I am an avid iPhone 3G user, but my chief complaint about the device is the battery lifetime. All of the extra hardware that makes the iPhone great (GPS, WiFi, 3G GSM, accelerometer, digital compass, etc.) drain the non-replaceable battery within a day of charging, with moderate use. Not surprisingly, a slew of add-on products from manufacturers such as Dexim have hit the market to append the poor battery performance of the iPhone. The Dexim P-Flip offers an extended battery in the form of a foldable dock. Continue reading

As an iPhone owner, I’m familiar with the Griffin line of iPod/iPhone/Apple accessories. I’m also familiar with the shortcomings of the iPhone’s speaker, and that holding or cupping your hand around the speaker port will enhance (or at least change) the sounds coming from it. A friend of mine even suggested building a wave-guide to enhance the sound from the iPhone speaker. Griffin has done just that with its passive amplifier dock, the AirCurve. The iPhone sits in this plastic dock that has an acoustic wave-guide positioned directly under the speaker port. Modeled after the human ear canal, the waveguide amplifies and equalizes the sounds before ejecting them out the front of the device. It is completely passive and requires no batteries. Continue reading

More and more laws are being enacted to require a hands-free device to be used when using a cellphone will driving. While some people do not mind a Bluetooth headset hanging from their ear, many people find this unbearable. While thre are a few other options, one popular solution is a Bluetooth speakerphone . Today we will be looking at one such product from Motorola, the T325 In-Car Speakerphone. Continue reading

For a long time now, Aliph’s Jawbone has been the front runner in background noise cancellation. Many have tried to beat the Jawbone only to fall short. Today we will be looking at Motorola’s newest headset, the Endeavor HX1, which takes a unique approach to background noise cancellation. While the Endeavor uses all the standard tricks, it is the first time I have seen bone conduction technology in a Bluetooth headset. Unlike the Jawbone, which places a sensor on your skin, the Endeavor’s bone conduction technology places a sensor right in the ear. Continue reading

Just a couple months after we reviewed the Jawbone II, Aliph released the Jawbone Prime. Among the improvements is NoiseAssassin 2.0 which is supposed to work better in windy environments than the Jawbone II’s NoiseAssassin. What exactly do these improvements mean for the consumer? Let’s find out! Continue reading

IcyDock makes a series of hard drive docks, enclosures, and other related pro ducts. Most of these are very nice, sturdy products. The intended purpose of this Hard Drive Converter is to literally “convert” any 2.5” SATA laptop hard drive into a 3.5” desktop drive. Continue reading

I love my MacBook Pro. It has the power to perform intensive computations, but has a slim and lightweight form factor that is unparalleled. The screen is gorgeous, and the keyboard and trackpad are very comfortable. Battery life is another story, and is the only sticking point I have with the platform. I can usually get 2-3 hours of light use out of it, but no more than an hour of photo editing or audio processing. HyperMac’s external battery line promises to solve that problem if you’re willing to tote around an external battery. Continue reading

As an iPhone user, I love the functionality, the convenience, the form factor, the App Store… but the battery life? not so much. I use my iPhone to death on a daily basis, and as such I have to charge it every day if not more than once. Fastmac was kind enough to send over the iV extended iPhone battery that should amend the iPhone’s most serious drawbacks. Continue reading

A couple months ago, I reviewed BlueAnt’s V1 voice controlled Bluetooth headset and while the hardware end of the V1 was good, I found the voice interface to be rather useless. Today we will be taking a look at BlueAnt’s newest voice controlled headset, the Q1. While the specs are fairly similar to the V1, the Q1 sports a new look, a couple new features, and hopefully a much improved voice control interface. Continue reading

I’m a fan of cloth mousepads. They’ve always held up for years, worked best with mechanical mice, and have never let me down. I have one mousepad signed by Leo Laporte and Patrick Norton (Honk if you remember TechTV) that I regularly use, and has not faded. I’ve since stopped using a mousepad with my ownership of optical and laser-based mice, but I still miss the ever-present rubber-backed cloth on my desk. The Zowie Gear Mousepad presents itself as a cloth mousepad that has caught up with the times. It’s waterproof, durable, large in size, and will present the hardwearing feel of cloth once more. Continue reading

With the introduction of the Original Jawbone, Aliph revolutionized the Bluetooth headset industry. Before the introduction of the Original Jawbone, little emphasis was placed on noise cancellation. The Original Jawbone was very successful but the only real problem was its size. Aliph claims the New Jawbone improves upon the Original Jawbone while being roughly half the size. Continue reading

Lately, external hard drive docks have become a popular accessory, specifically the open form factor ones that allow quick swapping of the media in the dock. The Kingwin EZ-Dock is a medium to low cost option with all of the features of the more expensive models. Continue reading

If you have ever researched cameras or photography on the Internet in the past few years, you have probably seen or heard of Joby’s Gorillapod. If you didn’t look much further into it though, you likely ignored it all, thinking “what could be so special about a tripod?” Well, before I actually got to try the product firsthand, I thought the same thing. Continue reading

For some time now I’ve seen “retro” handsets offering the comfort of an analogue telephone for cell phones and computers. Some are wired with 3.5mm input and outputs, USB ports, Bluetooth connectivity, or 2.5mm mobile phone plugs. YUBZ has sent MaximumCPU.net their YUBZ Talk (wired) and YUBZ Talk Bluetooth (wireless) handsets for review. Continue reading

BlueAnt’s newest headset, the V1, is a pretty unique Bluetooth headset. The feature set is almost exactly the same as BlueAnt’s z9i Bluetooth headset with one major difference. The V1 is the only Bluetooth headset I could find that allows the headset to almost completely be controlled by voice commands.

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I have had mixed results with Bluetooth headsets. My biggest complaint has always been that the microphones picked up all but the quietest of background noises. The z9i from BlueAnt claims to reduce the amount of background noise that is transmitted. To complete this task, the z9i uses a combination of two microphones and BlueAnt’s Voice Isolation Technology. Sounds good in theory but does the z9i live up to BlueAnt’s claims?

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Laws requiring cell phones to be used in conjunction with a hands free device while driving are becoming increasingly popular, so many people are forced to use a Bluetooth device or similar. However, Bluetooth headsets are not for everyone. The BlueAnt Supertooth 3 fits into this niche perfectly. This Bluetooth car kit can be clipped to the visor or mounted any number of other places, so those who prefer not to have a headset on their ear can still enjoy it.

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Kolobags (based in LA, California) produces and sells many different styles of designer laptop bags. While many of the upper end bags they sell may be expensive, they do have bags for every price range, and all of them are very unique. The bag I got to review was the Shoreline Greensmart Laptop Jacket 15.4”, in black and green.

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Product: Bluetake iPhono Plus Bluetooth Headset
MSRP: $100
Supplier: Bluetake
Author: Bill (tomalakborg)
Date: May 25, 2006

Bluetake has put themselves out for making fine Bluetooth products, and they continue to expand their line with the iPhono. Previous wireless headphones have been plagued with the same problems of early wireless keyboards: low battery life, poor quality, and signal issues. Bluetake’s iPhono Plus is the… Continue reading

Product: Steelpad
MSRP: $39.99
Supplier: Soft Trading
Author: Bill (tomalakborg)

A quality mouse pad is a wonderful thing. It improves your mouse abilities, lessens the strain on your wrists, and looks hardcore when you take it to a LAN. Pair this with a gaming mouse, and you can see a real difference in your gaming performance. Today we have the Steelpad S&S, the latest… Continue reading

Product: Func Industries sUrface1030 Archetype
MSRP: $24.99
Supplier: Func Industries
Author: Bill (tomalakborg)
The original sUrface1030 put Func Industries on the map, providing a quality surface superior to the competition. With the addition of the sUrface1030 Archetype to its arsenal, Func hopes to provide an even better surface for all to experience. At 30 dollars it provides two surfaces, loads of extras, and 20% more… Continue reading

Product: Func Industries F-Series Competition Mousing Surface
MSRP: $19.95 (11″x 14″), $24.95 (11″x 17″)
Supplier: Func Industries
Author: Nick

While the mouse receives most of the attention when it comes to gaming, the mouse pad can be just as important as the mouse. What good is a quality mouse without a quality surface to use it on? Today we look at the new F-Series mousing… Continue reading

Product: Cable-Safe Complete Cable Management Kit
MSRP: $34.95
Supplier: Cable-Safe
Reviewer: Nick

Introduction

Within the past few years many new cable management solutions have hit the market. Each solution has its advantages and disadvantages. Today we will take a look at the Cable-Safe Complete Cable Management kit. Unlike other kits, Cable-Safe’s kit goes two steeps beyond normal cable management. It is designed to get… Continue reading

Device: Logitech ClickSmart 420 Digital Camera
MSRP: $99
Supplier: Logitech
Author: John (AGOIA)

Intro:

To spare a long, windy introduction about the ways of the past slowly disappearing, let me put it this way – society is going digital. One of the primary things becoming digital is picture taking, which benefits greatly from the lack of film to… Continue reading