Movie lovers best friend – Gadling reviews the Kensington travel battery pack for the iPhone and iPod Touch

by Scott Carmichael on

Regular readers will know that I’m a huge fan of portable chargers that can keep my gadgets running way past their normal battery life. In this review, I’ll show you a neat little iPhone/iPod Touch charger that doubles as a viewing base.

The “Kensington Travel Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone and iPod touch” features a Lithium-Ion battery pack, flip stand and integrated USB connector for recharging the pack itself. Inside the pack is an 1100mAh battery – enough to double the battery capacity of most iPhone and iPod models.

The built in USB plug connects to any USB charger or USB port on your computer. A full recharge takes just over two hours and 5 LEDs’s show the charging status.

To use the pack, you simply flip open the lid, and plug it into the dock connector of your device. The top of the lid is at the perfect angle for viewing a movie, which is just as well, because you can’t change its angle. The stand has a rubber non-slip pad, which helps keep your iPod and its battery pack in place.

There really isn’t much more to add about this product – it works exactly as described, is nice and compact (a mere 2.2 ounces) and can double the run-time of your device.

At $69.99, it does not come cheap – and other products (including some from Kensington) often provide a larger battery capacity. That said – this is the first dual-purpose charger/stand I have ever reviewed, and the added bonus does help justify the price.

The good news is that most Kensington retailers have managed to shave almost $30 off the price – and stores like Amazon and buy.com are selling it for just $40.

PROS: Extremely compact, great for viewing movies
CONS: Limited 1100mAh battery capacity, MSRP is fairly high compared to other products.

You’ll find the Kensington Travel Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone and iPod touch on their site – and at most Kensington retailers.

Better sound through wood – Gadling reviews the iFrogz Timbre headphones

by Scott Carmichael on

Are you tired of the boring and bland white headphones that came with your (smart)phone? How about investing in a pair of headphones that not only look cool, but also sound fantastic? The iFrogz Timbre headphones on review here today may be just what you are looking for. Combining a wooden sound chamber with a high-definition microphone makes for a surprisingly impressive pair of buds.

Wood has long been known for its good acoustical qualities, and even though I’m by no means an audiophile, I did find the sound from the Timbres to be on par with a $250 pair of professional headphones I happened to have lying around.

Bass is rich, and thanks to the three different earpieces, you should be able to find a fit that makes them as comfortable as possible. Once inserted, they also provide a very decent amount of noise isolation.

The “high definition microphone” may sound like a marketing gimmick, but I really did find it to perform better than most products in this price range. The microphone also features the control button needed for picking up (and hanging up) on calls, but it is hidden behind a rubber sleeve so it took me a bit to even realize it was there. When on phone calls, most people could not tell the difference between a call directly on my phone, or on the headset.

The iFrogz Timbre feature a regular 3.5mm headphone jack, which will work on the iPhone, iPod Touch, most recent Blackberry devices and the Palm Pre.

The Timbres are available in two “flavors” – with or without a microphone. The microphone version costs $49.99, and the non-mic version is $39.99.

PROS: Great sound, nice looks, fantastic microphone quality
CONS: Price, rubber mic cover and earpieces pick up dust quite easily

I’m a big fan of headphones – especially those that are not the same bright white ones you find attached to someone walking down the street talking far too loud into his or her phone. The iFrogz Timbres feel well made, and produce good quality audio. Of course, the looks won’t satisfy everyone, but chances are, you’ll be the only person on your street that has wooden headphones.

Business class hands-free Skype calls with the Polycom C100S Communicator – the Gadling review

by Scott Carmichael on

Anyone who has spent any amount of time in the corporate world has probably come across a Polycom SoundStation conference phone. There is a simple reason for this – Polycom phones are the best in the world when it comes to allowing people to sit around a conference table making a phone call.

The Polycom C100S takes the professional speakerphone quality from those large desk phones, and turns it into a compact travel friendly speakerphone.

The C100S operates off USB, so you don’t need to worry about power adapters or other cables, plus its USB cable winds up nicely under the phone. The speakerphone itself is extremely simple to use – you download the latest version of the Communicator software, enable Skype to work with it, and start making phone calls.

The Communicator software lets you check for updates, check audio settings and perform diagnostics on the unit itself. Once installed, you don’t really need to use the application as all functions are controlled from within Skype.

The buttons on the Communicator control Skype – you can start Skype, mute the microphone, hang up a call and of course control the volume of your call. On the side of the unit is a headphone jack, which is great if you want to have a call without everyone around you listening in. With headphones, the unit still operates as your microphone.

Audio quality is exactly what you’d expect from a device with the Polycom name on it – fantastic. The C100S features dual microphones and the same kind of audio technology found in their desk phones. I made several hours of calls with the C100S, and nobody on the other end of the call could even hear that I was calling them from a speakerphone.

I tested the Communicator on Windows XP and did notice an issue with an echo cancellation setting. In Windows, the default setting for audio devices is to let Windows handle echo cancellation – when enabled, this interferes with the speaker since it has its own (much better) audio circuitry. Once I turned the setting off, audio was perfect.

The Communicator C100S is designed for Skype, but it will work with any application that allows you to change the speaker and microphone source (including business applications like Cisco IP Communicator). These third party apps don’t support the call hang up button, but the mute and volume buttons function perfectly.

And finally – even though Windows 7 is not officially supported, it works exactly as it should, including the use of the call control buttons for Skype.

PROS: Fantasic Polycom grade sound quality, compact, good looks
CONS: Pricey

The Polycom C100S Communicator is not a cheap gadget – its MSRP is $149.99, but you can find it at most Polycom retailers for well under $120. Obviously, this price puts it out of reach of anyone who just wants to make a couple of vacation phone calls.

If you use Skype (or any other softphone app) for business calls, the C100S is one investment worth making, especially if you value good quality calls and don’t want the people on the other end of your call to think you are calling from underwater.

You’ll find the Polycom C100S Communicator at your favorite online vendor, for a list of vendors, check out the product page.

Portable travel friendly Bluetooth tunes from a tube – Gadling reviews the IPEVO Tubular

by Scott Carmichael on

Regular readers will know that I’m a fan of portable travel friendly speakers. One of my first reviews here on Gadling was for the Altec-Lansing Orbit MP3. Since then, several other speakers passed through our gadget labs. Today’s speaker is the first Bluetooth version, and also the first to offer its services in a nifty tube form.

The IPEVO Tubular consists of two speaker halves. One speaker houses an internal battery, Bluetooth receiver and controls, while the other is just a passive speaker with a cord that plugs into the main unit.

When not in use, you can wind the cord on the bottom, and click both speakers together, forming a tube – which obviously explains the product name.
Speaker setup

There is no audio input on the Tubular, so you will need a Bluetooth audio device to get tunes out of the speakers. Thankfully, devices with Bluetooth stereo audio support are quite common, and even the iPhone can be used with them.

Recharging the speakers is simple – on the bottom of the main unit is a USB cable, which means you can plug them into your computer, or any USB power source. Battery life is rated at “6 to 8 hours”, which is not too bad considering the total weight of the two speakers is just 10 ounces.

Setting up the speakers is simple – you twist the two halves to unlock, then you connect the two halves with the audio cable wrapped under the second speaker. Controls on the Tubular are equally simple. With just three buttons, you control the power, pairing mode, volume and audio (play/pause and track control).

Once paired to the speakers, the devices I tested all reconnected within about 5-10 seconds.

Audio and Bluetooth performance

Audio from the IPEVO Tubular speakers is actually quite impressive – and certainly far better than I had expected. Sound does lack a little bass, and unless your device features an equalizer, you’ll certainly notice a lag in “oomph”, but the quality is outstanding. Of course, real audiophiles will think of the setup as double trouble, because you are taking laggy music and streaming it over something not made for high quality music. Truth is, unless you are a hardcore audiophile, the quality is just fine, and certainly perfect for your hotel room or desk.

The Bluetooth range is equally impressive – Outdoors, I was able to get 35 meters (114 feet) away from the Tubular before the sound started breaking up. Inside, I was two rooms away (about 35 feet and two walls) till the music stopped. This is without a doubt the best Bluetooth reliability I’ve ever seen. It also means you can leave your player in your bag or jacket pocket.

Before you purchase the IPEVO Tubular speakers, be sure to check whether your phone supports Bluetooth music. This is not the same as being able to use a Bluetooth headset. The ability to stream music is also referred to as “A2DP”. Controlling your music required the Bluetooth remote control profile (referred to as AVCRP). Not all devices support this, and some (like the iPhone) only have a limited implementation.

The IPEVO Tubular for travelers

Whether or not the Tubular speakers can benefit you depends on how much you enjoy bringing music with you. The Altec-Lansing Orbit MP3 speakers we reviewed last year sound good, but are mono only, and don’t offer Bluetooth. With the Tubular’s, you obviously get a larger speaker, but not to the point where it becomes too large for travel.

The speakers are compact, and you always have the option of using just one of them instead of setting them up for that cool stereo effect.

Final thoughts

The speakers lack some features that could have made them even better – there is no microphone, which means you can’t use them for VOIP calls (unless you use your PC microphone or carry your own) and no way to boost the bass.

The design of the speakers is really cool – and I love how they connect together to form a single unit. What I don’t like is the cord winding system – getting the USB and audio cord wound back up is a pain in the backside, and unless the cord is perfectly wound up, you won’t be able to connect the speakers together. Still, with a little practice, it will eventually stop annoying you.

PROS: Fantastic sound, very reliable Bluetooth connection, great design
CONS: No microphone for hands-free calls, poor cord winding system

Despite the minor issue of the cord winder – the Tubular’s are a great addition to the gadget arsenal of anyone who wants portable music on the road. Sound is good, they are reliable and at $79, they are surprisingly well priced.

The IPEVO Tubular speakers cost $79, and are available directly from the IPEVO site.

Nokia brings lifetime free turn-by-turn navigation and Lonely Planet guides to its smartphone lineup

by Scott Carmichael on

Just last week, I wrote about the Nokia Ovi map service – and today, Nokia gave me one more reason to be impressed. As of today, the Nokia turn-by-turn navigation service will be available for free to all Nokia Smartphone owners.

There are one or two exceptions, but if you have a current generation Nokia device, you can leave your GPS unit at home.

Nokia is not the first to offer free navigation, Google announced it as a beta service in their maps application on Android devices, but unlike the Google offering, the Nokia navigation app does not require a data connection as all maps are stored locally.

It gets even better – because Nokia is also offering free Lonely Planet guides, free Michellin guides, free events guides and more. All this content used to be “premium”, but is now free as an add-on to the map application. And best of all – the maps, and all map updates will be free forever.

Next week, we’ll will bring you a full review of the free Nokia navigation application on their popular 5800 Navigation Edition smartphone. If you can’t wait – head on over to our friends at Engadget for their hands-on with the new free navigation app.