Review: Jabra SPEAK 410 portable conference speakerphone

by Scott Carmichael on

Today’s Gadling Gear Review may appear to appeal only to those that make important business calls on the road, but don’t lets its “all work and no play looks fool you” – this product is a real allrounder.

The Jabra SPEAK 410 is a compact USB powered conference speakerphone, designed to pack in your carry-on and help you make hands free calls on the road.

The round speaker is just under 5 inches across (about 25 centimeters) and weighs just 6.5 ounces. The top of the SPEAK 410 is completely taken up by its speaker and omnidirectional microphone, as well as a shiny touch sensitive ring for its various controls.

Using the SPEAK 410 is simple – install the software and plug it in. The Jabra Device Service controls all the functions of the product, and acts as a bridge between it and a variety of desktop communication packages.

Jabra offers two versions of the 410 SPEAK – one for softphones, and one for softphones and Microsoft Lync. On a computer without any softphones, you can use the speaker as a generic audio device. In fact, you can even use the SPEAK 410 without the desktop software as Windows simply detects it as a normal sound device.

The current selection of softphones supported by the SPEAK 410 includes:

  • Avaya IP Softphone/Agent
  • Avaya one-X communicator/Agent
  • Cisco UC Client
  • IBM Lotus Samtime 8.0 / 8.5
  • Skype

Of course, one of the most important features of any speakerphone is of course its sound quality – and you’ll be glad to know that the Jabra SPEAK 410 really delivers. Volume obviously isn’t as loud as from a large desktop phone, but it is certainly beefy enough for a reasonably large conference table with about ten people.

On a call through the Cisco UC client, sound quality for both parties was reported as “excellent” when no more than three feet from the unit.

If your call requires a bit of privacy, you can plug a Jabra 3.5mm headset into the unit and continue your call without others listening in.

Controlling the SPEAK 410 is a breeze – red and green buttons answer or drop the call, mute and volume controls are on the top and sides and the Jabra button switches the call volume buttons to ringer volume. Around the edge of the speaker are LED’s – red when on mute, yellow for ringer volume setting and white for call volume and incoming calls.

When not in use, the USB cord wraps around the base. While this may seem primitive, it does make it very quick to wind up, with no parts to break. The cord is 28 inches (71 centimeters) long.

The package includes a padded carrying case, completing the list of reasons the SPEAK 410 is the perfect travel companion. As we mentioned in the beginning, the speaker is not only designed for boring conference calls, when you plug it into your laptop (or desktop), you can also use it to output music or audio from movies.

The Jabra SPEAK 410 retails for $159.99, for more information and a list of retailers, head on over to Jabra.com.

What’s in your pack: Scott Carmichael

by Scott Carmichael on

It has been several years since we last visited our “What’s in your pack” segment here on Gadling. As times (and gadgets) have changed, it is time to breath some fresh air into the feature, and we’ll start with yours truly.

Lets get something out in the open – I’m a total gadget freak. My gadget needs go way, way beyond the usual “laptop, camera, charger”, and it isn’t uncommon for my gadgets to take up more than half the weight of the crap I carry on a trip. Of course, what I carry does vary for each trip, so I’ve collected the kind of stuff I’ll carry on an average trip.
The basics

I tend to swap out my luggage every couple of months – but I always stick with the same style – one roller and one checkpoint friendly laptop bag. My current pick of the month is the Pelican 1510LOC laptop overnight case. This thing is total overkill for anything I do, but I love the fact that I have a piece of luggage the airlines won’t be able to kill. The case weighs a ton, but that is the price you pay for rugged.

My laptop and other smaller items go in a Tom Bihn Checkpoint Flyer – the one piece of luggage I have used for more than 6 months.

To me, laptops are like my luggage – I buy something cool, and by the time the next new cool laptop is out, I’ll swap things out and upgrade. At the moment, I travel with an HP DM1 or a Google CR48 Chrome notebook. The HP DM1 has been upgraded with 8GB of memory and a 500GB Seagate Momentus XT hybrid SSD. Picking which one to use depends on the trip, and what I need to get done. To get some basic work done, I also carry a Barnes & Noble Nook Color, but I have hacked it to run Android Froyo. The tablet is perfect for my email, web and of course, Angry Birds.

For overnight trips, I’ll obviously pack clothes, toiletries and some spare clothes for the inevitable delay or cancellation. I hate checking bags, so my packing ritual always means I have to stuff everything I need into my 2 carry-on bags.

All my gadgetry is split into categories – and packed in Tom Bihn packing cubes. Laptop, chargers, flightbag and a bag with basics fits in my laptop bag, the rest (along with my clothes) goes in the rolling case.

The goodies

Despite the risk of making a total fool of myself, here are the products I currently carry (in no particular order):

  • Aaxa Technologies M2 Micro projector (in its own hard shell case)
  • Barnes and Noble Nook Color (running Android Froyo with a 32GB MicroSD card)
  • Nikon P7000 digital camera
  • Canon S95 digital camera
  • HP DM1
  • Google Chrome CR48
  • Tekkeon MyPower All laptop battery pack + cable pack
  • Clear 4G/3G adapter
  • Zagg Sparq 2 battery pack
  • Verizon MiFi
  • Motorola W233 unlocked mobile phone
  • Unlocked 3G European MiFi + assortment of sim cards for Europe and Asia
  • Livescribe Echo 8GB smartpen + notepads
  • T-Mobile MyTouch 4G (primary phone)
  • Sprint Palm Pre
  • HTC HD2 (with Android)
  • HTC Inspire (AT&T)
  • Blackberry Storm 2
  • Motorola Roadster Bluetooth handsfree car kit
  • Trendnet 802.11n travel router
  • Callpod Chargepod + assorted power tips
  • 2 500GB drives (1 with restore image and 1 with apps/media)
  • Assortment of USB drives and SD cards
  • Assortment of cables, chargers and plugs
  • Audio Technica ATC ANC-3 noise canceling headphones
  • Monster Beats Tour in-ear headphones
  • 64GB iPod touch + video cables/dock/remote
  • Moshi voice recognition travel alarm clock
  • Sandisk Sansa Clip+ MP3 player + 16GB MicroSD card
  • Assortment of Eye-Fi wireless SD memory cards

The what/where/why?

I’ll try and explain some of the logic behind my choices for gear – part of the reason is that I’m always reviewing stuff, and some of the items in the collection may be undergoing a real on-the-road review. Other products are just things I’d rather carry than leave at home. I hate arriving somewhere and realizing I forgot to carry something.

Lets start with the various mobile phones – I always try and travel with more than one phone, and mix things around on various operators. Ideally, I’ll have one phone on each major US operator, which is a perfect way to prevent arriving somewhere and having a hard time getting a signal. Thanks to Google Voice, I can mix and match operators, sims and phone numbers.

My primary phone is a T-Mobile MyTouch 4G. I love that phone more than anything else, and its QIK videocalling and T-Mobile Wi-Fi calling feature make it the best travel phone on the market (in my opinion). The final phone in my assortment is a really cheap Motorola W233. I carry this when I need to head out for the night and don’t want to risk losing my smartphone.

Photography is something I never mastered (as you can see from these photos), so I stay away from the neat dslr rigs and rely on a decent point and shoot. The Canon S95 and Nikon P7000 fit the bill perfectly. The Canon is small enough for in my pocket, and the Nikon works nicely on the Manfrotto Modosteady 3-in-1 tripod. If I know I’ll be shooting hotel rooms or airline cabins, I’ll carry a Sima LED light as well as a better microphone for the Nikon if I plan to do video. Any camera I carry will have an Eye-Fi Connect X2 card in it.

Cables and networking gear all go in their own bag. I’ll usually carry at least one or two network cables, as well as a Trendnet 802.11n travel router and an assortment of USB and video cables.

As for headphones – I’m not an audiophile, and my only requirements are good noise isolation/cancellation along with good comfort. In a hotel room or airport, I’ll wear the Monster Beats Tour in-ear headphones, and on the plane I’ll swap them out for the Audio Technica ATH-ANC3 headphones. Music comes from an iPod Touch, my MyTouch 4G or the compact Sandisk Sansa Clip+. I love the Clip+ because it is small, sounds great and is easy to operate.

Power is always on my mind – I travel with a Tekkeon MyPower ALL battery pack which can double my laptop battery power. For my smaller gadgets, I’ll use a variety of battery packs like the Zagg Sparq 2 or the Technocel Battery Boost. Once I get to my room, I use the Callpod Chargepod to charge up to six devices at the same time. For the usual hotel room with just one outlet, I’ll use a Monster Outlets To Go powerstrip. To power my laptop, I usually swap out the included charger for a Kensington charger with DC and Empower plugs which allow me to charge and power on an airplane.

Entertainment in my room comes from a variety of sources – I always carry an HDMI cable for my laptop, along with Apple iPod/iPhone video cables with a dock and remote. With this, I can plug my player(s) into the hotel room TV. If the room lacks a decent TV, I can use the AAXA M2 Micro Projector, but I tend to only carry that if the trip is for business. In-room music comes from a Jawbone Jambox Bluetooth speaker paired to my laptop or music player.

For the rare events I actually need to get some work done, I use a Dell Bluetooth travel mouse. I make VOIP phone calls with a Plantronics .audio 480 headset or conference calls using the Polycom C100S communicator and Skype. If I’m on the road without my family, I carry a Microsoft Lifecam Studio HD webcam.

My flightbag is what carries all my short cables, Bluetooth headset(s), memory, Secure keys for my remote access and anything else I think I need if I become separated from my main bag. I also carry a small flashlight and SwissTool screwdriver set. My flightbag also holds gift cards, iTunes cards, Gogo Inflight access cards and sim cards.

Weight?

There is no denying it – this setup weighs a ton – but I’ve mastered the art of making my bags look light. They always fit in the overhead, and I’m usually lucky enough to make it to the first boarding group on my flight, ensuring some space for the chunky rolling case.

Any logic to so much gear?

No.

That said, when I travel with others, I’m always the one that has a spare charger, or a USB drive with a full Windows 7 recovery image. Or fresh music. Or a screwdriver. And while this may not be a good enough reason, I try and use it to justify my addiction.

Giveaway: Win one of five Technocel Battery Boost packs

by Scott Carmichael on

Seeing your phone run out of battery power usually only happens when you need it most. Right when you need to call home that you’ll be late, or if you need to call a hotel after your flight was canceled. Thankfully, there are quite a few battery backup products on the market – but the one we love the most is the Technocel Battery Boost.

This tiny battery pack features a built in MicroUSB charger plug, retractable USB port and a built in MicroSD memory card reader! We reviewed this fantastic battery pack last year, and were so impressed that we included it in our “best of 2010” lineup.

Now we are giving you the chance to win one of these for yourself – and all you have to do is leave a comment telling us your best “dead battery” story.

  • To enter, simply leave a comment answering the question posted above.
  • The comment must be left before Monday February 28, 2011 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
  • You may enter only once.
  • Five Prize Winners will be randomly selected to receive one Technocel Battery Boost.
  • Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
  • The total value of each prize is approximately $29.99.
  • Click here for the complete official rules of this giveaway.

App review: MapQuest for Android with turn-by-turn spoken navigation directions

by Scott Carmichael on

Yesterday, MapQuest unveiled their Android mapping application. This new app offers something fantastic – navigation with spoken turn by turn directions. I took it for a spin and can safely say that this is the new best free navigation package for Android.

Everything you expect from a decent GPS package is in this app – spoken directions and street names, traffic information, points of interest and voice recognition. Even though they are by no means the first Android map app with turn by turn directions, the MapQuest interface is by far the easiest to use. Maps are also very clean and crisp, making use of data from map leader Navteq.

Navigation results can be provided for driving or walking, but not for public transit or bikes like in Google Maps. The quick link bar at the bottom of the map can instantly display any of the categories on your map, and you can minimize the bar by clicking its down arrow.

Maps load and scroll very fast, and even on a sluggish data connection, I rarely had any blank map tiles. In addition to this, map tiles can be locally cached.

The new MapQuest for Android can be found in the Android market at this link. You can also scan the QR code in the video after the jump – probably one of the first ever QR codes completely made out of Lego!

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[Full disclosure: AOL is the parent company of both MapQuest and Gadling]

Review: Aluratek BUMP portable wireless speaker

by Scott Carmichael on

For some, having access to music on the road is pretty important – this could be as simple as some good quality tunes on an iPod, or a way to get music in your hotel room. In the past, we’ve looked at some portable speakers. and today we’ll review one that lets you cut the cords on your portable music.

The Aluratek BUMP AUWS01F portable speaker consists of two parts – a rechargeable speaker, and a USB wireless dongle. To get your music, you simply plug the dongle into your laptop, and turn the speaker unit on. There is no need to install software, as the dongle shows up on your laptop as a generic audio playback device. You also don’t need to worry about “paring” or other wireless tricks, as the two communicate over their own 2.4GHz wireless system.

The BUMP speaker does two things really, really well – sound quality and wireless range. Wireless range is absolutely crazy – I was able to walk from one end of my house to the other, without as much as a crackle or pop in the music – well over 200 feet away. The fantastic sound quality from the speaker is another great selling point – despite being a single speaker (so no stereo), bass and volume are great, and when cranked up, it’ll easilly fill a room with decent music.

Controls are simple – a single large circular button on top provides access to power and volume – sadly no track skip/play/pause buttons here. On the rear, you’ll find a miniUSB charging port and a 3.5mm audio jack for plugging your portable media player in.

Uses for the speaker are endless – I recently took it to a hotel room and used it to listen to a movie I was playing on the hotel TV, but it also works perfectly for bathroom tunes streamed off your laptop when you take a soak in the oversized spa tub (just keep it away from water).

At $79.99, the Aluratek BUMP is considerably cheaper than most other portable speakers like the foxL and the Jambox – but because it operates on its own radio system, you can only stream music off your portable device with the wired connection. Battery life is rated for four hours and the package includes a USB cable and an audio cable.