performance can we expect? In this review, I compare two adapters that have made it to the general market and show just how they can differ.

Podcaster iOS App Podcasting has been growing more and more as a useful method to deliver audio and video content. Several mobile apps have been developed with the goal of quickly and easily managing droves of podcast content, and one of the first and most feature-rich is Podcaster. Though it has had a tumultuous history, Podcaster has more recently become a huge presence in Apple's app store. But does its success imply that it works well? I'll dig deeper to reveal exactly what this app has to offer.

Netbooks: The HP Mini and the ASUS Eee PC Compared Small, portable computers such as netbooks and tablets are becoming more and more popular these days. In the netbook market in particular, there are an astounding array of choices and often a limited amount of good information about these choices. In this review, I attempt to clear the fog a bit by comparing two netbooks from popular manufacturers, pointing out real-world features and faults that can clear up some of the confusion behind these handy devices.

Device Locator iOS App Mobile app stores contain no shortage of apps designed to allow you to find your phone if lost or stolen, or even to identify the thief and fool them into returning or abandoning the device. However, most of these services require costly monthly fees which can add up over months and years. One notable exception is the Device Locator iOS app. It requires only a small upfront fee and delivers loads of tracking and retrieval features to your device. Read on to find out how well these features work.

Revolve XeMini USB Device Charger Handheld gadgets are a huge convenience, until it comes to charging them. It seems like there is never an outlet handy, and when one is, the adapter is missing. This is here the Revolve XeMini comes in. It acts as both a USB charging adaper for when you do have an outlet handy, and a backup battery for when you don't. It is loaded with features from passthrough data to a high-capacity removable battery to an actual solar panel plastered on the front. I use this review to speak about my experiences with the device, and I tell you just how well these features have worked.

SYBA SY-AUD23018 Bluetooth Bicycle Speakers This handy little gadget is crammed with features that are great for the busy cyclist. It claims to connect to phones and other mobile devices to play music, make calls, and still work well as a headlight. But how well do these features actually work? As someone who likes to commute by bicycle, I use this review to reflect on my experiences with this device and how well its features fit with my busy lifestyle.