I’ve suffered much when it comes to digital photo frames. I purchased a number of frames from multiple manufacturers for multiple members of my family with the expectation that I would, for time immemorial, be able to email said frames images, thus allowing family members the opportunity to see new photos without having to drag them over from the computer. Alas and alack each one of these frames (Damn you, SmartParts!) has failed and their attendant services have gone out of business.
I’m an optimistic fellow, however, and they say digital picture frame usage after being burned by picture frames in the past is a triumph of hope over experience. Well fool me again, picture frames, because I’m going to talk about the eMotion Social-Connect Digital Photo Frame with LifeGoRound. → Read More
[tab:Intro][flagallery gid=6 name="CrunchGear Gift Guide 2009"] So you’ve taken the plunge and bought (or are going to buy) a sweet new personal media player. iPod, Zune, Walkman or other, they’re all capable of holding all your favorite music. But what’s the point if it sounds like garbage on that chintzy pair of included earbuds? Every pair of white headphones you see represents someone who cares more about the look than the sound. Is that you? Didn’t think so. Now, you don’t have to drop a ton of money to get great sound, but if you’re game, then there are vast and beautiful sonic realms just waiting for you to visit. I’ve had my eyes opened in the last few years as I’ve become… well, I wouldn’t call myself an audiophile, but I’m certainly enjoying my music more than ever these days. Here are a few pairs we’ve liked, from surround-sound to in-ear, and from budget to luxury. → Read More
Short Version: The Alesis DM6 drum kit is a full set of electronic drums that is extremely accessible, yet just as difficult to master as the real thing. In un-packing the box it came in, one thing was immediately clear; this is no kid’s toy. This is a nine-piece set (10, if you include the drum module that makes the magic happen), weighing in at around 40 pounds. → Read More
To paraphrase my favorite Jack Handy quote, “If the Vikings were around today, they would probably be amazed at the number of wireless audio solutions we have.” Hopefully said Vikings would read reviews of said wireless audio solutions here at CrunchGear, since we’ve covered a fair number of these things. Today we’re taking a look at the Eos wireless audio solution. “Named for the Greek goddess of dawn, Eos lets you put great music all over your house — without the hassle of wires.” Read on for the whole review! → Read More
Short Version: Western Digital’s newest addition to its growing lineup of media players, the WD TV Live, essentially picks up where its older sibling (the great WD TV) left off. With the newly added networking capabilities via a built-in Ethernet port or USB Wi-Fi adapter (sold separately), the WD TV Live has taken Western Digital’s little black box to the next level. Be it photos, music, video (encoded with just about any codec under the sun), or the newly added access to YouTube, Flickr, Pandora, and Live365, the WD TV Live can handle just about any kind of media thrown its way. Overall, it is a highly capable, easy to use, and relatively affordable all-around high definition media player. → Read More
I love my keyboard. It is actually a synthesizer, an Alesis micron but I use it as a midi controller. The only problem is I have it in the rehearsal room(s) all the time. So what if I have to work on some music at home? I have to carry that big bunch of plastic from the rehearsal room to the flat and back three times a week. Why not buy a midi keyboard just for home use? No money, no space, no lust. Well the LPK 25 from AKAI might just have solved my problem. → Read More
How often have you said to yourself “If only there was some way I could use a small stylus to create odd rap beats using samples from known beatboxers along with with the sounds of drum and bass?” If you’re like me, every day. Thankfully, there’s the Stylophone Beatbox. First, a sample of what you can really do with this thing if you try. → Read More
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my years of tech reporting it’s that you should never say Bose makes good products. Bose, like Apple, is a lightning rod for informed and uninformed attacks from both the pro and con camps and to say they do things well – or poorly – is a dangerous proposition. That said, I’m here to tell you that if you travel a lot then you should get the QuietComfort 15 headphones. I tested these headphones during three long overseas flights. I’ve been a fan of the QuietComforts for a few years now and always wore the QC3s, the smaller version of the original QuietComfort headphones. However, the noise reduction built into the new model is quite staggering. In an airplane cabin turning these headphones on and off shows you how effectual they are. Instead of the steady, buzzing hum of the airplane you hear silence. → Read More
The Harmony 700 just works. It doesn’t look as fancy as the 900, but I don’t care. What I care about in a remote is the most functionality for the lowest price. And let me tell you that this remote scores high in that area. I don’t care if I spoil the review, I just have to say that I love this remote. → Read More
Mid- and high-end headphones are everywhere these days. AKG, previously known for recording and broadcast equipment, just added to the bunch by outing a slew of headphones, including these totally acceptable $119 K 340 in-canal buds. I’ve spent some good listening time with them, and I have to say that they are solid performers once you get over the somewhat awkward design. → Read More
It’s been a long, long time since I’ve looked at turntables, so I rather expected a new one to have fancy features. The Stanton T.55 USB turntable is a no-frills turntable. Aside from the USB port, there’s little obvious difference between this turntable and the ancient cabinet turntable I inherited from my grandmother. → Read More
This whole thing wasn’t very promising. When I got the Cresyn C750E $99.99 earbuds they came in a bland, non-descript package. The package contained the headphones, a carry bag, and 3 different size ear tips. Once the headphones were out, I noticed how well designed they were. The cord is thick, durable feeling, and relatively short (just less than 4 feet). You may think, “Short? That’s not good!” but I would have to disagree, after relying on a pair of Bose Around-Ears as my primary headphones, I have grown to hate 5+ foot cords. They are great for plugging into the back of your computer, but god help you if wander near a doorknob. The Cresyns, on the other hand, are a perfect length. They plug into the MP3 player in my pocket with enough cord left over that I don’t have to worry about pulling them out of my ears, but not enough that I snag on any protrusion threatening my personal space. The jack seems equally durable, its slightly less than 90-degree angle made out of a semi-rigid plastic will spread the bending stress headphone jacks experience in your pocket. → Read More
The short version: if you have the money to spare, these headphones are the only thing you need for your gaming and media PC. Logitech’s newest G-series lineup is impressive, but I noted when it was announced that unless you’ve got serious cashflow, you really need to look elsewhere. The most unabashedly luxurious option was the G19 keyboard with its built-in LCD screen, but I found it to be an immature platform and a memory hog to boot. The G35, though not without its quirks, is an absolutely excellent piece of hardware and though it will run you north of a hundred bucks, it’s probably the only headset you’ll want or need for a long time. → Read More
Short Version: When it comes to “pocket projectors” the BenQ Joybee GP1 is a smidge to hefty to put into your back pocket, but it’s a full-fledged DLP projector powered by LEDs and has a built-in USB reader. A native resolution of 858×600 (SVGA), 100 ANSI Lumens and a 2000:1 contrast ratio make the 1.4lb projector well worth the $500 price tag. I can now play my Xbox 360 from anywhere.
Update: We just got word from the folks at BenQ that the GP1 will ship with a software bundle that will allow users to convert any file into a format that the GP1 can accommodate, so no one will have to worry that their stored files will be incompatible. → Read More
The era of stereo Bluetooth is upon us. While A2DP – essentially the part of Bluetooth that enables stereo transmission of audio – has been around for years, it’s taken Apple two years to get off its duff and add it to the iPhone Bluetooth stack and, me being an iPhone LUVR, it took me that long to actually pay attention to A2DP. I’ve tested wireless Bluetooth headsets before but most of them made me look like Lobot from Cloud City. The BackBeats are the first pair of Bluetooth stereo headphones that are actually worth looking at. They weigh almost nothing – one ounce – and pair with almost any A2DP compatible phone. The 906 model comes with a Bluetooth adaptor and costs $129.95 while this pair costs $99.95. → Read More
“Aww, those are so cute!” says my wife as I took the new JBL Roxy headphones out of the shipping box. Me? I could not care less how my gadgets look, as long as they work well. But my wife instantly reminded me that looks are more important to some, so I came up with the idea to send the headphones to high school with my little sister-in-law for some teenager hands-on. → Read More
Several months ago, CrunchGear reviewed Klipsch’s X5 headphones, which I pronounced the best in-ear headphones I’d ever used. Unfortunately, they cost $250, which kind of puts them out of reach for most people (it would for me if I hadn’t been lucky enough to review them). But now Klipsch has expanded the Image line down to the sub-$100 level and I’ve been testing out the $80 S4s for a while. How do they stack up? → Read More
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