The iMuffs MB210 by Wi-Gear are multi-functional headphones for the iPod Nano, iPod Video (5G), iPod Mini, iPod (3G) and iPod (4G). Wi-Gear has set out to “cut the cord” with this headset. Although not specifically designed for other devices, you can also use these headphones with the iPhone, Bluetooth enabled mobile phones and properly equipped computers.
The behind-the-neck headphones are surprisingly lightweight and flexible to reduce ear fatigue. The iMuffs hold very well whether you’re enjoying music around the house or going for a brief jog. The positioning of the headphones gives more direct, clear bass tones with less sound loss. Designed with the right-handed population in mind, the right earpiece has a convenient volume control as well as pause, forward and backward navigation controls.
Powered by a rechargeable lithium polymer 550mAh battery, the iMuffs claim to give users up to 20 hours of continuous playback. We found the actual time to be more in the 16 to 18 hour range, which is still not bad. Recharging the battery is made easy by virtue of the standard micro USB port.
Connecting your iPod is very simple, just plug it in and turn it on. The navigation buttons are very responsive to touch and quite easy to press making it impossible to lay down on your right side while listening to music. The iMuffs also connect to the iPhone as well as other Bluetooth 2.0 enabled mobile phones. The integrated Bluetooth supports the A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and HSP profiles. You can also use this headset to place calls without the use of the handset itself. We were able to use the iPhone via Bluetooth to place calls, but the Bluetooth dongle is needed to actually listen to music.
Audio playback as well as call quality are both about average. We were able to listen to music within a close proximity to the actual device with little to no interference. When you go into another room, or put a large object between your and your music device you will almost always here static until in direct sight of your device, but that is to be expected from most Bluetooth devices.
The iMuffs have a 20Hz - 20kHz frequency range, which is much better than a lot of headphones today. However their use of Bluetooth wireless means sound quality undergoes compression and, as such, these aren’t the wireless cans for audiophiles (who would do better looking at Sleek Audio’s W-1 system). The headphones reach up to 40 feet away, making them perfect for doing work around the house or hitting the gym. They also use Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP), allowing incoming calls to interrupt music. Without A2DP users would need two separate headsets, one for music and one for Bluetooth calling. While noise-canceling technology is present in the iMuffs, it is very limited and by no means advanced. In locations where there is moderate background noise, the headphones phase out noise pretty well. However in situations where there are high noise levels, the noise cancelation fails to perform very well.
If the iMuffs sound like a perfect holiday gift, even for yourself, you may now order them directly from Wi-Gear for $149.99.
Relevant Entries on SlashGear
Written by Shawn Brown on December 2nd, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Accessories and Feature and Headphones and SlashGear Reviews and Stereo headset and archive and bluetooth and iPhone and iPod and iPod Touch and iphone 3G.
Permian have been showing off their Bluetooth TV tuner, which allows digital television to be watched on a smartphone. The MOBView is a small, relatively featureless box that supports both DAB and T-DMB broadcasts and streams the content via Bluetooth to your handset.
Check out the video demo after the cut
The MOBView is battery powered (with a removable power-pack) and aside from a power button there appear to be no controls on the tuner unit itself. It looks to come with a separate TV app for your Windows Mobile smartphone, which allows you to search for channels.
Range and resistance to interference both seem good. Details on the MOBView are scant, with no suggestion of when (or if) the product will reach the market, and if it does so what sort of price tag it might carry.
Click here to view the embedded video.
[via UberPhones]
Relevant Entries on SlashGear
Written by Chris Davies on December 2nd, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Accessories and Smartphones and Windows Mobile 6 and archive and bluetooth and tuner and tv.
ASUS have officially announced the Eee PC 1002HA, which was first spotted back in October. Borrowing some of the S101 luxury netbook’s stylings, including a brushed aluminum lid and wrist-rest, the 1002HA measures 1-inch thick and weighs around 2.6lbs. Under the hood there’s the usual 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard-drive.
Connectivity includes WiFi draft-N, Bluetooth 2.0, a VGA port, three USB 2.0 ports and ethernet. There’s also audio in/out, a 1.3-megapixel webcam and a 4-in-1 memory card reader. ASUS claim you’ll get around 5hrs runtime in Windows XP from the two-cell 4,200mAh battery.
The ASUS Eee PC 1002HA is available from today, priced from $499. Both Windows XP and Linux versions will be available, both including six months of 10GB online Eee Storage.
Press Release:
ASUS Introduces the Completely Redesigned Eee PC 1002HA Netbook
Slim, light, elegant; the new Eee PC 1002HA takes Netbook design to new heights while delivering the same legendary Eee PC mobility and ease of use
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA (December 1, 2008) - ASUS, a worldwide leader in notebook design and the fastest growing notebook brand, today announced the newest member of the award-winning Eee PC family – the Eee PC 1002HA. Featuring a redesigned chassis with a brushed aluminum LCD cover and palm rest, the 1002HA is a sophisticated, lightweight, easy to use netbook that brings a touch of elegance to every day computing.
Thin-and-light
The 1002HA was designed for maximum mobility, and weighs just 2.6lbs. while measuring 1-inch thick. To make the netbook as light as possible without sacrificing rigidity, ASUS chose to use brushed aluminum for both the LCD and the palm rests, which results in a beautiful look that allows the 1002HA to feel exceptionally solid despite its thin stature.
Super Hybrid Engine
The 10002HA features ASUS’ exclusive Super Hybrid Engine (SHE) technology, allowing it to both lower the CPU clock speed to increase battery life or crank the clock speed up even beyond the stock speed when maximum power is required. By pressing a button above the keyboard, the 1002HA can be quickly cycled through several performance states on-the-fly.
Eee Online Storage
In addition to its generous 160GB of primary storage, the 1002HA also includes 10GB of online storage via ASUS Eee Online Storage. This service allows users to share files with anyone, and to also have access to Eee Online Storage anywhere there is Internet access. Eee Online Storage is also very useful for backing up important files as well.
Wireless Connectivity
As the original netbook, the Eee PC is designed to keep users connected to the Internet and wireless devices at all times. To accomplish this, it features the latest wireless technology, including support for Bluetooth and blazing-fast 80211.n Wi-Fi, which is six times faster than standard 80211.g speeds.
Extra-long battery life
The ASUS Eee PC family of netbooks offer incredible battery life thanks to their power-saving design, and the 1002HA is no different. It uses a custom-made, polymer battery that boasts two high-capacity cells offering 4200mAh for up to five hours of unplugged computing time.
Availability
The Eee PC 1002HA will launch in the US on December 1st, 2008 with an MSRP of $499. It will be available through ASUS’s global network resellers. For full specs, please visit our website.
Relevant Entries on SlashGear
Written by Chris Davies on December 1st, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Eee and archive and asus and bluetooth and wifi.
QStarz have announced what they’re calling the world’s most powerful Bluetooth-enabled GPS data-logger. The BT-Q1000X uses the latest MTK II high-sensitivity chipset with 66-channel tracking for sub-15s position acquisition, internal memory to log up to 200,000 waypoints and the ability to connect to a smartphone or laptop as a wired or wireless GPS receiver.
Data can be outputted and mapped on Google Earth with the included software, with logging either done automatically or manually triggered via a button on the BT-Q1000X itself. QStarz claim up to 42hrs use from a single charge, with auto on/off and optional photo geotagging support.
Standard acquisition times are 35s from cold start, 33s from warm start or 1s from hot start; that can be improved by downloading almanac data (A-GPS). No word on pricing or availability, however.
[via NaviGadget]
Relevant Entries on SlashGear
Written by Chris Davies on December 1st, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on GPS and archive and bluetooth and qstarz.
When the MacBook Air first launched, nobody could deny it was physically impressive. Well under an inch thick, it was a visual delight to anybody who saw it. Ironically, any disappointment was saved for the owners themselves: the payoff for those market-besting dimensions was underpowered components and the tendency to overheat. Now, Apple have freshly inflated the Air with new technology, in fact just about everything down to the memory is new. Second time around, have they created the ultimate ultraportable?
Where with the original Air it was the outside that was revolutionary, this time around it’s the inside where all the major changes have happened. Out goes the old 2GB of DDR2 667MHz memory, to be replaced with 2GB of DDR3 1,066MHz; storage gets a kick too, with the entry-level Air going from 80GB PATA to 120GB SATA, while the SSD version doubles to 128GB. Similarly, the integrated Intel GMA X3100 graphics chipset of the original Air is junked in favor of the same NVIDIA GeForce 9400M chipset as found in the new unibody MacBook and MacBook Pro.
In fact similarities between the Air, the MacBook and the MacBook Pro are now all the more obvious. Casing design is one such area: Apple was generous with their credit to the Air during the recent unibody MacBook announcements, as paving the way in laser-cut aluminum design. Requiring a little closer examination is the switch from Mini DVI to Mini DisplayPort, again as found on its bigger siblings, supporting DVI, VGA and Dual-Link DVI via various adapters. Otherwise there’s still the same single USB 2.0 port and headphone socket, with wired Ethernet available only via an optional USB-to-RJ45 adapter.
Processors, then, are subject to only the mildest of tweaks: the 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo is still present, but the 1.8GHz gets a slight bump to 1.86GHz. Cache gets a moderate nudge to 6MB. Still, combined with the far improved graphical capabilities, the second-gen Air has much more grunt than its predecessor. Display, a 13.3-inch LED-backlit 1,280 x 800 panel, and networking, WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, go unchanged; the trackpad is also physically no different, which means a separate button rather than the whole surface being clickable, and no new glass construction. However there is support for four finger gestures.
All of that notwithstanding, your first - and lasting - impression of the MacBook Air is the design. Even nine months or so after its first unveiling, it’s still one of the sexiest laptops on the market. Part of that, perhaps, is that rival ultra portables lack the gracefully tapered edges that make the Air feel even thinner than its 0.16 to 0.76 inches. Weight is 3lbs, while the 12.8 x 8.94 inch dimensions mean it will still fit into a legal envelope.
When we talked to Apple last week, they seemed legitimately excited at the prospect that the Air could work as a primary laptop rather than as a compromise for portability. For that to be true, we’d need the slimmest MacBook to be able to not only offer basic browsing and netbook-style duties, but also step up for a little impromptu media editing and similarly processor-stressing tasks.
Our testing suggests it’s capable of just that. Although the Air is never going to be a serious media cruncher, a 260MB video took roughly 3 minutes to import into iMovie and a 4-minute video took around 12 minutes to export at 640 x 360 resolution. You’ll have more fan-noise while you do it, but it’s certainly less of a chore than with the old Air. The issue you’ll most likely run into is space: as with any other system using an SSD, you trade speed and stability for capacity. By removing unnecessary printer drivers, unused languages and standard apps like Garageband we managed to claw back around 5GB; on a 128GB drive that’s a lot.
Compared to the late-2008 MacBook and MacBook Pro, the Geekbench results are unsurprising: the Air still comes in third with an overall score of 2467 in the 64-bit tests, compared to its chunkier siblings at 3170 for the MacBook and 3664 for the Pro. That’s part of the reason that Apple expect the Air and the standard MacBook to occupy their own niches; the latter, with its double RAM capacity and higher performance, will appeal to Photoshop and video editors, while Air users are pegged as frequent-travelers doing little more than web browsing, email and word processing. Improved media crunching is more a sop to watching high-resolution video on that gorgeous display, than it is a sideline in heavy-duty editing.
However, what you do get - with the SSD version of the Air, anyway - is a nice chunk of real-world usability. Start-up time is more than halved compared to the first-gen Air, regularly coming in at under thirty seconds, and apps load quickly. You don’t get a burnt lap, nor go deaf from fan noise, either. Where the first Air had a habit of whipping itself into a broiling frenzy during thorough use, we found the new model comfortably sat at between 120 and 135 degrees. Processing video saw that jump to between 175 and 185, with the aforementioned crank up in fan speed, but it quickly returned to the normal operating range once the video was done. Happily we saw none of the freezing or lock-ups that the Air used to suffer from.
Higher-powered graphics usually means an impact on battery life, and sure enough there’s a penalty in overall runtime. Apple quote 4.5hrs from the new Air, down thirty minutes from the original, and while we never like to see usage times moving in that direction we at least found that to be an accurate estimate. With the backlight set at half (which, thanks to the LED system, is no hardship) and WiFi turned on, we managed around 4.25hrs of casual surfing and emailing. Watching video halved that, and video processing is an even quicker way to drain the battery. Speaking of which, the Air’s battery is still non-user-replaceable.
The Air still isn’t a cheap notebook - the 1.6GHz model with 120GB SATA HDD comes in at $1,799, while the 1.86GHz version with 128GB SSD is $2,499 - but there’s less of a sense this time around that you’re paying solely for the design. The solid-state model actually offers twice the storage for around $300 less than its first-gen counterpart.
Unlike the first time around, the SSD Air is the one we’d recommend. Yes, it’s considerably more than its HDD counterpart, but its impact on performance is what makes the second-generation MacBook Air such a pleasure to use. If budget is such a consideration as to make the SSD upgrade impossible, we’d steer you instead to the MacBook, which can now compete (if not best) the Air in style. The Air remains Apple’s niche road-warrior option; now those owners can spend more time battling the competition than their notebook. If you fit the profile, you won’t be disappointed.
MacBook Air (late 2008) unboxing video
Click here to view the embedded video.
Relevant Entries on SlashGear
Written by Vincent Nguyen on November 28th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Apple and Feature and MacBook Air and Review and SlashGear Reviews and Steve Jobs and Wireless and bluetooth and nvidia and ultraportable.
Target Customers: Budget and Style conscious people.
Sony Ericsson introduced the T303 slider phone at the CeBit technology expo this year, and now, they have announced its new version for T-Mobile UK. The original T303 wasn’t a big hit despite the fact that it’s slim, sleek and low on price. So, the company has announced the T303 Daisy Edition to allure the customers. The entry-level slider features daises on the back case. The soft edges and mirror glass display make this inexpensive phone a beauty to look at. The biggest downside with the phone is its 8MB of non-expandable memory. Still, the T303 Daisy Edition could make for a great Christmas gift for those who simply need a stylish phone with basic functionality.
(more…)
Written by Naveen on November 27th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on FM radio and Sony Ericsson and T-Mobile and T303 Daisy Edition and Technology and bluetooth and slider phones.
The Chinese have done it again with the iPhone, but now with a flip. The latest knock off handset from the land of cloned phones is an iPhone V126 clamshell. It might be a cloned handset, but I will give full marks to the brains behind it, as the iPhone flip looks quite attractive and inviting, thanks to the brushed aluminum casing. The only downside, at least for me, is the poorly designed back panel. The handset somehow looks to be inspired by the MacBook instead of an actual iPhone. The GSM 900/1800MHz flip phone is small and slim at 105 x 53 x 17mm and weighs about 110 grams. The handset supports both the Chinese and the English language.
(more…)
Written by Naveen on November 27th, 2008 with 1 comment.
Read more articles on Apple iPhone and LED Lights and Technology and bluetooth and e-books and iPhone Flip and iPhone V126 Clamshell and macbook.
Chinese have done it again! This time, they have cloned the very famous HTC Touch Diamond. The cloned HB 778 dual SIM card phone shares the same looks and features a dual slider design. The phone slide up to reveal the numeric keypad and sliding from the side shows the gaming keys. Without switching the phone off, it allows for you to use 2 different SIM cards to standby. As expected the HB 778 comes equipped with a TV tuner card. The phone is pre-loaded with classic games, such as Super Mario.
Technical Specifications: A 2.8-inch touchscreen, TV function, FM radio, Touch keypad, 1.0-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, SIM slot, and microSD slot.
The HB 778 dual SIM card phone sells for $151!
Via: SlipperyBrick
Written by Naveen on November 24th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on HB 778 dual SIM card phone and HTC Touch Diamond and Technology and Touch keypad and bluetooth.
« Older articles
No newer articles
