Audio Visual Gear

The LTB 5.1 USB Headphones Review

Up until 3 months ago when I would play computer games (like Call of Duty 2 and Counter Strike) using just a normal pair of earbuds, which worked fine, but I wanted something a little better. LTB produce a pair of 5.1 headphones that connect up over USB, and they sent me a pair to try out. Included in the box are the headphones, USB-to-3.5mm adaptor, driver CD and manual. There was a second driver CD taped to the outside of the box with newer drivers, but I just downloaded the latest ones (for Windows) of their website. The headphones…

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The Brando USB Audio Controller Review

When you’ve got a computer without sound support or perhaps it is broken, what do you do? If its a desktop computer, you could pop its lid and install a sound card in one of its slots. But if its a laptop/notebook computer, there are no expansion slots to put in a sound card. There is also the tech factor, sometimes opening something electronic up and messing with its guts is not the thing for everyone. Enter the USB Audio Controller from USB Brando.

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The I-mu Magic Audio Frequency Singer Review

It’s been almost five years since I reviewed the Soundbug, a suction cup-based “speaker” which would utilize whatever surface it was attached to in order to produce sound while hooked to an audio source. Today I am going to look at the i-mu Magic Audio Frequency Singer, a device that similarly uses whatever surface it is resting upon to produce sound. The suction cup is gone as is the slightly cheap and cheesy silver plastic body, but the parallels are still there. This is not a traditional speaker, the sound produced will depend upon the surface upon which the i-mu…

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Express thyself! The Kiwali iPod Skins Review

With the proliferation of iPods, we enjoy carrying our music, videos and photos that express our tastes. What?s lacking from the run of the mill white and black Apple iPod casings are designs that say, ?this is me!? Kiwali – pronounced Kee-Wah-Lee (the forgotten Hawaiian goddess of creativity and good design) is a company producing a line of unique skins for the iPod line.

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The Archos 604 WiFi Review

Rounding off my list of the three personal media players (PMPs) that I plan to review–I’ve already done the Cowon A2 and the Creative Zen Vision W–it’s time for the Archos 604 WiFi. (I didn’t do an unboxing on this one, kids; sorry, I’ve just been too durn busy with “real” work.) The Archos has specs very similar to that of the Zen Vision and the Cowon A2: 10.23 oz (290g) 4.3″, 480×272 screen 133mm (wide) x 78mm (high) x 18mm (thick) 30 GB hard disk space 5 hours rated of battery time built-in mic built-in external speaker A/V port…

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The Slim-Line Presenter PLUS Review: Unlocking PowerPoint prison

With apologies to Bob Dylan, have you ever felt like you were stuck in PowerPoint prison with the presentation blues again?* Most us have seen the overabundance of slides, with 9 point type, variable mix of fonts, sound effects and motivational video clips to fly like an eagle? Then again, for every 100 misuses of PowerPoint, there is that one person who understands their audience and is all about conveying their PowerPoint message in a clear, concise and compelling manner. These presentation warriors in the old days (post Kodak Carousel slide tray era) used to trudge through airports carrying the…

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The MP4 Watch Review

We’ve all seen watches that can play MP3s before, heck – I’ve reviewed two of them, and both could even serve as voice recorders. Well, today we are going to take a look at the MP4 Watch, which is the first watch I’ve tried that can not only play MP3s and record voice memos, it can also display photos and replay movies. Pretty crazy, right? Are movies on your wrist something you’ve always dreamed of? Or something that you’ve never really thought about, but the idea of being able to intrigues you just a little bit? Or maybe you are…

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iMainGo iPod Speaker Case Review

Anyone remember those CD cases released several years ago that contained a flat panel speaker for listening to and sharing your music on the go? With the booming MP3 Player market the CD case has become a think of the past, replaced with hundreds or thousands of songs in a device so small it can slip into your pocket. Portable Sound Laboratories have released a product that combines your MP3 Player with a protective case with integrated stereo speakers to create the iMainGo. The iMainGo is marketed is an iPod accessory, but it should fit many brands of MP3 Player…

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The Belkin TunePower for Zune Review

So far I have been averaging about 11 hours of battery life from my Zune; and while that’s decent, it doesn’t inspire confidence for those long stretches of time when tunes are desired but there is no ready power source available. Well, Belkin has a solution, and it’s called TunePower. According to Belkin, “TunePower keeps the music playing even when your Zune player?s internal battery is drained. It offers a great solution for long flights, train rides, hikes–any time you want to extend your music and video playtime. A foldout kickstand positions the Zune at the perfect viewing angle, and…

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The Altec Lansing M604 Powered Audio System for Zune Review

One of the first things I realized after getting my Zune was that although listening to it through a premium set of earphones was nice, there were going to be plenty of times when I wouldn’t want to hear my music that way. Times when I would want to hear it playing over a better sounding system than the craptastic speakers on my laptop. Figuring out how I was going to accomplish this became my goal, because the fact of the matter is that there is a certain other digital music player that currently enjoys most of the after-market accessory…

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The Creative Zen Vision W Review

After my recent, somewhat disappointing experience with the Cowon A2 –and yup, I did in fact return the device–it was time to move on and try another of the available personal media players (PMPs) out on the market. This time, it’s the Creative Zen Vision W. (If you’re into unboxings, take a look at my unboxing on the Vision W.) I’ve been very much looking forward to trying out the Vision W, as in addition to having the standard movie/music/document viewer software, the underlying OS is based on Windows (rather than, say, the modified and proprietary version of Linux that…

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The Belkin ClearScreen Overlay for Microsoft Zune Review

It just looks like a naked black Zune lying there, right? But looks can be deceiving.This particular Zune has a Belkin ClearScreen Overlay in place, which means that even when it is rattling around the bottom of my Whiskey Chloe Edith, it’s screen will not get scratched by the keys or other pointy objects riding nearby.

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The Vaja Balance Case for Zune Review

I am trying to remember the last time that I?reviewed a Vaja case and ended up less than pleased. …still trying. After all, it would add so much to my coolness factor if I didn’t get excited every time they sent me a new case to try -?if I could remain aloof, if I didn’t stick my nose against the received item trying to catch a whiff like some kind of leather junkie. But I do. If it was just a matter of how the leather smells, then I might be able to restrain myself…but no. Vaja also makes some…

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The Psyclone Gamer PSC99 NODUS PSP Sound System Review

The Sony PlayStation Portable, or PSP, is one of the most popular handheld gaming devices available – and with good reason. The PSP features a gorgeous 4.3″, 480 x 272 pixel, TFT, LCD, 16:9 wide screen which provides an amazing gaming experience. This WiFi enabled device is also perfect for use as a portable media player; it can be used to listen to music or to watch full-length movies. To the best of my knowledge, it is also the only device which has its own dedicated movie format available next to the DVD section in almost any electronics’ store. Yet…

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The Brando USB MP3 Player + SD/MMC Card Reader Review

If you haven’t yet succumbed to the Apple iPod shuffle, then you might be interested in taking a look at another flash-based MP3 player that not only costs less, it can be configured to carry significantly more music for the same amount of money. I’m talking about the Brando USB MP3 Player + SD/MMC Card Reader, a device which shares one major trait with the shuffle – no LCD screen. No, the Brando version doesn’t have a stylish aluminum skin, and it doesn’t come with a cute Lilliputian dock, but the it does have a slot which can accept SD…

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The Logitech Harmony 890 Universal Remote Control Review

Well, I did it. I didn’t think I would, at least for a while, but I did it. I bought the big screen LCD TV, I bought the DVD player, I bought the AV receiver and home theater speakers, and I ordered digital cable. It was a sad day for my wallet, but a happy day for me. It’s something that I’ve always wanted – a top notch mini home theater of my own. I soon found out that there was an issue with controlling all of these devices. Four components makes four remotes. It’s not that four remotes is…

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The Belkin Folio Kickstand Case for Zune Review

As many of you know, I bought a Zune shortly after they became available. While it has managed to stay amazingly scratch-free due to its durable casing material, I still don’t feel comfortable letting it roll around in the bottom of my bag. Shortly after it arrived, the hunt for a good case was on! One of the cases that caught my attention was the Belkin Folio Kickstand Case for Zune. Unlike a case that will just hold and protect the device, this one has another trick up its sleeve. Composed of smooth-grain black leather with black stitching, the case…

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The Skullcandy MFM MP3 Integrated Stereo Headphones Review

I’d be the first to admit that I have never been snowboarding. I’m such a klutz that it takes very little imagination to picture me lying flat on my face in the snow or worse – lying broken at a tree’s base. So would it make me a total poseur if I said that I am intrigued by much of the snowboarder’s gear I’ve seen on the web? Of all the sports, they seem to have the coolest musically integrated gear. Today I’ll take a look at one such piece of equipment, the Skullcandy Mark Frank Montoya MP3 Player, a…

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Cowon A2 Unboxing

I recently got a “Thanks for all your good work!” bonus from one of my contracts as I was eased out the door, and couldn’t wait to spend it on something. So, being a gadget fiend, I had to spend some of it on a gadget, of course. As folks who read here regularly may know, I’m a totally obsessed fanatic about viewing movies on portable devices–Windows Mobile devices, Palm devices, what have you. Recently, there has been a lot of development in the portable media player (PMP) area, where the devices are getting more and more sophisticated, and there’s…

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Zune-alicious: The Setup & Software

[Ed. note: If you haven’t already, then first read about the Zune unboxing here.] After removing the Zune from its box, it was time to begin the software installation. This process took about ten minutes total, but since I was working on other things while doing it, the time passed quickly. The following pictures are a series of screenshots captured during and after the setup process, including some screenshots of the Zune music store. All screenshots are thumbnails, so clicking on them will show them in full size. To get started, the CD must be inserted; the setup program will…

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Zune-alicious: The Unboxing

My 30GB Zune is here…so let’s unbox this eagerly anticipated digital music player together! Amazon packing materials – nothing too exciting here… Tossed in the bottom of the box, in a simple clear sleeve, the object of much controversy and discussion awaits. The box only measures 5.25″ tall x 5.5″ wide x 2.25″ deep. The box reads: Includes 30GB Zune digital media player, earphones, sync cable, manuals, and disc. System Specifications: Computer running Windows XP SP2 or later, Internet access (high speed recommended; 200MB free hard drive space, USB port (USB 2.0 recommended, CD Drive). Supports: MP3, WMA, WMV &…

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