The Setup
Just plug the card into your computer using the included USB card reader or your own. There’s a small application you’ll have to install on either your Macintosh or Windows machine. The program will take you through a quick setup process to configure your card for WiFi networks. Although the card will automatically connect to unsecured networks, you’ll have to plug it into a computer each time you want to configure it for secured ones. The card also automatically connects to Wayport public hotspots for free for an year with this model. (There are about 10,000 Wayport locations, e.g. McDonalds)

Online Management
It’s easy to customize the way your media is handled. Unlike the WiFi setup, where you need to physically insert it into a computer, most of the other settings are managed through Eye-Fi’s website. The web interface allows you to view media, enable geo-tagging, view geographical locations of photos on a map, and set upload notifications. It’s easy to enable uploading to photo sharing services such as Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, and a few more. There’s support for blogging platforms including Movable Type, TypePad, and VOX. For auto-uploads to printing services, Eye-Fi supports Costco, ShutterFly, SnapFish, and Walmart. And that’s not it, there’s plenty more. If you’re a bit of a geek, the Eye-Fi supports dropping image files straight into an FTP server and offers RSS feeds. It also downloads a copy to your computer if it has the Eye-Fi Manager installed.

Geotagging
The Eye-Fi embeds geotags into all your images. Many tools such as Flickr and Google Picasa offer viewing your images on maps. Unfortunately it doesn’t work as you might expect. As expected, it’s probably not possible to fit a real GPS module into a SD card. Therefore, the Eye-Fi uses WPS (Wi-Fi Positioning System) to find your location using nearby Wi-Fi networks. It works, but it’s not always entirely accurate. The company has partnered with Skyhook Wireless which has mapped out 70% of the United States with over 100 million wireless access points so the geotagging feature will work even without being connected to a wireless hotspot. As long as you are in range of a mapped wireless access point WPS should be able to get 20-30 meter accuracy of your location. From my own testing, I found that it was actually quite accurate. It was literally spot on.

Wireless Connectivity
The card worked great, but there are some issues that need to be mentioned. Since the WiFi chip inside is so small and very low powered, it doesn’t do so well when it comes to picking signal. While photos transferred rapidly when near an access point, it wouldn’t work as far away as other WiFi enabled devices did. For example, my laptop and mobile phone were able to connect to my access point, but the Eye-Fi card in my camera wasn’t able to get signal from the same spot. Another issue I faced was in regards to convenience. If you want to connect to a new secured access point, you’ll need to have a computer with you. Since it’s simply an SD card, your camera won’t have an interface to customize those settings. If you primarily use it in one location or happen to visit those compatible hotspots quite often, then it won’t be an issue.

Uploading and Notifications
As I mentioned before, there’s no interface on the camera to manage the Eye-Fi. The camera will only handle the image files. Therefore, there’s no indicator to let you know the status of upload progress. That means you won’t know when to turn your camera off. If you do turn it off during an upload, it will get interrupted, but will resume uploads once turned on. To slightly solve that issue, Eye-Fi provides the ability to receive Email notifications and SMS alerts for when uploads begin, get interrupted, resumes, or finishes. You can also opt-in to receive Twitter Direct Message notifications for the same actions. The only other way to view a live progress bar of uploads is if you are in front of your computer screen while snapping photos.

The Bottom Line
For the most part, the Eye-Fi can minimize the hassle of sharing and saving media. But it’s still a proprietary technology even though it uses a standardized WiFi network. It’s especially great for those who take a lot of photos in only a few locations. However keep in mind, you’ll likely find yourself coming back home to upload photos on your own network after a party since there’s no way to configure a secured network elsewhere without a computer. While it might sound like a niche market, that’s going to soon be changing. Devices such as Sony’s Cyber-shot DSC-G3 have built-in WiFi and supports uploading to a similar variety of online uploading services. If other manufacturers start following that trend, which we might see this year at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show, it’s hard to tell what it would mean for Eye-Fi since there wouldn’t be a need for their WiFi SD card. However, the fact remains, not everyone is going to go buy a new WiFi camera immediately and there’s no other way to enable WiFi for an existing camera with a gizmo such as the Eye-Fi.

While I reviewed the Explore Video model, there’s also 7 other offerings. Prices start at $50 for the lowest end version that can only upload photos to your own computer and has just 2GB of storage. Their best offering is the Pro version ($119) that offers all the same features that the Explore Video does, but adds extra support for RAW file uploads and Ad Hoc networks for professional photographers. If you have a decent camera, take a lot of photos, and don’t plan on upgrading anytime soon, the Eye-Fi will definitely go a long way to add a new refreshing feel to your current device.

Buy: Eye-Fi Explore Video for $92
Links: Eye.fi | Model Comparison Chart

Wireless Comfort Keyboard 5000
Main Features – 4/5 stars
Unlike most keyboards, Microsoft’s keyboard has plenty of extra functionality that you wouldn’t normally see. The entire top row is dedicated to some special features: there’s a key to launch the default web browser, email client, and media player. There are also media controls to play, pause, and navigate tracks. The volume controls offer muting and adjusting volume. A Documents and Pictures folder launcher and Zoom -/+ controls are thrown in too. The Keyboard also sports 5 keys that launch the first 5 respective items in the Windows 7 taskbar. An additional favorite key can be customized to launch any application. These keys are large and easy to press, but are slightly unresponsive at times. Plus, due to the soft-click, it’s hard to tell if you’ve pressed them hard enough. I also had a major issue with the layout of the Function Keys row. As someone who is a heavy multi-tasker, these are always important for refreshing webpages, running spell check, starting full screen mode, and plenty of other actions. Microsoft made the regrettable decision to make these keys smaller than the standard keys found on the keyboard. They are tiny nudges that are difficult to reach since they are recessed. Even the Escape Key (Esc) fell into the same mess. On the bright side, they offer a quick toggle that can turn the Function keys into special commands including undo, redo, save, open, and other tasks.

I was also glad to see the inclusion of hot-key labels such as WIN+D for showing the desktop and WIN+L for locking the desktop. Other than that, there’s a fairly standard numeric keypad on the side along with a button to launch the Calculator application above it. Overall, there are plenty of features that you probably didn’t have on your old keyboard. These will take a bit of time to get accustomed too, but will eventually make you more productive. The biggest quirk was the size of the Function Keys row which will hopefully get resolved in a future iteration.

Design & Comfort – 4/5 stars
My initial impression from removing it from the packaging was how good it looked. It’s sleek, well designed, and looks professional. The edges and specialty keys are all glossy. They looks great when they first come out of the box, but soon begin to attract fingerprints, grease, and dust. The main keys are comfortable to type with: they are quiet and have a soft click. Everything’s within reach and feels great to use. Unlike regular keyboards that have flat horizontal keys, Microsoft has taken a ergonomic approach. This keyboard is curved 6 degrees and has stretched keys. It even has a slight inward depth to cater to the curvature of your hands. The large palm rest offers an excellent grip as well. There are extra wedges included that attach to the rear of the keyboard for elevation. The entire unit has a sturdy feel and stays in place. The size of the Function Keys once again add a drawback to comfort. They are too small and difficult to use. Asides from that, this keyboard simply looks great and is comfortable.

Wireless Mouse 5000
Main Features – 4/5 stars
This 5-button mouse has all the goods. It sports a standard left/right click, back/forward buttons, and a four-way scroll wheel which doubles as a middle click. Once plugged in, all the keys work right out of the box. No extra configuration was required. The scroll isn’t notched nor entirely a free scroll. It has a constant slow friction. It’s a bit of a messy design since it doesn’t work too well for either precision scrolling or for fast movements. When middle-clicking, you end up accidentally scrolling up or down and missing the target. The side-scroll was the only part of the entire scroll wheel I liked. The new BlueTrack technology on the other hand is quite accurate, precise, and responsive. It works on most surfaces unlike the average mouse, but still isn’t as great as the Logitech VX Anywhere which uses the Darkfield technology to work even on glass. I was also glad to see an ambidextrous design which most mice these days don’t exactly offer. But I was once again disappointed to find that the USB receiver didn’t attach into the device flush. It rather sticks out making it bulky, especially since it won’t sit stable on a flat surface. Other than that, this has all the essential features needed to make a great mouse.

Design & Comfort – 3/5 stars
While the features might be there, there are other issues this mouse faces. While the unit looks quite modern and stylish, it’s glossy. This a horrible idea for a mouse. The entire unit begins to look rather disgusting as it gets covered with fingerprints and dust. The dirt makes the surface of the mouse feel textured and it feels like it always needs constantly needs cleaning. Fortunately, the most important buttons, left and right click, feel great to use. They are responsive and offer a great tactile feedback. As mentioned before, the middle click is quite difficult to use due to causing accidental scrolling. The back and forward key are located on the left and right of the mouse. While they are in a good location, the keys are too narrow. Plus, they are a bit too soft and don’t offer nearly enough of a physical click. Since they are sensitive, accidental bump can result in jumping back a page, which isn’t a good thing if you’re filling out a form or writing a comment on a web page. Despite that, the mouse is better than average mice, but there are many improvements that can be made.

Conclusion
Getting Keyboards and Mice to work in the past required installing drivers from CDs and getting the machine to detect the hardware, which was a hassle. This is no longer the case with the Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000. After simply inserting the receiver into my Windows 7 machine, everything was automatically detected within a few seconds and ready to go. Extra Microsoft Intellipoint software got downloaded from Windows Updated and I was prompted to install it. Simple as that. Both the Mouse and Keyboard run of two AA batteries each and were included. While I wasn’t able to test the battery life, it should last at least a few months. The device worked from up to 30 feet away, which is great if for home theater setups. While I was a bit rough on this product, I’ve got to say that there wasn’t anything per say that didn’t work. Most of it was comfort issues with sizes of keys and material used in the design. Considering that this entire package is available for $67, it’s actually a fairly good deal. While I feel that Logitech’s competing products might offer more features, they also cost nearly twice as much. For the average person looking for a wireless mouse and keyboard combo, you can’t go wrong with this. The Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 offers a great keyboard and mouse experience.

Buy: $67 – Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000
Links: Microsoft.com/Hardware

Using Powermat is quite easy. There’s only one cable needed to power the Powermat itself. Gadgets can be placed on any of the three magnetic charging spots on the device. It plays a futuristic sound and display an LED indicator to verify that it’s charging. If you begin to get annoyed with the sounds once the “coolness-factor” fades, there are buttons on the back to adjust the volume and indicator brightness level as well. An additional powered USB port has been conveniently added to the back to charge legacy devices that don’t yet have support for the Powermat.

Here’s when it gets tricky. The devices you own just don’t charge on their own if you place them on the Powermat. You’ll first need to place them in special Powermat sleeves. There are a number of receivers offered, however we were provided with three: iPod Touch Sleeve, Nintendo DSi Sleeve, and iPod Dock. Their website reveals sleeves for other devices including popular models of the RIM Blackberry. The Powermat representative we spoke with stated that many more accessories for popular gadgets are on their way.

The first device I tested was the iPod Touch Sleeve. I slipped the iPod Touch into the case and placed it on the Powermat. After the Powermat did it’s thing, played a sound and lit up the LED, the iPod Touch displayed the charging screen after a short delay. The case was actually quite a decent one and seemed like it would do a fairly good job of protecting my device. It did unfortunately have that obtruding portion on the back which is necessary for this technology to function. The case also required that I use a little headset dongle and their own USB cable since neither a standard headphone cable or iPod Connector would reach through the case. Although I didn’t see any negative impact to the performance of WiFi on the iPod Touch, I’m not sure if it would cause any signal issues on the case for the iPhone they are releasing this month. Charging worked perfectly and just about as fast, but the need for a headphone dongle made it seem a bit annoying.

The next receiver I tried was the Powermat iPod Dock. At the moment this is a workaround for charging an iPhone 3GS. However the dock also works with the majority of iPods on the market with a few exceptions. It detected and charged both a 2nd generation iPod Nano and iPod Touch perfectly. It also has an adjustable backrest to adjust for the various sizes of these Apple devices. This accessory also seemed to wirelessly charge a device in just about the same time a traditional wired charger would.

Although we only had a standard Nintendo DS, we were able to borrow a Nintendo DSi to test it’s sleeve device briefly. It snapped on easily and immediately began to charge the device. It does add a bit of bulk and make holding the Nintendo DSi a bit more awkward, but it wasn’t too big of an issue. And it was a lot more convenient to place the DSi on the Powermat rather than having to reach for a cable that is probably tangled up or fallen off a desk.

The final accessory we tested the Powermat with was the included and highly versatile Powercube. This was one of my favorite aspects of the entire product. It’s a simple cube that’s placed on the mat with a cable coming out of it. There are plenty of adapters for devices such as Apple, LG, Samsung, Sony, Nintendo, and mini/micro USB products included. Although its not really making anything more cable free, it’s almost a universal charger for the majority of devices out there. We’ve got plenty of gadgets coming in and out at Skatter Tech and this could probably charge just about all of them. Powermat even includes a little storage box that magnetically attaches to the Powercube to carry around a couple of the adapter tips you use most. While this certainly isn’t as awesome as simply placing your iPod or BlackBerry on the Powermat, it’s definitely a welcome addition.

The Powermat works exactly as advertised. We didn’t face any issues or problems. The version we tested is the “Home and Office” version, but Powermat also offers a foldable portable version for travel. A question that a couple of friends asked was, “Is this safe?”.  After a little investigating, I found that there’s nothing to be concerned about. The device is fairly low voltage and it wouldn’t have been approved for sale if there were potential health risks. It doesn’t damage any other devices placed near or on it either.

So does the Powermat have a catch? Yes, the price. The base unit sells for about $100 alone. Although it includes a Powercube and those set of adapters pictured above, it’s still expensive. Plus, each of the device-specific sleeves sell separately for around $30 each. Sure, if you’ve got the cash to spare, go for it. It works. I loved the simplicity of  not having to plug my devices in, but I don’t necessarily think it’s worth spending that much. Plus this technology has already been natively implemented into devices such as the Palm Pre. Dell even showed off the Latitude Z laptop that charges without cables. This technology is closer than ever and I wouldn’t be surprised if it appeared in a lot more gadgets we use everyday. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of those as early next year during the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. In the meantime, it might just be best for the rest of us to wait until prices drop or until it becomes a built-in feature of new versions of gadgets that hit the streets.

Buy: Powermat for $99 | Accessories
Related: Powermat Video Demo
Links: Powermat.com

Body Design: 4/5 stars
As the name suggests, the Jabra Halo simply resemble a halo. As I removed it from the packaging, it struck me a luxurious gadget. They felt quite lightweight as I picked them up and the black trim was elegant. After skimming through the product info sheet, I looked at the quick-start guide for directions before trying them on. Ok, easy enough, just unfold and snap in to lock the headphones into position — wait… ’snap’? Although I was a bit worried, I realized that the headset actually had a joint to fold. This wasn’t just to make the device more compact for travel, but it was actually what turned it on and off as well. It’s unique, new, and the sharp look definitely certainly got me a few glances.

Controls: 3/5 stars
All physical controls are on the right side of the headset. There’s one big multifunction button that serves as an Answer/End key and the Play/Pause control. The multifunction can answer an incoming call or end a call in progress. If the music is being played back it then can be used to pause or resume the track. The side of the right ear piece has a touch sensitive strip that allows adjusting volume or navigating tracks. Simply sliding your finger up or down the strip increases and reduces volume, respectively. To skip tracks, you’ll need to hold down on either the top or bottom portion of the strip. This may sound great on paper, but it takes quite a bit of getting used to. It was just difficult to find the position of the touch strip since there’s no groove to help guide your finger. The only other issue was the responsiveness probably due to the Bluetooth Protocol. It often took a second or two to react to a change in volume, track change, or pause. It’s not a big issue, but hopefully there will be improvements in the future. On another note, it would have also been convenient if separated the multifunction button into to dedicated keys: one for answering/ending calls and one for playing/pausing music.

Comfort: 4/5 stars
I generally avoid over-the-ear headphones since they are too bulky to carry around. Plus traditional headphones have messy cables to deal with. That’s not the case with the Jabra Halo. It’s sleek and even folds up into an included pouch. Plus it feels great to wear. The insides are lined with a velvet-like material, which are quite comfortable. It might even help dampen outside noises. The inner lining unfortunately gathers some lint and since it’s black; it’s quite visible. The side ear-pieces can be pulled out further for a better fit. Unless your head is too large, this should adjust to fit just about anyone. Even with extended periods of use, the headphones were quite comfy.

Dual Pairing: 3/5 stars
I’ve had numerous complications in the past dealing with pairing new devices. Sometimes these things just don’t pair right, take too long discover the device, or PIN is nowhere to be found. The Jabra Halo simply works. Just hold down the multifunction button until the light starts to blink. Once once it appears on your device, just key in the default 0000 pin that’s mentioned in the manual. Since this device supports dual pairing, just repeat the process again to connect a second device. That was easy, but the Halo has problems after that. It’s theoretically suppose to be able to handle two devices at once. So if you get a phone call on one, it should be able to answer that, but also handle calls from another phone too. The problems starts with a long delay when switching between devices. It took at least about 20 seconds before the sound was transferred to the headset after pressing the multifunction button to answer a call. It may sound convenient, but it will also truly annoy the caller since they’ll have no idea what’s going on. If it was a little faster, I would happily be able to pair this to my computer to listen to music, but also answer calls on my HTC Hero.

Battery Life: 4/5 stars
According the advertising and info sheet, Jabra claims a 6 hours of music playback. So of course, I tested that claim. After a full charge, I found that I was getting about 4-5 hours of playback at medium volume. That’s certainly enough for a day’s use. They could surely make some battery life improvements in the future, but it works just fine. To charge the device, Jabra has provided a AC wall charger with a standard microUSB tip. It plugs into the port on the bottom end of the right ear piece. There’s an indicator on the inside of the headset that display’s both the battery level and the Bluetooth connection status. Here’s the other neat aspect, the headset supports a wired connection mode. So when it runs out juice, just plug it in with the included microUSB to 3.5mm headphone jack and you can keep on rocking! There’s even an additional microUSB to USB dongle included to re-charge with a computer. The connector was a bit loose, which was an issue since it stops charging if you move it unintentionally. However that might just be an issue with the review unit we received.

Sound Quality: 3/5 stars
For a Bluetooth Stereo Headphones, the sound quality is superb. It definitely sounded better than what came out of the Altec-Lansing BackBeat. Unfortunately the quality rapidly deters the further you get away from the paired device. The range was quite short, sound began to quickly get choppy at about 25 feet. That’s not too great compared to the Altec-Lansing which worked from at least 75 feet away with no physical obstructions. Things however change when you switch over to the wired mode. The audio quality immediately becomes a lot more crisp with better highs and lows. The bass was also at decent level. As for phone calls, the quality was satisfyingly clear for both me and person on the other end. It doesn’t cancel out background noises for the microphone too well. It becomes harder for the person on the other end to hear you in noisy environments. Although you’ll probably have the paired device in your pocket most of the time, it still would have been favorable if the range was further.

Bottom Line:
Overall, the Jabra Halo is still one of the best Bluetooth Stereo Headphones on the market. It offers both wired and wireless connectivity modes. Sound quality is excellent. Although a bit slow to react, it still offers the ability work with two devices at once. The headset even folds up and tucks away into the included pouch. The battery life is decent and the device is fairly durable too. The Jabra Halo is however a bit pricey, costing nearly $135. And there’s a reason for that, these are premium headphones. Competing products such as the Altec-Lansing sell for nearly half the price, but also do lack audio quality and premium features. If you have the cash to spend and are looking for a new pair of wireless headphones, you can’t go wrong with the Jabra Halo.

Buy: Jabra Halo for $130 [ships free + no tax]
Links: Jabra.com Halo

I’ll be publishing a few in depth review in the coming days, so check back soon!

Links: Powermat.com | Vimeo Link

Update: Read Our Full Powermat Review

Precision and Responsiveness
Microsoft’s new Mobile Mouse 4000 works on both PCs & Macs using the USB 2.4 GHz wireless receiver. It features Microsoft’s new and advanced BlueTrack Technology, which is the biggest selling point for the device.  The BlueTrack Tracking Engine diverges from the typical wireless laser mouse. It uses an advance incoherent Blue LED.  With a wider beam and high angle optics, it can track on even granite, marble, and glossy surfaces. So I put it to the test. And it worked on my black mouse pad, a somewhat glossy desk, the carpet, and even the textured wall. It worked just as advertised. The next time you are at a coffee shop and decide to use a shiny magazine as your mouse pad, you can be assured that this mouse won’t fail. This is a great improvement from the last generation of mice, but competitors are already another step ahead. For example, competing products from Logitech sport a new technology called Darkfield that work even on glass. Although the Mobile Mouse 4000 can not match that feature, it is also a much more affordable device and won’t disappoint.

Battery and Connectivity
Microsoft’s other enhancements that truly make the Wireless Mobile Mouse an excellent product include the Nano Transceiver and the Battery Life. The Nano Transceiver on its own is an amazing advancement for wireless mice. It isn’t new, but is a welcome inclusion. Unlike other USB receivers, this one barely extends out of the USB port. There are less chances of snapping  the receiver or damaging your USB port. In addition the entire transceiver fits into a small compartment under the mouse. It is released with a quick push of a button besides the slot. Microsoft’s Mouse runs on a single AA battery. A small indicator light on top will change from Green to Yellow when it’s running out of juice. You won’t have to worry about it dying unexpectedly. There’s also a power on-off switch underneath to help maintain battery life. Microsoft claims a 10 month battery life and I think that’s a reasonable lifespan. It doesn’t add to much bulk to your bag when you are on the go and it will last a long time.

Shape and Design
The device has plenty of benefits overall, but does have a few drawbacks. First, it’s a relatively small mouse with a symmetrical shape. This is great for ambidextrous users, but a bit too small for the average person. I probably wouldn’t use this as my main mouse, but there’s no question it’s great for travel. It would also suit children and teens just fine. The layout is fairly typical, with a left/right click, a scroll wheel in between, and an extra button on the upper left side. That extra button functions by default as a back button. It’s a great idea and worked just fine for me, a right-handed user, but would definitely be in an awkward place for lefties. I also was slightly disappointed with the scroll wheel.  It isn’t notched too well and constantly slips causing my documents to scroll slightly. Plus if you were to attempt to press it inwards to initiate a middle-click or free-scroll, it once again often slips. Overall it’s not the best mouse for full-time use unless you’ve got small hands, but does the job for traveling.

Customization
The IntelliPoint software software included with the mouse enables a whole new set of features. It’s easy to customize and will be appreciated. Any button on the mouse including the scroll wheel can all have their functionality tweaked. With the default settings, the scroll wheel will activate Vista’s 3D Flip function and the side button will be the Back button for your Web Browser. What makes the software powerful is the program specific customizations. It will allow the mouse to be configured differently based of what program you have active at the time. For example the pressing in the scroll button can be the middle-click when using Firefox, but at other times launch the 3D Flip. These types of settings help increase productivity greatly. The one thing this mouse does lack is a Forward button to complement the Back button. It would have made a lot of sense to put it at a symmetrical position on the other side. Once again, competing products feature both a Back and Forward button.

In Conclusion
Microsoft’s Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 is an excellent compact mouse with the basic and essential features. The new BlueTrack technology allows flexibility to use the mouse on a larger variety of surfaces. It’s precise, has a sleek design, and an ultra compact transceiver. The IntelliPoint software offers plenty of neat custom settings. The addition of a Forward button on the right side and a better notched scroll wheel would have been truly appreciated, however it still works. It’s available in Black, White, Ocean Teal Blue, Lime Green, and Berry Pink for a reasonable price of just $39.99. If you are looking for a new mouse to pack with you when you are on the go or for youngsters, look no further, Microsoft’s product is an excellent choice.

Pros

• BlueTrack Technology
• Nano USB Transceiver
• IntelliPoint Custom Settings
• 10-Month Battery Life

Cons

• Too Small for Average Person
• Side Button isn’t Left Hand Friendly
• Oversensitive Scroll Wheel
• Lack of Forward Button

Buy: Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 for $39
Links: Microsoft.com Mobile Mouse 4000

The Body – 4/5 stars
The BackBeat 903 headphones weigh 34 grams and rest behind the ear when worn. An 8 inch cable connects the two pieces together behind the neck. The ear pieces are slightly adjustable, allowing extending vertically and sniveling horizontally. There are a call and a play buttons on the left and right ear bud, respectively. A volume switch, which also controls track navigation, is under the right ear piece. The power button and standard micro-USB charging port are on the left ear piece.

Comfort – 4/5 stars
The headphones fit and felt a lot better than both the Kensington Wireless Headphones and the Motorola S9. They still don’t come anywhere close to the comfort a traditional pair of ear buds or over-the-ear headphones offer. These tended to slide off quickly with too much physical movement. Even with adjustments, these just wouldn’t work for me if I were to go for a jog, but would work just fine in an office room situation. To give these a second chance, I asked a couple of friends to give them a try. Just about all of them had no complains about the fit and were overwhelmed by the truly wireless headphone technology. In fact, they wanted to buy a pair too.

Headset Functionality – 4/5 stars
Altec Lansing implemented the ability to use these as a Bluetooth Headset as well as streaming music. The built in microphone sounded crystal clear to those on the other end of the phone. I actually found it to sound better than the expensive Andrea BT200 headset that we previously reviewed. The call button ends calls during an active conversation; answers call waiting and can start voice commands. The one feature the BackBeat lacks, that I would have truly appreciated, would be dual pairing. Things would have been a lot more convenient if it allowed me to stay paired to both my phone to answer calls and to my laptop for music. I’ll currently have to re-pair each time I switch between the devices.

Compatibility – 4/5 stars
If you’ve got the fairly new Laptop or Smart Phone sporting Bluetooth 2.1 with stereo profile support, these will probably function just fine. I tested mine with the Dell XPS M1530 Laptop running Windows 7, which paired easily and sounded fairly good. There were occasionally jitters, which wasn’t a big deal. I also attempted to pair it with my Apple iMac, it ended up partially bricking the BackBeat. I had to hold down the power and plug in the charger to reset it. I further went on to test it with the Apple iPhone 3GS, which paired quickly and sounded a whole lot better than music did through my laptop. (It was most likely due to the poor quality of the Bluetooth Module in the XPS.) Even with the latest iPhone 3.1 OS, the previous/next track function doesn’t work due to the lack of the remote control profile support on the device. Hopefully Apple will do something about that soon; it can at least pause and play for now. The remote control function did work with the LG enV Touch and the Samsung Rouge. The bottom line is Altec-Lansing’s technology works; however your device might not support the standard. Before picking these up, read up as to whether your device is compatible with the BackBeat. Altec-Lansing also sells a simple headphone jack to Bluetooth adapter, if you wish to use this with a device that isn’t’ compatible.

Sound Quality – 5/5
Before anyone goes crazy over the rating for this, read this entire paragraph first. As I stated in the intro, these are a step closer to the future, but not yet there. That’s mainly because the sound quality is great, but only great compared to the few Bluetooth Stereo Headphones on the market. These won’t compare with the sound quality offered by Sennheiser, Shure, Ultimate Ears, or V-Moda for the same price. But don’t let that stop you from purchasing these. The average person will probably listen to music from ripped CDs encoded in MP3 or from an online music store such as iTunes or Amazon MP3. With that kept in mind, most will probably not be able to differentiate the quality between a decent pair of headphones and these, especially when fascinated by the freedom offered by the wireless aspect. So yes, for the Bluetooth Headphones I’ve come across so far, these probably one of the best.

Battery Life and Wireless Range – 5/5 stars
I tested these after a full charge. Instead of one unlikely straight drain, I decided to test real life performance. I used it for 30 minutes at a time and turned them off while not in use. I used iTunes to track the songs I had played on my iPhone. When the headphones started beeping to let me know it was at its last throws, I had played back about 5 hours of songs on my phone over the course of two weeks. If you throw in the hour or so of phone calls I may have answered with these, it’s pretty decent. They weren’t too short ranged either. If there are no obstructions such as walls, music kept playing from my iPhone from at least 75 feet or so. In the average household, it can probably make it through a wall or two before quality degrades heavily.

Included Items and Packaging – 4/5 stars
The packaging is minimal and clean. Getting the headphones out was quick. There’s literally nothing included in the box other than the AC Adapter, Bluetooth Headset, and a manual. Which is great due to simplicity. I do wish that Altec Lansing would have thrown in a USB to microUSB cable to allow charging the BackBeat 903 with laptops and USB chargers when a power outlet isn’t available.

Conclusion
The BackBeat 903 headphones are a unique piece of gadgetry that just about any individual will notice. It truly does stand out. They offer the freedom to easily move away from your desktop or laptop. The technology works, it’s easy to setup, and use. The battery lasts for well over an average day’s use. Plus you can use them to answer calls conveniently. The only drawback would be the audio quality, which still lacks compared to traditional headphones. I enjoyed using these and would definitely recommend these. It’s available now for a fairly reasonable price of $55 through retailers such as Amazon.com.

Buy: BackBeat 903 for $55
Links: AltecLansing.com BackBeat 903

The Specifications:

• Connectivity: 2.4 GHz wireless (USB Adapter)
• Power: Two AA Batteries
• Sensor: 848nm Adjustable-dpi laser
• Special: DPI Controls & Stealth Thumb Button

The Buttons: – 5/5 stars
The best part of the MX 1100 is the large amount of buttons it features without becoming overwhelming for those who don’t plan on using anything past the essential ones. The mouse is a bit larger than an average sized mouse, but is quite comfortable to use and both the left & right click buttons provide great tactile feedback. A button below the scroll wheel allows switching between a “notched scroll” and a “frictionless scroll”. The standard “notches” setting lets you feel each bump while scrolling, whereas the “frictionless” setting allows flicking through pages rapidly. The scroll wheel supports 4-way scrolling, so leaning it to either side will allow scrolling in that direction. Pushing in the scroll wheel functions as a middle-click, which is great for opening links in new tabs. A plus and minus button at the top left of the mouse allows increasing or decreasing the DPI settings to adjust sensitivity. It’s quite neat to be able to change the sensitivity at anytime without having to dig through the Control Panel. Directly above the thumb rest are the forward and backward keys. Although well placed, they were a bit too soft to offer enough feedback in my opinion. The final neat feature is the “stealth thumb button”, located in the thumb rest, which has been configured by default to launch Vista’s 3D flip interface to switch between open windows. And as always, installing Logitech’s SetPoint drivers and software will allow customizing any button to do just about anything you would like it to do.

Accuracy and Transmission: - 5/5 stars
Despite being a wireless mouse, the device maintained a strong connection with the transmitter. There were no problems getting it to work from even over 20 feet away. The MX 1100 is also quite accurate, movements are almost flawless and the adjustable DPI doesn’t disappoint. Hard-core gamers will probably still complain about accuracy, but for most consumers this will end up being the most accurate mouse they have used. That doesn’t mean its bad for gaming, it was better than any of the mice I had and was excellent to use while playing a game of Counter-Strike.

Battery and Charging - 3/5 stars
The way the mouse gets it’s juice is probably the only drawback. The Mouse runs of two AA batteries and Logitech claims it will last about nine months. The mouse automatically goes into a power-save mode, however Logitech still says by using the “on/off button, you save even more power.” There is a battery indicator on the mouse that lights up when turned on, but fades away after a couple of seconds. A re-chargeable version of this mouse is available, however it can only be purchased as a part of a Cordless Desktop Wave Pro keyboard-mouse bundle. Unfortunately we can’t test the mouse for nine-months, but from experience I can say that the lifespan could be much shorter or longer based of how many hours it gets used each day.

Conclusion:
Overall, the Logitech MX 1100 is a top-of-the-line mouse and is probably one of the best ones I have used to date. It is extremely comfortable, completely customizable, and just works. If you do happen to be a “lefty” (left-handed), you are out of luck. It would be quite difficult to use this mouse comfortably with a left hand. For a retail price of $79.99, while being available for as low as $65 online, it’s affordable and offers just about everything you could ask for. I only wish it was rechargeable, but despite that most owners will be truly satisfied by what Logitech’s MX 1100 has to offer.

Links: Logitech.com MX 1100
Buy: MX 1100 For $65 (no tax + free shipping via Amazon)

“In creating the new Jawbone we focused on improving our audio performance beyond the marketing leading noise solution that we already had, and elevating the design to a point where it would appeal to a broad range of consumers who would love to wear it,” – Hosain Rahman (CEO)

In numbers, the new Jawbone weighs just 10 grams, offers 4 hours of talk time, can last on standby for 8 days, retain a connection up to 10 meters from a bluetooth device, takes 1 hour for a full charge, and runs on the Bluetooth 2.0 protocol. The headset comes with different sized ear buds and ear loops to ensure a sung fit for your ear. From personal experience I can testify that the original Jawbone was quite impressive and if what Aliph claims is true regarding the new model, this might just be one of the best headsets on the market. If you are interested in purchasing the new Jawbone, it is available in AT&T retail stores and online at Jawbone.com for a price of $129.99.

Links: Jawbone.com | Aliph Technology Demo

P.S. I’ll try to get a hold of a unit soon, so check back soon for an in-depth review.

LG VX9100 Specifications:

• Provider: Verizon Wireless (800MHz / 1.9GHz CDMA )
• Form Factor: Laptop-like w/ QWERTY keyboard
• Internal Display: 2.4-inch 320 x 240 pixels
• Media: MP3, WMA, AAC plus WMV, MP4, 3GP
• Imaging: 2.0 mega pixel camera and camcorder
• Other: Bluetooth, microSD (8GB max), stereo speakers
• Battery Life: 320 Mins Talk-Time or 520 Hrs standby
• Dimensions: 4″ H x 2.13″ W x .65″ D (inches)
• Price: $130 after $50 rebate plus a 2 year contract

LG enV2 Body: 4/5 stars
The enV (VX9900) was a more compact version of the LG V (VX9800) and now the enV2 is even smaller. The phone is quite small and can fit in just about any pocket. It’s a bit heavier than I had imagined (4.23 oz), but it’s still lighter than the enV. The enV2 is a whole lot shorter and thinner than the enV, however it is slightly wider. Both the front and back are pretty flat and all edges are smooth and rounded. It’s a pretty good looking phone and is easy to handle as well. On the front you’ll find a tiny display at the top and improved numeric keypad right below. The backside of the phone has the removable battery and the 2.0 megapixel camera. The right side of the phone has the 2.5mm headphone jack and microSD card reader/writer while the left side has the volume toggle keys and the camera button. As for the inside of the phone, the top portion features the 2.4-inch display with stereo speakers on the sides and the bottom portion has the QWERTY keyboard. And finally a micro-USB port can be found on the bottom under a socket cover for charging and data transfer. The only thing that I found disappointing was the extremely small screen on the front which has been rendered almost entirely useless. I feel that there would have been more to gain by making the keypad a bit smaller and by adding a larger screen.

The Screen(s): 4/5 stars
In terms of brightness and colors, both the internal and external displays are top notch. The internal screen is much bigger and brighter than the one on the enV. It looked quite good especially when I was able to view images I had taken in a full screen mode, which the enV didn’t allow. Watching videos on the internal display was quite decent as well. The external screen is now a rectangular strip which doesn’t offer enough room to perform most tasks. The external display on enV was more of a square and it’s menu system was quite fulfilling. Both screens were bright enough to be visible in direct sunlight.

User Interface: 4/5 stars
After messing with the internal interface of the phone I’ve got to say there’s a lot of improvements. Everything was quick and easy to learn and use. The interface will be quite familiar for previous enV owners. The phone also offers a layouts for messaging or multimedia, in case you plan on using one or the other more. I personally opted for the standard menu interface. Some of the stylish curves seems to have eaten up some screen estate which could have been used for displaying more information, however it wasn’t a problem. Overall the internal interface has been improved and works smoothly. The main fall back of the phone would have to be the external interface which I feel is a disaster. First off to get into the interface you’ll have to unlock the keyguard using the OK button. Next since there are no true soft keys, the up and down buttons launch the your contacts and message, respectively. The clear key which is usually centered on most phones has been placed at the top right which was quite awkward to use. The top left button is now the ‘Music’ button which should have just been one of the two customizable soft keys. The contacts list can only display two contacts at a time, however you’ll survive since it has a search function. The phone allows sending a text messages from the tiny front display, however the interface is confusing and slow. Even viewing ‘recent calls’ was quite tedious. If LG had offered a larger display and Verizon had built a better interface this would have had potential.

Media Playback: 4.5/5 stars
The interface for playing back music on the enV2 is pretty much the same as what it was on the enV. There doesn’t seem to be too many changes. I do however feel that it is about time that the player got a new look. Despite that caveat, the has and continues to player run without any problems. For those who have not used the interface on a previous phone, it allows searching or browsing by Songs, Albums, Artists, or Genres. It supports MP3, WMA, and AAC formats. It’s good news for both iTunes Plus and Amazon MP3 customers since all that content will be compatible. The V CAST Video also has been improved, streaming seems to function smoother than before and there wasn’t as much frame rate drops as there was on the enV. If you want to add your own video clips onto the phone, you can do so easily using 3rd party software and converting the content into WMV, MP4, or 3G2 formats.

MicroSD + Syncing: 5/5 stars
The LG enV2 doesn’t have too much room for storing content on it’s internal memory, however it has a microSD expansion which solves the problem. The phone now supports up to 8GB microSD cards, which should be plenty for the majority. Syncing music onto the phone is also a cinch. You can either use a micro-USB cable and sync content using a program such as Windows Media Player 11 or use a microSD card reader to copy content into the automatically created folders on the card. Even those with limited computer knowledge should be able to figure it out easily!

Speakers & Headphones: 5/5 stars
LG has once again improved the speakers on the enV2, making it better than those on the enV. I’m glad they improved on this, I was worried after I heard the speakers on the expensive LG Voyager. The speakers are clear at even full volume and manage without beginning to crackle. The sound great both for listening to music and when used as a speaker phone. If you plan to use headphones you’ll need to purchase a 2.5mm to 3.5mm converter to use with standard headphones. Listening with headphones will satisfy the average consumer, however don’t expect top notch music playback out of this phone.

Digital Camera: 4.5/5 stars
The main improvement in the digital camera on the enV2 would probably have to be the speed it takes pictures at. The enV constantly lagged and it often took forever for the camera to focus, snap, and save the image. The enV2 acts almost instantaneously. There are few disappointments with the enV2 such as the loss of the build in flash, which made a big difference for closeups taken in under-lit situations. The camera is also still a 2.0 mega pixel which was the same as what was on the enV, so no improvement there. And finally the lens cover has also been removed leaving the camera exposed. The video mode functions smoothly as well, there were no problems there. The front screen can be used to take photos and can also be used for self portraits when flipped open, however due to the small screen size, only a small strip of the full image will be visible. Overall the enV2’s camera functions as it should with some speed improvements, however the camera hasn’t been upgraded and there are no new features.

GPS VZ Navigator: 5/5 stars
I have to mention this feature, since it is one of my favorite part of Verizon Wireless phones. The VZ Naviagor, now on version 4, now includes tons of new features including traffic alerts. The interface is quick and easy to use and the phone can detect your exact location in a matter of seconds. It’s actually much more accurate than the locater on the Apple iPhone. The application will be an addition to your monthly bill unless you have a premium plan. The maps offer live turn-by-turn directions with voice overs which actually state the street names. Address can be saved into the phone. The local search can help find businesses or restaurants instantly. The program also displays the phone number of the address and can dial the number for you. And finally it can lookup movie showtimes near your location and assist in booking tickets. The new version also locates the cheapest gas in near your location.

Messaging (IM, Email, & Text): 5/5 stars
This is a great phone for those who message a lot. It’s got a built in chat client which supports AIM, MSN, and Yahoo!. The software now allows viewing your full contact lists, which was previously limited. The new Mobile Email client supports Yahoo Mail, Windows Live Hotmail, AOL/AIM Mail, and Verizon. If you use another provider, you can just enter the POP3 or IMAP servers and it should work perfectly. The Email Client also can be setup to notify you each time an email arrives in any of your inboxes. The text messaging component is vastly the same, but there are some improvements. The inbox and outbox is no longer limited to 50 messages. (In addition the phone can now hold 1000 contacts.)

Conclusion:
This is a great phone for those who love to message others wirelessly since it has a QWERTY keyboard. The phone is also a great improvement to the enV with a whole new look and a compact design. I wasn’t too fascinated by the maroon color, but I found the black version to look a whole lot better. It does lack some features such as a flash, a lens cover, and auto-focus all for the camera. It also doesn’t yet have a HTML browser. The main complaint I have would have to be the tiny external display, but if you set that aside the rest of the phone is quite impressive. The phone is also quite affordable and will be of interest to many Verizon Wireless customers looking for a new phone. The phone is now available on Verizon’s website and in Verizon Wireless stores for $130 after a $50 rebate and 2 year contract.

Limited Time Deal: LG enV2 for $50 with a 2 Year Contract
Links: Verizon Wireless | Data Sheet (.pdf)
Related: LG VX9900 Review | LG VX10000 Review

The Specifications:

• Connectivity: 2.4 GHz Wireless (USB Adapter)
• Power: One Rechargable AAA (with Dock)
• Sensor: High Definition 850nm Laser
• Other: 4-way scroll & back/forward buttons

The Buttons: – 3.5/5 stars
For a full-sized desktop mouse, I was partially disappointed to see how few buttons the mouse had. Other than the left/right click buttons the Wireless Laser Mouse 7000 only had a scroll wheel, which also functioned as a middle click, and a back/forward browser navigation buttons on the left side. The scroll wheel had no friction (no clicks) which made it slightly difficult to use with certain applications. It would have been nice if it had a switch to enable or disable the “notches” like some of the Logitech mice do. Clicking in the scroll wheel to perform a middle-click took some getting used to since I kept accidentally scrolling instead. And finally the back and forward buttons were placed high up making them hard to reach, however it wasn’t an issue after a day or two of use. I do wish they could have thrown at least a few more controls onto the mouse for faster navigation. And finally the two most important buttons, left and right click, were easy to reach, however were a bit too soft and were unusually squeaky.

Accuracy and Transmission – 5/5 stars
The mouse made up for its lack of buttons with its accuracy. The “High Definition Laser Technology” seems to be working since the movements were almost pinpoint accurate. Despite the mouse being wireless, as long as I was within 20 feet of the receiver (same room) I didn’t experience any hiccups. There are other wireless mouse that offer more sensitive lasers, however I found the Wireless Laser 7000 Mouse to be more than enough for any task I was performing on my machine which includes using Adobe Photoshop. Although I didn’t take off any points since this isn’t suppose to be a traveling mouse, I felt the transmitter could have been a bit smaller like those included with newer mice.

Battery and Charging – 5/5 stars
Microsoft’s mouse uses a single AAA NiMH 1000mAH battery to power itself. I didn’t try to use the mouse until the battery died, however I was able to go through at least 3 days without an issue. To recharge the mouse, just place it on the included AC powered dock. (Microsoft recommends charging it for 7 hours to reach a full charge.) The other neat fact might just be that, if you do happen to take this mouse with you and forget to bring the charger dock, you can just pop in a standard AAA battery temporarily.

Compatibility – 4/5 stars
The Wireless 7000 Mouse worked instantly when the USB adapter was plugged in without any additional software on Windows XP/Vista, Mac OS X Leopard, and Linux Ubuntu. If found that everything function just fine on all the operating systems, however the back and forward navigation buttons failed to do anything on Ubuntu and Leopard. If the included Microsoft IntelliPoint software is installed for Windows or OS X, the mouse’s buttons can be truly customized to do stuff like launching the 3D Flip or Exposé.

Overall Microsoft’s Wireless Laser Mouse 700 is a success and I felt comfortable using it within a day. The setup up process was easy as just plugging the adapter in for me, however Leopard users may have to install additional software. This mouse is bad news for left-handed consumers since it has been specifically shaped for the right hand. Finally other than the mouse’s build quality seeming a bit poor, everything else met my expectations. The mouse became available for purchase just last month and the MSRP is $69.99, however you should be able to find it for around $60 if you shop around.

Buy: Wireless Laser Mouse 7000 – $61 (amazon = no tax + ships free)
Links: Microsoft.com (Hardware) Wireless Laser Mouse 7000
Related: Logitech VX Nano Reviewed

The Logitech VX Nano is a tiny portable wireless mouse which features many of the controls a standard desktop mice usually have. The VX Nano has an impressive build quality, is durable, looks stylish, and has true functionality. This product is most notable for it’s unusually small transmitter.

The Buttons – 4/5 stars
The VX Nano houses the standard left and right click buttons which have a good tactile feedback. The scroll wheel can be “frictionless” meaning it can be flicked up or down to quickly drop through pages or can have “notches” so that you can feel each bump while it’s rotating. All you have to do is push in the button to toggle between the two modes. The entire wheel can also be leaned left or right for horizontal scrolling. The search key directly below the wheel functions as a middle-click button. The mouse also features back and forward keys, however they are awkwardly placed on top of the mouse which takes some getting used too. The mouse could have allowed more productivity if those to buttons were moved to the sides.

Transmitter – 5/5 stars
The RF transmitter which plugs into the USB port on you computer is probably one of the most impressive aspects of this product due to its size. Since the receiver is so small, it can be left in the USB port while laptops are placed into a bag without having to worry about it snapping off. In addition the receiver also pops into the battery compartment under the mouse for storage. In addition I’ve been told that if you do happen to loose the transmitter, Logitech sells replacements for an reasonable price. The mouse has a fairly good range and worked when I was over 15 feet away from my computer.

Included Items – 5/5 stars
Logitech provides a neat little pouch for storing the mouse when traveling which is a neat little addition. A little USB extender with a base is also included so you won’t have to reach behind your computer if you are using a desktop. I also found it useful since I could just use it to plug in flash drives easily. In addition to those and the mouse itself, you’ll find two AAA batteries, a CD with drivers, and a user manual.

Other Information
The VX Nano also has a very impressive battery life. According to Logitech it should last for about six months of use. The mouse also uses a 848nm laser which is fairly accurate. It is plentiful for performing most tasks, however if you plan on editing tiny details in Photoshop or playing hardcore video games, you probably should get a different mouse. The VX Nano started working immediately without drivers on both Windows Vista/XP and Apple OS X Leopard. Further button customizations are available if the software is installed. Logitech also offers a 3-year limited warranty to support the product.

Overall the Logitech VX Nano is a pretty impressive mouse on many aspects. It probably shouldn’t be a replacement for a desktop mouse since it is quite small, unless you have small hands of course. Other than that it seems quite durable and will probably last quite a long time before it wears out. This is probably a prefect mouse for traveling. The mouse was originally quite expensive when it was released ($70 MSRP), however it is now available for $55 on Amazon. (I’ve seen it for even lower on sale!)

Buy: Logitech VX Nano – $55 – Amazon (ships free + no tax)
Links: Logitech.com VX Nano Cordless Mouse

Kensington recently released new Bluetooth Stereo Headphones and as promised here’s our review. The headphones, also entitled the BT3071, sports the Bluetooth 2.0 protocol and uses the A2DP profile to wirelessly steam audio from any compatible device. These stereo headphones are fairly affordable and function a whole lot better compared to the previous generation of Bluetooth headphones.

Device Compatibility – 5/5 stars
From some tests, I found the Bluetooth Headphones to work seamlessly with the array of devices I paired it with. It was compatible with the Bluetooth built into a Sony VAIO running Windows XP, a Dell XPS M1530 running Windows Vista, and a Apple iMac running OS X Leopard. In addition it played nicely with the LG enV and LG Muziq mobile phones. And to top that, it also worked with the Sony PlayStation 3! If you’ve got a fairly modern Bluetooth-enabled gadget, chances are that you won’t have any problems.

Headset Functions – 3/5 stars
The Stereo Headphones also feature a built-in microphone allowing it to double as a wireless headset.. This means you’ll be able to answer calls when paired with a mobile phone and can be used for VOIP when paired with a computer. The downside might be that the audio to contained a bit too much static, which I didn’t experience with other Bluetooth headsets. It shouldn’t be much of an issue for taking calls occasionally, however you probably would want to get a different headset unless you wish to irritating the person on the other end of the phone.

Physical Controls - 4.5/5 stars
The headphones sport a few neat little controls right on the headset including a pause/play button and a track back/forward toggle on the left side and volume controls on the right side. The controls worked without any issues with Vista’s Media Center, Windows Media Player, and Apple iTunes. They worked with cell phones as well. The only issue was the lag in responsiveness of the controls. Most people will often end up clicking again causing something unwanted to occur. From my experience, be patient and wait a second or two after clicking on a key.

Wireless Range – 5/5 stars
The Kensington Bluetooth Stereo Headphones are officially benchmarked to offer a 66-foot (20 meter) range. From my experience going any further than 30 feet from the paired device would result in cracking sounds. Any obstructions such as walls severely crippled the range. I found there were no issues as long as I was contained within the four-walls of an average-sized room. Overall the range is more then enough to have freedom to move around without being tied to your device.

Battery Life – 5/5 stars
The battery life was quite impressive since it lasted about a week even with a couple hours of use each day. It is officially advertised at 23-hours of stereo music playback and 19-hours of talk time. These Kensington Headphones probably had the best battery life I have seen on any of the bluetooth headsets. The BT3071 has a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery which can be re-charged using a standard USB to mini-USB cable. An AC Adapter was not included, but fortunately just about everything we own these days has a USB port which should do the job.

Audio Quality – 3/5 stars
Any audiophile will surely laugh at the sound quality of these headphones, however the majority of consumers probably won’t notice anything unless its mentioned to them. Setting aside frequency range which lacks on most levels, the quality is plentiful for most people. One thing that everyone will notice for sure is the occasional chops and breaks due to the wireless component. I personally found these great for listening to podcasts or watching TV shows on my laptop without disturbing others and having the freedom to move around and do other things without being tied up.

Overall I feel the Bluetooth technology still has some quirks to workout, but despite that, these headphones make the best of it. I originally felt the headphones were uncomfortable, however it wasn’t an issue after a few days of use. The majority of those who purchase this will probably be satisfied with these. The Kensington Bluetooth Stereo Headphones are available for purchase now and are much cheaper than Bluetooth Headphones were last year. These headphones have a MSRP of $79, however if you shop around you’ll be able to find them for as low as $65!

Buy: Kensington Bluetooth Stereo Headphones – $65 (via Amazon with NO TAX + SHIPS FREE)
Links: Kensington.com BT3071 Product Page

There’s been a lot of stereo bluetooth headsets being released over the past few weeks, especially since many phones now support the technology. I had a chance to play with iSkin’s CERULEAN F1 Bluetooth Earphones this week at MacWorld. iSkin’s gizmo can be paired with both an iPod and a Cell Phone at once, allowing you to listen to music and answer calls without removing your earphones. To offer further freedom, the F1 has volume, playback, and answer/end controls embedded in the headset. The earphones will pair with any device such as laptop which has Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support. The headset weighs just 35 grams yet has a fairly powerful 15mm driver for crisp and clear sound. According to iSkin the earphones will work up to 33 feet away from your device and with the built in controls, you won’t even have to touch your iPod. The CERULEAN F1 should also work with VOIP application such as Skype, eliminating the need of multiple bluetooth devices for different devices.

The headset offers 6 hours of music playback and 10 hours of talk time. The gizmo can be charged using USB cable with a computer or with an included DC wall charger. Both the Cerulean F1 and the TX iPod Adapter are available for purchase from iSkin’s website (iSkin.com). The earphones themselves cost $129, however if you would also want an iPod adapter it will cost $189. We’re trying to get a hold of one of these, so check back for a in-depth review soon!

Links: iSkin CERULEAN | iSkin Store

The phone everyone’s been waiting for is finally here. The LG Voyager, which is also known as the LG VX10000, is an upgrade to the popular LG enV (VX9900), which we reviewed around this time last year. Skatter Tech was lucky enough to get a hold of this unit, courtesy of Verizon Wireless, and I’ve been putting it to the test since I got it last week. Just for a quick overview, the Voyager features a touch-screen display plus an internal wide-screen, a full HTML browser, a QWERTY keyboard, Mobile TV, and a ton of other new features. Although LG seems to be taking their communicator series in a whole new direction, I would still say that Voyager is definitely a worthy upgrade to the enV.

LG VX10000 Specifications:

• Provider: Verizon Wireless (1.9GHz / 800MHz CMDA)
• Form Factor: Laptop-like w/ QWERTY keyboard
• Dimensions: 4.64H x 2.12W x 0.71D (inches)
• Battery Life: 240 mins talk time & 480 hours standby
• Screens: 480 x 240 pixel TFT external & internal
• Digital Camera: 2 megapixel camera and camcorder
• Storage: ~185MB internal + microSD (8GB max)
• Special: external touch screen and mobile tv
• Others: Bluetooth 1.2 + Stereo Speakerphone
• Price: $299 with a new 2-year contract

LG Voyager Body: – 5/5 stars
The VX10000 is a bit larger than your average phone, but no one should be complaining once they see what it has to offer. The phone stands 4.64-inches tall, is .71-inches thick, and 2.12-inches wide. The Voyager retains the same height as it’s processor, the enV, but is slightly wider and thinner as well. The phone should fit into most pockets, but might be a bit of a stretch for tight jeans. On the front of the phone, you’ll find the large touch screen display followed by the SEND, CLR, and END hard-keys lined up at the bottom. On the left of the phone, there’s a camera button, a spring-loaded hold key, and a toggle volume control. The microSD card expansion and the 2.5mm headset jack are the left side, while the charging port, which doubles as the USB connector, is on the bottom. You can charge your phone via USB as well! Other than that, there’s a two mega pixel Camera centered at the top on the back and a battery pack right below it. One the inside of the phone, there’s another display located between two speakers on the top portion and the illuminated QWERTY keyboard on the bottom. The keys are well spaced out are are large enough to type quickly, making it possibly the best keyboard I have seen on a phone to date. Also, unlike the enV, the Voyager actually sits flat on a surface, so no wobbling!

The Two Screens: – 5/5 stars
The biggest disappointment in the LG enV was the extremely small external display. All that has now changed since the LG Voyager’s 2.81-inch touch screen display takes over the entirety of the front and even replaces the numeric keypad. The phone’s internal display is also 2.81-inches diagonal, but isn’t a touch screen. Both the screens have a resolution of 400 by 240 pixels and a color depth of 262K. The quality of both displays were excellent. They were bright and clear enough to view in direct sunlight. The accuracy and responsiveness of the touch screen display was great, but some buttons and items were too small and hard to reach, so interface could use a bit of work.

Music Player: – 4/5 stars
I had a great experience with the Music Player on the enV and was hoping for a big upgrade, but it seems as though there hasn’t been any chances. The main complain would be that the interface for the player is completely different on the external and internal displays. The interface for the outside portion has been designed for use with the touch screen and works fairly well. It actually looks quite neat and allows browsing by Songs, Albums, Artists, or Genres. You’ll have the ability to purchase music from the mobile store, shuffle your music, and search your library. Unfortunately the same can’t be said for the internal interface. The music player on the internal display is still using the standard theme found on the enV and a plenty of other Verizon Wireless phones. In addition the developers have managed to make such as simple program actually look worse and just for starters it doesn’t even utilize the full display. Instead the program has been cropped to a 320 by 240 pixel frame with black borders. Despite this, the playback functions work quite smoothly and the player didn’t have any other major flaws. For supported formats, the Voyager can playback unprotected MP3, WMA, and AAC files in addition to songs purchased through the phone. (Will work with Amazon MP3 & iTunes Plus!) Overall the player is functional and even displays Album Artwork for a nice touch, but it could have been better.

Speakers & Headphones: – 3.5/5 stars
One reason I liked the enV and its predecessor the LG VX9800 (aka “The V”) was the fact that they all had built-in stereo speakers. The LG Voyager carries on that tradition, but there’s a problem. The speakers in the LG Voyager sounded quite horrible and began to crack terribly even before we got close to reaching full volume. (No bass as well.) I would have expected for an even better experience, but these speakers prove otherwise. Since the LG Voyager is also a music phone, I would have also expected them to implement a standard 3.5mm headset connector. Instead, the Voyager maintains a 2.5mm headset jack meaning that you’ll need to purchase an adapter for use with your regular headphones. As Bluetooth headsets are becoming so cheap and barely anyone uses wired headsets anymore, I wonder how long it will take for manufacturers to phase out 2.5mm jacks and replace them with 3.5mm ones. Fortunately, listening to music with headphones on the VX10000 was a much better experience than with the speakers, but quality was still no where as good as on the VX9900.

Digital Camera & Camcorder: – 3.5/5 stars
The LG Voyager features a 2.0 megapixel camera, which also functions as a camcorder. Photos can be taken at a maximum resolution of 1600 by 1200 pixels, while videos can be recorded at a max of 320 by 240 pixels. No improvement for either of those functions have been made since, as those were also the maximums on the enV. The camera and camcorder allow setting the white balance and choosing color effects for captured content. The external display can be used to take self portraits when the phone is flipped open. The camcorder can record up to 1-hour videos, however only clips under 30-seconds can be emailed. On the other hand, images of any size can be emailed. The camera also has an auto focus function, which drastically improves the quality of your photos. The part that was quite disappointing was the fact that LG has removed the retractable cover, which protected the lens, and the built in flash, which was quite handy in low-lighted situations. Overall, the image quality seems to have actually degraded.

microSD + Syncing: – 4.5/5 stars
LG has taken a big jump with microSD technology, now supporting 8GB cards. That’s a fairly good increase considering that the enV was limited to 2GB microSD cards. Although 8GB cards might be a bit pricey at this point, you should be able to purchase a 4GB microSD card online for under $40. As for syncing music, it was as simple as it could get. Your computer will recognize the Voyager as portable media player (mass storage device), so no additional drivers were required. You will, however, need to pop in the CD and install the drivers if you do wish to use your phone as a data modem. Once the device was recognized I was able to use Windows Media Player to transfer the music onto the Voyager. If you prefer to directly copy files onto the phone using the file explorer, that works smoothly as well. Mac OS X users, unfortunately, will have to use an SD card adapter to copy their music onto the microSD card since USB drivers are not yet available. Even Windows users will also end up having use a SD card reader/write occasionally, since it isn’t possible to access your photos and videos when using USB.

Bluetooth: – 4/5 stars
There hasn’t been exactly too much improvement with Bluetooth technology either. The LG Voyager continues to use Bluetooth v1.2, which the enV already had. Most new phones including the LG Muziq, which we reviewed a few months ago, and the Apple iPhone now boast a Bluetooth v2.0 platform with Enhanced Data Rate. Despite this, the LG Voyager was still able to work perfectly with my Samsung WEP200 headset, which uses Bluetooth v2.0. The VX10000 also supports using Bluetooth for use as a dial-up modem, with wireless stereo headsets, for transfering phonebook/calendar entries, and sending images to your computer. So it should still be able to do just about everything important.

HTML Browser: – 5/5 stars
First off, let me say that this is in no way comparable to the Safari browser on the iPhone and iPod Touch, which is amazing. This is, however, a HUGE improvement over the standard BREW browser found on most Verizon Wireless phones, which could only handle WAP pages. The browser is simple, easy-to-use, and works with both the external touch screen and the internal display. Even large web pages (ex. digg.com) loaded eventually, but using it was not practical since it took too long to load or navigate. The browser doesn’t support flash or ajax, but was sufficient enough for viewing text, images, and links. Most of the websites we tested it with worked surprisingly well. When using the external display you’ll be able to drag the page around with a finger, otherwise you’ll have to use the four-way navigation pad. Additional “screen optimized” and “text only” views are available along with the zoom function. The Voyager also delivers the web content over a 3G network which is faster than the iPhone’s 2G.

The Interface: 4.5/5 stars
The LG Voyager external interface is probably the most attractive interface I’ve seen on a phone from Verizon. To use the screen, you’ll have unlock it first by either clicking on the un-lock key on the screen or by pressing the hold key on the left spine. At the bottom there are four quick access buttons: Messages, Dial Pad, Menu, and Phone book. Clicking anywhere else on the screen will bring up a shortcut menu with even more icons to different apps. Just about all the phone’s features including the music player, navigator, web browser, V Cast Videos, camera, and text messaging is use able through the external screen. There are some applications including Mobile Email and Get It Now programs that can’t be used through the external display, so you’ll have flip open the phone. Another neat hardware feature implemented into the Voyager is tactile feedback. When something on the touch screen is clicked, the phone emits a vibrating impulse indicating that an action has been detected. The internal interface has received a clean makeover, but will remain very familiar to enV owners. The enV’s “Email Key” has now been replaced another shortcut menu, offering easy access to plenty of functions. Although the interface wasn’t perfect, it looks good, was usable, and was quite impressive.

GPS Navigator: – 5/5 stars
One feature I did truly did enjoy was the built-in GPS Navigator. The program, which costs $9.99 per month, gives subscribers access to maps, turn-by-turn directions, and local searches. The part that I like the most was that the voice narration actually read out street and highway names instead of simply stating “Turn left ahead” or “Make a right turn”. For example, actually reads out “Turn left onto Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road,” “Exit freeway on the right for San Francisco,” and “Keep right on Mission Blvd.” Most navigators I’ve used including those built into Lexus/BMW cars and portable Garmin/Magellan, couldn’t do this. The one’s I’m talking about were over an year old, so I’m sure new ones can read out names and do much more. Purchasing a decent navigator can cost a few hundred dollars, so spending $120 for a year of subscription isn’t too bad. In addition, if you don’t want subscribe and don’t use your navigator that often, you can pay a one-time fee of $2.99 for 24-hour access. Overall navigation tool was well polished, worked on both screens, and will come in handy if you’re ever lost.

Messaging: – 5/5 stars
In addition to text, picture, and video messaging, the VX10000 also has an easy-to-use email client which will work instantly with your Yahoo! Mail, Live Mail, AOL/AIM, or Verizon accounts. If you do happen to have your own server or use another mail service such as Gmail, you can even enter in your own POP3/IMAP and SMTP servers. The only downside was that the functionality was quite basic and didn’t even allow opening links in messages. Despite this, it remains a good way of getting a sneak peak of your inbox, replying to messages, and composing new ones when you’re away from your computer. The phone also has a built in Instant Messaging client which will work with AOL, Windows Live, and Yahoo! protocols. The program runs smoothly on both screens, allows viewing your buddy lists, and participating in multiple conversations at once. Both the Mobile Email and Mobile IM clients have the ability to run in the background and display notifications when new content reaches your phone.

Other Goodies: – 5/5 stars
The LG VX1000 comes with a bunch of extra tools including a calculator, calendar/date-book, alarm clocks (3), stopwatch, world clock, notepad, tip calculator, and a voice recorder (1 hour max). The address book can hold one thousand entries with five numbers and two emails per contact. Unique ringtones and photos can be set for each contact as well. The voice dialing feature allows making calls by reading out names in your address book or dictating numbers to dial. The final extra feature we’d like to touch on is Mobile TV. We would have reviewed this feature, but there was one problem. What’s the problem? There was no coverage in our area. The service only works in three cities in California and a total of 25 cities through the entire United States.

Despite my minute complains over speaker/headphones quality, the music player, and camera, the LG VX10000 is still probably the best phone offered by Verizon Wireless. In my opinion this will be a big seller for the holiday season and will probably be difficult to get a hold of. I strongly recommend this phone if you plan to actually use the features it offers, otherwise going with a more compact phone will suffice. Verizon Wireless has even been kind enough to throw in a USB cable so you don’t have to purchase a Music Essentials Kit to sync your music. If you plan to purchase this phone it will be available online and in stores on November 21st, 2007. You should also be able to pre-order the phone by calling Verizon Wireless or visiting their website. The LG Voyager will run you nearly $299 after signing a new 2-year contract and submitting a $50 mail-in-rebate. If you are eligible for upgrade, you should be able to get another $50 or $100 kicked off price based on your current calling plan. Overall the phone will take a bit getting used and even though it’s a bit on the pricey end, you are bound to enjoy what it has to offer.

Deal Alert: LG Voyager for $199! (with new 2-year contract)
Links: Verizon Wireless | Voyager Data Sheet (.pdf)
Related: LG enV VX9900 Review | Voyager Video Walkthrough

We just got a hold of the brand new LG Venus (aka VX8800), which I though I’d unbox before we publish our review this week. The phone will be available online and in Verizon Wireless stores later next week. As for this phone, it very compact compared to the LG Voyager and it’s loaded with a ton of features. The phone has two screens, the bottom one is touch sensitive. The phone has a dedicated button to start playing your music, a 2 mega-pixel Camera/Camcorder, Bluetooth, and microSD expansion. Plenty more details, information, and our full take on the phone will be included in our review this week. Keep reading for more unboxing pictures of the LG Venus.

In the box you’ll find a CD with drivers and software for transferring your music library onto the LG Venus, a quite large User Manual, a Quick Start Guide, and the Power Cord.

The phone was a whole lot shinier and smaller than I though it would be! I like it!

A neat little pouch for protection and a USB cable are also included with the LG Venus.

I couldn’t think of anything better to compare it to, than the hot new LG Voyager.

I haven’t played with this phone too much just yet, but I’ll get you guys the full scoop within a day or two. So sit tight! Also if you do happen to have specific questions, ask them in the comments and I’ll do my best to include it in the review! Meanwhile check out our LG Voyager Preview.

http://skattertech.com/media/2007/11/lg-voyager-preview.flv

So far it has been looking pretty darn good. It’s no iPhone for sure, but its still got a lot of other neat features including Mobile TV and microSD expansion to offer. We also received the LG Venus yesterday, so check back for some un-boxing photos of that phone in addition to our full LG Voyager review today!

Every bluetooth headset hitting the market today seems to be getting new wild features, for example an LCD display for Caller ID. All the average consumer honestly needs is the ability to talk. foneGear has taken this approach with their Mini Blue (fG876) lightweight headset with no unnecessary extras. The Mini Blue isn’t exactly the most innovative feature-packed unit, but it’s simple and it works!

foneGear Mini Blu (fG976) Specs:

• Battery: 4 hrs talk | 75 hrs idle
• Range: 30 foot wireless range
• Wireless: Bluetooth 2.0 EDR+
• Weight: 0.4 oz (11g)
• Charger: AC Adapter

The layout of the Mini Blu is as simple as it can get. It’s got a multi-function button on the front which acts as the talk/end button as well as turns on/off the unit. On the side, you’ll find a plus and minus button to control the volume level. The volume down key doubles as the redial button as well as the mute control. Even after testing the headset with multiple phones, we still had issues getting the redial and mute functions to work properly. An LED indicator can be found on the front, which lights up red while charging and flashes blue while it’s on. The audio quality was decent, but not too great. The audio would crackle and the listener would also have a hard time hearing us if we turned up the volume too high. Despite this, the quality of voice calls on the Mini Blu is more than enough for most consumers.

The headset can be worn on either ear and was quite comfortable. The actual speaker portion is surrounded by a soft rubber, therefore will be easy on the ear even after hours of use. The headset is fastened to your ear with a thin plastic around-the-ear hook. With this hook, it is close to impossible for the headset to fall off even if you are actively moving. This can not be said for other headsets we’ve reviewed such as the Samsung WEP200, which is quite hard to keep in place.

In the package, you’ll find that foneGear includes the Mini Blu headset, a ear hook, and the charger. This isn’t exactly a high-end headset, but is a solid performer and is great budget headset. The fG976 Mini Blu is available on foneGear’s website for just $20! At that price, there shouldn’t be any complains for what this does offer. This is a great headset for teens and first time buyers. (Even works with the PS3!) And as we mentioned previously it does exactly what its suppose to do, allow making voice calls. If you are looking for a better headset, we suggest checking out our review of the Jabra BT5020. As for the Mini Blu it is available for purchase online.

Links: foneGear Mini Blu
Related: Jabra BT5020 Review

The LG Voyager:
The Voyager by LG also known as the VX10000 features a large external 400×240 pixel touch-screen and a full-functioning QWERTY keyboard (plus another regular screen) once flipped open. Instead of the standard BREW browser found on most Verizon Wireless phones, the Voyager will feature a true HTML browser. They haven’t specified what type of browser the phone has just yet, but hopefully it will be on level with the iPhone’s Safari browser. The VX10000 also supports VCAST Mobile TV, plays music (mp3/wma/aac), takes photos with a 2.0 megapixel camera, has high-speed broadband access, microSD expansion (8GB max!), bluetooth, stereo speakers, and plenty more. (check back for a full review)

The Venus by LG:
The Venus is a unique phone since it has two displays right on the front. The upper screen shows data, while the smaller square screen below is touch sensitive (has vibration feedback!) and is used for navigation. The phone itself remains a slider revealing a physical keypad below. (similar to the LG Chocolate) The LG Venus also supports microSD expansion, plays music, has Get It Now features, and even has a 2 megapixel camera. If you are wondering if this a replacement for the fairly new Chocolate, as far as we can tell, Verizon seems to be planning to sell both devices.

The Samsung Juke:
The Juke has been primarily created as a MP3 player phone and it would be fair to give it that title since it has 2GB of built-in flash storage. If I’m correct, this is Verizon’s first phone with built-in memory. As for the music files it will play mp3, wma, and unprotected aac files. (supports iTunes Plus and Amazon tracks) The phone itself looks unusually long, and “flicks” open like switchblade to reveal a keypad. In addition it sports a VGA camera with NightShot, supports the bluetooth stereo profile, works as a navigator, and is available in blue/red/teal. This will likely be the most sold of the four.

Blackberry Pearl 8130:
The new Pearl from RIM features full wireless EV-DO broadband, GPS-based Navigation, music playback, stereo bluetooth for wireless headsets, a 2 mega pixel camera, a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, and a new improved interface. Although too much information hasn’t been provided just yet, but it is expected to be a major improvement to the current Pearl.

As of now, no pricing or exact date has been set by Verizon, however they are guarantying that all four of these phones will be available by Thanksgiving (Nov. 22nd)! We’ve got a short little video below with a quick view of each of the four phones. We are trying to get a Voyager unit for review, so check back!

Links: VerizonWireless.com/next

If you are a long-time Verizon Wireless customer, you should be quite aware that you have the ability to upgrade your cell phone every two years. Normally customers were offered a total of $100 towards a new phone if they agree to sign another two year contract with Verizon and had maintained a monthly plan of $30 or more. However this is no longer the case. With Verizon Wireless’s “New Every Two” plan, pretty much everyone with any sort of contract has to pay more to upgrade to a new device.

The new plan goes as follows: If a customer has had a monthly plan of $35 or more for 2 years , they then now qualify for only $50 towards a new phone after signing another 2 year contract instead of the previous $100. To receive a total of a $100 towards a new phone, as it was before, the customer must be paying at least $80 or more for their monthly plan for the entire two years or the last three months before becoming eligible to upgrade. Even though some may be eligible to get a $100, they will still be stuck with a new contract. In addition those who are thinking because of their family plan, everyone can new phones, WRONG, only the primary line will be eligible.

Verizon, in their defense, claims that the cost of cell phones has been “drastically” dropping over the last 10 years. I have to agree that prices of any electronic gadget does drop over time as it becomes cheaper to produce. BUT when the price of the new popular Motorola RAZR 2, which will be a hit during the holiday season, is on sale at a price of $250 with yet another 2 year contract, I have to disagree. What do you guys think? Is Sprint, Cingular, or T-Mobile handset upgrades any better?

Links: Verizon Wireless New Very Two | FAQs