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August 18, 2008

Review: Aerielle i2i Stream Wireless Digital Audio Streaming Device - The Gadgeteer

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The Gadgeteer have published a review of the Aerielle i2i Stream wireless digital audio device for iPod and MP3 Players. 'The i2i Stream is a small module that has both a receiver and a transmitter contained inside it, that operates on the 2.5GHz frequency. They are sold in packs of two for $119.95, or can be purchased separately at $69.95 each. I was sent one package of two for this review. The modules are approximately 2.5 x 1.25 x 075 inches in size. On the face of the i2i Stream are three buttons and two LEDs. The round center button is the channel button. It has an LED behind it, that can glow Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple or Light Blue. Each color signifies a different transmit channel and changes each time you press it. The button above the channel button is the Send button and the button below it is the Receive button. If you press the Send button, it will cause the center LED to blink, which shows that you're broadcasting audio on whichever colored channel is blinking. Pressing the Receive button will cause the module to receive any audio that is being broadcast on whichever colored channel that you're set to.'

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August 12, 2008

Logitech Pure-Fi Dream - Trusted Reviews

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A review of the Logitech Pure-Fi Dream iPod speaker system has been posted over at Trusted Reviews. 'Despite its size the Pure-Fi Dream retains the classiness we're accustomed to seeing from Logitech products. Its curvaceous bulges and glossy black finish look sleek and stylish so it does at least look like it's worth the asking price. Like the buttons on the remote, all function buttons on the top are backlit orange - an effect that's activated by motion sensors. This is handy if you're tying to hit the buttons in the dark, though if you are, you're clearly getting up far too early!

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July 3, 2008

Terratec Noxon iRadio for iPod - Computeractive

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A review of the Noxon iRadio for iPod (iPod base station, wireless Internet radio, intuitive podcast receiver and multiformat network audio player) has been posted over at Computeractive. 'The new Noxon iRadio For iPod pretty much throws in the kitchen sink, including just about every feature the rest of the range offers, all in one. Like the other Noxon models, the iRadio for iPod can be connected to a home network, allowing it to play hundreds of internet radio stations and podcasts. It can also stream music from a computer to the iRadio, so you can listen to music from the computer in any room.'

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February 25, 2008

Cambridge SoundWorks i765 Review - CNET

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CNET have published a review of the Cambridge SoundWorks i765 Dual Alarm Clock Radio with iPhone/iPod compatible dock. 'The conservatively styled gray and black radio has a sturdy and solid feel and is 5 inches tall by 14 inches wide by 10 inches deep and weighs 13 pounds. Except for the Snooze/Mute button and iPod dock on the otherwise bare topside, all of the i765's controls are located on its front panel. CDs and DVDs load through a slot just above the large, 32-character LCD readout that sits above two clusters of eight buttons.

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February 8, 2008

Nextar Snap3 GPS Navigation System Review - CNET

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A review of the Nextar Snap3 GPS Navigation System with MP3 + Bluetooth has been posted over at CNET. 'The Nextar Snap3 has a simple design and compact frame at 3.9 inches wide by 3 inches tall by 0.6 inch deep, so you'll have no problem carting this petite portable navigation system between vehicles. The front features a 3.5-inch touch screen that's bright and readable in various lighting conditions. That said, the display doesn't quite have the sharpness or crispness of some of the other systems we've tested.

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February 5, 2008

mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb-U Review - ZDNet

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A review of the mStation Orb 2.1 Stereo- Blue iPod speaker dock has been posted over at ZDNet. 'The style of the mStation Stereo Orb is definitely a matter of preference--it truly is an orb. We happen to dig the soccer-ball-size speaker and the fact that it comes in seven colors (white, black, silver, blue, green, red, and pink) to match pretty much any iPod you can throw at it. The exception is the third-generation Nano, for which the shades don't quite match up because of the fact that the Orb came out around the time of the second-generation version. Still, when you have an accessory with such a fun design, it's nice the see that it comes in a good array of color options.

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October 27, 2007

Review: Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin iPod Speaker - CNET

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CNET have published a review of the pricey Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin iPod speaker dock. ‘Unpacking the Zeppelin, we couldn't help but be impressed with its build quality: the speaker's entire backside is constructed out of mirror-polished stainless steel, the front black cloth covering is tastefully demure. A LED indicator lights up from behind the grille to keep you informed of the Zeppelin's operational status: it glows red in standby mode, yellow as the unit powers up from standby; green when the Aux input is selected; white as the Zeppelin's volume approaches its maximum setting. The speaker's power and volume controls are embedded in the stainless trim piece just above the iPod. Suffice it to say, the overall package is just plain gorgeous--another fruitful pairing up of B&W and London's Native Design Ltd.’

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June 19, 2007

iGo powerXtender Reviewed at The Gadgeteer

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The Gadgeteer has published a review of the iGo powerXtender which is a battery operated charger that can be used to provide emergency power for your mobile gadgets when you are on the move. 'The powerXtender is a small cigarette lighter sized housing that ships with 2 AA batteries. Made of translucent Grey plastic, the iGo is a simple device with a Blue power LED on the top, a power tip post on one end, and ...The power tip receptacle can accept one of many available tips that are sold separately though the Mobility Electronics, Inc. website. There aren't any tips included with the iGo due to the fact that every device requires a special tip in order to power / charge it.'

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March 1, 2007

Samsung K3 Portable Media Player - Computeractive

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Computeractive have published a review of Samsung's K3 portable media player. 'Its gloss black exterior seems blank until you touch it - the touch-sensitive blue buttons at the bottom appear from nowhere and the small 1.8in screen lights up. In fact, the K3 is very similar to the T9b, which we've recently reviewed.For cycling through menus and checking what track is playing, the screen is fine, but the photo viewer is less useful; the screen is too small and not detailed enough to see digital photos clearly. Still, what you'll mostly want from a device this size is decent music playback, and that's what the Samsung K3 delivers.'

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January 22, 2007

Oakley Thump PRO: MP3/Player Sunglasses

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The Oakley Thump PRO digital music eyewear are some neat fashion pieces which combine a "digital audio engine" with Oakley’s renowned "high definition optics". The glasses, which come in 1GB, 512MB and 256MB versions, has the digital player built into the frame so there is nothing to dangle around your face to serve as a distraction whether you’re running, biking or simply sweating it out in your aerobics session. The speakers are fully adjustable so you can position them for a perfect fit and control the balance of music and environment. The Oakley Thump PRO is compatibility with iTunes, Windows Media Player and WinAMP. You can store up to 240 songs on the 1 GB version, 120 songs on the 512 MB version, or 60 songs on the 256 MB version.

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January 9, 2007

Review: Qstarz TINY GPS Receiver - Digital Reviews

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A review of the Qstarz GPS receiver has been posted over at Digital Reviews. 'Those who haven't read our previous review of the Qstarz BT-Q818 may not know that Qstarz has been bringing out some innovative GPS receivers of late, including the "Double 32". These are all excellent performers with high sensitivity and great endurance. That means that our expectations for this tiny receiver, are set very high. Perhaps unreasonably high considering its small size.

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January 7, 2007

Brando MP4 Watch - The Gadgeteer

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The Brando MP4 Watch combines a music player, digital watch and voice recorder in a neat device designed to be worn around the wrist. 'On the left side of the watch, there is a stereo earphone jack. It's a 2.5mm mini jack though, so your favorite earphones/buds will require an adapter if you wish to use them with this watch. On the flipside, these are pretty good stereo earbuds, that will work with other phones like a Treo! The two buttons next to the earphone jack are the Volume up / down buttons. The small button on the end is the Play/Pause button. The Play/Pause button also doubles as the power toggle button if you hold it down for a few seconds.'

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January 5, 2007

Review: Ultra Hydra Mp3 Player - Technology Review

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A review of the budget-priced Ultra Hydra Mp3 Player has been posted over on the Technology Review. 'Water can kill electronic gadgets if it seeps in and short-circuits the innards. So the Ultra Hydra MP3 player is made to be ''splash-resistant.'' Its rubberized casing, which makes the device resemble a river raft, should protect the circuitry from limited encounters with moisture. Because a 1-gigabyte Hydra retails for just $40 and can be found for even less online, I figured it was worth checking out. I sampled three of its 2-gig cousins ($60) in a variety of circumstances, including some notoriously watery locales: Seattle and my shower.

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November 12, 2006

Volta Battery Pack Adds Video Playtime To Your iPod

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The Volta strapping battery pack add-on for your iPod is touted by its manufacturer, Sonnet Technologies, as being able to deliver 80 hours of music playback or 16 hours of video on a single charge. 'Featuring a slim and sleek design, Volta's case is made from rugged aluminum with a glossy black finish. The iPod simply docks to Volta, which clips to the back of the iPod (a spacer pad is included for the slimmer iPod model). The combined unit stands for easy viewing and features four LEDs on the front to indicate charging status and remaining charge level.' This device is available to Japanese consumers at present but the company has an English Language website where the it is priced at $70.

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September 2, 2006

Sony MP3 Player NW-E005 (2GB, green) Review

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CNET has reviewed the stylish Sony NW-E000 flash MP3 player.‘The Sony NW-E000 comes in three capacities, each with a different model number: there's the 512MB NW-E002 (available in blue), the 1GB NW-E003 (pink or silver), and the 2GB NW-E005 (green, violet, or black). For this review, I got my hands on the green NW-E005 and it's quite a stunner. The NW-E000 takes its design cues from the NW-E500 series and the larger NW-A1200 with a metallic (and colorful) plastic casing that wraps around the front and sides of the player, protecting a single-line OLED display (which is unfortunately next to impossible to read in bright sunlight).

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September 1, 2006

New Sony Walkman NW-S200 MP3 Player Launched

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The cute looking Sony WALKMAN NW-S200 Series Sports MP3 Player which was launched yesterday will no doubt have its work cut out commanding a decent share of the market coming up against the plethora of digital audio/video players presently available. 'The Walkman NW-S200 Series Sports MP3 Players are compact and lightweight, yet packed with unique features. These include a durable, water-resistant body; various playback options including "Music Pacer" and "Shuffle Shake" functions, FM tuner and integral sports counters. In sleek and seamless aluminium, the NW-E200 Series can withstand water splashes from wet hands, perspiration or outdoor use, even in wet or snowy weather conditions. At the same time its stylish "stick & ring" design in silver, pink or black will appeal to those who just want their MP3 player to look good.'

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August 19, 2006

Archos 604 (30GB) Portable Media Player Review

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CNET has reviewed the new Archos 604 (30GB) Portable Media Player. ‘Designed to replace the AV500, the 604 is slightly bigger than the 30GB AV500 at 5.1 by 3.1 by 0.6 inches and 9.3 ounces, but it's more polished and has more screen real estate with less bezel (4.3 inches vs. 4 inches). It's quite a bit thinner and lighter than its chief competitor, the 0.87-inch, 10.5-ounce 30GB Cowon A2, which is more contoured and softer than the blocky 604. Though it's not as pocketable as the 4 by 3 by 0.5-inch 404, in addition to other video-playing MP3 players, its big screen and removable battery are more than enough reason to make it a mobile companion. The built-in kickstand is also a sweet little extra. We've read some comments about the design being "ugly" but in person, the device is pretty hot.’

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August 9, 2006

Sony Mylo Preview At CNET

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CNET previews the latest handy multimedia gadget from Sony geared toward the youth market. 'Remember a day when the most techie communication device a child could have was a walkie-talkie, or am I dating myself here? From preteens to college students, the younger generation is a growing and important segment for the consumer electronics market, as evidenced by the launch of youth-oriented devices and services, such as the Helio Kickflip and Boost Mobile. Well, Sony wants a piece of that pie and today announced a new personal communication gadget aimed solely at 18- to 22-year-olds, called the Sony Mylo.

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August 7, 2006

iriver E10 6GB MP3layer Review At EverythingUSB

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Scott Clark writing over at EverythingUSB reviews the feature-packed iriver E10 6GB MP3layer. 'The E10's design departs from the funkier designs of previous iriver models to return to the ergonomically friendly and easy to carry rectangular form factor. Underneath the vibrant 128x128 color display are four oversized arrow buttons for navigation and playback control, as well as two clear jewel buttons for power and the smart key commonly used functions. Lining up with the thumb on the right side is the volume button, and on the left next to where your index finger is the hold switch. The fact that the buttons line up so well with your natural hand positioning (for righties anyway) shows iriver's attention to detail, and should help with day to day use.'

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August 6, 2006

The Merriam-Webster MWD-480 Dictionary & MP3 Player

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With the advent of the new multi-purpose Merriam-Webster MWD-480 Dictionary and MP3 Player we can truly say the high-tech dictionary is in and no doubt the printed equivalent may eventually be a "thing" of the past. 'The Merriam-Webster Dictionary & MP3 Player from Franklin has 274,000 definitions in its database and includes some great functions which will help in improving an individual’s vocabulary. There are features like Phonetic Spell Correction, a Confusables(R) function which tells you the difference between similar sounding words, and a Crossword Puzzle Solve feature too! Users will also dig the onboard five games, and a local/world clock. The MWD-480 has a memory card slot and is currently available for $79.99.'

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August 3, 2006

New Creative ZEN Neeon 2 MP3 Player For Music, Photos And Video

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Creative has announced the release of its new ZEN Neeon 2 MP3 Player which should hit the stores sometime later this month. 'Creative Technology Ltd. (NASDAQ: CREAF), a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products, today introduced the new ZEN™ Neeon 2, a sleek MP3 player that lets users have their music, photos, video and FM radio at their fingertips. Slim and compact, the elegant ZEN Neeon 2 also allows fashionable MP3 users to express themselves by personalising their players through the application of a wide range of Creative Stik-On™ skins that reflect their personalities, lifestyle and mood.

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August 2, 2006

Sony NW-E005 (2GB, black) Preview At CNET

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James Kim previews the Sony NW-E005 MP3 player which is scheduled to be available in August. 'The NW-E000 series is available in a multitude of colors and capacities (2GB NW-E005 in green, black, or violet; 1GB NW-E003 in silver or pink; and 512MB NW-E002 in blue) and includes an FM radio and a simple OLED display. It measures 3.1 by 1 by .56 inches and weighs 0.9 ounce.Outside of the typically attractive Sony design, the colorful NW-E000 series has a competitive price tag and joins the iPod Shuffle and Samsung YP-U2 on the current built-in USB A-list. Like the flagship NW-A1200, the little players are natively compatible with MP3, ATRAC3 (plus), and most interestingly, unprotected WMA and AAC files. Sony seems to think opening up format compatibility will make users forget that it once didn't play nice with MP3.'

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July 24, 2006

CNET.com: Sony Ericsson W300i Walkman Review

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Kent German over at CNET.com reviews the Sony Ericsson the $299 GSM handset which "offers good call quality, a top-notch MP3 player, and a generous set of features". 'The W300i has a 1,000-contact phone book with room in each entry for five phone numbers, e-mail and Web addresses, business and home street addresses, a birthday date, and notes (the SIM card holds an additional 250 names). You can organize contacts into groups, pair them with a photo for caller ID, or assign them one of 28 (40-chord) polyphonic ring tones. Support for MP3 ring tones is present as well, but be advised that caller ID images do not appear on the external display. Other features include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, voice dialing, a calendar, a task list, a notepad, a calculator, a timer, a stopwatch, and a code memo for storing passwords and other secure information.

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July 3, 2006

Creative Zen V 2 GB Portable Media Player (White/Green)

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The Creative Zen V is the same as the Zen V Plus, except without an FM radio or video playback capability and for $149 at Amazon you get a fairly decent MP3 Player. 'Creative Labs has a history of turning out great MP3 players, and the Zen V and the Zen V Plus--available in July and August, respectively--are no exception. These cute and pocketable flash devices are packed with features and offer impressive performance, making them an excellent option for anyone looking for a lower-capacity, solid-state MP3 player. Of course, since the Creative Zen V Plus adds two desirable extras to the package (an FM radio and video playback), yet costs only about $25 more than the Zen V, we think that the Plus is the way to go--more bang for your buck. You can pick up the 1GB model for $129.99, the 2GB for $169.99, or the 4GB for $229.99. Comparatively, the Zen V lists at $119.99 (1GB), $149.99 (2GB), and $199.99 (4GB). In either case, it's a better deal than the iPod Nano.'

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June 23, 2006

Thomas Net.com: Protect Your Cell Phone Screens With ARclear Self Wetting Adhesives

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Ever so often there is the sorry picture of a cell phone user rubbing the device against some element of their clothing in the attempt to remove "foreign residue" from the device's screen. In the absence of a durable coating which would allow cell phone users to submerge the gadgets every now and then for a thorough cleaning, the ARclear self wetting adhesives seems a resonable alternative for preserving the freshness of the LCDs. 'Debuting at this year's show are two self-wetting adhesive films, ARclear® 90854 and ARclear® 90684, designed to provide temporary protection to the surface of touch screens and flat panel display screens in high-use, abusive or harsh environments, such as mobile phones, MP3 players, and PDAs. The adhesive virtually self-applies by spontaneously "wetting out" onto smooth surfaces. Both of these adhesive films can be repositioned repeatedly and are cleanly removable, even after an extended period of time, allowing users to replace the film when damaged while protecting the sensitive display underneath.

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June 14, 2006

Energizer Holdings, Inc: Company Offers Money-Back Guaranty On Selected Battery Products

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Energizer Holdings Inc, the parent company responsible for the Energizer brand of batteries (and Bunny), is taking the fight to its competitors by offering consumers the option of returning their purchases for refunds if they are dissatisfied with the performance of its high performance battery products. 'ST. LOUIS, June 13, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Energizer is putting its money where its mouth is. Energizer is so confident in Energizer(R) e2(R) Lithium(R)'s performance as the world's best AA and AAA batteries in high-tech devices that it is offering a money-back guarantee to consumers. Today, there are so many battery choices that the consumer is becoming increasingly confused trying to decipher all the information in the market. With the guarantee, Energizer is making it easy for consumers to experience the Energizer e2 Lithium difference. Consumers need simply try the Energizer e2 Lithium AA and AAA batteries in their high-tech devices such as digital cameras, MP3 players or wireless headsets and, if the batteries do not live up to expectations, Energizer will refund the consumer's money. Specially marked packages with bright pink inserts are arriving in stores now."

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June 12, 2006

Toshiba Gigabeat S MES30VW Digital Player (White)

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Even with the one major drawback the of not being able to record audio or video, the Toshiba Gigabeat S 30GB Digital Player impresses with the capabilities of holding about 7,500 songs and supporting many music, video, and photo file types.'The Toshiba Gigabeat S handles MP3, WMA Lossless, and WAV, as well as WMV and WMA. Other video formats, such as MPEG-4, AVI, DivX, and MOV, are automatically transcoded in Windows Media Player 11 (DivX video support was planned but not implemented).

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June 4, 2006

Motorola RAZR V3i

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CNET reports on the launch of the new gold and silver version Motorola RAZR V3i which represents a collaboration between Motorola and Italian designer Dolce&Gabbana. 'The Motorola D&G fashion phone has the same features as other Razr V3i models: Bluetooth, a 1.23-megapixel camera, video capture and playback, and iTunes software. In conjunction with the latest phone, Motorola and D&G are offering a line of D&G phone accessories, including a gold leather phone case, a gold H700 Bluetooth headset, and gold wired stereo headphones with a gold on-wire volume control. These accessories can be purchased on their own.'

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June 2, 2006

Cowon iAudio 6 4 GB MP3 Player [Black]

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There are some quality audio, video, and photo (hard drive) players on the market which certainly rival, and in some cases surpass the popular Ipod especially in terms of features offered. 'The $250 iAudio 6, Cowon's first mic