|
|
|
BlueAnt S1 Bluetooth Speakerphone Review
August 17, 2009, 8:34 PM by ROB
Posted in BLUETOOTH, REVIEWS, MOBILE | 3666 views
I was totally impressed with BlueAnt's Q1 headset and decided I'd give their S1 speakerphone a try. I'd tried Bluetooth speakerphones in the past with marginal success; I have a very noisy Jeep Cherokee, so midrange products like the SurfaceSound Compact from Contour Design and one of Tenqa's early speakerphones—while great for light use—don't perform well enough in the harsh environment of my 1998 Cherokee.
When I first took the S1 for a ride down the Interstate, I feared the worst—it seemed difficult to hear my callers on the other end of the conversation. Once I got off of the highway and onto city streets, my calls sounded spectacular; the people I was speaking to said I sounded clearer than on my usual headset.
That being said, living in a metro area, I do spend the majority of my commute on the Beltline and that means a lot of Interstate driving.
What's Hot: When I can hear it, call quality is awesome. I've got pretty sensitive hearing, and low-quality speakers on phones and headsets frequently hurt my ears. Even though I'm still pumping phone-quality audio through the speakers, it somehow sounds more like I'm speaking with someone else in the room rather than over a phone. The audio is also louder than any other Bluetooth speakerphone I've used (though not quite loud enough for my vehicle—see above).
The design is nice and the device feels solid. Its visor clip is detatchable to protect it from breakage in case something catches the speakerphone.
Another cool feature is A2DP Stereo Bluetooth for streaming audio. Outside of the car, the S1 has found itself serving as a portable speaker for pumping music from my iPhone.
Like the Q1, the S1 supports multipoint connectivity, but I didn't have a chance to play with the feature.
What's Not: Apart from the volume issue (which is only relevant to people with noisy vehicles like mine), the only complaint I have of the device is how the buttons work for making and placing calls. The "Call" button doubles as the on/off button, so on more than one occasion, I found myself accidentally redialing my phone rather than turning the speakerphone off.
The S1 does have voice answering features and voice dial capability, but I didn't have the opportunity to receive a call with voice and my iPhone doesn't support voice dial.
The Bottom Line: While it's not quite perfect for me thanks to my noisy Jeep, the S1 is the closest Bluetooth speakerphone I've found to being adequate for my needs. Coming in at around $60, it's a great value for the money compared to other models in the same price range.
|
| Comments (3) |
iPhone 3GS on the way!
June 14, 2009, 1:06 AM by ROB
Posted in IPHONE, GADGETS, MOBILE | 586 views
And I want one. Bad. Here's a quick summary of the changes in the new hardware design (if you've been living under a rock lately), prioritized in my concept of importance:
—Improved (3 MP) camera with autofocus and video capability
—More memory (RAM)
—Better processor
—More storage
—Better battery life
Why do I want one? Because I have no life, really. Granted, I really hope the new hardware is jailbreakable.
Speaking of jailbreaking, QuickPWN is giving away an iPhone 3GS on their site. Click through for more info and how to enter.
|
| Comments (1) |
Review: Fusion Case for iPhone 3G
May 13, 2009, 3:08 AM by ROB
Posted in IPHONE, REVIEWS, MOBILE | 462 views
I've been plagued with the hard case/soft case debate since I bought my iPhone 3G last year. On one hand, I appreciate the slim form factor of a soft case; my phone is big enough as it is. On the other, a hard case offers more protection. After a week with the Fusion case from Contour Design, I've (almost) found my happy medium.
In the manufacturer's own words:
| Consisting of more than just plastic and rubber, the Fusion is made of space age polycarbonate skillfully molded around the iPhone 3G then fused with high tech silicone to create a shell more flexible and protective than anything before. |
Well, I wouldn't call it "space age." The "Space Age," after all, began in 1957. I would go as far as calling it "cool," though, as it's certainly one of a kind. Here's the rundown.
Pros: Since it's a combination of both hard plastic and silicone, the Fusion is more durable than the Incipio soft case it replaced. The Incipio case was completely silicone and it wound up tearing after a few months' use. I don't see the Fusion getting damaged in that manner and it keeps the bulk of the phone to a minimum.
Cons: The silicone in the Fusion isn't as "grippy" as other soft cases. Some might call that a benefit, but I certainly miss it; the grip I've enjoyed in other hard cases helps keep my phone reasonably secure in the car, on tables, and in my pocket. Since the Fusion's silicone is tougher and glossier than other soft cases, it is a little prone to scratching, but it's better than the phone itself going all wonky.
The Verdict: The Fusion is, to me, the best of both worlds, combining the form factor of a soft case with the durability of a hard case. It's available for both the iPhone 3G and the iPod Touch 2G, so no one gets left out (except those "old" iPhone users, but they should probably upgrade to 3G anyway). At $29.95, it's priced comparably with other cases, so if you're looking for something both durable and slim, it's a good buy.
Our score: 4/5 (Above Average)
|
| Comments (0) |
iPhone OS 3.0 Beta 5 Released
May 07, 2009, 1:30 AM by ROB
Posted in IPHONE, MOBILE | 1051 views
iPhone OS 3.0 Beta 5 has been released, breaking Apple's two week release cycle. To me, that either means there was a huge bug in Beta 4 that I haven't found yet or that we're quickly coming up on a final release. I shan't be upgrading right away on the following bases.
1.) I just spent the past 15 minutes installing Myst and I'm really itching to play it. Like right now.
2.) I'm not prepared to sacrifice my jailbreak in the name of journalism at this time.
3.) I'm busy upgrading 3 PCs to Windows 7 RC.
4.) Discussion on Gizmodo indicates that Beta 5 breaks MMS and, although I don't use MMS, I'm not prepared to find out what else it might break (*cough* tethering).
I'll jump on the boat after I get bored with Myst. Until then, party's over here.
|
| Comments (0) |
QuickPWN Added, Removed from App Store
May 06, 2009, 3:09 AM by ROB
Posted in IPHONE, MOBILE | 456 views
The publisher of iPhone tech blog QuickPWN announced this morning that his latest web app—a mobile version of the QuickPWN site—had been approved by Apple's app store. By the end of the day, it had been removed.
No surprise, really. Apple's application approval (App's app app?) process is flawed at best. I can see the reviewers in Cupertino now going nuts over the news that they let QuickPWN slip through their all-knowing security defenses (just like Baby Shaker did). As for the reason it was pulled, no one outside of those offices knows for sure, but it's probably safe to say that it's because the site just happens to share a name with one of the most popular jailbreaking tools known to man.
It's interesting to note that, by the developer's own admission, he is not affiliated with the iPhone Dev Team and does not develop jailbreaks.
» Via QuickPWN
|
| Comments (0) |
iPhone OS 3 Beta 4 Gets Pwnage Treatment
May 02, 2009, 7:03 PM by ROB
Posted in IPHONE, SOFTWARE, MOBILE | 521 views
QuickPWN 3.0 Beta 4 has been released, enabling jailbreaking the latest beta release of Apple's iPhone OS. If Apple continues to follow their two-week release schedule, we can expect Beta 5 to arrive on or about May 12.
This is an unofficial release; QuickPWN's quick turnaround on jailbreak releases come with the following caveats:
| iPhone 3G users, if you want to keep your yellowsn0w unlock then don’t use this. This is BETA firmware, you will definitely have problems and a lot of jailbroken app will not work with it yet. |
You can download the software here.
UPDATE: Looks like all of the essentials are working exactly as with jailbreaks on previous betas—Icy is present (though I miss the absence of Cydia), video apps such as Cycorder won't work, and neither will MobileSubstrate. Granted, these probably won't be updated until a stable release.
» Via @QuickPWN
|
| Comments (0) |
iPhone OS 3.0 Beta 4 Released
April 28, 2009, 10:17 PM by ROB
Posted in MOBILE | 484 views
Following their two-week release cycle, Apple has released iPhone OS 3.0 Beta 4 to developers. Details to follow once I have a chance to play with it.
UPDATE: After playing with the new update, here are some of the improvements I've found:
1.) Fixed the Stuck Pixel glitch I had with Beta 3
2.) Fixed weird glitches when switching between a phone call and music over a Stereo Bluetooth headset
3.) Corrected some random keyboard/phone keypad errors
4.) GREATLY improves the speed at which Safari, mail, and SMS apps switch from portrait to landscape mode on my device.
5.) Seems to have fixed a lot of freezing/crashing issues. I'll have to test further to tell.
» Via @QuickPWN
|
| Comments (1) |
iPhone OS 3 Beta 3 Released, Pwned
April 16, 2009, 2:24 PM by ROB
Posted in MOBILE | 447 views
Two days ago, Apple released the latest update to iPhone OS 3.0 Beta: Beta 3. QuickPWN Beta 3 was released this afternoon, enabling jailbreaking of the update.
This is an unofficial release, meaning it wasn't developed by the iPhone Dev Team. If you're interested in unlocking your phone to use it on unauthorized carriers, wait for the
official release.
According to the QuickPWN Team:
| The latest iPhone 3.0 beta 3 firmware has noticeably improved in speed and performance so it’s worth the update. |
I'll be updating this afternoon :)
» Via QuickPWN
|
| Comments (0) |
Palm Pre Seen Out In The Wild
April 14, 2009, 3:14 PM by ROB
Posted in MOBILE | 392 views
Boy Genius Report posted pics yesterday of a pair of Palm Pre smartphones out in the wild. A sneaky paparazzo photographer caught a couple of people—who apparently weren't all that impressed with the handsets when they got them—using the devices in a very public space.
» Via BGR
|
| Comments (0) |
Contour Design METAL BT Headset
April 14, 2009, 1:34 AM by ROB
Posted in REVIEWS, MOBILE | 895 views
Since I got my hands on the Plantronics Discovery 925 Bluetooth headset, I've had a tough time reviewing other headsets; the Discovery is just too... perfect. When the Contour Design METAL headset showed up in my mailbox, however, I was pleasantly surprised. The headset looks sharp, packs light, and delivers decent call quality for a mid-range headset.
The METAL headset has a lightweight aluminum body, giving it a pretty hot design with not a lot of bulk. It looks good—Contour Design did a great job of making the product attractive (and the packaging is well-done, too). While a lightweight frame is important to me, however, one of the drawbacks of the aluminum is that it feels a little cheap and prone to scratching/bending. I dropped it on the ground and the headset's surface became noticeably scuffed. The majority of the scratches came out with a little bit of buffing from my shirt tail, but I wouldn't subject it to too much abuse.
The call quality on the unit was nice—comparable to other headsets in the same range (like the Motorola H690), but it delivered superior comfort over the H690. The in-ear design was far more comfortable for me than that of the Motorola unit as it has a much smaller earpiece.
The METAL headset is a decent buy if you're looking for a mid-range Bluetooth headset—and I certainly wouldn't recommend anything below "mid-range." For the picky buyers out there, it's going to come down to how rugged your headset needs to be. If there's any chance of it falling into a blender, getting run over by a car, etc., I don't think this sucker would hold up. If you're careful with your equipment—unlike myself—snag this headset while you can.
|
| Comments (0) |
Warning: mysql_num_rows(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /homepages/13/d279358895/htdocs/gadgetgrounds.com/html/modules.php on line 370
| |
|
 Subscribe
Find Something
What's New?
Groundskeepers
»Rob Laughter | Blog
»Ethan Lee | Blog
Blogs we like
Gizmodo
Engadget
Coolest Gadgets
Gizmo Watch
OhGizmo!
Boone NC Web Design
|
