V-Moda Vibe Duo - posh earphones for iPhone
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
I have reviewed V-Moda earphones before (the Vibe earphones), so when I learnt that they had been working with Apple to produce a quality earphone/mic combo for the iPhone, I got all excited. Sure, you get earphones with the iPhone, but as per usual, we always strive to have better sound. Seeing as the iPhone is a damn good iPod too, it surely deserves the best.The V-Moda Vibe Duo earphones will set you back just under $100 or £70 in the UK. They are available in three colour finishes, Nero black as reviewed here, chrome, and GunMetalRouge, a red metal colour. Let's get the technical bit out of the way first. These are light, weighing in at just 13g. They offer a frequency response all the way down to 12Hz for great bass reproduction, and all the way up to 22kHz for those high details. They comes supplied with various size silicone ear fittings, to ensure a comfortable fit and just over one meter in cable length. There is also a microphone built in, for taking/making calls, with a call control button for taking calls and play/forward features of the iPod part of your iPhone. You can of course use these with a regular iPod, and just not take advantage of the mic. So, if you also own an iPod, this may be a way of getting great earphones for two devices.
Down to the nitty gritty, and I am happy to say that the Vibe Duo earphones performed impeccably. For phone use, the incoming sound was crystal clear. On the other end, compared to the Apple supplied set, the microphone delivered much clearer vocals, less muddy. When listening to music the bass extension was awesome, you got a real feel of depth to the music. Vocals were warm, yet any mid-range or high-level detail was very natural. With cheaper earphones you sometimes get this mechanical nature to the music, but this was nowhere to be heard in my tests.
Apart from the sound reproduction, the comfort of the Vibe Duo earphones was brilliant. I used the medium sized silicone fittings, which gave me a snug fit. They don't fit as deep in the ear canal as some others, so I found them much more comfortable. The finishing touches that make these worth the extra spend is the detailing, quality construction, and even the neat leather case you get to pop the earphones in when not in use. If you want to treat yourself (or your ears) to some glorious sounds, then splash out on a set of Vibe Duos, it'll be money well spent.
Product: V-Moda Vibe Duo Earphones
Price: $99.99 : £69.99
Supplied by: V-Moda
Contact: Click here
Labels: Apple iPhone, Mac Accessories, Review
Yummy FTP now ready for Leopard
Monday, November 26, 2007
There are a lot of FTP software choices out there for Mac OS X. I personally use Cyberduck, but for those wanting a bit more, you really should check out the exhaustive feature list of Yummy FTP. In its latest version, it becomes fully Leopard compatible, with some extra goodies thrown in for good measure. You get Bandwidth Control, Free FTP Alias Droplets, and a Dock Menu to name just a few. $25 buys you a single license.Labels: Mac Software
John Adams Hot Wires Review - Exciting Stuff!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
In a world where the news reports that children play too many video games and watch too much television, I tend to agree, though I do succumb to the virtues of the electronic world myself. What is missing today, is toys that the kids can interact with, so when a John Adams Hot Wires set landed on my desk, it felt like my Christmas had come early.The John Adams Hot Wires set is a big bumper sized box, so straight away, if this was under your Christmas tree this year for your son (or daughter), they will be blown away by the size and exciting design on the box. Delving inside reveals an awesome electronics set, consisting of a base board and stacks of components. You get fuses, connectors, battery units, transistors, a bulb, microphone, buzzer, recording IC, the list goes on. Where the Hot Wires set is very clever is that all of the components simply snap together. No fiddling with tiny screws and no hot soldering, which would ultimately mean adult supervision and put the excitement out of the reach of many kids. It is aimed ate ages from 8 upwards, which I feel is about right, though some technically minded 6 & 7 year olds could also have a great time.
There are over 100 experiments, or things to build, including an FM radio, lie detector, burglar alarm and even a voice recorder. The instruction books really shows how things should be done. It is large in size and illustrated with full colour photographs of each and every experiment. Having such a wonderful and easy to follow book included makes this really stand out from the crowd.For my test I chose to build the ‘Sound Activated Burglar Alarm’. All of the components are colour coded, so selecting the correct ones was really easy. The book shows where everything needs to be connected, and in under 10 minutes I had an alarm that went off every time the tiny microphone picked up a sound. Changing a few components allowed me to alter this to a ‘Light Activated Burglar Alarm’. With most reviews, by this point I am always aware that I need to get some writing done, but I just couldn’t put the Hot Wires set down. I went on to build a ‘3 Note Electronic Organ’, followed by a ‘Morse Code Generator’ and last but not least a ‘Lie Detector’. This was great and I used it to ask my kids some questions about their homework... the results were quite revealing.
I then handed this over to my two children (8 and 10 years old), and they loved it. Without any help they built some of the other projects, only calling for attention to show me the results. In all, I had whittled away with Hot Wires for almost 4 hours and the kids were in their 3rd hour without wanting to stop. I think it kept their attention because the results of each project once complete were intriguing. It added something back into their activities that had been missed for many years... that all important interaction that I mentioned at the start of this review!
The John Adams Hot Wires set costs just £39 and in my opinion offers great value for money. Don’t just buy the kids another computer game this Christmas and stick them in front the TV. Get them something they can get stuck into. This comes highly recommended, I cannot really put into words just how great Hot Wires really is. You will not be disappointed.
Product: John Adams Hot Wires
Price: £39.99
Supplied by: John Adams Trading Co. Ltd.
Contact: 01235 833066
Brenthaven Eclipse Sleeve II Review
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Keeping your laptop fresh looking and protected from everyday knocks is very important. An unobtrusive carrying device is also essential, so not to draw attention to your valued possession. The Eclipse Sleeve II from Brenthaven is available as reviewed for the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro, but also available in a variety of other colours, and for the 13.3-inch MacBook and the top end 17-inch MacBook Pro. Check out what we thought in the video below.
Product: Brenthaven Eclipse Sleeve II
Price: £29.95
Supplied by: Brenthaven
Contact: +44 (0)20 8400 1275
Labels: Mac Accessories, Review
Apple Release OS X Leopard 10.5.1 Update
Friday, November 16, 2007
Apple have been hard at work fixing and tweaking their latest operating system. Available through Software Update, or as a standalone installer, 10.5.1 fixes a slew of things. Amongst the fixes are:- Allows password-protected accounts on AirPort Disks to show up on in the Finder's Shared Sidebar.
- Restores the functionality of the progress bar during permission repairs in Disk Utility.
- iCal alarms are now more reliably delivered via email.
- Improves stability in Mail when resizing columns in the message viewer or switching between Stationery templates in email messages.
- Addresses a potential data loss issue when moving files across partitions in the Finder.
- Addresses formatting issues with certain drives used with Time Machine (specifically, single-partition MBR drives greater than 512 GB in size as well as NTFS drives of any size and partition scheme).
Labels: Mac Software
iSkin Revo Case for iPhone Review
Thursday, November 15, 2007
We all know how important it is to keep your Apple kit nice and spanky new. Even more so, when your iPhone will be in and out of your pocket and on show to your friends. The iSkin Revo Case steps up to the challenge. Check out our video review below.
Product: iSkin Revo
Price: $39.99
Amazon UK: £29.99
Supplied by; iSkin
Contact: iSkin Customer Care
Labels: Apple iPhone, Review
Apple updates Remote Desktop Client & iPhoto
Apple made available two updates today for Mac OS X Leopard. The first addresses issues with Apple Remote Desktop 3.2 Client, taking it up to version 3.2.1. I had personally experienced issues with this, when repairing permissions, Disk Utility would warn of errors with ARD, so this is a welcome update. After installing, I found that both restarts and cold starts on my Mac Mini were lightning fast.The second update takes iPhoto to version 7.1.1 which improves overall stability and addresses a number of other minor issues.
Both of these updates are available through the Mac OS X 'Software Update' feature.
Labels: Mac Software
Giant iPhone Wi-Fi Problems
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
On a recent trip to Bluewater, I went to the Apple Store and found their iPhone displays to be prominent and well set up. There were about 15-20 iPhones on display and there was a steady stream of interested customers. At 9pm on a Monday night, altogether not to shabby.Milling around the mall a bit further proved the stark contrast between Apple's and other retailers general strategies. The Apple Store (as most will know) is an uncluttered, clean shopping experience. Some issues with rude staff aside, I always have a good experience going there. This can not be said of Carphone Warehouse or even the O2 stores. Ubiquitous as they may be, they seem to fail because their lack of conviction is obvious. I don't know anyone who would buy an iPhone at one of those stores if there's an Apple Store nearby.
This picture proves it. This error message was displayed on their screen for over an hour (I checked back after taking the picture). The video was not playing and while its no "Blue Screen of Death", the non-playing video, the error message and the gaudy Christmas decorations made the contrast between Carphone Warehouse and the Apple Store very clear.
I say good on Apple for negotiating with a company that has over 1500 outlets, but they have some ways to go before they will sell as many phones as are sold through the Apple Store. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Apple's 12 UK stores likely sold more than all of O2's stores put together. Anecdotal evidence certainly seems to back up my assumption.
–Felix Kunze.
Labels: Apple iPhone
Three New Apple Ads - very funny
Monday, November 12, 2007
Three new Apple Ads have appeared on the Apple website, all digging fun at Vista, which is hard not to do. They are called Podium, Boxer and PR Lady. Boxer is especially funny, though all three are not up to the previous ads polish and genius.Labels: Apple News
Making Things Talk - Book Review
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Short, sweet and to the point, we take a look at Making Things Talk, a book from Make. It could just do the job for Geeks all over the world this Christmas.
Labels: Review
iPhone Launch Regent Street - The cold, the media & Phil Schiller
Saturday, November 10, 2007
We arrived at Oxford Circus at about 5:25pm. My brother had already been in the queue since about 4:15pm so we were about 200 places down the line. I had a rather disheartening walk past all the hard-core 'queuers' to a somewhat sobering wait about 200th in line on Hanover Street.Despite that, there were still plenty of things happening. TV crews seemed keen to document what we do best in Britain - queue. We were interviewed more than once while waiting and managed to get an interview with CNN while activating one of our iPhones. With offers of free stuff from Starbucks (Coffee and Mince Pies - already!), On Networks, The Cloud (24 hour free Trial), T3, ZDNet.com, Griffin (rain coats), O2 (water).
Once they threw open the doors (and you could hear that all the way down Hanover Street), the line moved very fast and within 5 minutes we were in. We had to line up again inside but at least we weren't freezing to death anymore. We snaked our way past all the media and checked out some of the iPhone cases (loads in stock at the ridiculous prices that they charge in the store). After purchase we elatedly went over to one of the desks (which were strangely devoid of people) and set up shop there. My brother had brought his Macbook Pro and started activating our phones. After about 1/2 hour, all three phones were activated and in use. While I was happily unpacking my phone in readiness for activation, a CNN camera crew came and started to film us activating our phones. Not surprising as we seemed to be the only people actually doing so in the store. They then moved on to filming my brother while he activated his iPhone, they pretty much filmed the entire process including his first phone call. They seemed happy with the result.
We then noticed that Phil Schiller (Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing) was hanging around doing interviews. We took some pics of that and then went up to him to ask him to pose for photos with us. He obliged and proceeded to have a chat. He was particularly interested in how our activation process went and how we liked O2 as a carrier. He also asked us about our experience with the iPhone so far and went so far as trying to show my brother some of the features! Very cool guy. Very genuine. We spoke with him for almost five minutes. We thanked him for bringing out another great product and then left the apple store to go home and play around some more with this great gadget.
On the way home, I was approached three times while using the iPhone. People asking 'is that the new iPhone?' is sure to be a constant part of my life for the next few months.
Having used the iPhone now for a couple of hours, I will say that I am more impressed with it than I thought I would be. I enjoy all the features and find the entire device extremely simple to use. You just have to think how something should work and that's how it works. The buzz in the store was tangible and Apple did another great job at PR on this launch. I am happy to have been there.
A few interesting points to note:
- Apple had up to 300 store employees on the floor for the Launch.
- at 5:55pm a store employee came down the queue telling all those in line that the iPhone could be bought in cash tonight only (see video link below). This seems to be a reversal of their previous policy.
- Phil Schiller seemed particularly interested/almost concerned, with the activation process.
- The store staff did NOT want us to activate our phones on one of their machines, but did allow us to set up our own laptop to activate it.
- The iPhone box is slightly larger than the US one to accommodate the larger power adaptor.
- Ships with Software version 1.1.2
Links:
YouTube videos from Regent Street iPhone Launch
Flickr Set of Regent Street iPhone Launch
–Felix Kunze.
Labels: Apple iPhone
iPhone Launch UK - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Friday, November 09, 2007
Having just got back from the UK iPhone Launch, here is the lowdown of my experience. In addition to the coverage we will bring you later from Regent Street, London, I headed on down to a local O2 Store. It was my endeavor to bring you some alternative coverage to the normal Apple type launch, so a local angle should give you an insight into how many people across the country view the iPhone.Things got off to a bad start, with the Kent store due to open at 6:02pm (GMT), it was only 20 minutes to go and still not a sole to be seen. I had a quick chat to the store manager (through a closed door) and was told that they could not answer any questions (fair enough). Then, with about ten minutes to go, there were around six people milling around the front of the store, which extended to around eight by the opening time.
The Good… Once in the store I was greeted with great enthusiasm. The specialist that had travelled down for the launch was keen to talk to me, saying that it was a "fantastic device". I was allowed to take some photos and also advised I could talk to customers (after they had left the store). So I headed back out onto the cold street and tried to catch the first purchaser. He was in a rush and too busy to stop, so I hung around for the second person.
He was very happy about his purchase and had been waiting for the iPhone launch to replace his dodgy phone. When I asked if he would have bought an iPhone had his existing mobile been OK, he said "no, it was only because I need a new phone anyway". A PC user at work, but with a Mac at home and a MacBook Pro on the way, I think this represents the typical buyer. Apart from those who love their iPods and don't mind spending a bit more, this is a very serious purchase. Credit to the O2 Store for handling things in a very cheerful manner.
The bad... This award goes to a shop just around the corner. I popped into Carphone Warehouse who had also opened for the launch. I milled around listening to the specialist, who didn't even know the iPhone had a camera, and had to ask someone else how much memory the iPhone had. He also told customers that the iPhone would work only on O2 and if it was unlock it would be rendered useless as soon as it was plugged in. I suppose he had to say that, so I will forgive this comment. Poor show though, the lack of knowledge was not excusable.
The Ugly... Well, the same shop gets this award too. When I finally got the managers attention and handed my card over, it was greeted with a sneer. I asked if I could take a few photos and was told that I couldn't. Then when the lady in charge actually looked at my card, she mumbled something about not even being bothered that I was there. This is a shame, as my visit could have resulted in some good publicity and some nice photos.
All in all a mixed bag. For the ultimate buying experience, head on down to your local Apple Store. Rest assured though, wherever you buy, the iPhone is a superb piece of kit. Probably the best purchase you will make this year.
Labels: Apple iPhone
iPhone & iPod touch Accessories Coming to Geekanoids
We have been gradually introducing new items to the Geekanoids Shop, where you can already by the GeekPouch for all of the new iPods and the iPhone. Over the next few weeks, we will be introducing some great value clear crystal cases for the iPod touch and the iPhone, along with some screen protectors to keep those greasy smudges and scratches away. This is our way of raising some funds to help pay for the hosting and associated costs of the Geekanoids website, so your support is really appreciated.Labels: Apple iPhone, Apple iPod, General News, iPod Touch
iPhone Launch Day for the UK
The big day has arrived, with the official launch of the iPhone in the UK. At 6pm tonight (or 6:02pm at O2 stores) you will be able to buy your iPhone for £269, rush home and get it working, and enjoy this superb device. Geekanoids will bring you two reports, one from the Apple Store in Regent Street, London and one from a local O2 store. We are looking forward to bringing you some insight into the excitement, along with some great photos.Labels: Apple iPhone
Sennheiser VMX100 - posh bluetooth ?
Thursday, November 08, 2007
When I got my iPhone it was not via the normal channels. Because I needed to test accessories with it before the UK launch I had to import one. To say I love it is an understatement, so when looking for a suitable bluetooth headset it had to be something special. For some reason the Apple headset did not appeal to me, and the regular slew of Motorola offerings were dull to say the least. Then Sennheiser sent me their gorgeous VMX100 bluetooth headset. Whilst waiting for the delivery man to knock on my door, I read up on the specifications and looked at images just oozing quality. Then the baby arrived, so the story begins...The VMX100 is beautifully presented, you often hear me talking about how awesome it is to unbox Apple products, well this is a very similar experience. It is available in black or titanium colour finishes. The titanium version that I was sent looks really cool. Upon opening the box and removing the headset, you are presented with tiny boxes containing the included accessories. These being the USB charger cable (so you can charge on your Mac or PC) and the main plug, which accepts the same USB cable for charging. The included Quick Start guide shows you how to turn on the headset and pair it with your mobile phone. So simple, that I was up and running in under one minute.
The headset is a one piece design, with an answer/end call button, a rocker switch for volume, but no on/off switch. This is the really cool part, to turn on and off, you simply swing the microphone out, fit the headset to your ear and voila, you are in action. The swing out mechanism is really smooth and also moves on the other axis to allow it to fit comfortably on your ear. Nothing actually pokes into your ear canal, so no rubber sleeves to contend with, and I must say this was a welcome change and very comfortable in use.
Where the VMX100 justifies its price tag is with the dual microphone technology, that claims to give crystal clear sound. Well, once connected to my iPhone, I must admit that the clarity on the calls I made was nothing short of superb. On the receiving end, the earpiece was very clear indeed, and when at the other end of the call, the microphone delivered impeccably with no distortion or hiss at all. Full credit to Sennheiser on this one, I was very impressed.
Claims of 100 hours of standby and 5 hours of talk time were also pretty much spot on. I would go so far as to say that the standby time is considerably greater, whereas the talk time for myself was around the 4 to 4.5 hours mark. The only area where I felt let down was the reception range. Although nothing is quoted on the manufacturer website, other headsets I have tested have managed up to 10 meters before audio started breaking up. The VMX100 struggled to get anywhere near this. At around 3 meters there was slight break up in audio, and if I went beyond 5 meters or added a wall into the equation, it was not a nice experience. This is not a deal breaker though, as most of the time your mobile phone would be in your pocket or on the dashboard in the car, so never more than a couple of meters away.
Would I spend my hard earned cash on the Sennheiser VMX100?
If it were my money, then yes, the VMX100 is very good at what it does. The design and comfort are pretty much spot on. The audio clarity is excellent and in day-to-day use I had no real problems with it. If you want something that stands out from the crowd, the VMX100 is a good choice. If your budget is tight, there are plenty of other bluetooth headsets on the market. They might not be as good, but they do the same job, so unless you are going to call Mariah and ask her to sing to you, then you could save some of that hard earned cash.
Product: Sennheiser VMX100 Bluetooth Headset
Price: £80.00 headset only : £100 black headset, car power lead, hard case.
Amazon: £79.89
Supplied by: Sennheiser UK
Contact: info@sennheiser.co.uk
Labels: Apple iPhone, Review
Griffin Technology iClear - Protect your iPhone
Friday, November 02, 2007
The iPhone has been around for a while now, well, at least in the USA. The UK launch is just around the corner, with November 9th cited as the big day. When you get that shiny new gadget, you gotta protect it. So why not check out our review of the Griffin Technology iClear case, it might be just what you are looking for.Product: iClear Case for iPhone
Price: $24.99 : £18 approx.
Amazon UK Price: £13.89
Supplied by: Griffin Technology
Contact: 615-399-7000
Labels: Apple iPhone, Reviews
MacBook and MacBook Pro Revisions
A little late on this news, but when we checked yesterday, the UK Apple Store had not yet been updated. Well, now it has, with the newly revised MacBook and MacBook Pro. No prices changes, no new designs, just speedbumps to all models and the ability to add up to 4GB RAM (previously 3GB) to the MacBook. The MacBook also gets Intel X3100 graphics (better than the older GMA950). I was hoping for more, but this will satisfy most.
Labels: Apple News
The Authors
Dave
Dave has been in the graphic design industry for 14 years. Long time reviewer of technology related products, he is Owner/Editor of Geekanoids.
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