When it comes to audio, the words “Bluetooth” and “portable” usually are indicators of a less-than-ideal music experience. Despite the many advantages of Bluetooth, in terms of audio it usually means poor audio performance. The same can be sad about truly portable speakers. So when a package arrived with the Logitech Mini Boombox, that’s exactly what came to mind. While this speaker is incredibly small, it’s mainly due to the small size that tinny sound and unreliable wireless performance also come to mind. Logitech is known for their almost perfect execution of computers peripherals and speakers. Can they do the same for the wireless portable speaker formula?

Specifications

· Dimensions (L x W x H): 115.5 mm (4.5 inch) x 71.2 mm (2.8 inch)x 57.7 mm (2.2 inch)

· Weight: 230 g (8.1 ounce)

· Power Rating (RMS): Total: 6w RMS, FS: 3w x 2

· Driver Size: FS: 35mm or 1.3 inch

· Frequency Response: 200Hz – 15KHz

· Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR): >75dBA@1w

· Connection Type: (Audio Input) Analog Stereo (3.5mm), Bluetooth

· Wireless Protocol : Bluetooth 2.1

· Wireless Range Up tp 30 feet or 10 meters

· Bluetooth Profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP

· Battery Details: Removable, Rechargeable, Size: Proprietary, Quantity: 1, Type: Li-Ion

· Battery Life:Recharge time: Estimated 3 hours

· Discharge time: Up to 5 hours

· Power Adapter Output 5.0v – 0.7A

· Cable Length (Power/Charging) 2 feet or .6 meters

System Requirements

· For audio playback:

- iPad 2, iPad, iPhone (3G and later), and iPod touch (2nd generation and later)

- Tablets, smartphones and other devices that support Bluetooth wireless audio profile

[Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)] or 3.5 mm audio output

· For phone calls:

- Phones that support Bluetooth Hands-Free Profile (HFP 1.5) including iPhone (all generations)

Package Contents

· Speaker

· USB charging cable

· Power adapter

· User documentation

The Logitech Mini Boombox

The Logitech Mini Boombox is actually two devices in one: a wireless portable speaker and speakerphone with built-in mic. Through the magic of Bluetooth v2.1,  it’s not only able to receive stereo audio from just about any Bluetooth enabled device, but this also allows it in combination with the capacitive buttons to control your music on for example your smartphone or laptop. However it goes one step beyond other wireless speakers by incorporating a microphone, making it one handy little speaker that can also  be used for voice calls and even VOIP services like Skype.

As the name “Mini Boombox” implies, this is can be considered the “mini” version of Logitech’s much larger and more expensive 8-driver Boombox wireless speaker. The Mini Boombox can also be seen as an alternative and in some ways a better version of Logitech’s own Wireless Speaker and its  Z515 variant.

While they both share the same $99 price, the Mini Boombox adds a mic, capacitive controls and is much smaller in size which should make it the more portable of the two. The Z515 on the other hand does use a pair of larger 2” drivers (instead of the Mini’s Boombox 2×1.3” drivers) which on paper at least should allow it to sound a bit better. This is supported by the Z515’s frequency response numbers of 122Hz-20 KHz which is slightly better when compared to the Mini’s 200Hz – 15KHz. However Logitech is using a specially designed acoustic chamber on the Mini which in practice closes the gap even more and makes for an impressive little speaker (More on this in the performance section). Strangely Logitech has decided to give the much smaller Mini Boombox with it’s smaller drivers 6 Watts of total power, while the much larger Z515 gets the half at just 3 Watts. As you might know, the amount of RMS power isn’t indicative of a speaker’s performance, but I did expect the Mini to get equal or less power than the larger Z515. I was lucky enough to listen to the Z515 some time ago and indeed it’s ahead of the Mini when it comes to performance, but judging by the Mini’s size you’d expect a night and day difference, right? Logitech seemed to have done some nice tweaks on the Mini to make the difference less dramatic and less than one would expect. The Z515 also has a longer wireless range of 50 Feet or 15 Meters versus the Mini’s 30 feet or 10 meters, but in terms of wireless performance  this difference is negligible.

The Mini is available in 3 colors: Black, Red and White, but Logitech has decided to tastefully keep the top part in Black, but making the front mesh grille White on the White version. The Black model is widely available,  some online stores carry the Red version while at the time of writing, the White version can’t even be found on Logitech’s own online store.

Considering the price, I expected a little bit more than the bare essentials included the package. Basically, all that’s include is the USB charging cable and power adapter. Even the much bigger Z515 came with a carrying case, so it’s a mystery to me as to why they didn’t do the same for the Mini. Considering the small size and the portability factor, you’d think that having a case would rate high on a list of accessories that you’d want to include. The fact that the glossy top part is prone to scratches there’s even more reason to include a case for a speaker that’s expected to go anywhere and everywhere. I would love to see a hard cases, perhaps with a small soft handle that can fold flat. Hopefully Logitech will include one with future versions of the Mini, but for the current model this is one of it’s biggest downsides. Also missing from the package is a 3.5mm audio cable. Not as essential as the case, but including one would have been handy.

DesignLogitech seems to be implementing a new design language on the Mini Boombox that still has some similar elements of the recently introduced wireless Boombox, but makes the much older Z515 look dated. I really like the direction they’re taking things: modern,very understated with attention to detail. My Black Mini seemed to blend in with my home décor and in combination with the big sound, visitors don’t initially spot where the sound is coming from, looking around for a much larger speaker. After they can’t find anything, there’s usually a short silence followed by the question: “Where is the sound coming from?.” Upon closer inspection it becomes clear that that the design is all about rounded corners, oval shapes and surfaces that beautifully flow into each other. When using any type of lights on electronic devices, there’s always the risk of making it look a bit too flashy, which is the the case with many gaming peripherals. Logitech has done what I can only call a perfect execution when it comes to the lights. They were not only able to make them useful but actually adding to the overall look of the speakers. Especially the Red capacitive buttons on top look really good, are modern and functional.

The front is dominated by a large Black metal speaker grille that’s permanently attached to the body. It matches the same long oval shape that’s found on the back, top and bottom.  The metal is tough enough to provide plenty of protection for the two tiny speaker cones, even in the case of a fall. It’s safe to say that in the event of an accidental drop from a very high place, the body is more likely to break or get scratched up than the two cones damaged. The speaker grille has very small holes, making it actually very difficult to see these cones, unless the lights comes in from very specific angles. The Logitech logo is placed at the bottom of the grille where it’s surrounded by a multi-color status indicator light. A very nice touch and subtle enough for it not to become flashy. It turns solid Blue when turned On, solid Red when the battery is low, flashing Red means very slow battery, slowly flashing Blue when charging and quickly changes between Red and Blue when in pairing mode.

The sides are done in a matte, almost rubbery looking plastic. A wise decision as the material adds quite a bit of grip, preventing the tiny speaker from slipping out of your hand. Both the top and bottom parts nicely flow beyond the edges towards the sides, creating some kind of sandwich that widens in front. When seen from the side the speaker slightly tilts upwards, widens and gets narrow on the back.

As expected the back continues the oval shape, but is unnecessarily done in a glossy finish. How many times will you actually be even looking at the back of a speaker? When turning it On, I just reach around the back without even looking.  My Philosophy  about this is simple:  glossy surfaces look nice, but should be avoided when necessary and  a speaker with a glossy back perhaps is too much of a good thing. Especially one that’s portable and expected to be thrown around in bags, put on rocks and bumped and hit against lot’s of stuff. On the back there’s a strip that houses the power buttons, Mini USB  charging port and Aux-in jack. Worth noting is the fact that the Mini USB port is for charging only. At first I thought about the possibility of using the USB port  for both  charging and audio delivery, but this would add unnecessary  cost and complexity, especially for a device that’s mostly expected to be used wirelessly. In my opinion Logitech made a wise decision not to include this feature.

One area of concern is the fact that that the cut-outs for the USB and Aux-in aren’t precisely cut, with a  less than perfect result. This is something you really have to look very closely to see it and isn’t something that affects the overall look or performance. Nevertheless it negative point for a product where the overall fit and finish is very good. Definitely not something we normally see from Logitech. On the back you’ll notice a large opening, which basically is the secret behind the Mini Boombox’s big sound. A look inside reveals a fairly larger passive radar, in fact larger than the two active speakers in front combined. Logitech loves ported speaker designs as is evident by their many computers speakers, but probably due to size constraints they went for a passive radiator on the Mini Boombox. The advantages are clear: enhanced bass and louder volumes from an extremely tiny package. The radiator sits slightly sunken into the body facing upwards in a hollow “chamber” that gradually opens and widens, sort of like megaphone neatly tucked into the back of the speakers. When Logitech talks about “A specially designed acoustic chamber” I think  they’re referring to this combination of both the passive radiator and chamber.

The pièce de résistance has to be the top part that houses the backlit, capacitive touch  panel controls. It’s one Black piece of glossy plastic with Red backlit keys. The result looks amazing and futuristic and unlike what most would think, it doesn’t sacrifice too much practicality for sleek design. The backlit keys actually turn off after a period of inactivity, leaving no trace of them ever being there. Surprisingly, the keys are quite visible in day light and only under very bright day light it can become difficult to see the buttons.

To activate the backlit keys, you have to touch a raised piece of plastic and all keys suddenly come to life. The keys are separated and large enough that there’s never any accidental key presses.

The bottom part again is all about glossy plastics and two vertical strips of rubber that should keep the Mini Boombox in place. Fact is, that at max volume, the entire unit vibrates and starts to slowly move. This is something that affects even speakers and subwoofers costing hundreds or thousands of dollars, so not something against the Mini. It can be alleviated by making the unit more heavy, but that would defeat the purpose of such a light and portable speaker. Thankfully this only happens to at max and close to max volume. I have noticed that it’s just a matter of placing it at the edge of a table while playing at very loud volumes. Perhaps Logitech could alleviate this even more by placing the speaker cones at opposite ends, a technique known to reduce vibration. Even better would be a 360° design where three cones are placed in a circle.

Performance and Daily Use

When I first turned the Mini Boombox On, it automatically entered pairing mode, with the status light quickly flashing Red and Blue. The pairing  process is similar to other Bluetooth devices, so there aren’t any surprises here. To pair with more devices you’ll need to hold the Pair/Phone button for about 15 seconds and the device will re-enter pairing mode. It  quickly connected to my Samsung Galaxy Note and had no problem maintaining a solid connection. In  fact it was able to keep going  without any breaks in the audio, even at longer distances, indicating an extremely good wireless range. As you get farther away from the source, there is a slight pause in the audio(less than one second). Perhaps this indicates the wireless radios increasing their power to maintain a strong signal, but after this slight pause, it continues without any problems. One negative side is that when it does loose connection, it beeps twice, but sadly isn’t smart enough to automatically reconnect like certain types of Bluetooth devices. It’s also not able to connect to two devices at the same time. The wireless range is impressive though, so luckily this isn’t something you’ll have to deal with very often.

I wasn’t expected much from this small system with its two tiny 1.3” speakers. To give you an idea of just how small these speakers are, all you need to know is that some full-size speaker actually use 1.3” or larger tweeters. To bring the system size down, Logitech needed to use tweeter sized speakers! But don’t let that fool you. The sound that comes from the system is quite impressive considering its size, in fact I was blown away. Not only where they louder than I expected,  but they actually can get really loud. The system also impresses by producing an overall  immersive and rich performance that seems to defy the proportions of all the tiny components. The system handles highs beautifully so a separate tweeter isn’t necessary. It does an admirable job with the mids and mid-bass, which are good indications of how beneficial the passive radiator and chamber combo is. I do think that sound can be improved by using just just one (and larger) speaker. From something this small you’d expect bass to be none-existent, but’s it’s there, just enough to make for one impressive performance. It adds just enough base to add depth. Obviously there are songs which require a speaker to dig deep and as expected, the Mini Boombox simply isn’t capable: it digs as deep as it can, but simply falls apart or doesn’t register the lower tones. At max volumes the Mini Boombox is able to keep its composure, unless it’s a very bass heavy song, where there’s it’s clearly audible that the speaker is working at full load and forcing to keep up. One thing is for sure, most will be impressed with the overall sound. I definitely was.

As for VOIP and voice calls, it does an admirable job with loud volumes and accurate representation of voices. The mic is also quite sensitive.

I don’t have exact numbers on the size of the battery, but from my usage with volume between 65 to 80% of max volume, I got close to 10 hours of usage. Despite the use of USB to charge, the speaker seemed to charge quite fast in 30 to 45 minutes.

Useful isn’t a term you’d usually use for speakers, but in this case that’s exactly the word I would use. Not only was I able to add music to rooms where I didn’t have speakers, but there’s something simply cool about being able to control the music with my smartphone or tablet. Sometimes I like to relax with ambient nature sounds while reading a book and with the Mini Boombox it’s just a matter of placing the speaker somewhere and using an app on my smartphone to blast an entire room with sounds. Than I could move on to podcasts or just use it as a speakerphone when connected to my laptop or using it instead of my laptop speakers which aren’t really the loudest. It’s one of those rare devices that becomes even more useful as you use it.

Conclusion

The Logitech Mini Boombox  is one impressive little speakers. It differs from your standard wireless Bluetooth speaker with its capacitive, backlit touch controls and it goes one step beyond by incorporating a microphone. This makes it ideal for VOIP and voice calls. Considering the price, I expected a little bit more than the bare essentials included the package. It’s a mystery to me as to why they didn’t include a case. Also missing from the package is a 3.5mm audio cable. Typical of what you’d expect from Logitech, the product is  all about great modern design, especially aided by the understated lights and capacitive buttons. I loved the used of the rubber materials for the side panels and the design looks great with it’s glossy parts. But for a device that’s expected to be portable and get scratched, I’d say there’s too much use of glossy materials. Logitech’s “acoustic chamber” seems to be combination of both a passive radiator and chamber. The results are impressive, even with the use of two tiny 1.3” drivers, a size you’d typically use for tweeters. The sound that comes from the system is quite impressive considering its size, in fact I was blown away. Not only where they louder than I expected, but they actually can get really loud. The system also impresses by producing an overall immersive and rich performance that seems to defy the proportions of all the tiny components. Just don’t expect deep bass,  but just enough to add depth. Some might be annoyed with the fact that speakers moves across a flat surface when playing a max volumes.The Mini also shined as a speaker phone and excelled with a stable and long wireless range.

If Logitech manages to add some accessories and do something about the cut-out holes, we’d definitely increase the score. But for now, it get’s a good 8.8 out of 10.

Pros

Beautiful understated design

Impressive performance for it’s size

Capacitive buttons are modern and look good

Long wireless range

Long battery life

Easy to operate

Charging is fast

Very useful: can easily moved to different rooms or connected to different devices with different uses.

Cons

USB/Aux-in cut-outs aren’t precisely cut

No included case

No 3.5mm audio cable included

If you are a fan of mystery stories, crime drama and Edinburgh I’ve got the best Android app for you! Ian Rankin is well known for his Inspector Rebus novels in what has been called the Tartan Noir style. Well, not only can you read these books the old fashioned way but NOW, ‘There’s an app for THAT!”

Yes, you can get all involved with what inspires Rankin and walk around Edinburgh. I’ve been using the SAMSUNG-SPH-M930 and the Samsung Galaxy S ll and have installed this app on both.

Welcome to “Ian Rankin’s Edinburgh”

The App has a series of tabs starting with “Intro”. From here you get a audio/video explanation from the author on what the app is for and how to use it. Plus, you get to read some of his latest book by taping “Read Part One”. Tap “Out Now” to read a synopsis and view a You Tube video where Rankin talks about his new book. There’s also a link to where you can get this novel.

From Ian Rankin’s Edinburgh

Next we have the “Tours” tab which lists the three main sections of the city that Rankin has his characters occupying within his mystery stories. Just before Christmas the Special Winter Edition automatically uploaded to the App so that’s an additional bit of fun.

From Ian Rankin’s Edinburgh

The “Map” tab is next. Here you can pick a particular area or landmark to check out who has been there. Tap one of the “pins” and this opens to a specific tour of that landmark with all the multimedia available.

From Ian Rankin’s Edinburgh

The “Books” tab lists all of Rankin’s novels. Tap each book to get a summary and a link to buy from Amazon.

From Ian Rankin’s Edinburgh

The last tab – “More” – provides links to various Castles, churches, museums found in Edinburgh as well as Rankin’s own website

From Ian Rankin’s Edinburgh

Included in several of the tour points are You Tube videos where you get an explanation from Rankin of what inspired him about an area. Here’s one which you should find enlightening:
“Fleshmarket Close”

Click here to view the embedded video.

The app does work fine in both phones I have tested so far and should work on any Android device. However, I did notice certain restrictions. The screen does not Auto rotate (horizontal/vertical) at all and there’s no way to change it. It’s always on vertical. the I’m not suggesting this is a major problem, it’s just a fact. As I look through a series of still images I Have to Return to look at the other images. This requirement to Return rather than move forward is common with in this App. It’s not a huge problem, but some find it irritating. Aside from these technical issues, the app is stable, fascinating and just plain wonderful. I’ve never had the opportunity to visit Scotland and this is one fabulous method in a way that is not typical. The mystery (from the books) adds to the mystic.

I have asked Tom Doran – who has been to Scotland and Edinburgh – to weigh in on this from his point of view:

I’ve visited Edinburgh several times, and while I don’t know it the way a tour guide or any local would know it, I can still get around a wee bit without too much help. And even if I do get lost – that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. One can stumble on wonderful things, big and small, that commonly don’t make into a tour book. Stumbling into unknown worlds and dark corners can often be revelatory – however in the dark world of Ian Rankin’s detective Rebus, the same wrong turn can very easily get you killed.

Ian Rankin has created an app for you phone that allows one to find those shadowy places in a relatively safe way.

I’m used to wandering when I travel as I feel it is the only way to really discover the real city I am visiting – when last I was in the so-called “Athens of the North”, I came across a hidden, narrow little tea shop, run by a woman with two different colored eyes and dressed like a Dickens character – nearby was a 15th century church converted into the Brass Rubbing Centre; I found secluded poetry book stores, and a shop devoted almost exclusively to playing cards. Wander and wonders may reveal themselves – or even a corpse or two if you inhabit Rankin’s fictional world (and perhaps even if you don’t).

There are also unpleasant places to be found: The “schemes” – where crowded Council Housing has the same effect that the “projects” in America had on it’s poor residents. Locals in distressed circumstances were crowded together in dubiously designed blocks of towers. Though planned and built with apparent good intentions, I doubt that any of those city planners would have spent a month living there, – let alone years, decades – a lifetime. Crime and decay are bringing these 1950′s and 60′s concepts to an end thankfully – and while many who grew up in such places and have happy memories, that seems to be a happy symptoms of all childhood innocence.

Rebus would know this kind of environment very well indeed. His app explores the favorite city of Rankin, and for fans of his novels, this is a treasure trove of fun facts and pictures. It is essentially a guided tour to places in the city that his fictional hero traverses – where terrible things happen – where wonder sites can be seen.

Ian provides both audio and written descriptions for his tour – along with a couple of select photos for each location. The audio however duplicates the text, and while I understand the reasons for this, it is a lost opportunity to have some extras. I can’t fault him for not devoting his life to this – he has terrific books to write after all.

This should not be considered something to use as a convenient tour itinerary however – and is not meant to be – merely pointing out the points of interest that he himself (and Rebus of course) want you to envision. Fans of the novels will love this, and those novices, to both the city and the literature will also find it very handy in many ways.

There are several walking tours fully described, as well as short histories of various things Scottish: whisky, food, etc., and typical of what you might expect of a tour book, but handily placed and to the point.

There is also an overhead street map with pin-point place markers. You can roam some of the streets and click to see a wee bit of information about various locations not necessarily part of any particular tale per se.

There is also a section devoted to his books – listing each with a brief description. I’m sure that after visiting the city, you will want to pick up the books – and visa versa. If you are a stranger to Scotland and know the books well, then you are in for a treat.

I do have one serious complaint and really do feel it is something that not only should be corrected, but would probably be easily done.

On the list of walking tours for instance – you can go through the tour, look at the photos, etc, and at the end of each section is directs you to the next walking tour on the list – the problem is, you can’t directly follow through – you must instead go back several steps till you get to the list and then make a choice. I think it would be much more user friendly to have a direct link at the end of each section that allows you to either go forward to the next section OR go back to the list itself, instead of taking several steps backwards. It’s a mystery as to why this wasn’t done.

Perhaps Rebus can be called upon to investigate and solve this admittedly minor “crime.”

LAS VEGAS (CES)

The debut of these devices is a key element of Network Vision, Sprint’s plan to consolidate multiple network technologies into one seamless solution. With Network Vision, Sprint customers can expect to enjoy ultra-fast data speeds, improved 3G voice and data quality, and stronger in-building signal penetration providing a more valuable wireless experience and enhancing the value of current unlimited plans.

“The first three products that will run on the Sprint 4G LTE network exemplify the cutting-edge technology our customers can expect from Sprint as we progress with our 4G LTE rollout,” said Steve Elfman, president of Network, Wholesale and Product Development for Sprint. “Galaxy Nexus packs industry-leading features and the best of Google into a beautiful design while LG Viper 4G LTE continues Sprint’s commitment to green devices that don’t sacrifice speed or technology. These products combine with our unlimited data pricing plans to give Sprint customers a powerful wireless experience.”

On Jan. 5, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse announced that customers in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio are expected to be among the first to benefit from 4G LTE and improved 3G coverage in the first half of 2012. Additional areas that will receive 3G enhancements and 4G LTE expansion in 2012 will be announced later in the year.

Approximately 15 4G LTE devices are currently on track to be launched in 2012 including handsets, tablets and data cards. Additionally, 4G devices, including HTC EVO™ Design 4G, Samsung Epic™ 4G Touch and Nexus S™ 4G, will continue to be sold in 2012.

The new 4G LTE smartphones will benefit from Sprint Everything plans including the Everything Data Plan with Any Mobile, Anytime^SM offering unlimited data, texting and calling to and from any mobile phone in America while on the Sprint Network. With Sprint’s unlimited data plans, customers don’t have to worry about throttling or surprises on their monthly bill from data overage charges like they might with tiered data plans from other carriers.

Sprint’s unlimited data plans also benefit NBA fans. As the Official Wireless Service Partner of the NBA, Sprint exclusively offers Sprint NBA Mobile on Android phones, including the upcoming 4G LTE LG Viper. This new custom app provides in-game and post-game video highlights, news, scores, stats and live home and away radio broadcasts to NBA fans. 

Robust Features at 4G LTE Speeds

Pairing the beauty of Samsung hardware with a pure Google experience, Galaxy Nexus on Sprint is built on Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. Ice Cream Sandwich brings an entirely new look and feel to Android. It has a redesigned user interface with improved multi-tasking, notifications, Wi-Fi hotspot, NFC support and a full web browsing experience. Galaxy Nexus features software navigation buttons, a first for Android smartphones. The lock screen, home screen, phone app and everything in between has been rethought and redesigned to make Android simple, beautiful and useful.

Ice Cream Sandwich introduces innovations such as Face Unlock, which uses facial recognition to unlock your phone. Using NFC (Near Field Communications) technology, Android Beam allows users to quickly share web pages, apps and YouTube™ videos with friends by simply tapping phones together. Users can even video chat with up to 10 friends with Google+ Hangouts for mobile. Galaxy Nexus will also be Sprint’s second smartphone enabled with NFC supporting Google Wallet, enabling the phone to be used like a wallet to make safe, secure purchases at hundreds of thousands of participating retailers.

Green without Compromising Speed

LG Viper 4G LTE brings customers the benefit of eco-friendly features without missing out on speed or the latest technology. Initial eco-friendly features include a charger with a no-load consumption rating of .03W, which exceeds the EC Code of Conduct on energy efficiency and the casing is made of 35 percent recycled plastics. Additional details will be provided closer to availability.

Powered by Android 2.3, Gingerbread, LG Viper 4G LTE is equipped with a 1.2GHz dual core processor and two cameras – a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a VGA front-facing camera that makes face-to-face video calls a fun and easy experience. It offers a 4-inch WVGA NOVA display, hotspot capability and a microSD™ slot supporting up to 32GB.  It is also compatible with DLNA-capable devices.

As a Sprint ID smartphone, LG Viper 4G LTE allows users to cut through the clutter of more than 400,000 apps in Android Market™ by selecting from a variety of mobile ID packs featuring apps, ringers, wallpapers, widgets and more. Currently available Sprint ID packs include Green, Fashion and Beauty, E!™, MTV™ Music, CMT and NASCAR Sprint Cup. In addition, LG Viper 4G LTE is NFC-enabled and capable of providing Google Wallet.

Hotspot Combines 4G LTE, 4G WiMAX and 3G

Sprint expands its mobile broadband portfolio with its first 4G LTE mobile broadband device, Sierra Wireless™ Tri-Network Hotspot. It will be the first tri-network (3G, 4G and 4G LTE) mobile hotspot and will easily allow families, small businesses and traveling co-workers to share their high-speed connection.

With Sierra Wireless™ Tri-Network Hotspot, customers can extend their Sprint 3G/4G experience beyond just their laptops to up to eight Wi-Fi^® enabled devices, such as cameras, music players, personal media players and portable game consoles. In addition, its microSD™ slot allows teams to share files and presentations with network storage. It is simple to set up with no software required.

For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE.

“Capacitive touchscreens work by sensing the conductive properties of your skin. Mujjo gloves are made of high-quality silver-coated nylon fibers knitted into the fabric of the glove. These silver-coated nylon fibers make the gloves conductive and therefore touchscreen compatible! We’ve been spending hours and hours in our lab to get the fabric just right.”

Very clever idea because I can use my Android phone exactly as I normally would. It’s as if the Mujjo gloves are a second skin. Some other gloves only have the tip of the index and thumb with touch screen sensitivity, but Mujjo gloves are sensitive ALL OVER. You don’t have to rethink how to use them, as they let you use every finger you own. Some Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S ll – SPH-D710 are able to sense all ten fingers. Others like the SAMSUNG SPH-M930 can only handle input from five fingers. With the Mujjo gloves on you use your phone to it’s maximum capacity.

This is a little video I made using the gloves to play with Fleya – my favorite entertainment on any touch device. I put the right glove on my right hand to show that there is no difference in operating the device with or without the glove.

From mujjo

I also discovered that the glove is so effective that even holding the other glove in the already gloved hand still communicates with the touch screen. At about 1:33 I hold the left-hand glove while still wearing the right glove and run it over the screen to continue creating those fluid dynamics visions.

Are these gloves warm enough for really cold weather? The coldest it has been here so far is 16° (F) or about -9° (C) and part of that evening I was driving. I could feel the VERY cold wheel through the gloves. Generally the temperature where I live are higher than freezing so the gloves have been perfectly fine and comfortable. I supposed if you lived in the North Pole you might have to add mittens over the Mujjo gloves, but it’s still better than having nothing. I was also concerned about how rugged the gloves would be. Would the conductive thread get caught in sharp objects, getting pulled out? After each daily wearing I examined the gloves and they have consistently appeared to be perfectly fine. They are not ‘delicate’, They are in fact quite sturdy. What a relief!

Right now they only come in black and in two sizes. I hope these gloves really take off because they are quite a wonderful idea and Android devices with touch screens are unlikely to disappear. If the good people making these gloves want ideas for the future it’s to add various colors, maybe adding other textures like fleece and including hooks to connect the gloves together. Yes, I like my gloves with hooks – that way they never get lost. But I am just delirious with these gloves. It makes it so easy to use my phones no matter where I am or what I am doing. I’ve even texted comments to Facebook and Goggle+ and sent email with no difficulty wearing these gloves.

There’s no reason to wait….these are fabulous! Get them now!

Mujjo

Small / Medium and Medium / Large sizes available
€24.95 (easy enough to covert with the various free apps on one’s smartphone)

mujjo

At $600, the Audéo PFE 232 sits squarely in the middle of triple driver In-Ear-monitor (IEM) territory, yet “only” offers dual-balanced armature drivers. At first I was scratching my head when I checked the MSRP and noticed that it offered 2 drivers  on each side, which is less than similarly priced IEM. The decision to go with 2 drivers didn’t happen by accident, of course. The idea apparently was to: “emit the clearest sound quality without requiring additional drivers,” basically giving the performance of triple or quad units, without going beyond 2. And while the 232 does include some unique extras, can its performance sway you away from the competition? Are 3 drivers really better than 2?

Unboxing

Specifications

· Latest innovation from the world’s leading manufacturer of hearing instruments

· Highest sound quality with dual-balanced armature drivers

· Maximum comfort with three sizes of ear tips in both silicone and Comply Foam™

· Individual sound signature with three sets of acoustic filters

· 100% compatibility with Apple products

· Light-weight design (just 16g)

· Driver:	Dual balanced armature
· Frequency response:	5 Hz–17 kHz
· Sensitivity
Gray filter:	109 dBSPL/mW, 1 kHz
Black filter:	107 dBSPL/mW, 1 kHz
Green filter:	104 dBSPL/mW, 1 kHz
· Nominal impedance:	47 ohm
· Weight:	16 g, 0.5oz
· Plug:	3.5 mm 4 pole jack
· Cable length:	120 cm, 3.9 ft

The Audéo PFE 232

The Audéo PFE 232 is Phonak Sound’s flagship In-Ear-Monitor (IEM) and is part of their Platinum series. PFE stands for Perfect Fit Earphones and refers to the wearing comfort or ‘perfect-fit’ the company is known for with their various hearing and audio related products. The PFE 232 has dual-balanced armature drivers on each side, which is quite a departure from triple or quad designs you’d find at this price point. Usually, more drivers means the better the sound, but it’s definitely not a rule. The PFE 232 is priced at $599 but includes a free pair of the Audéo PFE 022 if bought at www.audeoworld.com. The 022 is a mid-end IEM which separately would cost $119, making it a pretty sweet deal. This pretty much sets the tone when it comes to the meaning of value for the folks at Phonak: clearly they like fully equipped “kits” as the package not only includes some nice extras we usually don’t find standard on other IEM, but they even include a $119 IEM! While we do like the idea of an additional earphone and love the extra accessories that come with the package, we certainly think we could do without the former. Dropping the extra IEM, would in theory bring the price down to $480 which would make the 232 an extremely good value considering its performance. Don’t get us wrong, we would still love to see the extra PFE 022, but in a more expensive “gift pack” or “limited edition” separate from a basic and cheaper version that only includes the 232. Creating two separate packages giving the consumer more options is something that Phonak should consider.

Like I mentioned above, the package includes some niceties we usually don’t find in competing products and includes:

§ Audéo PFE 232 with remote and microphone § Audéo PFE 022 § Three sets of acoustic filters § Additional cable without microphone § Silicone ear tips in three sizes (S,M,L) § Comply Foam tips in three sizes (S,M,L) § Cleaning tool § Perfect Fit silicone ear guides § Carrying case

Noteworthy is the additional cable and three sets of acoustic filters. While the extra cable is meant for those that don’t require the remote, it does come in handy in case the original cable breaks, which basically comes down to easily removing the damaged cable and attaching the new one. No need to purchase a new cable and waiting for it to arrive. A very nice touch.

The inclusion of the acoustic filters (which do dramatically affect the sound) is a major plus and unique selling point for the 232. It’s also a feature I haven’t seen before on other IEM. It not only allows the consumer to tailor the 232 to their specific audio tastes, but it also allows Phonak to target the 232 to a broader range of consumers. Audiophiles for example usually prefer a more neutral audio performance, while the younger “Beats generation” prefer lots and lots of bass. This usually meant making separate products, but in this case it’s just a matter of changing the filter giving you a totally different perceived listening experience. The 232 comes with four pairs: the Grey filter is for enhanced perception of mid-frequencies, Black for enhanced bass and treble and Green for extra bass. Phonak clearly sees the Grey filter as the main and preferred filter as the package includes 2 pairs of these: the first pair comes already installed while an extra pair brings the total pair of filters to 4.

Phonak generously included 3 sizes of both silicone and foam tips, but we’d also like to see triple flange tips included in future versions. Considering the price we would have also expected an airplane adapter. The carrying case is very handy and has plenty of space to take all the included accessories along with you. We just wish it was a bit stylish. Phonak seems to have a played it a bit safe with the  design of the case. At this price range  we would have expected something a bit more stylish. A rounded case that matches the round grilles creating some matching theme would definitely go along way.  

Design

The PFE 232 eschews the usual organic bulbous shape that’s seems to be the norm for high-end universal fit IEM and goes for a modern flat and thin design where smooth straight surfaces dominate the front, while a more organic ear-hugging shape can be found on the back. The 232 is available in what Phonak calls “Black,” but it’s actually a two-tone color that consists of a glossy Black finish on the inside and a beautiful Platinum color on the outside. The combo looks modern, stylish and definitely makes the 232 stand out. A very prominent design feature of the 232 are the non-functioning round port holes with matching grille that add a bit of edginess to the overall design, while still managing to match the overall theme.

At first sight, the PFE 232 doesn’t look like the most comfortable earphone to wear, especially due to the lack of a more curvaceous design that seems necessary to comfortably fit the outer ear. I was totally wrong. The outer design is all about flat surfaces with sharp lines, giving the impression of not being very comfortable to wear. On the other hand, the inner part of the 232, the part that actually touches your ear is perfectly molded to fit the outer ear. Add the fact that the 232 is extremely light, the result is one of the most comfortable IEM I’ve ever used. Many triple driver IEM tend to be relatively large and wide, resting on a large part of the outer ear. The 232 in turn has a more “skinny” design and as result touches a small portion of the outer ear. The resulting effect is that it almost “floats,” making you almost forget that these are even there. I’m guessing this thinner design is in part due to the use of dual drivers, as triple or quad drivers designs tend to be wider and larger.

The lower portion of the cable is thick enough to withstand daily usage and shouldn’t easily break or get damaged. In case it does, the earpieces can easily be removed from the cable and attached to a new one. This is a huge plus. If this wasn’t the case, a broken cable usually means sending the IEM to the manufacturer for repair. Having replaceable cables means a longer product life, something we’d expect from a $599 product. Phonak has smartly chosen to go for a thinner package for the upper part of the cable that’s connected to the earpieces. It’s thick enough for it not to be fragile, but are flexible enough to easily go around the ear or in the silicone guides. Many IEM manufacturers tend to priorities cable thickness making for a cable that’s too thick, heavy and unable to maintain the right position around the ear. Phonak seems to have found the right balance between flexibility and durability. While I like the inclusion of the silicone ear guides, I found them a bit uncomfortable and not as easy to use. Most users should be quite happy using the 232 without the ear guides. But it’s stil a nice touch to have these included as I’m sure some users will prefer them.

One area that seems like an afterthought is the remote. It simply doesn’t do justice to the style and quality PFE 232 and feel cheap and flimsy. It does work as advertised, but we would have loved a more solid and better looking remote. The placement however is just about right.

Performance

Considering its driver configuration, I expected an exemplary performance, but on a level you’d expect from a dual driver setup. This usually is just a step below triple driver designs. This time I really  was proven wrong and pleasantly surprised with a performance that’s on par and in some cases surpasses triple driver designs! What stood out was the level of detail and effortless performance the PFE 232 was capable of. The Shure SE535/530 has long been a benchmark for me when it comes to high end IEM and I was surprised by the added level of detail and smoothness the 232 where capable of delivering, making the Shure sound a bit harsh at times. An IEM that in some cases makes the Shure SE535 sound harsh? We definitely have a winner here! The Shure’s are capable of delivering audio on a grand scale with its deep base, most probably aided by its dual woofers. The 232 on the other hand takes a different approach, going for detail and finesse, as if caressing every sweet tune before it effortlessly pushes them to your ears. The 232 simply shines when it comes to the high frequencies, producing probably the best performance I’ve heard in among all the earphones I’ve tested, besting even the Etymotic ER•4 series which has long been a favorite of mine when comes to the higher frequencies. A negative side to the 232’s perfect highs and outstanding detail is that low quality audio will sound horrible and and will reveal a “hiss” that’s typical to audio ripped at a low bitrate. But give it 320kbps audio or Wav files and you’ll be treated with an amazing performance.

Mids are done in an equally amazing fashion, on par with the Shure SE535. The Shure goes for a more dramatic presentation the mids, while 232s prefer a more laid back approach. Again here it’s all about details and more details, making the PFE 232 one of the most fun IEM I’ve had the pleasure of testing. What also stands out is the 232 ability to tie all these frequencies together in what seems like perfectly uniform sound. In the case of triple or quad design there sometimes seems be a slight gap between the mids and either the high or lows.

The lows are where the Shure SE535 pulls ahead, clearly performing better due to it’s ability to dig  deeper and doing this with authority. We’re not talking about a night and day difference, but the 232 simply can’t go as deep as the Shure. It’s  pretty close though. Considering the fact this is done with two drivers I’m very impressed. I’m starting to wonder what those folks at Phonak could accomplish if they were given three to four drivers. The 232 clearly shows that amount of drivers isn’t necessarily indicative of performance.

One area of concern are the filters when it comes to performance. When I first started listening to the 232 it didn’t sound quite as impressive. It was only when I decided to swap the preinstalled Grey filters with the ones in included in box did I notice a huge increase in performance. Bottom line: the filters can get damaged  or have microscopic dirt in them that can have a dramatic effect on performance. I would recommend testing your filters to make sure everything is working correctly. This is not a fault on Phonak’s side as these simply are quite fragile parts.

Update: Phonak has explained to us their decision to go with 2 drivers:  The “engineers just found that in order to maintain the PFE unique ‘shape and size’, and without wanting to over complicate the design, a two driver model was the most effective option.”

Conclusion

The Audéo PFE 232 is one amazing IEM, performing on par and in some cases surpassing triple driver competitors when it comes to the mids and highs. Only when the lows are concerned does it fall behind, but just barely. It looks modern and stylish and is probably one of the most comfortable IEM I’ve used. When value is concerned things get a bit more complicated. At $600 you do get what you pay for: a high-end IEM, a $119 mid-end PFE 022, extra cable and the acoustic filters. In my opinion Phonak should drop the PFE 022 and  bring the price down to $480 which would make the 232 an extremely good value. Don’t get us wrong, we would still love to see the extra PFE 022, but in a more expensive “gift pack” or “limited edition” separate from a basic and cheaper version that only includes the 232. The PFE 232  is able to play in the big leagues with just to drivers, imagine what they could do with 3. Phonak should definitely consider this for its follow-up. The Audéo PFE 232 gets an 8.3 out 10.

Cons

Price should be lower

Remote control feels cheap

Can’t quite go as deep as triple driver designs.

No included triple flange or airplane adapter

Pros

Overall performance close to or equals triple driver designs

One of the most comfortable IEM to wear

Very Lightweight

Extremely detailed and impressive high end.

Extremely detailed and smooth sound

Package includes nice extras

Earpieces can be removed from cable: cables can easily be replaced

Filters effectively modify the sound and are included

Extra cable is included

Remote control is handy

Aside from speed, SSDs also offer other advantages. They’re immune to the physical shocks and vibration that can damage a hard drive. They don’t require the same sort of cooling that a hard drive requires to prevent memory loss over time. They’re not sensitive to magnetic fields. They’re smaller. Finally they don’t suffer from the drive fragmentation issues that hard drives have over time.

ADATA’s S511 SSD utilizes the new generation SandForce SF-2200 series controller, with native support for the SATA 6Gb/s platform. The S511 completely brings into play the revolutionary high-speed performance of solid state drives, embracing a new world of transfer performance. With read and write speeds twice that of SSDs using the older SATA II specification, the S511 reached 550/520MB read and write speeds respectively, with 4K random write speeds as high as 85,000 IOPS in real world testing. This means transferring a 5GB video file can be completed in as few as 15 seconds. In actual testing of Windows 7 boot speed, the S511 clocked an impressive 21 second system boot time, giving full satisfaction to the performance needs of power users.

In practical terms this means that the ADATA SSD is quite fast when used with a modern SATA supporting motherboard and with a street price of only $120 the ADATA is a bargain with it’s performance and specifications!

The S511 supports the TRIM command with Windows 7. Basically this means the drive can free up unused space (Free Blocks) for system writes immediately. SSD drives without this can, over time, appear to lose storage memory.  No such problem here!

All purchasers of the S511 can download the free Disk Migration Utility software. It facilitates the quick transfer of all files to the new solid state drive, significantly reducing the troublesome and time-consuming process of reinstalling software and restoring data from backups.

Disk Migration Utility software runs on these operating systems: Windows XP / Windows Vista / Windows 7
Software Download Area: http://www.adata-group.com/index.php?action=ss_main&page=ss_software_5

Capacity
60GB/120GB/240GB/480GB

NAND Flash
MLC (Mulit-level cell) Flash

Form Factor
2.5 inch

Dimensions
100 x 69.85 x 9.5mm (L x W x T)

Weight
76g

Performance
60GB Performance
Read : Up to 550MB/S
Write : Up to 500MB/S
4K Random Write (Aligned): 60,000 IOPS
Maximum 4K Random Write : 80,000 IOPS
120GB Performance
Read : Up to 550MB/S
Write : Up to 510MB/S
4K Random Write (Aligned): 60,000 IOPS
Maximum 4K Random Write : 85,000 IOPS
240GB Performance
Read : Up to 550MB/S
Write : Up to 520MB/S
4K Random Write (Aligned): 60,000 IOPS
Maximum 4K Random Write : 85,000 IOPS
480GB Performance
Read : Up to 540MB/S
Write : Up to 460MB/S
4K Random Write (Aligned): 40,000 IOPS
Maximum 4K Random Write : 40,000 IOPS

Operating Temp
0°C ~ 70°C

Storage Temp
-40°C ~ 85°C

Interface
SATA 6Gb/s

Shock Resistance
1500G

Power Consumption
3W active; 0.6W Idle

MTBF
1,000,000hrs

Warranty
3 years

Accessories
2.5" to 3.5" Bracket
Disk Migration Utility

A vacuum cleaner that’s small enough to have a footprint that fits on a standard sheet of A4 paper, weighs just 12 Lbs. (or about 5,2kg), no bags, doesn’t lose suction and has the power of much larger vacuum cleaners? Can this small vac live up to these big claims? Upon first inspection the DC-26 is indeed petite, but can it deliver the rest? Let’s take the Dyson City DC-26 Allergy for a spin around the carpet and find out. But before we do, let’s have a look at the specs.

Specifications

Patented cyclone technology For no loss of suction	· Concentrated Root Cyclone™ technology
Suction power Air Watts (constant)	· 160 AW
Movement type How maneuverable it is	· Fixed wheel
Filter Expels cleaner exhaust air	· HEPA filter
Bin capacity Clear bin	· 0.15 gal
Tools / accessories What’s included in the box	· Combination accessory tool · Articulating hard floor tool
Dimensions Height x depth x width.	· 10.5 x 12.6 x 8.27 inches
Weight	· 12 lbs
Max. reach	· 26.3 ft
Cord length	· 16.5 ft

The Dyson City DC-26

The DC-26 is Dyson’s smallest canister type vacuum that gets around by means of traditional wheels and is only outdone in size by their even smaller DC-35 Multi floor, which basically is a less conventional cordless handheld vacuum cleaner. The unit we got was the European DC-26 Allergy, which in the US for example is known as the DC-26 Multi Floor.

The naming scheme varies by country and not all models are available to all regions, but the vacuum cleaner itself stays the same, differing only by the included cleaner head(s), color and name. Our European Allergy model for example (which is the basic model) only includes the Dual channel floor tool. The Multi Floor models like the one that’s available for the US usually includes two cleaner heads: a Carbon fiber floor tool and adds an extra Articulating hard floor tool. Other available models pretty much do a mixing and matching of these three cleaning heads.

There are however some strange exceptions which left us scratching our heads. Take for example the UK Multi Floor model which shares the same name as the US model, but unlike its overseas version only includes the Dual channel floor tool. While we do understand the need to tailor products to different regions, we would have liked if Dyson had included the same accessories with products that share the same name. Besides, shouldn’t a “Multi Floor” model include cleaner heads for multiple floor types?

Luckily these cleaner heads are interchangeable, so it should be quiet easy to buy additional cleaner heads to add functionality which is a huge plus for the DC-26.

On the other hand there two accessories that are included with all models: the Combination accessory tool and stair tool. There’s also an included adjustable wand and detachable handle.

Design

When it comes to design, Dyson vacuum cleaners are a rare breed of products where form is dictated by functionality, yet at the same time they manage to score very high on the aesthetics. The DC-26 is no exception to this rule with its iconic design, instantly recognizable as a Dyson. Everything from the oversized back wheels, the clear sloping barrel and the trademark exposed vortex fingers all scream Dyson. Upon closer inspection it becomes clear that Dyson used quality materials and the level of fit and finish is very high, which is something we’d except from a product at this price. On top of that, the materials used appear to be quiet scratch resistant: even after dropping the wand several times or bumping the vac against tables there’s no visible damage or even scratches to be found. In an age where glossy finish dominates and scratches abound, the DC-26 not only looks good, but seems to be made for the real world. But what truly stands out is the DC-26’s size, making it a marvel of miniaturization.

The unit itself consists of the frame, canister and non-detachable hose. There really isn’t much of a frame to speak of, because once the canister is removed, it becomes evident how little space is used for the internals. That’s a motor, cable rewind system, duct system, filters all cramped into that tiny space between those two wheels, all while keeping true to the Dyson tradition of having an extremely low center of gravity. Dyson has done an amazing job on the engineering side of things. The canister can easily be removed and put back with a reassuring click. I also simply loved the fact that with the press of another button the canister automatically opens dropping the collected dirt and dust. The ability remove the bin from the upper part and thoroughly cleaning it with water is also a major plus. However the manual clearly states that this upper part that houses the vortex fingers/inner cyclones should be wiped cleaned and not submerged or drenched with water.

Perhaps in an attempt to keep the unit as small as possible, the hose has been permanently attached to the body and is not user-replaceable. In case the hose does break or is damaged, you’d probably need to send the entire unit in for repair. The hose itself seems very sturdy and probably won’t break easily, but we’d prefer a system where the consumer can easily replace parts. In my opinion this is the biggest downside of the DC-26. The hose can conveniently wrap around the body, not adding much to already the small footprint. However there’s no specific way to actually hook the hose to the body in this position, which means that unless you put the vac in a tight space, the hose probably won’t stay in this position. With the wand and Dual channel floor tool attached, the hose does attach vertically to the back of the unit, keeping everything neatly in one place. A very thoughtful idea in case you just want to keep all accessories attached to the vacuum cleaner, sort of in a ready-to-go position. As we mentioned earlier, we also like to see a similar system when the hose wraps around the frame.

The power button and cable rewind button have been neatly integrated into the body and are positioned where they are easily accessible. Speaking of cables, the 16.5 feet (5 meters) power cable should be more than enough for studios and apartments.

Also worth mentioning is the way one of the filters has been smartly hidden behind the left wheel, while the other has been hidden behind the smooth underside. We can only praise the use of HEPA filters and the fact that they are easily cleaned and replaced is very important. The filters should last the lifetime of the product, which is something I personally like. Having to go around finding specific filters for a particular vacuum cleaners can be a nightmare.

Daily Use

I was a bit disappointed to find that Dyson’s smallest lacks the Ball tech which adds significant maneuverability to models such as the DC-37. But as I’ve come to realize, it doesn’t really need it. The DC-26’s light weight in combination with the comfortable handle make it extremely easy to just pick it up like a small bag. This way I could reach places where a long wand or even the DC-37 could go. To give you an example, I wanted to clean the top part of a very tall book case. A long wand would have to be able to bend and maintain that position to reach the top of the case. I simply used a small ladder and took the DC-26 along with me! With larger and heavier vacs this would have been impossible, uncomfortable and perhaps even a bit dangerous. In case you do want to just drag it along, the DC-26’s maneuverability definitely is above average, aided by the compact size and low center of gravity but is easily bested by the larger DC-37 with its “ball.”

Dyson uses a convenient snap-on modular system for all its accessories. They all just snap into place with a clear audible click and are disconnected by pressing a simple release button. These buttons are colored in bright Red which makes them quiet easy to spot. The entire system couldn’t be any easier: within a minute I was quickly mixing and matching, trying all of the included accessories. The wand and its ability to extend a bit farther is handy, but we would have loved to see a more flexible system by means of joints that would allow it to bend and maintain its position, sort of like a robot arm. In its current state, we feel like the wand is actually holding the usefulness of the DC-26 back. Don’t get us wrong, there’s nothing wrong with the wand, but it seems a bit out of place in this case.

It Sometimes I felt like there should have been a second power button near the handle, but high praise has to be given to the suction release trigger, allowing you to control the suction power right from the want. I also noticed that power button has a protection mechanism, activating with little effort, but requiring you to push it down fully for the vac to continue working. A nice little detail.

The DC-26 shined during its weekly workout, providing unexpected amount of suction for a vacuum this size and was able to pick up an usually high amount of very fine dust that my other vacuum cleaner had missed. The noise levels are a bit lower than most quality vacuum cleaners out there, but not by much. Despite its size, it should do just fine in large home, just expect to empty the bin frequently. For smaller homes, apartments and studios it pretty much the perfect vacuum cleaner.

Conclusion

The DC-26 is a marvel of miniaturization, offering power that’s equal or close to much larger vacuum cleaners in a tiny and iconic package. Quality materials are used and the level of fit and finish is high. Dyson’s clip-on accessory system is very easy to use and additional cleaner heads can add even more functionality. The DC-26’s size allow it to be carried quiet easily like a small bag, pretty much changing the way a vacuum cleaner can be used. We loved small details like the low profile cleaner head, lifetime HEPA filters, suction release trigger and the ability to press a single button to release the collected dirt and dust. The biggest downside has to be the permanently attached hose. In case the hose does break or is damaged, you’d probably need to send the entire unit in for repair. If Dyson manages to fix this, while adding a hook for the hose in wrap-around mode and an articulating wand, they’d be dangerously close to the perfect vacuum cleaner. In its current state the DC-26 is an outstanding product with a price to match. It gets an equally outstanding 9.1 out of 10.

Pros

-A marvel of miniaturization

-High quality fit and finish

-Quality materials used

-Scratch resistant

-Use of HEPA filters that should last the lifetime of the product are easily cleaned.

-Convenient snap-on system for accessories

-Strong suction

Cons

-Hose permanently attached to body and isn’t user replaceable

-Hose can’t attach to the frame in wrap-around mode.

-Wand should be able to bend

  

Small in size, but like the Tardis, it’s big on the inside. This drive is literally slightly longer than my thumb. Small enough to lose except it has a wonderfully large hole which can be attached to one’s keys, a Lanyard or necklace.

The Inside of the urDrive has a complete array of programs to help you organize your files
The main program being a browser. Now, regular readers will be familiar with the idea of Portable browsers and other portable programs….the urDrive is another alternative which actually integrates its collection of programs and features.
The browser on the urDrive is Maxthon and, as you will discover is really the Spine of the urDrive. Almost everything you will do goes through Maxthon.

The purpose of a portable browser is to be able to carry your bookmarks and custom settings to any available computer. Signing into a Maxthon (Passport) account lets you save your Favorites. You don’t Have to sign up to browse, however, it doesn’t appear that ones favorites are saved on the drive. This isn’t what I’m used to in a portable browser. I tend to like total portability. It seems that the urDrive is more about a collaboration between portable drive a and cloud features.

Which Operating Systems support the urDrive program? Right now only Windows. However, the other OS’s can read the files – images, sound and video files – on the drive. In other words you must have a Windows system to first use the urDrive software, create a urDrive Account (if you wish), copy any personal files from your computer to the drive. Once that has been accomplished you can use your urDrive on other systems to examine your files, transfer files, browse, etc.

This drive comes in two flavors: 8GB, 16GB

Separate from the Maxthon browser the urDrive lets you conveniently save images, music videos and files directly to the flash drive. This can be a simple backup or files that you need to transport regularly between – say – home and work.

Let’s plug the drive in and see what happens

Now, a time long ago when one inserted a flash drive with the proper files it would automatically start up the program found in the root of that drive. Those files are there on this Kingston drive and if you happen to have an older Windows system this may work. However Microsoft turned off the AutoRun feature in Windows in Windows7 and later in XP to discourage the spreading of malware. If you are like me and only have Windows7, plug the flash drive in one of your USB slots and either wait for the ‘Hey, what do I do with This?” AutoPlay window to pop up, select Run, if it’s there or simply Browse. Click on the urDrive.exe file to start the program.

You will be greeted with this page. The Get Started button leads you to the End-User License Agreement and from there it’s on to the Main Screen.

You don’t need to log in yet, especially if you only wish to add some important files to the drive. That can be accomplished by browsing or drag and drop.
This is the Main Window that you see most of the time:

The icons on the bottom of the window are the Navigation Bar.

Left most is the Home icon where you can use to return at any time to the Main Screen. Then we have File, Photos, Music, Videos. Clicking on these will show a list of what files you have placed on the drive. You can drop files in the respective icons: drop an mp3 in the Music icon and the file is saved to the drive. This is before I added any pictures to the Photo section:

And after I added some images..you can see I can view a slideshow of them all, rotate, delete files. I can add Albums of pictures and organize them in any way I wish. It’s very flexible.

Continuing on the Navigation Bar is News, Settings and Help. News has the latest information on Kingston’s products. Settings lets you change the background and profile images as well as the language used. Help icon brings up the User Guide in the browser which has very detailed info about how to use the urDrive software.

urDrive does the Cloud

If you create a urDrive Account from the top right of the Main Screen this increases the capabilities of the drive. That includes accessing urAppZone is where you can get apps from the online store.

If you wish to backup your files and take advantage of ‘cloud’ features (buzzword alert!), this is done using Vdrive. Click on the backup button

This will bring up the login for a V-Drive account.

So, wherever you are you can access 6GB of storage. That amount is free…more storage will incur a per month expense. You can sync files on various device and Vdrive works on Android 2.2 and above. Check here for details.

Once set up with a urDrive account you can access games and apps

If you find an app you wish to check out, click on the name and then if you want it, click on the “Free” button (in this case it’s free) and that will download the install exe file to the flash drive.

downloading:

once that’s done just click on the name and this installs on the host computer. Obviously, this won’t work when using the drive on a foreign computer, but you do control which programs you may download. It’s up to you.

From the Main Screen – Home – you have icons for a number of online activities. If you click the YouTube button you go directly to the web page – same with Facebook. It’s all very integrated using the Maxthon browser.

A variety of games are available and while I’m not a big Games Person, it’s there including games and apps for kids

And the option of using Norton to check for nasty bugs.

Having used Portable programs on USB drives I have to admit that the urDrive is fairly comprehensive and useful. And while I am not really used to this Cloud thing I know from experience with Dropbox that’s it’s quite convenient. It may seem like you are logging IN Very often when you first get this drive, but once that “ordeal” is over with it’s smooth sailing.

For more info about this flash drive and the urDrive software go here

After all, cell phones, tablets and other electronic devices are very ubiquitous these days. And modern clothing has already been altered to adapt to our brave new world.

The mujjo is designed with a difference. It keeps your entire hand fully functioning in the touchscreen universe. You will not have to “relearn” to use your phone or tablet with just your index finger while the winter snows swirl about you. Just do what you normally do with all your fingers. The actions are the same – just with an extra skin.

Check out
mujjo.com

“Capacitive touchscreens work by sensing the conductive properties of your skin. Mujjo gloves are made of high-quality silver-coated nylon fibers knitted into the fabric of the glove. These silver-coated nylon fibers make the gloves conductive and therefore touchscreen compatible!”

Even if these gloves seem a bit thin, one can always add an extra pair of mittens for warmth over the mujjo’s.

This Samsung Galaxy S ll is quite a lovely phone. The screen is a nice easy to read size with crisp graphics. The WiFi is very fast, In fact it seems to me using the WiFi is faster than any other device I’ve used recently. It would be hard to prove that, however. One thing I am very impressed by is the 8 megapixel camera. It’s undoubtedly the best I’ve seen on a phone to date. If you look at the bee at the top that is a crop (not zoomed in) of a section of one of the images taken with the Galaxy S ll. You can see the wings of the bee very clearly. And I was a bit unsteady as I tried to get close to the bee without scaring it away. You can see the entire image in the photo album here:

Samsung Galaxy S ll

I generally keep the default settings but one I feel really makes a difference is changing the ISO to 400. I assume this imitates a faster shutter speed of a film camera. The higher the ISO number the more sensitive the image sensor is to the amount of light present.

I discovered this while i was taking pictures on a rainy day. This one is using the default ISO which I think is 100:

From Samsung Galaxy S ll

And this is right after I changed the ISO to 400 and changed the focus to Macro.  Same flower, just the user figuring out how to use the camera properly:

From Samsung Galaxy S ll

While looking around for useful and fun Android Apps I discovered Magnify.

You don’t have to have old eyes to have trouble reading that darn small print. You can now hold your phone over your Aunts medicine label and actually read it without squinting. This has so many practical and fun uses that even a NON-geek friend of mine was impressed when I showed it to him. You basically hold the phone at least four inches over the target, tap the “eye” to force a focus. It does that quickly letting you read those darn tiny words. And you can also take a photo – with or without flash. It’s quite a nice app. Here’s some images I took:

If you wish to see the images from the album just click on them directly. It will take you directly to the album so you can zoom in and examine in detail.
Before i leave this topic I’d like to point out that because I connected my gmail account with the Galaxy S ll phone and I have Google+ every time I take a picture I have it set up to “instant upload” to Google+

This is incredibly convenient – especially for me. Each instantly uploaded photo is placed in a private album. When I go to my G+ account I can then move each image to whichever album I wish. In my case it’s generally to the album dedicated to the phone I am reviewing. I’ll be doing a future article on G+……..

WiFi  *  3G   *   4G

The Samsung Galaxy S ll has 4G, 3G and WiFi. I have always had some trouble getting a good Sprint signal at home. I think I am in a digital hole or something. After all, I do live in a Metropolitan area, not in the boondocks, so I’m not sure what the problem is. It does get a bit better away from the house. Compared to past Sprint phones the signal on the Galaxy S ll is much better and I do get fewer dropped calls. I’m explaining this because I’m not sure if an issue I am having is the phone or my lack of Sprint signal. I was under the impression that the Galaxy S ll was supposed to “automatically” switch to 4G if the WiFi signal gets out of range. It certainly seems to always be on 3G (I mean I have it turned on and doesn’t go off. But then it’s for data).

In this screen-grab WiFi is on. I’m told I can’t have WiFi on if I wish to use 4G:

4G disconnected and 3G is on…probably because a photo is being uploaded.

This screen-grab shows that the signal is not found. The phone does not seem to be able to automatically switch between WiFi and 4G. I have to manually tap the WiFi button to turn it on. And at home I have a very healthy WiFi signal. The Phone doesn’t have to try hard to find it.

At home when I tap the 4G button it does go into ’4G scanning’ mode. In moments it disconnects because, as I have said, I have crappy Sprint signal at home. But no switcheroo to WiFi.

Various Apps

The Galaxy S ll comes with a music player. I uploaded a few mp3′s and the phone put them in a folder it called “Bluetooth” because I suppose that was the method I used. The music player just seems to know where those files are and I can play them from the list. Unless the song comes with it’s own image one of several images are supplied as background. A tap on the screen gives me other features, like the slider to move the song along and randomizing the play list,

When playing music I love that the GUI is added to the nice pulldown menu so I can access it (pause or go to the next song) without having to find the app. Very nicely done. I plugged my headphones in – sound is good.

You can now turn your smart phone into Mr. Spocks Tri-Quarter. Sort of. Try Metal Detector. The Sweet spot seems to be around near the camera. Wave it around and find hidden metallic objects. It really does work. When it gets RED and vibrates you’ve hit IT!!

With AndroSensor you can examine all sorts of technical details of the phone and your surroundings. I was able to get the screen to register all ten on my fingers. Yes, this stuff is Exciting!!

With Speedtest you can see how fast your connection is.

Opera Mini continues to be one of my favorites on any phone. And they keep improving it.

Here is Opera Mini with tabs (see that “2″ on the bottom of the screen? Two tabs are open). It’s very easy to add and switch between tabs. And Opera is Very Fast on this phone.

Nook works very nicely on the Galaxy S ll. Even on a smaller screen the reading is comfortable and easy.

Careful tap and drag will get let you select text. I love that I can highlight this or add a memo. Turning down the corner bookmarks that page.

Sometimes I turn the page just to see how lovely the animation is.

The Nook shop

USB Connection

There’s two ways to connect the Galaxy S ll to one’s computer via the USB cable. If you plug the cable in to your computers USB port it is immediately “seen” as a ‘camera’. This is how it shows up on my Ubuntu:

This is the notification on the phone that it is USB MTP-connected. If you only wish to see the photo’s on your phone this is an ok process.

On the other hand if you want complete access to all the files on your phone you must connect it like a storage device. Before plugging in the cable, go to the settings, then the USB Utilities.

You are then instructed to connect the USB cable from the phone to the computer.

then tap the “Connect USB storage” button and your computer will see a storage device open a file manager as usual and move around whatever files you wish. When you are done just go back to the screen on the phone with the green android fella and tap on the words telling you to disconnect from the PC.

You can also Tether the phone to the computer simply by going to the settings – “Tethering”. Plug the phone in via USB cable, Tap yes to tethering and BAM, little blue icon appears at the top of the screen indicating that you can share the phone’s WiFi with the computer. Instructions are included.

If you are dying to see the Large Hadron Collider experiments working on your phone install LHSee.

I’m still not sure what to do with this (not being a physics PhD), but I just like the Idea that I can see collisions on a smart phone.

PressReader, an App I’ve reviewed before works great on the Galaxy S ll. On the main page you can either read OR listen to the entire issue of that newspaper. Just tap the “audio” icon:

This brings you immediately to the front page of that paper. As the audio is reading the article you can change the volume, go to the next article or previous if there is one and you can see how long it will take to listen to the article.

When you are done listening you can read the usual way

Being a HUGE fan of the Showtime TV program, Dexter it should come as no surprise that one of my favorite Apps is Dexter. It lets you choose wallpapers, watch episodes, and previews, get Dexter notifications, read about the cast, and make your own amusing picture with that delightful Dexter flavor.

The Samsung Galaxy S ll phone is quite a delightful muffin. Or was that Dexter’s donut? No, really, it’s a honey. I can get lost in the live wallpapers and the fun apps and the fabulous camera. Wow!

Cons

Dial Mike? Or Mike? Or perhaps Mike?

No phone is perfect and the Samsung Galaxy S II, while coming close, really only fails in the bundled software. Samsung has little tweaks all over the interface which are largely fine. The dialer, which includes quick name lookup, is nice and the other tweaks are either improvements or simply brand the Samsung Android experience more closely to them.

The real failure is the inclusion of Vlingo. Vlingo is a voice controlled assistant. Have you heard of Apple/iPhone’s new Siri? Vlingo is Siri’s mentally challenged cousin. It was one of the first and in our very humble opinion it’s one of the weakest. It has problems understanding what you say even when you stick to the letter of the suggested commands.  If you tell it to dial someone, and by some minor miracle it gets the right person, it then asks you which of their numbers to dial.  Showing you their name repeated for each number but without showing the actual numbers. So it’s a guessing game! Which you loose.

Since this isn’t a Vlingo review let’s just say that if for some reason you don’t absolutely love it – it’s too bad. Because Samsung/Vlingo provided no way at all to turn this off. Which is a crime since Android’s own Voice Dialer and Voice Search work very well and actually make sense. But if you double tap the HOME icon (which I do all the time to go the the launcher screen and then to the home screen of the launcher) instead I get Vlingo. Even if I tell it to not obey that double tap it does anyway. When I’m on a Bluetooth headset there is no way to use Google’s own included voice tools. Vlingo just steps in front of them and fails to understand anything I ask of it.

Where to Buy

The Samsung Galaxy S II is available from Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T under their various brandings.  $199.99, $229.99 and $199.99 respectively.

In addition to its textured finish and chrome metal details, the HM7000’s portable charging cradle keeps the headset encased and protected when snapped closed, allowing for maximum portability and charging on the go. With one, quick nudge at the case’s hidden hinge, the cradle seamlessly unfolds into an attractive desktop dock, providing a smart and efficient charging station and display stand for the HM7000.  This really works well and as you can plug the charging cable into the headset directly or the charging cradle you get the best of both worlds.

In addition to portability, the HM7000’s charging case provides the user with a very strong battery life, adding the ability to fully charge the HM7000 up to three additional times while on the go without having to plug into the wall. The case also features an on/off switch on the side to conserve power, as well as LED battery status indicators on both the case and the headset. With its extended battery life, Samsung made sure to fit the HM7000 earpiece with an advanced ear gel design for maximum comfort and wearability.

The HM7000 is equipped with Samsung isolāt™, Samsung’s most advanced dual-mic noise reduction and echo cancellation technology to date, as well as a boom mic for enhanced call clarity in a variety of environments. Voice commands and voice prompts come standard on the HM7000, while the Samsung FreeSync Android App, available for free at the Android Market, provides users with added features such as text-to-speech capability for e-mail and text messaging, social media feed updates, caller ID and more.

The only cons I found related to the built-in voice commands, but since my Android phone has it’s own voice technology (that I’m quite used to) I simply used it in place of the Samsung voice commands which I found less intuitive than those on the phone.

Samsung HM7000 Product Specifications

• Bluetooth version 3.0
• Profiles: Stereo (A2DP) Bluetooth Codec (MP3, SBC), Mono (HFP)(HSP)
• Talk time: Up to 4 hours (headset); up to 16 hours with charging unit
• Standby time: Up to 160 hours (headset); up to 640 hours with charging unit
• Voice Prompt & Command
• Text-to-speech functionality with Samsung FreeSync Android App
• Samsung isolāt™ Dual mic noise cancellation/echo cancellation technology
• Music streaming (A2DP support)
• Active Pairing
• Multipoint technology

The Samsung HM7000 will be available in late October for $99.99 at T-Mobile retail stores nationwide and at www.T-Mobile.com, and at select RadioShack stores nationwide starting in November. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

PressReader has always let you listen to the article. And now you can listen to the entire newspaper by simply clicking the audio icon

which appears to the right of the paper listed in your Library.

Click that and the first article starts right off. You can change the volume and go immediately to the next article by taping the “Next” icon (just above the orange volume bar)

You can just go through every single article in the paper. Or, look through the paper and decide which article you wish the listen to. If you wish to hear the paper using the first method each time the software gets to the next article an Image related to that article pops up and the location of that article has a brief pop up window. It seems to work fairly effortlessly.

You can also listen in different languages. Try this one – listen to the audio in the Gallic.

On the online site one of the features I’ve used is doing a search like a name. The words are indicated by red markers (which I can then zoom in to read). The green box indicates someone left a comment on that article.

All of that info, however, is only saved online – and only briefly.

Back to the Tab
One of the features I wanted to test was Sharing. To Share an article using PressReader you tap on the title to get single article on a page. Tap box at the bottom of the page, tap Share icon, tap Facebook…the first time you may need to log in. Then Facebook asks permission to share, then ok’s the operation. I did several tests of this Sharing and all seemed to work fine. And then it stopped. It was only when I went to the online web page and tried Sharing articles from the same issue that a friendly window popped up and said something about reaching my Bookmark limit. Ah, HA!
Only from the PressReader webpage can one see the list of bookmarks. There’s no indication from a device. So, on the web site I accessed my bookmarks and deleted at least one, then from the device tried to Share. Hazzah! success! It’s a slightly annoying limitation. But, at least I figured out the problem.

PressReader also lets you Share on Twitter but I don’t have one of those accounts. However, I wonder if there are any plans to share with Google+ ? Especially now that they have gone public. Stay Tuned…..

Back on the PressReader web site let’s just explore some features not available on devices. While looking at a particular issue there’s a list of features on the left of the issue.

RSS feed for those who like getting instant info, interactive radio – hear the issue over the browser. Mobile – the issue gets sent to a device via a link. Just type the URL into your Windows Media Player Mobile “Open URL…” dialog.
Read offline – issue gets sent to device which has PressReader installed.

And my favorite: one can also Export to eReader right from the web site. Click on the export to eReader icon

which brings up a window. here you choose your ebook format and it takes a few moments to create the file, then you download it where you wish.

more devices

I exported to Nook because that’s an epub format which can be read by several programs. On my Ubuntu I can read that using calibre. On the Galaxy Tab I have a Nook app. I could have plugged the Tab into my laptop via USB cable and copied the epub file directly.

But instead I sent the epub file via Bluetooth to the Galaxy tab. I had to get a file manager (via the Android Market) in order to find it, Using the file manager I  located the epub file in the downloads folder and I moved it to Nook/MyDocuments folder. That’s the only way the Nook app will find any files. You have to do this with an actual Nook as well. Once you open the Nook app you locate it under My Files easily. I opened the newpaper and made sure the setting were to use the authors defaults so the format looked better.

You may ask why bother doing this? Well, I wouldn’t bother with most issues, but what if you find a particular issue that has meaning to you? That happens with actual paper newspapers, yes?
This is one way to keep it and in epub format you can highlight, make notes and bookmark certain pages. If you are doing research or just keeping a treasure, this is a good method.
One thing I did notice. If I add a comment to an article on the PressReader web site and then save the newspaper in ePub format the comment does not get saved with the file. I guess it only lives on the web.

Whichever reader I use, the Galaxy Tab sure makes reading quite a pleasure. I have to admit, I love being able to read several papers/books at once on one device. I love how nicely the pages move one to the next. In PressReader they slide and in the Nook they curl. I like being able to make notes in Nook, and I LOVE highlighting texts in Nook. Man, is that fun! And my revulsion at messing up the newness of a book is not in play….no electrons were harmed in the highlighting of any line! Everything remains brand spanking new!

Fleya
My all time favorite Android App is a real time fluid dynamics which I like to test the capabilities of any Android device. The Galaxy Tab has multitouch and very sensitive ‘gravity’ sensor.
The app’s creator has a blog: http://fixedpointcode.blogspot.com/
Get the App here: http://getandroidstuff.com/fleya-android-download-app-real-time-fluid-dynamics-android/

Click here to view the embedded video.

The fabulous Android app Fleya demonstrated on the Galaxy Tab. The camera is Fixed above the tablet. And I am rotating the tablet to force the “flow”. As you can see touching the surface may start the process but it then can be influenced by moving the tablet. Very cool!  I hope you can see how sensitive the “gravity” feature is as the tablet is moved around to control the flow of the ‘fluid dynamics’. The video was edited in OpenShot and the titles made in GIMP on my Ubuntu 10.04 system.

photos / video’s taken with Galaxy Tab, or screen grabs of the Tab:

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 – Fleya, plus

Stats of the Galaxy Tab

• Dual-core 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 T20 processor
• 10.1″ WXGA 1280×800 TFT (PLS) screen
• 1GB RAM
• 16GB on-board storage
• Bluetooth
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
• 7000 mAh battery
• 3MP rear camera with LED flash and 720p video recording
• 2MP front-facing camera
• video codecs: 720p/1080p Mpeg4, H.264, H.263, H263Sorenson, Divx/XviD, VC-1, WMV7/8
• audio codecs: MP3, OGG, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-, NB, AMR-WB, WMA, WAV, MID, AC3, IMY, AAC(Mono), AMR_NB
• proprietary 30-pin connector
• 3.5mm audio jack
• dimensions: 175.3 x 256.7 x 8.6 mm (for comparison, the XOOM is 170 x 250 x 13 mm)
• weight: 565 grams (for comparison, the XOOM is 730 grams)
• the tablet has none of these: SD (MicroSD, SD), HDMI, USB (MicroUSB, MiniUSB, full-size USB), SIM slot, though USB and HDMI functionality can be achieved by purchasing adapters
  optional docks (sold separately): vehicle, keyboard, desktop