Archive for the ‘Music’ Category
As shocking as this may seem, not everyone wants an iPod. Whether it’s a lack of interest in the iTunes ecosystem or simply the desire to save a few bucks, people are always looking for alternative MP3 players–and Ematic’s eSport Clip is here to give you a choice. A 4GB MP3/video player designed for people who want a dedicated media player while on the move, the eSport Clip is pretty packed with features (a 5MP digital camera, voice recorder, inbuilt clip to attach to your clothes or bag) considering its $29 price tag. We’ll have a full report when we get our hands on one; but for now, you can check out all of the details after the jump.
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There have been few times in my life where I’ve been shocked by a gadget; where I’ve held it my hands and thought “holy crap I’m holding the future.” The first time I held a Windows Mobile PDA, the first e-reader I used in sunlight, my first AMOLED screen, these were all “WOW” moments.
Lately there’s been a push towards connecting our homes to our devices. It’s early yet. Honestly, current solutions are kind of clunky. Getting phones to talk to TV’s, for example, involves jumping through hoops and proprietary app solutions. Even when you go out of your way to buy phones and TV’s specifically for their compatibility (or from the same manufacturer), often the experience can be incomplete or flaky. It only takes the “connected” solution ONE failure before you’re back reaching for traditional remotes.
It’s maybe why I’m so shocked that my next “WOW” moment came from a fairly unassuming radio… +Continue Reading
Standalone media players are in an interesting position at the moment. Much like the PDA market of the last decade, more and more people are turning to converged devices to accomplish all of their ‘on the go’ needs, while tablets are beginning to fulfill more sedentary media consumption roles.
While tablets and smartphones are blossoming growth areas, not everyone is keen on fronting the additional costs of a smartphone plan, and tablets are only just beginning to find their audience.
I spent the Thanksgiving holiday playing with a new Samsung Galaxy Player 5”. Since I’ve recently become a tablet convert (and I’ve been rocking a smart phone for a while now), read on to see how I handled going back to a standalone media player! +Continue Reading
For better or worse, it seems as if virtually everyone, regardless of age, has become a card carrying member of today’s ultra-connected and technology-loving generation. No matter where we go it seems, we need and expect to have our super-capable smartphones and music players with us… on the airplane, in the car, at work or on the go. In most of these places it’s just a matter of a little bit of extra pocket space and a place to recharge; but at other times, things get a little more complicated… Whether it’s out by the pool, at the beach, hiking, skiing, snowboarding or out for a ride, we still need, want and expect our gear to come along–even as we face the constant worry that our favorite (and nearly irreplaceable) gadget might get wet, be dropped or damaged in any number of gruesome ways. Enter: The Eco Pod. +Continue Reading
As the holiday decorations get hung nearly everywhere you can imagine, holiday promos and deals are starting to show up everywhere–and Griffin’s new Holiday Sweepstakes could see you walking away with a Gibson Guitar, trip to CES, Home Entertainment systems and more. Each week through mid-December, you can win cool prize packages designed around Griffin’s AppPowered products. Check the full release after the jump. +Continue Reading
One of the most common and frustrating aspects of working here at YourTechReport.com is the all too frequent thought; “Oh man, I wish I’d thought of that.” While we’ve all had those moments from time to time, when you’re constantly exposed to beautifully designed and executed examples of truly innovative ideas that solve the same problems you’ve faced all too often (without success), it’s impossible to not start feeling just bit, well, frustrated.
Recently, I had another of those ‘frustrating moments’ while taking a look at the latest disarmingly simple but incredibly innovative “cool tool” from the people at Breffo… their new “Spiderpodium” – an elegantly designed and imaginative device accessory that actually makes many of your other gadgets (everything from mp3 players to GPS devices to smart-phones) more usable, useful and valuable to you. Join us, as we take a quick look at the Breffo Spiderpodium – an amazingly simple invention that we think you’ll soon find almost impossible to do without. +Continue Reading
Listening to music should be an experience.
There’s a time for “soundtracking,” where noise can help you tune out and get some work down, or help you ignore your surroundings; but there should also be a time for enjoying what you listen to.
Some people will obsess over their listening devices, but I often find that I enjoy mid-range gear. For headphones, “around $100” provides a higher level of quality and finish, better sound quality, and usually a nicer fit–but they’re not so expensive that I’m afraid to use them on a daily basis. Often a pair of “around $100” ‘phones will outlast several pairs of “around $25” headphones.
So when V-MODA sent us a pair of their Vibrato, I jumped at the chance to give them a spin. One can’t have too many headphones right? +Continue Reading
So, no matter how good the speakers in our phones get, they just wont ever be able to compare to a dedicated, powered speaker. There’s just not enough room in our progressively skinnier and skinnier handsets to put in any kind of acoustic muscle.
One solution is, of course, a good pair of headphones–but sometimes you want to share. Recently, at a rooftop party, the only music we could play was off of someone’s iPhone, and it didn’t sound very good at full volume.
The correct solution is a portable speaker, so lets take a look at Nokia’s tiny monster of portable audio! +Continue Reading
To say that the capabilities of laptops, notebooks and tablets have come a long way over the last several years is an understatement on the order of noting that the Grand Canyon “sure is big.” But while the advances made in sheer power, storage capacity, screen size/resolution and portability have completely changed our expectations, there is one element of the mobile computing experience that has not enjoyed a similar degree of improvement… and that is sound.
And though there are a number of very good reasons for that seeming deficiency, including; consumer demand (most people require even more mobility of their music devices) privacy and consideration (sad though it may be, not everyone wants to hear your favorite Beastie Boys track or episode of the Simpsons), and the very physics of sound, it is safe to say that most users would welcome a solution that provided improved sound quality in the conference room, home or on the go. +Continue Reading
Everyone knows that whenever Apple or any portable media company releases an upgrade to a product (most recently, the jump from the iPad to the iPad 2), one of the things that HAS to be included in the updated model is increased sound quality. Whether it’s improved by a little or by a lot, better sound or speakers is just a necessity when it comes to adding to the specs of a new device. But what if you don’t want to spend 500+ dollars just because your Netflix dialog is muffled or your music doesn’t have quite as much bass as you would like? You could buy a docking station for your media device that you would have to lug around everywhere–but that doesn’t seem like something you’d want to show off to your friends, especially when you also have to carry around a wall plug for it that makes it virtually unmovable. No. You want something small, portable and rechargeable. Which means the Sonar Portable Mini Speaker is just what you’re looking for. +Continue Reading
I FINALLY got my hands on a pair of Nokia BH-905i headphones!
One year ago, I reviewed the original BH-905s. I really liked them, and had very few caveats for those looking for a versatile pair of wireless headphones.
Well Nokia has refreshed the line, so lets take a quick look at what’s changed! +Continue Reading
For those of you familiar with the site, you’re probably aware of the fact that we’re pretty big fans of Bowers & Wilkins; in fact, the P5 headphones we tested last year remain our favorite portable, on-ear headphones. But the truth is, as much as we love the P5s, they’re not for everyone. Though the $299 price tag is a bargain considering what you get, that price may still be too high for some; and though “gadget bag” portable, they’re not “pocket portable.” So what was Bowers & Wilkins’ answer to those looking for something a little easier on both the pocket and pocketbook? The C5 In-Ear Headphones; and for those that have been holding off buying a pair of B&W headphones, be warned: You officially have no more excuses.
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