This morning, we’ve updated our Blu-ray player selection for the first time ever!

The past year has seen amazing price drops and technical advances in the wonderful world of Blu-ray. After the high-def disc format finally stomped HD-DVD, more manufacturers focused on Blu-ray. They continue to cut costs, drive down prices and give us better products. Mmm…we love it!

But this also means even more options for you! More choices, more techie features, more headaches! Don’t get too stressed out, though, because we’re hear to help!

Announcing the new, improved and Kallow-approved Samsung Blu-ray player.

Isn’t she sexy? Let’s count the ways we love the Samsung BD-P1600.

1. Beautiful, full HD 1080P Blu-ray disc playback
2. Upsampling of standard DVDs makes them look better than ever
3. Stream over 12,000 Netflix movies and TV shows instantly, directly to your TV
4. Stream your favorite music and discover new artists with built-in Pandora internet radio support

If you’ve been waiting to hop on the Blu-ray train, now might be the right time for you. For more information, visit our Blu-ray Disc Player page.

Digital cameras have come a long way.

My first digital camera was an Olympus that weighed like a brick in my hand, and recorded onto a 3.5″ floppy disk! I think each disk could store about six photos before becoming full.

Now, photos from mobile phones kick the tar outta that camera’s results. All the while, prices continue to drop for your standard point and shoot, as well as digital SLR, cameras.

As prices fall and cameras improve, more and more people are turned onto photography. Today, it’s so easy to grab your little PowerShot, throw it in your bag, snap a few shots, and preserve your memories forever.

One of the most common questions we’re asked here at Kallow is whether a newcomer to digital photography should start simply with a point and shoot camera, or dive head first into the DSLR world.

Our answer depends on a couple factors.

First, what all do you intend to shoot with the camera?

For someone interested in taking photos of your newborn, or of all the fun nights out with your friends, or of the wonderful places you travel to, a point and shoot will be more than enough.

Every year, we are amazed at the developments in compact cameras. Today, image quality rivals that of professional DSLRs, at a fraction of the cost and in a much smaller, more convenient package (don’t underestimate dragging that DSLR around your neck everywhere!)

But for the budding photographer, who is a bit more serious about the art, we say ‘Go for the DSLR!’

Entry-level DSLRs, such as the Canon XSi, provide an incredible opportunity to learn photography like a pro. The cameras are easy to use, very affordable and tons of fun.

As your hobby grows and develops, you have the option of purchasing new lenses to allow for different types of shots, such as wide-angle, or telephoto (great for capturing breathtaking sports action shots).

We sure hope this helps. If you have a question, you can always Ask Kallow.

Ahh…memorial day. The neighborhood pool, brats on the grill, a cold beer in the hand. What else could you need?

We can think of a few things!

This weekend, don’t forget your:

GPS unit. Before you have any fun, you gotta get there first! And the best way to get there is with the kick-ass Garmin Nuvi 255W.

iPod and iPod Speakers. It’s Summer time! Turn up the tunes! Bring the speaker dock on the patio, in the boat, or by the volleyball court.

Digital camera or DSLR. Crazy uncle drink a little too much and getting near the edge of the boat? Don’t miss a shot! Be ready with either the great Canon PowerShot SD890IS or the professional-quality Canon Digital Rebel XSi.

Leave the laptop at home and go have some fun! See ya next week!

One of the most viewed product categories on Kallow is the earbud page.

Currently, we recommend the excellent and affordable Sennheiser CX300s, which are miles above and beyond the standard, white buds that come packaged with most MP3 players.

There is something unique about these Sennheisers: their wires are unequal in length. The right bud’s wire is about twice as long as the left ear’s. So, we’re often asked, what’s up with that?

While most headphones and earbud cables rest in front of the body, in a Y-shape, the CX300s are designed to be worn as a J-shape.

To be worn properly and comfortably, insert the left earbud first. Then, take the longer cord leading to the right earbud, and instead of running it in front of your neck, wrap it around the backside of your neck and insert it into your right ear. This will form a “J-shape,” instead of the more common Y.

This is especially great when exercising. No more annoying wire getting in the way when you’re pumping iron or jogging outside in the beautiful summer weather!

Check out the Sennheiser CX300 earbuds now.

Happy Thursday everyone!

Many Kallowers often wonder the process by which products are selected here on the site. How can we recommend just one product? What all goes into the final decision?

Ease-of-use is one of the most important considerations. If our moms can’t figure it out, we’ll likely rule it out immediately. What good is a fun new toy if you can’t play with it? Fortunately, manufacturers are finally catching on. The Flip camera is a great example of this.

Naturally, price is also important. While some shoppers enjoying being on the bleeding edge where price isn’t a factor, we know that 90% want something that won’t break the bank. A good balance of features and price is paramount for a Kallow product.

We also only stand behind products that prove themselves valuable, durable and usable over time. If you buy a new digital camera, it should last you at least a few years. To us, having a reliable product is more important than having the latest and greatest.

When you buy a new gadget, what do you look for? Leave a comment, or follow us on Twitter!

You’ve probably noticed that Apple holds the sanctified Kallow stamp-of-approval for three categories here on the site. We recommend the Macbook for a laptop, the iMac for a desktop computer and the Airport Extreme for a great, mostly stress-free wireless router.

So, we’re often asked, what gives?

Is Kallow a shill for Mr. Jobs? Are we taking a firm side in the epic, decade-spanning war between the Mac and the PC?

Simply, no. Incessant bickering about specs, customization and benchmarking bores us to tears.

For most people, a computer is just a machine. It needs to compute; to hop on the internet, to process words, to check email. It needs to do these things quickly and easily, without getting in the way.

A good wireless router needs to take an internet connection and broadcast it, and this needs to be done without bothering the user with NAT, IP addresses, ports or firewalls. Bleh!

At Kallow, we appreciate simplicity. So far, we’ve found that Apple does too. Their products are easy to setup, easy to use and easy to maintain. We feel confident recommending them.

We know the Mac isn’t for everyone. In the future, we even plan on adding a PC desktop category. But if you don’t know what is for you, we think you’ll be more than happy with our selections.

In the meantime, you know that we are always looking for a better product (the updated Linksys wireless routers are a huge improvement, and we are totally in love with this ASUS netbook).

Sometimes we come across a product that wows us with its simplicity and innovation, but we can’t yet find a proper place for it in the Kallow family.

We’d like to introduce you to the Peek Pronto, a brand new, super simple, Kallow-approved portable messaging device.

Want to take your email and text messaging on-the-go with you, but don’t want to complexity and expense of a smartphone? The Pronto may be just right for you. Send unlimited messages from anywhere in the country for twenty bucks a month. Unlike other mobile service providers, there are no contracts, no hidden charges and no unfriendly fees. We like that.

With its big, bright, colorful screen and full QWERTY keyboard (just like the one on your computer), the Pronto is easier to use than any smartphone we’ve played with. It can connect with all the popular email providers, including Gmail, Yahoo and AOL and can even download and view email attachments, like images or documents. Rad.

Oh, and we love the price too…$79. Nice.

You can pre-order now at Amazon, or order soon at getpeek.com.

Have questions about the Pronto? Leave a comment or send us a message.

There is a reason why the clockface remains unchanged after thousands of years: it works.

Tell that to the Kisai Sensai (via engadget), an ugly, over -complex, aluminum wristwatch that looks like something I might find at the bottom of my neglected/useless toy bin at age six. 

This is a regression from the sundial. I’m straining my brain attempting to foresee any worthwhile innovations in the basic functionality of the wristwatch, but if you’ve got $180 to burn and a yearning to learn a secret robot wristwatch code to figure out what time it is, order yours today.

We use some Sony products here at Kallow (we recommend their simple upscaling DVD player), but they’ve never quite gotten it right in the Point & Shoot Digicam department.

This article from the wonderful Wired Gadget Lab confirms that Sony still believes that more colors and more confusing model names are what most consumers demand.

Sony has backed up the Cybershot delivery truck in front of our doors, opened the back and dumped a gazillion new camera models out the back. In total, there are five new Cybershots, and they are fairly indistinguishable in features and, aside from the H20, they all look pretty similar, too.

Head on over to the Gadget Lab for the full article.

We’ve just got our hands on this piece of shit, and believe us, it sucks. We’ll spare you our review and let our friends at the Onion News Network tell it like it is.