Crackberry.com got their hands on a Blackberry 9000 via Ebay. In the video they compare the Blackberry 9000 to some other Blackberry phones, and take us through the new OS featured on the 480×320 display. Crackberry liked its speed (i.e. fast processor), the killer screen and the menu features that Blackberry added. And yes, this Blackberry includes a camera that can record video and pictures. Youtube videos open in the media player. The web browser shown looks a little old school, but as Crackberry points out, they don’t think the version in the video is final. What’s really cool, though, is that you can GEO TAG your photos!
Have you ever struggled with setting up a router, especially a wireless one? The biggest challenge I find is making sense of all those blinking LEDs. Furthermore, you practically have to be a Net Ops admin (whatever those are) to administer and setup the wireless security. Belkin’s newest wireless router includes an LCD screen for step-by-step setup and sports the most up to date wireless technology, 802.11n. So I tested out the Belkin N1 vision to see if it could deliver.
Ok, I get it, it’s a router, but what makes the Belkin N1 Vision special?
The N1 not only includes an easy to read screen, which is a first in wireless routers, but also sports the most up to date wireless technology 802.11n. ‘N’, as it is commonly referred to, supports the fastest connectivity - up to 248 megabits per second - of any wireless spectrum to date, and also boasts the greatest range (up to 750 feet). In addition, the router also sports Ethernet Gigabit connectivity allowing for max through put on a network. Unfortunately, I own a Macbook and the compatible N1 USB Dongle (sold seperately) wouldn’t work with OS X, so I wasn’t able to test the range and speed claims.
Was it easy to setup the Belkin N1 Vision Router?
By comparison to other routers (Linksys, D-Link), the N1 Vision is by far the most user friendly and easy to setup router I’ve ever tested. I should admit that I am slightly skewed since I’ve been messing with routers for over 6 years, but for those unfamiliar with the technology, they’ll find the step-by-step setup a welcome addition. Once you’ve got it plugged in, you have a few options to get things working. If you’re looking for the quick connect, the N1 offers a button-to-button pairing system that simply leaves the door open for two minutes for you to connect your computer or wireless device to the router. If you’re looking for a bit more customized setup and would like to enable the router’s other security features the N1 instructs you to punch in the following in your browser’s URL bar: routersetup. Most routers require you to punch in what many will perceive as a cryptic number - it’s actually just the router’s local IP address and is often 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. Anyway, this makes setup super simple and the included firmware’s (the software residing on the router) wizard walks you through setup and allows you to add password protection to the router’s admin menu in addition to password protection to your wireless signal.
How’s the design of the Belkin N1 Vision router?
It’s probably one of the nicer looking routers out there. It’s finished in a black gloss, which is complimented by the blue LCD screen on its face. If you’re allergic to the dusty look, be warned, the N1 Vision attracts dust specks due to the finish. I was surprised to find that the Belkin N1 Vision is relatively light weight when compared to other routers. I didn’t place it on a scale and nor did I compare the specs, but when holding my Linksys in one hand and the N1 in the other, the N1 was noticeably lighter. This makes me wonder if the N1 is more fragile putting aside the fact that it includes a screen on its front. It shouldn’t matter unless you’ve placed the router in a precarious place. The N1 also includes a 4 button rubber d-pad. You’ll use it to navigate through the different screens and toggle the router’s different options on and off. The d-pad wasn’t exactly what I would call ‘reactive’ but it got the job done. At times, I found myself pushing the ‘ok’ button (located below the d-pad) twice to confirm a command. Since the screen is in a fixed position, the N1 requires you to stand it up on the attached pedestal. Other routers can be placed on their side, although this probably isn’t ideal from a signal distribution standpoint.
What’s with the LCD screen?
The LCD screen gives you a glance at what is going on inside the router. If you’ve used other routers, then you know that most, if not all routers include a handful of blinking lights and provide no real details about your network. The N1 Vision’s LCD screen provides a variety of screen which include time and date, bandwidth usage per user, and download and upload speed of your network. If you so opt, you can leave the screen on full time, or switch on ‘power save’ mode which will turn the screen off after a few minutes of no use.
Any drawbacks to the N1 Vision router?
I did notice that the start up time on the N1 was a little longer, about 2 -3 seconds, than my current Linksys router. As mentioned, the d-pad for navigating the different LCD screens could use some tweaking to make it a bit more reactive. The price tag for some might be a little hefty at $180 and that doesn’t include a 802.11n wireless card or USB adapter.
Final thoughts?
The N1 router is without a doubt a nice addition to my wireless network. It made setup super easy and added the convenience of quick pairing to new devices. Unfortunately, I couldn’t truly test out the ‘N’ connectively since the provided N1 Wireless USB adapter doesn’t work with Mac OS X. I was able to test the N1 out with my Macbook Airport card and had no problems with connectivity. If anything, I noticed a slight improvement in performance while surfing the net and connecting to the network. I also plugged in my Xbox 360 into the router and enjoyed hiccup free online gaming. My recommendation, since the price tag is a little heavy ($180 for the router and $120 for the USB adapter) is to hold out for mass adoption. Right now 802.11n is a pretty new technology, which means ‘early adopter’ pricing and limited application. Furthermore, most household broadband connections support up to 6mbps connectivity to the Internet, which doesn’t yet max out the connection speeds of today’s 802.11 standard, 802.11g. With that said, this might be a great device for the small office sporting an ultra fast fiber optic line.
If you’ve ever used your iPhone in conjunction with something that includes speakers (e.g. car stereo, home stereo, alarm clock, powered speakers hooked up to the dock) then you know how annoying the sound of the GSM signal interfering with the music can be (yes, that’s what that is). Thanks to Altec Lansing’s T612 you can now enjoy your iPhone’s music as it was meant to be without all that darn interference.
What is the Altec Lansing T612?
Essentially, it’s a compact desktop stereo with an iPhone/iPod dock built-in to it. What’s special about the T612 is that Altec Lansing has included special shielding to prevent the iPhone’s GSM signal from invading the system’s audio. No more turning on Airplane mode and missing those ever so important text messages or calls. Oh ya, the T612 will stop the music when there’s an incoming call and slightly lower the volume for incoming texts insuring you don’t miss a beat when rocking out.
Can the T612 work without the iPhone or iPod?
Yes, but it’s primarily designed to be used with one of the two. Included on the rear of the device (see picture) is an AUX/HEADPHONE in. Altec also included a 6″ AUX cord for plugging in headphone-to-headphone.
How’s the sound quality?
Unfortunately, the sound quality is just mediocre at best. If you listen to country and soft rock you’ll be some what satisfied, but the T612 can’t handle low bass so hip-hop and rap are probably out. Furthermore, the T612 tends to distort when approaching max volume - usually an indicator of not enough ampage. Whilst listening to ‘classical’ at max volume there were noticeable audio vibrations. At low volume, though, the T612 performed satisfactorily and was a nice addition to my small kitchen - it’s not ideal for large rooms. Fortunately, you can manipulate the bass and treble settings, but I found it tough to find a setting to satisfy all music genres. The T612 includes four speakers: two tweeters for highs, and two drivers for mids and bass. The T612’s sound quality is probably on par with some of iHome’s larger alarm clocks, although it lacks the associated functionality. It should be interesting to see how the T612 stacks up against the yet to be released iHome iP99BR iPhone Alarm clock/stereo.
Any design flaws?
Actually, it’s quite well put together. It’s not too heavy - could be lugged from room-to-room - and since the only cord necessary is the power pack (the power pack is located mid cord making it compatible with older sockets and heavily populated power strips), it’s a pretty mobile device. Altec Lansing outfitted the back of the device with a rubber finish, which makes it easy to grab and less fragile when transporting. Volume, bass, and treble levels are indicated by 5 blue LEDs located behind its mesh face. The volume has 50 levels (5 increments per LED), while the bass and treble have 10 each (2 increments per LED). The LEDs illuminate for a few seconds after volume, bass, or treble have been adjusted.
Is there a remote?
Absolutely. You can skip songs ahead and back, adjust volume, pause music, and power on/off. The remote’s footprint is equal to that of a pack of gum, and no thicker then two sticks of gum. In other words, it’s small, takes one of those over sized watch-like batteries, and may be easy to lose if you’re of the forgetful type. A mount or dock for the remote would’ve been a welcome addition.
Anything else?
One more thing. The T612 is wall mountable as evidenced by the three holes on its back. Unfortunately, I can’t find (online) the necessary bracket(s) to do so, and it doesn’t appear to be included in the package.
Would you recommend buying it?
For me, it doesn’t meet my sound quality or versatility needs (I would want an alarm clock and radio for the price). But if you can’t wait for the iHome iP99BR, which may or may not sound better, and can’t stand switching to airplane mode then hop aboard the Altec Lansing T612.
Wake up and smell the bandwagon. With more and more people and companies going “green” to help preserve our wonderful planet, it’s a logical step for consumer electronics and accessories to adhere to sustainable practices. This iPhone case by Agent 18 is probably one of the first of many to go this route.
Features:
Simple two-piece slide on/off design
Form-fitting and sleek
Full-access to bottom connectors, microphone, and touch screen
Docks with universal dock
Eco-friendly material with minimum carbon impact
Packaging made from recycled materials
Upon first notice, the case doesn’t add much extra dimension to the iPhone and conforms to the shape quite nicely. It also provides a little more traction to the slippery feel of the iPhone but not nearly as much as the heavy rubber INCASE covers. This can be good or bad depending on the tightness of your jeans, and I’m not sure if the Agent 18 plastic is all that shock absorbent in comparison. The only thing to be conscious of would be sitting in a car and being subject to loose change syndrome, as we all loathe that for sure. All in all, the Agent 18 feels nice in your hand and you’ve done your planet a favor. Just don’t drop it, and take it out of your pants pocket before you get in a car, especially if you are a thug with baggy ass pants. Eco friendly thugs…look for em’.
I was in desperate need of a USB hub the other day so I picked one up at my local PCMall. I came home, plugged it in and presto, I had 7 additional USB 2.0 ports (it’s also backwards compatible with USB 1.1). A few days passed and the mouse I had plugged into it (an old Logitech MX7000) was having problems being recoginized when waking my computer from sleep. I thought nothing of it and just figured it was the Logitech drivers being wonky. Another day passed when I woke my computer from sleep and I realized that none of the peripherals were working. In addition, the LED lights on the face of the device that illuminate to show use, were all blank with the exception of the red LED power light. My frustration was furthered when I visited the Belkin site and couldn’t locate the USB hub by typing in the model number, F5U237. A quick search in Google, though, uncovered the associated page on the, you guessed it, Belkin site, but no help there. Why did it die? I have no clue, but it doesn’t work after a few modest hours of use.
I’m gonna give the D-Link 7-port a shot with fingers crossed.
Included in the box:
1 x 7-port USB Hub with LED status Light
1 x AC power adapter
1 x USB cord
Feel free to purchase it here, but you’ve been warned.
This month I’ve been testing out the HYmini, the world’s first personal wind powered charger. At $49 it’s a steal and gives you ‘green cred’ – you know, like ‘street cred’.
What is the HYmini?
HYmini calls it “the first green platform universal/charger device to harness window power and solar power”. In other words, stick this thing into on coming wind, the built-in fan will spin and subsequently charge the internal lithium-ion battery. With the included adapters you can charge a wide variety of devices, but more on that later.
How does it work?
Well, once you’ve got some juice into the built-in battery you simply attach a compatible device and flip the switch from its charging to powering position. A red light will emit conveying that the HYmini is sending juice. Unfortunately, the red light is not an indicator of whether or not the attached device is accepting the charge, as experienced with my iPod Shuffle.
How much wind power do you need and how long does it take to charge the device?
Well, first and foremost let me mention that you can actually charge the HYmini in a number of different ways: wind, solar power (a solar panel is included) and lastly you can plug it into the wall. Plugged in it takes about an hour to charge. Spinning at an average wind speed of 10-15mph it should take about an hour but because the charging LED doesn’t work with wind power it’s hard to say. ASC International, the company behind the HYmini says it’ll take about an hour with reasonable wind power and from what I inferred the solar panel adds a little extra juice, but not ideal for complete charging. The HYmini is effective in wind speeds between 9 – 40mph. After 40mph no additional juice is produced. I didn’t have a chance to stick this thing out the window of a car, but that seems totally impractical given most state laws make this illegal.
What devices are the Hymini compatible with?
It’s compatible with most 5V devices. Unfortunately, it won’t work with the iPhone or iPod Shuffle – a big disappointment for me, as those are my top 2 most used gadgets. I did partially charge both a Napster 1GB MP3 players and my girlfriend’s old school LG flip phone (not on the same charge mind you). Included in the package are a variety of adapters: LG, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Nokia, mini USB, and Samsung. Because the HYmini’s power output is USB no adapter is needed for the regular iPod, which it apparently works with according to the manufacture.
Is the HYmini heavy?
No, it’s very lightweight. In fact, adding it to my bicycle’s handlebars with the optional bike mount is probably the best way to charge it. Once mounted and riding I didn’t even know it was there. Mounting the bicycle attachment requires no tools and includes an additional attachment for quick on and off removal – the HYmini slides in and out. There’s also an optional armband attachment, but it looks a bit cumbersome (I didn’t test). As for design the HYmini is very compact – about the size of an iPod - and will fit into most bag scenarios (i.e. purses, bags, backpacks, etc). The fan itself is actually made of a malleable like plastic insuring a long life, efficiency and crack or chip free operation. The optional solar panel is slightly larger than an iPhone and is in cased in recycled cardboard – I thought this was packaging upon initial receipt of the device.
What else does the HYmini include?
Because it’s ideal for bikes they’ve built-in two small light emitting LEDs. They don’t emit much ambient light, but a nice safety light for cross street traffic. Also included are the aforementioned adapters and USB power cord. That’s what you get with the HYmini.
What’s your verdict or overall experience?
The HYmini is without a doubt a device of the future. The largest noted drawback was the inability to measure how much the device has been charged via wind or solar power. On the converse, for $49 a pop you really can’t ask for more. It charges most 5V devices, and as previously mentioned I was a little disappointed that it didn’t work with the iPhone, a device that needs regular charging.
Available directly from Hymini for $49. You can pick up the bike mount for $9 more, the solar charger for $25, and the armband for $15.
What is the Timex Ironman iControl?
The iControl is a digital sports watch that wirelessly controls your iPod with the touch of a button. You can easily navigate through your music using the large and very responsive buttons for: Play/Pause, Track Forward, Track Backward, and Volume controls.
How Does It Work?
The iControl controls your iPod through an included adapter or dongle, which plugs into the docking slot of your iPod. From there it is a simple “Plug & Play” and requires no further set up.
In Addition To The iPod Functions, What Else Can it Do?
Beyond the iPod controls the iControl contains all the functions, which have become the meat and potatoes of the Ironman watches: Chronograph, 2 Interval Timers, 3 Alarms, Countdown Timer, 50 Lap Memory, Water Resistantance up to 100 m, Indiglo Night Light, and a long lasting Resin Strap. All of these functions are available during iPod use as well.
So is it Quality?
For the most part yes, however, there is one major flaw that will hopefully be addressed in future versions of this watch. As with any active lifestyle your watch will incur some bumps and bruises along the way. The problem you ask? Sometimes the buttons are too sensitive and get pressed when you don’t want them to. Initially, you may think this is no big deal, but once the volume is inadvertently increased to max and your ears get blasted, you’ll think otherwise - I know I did. I used the watch in a variety of capacities: while riding my bike, at the gym (gettin’ ripped), etc. And movements like taking off a backpack, or picking up a weight often miscued the controls against my liking. So what would I suggest? That Timex adds a hold button to prevent such mishaps. As long as you’re consciously mindful of this you can generally avoid it, but you kind of have to adapt your movements to compensate for the buttons whereabouts. The only other thing that may be annoying for the fitness types is that the dongle is on the larger side (see pics) and isn’t all that secure. Other than that, a great watch all together and an added convenience when controlling your iPod on the go.
Anything Else?
Aside from athletic scenarios this watch can be useful in home stereo applications, as well as in your car. Also the range between the watch and dongle operates without obstruction for around twenty feet, which is double what is listed on the Timex site.
Conclusion Overview
A fun and easy watch that controls your iPod for any lifestyle.
Audioengine was kind enough to send me their newest product: the AW1. My experience to date has been fantastic. Read on for more details, but be sure to watch my first ever video review. I know, I know, it’s not the most polished of video reviews, but it’s my first one so take it easy on me.
What are the AW1s ?
The AW1s are what Audioengine calls a ‘premium wireless audio adapter’. I prefer to call them a wireless stereo solution. In essence, they allow you to stream audio to your speakers or stereo system wirelessly from any audio source that has a headphone ‘out’.
How do they work?
Well, technically they work over the 802.11 frequency. Yes, the same one that your WiFi operates over. Don’t worry, though, I tested them and they won’t interfere with your WiFi. Range is spec’d at 100 feet. I was able to wirelessly transmit music without any problems at 40 feet and through walls.
Ok, I meant how do they function?
To see a quick setup check out the video review. There’s a sender ‘dongle’ that plugs into an audio source and sends a signal to the ‘receiver dongle’. The ‘receiver dongle’, which is powered by the included AC adapter, outputs through an included headphone jack, which subsequently connects to your stereo or speakers. The ’sender dongle’ can work two ways:
1) you can plug it into your computer’s USB port, and as long as you set your ‘audio out’ to the ‘AW1′ it will stream wirelessly to the ‘receiver dongle’
2) you can power it from your computer’s USB port (or use the iPhone’s AC adapter) and plug your device (iPod, Mp3 player, etc) into the headphone jack out using the included headphone cord. Note that the headphone jack on the ’sender dongle’ will override your computer’s USB audio out.
Ok, I get it, but how do they sound?
They sound freakin’ awesome. In my testing the receiver source sounded a little bit more tinny then than the original source, but nothing to bat an eye lash at.
Are they easy to use?
Super easy to use. Your grandma could set these things up. I was literally wirelessly streaming music within 2 minutes of opening the box. The only complicated part is deciding how you wanna set them up (i.e. what you want to plug them into).
So they sound awesome, but there has to be some draw backs?
Too true. A few things to note. First off they are on the expensive side, $150, but they do exactly what they’re supposed to and sound great. The other notable draw back, is that you’ll need powered speakers or a stereo system to make these things work. So don’t think you can setup any pair of speakers and have wireless music. Furthermore, the included AC adapter for the ‘receiver dongle’ is just a plug, so you’ll need to insure that you have a lengthy headphone cord or extension cord in case your speakers aren’t close to an outlet. If you already own a pair of Audioengine’s A5 speakers then you’ll be able to power the ‘receiver dongle’ from its USB port. Lastly, you can’t buy the ‘receiver dongles’ separately (just yet) and the ’sender dongle’ isn’t compatible with the iPod’s or iPhone’s proprietary serial port (fingers crossed).
Do I need any special hardware, or a computer for that matter?
Nope. You can use the AW1 computer free, but an optimal setup (in my opinion) is a laptop or desktop with USB ports to stream audio. Works great with iTunes!
Where can I buy them?
You can buy them directly from Audioengine’s website or you can find them at other major e-tailers such at Amazon.com.
vision to see if it could deliver.
