Isn’t it a pain when you have to look at your earbuds to work out which one’s left and which one’s right ? Or you find that you’ve had the wrong phone in the wrong ear ? Well the Japan Science and Technology Agency ( JST ) has a solution with their Universal Earphones.  Using a proximity sensor the Universal Earphones automatically detect which ear each phone is in so that you’ll never have to worry about your stereo seperation again. In addition if you share earphones (something that all teenagers seem to do), then the phones will detect this do and put a full mono stream into each earphone rather than just a single channel. See the video after the jump.

Universal Earphones: Earphones with Automatic Side and Shared Use Detection from Kohei Matsumura on Vimeo.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Earphones

Universal Earphones: Earphones with Automatic Side and Shared Use Detection originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 9, 2012 at 8:00 am.

The picture above is dominated by my giant 65″ TV, but you’ll notice two little speakers sitting in front of the screen (click for a larger view).  These little beauties are Mod 2 speakers from Orb Audio, a US-based “high-end speaker manufacturer who has proven that price does not equate to quality in the home audio industry.”  You’ll also see the Orb Audio Booster Amplifier in the right side of the TV cabinet (green lights identify it).  What you can’t see is the Super 8 subwoofer sitting on the floor behind the cabinet.  Orb Audio has added a couple of amplifiers to their offerings, and they offered The Gadgeteer the opportunity to review their Booster Mini Amplifier.  I was very excited to be selected to do the review, as it had been a few years since I had any sort of audio setup in my house.  I’d been making do with the wimpy built-in speakers in my TV and in my computer.  How do the Orb Audio Booster Mini Amplifier and Orb Audio speakers perform?  As a hint, we’ll find out their beauty is more than skin deep.

Most images can be clicked for an enlargement.

Orb Audio states their goal has always been “to turn the normal practices of many speaker manufacturers upside down, and to deliver speaker systems with the finest quality components, an attractive, upscale design and an affordable price.  The only way to accomplish all of this was to be different from the other players in the industry, make our speakers in the United States, and to sell them to our clients directly to avoid substantial (and totally unnecessary) markups.”  You won’t see Orb Audio products in a local store, unless you happen to be in New York City or Los Angeles.  If you wonder how you buy speakers without hearing them first, don’t worry.  You’ll get 30 days to try them out in your home before you commit to the purchase.

I’ve lusted for the Orb Audio speakers since Julie reviewed them with her own amp back in 2008.  I live in a small house with my family, and space is at a premium here.  The small size of these speakers is just what I needed, and I loved the sleek, round metal design.  I didn’t have an amplifier at the time, and I was paralyzed by the prospect of finding just the right amp to go with the speakers.  In 2008, I had a big rear-projection TV that had decent speakers, and I could listen to music with headphones, so I forgot about buying any A/V equipment at the time.

When I replaced my old TV with a flat-screen TV, I started thinking about home theater systems.  I didn’t want to buy one of those boxed systems.  I didn’t want a cheap system, but I didn’t want to buy a huge, expensive system, either. In the years since Julie’s review, Orb Audio has started offering some third-party home theater amplifiers that they have tested and determined to work well with their speaker systems.  I didn’t want to start with something as expensive as those amps, but I was intrigued by their own Booster Mini Amplifier.

The Booster Mini amp has entry-level home theater features.  You can use it with your TV, but you’ll only have left/right front channels.  There’s no surround sound with the Booster.  It was designed for use with computers, TVs, and MP3 players.  Just like with its bigger, more expensive cousins, you can hook up multiple sources and control playback with the included remote control.  You can add a subwoofer for fuller sound.  The Booster is great in the living room, bedroom, or anywhere you want music without investing a huge amount of money and needing a lot of space.

When I was selected to review the Booster Mini amp, I went to the Orb Audio website and ordered a Quick Pack set of Mod 1 speakers in hammered earth color to use with the amp. The beauty of the Orb Audio system is its modularity.  You can start small, like I planned to do, with just an amp and one pair of single orb speakers.  As you desire, you can build your system by adding a subwoofer, converting the Mod 1 speakers to Mod 2 or even Mod 4 speakers, adding a center channel speaker, or rear surround-sound speakers (with amps that have these other channels, at least).  I was going to start small with just one pair of Mod 1 speakers, and I planned to add a subwoofer later.

Imagine my surprise when a couple of big boxes arrived; Orb Audio had sent along some speakers and a subwoofer, too.

The Booster Mini amp is small, and it’s constructed of black aluminum.  It measures about 6″ wide X 6″ deep X 1.75″ tall.  The sides, bottom, and top are all solid metal with no grids or grills.  The front is simple with no gauges or dials.  You can see the power button at the far left (bottom) with a large IR sensor located above it.  Next is a status light (red when off, green when on), a button to select the input source, and four lights to indicate which source is currently selected.  There are two volume buttons, a mute button, and finally, indicator lights to show volume level (green, orange, red).

On the back, you can see there are four inputs: two sets of left/right RCA connectors and two headphone-style 3.5mm audio inputs.   With the Booster, you can connect a TV, DVD player, cable box, game console, or MP3 player, just like you can with larger amps.  Orb Audio says many people won’t even use 90% of the capabilities of bigger amps, so they created a small amp with the most essential features: multiple inputs, subwoofer support, remote control, and the like.  There’s also a connector for an IR blaster (not included) next to the subwoofer connector.  There’s a switch that lets you indicate if you are using the Booster with large speakers or small ones like the Orb Audio orbs.

You don’t connect the speakers to the Booster with RCA plugs.  You use bare speaker wire inserted into professional-quality speaker connectors.  Because it can be hard to connect speakers when the amp is installed in your equipment cabinet, Orb Audio uses a wiring harness that can be removed to connect the wires.  Once they are connected, you just snap the harness into the green connector seen above.

The Orb Audio website didn’t list technical specifications for the amp, but it does say the Booster produces 20W per channel.

You see the harness, complete with speaker wires, plugged in the back of the Booster here.  You’ll also see the DC power connector to the right of the harness.

There are only connectors for two speakers, left and right channels only.  There are no connections for a center channel speaker nor for rear surround-sound speakers.

This picture shows the beautiful Mod 2 speakers in hammered earth.  I had purchased a pair of hammered earth Mod 1 speakers, and Orb Audio included a pair of Mod 1 speakers in hammered earth in the kit they sent me.  They had also included a pair of Mod 2 speakers in bronze already installed on the optional stainless steel BOSS tabletop stands.  The bronze speakers are beautiful, but I had wanted the hammered earth in my living room.  I was able to captialize on the modular system, and I converted my two sets of Mod 1 hammered earth speakers into a pair of hammered earth Mod 2 speakers.

Technical Specifications for Mod 1 and Mod 2 Speakers

• Speaker type: Magnetically shielded full-range satellite speaker.  Crossover-free design for coherent, lifelike sound.
• Driver: Advanced high-excursion 3″ full range polypropylene driver cone with Santoprene surround.  These materials maintain their sonic characteristics over long periods of time and also through a broad range of temperatures and operating environments.
• Magnet assembly: Fully shielded, high-density neodymium magnet with proprietary voice coil in high tolerance gap to create strong, highly focused magnetic field.  Compact magnet design allows for maximum free internal volume and extension of low midrange performance.
• Binding posts: Custom gold-plated brass binding posts (fits up to 14 Ga. wire)
• Frequency response: 80Hz – 20,000Hz (120Hz-18,000Hz optimal)
• Efficiency:  89dB
• Impedance: Mod1:  8 ohms nominal; Mod2:  4 ohms nominal. (Mod2 is compatible with all popular receivers & amps rated at 6-8 ohms)
• Power handling: 15 – 115W (also compatible with most higher wattage receivers, max. recommended volume setting of about 3/4 will be LOUD!)
• Speaker dimensions: 4 3/16″ W x 4 3/16″ H x 4 7/8″ D
• Construction: American carbon steel, assembled in USA
• Finishes: metallic black, pearl white, hammered earth, polished steel, antiqued bronze, antiqued copper
• Included accessories: 16 gauge American steel adjustable desk stands (available in black and white)

This is a pair of Mod 1 speakers in bronze on the standard black tabletop stands.

I was worried about the magnets in these speakers, because I was going to set them on the TV cabinet in front of my TV.  Because of the strange shape of my cabinet, the speakers couldn’t be placed beside the TV.  The tech specifications say that the  neodymium magnets are fully shielded and have a very focused field.  I tried testing the magnets by seeing if a hairpin would stick to the speakers anywhere.  The same hairpin that stuck to the magnets in the Smart Cover on my iPad 2 didn’t stick at all to these Orb speakers.

The back of the speakers are threaded; you attach the speaker stands here.  The standard tabletop stands and the plastic-capped attachment screws are shown in the middle photo.  The speakers attach to the BOSS steel stands using screws and a plastic spacer.  You’ll need a Phillips-head screwdriver to assemble the Mod 2s on the BOSS stands.

These gold-plated posts are the speaker wire attachments.  For Mod 1 speakers, you simply push down on the top and insert the speaker wires to make the connection.  The posts are marked red or black on the top.  To prevent damage to the speakers or the system, be sure you check out the online installation guides before hooking things up.  Mod 2 speakers require an extra step.  You have to use jumper wires (included) to connect the two speakers together.  Again, follow the directions found at the Orb Audio site.

I guess it goes without saying, but the difference between Mod 1 and Mod 2 setups is that you get more volume from more speakers.  There’s also a slightly extended frequency range with the Mod 2s.

And speaking of extended frequency ranges, you probably noticed in the technical specifications for the speakers that the lower end starts at 80Hz.  If you use only orb speakers and no subwoofer, you’ll probably still get better sound than you get from your computer or TV speakers, but it will be missing the thumping bottom end.  To be sure that I got to hear the Booster Mini at its best, Orb Audio also sent along their Super Eight Custom subwoofer.

Front of the Super Eight subwoofer

Technical Specifications for Super Eight Custom Subwoofer

• Speaker type: High-performance ported bass-reflex design.
• Port type: Precision-tuned flared snorkel port.
• Amplifier type and power:  Custom high-power BASH digital hybrid amplifier with digital switching power supply for enhanced peak power output.  200W (continuous), 450W+ (peak)
• Amplifier THD: <.05% (100hz at full power)
• Amplifier S/N: >95dB
• Driver: Super long-throw 8″ high-performance driver with composite paper/high density ABS cone.  This yields rigid, lightweight design with excellent low frequency performance and increased detail and musicality.
• Magnet assembly: 30 oz. ferrite magnet
• Frequency response: 28-180hz.  Adjustable Crossover (40-160hz)
• Max. SPL peak: 111dB
• Max. long-term SPL: 107dB
• Dimensions: 12″ H x 11 3/4″ D x 11 1/2″ W (optional 1″ feet); 26 pounds

Features

• Adjustable phase (0-180)
• Adjustable crossover (40-160hz)
• Temperature protect circuitry
• Auto/On/Off Power
• RCA gold-plated stereo line level inputs
• High level gold-plated inputs and outputs
• 12dB/Octave hi-pass circuit

Bottom, showing the snorkel port. The optional feet are installed.

The back of the Super Eight has a multitude of controls.  Refer to the installation booklet, available on the Orb Audio website, for instructions.  You’ll also notice that the subwoofer has its own 200W amp inside, so you don’t have to wonder how a 20W Booster is going to drive a big subwoofer.

The thick black cable on the left connects the subwoofer to the Booster amp.  The cables on the right are speaker cables for the Mod 2 speakers.  I don’t know if they always come attached to the wiring harness, or if Orb Audio sent them that way to be sure they were hooked up properly for the review. 

I’m thinking it was the latter, since the Booster box had another wiring harness in it, along with a screwdriver sized to fit the screws on the harness.  There were also two booklets, the power supply for the amp, and a remote for the amp.  (Not pictured: power cord for the subwoofer.)

This system will be used in my living room as the sound system for my HDTV.  I connected the audio out from my TV to one of the Booster’s inputs using RCA cables.

I’d also like to use it for my music library in iTunes on my computer.  Unfortunately, my desk is on the opposite side of the room from my TV, and I don’t want to have to drape a 15-foot audio cable across the room.  I also don’t want to have to take my computer over and connect it to the amp while I’m listening to music.

I got an Apple Airport Express Base Station so that I could stream music wirelessly from iTunes to the Orb Audio system.  I plugged the Airport Express into a power outlet and spent about a minute connecting it to my wireless network.  I then connected it to the Booster amp using a audio cable.

I still have one RCA connector and one audio connector free on the Booster for future expansion. 

I put the Super Eight subwoofer on the floor behind my TV cabinet.  (Please excuse the dust.)  My cabinet fits catercorner across one corner of my living room.  The Super Eight is small enough that I’ll be able to push the cabinet back into place in the corner.

Because of the elongated diamond shape of my cabinet, you can see that the Mod 2 speakers block a bit of the screen.  I have ordered some floor stands from Orb Audio, so I’ll be able to place the speakers to either side of my TV.  I’ll try to add a picture of the speakers on their new stands later.

You can see the Booster amp in its new home in my cabinet.  Luckily, I don’t need an IR blaster for this setup.  The remote works well with the amplifier behind the glass doors of the cabinet.

Okay, I’ve written books about this system – now how does it sound?  It sounds just as good as it looks – and it looks gorgeous.  I don’t know all the fancy audiophile terms to describe performance, but I’ll try to tell you how the system sounds.  I’ve tried playing back music from iTunes, I’ve watched TV shows, and I’ve watched DVDs.  Everything sounds wonderful.  As I listened, I tried a couple of different settings for the subwoofer to get the bass to the volume level I preferred.  I tried listening to the music with the subwoofer turned off, too.  The Mod 2 s sounded good by themselves, but the subwoofer adds a whole new dimension to the music.

I listened to classical music, rock music, live music, and vocal music.  It all sounds rich and warm.  Even at a moderate volume for both the speakers and the subwoofer, I get room-filling sound.  (For reference, my living room is 17′ X 13.5′.)  Next I raised the volume until the indicator lights on the front of the Booster went into the orange range, then I backed it off one click into the green range.  (It was loud enough that I sent my husband outside to see if we were blasting the neighbors.)  I never heard any distortion from the speakers at this level.

Between songs, the speakers were quiet as death – no hiss or hum at all.  Music was clean and clear and bright, but never shrill.  Acoustic guitars sounded like someone was sitting in front of me playing.  Vocals were rich.  Both Josh Groban and Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s voices were deep and resonant enough that I could feel their lower notes. I heard things in live music that I had forgotten were even there.

The balance between the Mod 2 speakers and the subwoofer was perfect.  The bass was full and thumping, but it never overpowered the mid and high ranges.  I could feel the bass notes, but they never caused any rattling or buzzing.  It’s been a long time since I’ve heard music played back on really good speakers, and it was wonderful to experience it again.

The stereo separation is limited right now by the placement of my speakers, but I’ll be able to move them a bit once I get the floor stands.

The speakers also worked well with my TV and DVD player.  As I mentioned, the Booster doesn’t do surround sound, but the Booster amp and Orb speakers sound worlds better than the built-in TV speakers.  Action sequences have more excitement to them with the added clarity, volume, and bass.  Dialogue is clearer and easier to understand, too.

I think the Booster amp is a great entry-level amp for your home theater and audio system setup.  It has plenty of power to produce room-filling sound that improves on anything you’ll get from your standard TV or computer speakers.  Paired with the Orb Audio speakers and subwoofer, you’ll hardly notice it’s missing middle and rear channels.  It works well enough that I doubt I’ll ever be tempted to “upgrade” to another amp.  I love the speakers.  I love the way they look, I love the sound, and I love the size.  I’ve never had a subwoofer before, and I’ll admit I was a bit worried it would be too loud.  It’s amazing how much dimension it adds to the overall sound of the music.  I like the Booster Mini Amplifier and the Orb speaker system.  It brings a whole new level to my enjoyment of music and movies.

And I didn’t want to waste the Mod 1 speakers, so I ordered a couple of Orb Audio’s Mini-T amplifiers to use in other rooms in my house.  I’ll review the Mini-T soon.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Home Theater, Speakers

Orb Audio Booster Mini Amplifier and Speaker System Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 8, 2012 at 11:00 am.

Plug this little paperclip-sized dongle into the 30-pin connector on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, and your Apple device can serve as a powerful universal remote control.  The Zapper from VooMote uses the free VooMote Zapper app from iTunes to let you control virtually all the A/V devices in your house.  You can define the layout of your remote screens, even define one-button macros to execute functions like “watch a DVD”.  You can also define different layouts for each room in your house.  If your device isn’t available in the device database, you can teach the Zapper using the device’s original remote control.  The VooMote comes in white, black, gray, pink, blue, navy, green, and red for $69.95.  It’s available now at Apple stores and Apple.com, although the online store seems to only have black and white available.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: iOS accessory, Universal remote control

VooMote Zapper Universal Remote Control for Apple iOS Devices originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 7, 2012 at 12:00 pm.

Want to watch Television on your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad or Android tablet ? Perhaps the Hauppauge Broadway is the solution for you. The Broadway connects between your TV source and home Wi-Fi network, converts the TV signal to be displayed on your mobile device, and sends the signal to your device via Wifi or the Internet.  The Broadway converts and compresses the live TV signal to Apple compatible h.264 video format or Flash when transmitted to Mac, PC or Android. It contains a tuner with support for cable and satellite set top boxes, ATSC over-the-air TV signals and unencrypted digital cable TV (clear QAM). You get full control of the TV channel selected via Broadway’s “IR-blaster” technology. In theory (and I’m guessing it would depend on link speeds and latency) you can also stream your favourite shows while abroad from your home to your tablet via the internet.

Available from the Hauppauge Store for $199.

Filed in categories: Android related, Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Android, iPad, TV tuner

Hauppauge Broadway – Tellie on ya Tablet originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 7, 2012 at 10:00 am.

Steve Holt did a popular review for Avid Studio (see the related posts for a link) last year, so I thought many of you might be interested to know that this software is now available as an iPad app.  Avid Studio for iPad has “distilled the world’s leading film-editing technology into an easy-to-use app that enables you to edit video, audio, and photos at the speed of your creativity.”  You can edit any video, audio, or photo file on your iPad, access files on external devices with the Apple camera connection kit, or capture video or photos within the Avid app.  You can edit your files frame by frame, enhance your project with multi-layer 3D animations, transitions, and titles, and add soundtracks using your own files or the included sound effects.  You can share your files via YouTube, Facebook, or email, and you can even export your files to Avid Studio for the PC.  It’s only $4.99 in the iTunes App Store, so this might even be a great way to try Avid Studio before you purchase the much more expensive PC version.  And keep your eyes peeled for Julie’s upcoming review of this Avid Studio app.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: A/V editing, iPad app

Avid Studio is Now Available as an iPad App originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 3, 2012 at 12:00 pm.

We’ve told you before about Kidz Gear volume-limiting headphones designed for kids, and now we have the Kidz Gear Volume Limit Headphones for Apple Products to tell you about.  These headphones are designed to fit children’s smaller heads, and they have the KidZControl Volume Limiting Technology that keeps sound pressure levels between 80dB – 90dB to protect hearing.  These over-the-ear headphones reproduce 20-20,000Hz, and they have in-line playback controls.  They also have a microphone incorporated into the contoller, so you or your child can make or take calls from an Apple device.  Okay, most small children aren’t going to have an iPhone, but they can use it when they talk on your iPhone or when they FaceTime with the grandparents.  They have a 3.5mm audio plug, so they’ll work with any audio device with a 3.5mm audio port – while they’re waiting to get that Apple iPhone.  They are $29.95 in the Apple Store.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Kid Gadgets, News

Tagged: Headphones, Kids' gadgets

Kidz Gear Volume Limit Headphones for Apple Devices originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 2, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

The iharmonix Q-i-sound Bluetooth Speakers from Qmadix are compact little speakers that can travel with you in their carrying case.   (See the bottom image; click for a larger view.)  The lithium-polymer battery charges in about 3.5 hours and provides up to 8 hours continuous playback time or 240 hours of standby time.  The speakers can be up to 33 feet away from the paired audio source, and they can be separated by 15 feet once paired.  A built-in, full-duplex microphone lets you take calls from your paired phone.  The Q-i-sound Bluetooth Speakers are available in black or white for $149.99.  They will be available on April 2.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Bluetooth Gear, News

Tagged: Bluetooth speakers, Portable speakers

Qmadix iharmonix Q-i-sound Wireless Bluetooth Speakers originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 31, 2012 at 9:00 am.

I’m torn about the PFE 232 Earphones from Phonak Audeo. They are about the best sounding universal-fit earphones I’ve yet heard. They are well made, extremely comfortable, customizable (more on that later), and have replaceable cables.

But wow, are they expensive. There is no getting around that. It’s an elephant in the room you can’t ignore. And when the price of universal-fit earphones approach, and sometimes even surpass the cost of custom fit earphones, they better have something unique to offer.  Let’s find out.

Phonak Sounds AG is a Swiss maker of hearing aids that got into the audio market because many of the components in modern hearing aids are also used in high quality earphones. It’s a natural symmetry.

Phonak’s first earphone was the PFE 111/112 which won raves for both its design as well as sound. They became a favorite among those wanting topnotch quality at a reasonable price. Even with one armature, the PFE 111/112s were favorably compared with earphones costing more.

Well, as they say, that was then; this is now. Many competing brands of earphones have come out since the PFE 111/112 and have been reviewed at The Gadgeteer. Today, there are a lot of good sounding earphones covering many price ranges.

Phonak has released the Perfect Fit (PFE) 232 with two balanced armatures instead of the single armature used in the 111/112s. They didn’t change the shape, since the original worked so well, and only did subtle exterior design changes. They are a gun-metal gray with black plastic. At first glance, you may think that at this price, they should have either aluminum or wood accents. But plastic is extremely light in weight and moldable to a more ergonomic shape. These earphones weigh almost nothing.

Let’s look at the ergonomics of the PFE 232. It is an unusual shape. No other earphones look like them. Yet when they are worn, it makes sense. They’re called Perfect Fit for good reason. They wrap around and behind the ear, much like Westone and Shure earphones. You can also wear them with the cable down if you’re willing to swap left for right, and the audio may be compromised. While they may not be the most comfortable universal earphones I’ve used – the Klipsch X10s own that crown – the 232s are very comfortable, and I can wear them for hours without ear pain or irritation. Being able to wear earphones comfortably for hours is not as common as you may think.

The PFE 232s come with a decent array of accessories. Included are two sets of cables; one with a mic for smartphones and one without. To be truthful, I hardly ever use earphones on my iPhone. The iPod Classic is my primary music device. So whether earphones have a mic or not is irrelevant to me. However, I know many people use a smartphone exclusively for music and the mic feature is essential. The multifunction button on the PFE 232 works as advertised. You can adjust volume, pause, forward, reverse, take calls… all the usual stuff. Note that the multifunction button only works on Apple devices.

Also included are six pairs of eartips; three different sizes of foam and silicone. There are also silicone ear-shaped guides which help keep the wires in place behind the ears. Eyeglass wearers can just tuck the wires behind the eyeglass earpiece without the guides. Since I wear glasses, I prefer this method. The ear guides are comfortable, but cumbersome to use.

One of the common problems with earphones in any price range is the durability of the thin cords. No one wants to replace a pair of expensive earphones just because of issues with the wires. Phonak has equipped the PFE  232s with removable cables. What that means is that no matter what happens to your earphone cables – worn, torn, chewed by your dog; whatever – you just disconnect the wires and reconnect new ones. It makes you wonder why everyone isn’t doing this.

The included accessory that matters more than the others and accounts for some of the cost are the three color-coded acoustic filters with included case and changing tool. These filters are tiny and difficult to change, but they can dramatically alter the sound depending on your tastes. The green filter promotes bass at the expense of mids and treble. Using the green filters makes the PFE 232s sound like $50 earphones marketed to teenagers. The bass may be cleaner than cheap earphones, but I don’t understand the logic. The black filters boost bass and treble much more accurately and could be considered the closest to a traditional earphone sound signature. The black filters do sound good, but on some songs, there is a harshness in the treble that bothers me. I prefer the gray filters for their overall neutral and balanced sound, but then, I lean toward that type of sound anyway.  Phonak packages the PFE 232s with the gray filters already installed and supply an extra gray set along with the black and green filters. My advice is to live with the gray filters until you are familiar with the sound and then change to the black or green filter to decide what you like.

In my listening tests, I decided to try old and new music. The song, “Roads to Moscow,” from Al Stewart’s “Past, Present and Future” album features just about everything to test headphone quality. It begins with a high, flamenco-styled guitar overlaying some purposeful acoustic strumming followed by a choral bridge. The PFE 232s effortlessly pick up the squeakiness of the guitar strings, the different vocal ranges of the choir and the excellent soundstage of the song delivering a complete audio treat.

A new song, “Colors,” by April Smith and the Great Picture Show is a joyful romp complete with accordion, hand clapping and a thumping bass drum. The attack and recovery of the drum hits in this song allow the visceral kick of the drum to be felt without letting it bleed into the other frequencies. That’s the mark of good headphones and earphones. That means any aural muddiness heard in a particular song would be the result of the recording and not the earphone speaker.

Roxy Music’s ode to Texas, “Prairie Rose,” is one of the harshest songs I have in my collection. I don’t know if it was intentional, but the recording quality leaves a lot to be desired, despite how good the song is. That actually makes it a perfect test song. Here the high frequencies were not brittle or painful, so I could listen to the whole song without wanting to rip the earphones from my head. Conversely, Honeyroot’s song, “Falling” has deep, deep bass that can buzz and distort cheaper speakers. The PFE 232s don’t seem to care. The bass is musical and rich without any boominess or buzzing of any kind.

The PFE 232s don’t have what I would call a jaw-dropping sound – unless you are migrating from Apple’s earbuds or other cheap buds. But what the PFE 232s do have is what you should be hearing; accurate sound as the musicians intended it to be heard.

The PFE 232s are unfazed by whatever style of music I throw at them. I have heard and reviewed many earphones – custom and universal – and very few have a sound signature as balanced and easy to listen to as the PFE 232s. There are many earphones that excel in reproducing bass, vocals, or the higher frequencies. But the ability to handle the entire frequency range and still keep the clarity and power in the music is difficult to achieve. I commend Phonak for this and can highly recommend the PFE 232s if you have the means. But their high cost holds me back from making my recommendation unconditional.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Earphones

Phonak Audéo PFE 232 Earphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 29, 2012 at 12:31 pm.

This cute speaker from Gavio looks like a retro-styled toaster.  It would look really cute in my retro kitchen with my Formica dining table.  The TOAST dock has  50mm speakers with 3W total RMS, and they reproduce 150-18,000Hz with an 80dB signal-to-noise ratio.  It’s powered with a 1000mAh lithium-ion battery.  No price has been released yet, but Gavio is apparently taking pre-orders.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: docking speakers for iPod/iPhone

Gavio TOAST! Docking Speaker for iPhone originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 29, 2012 at 8:00 am.

Sony has extended their Walkman product line with the Z Series Mobile Media Player.  This Android 2.3 powered Mobile Media Player has a 4.3” touch screen, runs on a dual core mobile processor, has built-in WiFi / Bluetooth, micro HDMI port, and has Sony’s S-Master MX audio technology to deliver a crisp audio experience.  It comes in 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB, which you can pre-order for $249, $279, and $329, respectively.  Currently it only comes in black.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Android, MP3 player, Sony

Sony Walkman Z Series Mobile Media Player originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 24, 2012 at 9:00 am.

I’ve mentioned before that I have three TVs in my house but only two cable outlets.  I want to be able to watch TV in my bedroom, but I don’t want to have to pay to have a third outlet installed in my house – and then pay a monthly service charge for the outlet, cable box, and remote.  That’s not my main TV, so I don’t have to be able to receive all 5,000 channels (approximately ) that I receive on my living room TV.  We don’t have an outdoor antenna, and I don’t want to have one installed.  I decided I’d try a cheaper alternative for my bedroom TV and bought one of those set-top rabbit ears antennas with the built-in amplifier.  I could get the local station with the rabbit ears, but not much else that wasn’t pixellated and unwatchable.  When Urban Freedom offered The Gadgeteer one of their WallTenna indoor omni-directional antennas, I asked Julie if I could try it out.  

Most images can be clicked for a larger view.  The top picture is courtesy of the WallTenna website; all the rest are mine.

I was especially interested in WallTenna because they are based in Greensboro, NC, just like me!  Snowdon Parlette was inspired to design the antenna while living in New York City.  After he got a beautiful new HD flatscreen, he realized that his old rabbit ears just weren’t up to the challenge of receiving digital signals.  With the old analog signals, indoor antennas could pull in distant signals that were fuzzy but were almost clear enough to watch.  Digital signals are an all-or-nothing proposition – antennas just don’t pick up weak signals at all.  He exhausted all commercial digital antenna options without finding anything to suit his needs, so he set about designing the WallTenna.

The WallTenna is a flat antenna that’s for indoor or attic use only.  It’s made of two clear plastic sheets that are laminated together.  Between the layers, strips of copper tape have been arranged in a double bowtie design like that used in some rooftop antennas.  The WallTenna measures 16.25″ wide X 14″ tall X 10mm thick.  The copper tape looks a lot like the copper tape I used to use when I made stained glass lamps many years ago.  The double bowtie design reminds me of Frank Lloyd Wright art glass designs, too.

The WallTenna is designed to be hung on a wall or inside a window.  There are two holes at the top and two at the bottom of the antenna that can be used with hooks or picture hangers to attach it to the wall.  You can also use tape to secure it to your wall or window.  If you remove the clear logo sticker at the top, the WallTenna almost looks like a piece of glass art.

In addition to the WallTenna, you also get an instruction sheet and a 12-foot RG-59 cable to connect your TV to the WallTenna.  Information on the WallTenna site says you can also use RG-6 cables.  “RG-59 is smaller in diameter and especially well-suited for HDTV signal frequencies (37 MHz). For over-the-air (OTA) signal transmission RG-59 works slightly better over long runs. The RG-6 is designed for use with satellite and cable systems where high frequencies (above 50 MHz) are the norm. For connecting WallTenna, either cable will work. However, we prefer the RG-59 because it is smaller, more flexible and less obtrusive than the larger diameter RG-6.”

This is the balun, or the connection point for the coaxial cable.  The instruction sheet says you may install the antenna with the balun pointing down or up, but reception will be seriously degraded if you install the antenna sideways.   They also recommend that you secure the balun to the wall with tape once you’ve settled on your permanent installation location to prevent stressing the connection to the copper strips.

The WallTenna is designed to receive the free, over-the-air (OTA) digital TV signals that are available in the US.  If your TV was sold after May 25, 2007, it is has a built-in ATSC digital tuner, and you won’t need anything other than the WallTenna and its cable to receive these OTA signals.  If your TV was sold before that date, you’ll need a converter box.  My TV is only a year old, so I don’t need a converter.

I also don’t have a Tivo or a DVR for my bedroom HDTV, but the WallTenna is compatible with these devices.

These free OTA signals are digital, but not all are high-definition.  Digital signals, even the standard-def ones, are all much clearer than the old analog signals that used to be the standard for television transmission.  Most stations transmitted in the VHF (very-high frequency) range before the digital switchover, and a few channels used the UHF (ultra-high frequency) range.  Rabbit ears antennas were designed to pick up the VHF signals.  As analog stations began to use UHF frequencies, a loop was added to the base of the rabbit ears for better reception in this range.  With the digital switchover, about 75% of stations switched to UHF frequencies.  Although there’s really not an “HDTV antenna,” those optimized for UHF will work better for receiving digital transmissions.  The WallTenna, like most indoor antennas, can receive signals from transmitters up to 30 miles away.  Of course, hills or mountainous terrain can interfere with reception, as can trees, buildings, and other structures.  I live in the Piedmont region of NC, so there aren’t mountains between me and the stations, but there are a lot of buildings and trees.

Digital OTA signals can transmit in full 1080 HD tv.  With a good antenna, you should be able to receive TV signals that rival or exceed the clarity of cable signals.  WallTenna tells us “at best, cable can only match the quality of the free broadcast signal. All cable companies compress their HD signals in order to fit in the hundred-odd junk channels include in their packages. The result is a degraded signal that is usually inferior to OTA broadcast.”

I’d be happy to get ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox on my bedroom TV.  When I had tried other indoor antennas, I had been able to get the local CBS station pretty well, but ABC and Fox had problems with pixellation or the picture freezing.  I couldn’t get NBC at all; that station is in Winston-Salem, and the transmitter is about 36 miles away.

WallTenna directed me to the TV Fool website where I learned what OTA channels I should be able to receive for my address.  They go into far more detail than I can understand – or care to.  Suffice it to say, you enter your street address and TV Fool gives you a list of local broadcasters, their distance from you, the direction you should point your antenna to best receive their signals, and the strength of their signals at your location

Above is the report I received for my street address.  The stations shown with a green background should be available with an indoor set-top antenna.  Yellow means an attic-mounted antenna would probably be required for reception, red means a roof-top antenna is probably required, and gray means the signals are so weak at my location that extreme measures are required for reception.  The bullseye diagram shows where the stations are in relation to my house so that I know which direction to point an antenna to receive the strongest signal.  The WallTenna is omni-directional, so I won’t have to worry about reorienting the antenna each time I change the station.  According to the report, I should get ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, Ion and a couple of other stations, but NBC is probably out of range.

WallTenna can be stacked or arrayed to improve reception in your area, just as outdoor antennas can be.  Stacked means you place one WallTenna above the other and connect them to a signal joiner before connecting the TV.  Arrayed means they are placed side-by-side, but this makes them much more directional.  The company says a single WallTenna should provide an excellent signal in most cases.  I hope so, because I only received the one;  there’s no stacking or arraying happening for this test.

Now I just had to find the proper location to install my WallTenna.  The installation instructions say you can attach the WallTenna to a wall, window, or any other vertical surface.  You can even attach it to the back of a picture on your wall, if you’d prefer to hide it.  They recommend that you position the WallTenna on the inside of one of your house’s exterior walls.  You should place it on a wall facing the station with the weakest signal, if possible.  Windows are an ideal place to install the antenna, if one is close enough to the TV and you don’t mind having the antenna in your window.  The clear design almost disappears in a window, and as I mentioned earlier, I think it looks a bit like art glass and wouldn’t be unattractive in the window.

Higher on the wall is usually better for reception, unless you live in a steel-framed house.  With a signal splitter, you can also connect multiple TVs to the WallTenna.  Check the installation sheet and the WallTenna website for more information about finding the best location for your antenna and hooking up multiple TVs.

Luckily, my bedroom TV is very near a window that faces due east.  Unfortunately, the NBC station is west of here.  I’ve never been able to receive NBC on any TV I’ve had in my bedroom with any antenna I’ve tried.  Oh, well.  I just hope I can watch CBS (The Big Bang Theory), ABC (Castle), and Fox (Bones).

I put the WallTenna in the top of my east-facing window and taped the balun to the wood sash.  The antenna itself isn’t obtrusive, but I need to find a way to direct the white coax cable so it doesn’t hang down the middle of my window.

After I screwed the coax cable into the back of my TV, I had to go into its setup, select “antenna” as my source, and have the TV scan for available channels.  It found 27 channels – including NBC and the UNC public TV station that were listed in the yellow zone of my TV Fool report.  In addition to the standard broadcast networks, I also receive THIS, Ion and Ion Family, Qubo, a couple of Spanish-language channels, and some local independant stations – everything listed in the green section of the TV Fool report.

Every single station I receive using the WallTenna is clear and sharp.  I don’t have to do any adjustments to the WallTenna when I change stations.  Everything stays sharp and clear during the day, night, and even during rain.  Funnily enough, I do get a little interference on the NBC station when my 6’2″ husband is walking around in the room, but it clears right up when he sits down.  At 4’11.75″, I don’t seem to be tall enough to cause interference.

I love the WallTenna!  It’s small and hangs in my window, so I don’t have to try to find a tabletop to set it on.  It doesn’t require constant adjustment for each station that I tune in, and it even gets a couple of distant stations I’ve never been able to receive with other indoor antennas.  Reception is sharp and clear for every channel.  I may not be able to watch cable shows like Ghost Hunters on my bedroom TV, but I can watch all of my can’t-miss programs.  At only $39.95, you can’t go wrong with the WallTenna.  That one-time charge is much cheaper than the $10 a month that adding a cable line, box, and remote would cost.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Antenna, Digital TV

WallTenna Indoor Omni-Directional Antenna Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 23, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

We did a review of the Time Warner Cable app for iPad a while ago.  With the app, you could watch select channels in your Time Warner Cable lineup on your iPad in any room of your house while you were connected to your home’s WiFi network.  Now, the app has been updated into a universal app, meaning you can now enjoy your programming on your iPhone and iPod touch with the updated universal TWC TV app.  It works with iPad, iPhone 3G, 4/4S, and iPod touch 3rd or 4th generation; it requires iOS 4.3 or higher.  It’s free in the iTunes app store.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: iOS app, Time Warner Cable

Watch Live Time Warner Cable on Your iPhone and iPod touch originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 23, 2012 at 8:25 am.

There aren’t a lot of speaker docks designed specifically for Android smartphones because of the sheer number of different styles.  However, if you have an Android phone with microUSB and 3.5mm audio connectors, you can amplify your music with the speaker and control playback and volume with the included remote and the free SONR app.  The Universal Speaker Dock for Android from Digital Innovations works with most any Android phone.  (See the first link for a list of supported phones.)  The dock supports the phone in either landscape or portrait orientation, and it charges it, too.  The dock delivers 2.1 stereo sound with 6W from the two speakers and 10W from the subwoofer.  It’s $99.99 and can be purchased directly from Digital Innovations or from ThinkGeek.

Filed in categories: Android related, Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Android, Docking speakers

Speaker Dock with Remote for Android Phones originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 19, 2012 at 9:17 am.

The Magic-Pro iGoGo TV box is powered by Android 2.3.1, so you’ll be able to enjoy Android apps – internet surfing, movie watching, and games – directly on your big HDTV.  iGoGo TV has an ARM Cortex-A8 1GHz processor and 512MB DDR3 and 4GB NAND flash inside, and you can add even more memory with microSDHC cards and USB external hard drives or flash drives.  It supports 1080P Full HD video decoding for most video formats, and it connects to your HD TV with an HDMI output port (1920 x 1080p).  It also has a built-in 2MP webcam and a microphone for video calling.  It has a 2.4GHz RF Air Mouse remote control, with an optional upgrade to 2.4GHz RF Air Mouse + Keyboard, for optimal surfing and gaming.  The iGoGo TV is $188 at Pyramid Distribution.

Filed in categories: Android related, Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Android TV

Magic-Pro iGoGo TV Android TV-Box with Built-in Webcam & Mic originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 16, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

We all know that custom-fitted earphones are going to give you the best fit, isolation, and stay in place better than your standard supplied headphones, but this normally involves a trip to the audiologist and normally isn’t a cheap solution.

Fuze supplies custom earphones in a DIY kit that takes around 15 minutes to fit. You can relive your childhood memories of playing with play-doh and plasticine as you mix together the BioFuzion healthcare-grade material before molding the material around the earbuds in your ear.

The kit comes with Fuze stereo drivers, BioFuzion earpiece material ( pre-measured ) , instructional web video, and soft storage pouch and is available in red, blue, black, purple, hot pink, bright orange and beige.

Available from the Earfuze store starting from $34.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: head, Headphones and earbuds

Fuze Custom Earphones – DIY Audiologist Kit originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 15, 2012 at 12:00 pm.

A while back, I reviewed the retro Koss PortaPro headphones and gushed over how well they sounded especially considering their price and how comfortable they were regardless of price. For some people however, the PortaPros looks were – well – just so 80s. I would imagine most people listening to headphones today don’t remember the 80s, so the PortaPro’s retro look is lost on them, but the sound quality shouldn’t be. There is now what I consider a modern version to those classic headphones called Tracks from Aiaiai (pronounced eye-eye-eye). Aiaiai also makes the wonderful TMA-1.

If you are a fan of European design with its clean lines and “form follows function” method, you will love Tracks. This is how headphones in the 21st century should look, especially since they have become such a fashion accessory lately. I am astounded how simple the Tracks are and how cleverly everything works together. There is nothing included that is not absolutely necessary. It is simplicity at its best. They even won the Danish Design Prize for 2010-2011.

The Tracks come with 40mm drivers, which is pretty standard for this price range. They are 32 Ohm, so any portable device can drive them easily, and their frequency range is a respectable 20-20,000Hz. Again, all standard fare. What matters is what a headphone does with those numbers and the Tracks handle those numbers pretty well.

There are four simple, muted color choices, with brighter-colored connectors. I have gray with an orange, gold-plated miniplug connector. It’s all very unobtrusive. They also come with a 3 Button in-line microphone with all/music/volume control, something almost required in today’s portable world.

The headband is stainless steel with no padding. It’s not needed.  The Tracks are so lightweight that after a while, you may forget you are wearing them. The pressure they exert on your head is just enough to stay put during normal activity and never became uncomfortable, even with hours of straight use.

Adjusting the ear pads on the Tracks is uniquely simple. There are small buttons that snap on the ear pieces and can swivel in any direction for a better fit. Those same buttons are grooved to fit in a slot cut into the headband so it can slide up and down to fit just about any head.

What bothers me about this is my setting was at the maximum, so there will be some people whose head the Tracks will not fit. My head may be big, but I’ve seen bigger. The photo shows my son wearing them because his head is more “normal.” If you are on the larger side of life, I would try before you buy if possible.

While the outer edge of the headband is smooth and finished, the slot that allows the plastic button to slide has sharp edges. They’re not sharp enough to cut fingers, and Aiaiai has cleverly inserted a steel track within the small plastic button to prevent the sharper edges from gouging into the plastic. Aiaiai supplies two, differently colored button pairs for replacing whenever the color-changing mood strikes.

The Tracks should work well for commuting. There is some sound leakage since these are an on-ear design, but unless you are in a quiet environment and have the volume loud, it shouldn’t be an issue. Alternately, you should be able to hear enough traffic and trains to help make your commute safer.

The Tracks lean towards the warm side. What that means is that the bass is a little more  prominent at the expense of accuracy. While I admit this is what most people prefer, my tastes are for a more neutral, unbiased sound. Having said that, the Tracks’ sound is quite pleasing. I have listened for hours with no listening fatigue. That’s important, because if you can only listen for an hour or so and then they become uncomfortable, what good is that? Distortion will occur when the volume is pushed to punishing levels, so don’t do that. Also, some songs – depending on many factors – seem to distort at lower volumes which doesn’t happen with better, more accurate headphones. But those same headphones can cost up to three times as much, so there you go. The songs that work well for the Tracks are mostly rock, some classical and jazz. Stay away from bass-heavy music, unless you are a total basshead.

One of my favorite songs in the late 60s was “Mechanical World” from the first album by the California psychedelic group, Spirit. Its blend of strings and overblown production with jazzy riffs was – and still is – way beyond what a lot of other musicians were doing. No one could mix distorted guitar with straight jazz like these guys. They were amazing. The Tracks’ warm sound is a perfect balance for the bass-light mix used on this album accentuating the bottom end just enough.

Roxy Music’s second album was the last one Brian Eno appeared on and he plays like he knew it. “In Every Dream Home a Heartache” is one of those songs that creep up on you with its Eno-inspired noir atmosphere with a sinister, delightly banal monotone vocal by Bryan Ferry. When it finally dawns on you what Ferry is singing about, all “you know what” breaks loose with blistering guitar work from Phil Manzanera. Listening to this song is a lot of fun with the Tracks. These are forgiving headphones, so any harshness (some Roxy Music songs exhibit very high frequency edginess) is smoothed over nicely without much compromise with the accuracy.

Bass was very noticeable on the classic “49 Bye Byes” from Crosby, Stills and Nash on their remastered, first album. While it wasn’t boomy, it was too much on the heavy side for my tastes. This song has sounded better with other headphones.

It seems that the Tracks headphones can improve the sound of many different songs, though not ones that are already bass heavy. Its warm-leaning sound, combined with its admirable comfort and iconic design could make just about anyone happy to have them.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Headphones

Aiaiai Tracks Headphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 14, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

I love music.  My first big purchase after getting my first job out of college was a stereo system.  After I bought my small house, I got rid of my stereo with the big floor speakers that could literally blow out a match, and I just don’t listen as much.  When I try listening with earphones, I usually find them too uncomfortable to listen for more than a few minutes.  I miss music, and I’m always trying to find something that makes it enjoyable again.  That’s why I’m always interested in trying new headphones and earphones.  I asked Julie if I could try the ms01 monitorseries earphones when they were offered by thinksound for review.

thinksound is a company with an eco-conscience.  They began with “a simple goal; to create incredible sounding headphones with the smallest eco-footprint possible.”  They use wood from renewable sources and PVC-free cables in their headphones.  Packaging is made from bleach-free, recycled materials; they use stacks of cardboard with cutouts instead of a plastic blister inside the package.  Still, they want their headphones to sound great, so they use only high-quality materials in their manufacture.

A small cotton, drawstring bag with the thinksound logo is included to hold your earphones and their accessories.  You get a cable clip and a total of four eartips (small, medium, large, x-large) with the ms01s.  You also get a pair of “Active Lifestyle Earhooks”, which are the black rubber things in the bottom right of the above picture.

The shells of the earbuds are made of wood, and the baffles are made of gray aluminum.  This color combination is called Gunmetal Chocolate.  The back of each earbud has a white thinksound logo printed on.

thinksound says the ms01s are 8mm in-ear high definition monitors.  They come with the large eartips installed, and I started with them.  I got a good seal with this size, without it feeling like I had something crammed in my ears.  If you don’t like these particular eartips, the ms01 are compatible with Comply T-200 eartips.

These earbuds don’t have an in-line volume/call answer control.  There’s a metal cylinder at the juncture of the main cable and the ear cables with the thinksound logo.  I assume this also serves to reinforce this point.  The cables are PVC-free, Kevlar-reinforced, and tangle resistant.  I haven’t heard any cable vibration or knocks while wearing these, even without using the cable clip.  There’s a 3.5mm gold-plated stereo plug that will work with most any audio device.

I find that the ms01 earphones fit very comfortably and securely in my ears.  If you use earbuds while working out, you might like the Active Lifestyle Earhooks.  These rubbery hooks have clips down their spine to hold the ear cables behind your ears.  These flexible hooks are about 1/8th of an inch thick.  They don’t seem to fit around my ears in any way that seems to stabilize the earphones.  I find them very uncomfortable to wear, because they press against the earpieces of my eyeglasses.  I find them uncomfortable even without my glasses on, though.  YMMV, but I won’t be using the earhooks.

I mentioned that the ms01 earphones were comfortable, but I didn’t make it clear just how comfortable I find them.  I hate those Apple-style earbuds because they push against my ears so hard that I feel like I’m bruised after a short while wearing them.  I find some in-ear styles to be uncomfortable because they block my ear canal and cause my eardrums to feel like they are under high pressure.  On the other hand, if I don’t press them in far enough, in-ear styles don’t sound good.  The ms01 earphones fit snugly in my ear without making my eardrums feel like they were about to be ruptured.  I can wear these comfortably for hours.

But how do they sound?  Well – good and and not so good.  The documentation says these earbuds reproduce 18-20,000Hz.  I listened to some bass-heavy music, most specifically Chris Squire’s Fish.  That song was performed with nothing much but a bass guitar, and it can loosen the fillings in your teeth when played on the right speakers.  I could hear the bass, but it wasn’t head-rattling.  The bass is there and enjoyable, but it doesn’t overwhelm.

The earbuds are very bright.  I’ve never liked Boston’s music because it’s shrill – high vocals, higher harmonies, and a drummer who was in dire need of a cymbal-ectomy.  Boston’s music through the ms01s was so shrill that my ears hurt.  Many other songs, especially rock, sounded too bright, too.  These earbuds really shone when I moved on to vocal and acoustic music.  With acoustic music, especially live, the earphones were clear and clean.  I could hear faint voices in the background that I’m not sure I noticed before in some songs.  Old bluegrass and orchestral music sounded good, too.

I love voices, and vocal music sounded great with the ms01 earphones.  I listened to all my favorite singers – Peter Gabriel, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, Jon Anderson, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban – and they all sounded fabulous.  The voices were rich and full; they gave me chills.  I’m listening to Colin Hay’s Going Somewhere as I write this.  It’s just his voice and an acoustic guitar, and it seems like he’s standing right behind me as he sings.

I’m not sure thinksound’s ms01 monitorseries earphones will satisfy everyone, but fans of acoustic and vocal music should be very happy with them.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Earphones

thinksound ms01 monitorseries Earphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 12, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

How excited was I to try this product, a protective case that charges a wide variety of personal electronics – iPods, phones, GPS units, handheld game devices, and such – and has an amplified speaker built in? And can recharge itself with a built-in solar panel? And priced under $60! Woot woot! Sign me up!

I soon had a Solicharger-SP from SolLight in my hands to try out.

The package includes the case, a short set of instructions, and a bunch of tips – micro USB, mini USB, Apple, USB, and ‘reverse’ USB.  Some will be used to power your device, others help charge the unit.

Inside the case and the included tips.

The specs for the case are:

• External dimensions: 7.25″ long x 4″ wide x 1.75″ thick
• Internal dimensions: 7″ x 3″ x just under 1″
• Weight: 9 ounces
• Battery: Lithium-Ion 1500mAh
• Solar panel: 2″ x 3″, 5v 70mAh
• Output: 5vdc, 500mA
• Amplified speaker

The numbers for the dimensions are kind of misleading since the case has very rounded corners and is wider in the middle than on the top or bottom. The upper half of the opened case is filled with the battery and speakers. The case also features a blue LED to tell you it is charging, a pass-through grommet for the charger cord, and two external loops with small carabiners.

The outer case is a sturdy, stiffened black Cordura nylon, and the inner case is a slightly fuzzy material that slightly connects to the rough part of low-profile Velcro. There is not much actual padding in the shell- most of it is between your device and the case lid with the battery, etc. in it.

Case outside, showing the carabiners on top. The white dot on the left side of the solar panel is the blue 'charging' LED

Internally, there are two non-adjustable elastic straps, a small storage pouch that is not big enough for all of the tips, and the ‘control panel’ for the speaker and charging functions. There are instructions on the panel as well, which is helpful to remind you that the power switch has to be ‘on’ to run your device, and ‘off’ when charging. A small red LED lets you know the speaker elements are turned on.

There are also two 6″ or so cords inside. One is a typical right angle 1/8″ stereo plug, and the other is a right angle jack to take the charging or power tips. One issue with this case is that the charging tip and adapter will add about 1.5-1.75″ to the length of your device- and I really doubt you could use it and zip up the case if your device has a side-mounted charging port. My Samsung Galaxy S (Epic) fits, but there is not a lot of length to spare.

Case with my Samsung Galaxy S (Epic) in place (should have cleaned the screen!) Note the space taken by the power tip and cord.

Charging the case is easy enough, and you can charge the case while still using the speaker functions. You can use either the 22″ USB cable to plug into a powered USB port, or the short ‘reverse’ USB adapter so you can plug another USB cable into it, such as an AC/USB plug. The maker says it will take about 3-4 hours to charge fully. A blue LED indicates that it is charging, but there is no visible signal that the case is fully charged.

Charging the case with the rather small solar panel takes 20-24 hours of light, depending on the light quality. Even a small amount of light from the window is enough to trickle charge the battery.  If the internal batteries are fully depleted, it may not charge with the sun and would need to be hooked up to another source for about 15 minutes to get the charging process started. Also note that using the sun alone can generally only charge it about 90% of the way.

A fully-charged case should give your device a complete charge, but it may take over an hour to do so depending on several factors. The solar charger is not quite powerful enough to keep your unit charged when playing music.  You will eventually use juice faster than the solar panel can recharge it, but the cases batteries and solar panel will certainly extend your device’s battery life significantly! In my decidedly non-scientific trials, I got less than half my smartphone’s usual battery drain when I used this case to play music (without the amplified speakers). With the amplified speakers also using the battery pack, I still got about a 25% or so boost in battery life.

Close-up of the control panel. The LED shows that the speaker switch is 'on'. Also shows the pouch.

The speakers are OK. They boost the volume quite a bit, but add a lot of noise and distortion as the volume goes up. Sometimes I would have sworn I was listening to an older LP album with the hisses and popping. Charging the case as you play music seems to add a lot of noise, and even charging the player in the case seems to add some.

There are no external controls, so you need to open the case to change volume, change tracks, etc. Not a real problem if you have a good playlist going and have treated all your music so the volume is leveled out but that does not apply to me, so I constantly have to open the case and adjust things. You can also use it as the photo from the site at the top of the article suggests, and keep the player outside the case- but frankly if I wanted to do that I would buy a better external speaker unit.

Overall, the SolLight Solicharger-SP case does an OK job on all of its aspects – protection, portability, amplified speakers, and charging. Other cases may do many of these better for a lower price, but I cannot find many that do it all like this one can. Personally, I’ll stick to the iMainGo2 case for the sound vs. price benefits.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Gear, Reviews

Tagged: External battery, External speaker, solar charger

SolLight Solicharger-SP Solar Charger/Speaker Case Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 12, 2012 at 11:00 am.

If you have a house with multiple TVs, you’re faced with providing content for each of them.  With my cable company, I have to pay for extra lines, plus an extra charge for a cable box and remote control for each line.  I’ll need to buy DVD players for each, too.  With the the MyWirelessTV Multi-Room Wireless HD Video Kit, Actiontec promises I can stream full HD video from the programming source in one room to the TV in another room without having to run wires.  I don’t even have to worry about connecting it to my home’s wireless network, because the MyWirelessTV boxes are paired to use their own wireless 802.11n connection. 

Some pictures can be clicked for an enlarged view.

The MyWirelessTV can stream 1080p60 full HD or 3D video to a second TV up to 150 feet away.  You simply connect the transmitter to any set top box, gaming console, DVD player, or other device and connect the receiver to any HD display in any location in your home.  You won’t need to run wires, drill holes in your floors or walls, or pay the cable company to install an extra line.  You won’t even have to worry about connecting it to your wireless network, because the MyWirelessTV boxes are paired together on their own proprietary connection straight out of the box.  Actiontec says they use “standards-based compression, transmission, and transport protocols to securely and reliably deliver HD video throughout the home.”

100% Standards-Based

• No interference with existing wireless networks
• Compression: Standard H.264 codec
• Transmission:Wireless Standard 802.11 WiFi
• Content Protection: Standard HDCP 2.0 Encryption

The MyWirelessTV consists of a transmitter box that you’ll attach to your cable box, DVD player, or other source and a receiver that you’ll hook to the HD TV you want to send signals to.  As you can see, the boxes are clearly marked so you don’t have to guess which is the receiver.  The boxes are approximately 4.4″ X 4″ X 1.25″, and they are made of black plastic.  You can see the top has grids for cooling.

The front of the receiver box (on top) has some LEDs to show power, wireless signal, and connection status.  There’s also a USB port on the front that is used for firmware updates.  The transmitter box (bottom) also has the same status lights, and it also has a sunken reset button.  The transmitter has a miniUSB port; you’ll need to use the included USB-to-miniUSB adapter to install firmware updates.  Both of these boxes have a sync button.  They come paired from the factory, but this can be used to pair up an extra receiver (optional purchase) with the existing transmitter so that you can transmit the same signal to multiple TVs in your house.  You can also pair a receiver with multiple transmitters if you have multiples in your home connected to various media sources.

You’ll notice that the back of these boxes are again plainly identified so you don’t have to waste time trying to get things hooked up only to later realize that you had hooked the receiver to the media source.  The receiver has the reset button on the back.  You’ll also hook up the AC power adapter (included) and IR blaster receiver here.  You’ll also notice that the only output is through an HDMI cable.  You’ll be surprised to know that Actiontec actually includes two HDMI cables with the MyWirelessTV.

The transmitter also has connections for the AC adapter and an IR transmitter.  (You’ll notice the receiver’s connector is surrounded by a green box.  One of the IR blasters has a green plug, so you’ll know which blaster goes with which box.)  Again, only HDMI connectors are used.  You’ll connect the HDMI cable out of your cable box, DVD player, or the like to the HDMI input port.  If you have a TV located by the media source, you can also connect the HDMI Out to TV to your local HDTV.  The box will pass signals through to the local TV with this connection.

If you are installing the transmitter and receiver in the same room – say the living room with the TV above the fireplace and the cable box in the shelving in the corner – you won’t have to use the IR blasters.  They are needed if you are installing the two boxes in different rooms.

The backs of the boxes have a lot of cooling grids.  You’ll also notice rubber feet that keep the box raised off the table and some slots that can be used with screws (not included) to mount the boxes on the wall.  Installation instructions say to avoid putting these boxes on top of devices that generate a lot of heat on their own.

The MyWirelessTV comes with two IR blasters, 2 HDMI cables, two AC power adapters, a miniUSB-to-USB adapter, and a remote control.  This is not a universal remote control; it only allows you to access setup features with the receiver box.  There’s no setup functionality for the transmitter box.  Anything that needs to be done is accessed through the receiver.

I wanted to try the MyWirelessTV because I have a house with three TVs but only two cable connections.  I don’t have a cable connection for the TV in my bedroom, and I don’t want to pay for a third line.  I started out by hooking the transmitter box to the HD cable DVR in my living room.

Setup was very simple.  I connected the transmitter to the power, attached the HDMI cable coming from the cable box to the HDMI Input connector, and the IR blaster.  Because I do have a TV in the living room, I used one of the supplied cables to connect the HDMI Out to TV to my living room TV.  When powered up, the power status light started blinking and eventually came on steady.

I next went to my bedroom and hooked up the receiver box.  I used the second supplied HDMI cable to connect the box to an input on my TV.  When I powered the box up, the power light blinked then came on steady.

I wasn’t quite finished with the installation yet.  I had to position the two IR blasters.  Actually, Actiontec calls the green-tipped one the IR extender.  It will collect signals from the remote control and send them to the IR blaster connected to the transmitter.  These little devices have sticky backs, so they can be “glued” in place.  Instructions said to place the IR extender connected to the receiver beside the IR receiver on your TV.  I didn’t want to do that, so I attached it to the leg of the TV stand I’m using in the bedroom.  You can see it just under the MyWirelessTV box in the above picture.

The IR blaster attached to the transmitter has to be placed so it’s facing the IR receiver on the front of my cable box so it can shoot the signals I send from the bedroom to the cable box.  This was a bit difficult to do.  I finally had to attach the IR blaster to the inside of the glass doors in my media cabinet.  I don’t care for this look – it looks like a bug is on the glass of my cabinet door.

As I mentioned earlier, the included remote is only for accessing setup functions for the MyWirelessTV.  I had to bring the cable box’s remote control into the bedroom.  I turned on the cable box, turned on my bedroom TV, and selected the proper input.  I immediately had a sharp, clear picture.  The TV in my bedroom is only 720p and the cable box is 1080p, but the video worked.

You’ll notice I said the video worked, but there was no sound whatsoever on my bedroom TV.  There was also a picture on my living room TV, but it also had no sound.  It would also sometimes display an error screen about an unsupported video format.  The troubleshooting information in the installation brochure didn’t help, so I went online for help.  The FAQs at Actiontec said that installing the most recent version of the firmware to both the transmitter and the receiver might help.  I updated both boxes and tried again.  I still had a picture but no sound.

Further investigation at Actiontec revealed this info:  “Certain Cable/FiOS Set top boxes and DVR boxes are limited to only 1 downstream HDCP (high-bandwidth digital-content protection) device that they can connect too.  This means that devices like MyWirelessTV, A/V Receiver, or Google TV, (HDMI repeaters/switches) that are strictly adhering to the HDCP requirements cannot legally pass video to the display. You can call your Service Provider and describe the “HDMI repeater/switch” related issue, and request a free firmware update.  Or “As an alternative” you could also request that the Service Provider replace the HD Cable or FiOS STB/DVR box, with a model that can support repeater mode.”

Apparently my cable company doesn’t see the need to support me streaming their content to another TV for free, because nothing I could do would allow my bedroom TV to receive both a picture and sound.  I don’t have a DVD player connected to the bedroom TV, so I decided I’d try the MyWirelessTV with the Blu-ray player in my living room setup.

I just switched the HDMI cable from my cable box with the HDMI cable coming out of my Blu-ray.  I decided I’d recycle the power on both boxes, too.  After the handshake between the boxes was completed, I had the home menu from the Blu-ray showing up on my bedroom TV.  So I had a good picture, but I had that before.  I started the disk playing, and I was very happy to hear sound, too!

I watched 2012 on Blu-ray, and I watched carefully for glitches during playback.  I didn’t notice any problems with the video, but I did hear a couple of audio glitches that lasted a fraction of a second.  Most of these occurred after the bedroom door was closed.

I have a small house, so there’s no way I could put the two boxes 150 feet apart.  However, my house has very thick plaster walls with wood lathe and metal mesh under the plaster.  My interior walls are about 3.5″ thick.  I had placed the two boxes almost as far apart as they could go in my house, since the living room is in the front left corner of the house and my bedroom in the back right corner.  I was very pleased with the quality of the transmitted signal.

I have had to recycle the power on the two boxes a couple of times to re-establish the connection, though.  Not during playback, but on different days.

As I mentioned, there are setup functions available on the receiver.  There aren’t many functions, though.  The Select Source box can be seen in the previous picture that also shows the main menu from my Blu-ray player.  If you have multiple MyWirelessTV transmitters in your house, you can select the desired one from the list.  I have only one transmitter, so I don’t need to use this function.  If you do have multiple transmitters or receivers, you use the Configure menu to connect them, and you can give them a name to make them easier to recognize in the list.

In general settings, you can select the menu language.  Although the units are paired, you may find their selected channel interferes with something else in your house/setup, so you can have the units select another channel in here, too.  You can also choose a latency mode.  To quote Actiontec again, “MyWirelessTV is based on Cavium Network’s Super Low Latency (SLL™) technology, which offers the industry’s lowest compression latency for full HD 1080p60 H.264 encode and decode. The result? You can enjoy superb quality, interactive HD applications throughout the home. For example, watch live TV, share a multi-player game between rooms, or surf the Web on any display no matter where the computer is.“.  You can see on the screen in the above picture, Theater Mode prioritizes video quality while Game Mode prioritizes speed.  I am not a gamer, so I chose Theater.

As a note about gaming, you can use a computer with an HDMI output as the media source for the MyWirelessTV.  You’ll be able to use the HDTV as a monitor while you surf or game.  I didn’t try this out, as I have absolutely no interest in using my TV as a monitor.

The last menu in the setup screen is Advanced Settings, where you can see information about both your receiver and transmitter box.  You’ll also find the “reset to factory settings” option here, too.  At the bottom, you’ll see a bar chart that shows signal strength.  This is very convenient for fine-tuning the placement and orientation of the boxes.  You can adjust them to improve your signal strength using this graph as your guide.

I like the Actiontec MyWirelessTV.  It didn’t work with my cable box, but it’s not at fault for my cable company crippling output from my set top box.  It worked great with my Blu-ray player, and it was nice to watch a movie in there.  It’s the only way I’d be able to watch a DVD in there, since I really don’t have room for a player in the bedroom.  I would be happiest if it would work with my cable box and with my DVD player, but as the Stones said, “you can’t always get what you want”…

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews, Wireless

Tagged: Video Streaming, Wireless

Actiontec MyWirelessTV Multi-Room Wireless HD Video Kit Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 11, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

Elizabeth told us about the Tech Lighting Railtones wireless speaker system last year, and they looked very interesting.  However, they would only work with a low-voltage rail lighting system.  This set of two AudioBulb Wireless Speaker Light Bulbs can be screwed into typical lighting fixtures, and they operate on 2.4GHz signals to minimize interference.  They come with a transmitter (with a remote control) that has a dock for iPhones and iPods and an auxiliary input for use with any other audio device with a 3.5mm output.  The speakers can be used up to 100 feet away from the dock.  The speakers also incorporate 60W-equivalent LED lights, so you don’t put yourself in the dark when you replace standard bulbs.  You’ll even be able to take the AudioBulb system along when you go on vacation.  A pair of AudioBulb Wireless Speaker Light Bulbs and the docking base are $299.00 from FrontGate.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Wireless speakers

AudioBulb Wireless Speaker Light Bulbs originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 11, 2012 at 8:30 am.

If you have used a video monitor around your home then you know the peace of mind that it offers knowing that you are seeing what the camera is seeing. However, you have to be home to view that monitor. But with the Lorex Home Video Monitoring System, you don’t need to be home to do that. Thanks to Lorex‘s Live Connect and the world-wide web, you can view the area that the camera is monitoring with the use of a computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Having a video monitor in your home is like having an extra set of eyes. You can use it to monitor the baby sleeping, to watch the kids playing, to see who is at your front door, and even see if the dog is getting on the couch. When you have that sense of security, it really puts your mind at ease.

Set up was fairly easy. Just plug in the camera and turn on the handheld monitor. That’s it.  The monitor comes paired to the camera right out of the box and can accommodate three additional cameras. That’s perfect if you need to have multiple cameras around the house.

The monitor and camera are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and each comes with a MicroUSB plug to charge the batteries, or they can be kept plugged in for continuous power.

Speaking of pairing, you can pair three more cameras to the Lorex giving the monitor the ability to view 1 camera or a 4 camera split screen. The image was decent with the LCD screen being only a 2.4″ in. display and the screen resolution being only 320×240.

The camera and monitor work great in the day and just as good in the night thanks to its automatic night vision. The image quality is decent for a small screen. The image quality was comparable to a webcam image.  The picture shown is my daughter walking  in the center of the picture. There was significant motion blur so just know that you will see motion blur in anything you are monitoring that has fast movement in it.

The night vision is great for when you turn off the lights in the room where you are monitoring a sleeping baby, and like a standard baby monitor, the Lorex allows you to listen to audio. But a great feature the Lorex has is that you can record video or take a snapshot and save it to an SD card. The Lorex has a slot for an SD card so you take a picture with a push of the camera button on the handheld monitor or record video when you hold the camera button down for 5 seconds. Perfect for when you have one outside the house so you can record any unknown person or persons loitering around and have that footage later as evidence. But bear in mind, to record anything you have to manually press the record button. A nice add-on would have been motion detection; however, the Lorex does not have that much needed feature. The Lorex does come packaged with a 1 GB MicroUSB card.

Below is a snapshot from the Lorex handheld unit. Keep in mind that the capture resolution like the screen resolution is only 320×240 pixels.

Sad to say, you can’t record audio, which is just as well because the sound coming out of the small speaker on the monitor was not only subpar, but also had a big delay in it. The audio coming out sounded like a children’s toy walkie-talkie. I wasn’t very impressed with the audio especially when I was watching something on the monitor mainly because it didn’t sync up. Maybe from the years of video editing and syncing footage, but it just bothers me when the video and audio do not match up properly.

One thing that I especially liked about the Lorex is its portability.  The camera and monitor each come with a rechargeable lithium battery with a battery life of up to 5 hours making it truly portable. That’s perfect for a new mom and her baby who would go to a friend’s house without having have a baby monitor she could take along. Now, the baby can be monitored from any room of the friend’s house and without searching around for a wall plug. Just set up the camera, turn on the monitor and you’re done.  Pretty convenient. When I tested  the monitor and camera using only the battery, I got a really good amount of juice. I had them running at least 4 hours so I would say the 5 hour life could be expected. The monitor has a Power Save feature to help extend the battery life; the video portion will turn off when you set it . You can set it for 15 seconds, one minute, or it can be turned off all together. You will still hear the audio when it goes into Power Save mode. You just have to tap any button on the handheld unit to view the video again.

View from HTC EVO 3D

And speaking of convenience, what better way to monitor your camera than when you are on a computer, iPad, or smartphone. With the use of Skype you can connect to a live view of the camera through  Lorex’s Gateway. The Gateway is connected to your router via a RJ45  Ethernet cable. However, keep in mind that you need to have two Skype accounts for it to work. The Lorex Gateway needs to have a Skype account of its own so that you can connect to it through your personal Skype account whether using a computer, iPad, or smartphone. All that needs to be done is call up the Gateway through Skype, and you can view the image from the camera. I pulled up my Gateway on my HTC EVO 3D, and it did fairly well. Of course the smoothness of the video depended on the availability of network/Wi-Fi connection. When the connection was constant the streaming video was as if I was looking at the Lorex monitor unit itself.

Unfortunately, you cannot view video with the monitor unit and the Gateway at the same time. But that’s alright, chances are that if you are using the handheld monitor then you probably won’t be using the Gateway at the same time.

According to Lorex’s website, the camera and handheld unit have a digital range of 150 ft. indoors.  I had no signs of interference when keeping the camera on one side of my house and the monitor on the opposite far end on the house. Even without a clear line of sight, the video was  constant. Setting up the camera base was fairly simple. You can adjust it so that it can stand upright on its own or you can hang it from a nail or tack on the wall. Whether plugged in to the wall or battery-powered, there was no issue setting up either camera or handheld monitor. Simple.

But all in all, the Lorex Live View gets my vote for a convenient home monitor that allows for great portability and expansion. And it’s great for keeping an eye on your pet that you swear climbs on your couch when you are not at home, or for keeping a watchful eye on the baby, or even as a simple home security system.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Home Tech, Reviews

Tagged: baby monitor, Security system

Lorex Home Video Monitoring System Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 10, 2012 at 2:00 pm.

Dropcam announced this morning that they will no longer be using a third party camera vendor. Their new WiFi camera is completely redesigned to include HD quality 720p video, night vision, 2-way audio and digital PTZ. The online viewer has also been enhanced to increase user experience. They are claiming that the Dropcam HD will be the most full featured, lowest priced point camera on the market and the easiest to set up, guaranteed. I know that their previous version (see my review listed below in the related posts lists) was very easy to setup and I continue to use it on a regular basis to keep an eye on things at home while I’m not there. I can’t wait to try this new camera which will be available later this month for $149. Read the full press release after the jump.

Dropcam Shows CES Attendees How to Keep an Eye on Their Homes While They’re Away

World’s smallest Wi-Fi video monitoring camera with night vision, video streaming, mobile viewing and recording capabilities provides peace of mind when on the go

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (Consumer Electronics Show 2012), Jan. 9, 2012 –Dropcam today unveils the Dropcam HD Wi-Fi Video Monitoring Camera – its newest camera for the connected home. From initial setup to daily dependable service, the small, stylish award-winning Dropcam HD camera makes it effortless to use live and recorded video to check in on the kids, share moments of a new baby, keep an eye on a pet, or make sure your home is safe when you are away.The easy-to-set-up video camera integrates seamlessly with Dropcam’s enhanced online video streaming and cloud-based DVR services, which also go live today.

With access from any computer, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet, the live and recorded video from your Dropcam HD camera is available to you anytime, anywhere. When you’re not actively checking in on your home, you’ll still stay up to date with email and push alerts when motion or audio is detected. You can also take a look back through events with Dropcam’s DVR service, which can record up to 30 days of video. All video is encrypted using bank-level security standards to ensure user privacy.

Dropcam HD ($149) is now available for preorder on www.dropcam.com and will begin shipping later this month.

Dropcam HD enters the scene as the most full-featured Wi-Fi video monitoring camera in its category. Features include:

·        60-second setup – Plug it in. Select your Wi-Fi network. Personalize it. Your Dropcam HD is online in three intuitive, simple steps.

·        Watch and check in 24/7 – AC-powered Dropcam HD gives you reliable, quality video at all times. It’s plugged in, so you don’t have to worry about missing video due to drained batteries.

·        Night vision – Reasons to keep an eye on what you care about don’t stop when the sun goes down. The night vision mode turns on automatically when a room darkens to make sure you don’t miss a moment.

·        Talk back with two-way audio – Respond to what you’re watching as it happens with two-way audio. Ask who is at the front door, check in on the kids while chores get done, tell the dog (or husband) to get off the couch.

·        Digital zoom – Pick which part of the room to focus on. Zoom in on the baby’s crib, the front door, or one of the cars in the driveway.

·        Versatile placement – Dropcam HD is adjustable to quickly mount on a wall, stand on a table, or you can pop out the lens to create a smaller, more discreet profile that can be placed anywhere.

Breaking the Mold

To date, Wi-Fi video monitoring cameras have been designed as utilitarian and unattractive, and they were coupled with outdated video viewing software that was difficult to set up and understand. Thoughtful design with a focus on simplicity and usefulness was paramount in creating the new Dropcam HD camera and the accompanying online services. The camera’s monochromatic colors and unique shape blend naturally into a living room or office.

“Our users are our first priority – from the design of the camera through the easy product setup to the simple daily use of our video services. User experience is at the forefront of all that we create at Dropcam,” said Greg Duffy, CEO and Co-Founder of Dropcam.  “It’s an exciting time to launch Dropcam HD, a product that introduces quality hardware and intuitive user experience to a space that has missed it completely.”

Cloud-based DVR Services and CES Demo

Along with Dropcam’s new camera come best-in-class video streaming and DVR services. Video from your Dropcam HD camera is stored in the cloud, so it doesn’t slow your computer and you never have to worry about running out of memory on your PC. Unlimited real-time viewing from any device as well as email and push motion/sound alerts are always free for users.Recording plans to capture moment-by-moment HD video start at $9.95 per month. Your video stream can also be safely shared with friends and family for free by inviting them through a secure link, so they can share in the things you care about most.

Dropcam’s cloud-based viewing and recording service is all you need to access your Dropcam HD camera 24/7. There’s no need to keep a computer running – just connect to your Wi-Fi network. Dropcam DVR can record up to 30 days of continuous video from each camera.

See a demo of the Dropcam HD camera and online services during CES Jan. 10 – 12 at booth #3421 – LVCC, North Hall, and at the Pepcom Digital Experience media event Jan. 9 in the MGM Grand.

Also, join Dropcam CEO Greg Duffy on Jan. 12, 4:20p in the Mommy Tech area – LVCC, North Hall N256, when he speaks about “Moms as CEO of the Household.”

About Dropcam Dropcam, Inc. is an agent of change at the intersection of video, data, and the cloud. Its award-winningWi-Fi video monitoring camera and intelligent software services capture life’s moments, making it easy for users to check in on the things they care about from anywhere, anytime, on any device. Founded in 2009, San Francisco-based Dropcam is funded by Accel Partners and top angel investors. To learn more, please visitwww.dropcam.com, watch our demo videos on YouTube, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @dropcam. Dropcam, Inc. is located at 160 Spear Street, Suite 1700, San Francisco, CA 94105.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Home Tech, News

Tagged: Surveillance, Video

Dropcam will be launching a new camera at CES originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 9, 2012 at 9:00 am.

Blue Microphones announced three new microphones at CES. All three are USB mics, and two focus on the iOS.

• Mikey digital updates the Mikey to support 4th generation iPod Touch, Iphone 4 and iPad. We reviewed the previous one a while back.
• Spark Digital is a studio-grade condensor microphone that can be attached to an iPad, Mac or PC.
• Tiki is a new USB microphone designed for portability. They also mention that it “mimics the intelligence of human hearing”.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related

Tagged:

Blue Introduces Three New USB Microphones originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 8, 2012 at 5:19 pm.

Another day, another media player.  Is it me or what?  Now micca has a new entry in the plethora of players available, the EP600 Premium Full-HD media player. This networked player is supposed to play all your media files on your HD TV from connected storage devices and streams from devices on your LAN.  We’ll give it a test drive and see what it really can do.

The hardware specs are fairly impressive:

• Hardware – Realtek 1185DD 500MHz Decoder/Processor – 256MB DDR2 Memory – 256MB NAND Flash
• AV Output – HDMI 1.3 (up to 1080p 60Hz) – Component Video (YPbPr) – Composite A/V – Coaxial Digital SPDIF Audio – Optical Digital SPDIF Audio
• Storage Supported – External SATA Drive Connector – 2 x USB 2.0 Host Port – SD/SDHC Flash Memory Card Reader
• Network – 1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet LAN – Optional 802.11n WiFi

Most importantly for a media player are the files types supported.  Here we also have a very comprehensive list of types:

•  Video Files – BDMV, BD-ISO, MKV, MOV, WMV, TS, M2TS, MTS, FLV, AVI, DVD-ISO, VOB, M2P, MP4, MPG, DAT, ASF, TP TRP, SWF
•  Video Codecs – H.264/AVC, MPEG1/2/4, DivX/Xvid, VC-1, and RMVB
•  Audio Formats – DTS/DTS-HD MA, Dolby AC3/True-HD, LPCM, ADPCM, FLAC, APE, LC-AAC, HE-AAC, MP3, OGG, WAM, WAV
•  Image Formats – JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP, and TIF

Here’s what you get in the box.  The cable at the top of the photo is for a SATA drive.  The cable below that is a special component video cable unique to the micca.  It has a mini plug branching out to 3 RCA plugs for the 3 component video inputs on your HD TV.  Be aware there is no HDMI cable or audio cable.  You’ll have to supply your own.

The front of the unit only has a power button which illuminates blue when power is on and red when off.

On the rear there are the connections for digital audio, composite and component video, a LAN port, HDMI connection and power input.  The small jack between the red RCA connector and the LAN port is where the special component cable pugs in.  Click on the image to get a better view.

On the left side are the connection for the SATA cable and memory cards.  There is a rubber piece that covers the SATA slot, but it fell off after the first time I put it back on and it’s disappeared.

The USB connections are on the right side of the EP600.

The device itself is solidly built, the case being made from aluminium.  With the exception of the SATA cover, all sockets held the cables with no problems.

To test the player out, I dug up an unused SATA hard drive plus a USB drive and plugged them in.  Theoretically, the EP600 will work with a BD-rom through the SATA port, but I didn’t have one.  I’ll just trust that it works.   With the player hooked to my tv using my HDMI cable and connected to my LAN using a Cat5 cable supplied by me, I fired it up.  The device will also connect via WiFi, but a dongle was not provided.  Because the SATA connection is on the side, there is no elegant way to position the hard drive.

Here’s the home screen.  As you move between the icons using the remote, a title pops up and the icon enlarges.  The first three are for the media libraries.  A feature of the EP600 is that it indexes all the drives connected to the device.  It looks for movie, audio and photo files.  This makes it easy to find a media file regardless of where it is.

For example, these movie files are split between the SATA and USB drive, but show up in one library.  There are duplicates in the list because I have the same movies on 2 devices.  To play the movie, simply hit the OK button on the remote and playback begins,  as long as the .ts file is in the folder with the movie.  You can also get to the media library via the buttons on the remote.

The second and third icon give the same results.  When the media library is created, it is just as easy to play a track or display photos from all the storage devices connected to the player.  The media library function will display the cover art for a file, if it is in the correct format.  I’ll be working on that in the future.

The file manager function allows browsing of media files on the USB, CARD, HDD and network.

Here my configuration has one SATA drive and is connected to the network.  From this screen you can also access UPnP servers and any NFS shares.  I was disappointed in the results using the UPnP option.  While it did recognize the Playon server on my PC, it would not play the streams.  This may be a function of Playon, but it would have made this device more useful if it worked.

My LAN has several computers and NAS devices.  These are accessible via the file manager function.  This allows me to display/play media files from these devices on my flatscreen TV.  You can access and copy files between micca and other LAN devices.

Another neat feature is that the device is DLNA compliant.   If you have a windows 7 system on the LAN, you can right-click on a media file and select the micca as a destination and your file will play on your HD TV.  I found this rather useful.

Also, by downloading an app to your smartphone you can push media files from these devices to the EP600 which will display on your HD TV.  I used iMediaSHare for my iPod Touch.  It has several channels, most of which I found useless, but hopefully they’ll be something more interesting in the future.

After selecting a channel, I was presented with the above display.   This allowed me to direct the media to a DLNA device for playing.

There’s also an Internet Media Service function giving access to network applications.

The web browser function, which brings up the Google page on the player, interested me the most, however, it was a big disappointment.  To use it, you’ll have to connect a mouse and keyboard to the two USB ports.  Unfortunately, the keyboard did not work in the Google search bar.  It only brings up an on-screen keyboard into which you can type commands.  When I did get a  selected page to display, it was cut off.  I gave up trying to make it work after a while.

Which brings me to my feelings about this device.  It seems to me that the micca EP600 is a work in progress.  I imagine that it was  put together from left over parts at a contract manufacturer.  The 12 page “manual” is short on any detail.   The device also exhibited many idiosyncracies, such as needing to be restarted after an update of the media libraries.  Sometimes it would not output a signal to the TV and I had to power cycle to get it to work.  And do NOT play with the TV mode function on the remote.  I toggled it and got a display mode incompatible with my TV and lost picture.  I kept toggling hoping it would come back, but I finally had to connect the player to the TV using a composite video cable.  This allowed me to see enough to switch the output to a compatible mode.

That being said, I actually like this device.  The best feature for me is the ability to play ripped DVDs by clicking the folder.  No need to fool around with .vobs and .ts files.  The media library function makes it very easy to access your media from on-screen.  There’s no need to know where the file is.  So, if you have some patience and $99, this is not a bad choice.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Home Tech, Reviews

Tagged: A/V, Audio/video gear

micca EP600 Network Digital Media Player Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 8, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

As headphones become more popular as an audio accessory and fashion statement, some companies have been able to adapt to this evolving market better than others. Some lean more towards the design while others cater to the audiophile crowd. V-Moda has tried to have it both ways. With the over-ear (circumaural) Crossfade LP, they succeeded in pleasing both groups. However, many people prefer a smaller, on-ear (supra-aural) headphone design. V-Moda could have just made smaller Crossfades – and the Crossfade M-80s do look like that – but V-Moda went farther. Here’s a spoiler for you: The new – and smaller – M-80 headphones are better in almost every way.

The whole package feels well made. According to V-Moda, much of the headphone is made to military specs with kevlar wrapped one-button (universal) or 3-button (Apple only) cables and a reinforced steel headband wrapped in microfiber faux-suede. The M-80s can be bent and twisted severely with no lasting effects. They are made to take a lot of punishment.

The original Crossfade LPs are more comfortable than these newer Crossfade M-80s over extended periods, which I think is more the result of the over-ear design as opposed to on-ear. The M-80′s pads are made of memory foam which are good at forming to the shape of your ears. However, on my head, they begin to feel tight after about 3 hours. I know many people don’t wear headphones for that long in one sitting, but I do, so if there are any comfort issues, I feel them. That’s not to say that the M-80s are uncomfortable. As long as the listening times are kept below a few hours, they feel just fine. I also had to extend the earpieces as far as I could to get a proper fit. This has been an issue for me with other brands, as well. If my head size was any larger, then the M-80s wouldn’t fit.

The exoskeleton case is looks practically indestructible, and it is tough. Short of stomping on it, this case will protect the M-80s from just about any mishap. It comes with a carabiner, so you can easily hook it up to a backpack without it taking up interior space.

While there are similarities between the Crossfade LPs and the M-80s, that similarity ends once you hear them. The thing that separates the two more than anything is plain ole’ bass. The Crossfade LPs have more of it. They aren’t bass monsters (pun intended) like the Beats headphones, but bass is more prominent then with the M-80s. In some instances – like Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock and Roll” – the highs become overpowered by the bass on the LPs. There’s a better balance among the frequencies with the M-80s. I also noticed that the volume needed to be turned up a bit on the M-80s to equal the loudness of the LPs.

The high definition version of Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto’s classic “The Girl From Ipanema” has a fantastic soundstage which the M-80s exploit. It’s easy to imagine the placement of each instrument as you listen to the swish of the drum brushes complimented by Getz’s smokey saxophone. The nightclub feel of the song is palpable. Part of the reason for this is what V-Moda calls Bliss Noise Isolation. It uses ports and sound channeling to give a more open soundstage similar to what open-back headphones give but still allowing the almost total isolation of a closed-back headphone design. While I prefer the wide soundstage of genuine open-backed headphones, the M-80s come quite close.

The excessively bright vocals on John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance” border on harsh with the M-80s. That can be an issue with some older recordings as they generally are recorded with lighter bass than a modern mix would be. That’s not always the case though because the song, “Operator,” from Manhattan Transfer’s 1975 debut album, has a perfect balance of Alan Paul’s slightly reverbed lead vocals over backup harmonies from the other three members. This kind of song allows the M-80s to shine. All of the audio detail in this song is extracted for maximum effect.

The Crossfade M-80 headphones are an evolution of the Crossfade LPs. If you have the LPs and are happy with them, then save your money. However, I would recommend the M-80s over the LPs if you own neither. The M-80s superior accuracy is hard to ignore. If you are still trying to decide between cheaper headphones or spending a little more, here’s a clue: When you listen to good headphones, you don’t have that desire to turn them up in order to get as much out of them as possible. Good headphones are able to bring out all that aural goodness without resorting to harmful volume. That’s the tragedy of cheap headphones and earphones; that inherent need to use volume to mask deficiencies. Over time, it can cause real damage to hearing. It’s something to consider.

The Crossfade M-80s are not cheap, but given how good they sound and how tough they are made, they look like a bargain.

V-Moda sells the True Blood V-80 headphones which are themed after the HBO vampire show, “True Blood.” With the exception of a different color scheme and a blood-vial styled zipper pull, the V-80 and M-80 headphones are identical.

V-Moda also offers customized headphone shields – those metal plates covering the headphone ear-cup. For a little more money, you can pick a different headphone shield color or upload your own design for a customized look.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Audio, Crossfades, Headphones, iPhone, iPod, Kevlar, M-80, MP3, V-Moda

V-Moda Crossfade M-80 Headphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 7, 2012 at 11:00 am.