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.
If your desk looks anything like mine, real estate is practically non-existent. I typically have to brush aside a half dozen empty soda cans to fit my keyboard on it, let alone my mouse. Enter the Weramouse: a wireless, hand-held pointing device that mates a Wii Nunchuck with a trackball mouse.
The Weramouse features dual right-click buttons (to accommodate both right- and left-hand users), a trackball, a scroll wheel, and a trigger-style left-click button. After a quick charge with the included mini-USB charging cable, I connected the wireless dongle to my computer and started using the device.
You're going to love the Weramouse if you can satisfy two conditions. First, you don't have no flat surface readily available. Second, you need a mouse for something other than day-to-day use. For me, it was my home theater setup; I could control my media with my media remote, but switching applications (like switching between BeyondTV and, say, an NES emulator) required far more movement than I'm typically willing to expend. I tried other wireless mice, but they were all too cumbersome for using from the couch without a book or lap desk. Using the Weramouse, I could lay back, relax, and still manage my HTPC.
I wouldn't use the Weramouse for all-day use; if you use a computer as much as I do, the trackball would probably give you a nasty case of "oh-crap-my-thumb-hurts-itis."
It's great for applications like a home theatre PC and light gaming (check out the branded Poker Mouse).
The Q1 headset is BlueAnt's latest voice-enabled Bluetooth headset. The Q1 features a full set of voice commands for button-free operation and a sleek "gunmetal" finish in addition to the standard fare of mid- to high-end modern headsets: voice isolation technology, quick pairing, and multipoint technology.
What's Hot: Hands down, the Q1's most distinguished feature is its voice-enabled features. Turning on the headset for the first time, users are greeted by a set of voice prompts guiding them through the pairing process, eliminating the need for complicated button combinations when pairing the device with a phone. Once paired, the headset runs users through a crash-course on its voice commands before turning them loose to use the device on their own.
The voice commands are totally awesome. Since I ditched my Windows Mobile AT&T 8525 for my iPhone, I've sorely missed my voice-dialing ability, especially in conjunction with my headset. The Q1 gives me that freedom back. In the car, I don't have to take my eyes off of the road to answer a call; the Q1 alerts me to an incoming call and gives me the option to say "answer" or "ignore." To pair the device with a second phone, simply say "pair me" at the voice prompt. You can hear a list of commands by saying "What can I say?"
The headset's dual-microphone noise-cancelling technology identifies background noise and processes it to two degrees: "standard" and "maximum" noise reduction. The two modes can be changed on-the-fly during a call by pressing the headset's main button. I've had problems with other headsets picking up too much background noise (especially when I'm wasting time fragging on the Xbox and chatting at the same time) and call recipients report that call quality is much improved with the enhanced feature in loud environments such as the car and late-night Resident Evil 5 fragging.
What's Not: While the voice-command interface is utterly awesome, there are some issues with the voice processing. In noisy environments or if the headset is not properly aligned, response is sub-par to, say, Windows Mobile's Voice Command. I've said, "Switch Headset Off" and accidentally called a co-worker at 12:30 AM when the headset thought I said, "Call Speed Dial 5." The good news is that the phone has user-upgradeable firmware, so future revisions may or may not improve the accuracy of the voice command processing.
The Q1 also has a pretty poor battery life—just four hours of talk time. If you use a headset as often as I do, you'll be recharging often.
The Bottom Line: I'm no stranger to Bluetooth headsets (I've owned seven), so I can honestly say that the Q1 ranks near the top of my list. If it weren't for the sometimes-poor voice recognition accuracy, I'd give the device a 5/5 rating, but until a firmware update boosts that accuracy, I'll be using the Q1 solely as an "in the car" headset.
The Q1 is available now for $129.00 in Sprint stores and through Sprint's online stores. The headset should be available at retailers nationwide starting in June.
Today, we’ll be taking a look at MSI’s new all-in-one desktop computer, the MSI Wind Top.
The AE1900 comes in two flavors. The first option ships with Windows XP and features a single-core Intel Atom 230 1.6 GHz processor, 1 GB of onboard SDRAM, and a 160 GB hard drive. The second option gets an upgrade to an Atom 330 1.6 GHz dual core processor, 2 GB of RAM, and a 250 GB hard drive running Windows Vista Home Basic.
The most prominent feature of the AE 1900 is the 18.5-inch 16:9 touch screen display. The touch screen itself is incredibly responsive and, while it lacks multi touch capability, it is still very pleasant to use.
The device doesn’t feature much in the way of touch-enabled software outside of an app launcher, but third-party add-ons such as BumpTop can give users a fresh tactile experience. The device does include some alternative input software applications—an on-screen keyboard and handwriting recognition app—but they aren’t practical for extended keyboarding. I didn’t notice any tablet PC features in the XP operating system our review unit shipped with and, as a veteran of tablet PCs (I’m writing this review on a Lenovo Thinkpad x60 Tablet), I greatly miss those features in the Wind Top system. Our source tells us they'll be developing a Windows 7 model in the future and I'm sure that product will blow me away.
That being said, the Wind Top is absolutely beautiful. It comes in two colors—black and white—and features a clear bezel around its edge. This is a machine I'd be proud to display in high-traffic areas of my home.
Included with both Wind Top models is a DVD Super Multi Rewriter, integrated 1.3 MP webcam with microphone, 4X multi card reader, and integrated 802.11b/g/n wireless and gigabit LAN. The device consumes just 65 watts of power (about the same as an average incandescent light bulb) thanks to its nettop internals and runs exceptionally quietly.
This product would be great for casual computer users—you’re not going to run Crysis on this PC—and students who are looking for a desktop for schoolwork and entertainment. Starting at $529, I could see the Wind Top being an attractive alternative to higher-end 20-inch LCD TVs for dorm or apartment use. With TV-on-demand websites like Hulu, I’ve pretty much eliminated broadcast television from my viewing habits.
The Wind Top’s DVD playback works just fine with no noticeable lag. Menus are easily navigated using touch, eliminating the need for a remote. Other entertainment options include a couple of mediocre (but surprisingly addictive) head-tracking webcam games.
The Wind Top may be slightly underpowered, but when all is said and done, the AE1900 represents a value you won’t find in any other all-in-one PC.
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:
Quote:
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.
I've been pretty much living in a hole for the past week due to exams (thanks, Wake Forest), so I've got a bunch of reviews waiting to be published. Sucks for me, but it's great news for you! I'll be posting a series of reviews throughout the week covering some awesome gadgets and some cool software. I'll update this post with links, so bookmark it and check back throughout the week.
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.
Roku Player Reviewed March 23, 2009, 3:05 PM by ROB Posted in REVIEWS, MEDIA | 166 views
The Roku Player may look tiny, but this little black box packs a punch. The device streams Netflix and Amazon Video on Demand straight to your television in 720p HD for only $99.
The device was a breeze to set up—it works with your existing WiFi or Ethernet broadband connections out of the box and connects to your TV with your choice of Composite, S-Video, Component, or HDMI connections. The device booted quickly and, after a software update, I was able to pair the device quickly and easily with both my Neflix and Amazon accounts.
The device automatically imports your Netflix Instant Queue and any Amazon VoD purchases you have made. There is also a decent library of free content to view over the Amazon Service; the first video I watched was the latest College Humor TV show and the quality was excellent.
I very much welcome the Amazon VoD service on the Player. One of my major issues with Netflix's streaming library, as I shared in an earlier post is that it is limited primarily to older titles. That's not necessarily a bad thing—I love classics—but occasionally I'd like to see a new release without having to take a trip to the video store or my P.O. Box. Amazon Video on Demand on the Roku player adds thousands of available titles to the device, inevitably encouraging me to remain on the couch and gain weight.
There is a drawback, however, to Amazon's service: price. While your Netflix all-you-can-eat subscription is a reliable, low monthly fee, the Amazon VoD service is pay-as-you go and many titles aren't cheap. As a college student, I have a deeper appreciation of low cost (which is why I love the Roku Player), so Amazon won't be seeing too much of my business, but I'm sure I'll be tossing some of my dispensible income their way to fill the voids Netflix's library leaves on my movie palate.
Overall, the Roku Player is an excellent value for your money and highly recommended as a GadgetGrounds.com Editor's Pick.
Second Opinion Cynthia, GadgetGrounds Student Reviewer, writes:
Overall I have been ridiculously happy procrastinating for hours watching movies on the Roku player. It is easy to use, there are many options to watch, and best of all it’s the lowest priced streaming video player I've found! 5 out of 5 stars!
Chrome Experiments is a program that is encouraging designers and programmers from around the world to develop fast, creative JavaScript applications for the Chrome browser. From their website:
[quote]We think JavaScript is awesome. We also think browsers are awesome. Indeed, when we talk about them, we say they are the cat's meow – which is an American expression meaning AWESOME.
In light of these deeply held beliefs, we created this site to showcase cool experiments for both JavaScript and web browsers.[quote]
My favorite "experiment" is Google Gravity. What's yours? Leave a comment!
It's not often that this reviewer gives rave reviews, but I was more than happy to do so with this beauty came my way. My hands were trembling as I unboxed the Plantronics Discovery 925 Bluetooth headset—and with good reason. This bad boy looked sharp and had a good deal of "hype" behind it, so I couldn't wait to see if what I heard was true... Quick pairing, multipoint technology, and seven days of standby time, all in a sleek, sexy package? Needless to say, I was cautiously skeptical.
To me, its description sounded like the beginning of a "too good to be true" fairy tale I've been through my fair share of Bluetooth headsets looking for something that was comfortable, provided audible call quality, and returned the favor to the person on the receiving end, no matter the environment. As I tore the Discovery 925 out of its pretty packaging like a kid on Christmas, I found the headset, a snazzy rechargeable leather case, a host of charging options, and three different sized ear tips.
Not one to judge a car by its paint job, I had to take this puppy for a test drive. I'm a big guy, so I assumed that my ears would take the large eartip that shipped attached to the device. I gave it some time, but started to notice some pretty severe discomfort. No dice. Apparently, my big head is poorly-endowed in the ear department. I switched to the next size down and it still fit poorly—the Discovery was testing my mettle! The smallest size, however, fit beautifully. I've tried other headsets that relied on over-the-ear supports and such, but none really felt comfortable, only stable at best. The Discovery feels as if I have nothing in my ear—without the need for any extra support. That's one point for the device.
Then I reached for my trusty iPhone, turned on the headset (which promptly and automatically entered pairing mode without any trouble), and searched for a device. Discovery 9XX? Yes, sir! A few key strokes later and E.T. found himself phoning home—greeted by the surprisingly clear (and pleasantly surprised) voice of my girlfriend on the phone. Score again—two points.
I made a few other calls and asked each of my friends and relatives if they could hear me well—none had problems, even in the car. Three points and going strong.
I was going to post this review last week, but realized that I had one more complaint of Bluetooth headsets that hasn't been addressed: talk/standby time. Every headset I've purchased (four in the past few years) has suffered from miserable battery life. To test this aspect, I took the Discovery 925 on vacation with me and decided to leave the power adapters at home—I only brought the rechargeable case. That was Sunday the 8th and today is Tuesday the 17th (happy St. Patty's Day) and the battery just now quit on me. The case still has life, but I'm back in the "office" (read: dorm room) now and I have power available, so I've just given up. I'm far too impatient to keep going and hereby concede a glowing, perfect review to the Plantronics Discovery 925 headset.
You've earned it.
EDIT: I forgot to mention one of the other features I've grown to love and can't believe I never before cared to explore—Multipoint technology. Since I review a LOT of cellular handsets, it has been a total pain in my keister to switch paired devices between the demo unit and my primary handset. With Multipoint, I can pair the headset with two devices at once. Plantronics, I think you just earned yourself a score of 5.1/5 with this one...
Subscribe 
