This holiday season just like millions of households, the Schulz family made a contribution to Apple’s earnings with the purchase of two iPod Touch’s. The kids have loved these devices and one of the first things I HAD to do was get a case for each of them. My daughter chose the Otterbox Defender. My son wanted a flip top case so we went with the PDair leather case.
Some of the best things about having an iPod is being able to play YOUR music just about anywhere, any time you want. If you’re the kind of person that has the music in them all the time, allowing it to resonate in your ears when you want or need it to is important (hence, the reason why you bought your iPod in the first place). Like many older cars, my 2001 Honda CRV doesn’t have any kind of a built-in MP3 connection. What I do have is a cassette deck and an AM/FM radio. As such, I’m left with…
Podcasting started around the time of the last election that George W. Bush won, in 2004. Now it seems to still be growing, although at a much slower rate. Up until now, you needed a computer to download the podcasts; now maybe you don’t, thanks to the CastGrabber.
Back when Judie was a fixture The Gadgeteer, she and I would occasionally write dually reviews. This was a term we coined that basically consisted of a review where we would chat back and forth about the product in question. Today we’re going to revive that fun format, with a review of the Squeezebox Boom Network Music Player from Logitech. My comments will be in regular Black text, while Judie’s will be in Blue italics. I have a bit of experience with the Squeezebox as I had the opportunity to review the previous two versions of this device. The first…
I know it’s just the first week of 2009, but I suspect that when we are preparing to welcome 2010 in some 360 days, the Roku player that I purchased just over a week ago will be on my list of “favorite gadgets of 2009”.
Like many of you, my days are structured around a general time by which I try to be in bed and a specific time at which I prefer to awaken. In order to get up in a timely manner, I have to use an alarm. I haven’t ever really given much thought to whether my bedside alarm clock could fulfill functions other than simply making sure that I was jolted out of bed when I needed to be, but the new Altec Lansing moondance GLOW has caused me to realize that there might be more to a bedside device that…
Wi-Gear has upgraded the iMuffs for compatibility and optimization with the iPhone. Previously reviewed October 2007 here at GearDiary, the wireless headphone consistently delivers good performance and comfort for extended wearing periods whether sitting on your duff, driving, walking or exercising. Last year’s model had some initial compatibility issues with the 1st edition of the iPhone, but has been resolved with both iPhone models (3G) with an improved range and less susceptiblily to radio interference The iMuffs use Bluetooth 2.0 and Advance Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) via the dongle that plugs into the base of your iPod or iPhone. iMuffs work…
We review a lot of personal audio equipment here at Gear Diary, and I’ve reviewed a number of different earphone packages over the years. The Audéo PFE from Phonak are a little different than many earphone products I’ve reviewed because they have the interesting distinction of being developed by Phonak, a company that specializes in making equipment for people who are hearing impared. The claim is that the Audéo PFE provide wonderful clear sound and a “perfect fit”. Read on to see how they stood up to my expectations.
I’ve covered iPod stereo docks in the past, but this is one of the first I’ve seen that claims to combine a clear and powerful speaker system with a rechargeable battery for true portability. I went into this review with a bit of skepticism; I guess I just wasn’t expecting much from a battery driven speaker system. It would be up to the Altec Lansing inMotion MAX Portable Speaker for iPhone and iPod to either impress me or prove that my skepticism was warranted; read on to see what happened… Wander around the house, and take your music with you….
Since I abhor wires, when the opportunity to check out the next version of the venerable Motorola S9 headset line, I jumped at the chance. Is it as good as the original?
Apple got it right with the second generation iPod Touch. The device is sleek, thin and feels great in the hand. It works fantastically well as a touchscreen iPod, as a video and gaming device and as a mobile internet device. The addition of a physical volume control was much needed and, even though the speaker is a bit on the weak and tinny side, it is a great addition to the device. Sure, I wish Apple had added GPS and Bluetooth, but that doesn’t keep me from being extremely happy with this slick device. The new iPod Touch does…
My wife calls it the silver bullet. I think from behind, it looks like a twisted alien face, staring out at you. In reality, however, it is one of the most unique speakers I have ever used. Modeled after the Zeppelin flying machine, if this speaker sounds half as good as it looks, then I think we will have a real winner here. Hit the jump and listen along…
Do you live in Florida, Texas, or anywhere else along the Gulf Coast? Do you live in a area that is prone to power losses? Would you like a way to charge your devices that lasts a long time or is suitable for emergency use? If so, then the Medis 24-7 Power Pack is for you. The Medis 24-7 Power Pack is not just battery powered charger, it is the first consumer fuel cell based charger. Yes you heard that right, it’s a fuel cell. The Medis 24-7 Power Pack is not a battery, and it doesn’t use any batteries…
The Sierra Sound iN Studio 5.0 speakers are one of many iPod speakers available on the market today. I recently spent some time with them and I have to say I like them a lot, but there are some oddities. Read on to see what they are…
I have a large DVD collection. I am not yet all that excited about investing in Blu-ray where I get to pay twice as much for each new title. Although many HD televisions perform certain image upconvert functions (to improve the way standard TV and DVD images appear on the higher-resolution HD display), they don’t necessarily perform that function very well. Enter the Oppo DV-981HD DVD Player. The 981HD was introduced a while back with some state of the art features for the time at a moderate price. I recently got the opportunity to work with this player and put…
When I was in college, it seems like someone was always throwing a house party. For those of you who are not familiar, it is a pretty basic concept. You throw open the front door of your house, condo, apartment, dorm room, or wherever you live; set out some refreshments; crank the music and wait for the people to show up…and they will. It is kind of like The Field of Dreams. If you throw a party, they will come. The problem, back in those days of the early 1990’s was the sound system. Most of us had music centered…
[This is a joint review between Dan and Doug. Dan’s comments are in normal font and Doug’s are in bold italics.] I’m liking a whole lot about the iPhone 3G I picked up the other day. It feels good in my hand and, even though it is a bit thicker, the curved sides make it feel smaller and lighter. I am liking the 3g speed a lot more than I expected. While home and work have WiFi, the 3G speeds make a much bigger difference than I expected when I am out and about. I’m pleasantly surprised how common 3G…
Even though the screen is small, I enjoy watching video on my iPhone and iPod Touch. No, it will never match the experience of watching a movie on a 50 inch hi-definition LCD, but it is more than merely functional- it is a pleasant experience. I’ve had my eye on Myvu’s various offerings for some time, watching carefully as each new one was released. I have wondered if they really worked. And, assuming they did work, wondered whether the experience of watching video through Myvu would be that much better than viewing on my iPhone. So, when the opportunity to…
The number of Apple-branded media devices in my house has grown significantly over the past year. With the number of devices now floating around my abode it is always helpful to have an array of available connectivity, charging and docking options. (This became even more important when upgrading the devices to the new 2.0 firmware since it significantly downgraded their battery life.) Problem is, those accessories can add up quickly. Enter Cygnett’s GroovePowerPack and GrooveSafari. The GroovePowerPack has every connectivity option you might want for your iPod or iPod Touch. It includes- Each piece of the GroovePack is simply styled…
Bluetooth stereo headphones are really starting to proliferate. Not all headsets are created equal, that much is certain. While I do like my standby headphones, the Insignia Bluetooth headphones, sometimes I wish I had a lighter set for when I am working out; this set fits the bill nicely. Jaybird sent me the JB-200 headset with adapters for the iPod and for standard stereo headphone jacks. The JB-200’s come with a nice dock. To charge the headphones, you plug the USB cable into the USB charger; I have also tried a standard USB port and the Ted Baker charging kit,…
As part of her transition to the iPhone after years as a devout Treo user, my wife has been using an iPod Touch for the last month. At first she was using a hard-shelled case I had “laying around” to protect it. That changed last week when I received a box from our friends at Agent18 containing two of their new FlowerVest cases for the iPod Touch. “Hmmmm,” I thought to myself upon opening the box, “a flowered case… how am I going to review that?” “Nice cases,” said my better half, “I’d love to use one of those.” So…