|
(Your shopping cart is empty)
|
|
|
CASE-MATE BARELY THERE CHROME SILVER FOR IPHONE 3G/3GS reviewed by GearDiary.com
In addition to the Smooth Case Case-Mate recently sent me for review, they were also kind enough to include one of their Chrome Barely There Cases for the iPhone 3G/3G with a mirrored screen protector.
With visions of 20″ chrome spinners on a tricked out car from some episode of Pimp My Ride I slapped the case on my iPhone 3GS and took it for a test drive.
The version of the Chrome Barely There I was sent included a mirrored screen protector and sells for $24.99. A similar version of the case is available from Case-Mate without the mirrored screen protector
for $19.99
You install the mirrored screen protector just like any other screen shield. Take special care to avoid any dust becoming trapped underneath the shield as dust leads to bubbles and they are even more noticeable on the mirrored shield. Once installed you have a glass like mirror protecting your screen. The mirrored protector is so reflective it’s hard to capture on camera but in person it looks fabulous.
The case itself is light weight plastic feeling with its own glossy, mirrored coating. It’s a snap on back cover case that installs on the phone quite easily. Once on, the back of the iPhone gets completely protected except for the Apple logo which gets its very own cut out revealing even more chrome. The top of the phone is completely opened allowing full access to the sleep/awake button, SIM Card tray and headset port. The bottom of the phone is open as well which allows you to access the phone’s dock connector while the case is on. There is a cutout out along the side of case as well for accessing the volume rocker and vibrate switch. The cut out for the camera, on the back of the case, lines up perfectly.
Once you’ve got both parts installed you end up with a phone bathed in chrome beauty. It sparkles and shines reflecting when light hits it.
It’s really a gorgeous look but one that does come with a price. The chrome finish is extremely susceptible to fingerprints.
The Barely There is mostly about looks and less about shock and impact protection. While it will certainly protect the back of your phone from scratching it won’t offer much in the way of protection it in a catastrophic drop. However, by sacrificing bulk you gain a super slim profile that doesn’t detract much from the overall look and design of the phone.
So if you’re in the market for some chrome and you can’t afford several thousands of dollars for those fancy rims, or if you want to bring some more convergence into your life by tossing that old compact making your iPhone a mirror too, have a look at the Case-Mate Chrome Barely There.
Case-Mate has taken special care to design the current version of the Chrome Barely There so that it does not effect your phone’s signal in any way.
BLUEANT V1 BLUETOOTH HEADSET reviewed by SlashGear.com
Talk Bluetooth headsets and the two key names in the business are BlueAnt and Aliph. The two companies take it in turns to hold the top-spot, each trying to outdo the other with noise reduction, added features and general audio quality. For the past few months, Aliph have arguably ruled the roost with their Jawbone 2; now BlueAnt are back with the V1, flaunting a new level of user-independent voice control. Has the headset market flip-flopped back to the Australian company? We’ve been testing out the BlueAnt V1 for the past few weeks to find out.
It wasn’t all that long ago that you’d be looked at oddly for using a Bluetooth headset – people assumed you were talking to yourself – but with the recent proliferation of hands-free driving laws the wireless earpieces have become far more common. At the budget end there are plenty of cheap options, but if you’re looking for something more comprehensive then your choices have generally been Aliph or BlueAnt – with the $129.99 price tags to match. Both have above-average sound quality, comfortable fit (with interchangeable ear-buds as standard) and various degrees of background noise cancellation. What BlueAnt bring to the table now is an unprecedented method of voice control, which they’re calling BlueGenie.
In terms of hardware, the V1 measures in at a short though mildly tubby 41 x 17.5 x 11.2mm; with the ear-hook it weighs 11g. A non-replaceable Li-Ion battery is quoted as good for up to 5hrs talktime or 200hrs standby, with a MicroUSB socket for recharging (or performing firmware updates). Controls are limited to a multifunction button (with built-in red and blue LEDs) and volume up and down. The V1 supports Bluetooth v2.1 and has a quoted range of 10m; it can hook up to your phone either via the Headset or the Hands-Free profiles.
In the box you get the headset, a range of rubber ear-buds and Comply foam tips, interchangeable rubberized-metal and translucent plastic ear hooks, and a gooseneck USB cable for use with the supplied car charger and AC adaptor. If you’d rather use your cellphone charger (assuming it has a MiniUSB plug) BlueAnt supply an adapter to plug it into the MicroUSB socket.
Voice Isolation uses the dual microphone array to offer echo suppression, noise reduction and wind noise cancellation, with BlueAnt’s usual two strength levels: Standard and Max. Switching between them in-call is a matter of pressing the multifunction button. The V1 can pair with up to eight devices (although only one can be active at any time) and uses the standard 0000 passcode.
Comfort is good, with enough ear-bud choice to suit all but the most unusual of wearers. Although you can remove the ear hook and wear the V1 without it, we had mixed results and preferred the security of having it in place. We actually prefer the fit of the earlier BlueAnt Z9i, which felt more snug, although build-quality overall is on a par. Buttons are easy to press.
MBS-200 SONY ERICSSON BLUETOOTH PORTABLE WIRELESS SPEAKER reviewed by cNet.com
Looking at Sony Ericsson's simple MBS-200 speaker we find it hard to imagine that it would struggle to fit into any design scheme. The moulded plastic sphere is made from three tones of gunmetal grey, with a black fabric covering the woofer. The darkest shade of grey surrounds the fabric with an LED display hidden beneath it and only visible when the speaker is turned on.
Connections to the MBS-200 are made on the underside of the unit. Next to the power and Bluetooth pairing buttons we find two 3.5mm audio sockets, an audio in and an audio out, and a Sony Ericsson proprietary charging port. On the side opposite the speaker are two keys controlling the volume.
After charging the MBS-200 and switching it on the unit went immediately into Bluetooth pairing mode. We connected it to a Nokia N95 8GB handset for our tests and had no difficulties at all pairing or during playback. So far so good, but we were about to get a big and pleasant surprise.
For a speaker about the size of a boules ball, the MBS-200 packs quite a wallop. We've tested mobile phone speakers before and none have come close to the volume we heard coming out of this unassuming pod. This isn't saying the quality of sound was excellent, though, just loud. We showed our age and blasted Geek USA by the Smashing Pumpkins through the speaker via our phone, and noted the sharp snap of the snare drum overpowering the rest of the sound in the track. The mid-range is clear, though muddled, and the bass is present but under-delivered.
The Bluetooth range gets two thumbs up from us. We held the phone with us and sat across the room (approx. 5 metres) from the speaker. Not only could we hear the music loud and clear, but we didn't detect any interference. This meant we could use the handset as a music remote control. This experience came with no physical obstacles between us and the speaker, but be aware that a wall or a solid bit of furniture should break up the signal. Though you wouldn't want a physical object between you and the speaker anyway, the sound is best when the speaker is pointing directly at you.
Overall
The sound produced by the MBS-200 isn't going to replace a good sound system at home, but it is enough to rock out to in your bedroom, or to take away with you on a holiday with friends. We were far more impressed by the volume of sound made over the quality of the sound.
|
|
|
|
