Platforms

Belkin Announces N1 Wireless Equipment
Belkin showed off their new 802.11n draft 1.0 equipment today. They’ve announced an access point and wireless card to go with it, both should be available in the shops by September. Following that, an ADSL router will follow along with a USB adapter and PCI card.
802.11n is designed to make set-up easier, so the user no longer gets to choose channels, it’s all done by the system to optimise the available spectrum. The router also displays coloured error symbols on the display to indicate problems (like security not being enabled, or devices that are disconnected).
N1 ahead of the pack?
Belkin have waited for the 802.11n dust to settle rather than jump on the preN bandwagon. This should give them a big advantage in terms of interoperability – though there’s still no guarantee that their equipment will meet the final 802.11n specification which isn’t due for ratification until late 2007/early 2008.
What they have done, is ensured the equipment works with various chipsets (Aetheros, Broadcomm and Marvell) that are used within their units. When Netgear initially launched their preN routers and cards, their Broadcomm based kit wouldn’t talk to their Marvell based systems (well they would but only using 802.11g). If their own software works well, there’s a chance that their systems might interoperate with N kit from other vendors.
It’s all about speed
802.11n offers real speed improvements over 802.11b (11Mb/s) and 802.11g (54Mb/s). The wireless rate is 300Mb/s which should give around 150Mb/s useable bandwidth. Belkin were showing around 110Mb/s which is better than wired fast Ethernet (2 HD streams were being sent to two different systems and there was bandwidth to spare for their new Skype phones and other generic 802.11g laptops).
Currently users should probably stick to buying all their N equipment from one vendor but it should allow greatly improved connectivity speeds.
If it’s just for connecting to the Internet, the Internet connection is going to limit the speed so upgrading isn’t worth it, but for distributing video and music around the house, the speed increase will make a difference.
Another advantage is the use of MIMO (multiple in, multiple out) which uses multiple aerials to transmit and receive the wireless signal. It’s a complicated technology, but sort of acts like a radar beam which is steered so better signals between the router and the PC.
Another Skype Phone
Coming in around October is the Belkin Skype phone. It looks rather like a SonyEricsson phone. It can do almost everything a PC Skype client can, obviously call other users, but it also displays your balances etc (though you have to go to the Website to buy credit).
Various wireless networks can be set-up on the phone, but it doesn’t have a browser so using from a public hotspot that requires Web based authentication won’t work.
It’s easy to use and small. Charges via USB.
N will be the way to go
Though 802.11n is still a draft specification and likely to change, it can offer much higher data rates and is perfect for moving large datastreams around a building – like video. Belkin have done well to wait and may reap interoperability benefits for having done so. The router looks nice and the easy set-up will be a boon for users struggling with complicated WiFi networks.
If it really does all work we’d give it an 80% score.
The Ethernet router version (avail September) will have an RRP of £149.99 inc VAT.
25 August, 2006
Mobile Devices To Dominate: EIEF06
Desktop computing will be dead by the end of the decade and laptops will be following shortly after. That was the view of Graham Brown-Martin of Handheld Learning in an entertaining presentation at day two of the EIEF.
Brown-Martin’s vision is that computing will migrate to a new breed of portable, hand held devices that make use of cheap, high-bandwidth Internet connections to access data stored remotely on Net-based servers.
The drivers behind this change include the impracticality of desktop-based computers for our changing lifestyles and the rise of home entertainment technology, which will include many of the functions now present in computers.
The coming of HDTV coupled with the rapid uptake of digital TV and the growth of alternative modes of accessing TV (there are on average, 4-5 screens capable of accessing TV in every UK home) mean that the uptake of high-bandwidth broadband services could be extremely quick bringing access to an userbase well beyond just computer users.
The other side of the proposition is high capacity storage. We all create gigabytes of digital stuff with our collections of MP3’s, pictures and games but not everyone is at the cutting edge of data backups and archiving. Enter online data warehousing services such as streamload.com, who are providing gigabytes of cheap (and in some cases free) online storage where you can dump your data and access it from any Internet device.
Brown-Martin’s position is that we are no longer 20th century factory workers. We are mobile. All our stuff can be accessed in one location in cyberspace, assuming the media is scalable and interoperable. This model is the backbone of successful Web 2.0 companies such as Mp3 tunes, Skype, MySpace and YouTube.
As an illustration of this, and of his extremely cool mobile phone, Brown-Martin demonstrated a home made remix of the Snakes on a Plane teaser, edited with a mobile and a Macbook. The result was uploaded directly to YouTube from the phone then downloaded again (wirelessly) using a Nokia Internet tablet.
Readers of Digital-Lifestyles are no strangers to this kind of digital dabbling but there are issues to be overcome. As Brown-Martin conceded, there are privacy issues, what happens when the government comes along and demands to access all Streamload’s stored data?
Fast connections are only half the communications issue. For these to be effective enough to allow true access from anywhere, they have to be ubiquitous. We already have a plethora of mobile devices but most of our fast connections are fixed. Meaning that we are all still fighting over desk space, wall sockets and power points (as the general lack of power sockets at the EIEF venue amply illustrated). True mobile computing will require blanket wireless access in major towns and cities and on public transport, services that are still in their infancy just now.
On a more mundane level, what happens if we decide to shift our data from one provider to another, the digital equivalent of moving house? Even with a fast connection, downloading gigabytes of data and uploading to another provider is just too painful a process to contemplate.
Brown-Martin proposed that there must be some way to allow linking from one online provider to another so that we can allow access to our own content repositories without having to physically copy data. This kind of slick, server-based functionality is the kind of service that will be the killer app for Brown-Martin’s vision of mobile computing. With that, all your data shelved in secured and permanently accessible online storage and a permanent high-speed broadband link you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with all that grey box malarkey!
Handheld Learning
24 August, 2006
Casio GPR-100: World’s Smallest GPS-Enabled Watch
Most GPS enabled watches we’ve seen so far have been so ridiculously chunky that you’d need the muscles of Mick McManus to stop your arm dragging to the floor under the weight.
However, Casio’s sleek’n’slinky new GPR-100 is a GPS-enabled watch that manages to pack in all that clever satellite positioning technology into something that actually resembles a normal watch.
Designed for hi-tech sporty types with an appetite for stats, the waterproof wristwatch checks in with GPS satellites to calculate the time, speed, distance and pace of your run, with the ability to set performance-related goals while you distribute sweat all over the neighbourhood.
We’re working from a Japanese translation here so the details aren’t entirely clear, but it seems that positional points can be inputted, with the watch able to calculate the direction and distance from your present location.
There’s also a calendar, a stopwatch offering lap/split, running time, travel distance, average pace, distance inside lap, pace inside lap, an alarm and a backlight inside the 64g watch.
It’s not designed for marathon runners though, with the rechargeable LiOn battery only managing a mere 2 hours in “normal operation,” although this can be stretched out to 4.3 hours in “low power mode.”
Despite its GPS abilities, the watch can’t display maps or offer latitude or longitude information on its tiny 49×72 full dot LCD screen, so there’s no chance of the bleeping t’ing guiding us home after a heavy session in the pub.
There’s no denying that it’s a mighty feat of miniaturisation to wedge in so much functionality into the Casio’s diminutive proportions (63.1mm×49.5mm×17.1mm), but – yowch! – that cool portability comes at a jogging pants-tightening price: ¥54,000 ($476).
Casio [Japan] (sort of translated)
23 August, 2006
Pentax Optio A20 Offers Three Types Of Anti-Shake
Despite increased pixel counts rapidly reaching the wall of diminishing returns for consumers, Pentax have joined the trend for beefing up the megapixel ratings with their new Optio A20 compact digital camera.
Stuffing in a ten megapixel sensor, the A20 is an attractively understated lightweight compact which offers three types of anti-shake, a 2.5inch LCD screen and enough power from its two AA batteries to grab around 220 images on a single charge.
The 1/1.8-inch CCD sensor captures enough information to create A3 sized prints, with the SMC PENTAX zoom lens (38mm-114mm equiv) offering seven elements in five groups, with three aspherical elements correcting spherical aberration.
No shake, non rattle and non roll.
A new Application Specific Integrated Circuit (whatever that is) claims to serve up more image-processing power, with the camera unusually offering three different types of Anti-Shake functions.
The first, SR (Shake Reduction), is a proper stabilisation system that employs two gyro sensors to detect the amount of shake and an image sensor (CCD) that moves both horizontally and vertically to reduce the wobbles.
Pentax’s “Blur Reduction” mode uses the time-honoured bodge of whipping the ISO rating skywards (up to 1600) when the light goes low, at the expense of a lower 5M (2592 x 1944 pixels) resolution,
The third function, Movie Anti-Shake, helps reduce wildly oscillating video clips via software wizardry, with the process resulting in movies with a narrower field of view than during normal recording.
Pentax have also included their new Face Recognition AF & AE function, which claims to automatically detect the position of someone’s boatrace in the photo frame, adjusting the focus and exposure accordingly.
The Optio A20’s auto-tracking AF feature should help doting mothers grab photos of their little darlings as they run into walls, with the focus frame automatically following the movement of the subject inside the photo frame.
The movie capabilities of the A20 are pretty good too, with the little fella capable of grabbing 640 x 480 pixels footage at 30 fps (frames per second), captured in DivX (MPEG-4 compliant) movie format (not supported on Macs).
As ever, there’s a veritable flotilla of auto/scene modes covering Landscape, Portrait, Night Scene, and Program modes, with Shutter-Priority AE and Manual Exposure offered for the adventurous.
The Optio A20 supports two types of removable storage media – SD and the new SDHC memory cards, with the camera offering 22MB of built-in memory.
The camera should be hurtling off shop shelves in the US from October 2006, priced at around 350 bucks, while UK pricing and release dates will be announced at a later date.
Pentax Optio A20 specifications
Sensor 1/2.5″ Type CCD, 10.0 million effective pixels
Image sizes 3648 x 2736, 3072 x 2304, 2592 x 1944, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480
Movie clips 640 x 480 @ 30fps, 320 x 240 @ 30fps
File formats JPEG Exif v2.2, DCF, DPOF, PRINT Image Matching III, AVI MPEG-4
Lens 38-114mm (35mm equiv), F2.8-5.4
Image stabilization SR (Shake Reduction), Movie anti-shake,
Conversion lenses No
Digital zoom up to 4x
Focus TTL contrast detection AF
AF area modes 5-point multi AF, Spot AF, Tracking AF switchable
AF assist lamp Yes
Focus distance Normal: 0.35m – infinity
Macro: 0.12m – 0.4m (at full wide-angle setting to 11.5mm)
Supermacro: 0.06m – 0.15m (at full wide-angle setting)
Metering TTL metering, Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot
ISO sensitivity Auto, ISO 64, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800
Exposure compensation +/- 2EV in 1/3 steps
Shuttter speed 1/2000 sec to 4 sec
Aperture F2.8-5.4
Modes One shot, Self timer, Continuous, Remote Control,
Self timer 2 or 10 secs
Continuous shooting n/a
Flash Auto, Flash On / Off, Soft Flash, Red-eye reduction
Range: Wide: approx 0.06m – 7.1m / Tele: approx 0.35m – 3.5m
Viewfinder No
LCD monitor 2.5-inch TFT Low-reflective type, 232,000 pixels
Connectivity NTSC / PAL, USB 2.0 Hi-speed, AV out, DC in
Storage 22MB built-in memory, SD / SDHC card compatible
Power Rechargeable D-L18 Lithium-ion battery, Optional AC adapter
Weight (no batt) 125 g (4.4 oz)
Dimensions 88.5 x 54.5 x 23 mm (3.5 x 2.1 x 0.9 in)
Pentax
23 August, 2006
Zeiss Ikon SW SuperWide Camera
We know that we’re looking at a camera that’s only going to appeal to a tiny niche of photographers, but it’s such a beaut we had to bring it to your attention.
The Zeiss Ikon SW SuperWide camera is a delightful rangefinder style compact 35mm camera which is compatible with M mount lenses – meaning you can strap on superwide-angle lenses like the Distagon T* 2,8/15mm ZM and the Biogon T* types from the ZEISS ZM range.
Zeiss are world renowned for their ultra-high quality lenses (often seen in upmarket Sony cameras), but this release marks their welcome return as a high end camera manufacturer.
Tough as nails
Clad in an all-metal, traditional rangefinder casing, the Zeiss measures up at (5.4″ W x 2.9″ H x 1.3″ D), weighs 395g (13.9 oz) and looks like the kind of thing you could drag around a battlefield and deflect bullets with.
Directly above the lens is an accessory shoe for fitting the corresponding superwide viewfinder, with a second built in shoe for taking a flash (or a bubble level/other accessory.)
The camera takes good ol’ 35mm film ranging from ISO 25-3200 (manually set in 1/3 f-stop increments) with aperture priority or manual exposure modes.
Exposure levels are set via a combination of 3 LEDs which indicate shutter speeds ranging from 1/2000 sec. – 8 sec. in automatic mode (1/2000 – 1 sec. + B in manual mode.)
The camera is scheduled for an October release, priced at a not-entirely-unreasonable €799/£545(without VAT).
There are also rumours that Zeiss are considering a digital version, which has already caused great pools of expectant dribble to form around this writer’s mouth.
Zeiss Ikon SW SuperWide Camera Specifications
Camera type: 35mm camera with focal plane shutter and TTL light metering
Film format: 24 x 36mm on 35mm film
Lenses: Intended to be used with short focal length types of the Carl Zeiss T* ZM-mount lens family in combination with an external viewfinder. Other M-mount lenses, including M39 screw mount lenses with an M – mount adapter can be used
Exposure metering: TTL center-weighted metering at working aperture
Metering range at ISO 100 and f/2: EV0-EV19 (f/2-4 sec.,f/16-1/2000 sec.)
Film speed range: ISO 25-3200 manually set in 1/3 f-stop increments
Exposure modes: AE with aperture priority or manual; AE lock option for a single exposure or for a sequence of exposures; exposure compensation +/-2 f-stops in 1/3 stops set at shutter speed dial
LED display: Combination of 3 LED indicates shutter speed setting situation
Shutter and shutter speed: Vertical-travel metal focal-plane shutter with electronically controlled speeds accurate to 1/12 f-stop
Range in Automatic mode: 8 sec. to 1/2000 sec.
Range in Manual mode: 1 sec. to 1/2000 sec. in 1-stop increments; B.
Flash synch: Synchronization at 1/125 sec. and longer shutter speeds
Film transport: Rapid-wind manual advance lever, with ratcheted partial advance
Camera body: One-piece aluminum base structure, external magnesium covers, tripod thread 1/4 inch in base, two accessory shoes for external viewfinder and flash
Batteries: One CR 1/3 Lithium or two 1.5 V cells type LR44 or SR44
Dimensions: 138mm W x 72.5mm H x 32mm D (5.4″ W x 2.9″ H x 1.3″ D).
Weight: 395g (13.9 oz.)
Zeiss
22 August, 2006
Samsung 70in HD LCD TV
Samsung is getting ready to unveil what it reckons is the first 70in HD (high-definition) LCD (liquid crystal display) panel.
Due to be announced later this week, this mother of all HD screens will measure a full 5 inches wider across the diagonal than the current largest high-definition LCD panel in use.
Samsung also say that their wall-filling slab o’screen will support the so-called 1080p ‘full HD’, which makes up 1,080 horizontal lines of resolution and progressive scanning.
The declamatory display serves up a hefty 1,920 by 1,080 pixels resolution, supports a massive 1.07 billion colours with video signals reproduced at 120Hz, compared to the 60 Hz of conventional Full HD LCD panels- this higher speed lets moving images be reproduced with much higher clarity.
Samsung will be wowing the crowds with a prototype at the IMID (International Meeting on Information Displays) 2006 technical conference that is taking place later this week in Daegu, South Korea.
Executive Vice President Kim Sang-Soo of Samsung Electronics was ready to parp his company’s PR trumpet: “Our new 70-inch LCD is not only significantly larger, but also sets a new benchmark of excellence in terms of video image reproduction, viewing angle and image quality. We’ve designed it to dramatically enhance the large screen LCD TV user’s viewing experience. ”
Naturally, the pricing will be in the ‘arm & leg’ department, but even those with chequebooks vast enough for this beastie will have to wait, as the monster screens aren’t expected to start shunting off Samsung’s assembly line until the first half of 2007.
Samsung 70in HD LCD TV Specifications
Display size: 70″
Resolution: FHD (1,920 by 1,080 pixels)
Mode: a-Si
Brightness: 600nit
Contrast ratio: 2,000:1
Number of Colours: 1.07 billion
Color saturation: 92%
Response time: < 8ms
Viewing angles: 180° top, bottom, left and right
No. of polarizers: 1
Terminology
Full High Definition (FHD): The FHD requirement for a wide screen (aspect ratio of 16:9) is 1,920 pixels across by 1,080 rows high (the highest resolution available).
Polarizer: A multi-layered optical film is placed at the front and back of the LCD panel as a filter that only allows light waves of a certain rotation to pass through.
Nit: Not something that crawls around your barnet but an abbreviation for the measure of brightness properly called candela per meter square (cd/m2).
Samsung
22 August, 2006
Sandisk Sansa Review (71%)
Forget the Nano, do the Sansa
Sansa’s are a new range of portable media players from SanDisk. They come in several versions starting with the 2GB e250, the 4GB e260 and the 6GB e270. There’s also the possibility of adding to the internal memory as they have a microSD slot, unfortunately microSD cards currently only support up to 1GB.
The packaging though functional, doesn’t meet Apple standards. Though the e270 which is 8.5cm long by 4.1cm wide and 1.1cm deep with a grey metal back (about 0.5cm deep) and a black plastic front, almost does.
The display is about 3.5cm high and 2.7cm wide. It comes with headphones (which are quite big being over 1.5cm diameter), a USB lead (the Sansa itself has a proprietry connector – so you need the cable, it charges through USB), a lanyard and a soft case.
Though bigger than a Nano it fits comfortably in your pocket. The black headphones come on a 2 foot lead and are actually reasonably good, though their size might be uncomfortable for people with smaller ears.
It glows
Turn the device on and the first thing to notice is the glowing wheel on the front, a nice deep blue that stands out against the black face. It only stays on for about 10 seconds, then the display illuminates. The display is TFT and is very bright and vibrant.
The wheel is a wheel, it turns controlling the icons on the display (which are connected as though they are on the surface of a disc). Oddly the icons cycle in the opposite direction to the turning of the wheel, but for some reason it feels the right way to do it.
There are four buttons mounted around the wheel (like a compass) and one in the centre. Turn the wheel to the icon you want and press the centre to select it (generally the right hand button can also select things). The left button takes you back a menu/icon.
Media
The unit obviously plays MP3’s but also supports WMA including secure WMA files. Video is a MOV format and photos seem to be in bitmap format, luckily SanDisk supply some software called MediaConverter which does just that and converts various input formats into the correct format for the player. Images can be in JPEG, TIFF, PNG, BMP and GIF.
Video can be in AVI, MPEG-1 & MPEG-2 in MPEG, MPG, MPE or VOB (unprotected) formats. MPEG-4 in AVI format, DAT, ASF, QuickTime MOV, and WMV. Media Player 9 or 10 and Quicktime 6.5 or higher must be installed for QT MOV files.
Video is handled well and is converted to the high by long format (videos are watched by turning the player on its side), but photos aren’t and an external application may be used to flip them.
Connections
There are two modes of operating when plugging into a USB port of a PC, Mass Storage Class (MSC) and Media Transfer Protocol (MTP). MSC makes the Sansa look like a removable drive (one for the Sansa itself and another if a microSD card is inserted). MTP make the Sansa appear as a portable device (under XP) and uses Media Player 10 to transfer content, including subscription content from Microsoft’s service. SanDisk now have an upgrade utility that installs on the PC and will check the SanDisk site for firmware upgrade. The player must be in MSC mode for it to work.
Verdict
The Sansa isn’t an iPod, it’s not as easy to use but it is a pretty good little player and supports a good range of formats. You don’t actually need to use any other software if you just want music, just plug the Sansa into the PC and copy any music tracks saved on your PC. Playlists are a pain, and though they can be set on the Sansa, the more sensible way is to create them in Windows Media Player and sync them with Sansa.
Video and photos really requires MediaConverter to ensure they’re in the right format.
Mac users are out of luck, unless they just want to copy MP3s onto a raw disk.
Pricing
e250 – £89
e260 – £120
e270 – £150
Overall score: 71% – it’s small, with a good display and does more than a Nano.
21 August, 2006
Egrips For Smartphones, iPods, PDAs And More
Are you the owner of a pair of super slippery hands that seem unable to keep a firm grip on your mobile or PDA?
Or are you one of those people who like to multitask when you’re running around the office but have found the shiny surface of your phone a little too slippery on occasion – sometimes with disastrous results? (we know of at least two people who have managed to drop their phones down toilets).
If this sounds like you, then you may be interested in investing in some Egrips Appliques.
We’re not sure what the Frenchy-sounding name is all about, but the company offers a range of protective stick-on covers for a wide selection of electronic devices such as cell phones, PDAs, digital cameras, iPods, MP3 players, gaming devices etc.
Like many of the best ideas, it’s a simple one: simply stick on a pre-cut set of protective silicone grips on to your device and the thing should become much more ‘sticky’ and less likely to end up on the floor, under your brake pedal or floating in your karsey.
Made from a super thin material, the makers claim that the “specially formulated adhesive” won’t damage your precious gadget while the super-grippy material will prevent it from, “sliding around on dry surfaces, like car seats, centre consoles, counter tops, desktops, laptops and more.”
The grips are reasonably priced around the $10-$12 mark and are available from the egrips website.
21 August, 2006
Polycom Communicator Review: Handsfree Skype (83%)
The Polycom Communicator (C100S) first caught our eye at the Skype-day in London. It’s a well-formed handsfree speaker/mic kit that connects to your PC via USB, letting you make trouble-free calls on Skype.
Polycom aren’t new to the field of handsfree. You may well have used their SoundStation in telephone conferences. They’ve leveraged this experience to tune the Communicator to minimise feedback.
What’s it like to use
Getting it setup is breeze. When you’ve carried out the one-off process of installing the small piece of software on to the PC and authorised to allow it to work with Skype, you’re away.
We found it very easy to use, not only that, but were highly impressed with its performance.
Conversations flow more naturally, as if you were in the same room as the person, because you’re not holding a phone handset. The extra auto-echo-cancellation that has been built into it, also lets you use it without the other party realising.
For those who are keen on secrecy, there’s a standard 3.5cm headphone socket in the right by the mic.
When you’re travelling and need to make a series of calls from your hotel room, the Communicator will be a boon. Forget using the cellular with an ear piece, this lets you sit in your hotel room and make your calls while taking advantage of Skype’s low-cost calling too.
The Communicator also has a life beyond Skype calls. Due to its high quality speaker, it’s great to use to play your music through, or use during a presentation with audio in it. A great advantage.
Design
It’s a well designed solid piece of kit that’s had a lot of thought put into it. This is amply demonstrated by its surface-finish (which comes in either blue or grey), which just through its touch gives you confidence in it.
With its size being similar to two packs of cards sitting next to each other (3.24″ x 5.25″ x 0.85″/ 85 cm x 135cm x 25 cm), you would have no hesitation in chucking it in to your bag when you’re on a business trip.
The centre-top is dominated by a high quality (22 KHz) speaker, with twin microphones on either side of the bottom front corners. This not only gives excellent sound reproduction (actually beyond Skype 16KHz capabilities), but the dual mics make it easy for many people around a table to take part in the conversation. The microphones are independently balanced, so a person sitting a distance away from one would not be drowned out by another sitting close to the other.
The middle section of the unit has a collection of five buttons arranged within a circle. On the left is a blue Skype-logo’s button, that when pressed, makes the Skype software on your PC become active. The button on the opposite side of the circle connects and disconnects calls. Volume controls are at the top and the bottom, with a mute button in the centre.
Around these buttons is a circular LED that gives progress on the call – it flashes green when connecting the call, glows green when on a call and red when the conversation is muted.
The back is hinged to provide two features – holding the 79 cm (33″) long USB lead that wraps around the back, and to act as a stand for the unit when it’s in use. Like the rest of the unit, it too, has a reassuringly-solid feel about it, with a hinge that feels like it will last.
The intelligent design touches continues on this flapped hinge with its rubber corners, minimising movement where it rests against the table.
Summary
A great, quality device that works easily and well, providing you with a better way of making Skype calls.
Score: 83%
Ups
Great quality calls on Skype Superb speaker for music-listening Well designed and compact
Downs
No Mac or Linux support yet
Cost
US RRP $149
Polycom Communicator
Buy it at Amazon UK (Blue)
Buy it at Amazon US (Grey)
Buy it at Amazon US (Blue)
21 August, 2006
BoxWave Dual Handsfree Stereo Adapter For Palm Treo Review (80%)
If you’re fed up with having to use the rubbish headphones that came with your Treo, you may want to consider investing in BoxWave’s Dual Handsfree Stereo Adapter.
Like many other mobile manufacturers, Palm elected to use the non-standard 2.5mm headphone socket, meaning that you can’t use your favourite headphones with the device.
Although many electronics stores like Maplins carry simple 2.5mm (male) to 3.5mm (female) stereo adapters, your listening pleasure is going to be interrupted every time you take a call as you’ll have to unplug your headphones every time. Not cool.
So here’s where the BoxWave’s Dual Handsfree Stereo Adapter comes in.
The unit features a simple (gold plated) 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter which connects up to a small control unit which includes an integrated microphone, single-touch answer call button, volume control, and a switch for toggling between music and handsfree phone mode.
The adapter also comes with a removable lapel clip so that you can clip the microphone to your jacket, and to avoid the usual spaghetti tangle of wires, there’s a clever cable retract/recoil design that winds in any excess cabling.
Giving it some welly
We tested the adapter with a Palm Treo 650 and a pair of Grado SR60 cans.
Giving it a bit of welly with some MP3s played back on Pocket Tunes, everything worked as advertised, with the music mode automatically pausing the tunes whenever a call came in on the Treo.
As soon as the call was finished, the music would kick back in again, so there was no need to go rummaging about in bags or pockets. Sweet.
We also liked the retractable cable, although there’s no denying that the combination of adapter, cable coiler and control unit added a bit of bulk.
Although we initially had a problem with a noisy potentiometer (that’s a volume control to most people, but we’re trying hard to impress you here), Boxwave were quick to send out a replacement, so it looks like their customer service is on the case.
Overall, we found the BoxWave to be well worth the outlay (currently on offer from their site at $20.95) and a great investment if you want to be able to get the best music performance out of your Palm Treo 650/700p/700w.
If you haven’t got a Palm, you might be interested to note that Boxwave also do a Dual Handsfree Stereo Headset which replicates most of the functionality of the Palm version, but has non-removable headphones – check out their page for compatible models.
Features: 80%
Build: 80%
Value For Money: 85%
Overall: 80%
BoxWave Dual Handsfree Stereo Adapter
17 August, 2006