PDO Sporteer Armband Case Review ... if you are a keep fit type of person, then the Sporteer could be just what you need. Check out our review of this armband case for the Apple iPhone, iPod and other smartphones.
UK viewers can buy this product here http://amzn.to/TKBwaw
Supplied by http://www.pdostore.com/
Apple 7th Generation 2012 iPod Nano Review ...
Supplied by http://www.apple.com/uk
When the 6th Gen Nano came out, the world suddenly realised that it could become a watch for the geeks. With so many accessories released. Then Apple turned things upside down again with the 7th generation of their tiny MP3 player. Gone is the sqaure shape, so well suited to a watch face and in comes a longer, sleeker design with round icons. Check out our unboxing & first look below, along with some high resolution photos showing all the Apple goodness.
See even more high resolution photos here http://bit.ly/7GNano
Buy your 7G iPod Nano & Accessories here http://bit.ly/Nano7th
Supplied by Apple UK
Philips SHE9000 In-Ear Earphones Review.
Buy your Philips SHE9000 here
http://amzn.to/SHE9000
Guest Review by Dale
http://www.youtube.com/ayeitech
Useful Links
Supplied by http://www.philips.co.uk/
WeSC Chambers by RZA Premium Headphones Review ... check out my review of these top-end headphones.
Useful Links
Supplied by http://www.wesc.com/
Remoco is a superb remote control helicopter with a small dock accessory that allows you to control it with your Apple iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Check out this interview with the developers and a full hands-on demo of the helicopter and app in action. This project is funded by Kickstarter so please do check out the link below for details of how you can get involved.
Guest Interview by Craig
Support iRemoco here
Our most popular video review of 2007 was the iPod Classic. We got so much feedback from this review that I was amazed at just how many people appreciated the honest look we took of the user interface. Enjoy!
Head on over to this new section is the Geekanoids Shop to take a look at our GeekPouches. Put simply, they are a cotton corduroy pouch to slip your iPod or iPhone into, protecting it from those nasty little scratches. The pouch is not going to break the technology barrier, but it makes a lot of sense to keep your Apple kit in good condition. Not only does it look good, but also increases resale value, should you choose to upgrade in the future.
The GeekPouch is available for the iPod touch, 3rd gen iPod Nano, iPod Classic, 5th gen iPod Video and the iPhone. Prices across the board are £5.99 including UK delivery or £10.99 including international delivery.
Check out the video footage below.
The new iPod Classic from Apple landed in the Geekanoids office today, and being a big iPod fan I was eager to bring you this first look. We show you the 160GB silver version, including an unboxing to show exactly what you get for your money, the new user interface, and our overall impression of this new device. In case you are not quite up to speed, the new iPod Classic is available in black or silver, with 80GB and 160GB versions available.
Just imagine having 160GB to store all your music, movies, TV shows, podcasts and photos. Sit back and enjoy the video !
Product: Apple iPod Classic 160GB
Price: £229.00
Available from: AppleStore UK
We love our iPods, and we need to protect them, but it is essential that we do this in style. Enter the TechStyle Classic by Speck Products and you have a high quality leather case. Does it fit right, is it useful, what is the quality like. Take a look at our Video Review which gives you an insight into exactly what you get for your money.
Product: TechStyle Classic case
Price: $34.95
Supplied by: Speck Products
Contact: info@speckproducts.com
There are literally hundreds of different speaker solutions available for the iPod, so when making YOUR choice, the product needs to offer something that little bit extra. Here, I take a look at the HouseParty III from Gear4.
Before you even get this speaker come dock out the box, the feature list reads very well indeed. You get 30 watts of music power, a retractable iPod dock that slides in and out of the unit, a mysterious hidden display and the bonus feature of an FM radio.
Unpacking the unit is a pretty good experience. It feels a little bit on the cheap side, but everything is well made, the design is nice too, with curves in all the right places. There are dock adapters supplied for the 4th and 5th generation iPods, the Mini and both generations of Nano. These slot into the dock, which actually slides in and out of the centre of the base. This is a nice feature, meaning that when you do not have your iPod connected, the unit looks very neat.
Turning the unit on reveals the (hidden) red LED display. Another nice touch, whereby the front of the unit is all made to look like speaker grill, and when turned on the LED display shines through. The buttons on the top are also nice, a firm click for the power, volume and mode, instead of being left wondering if you have actually pushed the button in (as on some fancy touch sensitive units). I really prefer the buttons on the HouseParty III. You are also not restricted to listening to just your iPod, the unit has an FM radio built-in. This worked very well in my tests and is certainly a welcome addition. Of note, you can also plug in your iPod USB cable, so if you are using this product near your computer, you can sync it to your iTunes library. You also get a little remote control, which is very handy for controlling the unit from afar.
Sound Quality
This is the only part of the HouseParty III that lets it down. Don't get me wrong, it is not awful, but compared to other similarly priced offerings, it sounds a little muddy and muffled. It also lacks bass, there just seems to be nothing there. It is perfectly acceptable though, just not outstanding.
However, for the money, plus the combination of dock, speakers, and FM Radio, the HouseParty III still offers good value for money. Great for a kitchen or bedroom, but not for your main listening device.
Product: HouseParty III
Price: £79.99
Supplied by: Gear4
Contact:
When you are looking for iPod speakers, you really are spoilt from choice. It ends up being a decision to either go with the big name brands or take a risk on something a little different. Think Outside have certainly tried to break the mould with their Boomtube H201 speakers, which we take a look at here.
Out of the box, things look pretty good, mainly because the unit has some weight to it. The finish is pretty darn good too, with a nice brushed aluminium paint effect. The main tube houses the inputs, outputs and bass/volume controls. This same tube also contains the subwoofer unit. The satellite speakers actually twist and attach to the main tube, which is handy if you are off on your holidays and need to take the Boomtube with you. Of note, you also get a handy carry pouch supplied as part of the package.
I want to get a quick negative out of the way, before returning to the units performance. The way the little speakers attach to the main tube, and the carry pouch supplied, really shouts "portable" to me. The problem is you need a mains power supply. If only Think Outside had included a battery compartment, this would be a really neat all-round package.
With that moan out of the way, back to how this little baby sounds. There is no dock, so you connect your iPod (or any other MP3 player, even a PSP) via the supplied mini-jack cable. Turning the unit on and playing some music was a bit under-whelming at first, but fear not, you just need to tweak that bass control. The Boomtube delivers 40-watts of power and believe me, this little device can really deliver some loud volume and awesome bass. Whilst it is not very refined (audio buffs look elsewhere) for parties and the like, this really could be the answer.
Overall, I was impressed with the Boomtube. It delivers a great sound and goes very loud. The lack of battery power is a big shame, but if you can overlook that, then this is a very well made and extremely power compact speaker system.
But wait, you say there is no batteries compartment… complete and utter nonsense. Think Outside built in a rechargeable lithium ion battery, which one charged delivers about five hours of music. Well, I guess I am off to the local park to shake the local community into submission. The Boomtube H201 rocks both the house and outside the house too.
Product: Boomtube H201
Price: £99.99
Supplied by: Think Outside
Contact: Widget UK Ltd. 0845 055 0005
Link to UK supplier
iPod Fully Loaded... a book that again takes me away from my lovely Mac screen, but promises to open up a whole host of useful features on my iPod.
Before reading this book, I thought that I knew everything about my iPod, after all, I have owned one from the very first generation. The first two chapters were much as I expected, covering using your iPod and iTunes for the first time. Not of much interest to me, but for the beginner provides some very useful information. Then things start to get a little more interesting, with what kit and applications are required to get your older analogue recordings (like vinyl records) onto your iPod.
The books continues to talk you through ripping DVD's with the likes of HandBrake and various other apps, and getting camcorder, PVR and video footage onto your device. Wow, now I did not expect this, and some of the tips are very informative indeed. Internet videos and free music are also touched on, but one subject I had never considered, was grabbing web pages for offline viewing, which could prove very useful for showing colleagues a great new site you have discovered.
How about e-books, google maps, your email, spreadsheets, databases? This book is like a Bible to the iPod, it contains so many good ideas, and then it doesn't leave you hanging. It tells you what you need to do a specific task, where to get it, and how to use it. Not that I am suggesting that you need to use your iPod for anything other than music or video, but imagine your friends face when you show them some google maps of the local area, now that is sure to impress. If you love your iPod, you will love this book.
Product: iPod Fully Loaded
Price: £13.99
Supplied by: Wiley Publishing
ISBN: 0470049502
Pages: 276
The Griffin Technology TuneCenter is one of those products that I was really looking forward to reviewing, mainly because it gave me an excuse to play with my iPod as part of my work. I am a big iPod fan, so any product that allows me to get more enjoyment out of it is definitely a good thing.
The TuneCenter at first glance looks like a glorified dock, but dig a little deeper and you will find out some real gems it has to offer. The package comprises of the main unit, power cable, dock adapters (in various sizes), a video/audio out cable and a mini remote control. The main unit where your iPod docks has outputs for the supplied cables, plus an s-video out socket and an ethernet port.
Within a few minutes of unpackaging the TuneCenter, I had connected the video and audio cables to my high definition TV, docked my iPod and was presented with a nice on-screen user interface. Apart from the set-up page, I was given the option of navigating my iPod or connecting to internet radio. I chose the iPod and was able to navigate my music on my large screen TV. The interface is really nice and well thought out. Sound quality is good, and with a little bit of my own cabling I routed the audio to my home cinema amp and it sounded great, much better than through my TV's speakers.
Video is a little different. The TuneCenter outputs video, but you first have to push the 'video' button on the supplied remote control. This turns off the on-screen TV display to allow the iPod's video output to show. This is fine, but it does mean you have to navigate to the video you want to play on your iPod screen, which is a little tricky if you are sitting on the other side of the room to watch your TV.
That said, this is only a minor inconvenience, and once playing the quality is superb. To test the video output I downloaded a low resolution version of Steve Jobs Keynote at the recent MacWorld Expo 2007. When playing back on my 40-inch screen it scaled up beautifully, to say I was impressed is an understatement.
In the same way that you output video, you can also view your photo slideshows, and again they looked great.
If you connect the unit via ethernet to a broadband connection the TuneCenter has another offering up its sleeve. Internet Radio is streamed over your broadband connection via the SHOUTcast internet radio service. You use the remote to navigate through the available stations, and again I was very surprised at just how much I found myself using this.
The remote control supplied is very nice, most manufacturers seem to throw in a remote as an afterthought, but not Griffin. This smart mini remote fit nicely into your hand, offers menu, up/down & left/right navigation arrows, a select button, plus play/pause, skip, volume and page buttons. It is well laid out and feels very nicely made, adding to the overall feel of the package.
All in all I was really impressed with the TuneCenter. The build quality of all the components is great, and where it counts the audio and video quality is great too. The video quality is what won me over though, I download a lot of video podcasts and other content and can honestly say that I was wowed by what I saw, even though I was scaling it up to a 40-inch screen. If you are an iPod fan like me, then adding a TuneCenter to your set-up is really a wise move, you will not be disappointed.
Product: TuneCenter
Price: $129.99
UK Street Price: £79.99
Supplied by: Griffin Technology
Contact: +1 (615) 399-7000
A slightly different review this time around with the 'Disko' iPod case from Griffin Technology. Not only is this a different case, but a different type of review from Geekanoids, the first of many video reviews. Future reviews will have better lighting and sound, maybe even slightly better presentation as I get more practice.
On with the review; the video says it all really, but I should add that this case is really funky. Suitable for the 30Gb, 60Gb and 80Gb 5th Gen iPods, it is a hard plastic polycarbonate case, glossy on the front, matt finish on the back, available in smokey black or transparent to suit the white iPod. The difference comes in when you move the case, the motion sensors kick in and make little LED's light up around the click wheel. Fantastic !
Check out the video and the the links below to the product. This will make an ideal Christmas gift this season at a very reasonable price.
Product supplied by Griffin Technology.
Retail price: $29.99
Contact: 615-399-7000
Link to product.
We all know how great the iPod is and how it is a runaway success for Apple. I love my iPod, having owned most of the generations released, but with the later versions charging became more and more tied to a computer rather than a power socket. If I want to pump some juice into my iPod, I do not really want to go to my computer (if I am at home), power-up and plug in. This is fine if I am synchronising it to iTunes, but I want just the extra battery power.
The PowerBlock from Griffin Technology offers me just the solution I need, it is a very simple, compact device that sports a two prong plug with a USB connector on it. The supplied USB cable then plugs into the unit and into the dock connector on my iPod. It works worldwide too, accepting 110v to 240v and will charge any iPod with a dock connector. These include the iPod Mini, 4th generation iPod, iPod Photo, iPod Nano and the latest iPod with Video (5g). I assume that it will also work with the new 2G Nano as this also sports the standard dock connector. Another point of reference is the output rating, which is 5.0V 500mA, so if you have a device other than an iPod that charges via USB with this rating, there is no reason why you cannot use the PowerBlock to charge this too.
It is the compact size of the PowerBlock that wins out for me, even the two prongs of the plug fold down when not in use. A tiny unit measuring about 6x4.5x2cm and weighing virtually nothing is ideal for travelling around with.
In conclusion, if you want to keep your iPod topped up with juice and need something that is suitable for worldwide use, then look no further than the PowerBlock. It is neat, very compact, ultra light and does exactly what is says on the box.
To download a printable version of review click here.
Product supplied by Griffin Technology.
Retail price: $29.99
Contact: 615-399-7000
Link to product.
Using my iPod everyday is a forgone conclusion for me. I love my music, like looking at photos of my kids, but one thing I miss is catching up on the tech podcasts that I love so much. I often put them on when settling down for the night, only to find out in the morning that I cannot recall a lot of what I had listened to. For a long time I had wanted a solution so that I could easily listen to my iPod in the car, but all too often the little device needed batteries, or my iPod was low on juice, or even worse I found a spaghetti junction of wires in my car (as well as under my desk).
Griffin Technology addresses these issues with a neat all in one unit called the RoadTrip, but does it deliver the promises and how easy is it to install and use? Read on to find out...
Well, out of the box you are presented with extra bits and pieces to suit all iPods that sport a dock connector, see the ‘Extra Vies’ panel for images of these. Basically the box contains some protection pads, the iPod holder itself, the main body of the unit, the FM transmitter module, power plug (for your 12v cigarette lighter socket), and extension arm, USB audio cable and two additional plastic holders for the iPod Mini and Nano. The back insert of the box neatly unfolds to give you diagrams and full instructions of how to set things up, a quick read of this proves that things are going to be easy.
Now, I have three iPods to test this with, a Nano, 30Gb 5G iPod and a 60Gb 3G iPod, so here’s hoping they all fit nicely. I wanted to start with the 60Gb 5G iPod, so a quick read of the instructions told me to install the extra thick protection pad to the main iPod holder, which I duly did. However, when I then tried to insert the iPod it was such a tight fit that I initially abandoned it. The 30Gb iPod fitted very nicely though, so after the main install into the car (see ‘On The Move’)
I went back to try my 60Gb iPod again and it fitted, but was very tight. It fitted the second time due to the protection pad having squashed down a bit... to download the full review click here.
Product supplied by Griffin Technology.
Retail price: $89.99
Contact: 615-399-7000
Link to product.