Audio Visual Gear

JBL Micro 2 Rechargeable Portable Speaker Review

Your iPhone’s speaker stinks, and so does your iPad’s; even the iPad mini’s stereo speakers, a first for an iOS device, are crappy. And your Android devices? They don’t really do much better. Yes, for a quick YouTube video or conversation the speaker on your mobile device is certainly adequate but it’s not going to win any audiophile prizes. And while you could keep a larger speaker such as the JawBone in your gear bag, that takes up space and adds weight. That’s where this diminutive speaker from JBL comes in. The JBL Micro 2 is small, light, and can…

Gear Bits, Music Diary

IK Multimedia Opens New High-Tech Facility in Italy

The business model for a low-cost product maker seems fairly established: have some in-house designers, an intermediary group in Asia to work with a prototyping partner, and a contract manufacturer in Asia to handle mass production once the design is finalized. But in the last couple of years more companies and countries have sought to bring more manufacturing back to their home nations. There are a number of reasons for doing this, from speed of innovation, information control (i.e. leaks), and the fact that more and more companies are finding ways to develop a cost-competitive infrastructure. But it remains mostly…

Reviews

RadTech’s WaveJamr Stereo Bluetooth Wireless Audio Interface Review

I sold my iPhone 4S and bought an iPhone 5. That meant saying goodbye to my iPhone’s 30-Pin connector and welcoming the new smaller dock. I have an iPad mini, and it too has the new dock connector. At least I have a 30-pin dock connector on my iPad. Oh, wait, I ordered the new iPad and will be selling my loaded iPad 3 as soon as it arrives. That means that, within a short while, none of my “30-pin sporting” speaker docks will be of any use to me. Actually, that’s not quite true. Thanks to products like RadTech’s…

News

JBL Offers a Complete Portfolio of Wireless Speakers

The other day my favorite Kickstart-Addicted friend (aka Judie) and I were debating backing an awesome project for iOS devices. I commented that we needed to place a moratorium on projects that are specific to the iPhone 5 or the iPad since, at the moment, we are in a transitional period. Yes, with the iPad 4 all iOS devices will be using Apple’s new, smaller, connector. Until then though we have a mix of devices using either the 30-pin dock connector or the new connector. That means there has never been a better time to go wireless. That’s why Judie…

Reviews

Libratone Zipp AirPlay Speaker Review

Last week I offered a first look and video of the Libratone Zipp. The airplay speaker fuses European aesthetics with Cupertinian technology. The round speaker works fine at home, but it also runs on battery power so you can take it on the go. Libratone, who already offered two different speakers designed for home use has now made a speaker that is ready to, as they put it, “Leave the House”. From Libratone: Share your music anywhere, anytime! Libratone Zipp is an easy-to-use, wireless sound system wrapped in changeable Italian wool. Stream your favourite tunes with PlayDirect™ and AirPlay technology, directly…

Reviews

xPrintServer Home Edition Review

At long last, I have my entire staff using iPads. In addition, after months of planning we have finally set up our school’s iPads for use with the interactive Bar Mitzvah training program I have created. More and more I expect we will see the staff and school iPad being used for a host of different purposes. One of my colleagues did, however, raise a question the other day. “How,” she asked, “do we print from these things if we need to?” It is an EXCELLENT question and, as luck would have it, I had just received a review sample…

Gear Bits

Libratone Zipp Wireless AirPlay Speaker, First Look

Every now and then a product comes along that not only meets your expectations but actually exceeds them. That’s the case so far with the Libratone Zipp AirPlay Wireless Speaker. Sure, it has a cool, unique look. And sure, the fact that you can change the wool covers then, in seconds, have a speaker that looks completely different is very cool. And sure, it has AirPlay. All that is true, but what really makes this speaker stand out is its Play Direct and its awesome sound. Play Direct means you can stream great audio wirelessly even when you don’t have an…

Music Diary, News

Check Out the New Apple iPod Commercial ‘Bounce’

Apple’s latest ad is for their now-shipping updated iPod line, which has the simple description: Every iPod now in color. The commercial is about the cool and colorful iPod new line-up and offers seamless transitions between the Touch, Nano and Shuffle accompanied by a funky song. It is a positive, good-feeling commercial. Some things (good and bad) not mentioned in the video: + The 5th gen iPod Touch is the most ‘iPhone-like’ version yet. – The iPod Touch STILL doesn’t contain a GPS + The Nano is incredibly small and has a 2.5″ screen – But you have to load the Nano…

News

NYNE NB-200 and NB-230 Bluetooth Speakers Combine Style and Sound

There are plenty Bluetooth speakers on the market. Now a new company, NYNE, has released a series of speakers designed for an “active life-style”. Their NB-200 and NB-230 Bluetooth speakers provide in-home quality audio through either a wireless connection with any Bluetooth enabled device, or a 3.5mm aux-in cable connection with a non-Bluetooth device. Their stylish and portable form allows for music enjoyment on-the-go both indoors and outdoors. Here’s a look at both. There’s the NB-200. It is designed to be taken with you wherever you go and can be attached to a bike or baby stroller handlebars with its…

Reviews

Jabra Solemate Bluetooth Speaker Review

I’ve had my Jawbone Jambox for well over a year, and I’ve loved it. It is small, easy to use, and it packs a punch! More recently I had the opportunity to review the Braven 600. It is about the same size, but it has a built-in battery that will also charge your mobile device even as it fills the space with music. Then there is the most recent entry into this category – the Jabra Solemate Bluetooth Portable Speaker. It costs $200, is a bit bigger than the other two speakers and, quite frankly, looks like it wants to…

Editorials

My Journey to the Dark Side…er, Apple is Complete

A long time ago, in a service provider far, far away, I had joined the ranks of mobile phone users, sporting a Motorola Razr V3m back when it was de rigueur for mobile types. For a time I was content, and as technology evolved I migrated my mobile phones, ever searching for the trifecta of ease of use, reliability and variety of peripherals. Here is a representation of all the major phones I’ve owned and heavily used over the past seven years or so. Certainly a lot less than some Gear Diary members or readers out there, but a variety nonetheless….

News

Phorus and Play-Fi Want to Bring Music to Every Room in Your House

If you read the site, then you know that I love my Sonos audio system; you also know I am an OS X and iOS guy. Still, I’m always on the lookout for the next awesome home audio solution. That’s why I was pleased to have the opportunity to speak with a number of the key players from Phorus a few weeks ago. Phorus, and their signature Play-Fi wireless technology, are poised to challenge your assumptions about home audio on every level. The system is simple to set up, sounds great, offers flexibility with regard to connectivity, is priced to be accessable, can…

Reviews

Monster Inspiration Active Noise-Canceling Headphones Review

What would it take to get you to spend $350 on a set of headphones? I’ve been asking myself that very question over the last two weeks, and I think I may finally have an answer. The question wouldn’t have even come up if I hadn’t been sent Monster’s newest Inspiration headphones, which — as you may have guessed — retail for that exact amount. all photos by Kevin Stanford I approached the package unwrapping with some trepidation … what if I liked them? Granted, these were sent to me as a review sample that I would be allowed to…

Reviews

New Potato TuneLink Home Wireless Streamer Review

Back in the spring of 2011, we reviewed New Potato’s TuneLink Auto Direct Connect Audio Solution for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad (Read the review, here.) At the time it was the perfect solution for me since I didn’t have Bluetooth in my car; the TuneLink easily added streaming to it. I’ve since leased a car with all the bells and whistles and, as a result, I don’t need an after-market streaming solution. If you car doesn’t have Bluetooth you should check it out. It is simple to set up, it works great, and I really enjoyed my time using…

Music Diary, News

IK Multimedia Introduces DJ Rig for iPad!

When DJ Rig released back in March, aside from some early bugs that were quickly squashed, my biggest wish was for an iPad version. It was one of those things that was immediately obvious once you touched the software. IK Multimedia agreed and stated they were working on it – but like the rest of their stuff they wanted to get it right and not just ‘upsize’. Well, now DJ Rig for iPad is ready and available! Here is some of the press release highlighting features: Professional DJing for the first time on iPad • Familiar double Deck configuration with…

Reviews

Blue Microphone’s Mikey Digital Review

One of the tables I visited at the Pepcom Holiday Showcase last week belonged to Blue Microphones. We’ve long been fans of their products, and I was impressed with the three that I saw. (We’ll be looking at each over the next few weeks.) The company was kind enough to send me home with one of their new Mikey Digital audio recorders for iPhone and iPad. Let’s take a closer look. From Blue Microphones: The all-new Mikey Digital is the perfect tool for mobile recording. Featuring two custom-tuned Blue capsules for stereo recording, a line-input, USB pass through and a stylish…

Music Diary, Reviews

The iRig Pre Microphone Preamplifier Review

Sometimes releasing audio accessories is a thankless job. I recently reviewed the iRig Stomp, which has the glorious job of being a foot pedal interface between your guitar and the awesome sonic shaping of AmpliTube. Not exactly glamorous! Now along comes iRig Pre – and all it has to do is get your professional-grade microphone sound into your iOS device without screwing things up. IK Multimedia seems to know this if you look at ‘The Hype’ below. But let’s take a look and see how it does! The Hype: Introducing the First studio quality mic pre-amp for the iOS platform…

Reviews

Marshall Electronics MXL FR-310 Hot Shoe Shotgun Microphone Review

One of the main reasons I opted to get the Canon T3i when I was purchasing a DSLR last spring was the ability to use the camera for video. I love the camera and am quite happy with my decision. Still, the video aspect of it has been a bit hit and miss. You see, while the image quality when shooting video is excellent, the audio is far from it. And, as I have discovered over the past few months, this is a common issue. You see, while the T3i is a powerful camera the microphone amplifier built into it…

Gear Bits

Love Music? Sony’s BDV-E390 Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System with WiFi is Worth Checking Out

I love my speaker docks and enjoy using them. I love (LOVE) using my Sonos system too. But while the docks give awesome portability they often offer limited audio quality volume. And while the Sonos system give big sound, with each room costing a minimum of $299, it is a pricey proposition. Sony’s BDV-E390 Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System with WiFi, on the other hand, offers big sound at an amazingly low price. The system offers five speakers, one subwoofer and one 3D disc player. The specs look like this… 1000W(167Wx5+165W)5.1ch 3D Blu-ray Disc™ Theater System Built-in Wi-Fi® to stream movies,…

Editorials, Vehicles & Gear

Five Ways the iPhone 5 Event Disappointed, and One Sign It Started the ‘Great Apple Decline’

So we have lived through yet another iPhone announcement, the first one conducted by Tim Cook and out of the ‘shadow of Steve Jobs’. The conclusions? Some pretty sweet looking iPhone hardware, promising stuff for iOS 6, iCloud and iTunes, and a welcome refresh for the iPod line. But if you look around at tech websites there is much gnashing of teeth and hand-wringing amongst the Apple fan-sites, sneering derision from Android fan-sites, and hopes of a market share beyond 5% from the Windows Phone faithful who were just happy to see the Nokia Lumia 920 in spec line-ups with…

Events

Join Us for the Apple iPhone 5 Press Event!

Are you ready to see the end of all the rumors and speculation regarding the newest iPhone? We are, too! Let’s get something straight, although we do our best not to report on rumors, it doesn’t mean we don’t read them. We have, and we’ve gotten more and more excited. Sure it does seem like pretty much everything that needs to be known about the new iPhone has already been leaked, but that doesn’t guarantee the rumors are correct and, even if they are, it doesn’t make us any less excited for the announcements and that One more thing…! And…

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