Section: iPod + iTunes , iPod Accessories , Headphones , iPhone , iPhone Accessories , iPhone , Mac + Computers , Peripherals , Reviews Provides: High end over the ear sound Developer: Monster Cable Minimum Requirements: (high quality) audio source 1/8 or 1/4 inch Price: $349 Availability: Now When Monster first announced the Beats by Dre line of headphones, most of the world said “What? Why is Monster making headphones?” And it might have been a valid question at the time, as many consumers tend to view Monster as an “overpriced” cable company. But I can assure you, they are much more than a high end cable manufacturer; they clearly know what they are doing with audio and headphones. And with the Beats line, they’ve created an amazing product that is not only an example of how good consumer audio can be, but continues to influence fashion and popular culture. The Beats Studios technically aren’t DJ style headphones; they’re simply large, over-the-ear headphones.  Essentially, the ear cups don’t spin around to allow you to listen to audio from one side, so you shouldn’t call them DJ style.  That’s fine, because they weren’t intended to be.  But they do everything else you’d expect them to, and some things you definitely wouldn’t.  They fold up for portability and storage, and they come with a very nice black case.  Though, on top of your head might be a better choice of transportation, as you won’t ever want to take them off, and you’ll likely become more fashionable as a result. Feature-wise, the Beats Studios are fully loaded.  Obviously, great headphones begin with great audio, but let’s talk features first.  The Beats Studio come in two colors, black and white.  The plastic these are made out of is scratch resistant.  So, while you’ll obviously be gentle with these, you are safe from minor scuffs.  The foam on the ear cups and on the top for head cushion is very comfortable. The Studio headphones come with two adapters: one for an airplane, and one to convert from the headphones’ 1/8 inch to a 1/4 inch connector.  Continuing inside the box, you’ll find a cleaning cloth and two cables to connect your headphones to your audio sources: one regular red cable and a black one with iSoniTalk (iDevice controls).  Both of these are nice, thicker-than-your-average-cord cords.  And since this is Monster we’re talking about, these are top of the line cables.  The quality here even shows in small details such as the button choice for the iSoniTalk cable.  This is by far the most satisfying button I’ve used for controlling iPod playback via headphones.  I know that sounds silly, but the button itself is larger than most, has a nice soft plastic texture, and depresses perfectly.  If you’ve used Apple’s playback controls on iPhone headphones, you know it’s less than optimal.  The button is small, doesn’t always feel like it’s being depressed (especially in cold weather) and degrades towards unusability much faster than it should.  If only it had the Volume Up and Down controls on the cord.  Of course, since the cord is detachable, they could still make this.  Monster…please do. Update:   The upcoming Beats by Dr. Dre Spin headphones will come with ControlTalk, which does feature volume controls.  Awesome

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Section: Mac + Computers , Peripherals If you have Apple gear, then it’s quite likely that you won’t buy just any accessory. No, it has to both look good and do something useful. Quirky’s newest product, the Space Bar, is both sleek and useful. And just to top it off, it’s priced reasonably, too. The Space Bar is simple product. It’s a shelf with a built in USB hub.  But simplicity is not so easily executed, but Quirky sure makes it seem like it is.  The Spacebar is a very well designed aluminum shelf with six USB ports that are easily accessible on the front.  The shelf is meant to give you a space on your desk to tuck away your keyboard after a long day of typing.  It will cover your Apple longboard quite nicely.  I just talked with Quirky, and was told that the Space Bar actually does come with an AC adapter, so you won’t have to worry about your USB ports not having enough power. Want one? I know I do. You can grab one now at Quirky’s site for $42.  If you decide to wait, it’s going to go up to $48, which is still a decent price. Product [ The Space Bar ] Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell . | Comment on this Article »

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Section: Apple , Rumors , Mac + Computers The Apple iTablet/iSlate/Tablet (or whatever you want to call it for now) slated (excuse the pun) for announcement January 27th will undoubtedly offer some sort of Apple-esque transformation in the way we use tablets (that is, assuming it even exists). One of the main ways Apple could do this is to alter the way the users input data. There are numerous ways this could be approached, and Macworld has rounded up nine possible techniques, outlining the odds of the approach Apple may take. To summarize, it is something like this: Integrated physical keyboard – Odds: 500 to 1 Wireless physical keyboard – Odds: 750 to 1 (for Bluetooth only); 75 to 1 (Bluetooth as an option) Virtual keyboard (iPhone version) – Odds: 50 to 1 (standard iPhone keyboard); 10 to 1 (something clever like that split keyboard model) Virtual keyboard (MacBook version) – Odds: 300 to 1 Stylus – Odds: 200 to 1 Finger-based – Odds: 75 to 1 Voice recognition – Odds: 100 to 1 (by itself); 10 to 1 (as an option) No text entry – Odds: 150 to 1 And now for something completely different – Odds: 20 to 1 There is obviously a good deal of reasoning behind the options that you can read at Macworld’s site, but this list does offer some creative ideas. While I don’t necessarily agree with the odds they have chosen for each option, I do think Macworld offers some great analysis on each of the possibilities . Who knows, maybe one of more of them will come true later this month! Via [ MacWorld ] Image via [ Gizmodo ] Full Story » | Written by Josh Holat for Appletell . | Comment on this Article »

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Section: Apple , Rumors , iPhone , iPhone , Mac + Computers , Laptops Over the course of CES, TG Daily came upon a rather interesting rumor after talking to various vendors. As it goes, some companies were trying to get 10 inch screens to use with their products but were met with months and months of struggle thanks to Apple. Apparently, our favorite Cupertino company has pre-ordered so many 10 inch LCD and OLED screens that the Asian manufacturers aren’t able to supply other companies with what they need. Now, not only does this potentially mean that Apple will have two versions of their Apple tablet device (which is pretty unlikely, in my opinion), it could also mean that Apple isn’t worried about whether these tablets are going to sell. They must have something really awesome up their sleeve. What’s even better about this rumor is that it falls right in line with an ever-increasing amount of other rumors about a possible Apple tablet. As of now, the rumors are that Apple will be including developer tools in the next version of the iPhone SDK for a larger device, it will have a multi touch tactile screen , and it will ship in March at 10” . Perhaps we will be seeing iSlate.com get an actual website later this month

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Section: Software + Apps , Video , Web , iPod + iTunes , iPod touch , iPhone , iPhone , iPhone SDK & Apps , Mac + Computers , Peripherals , Reviews Provides: Video surveillance Developer: Vue Minimum Requirements: Constant Internet connection, router, Mac/PC or iPhone with Internet access Price: $299, $99 for each additional camera Availability: Now Worried about Rex at home all by his little self?  Or maybe you’re just paranoid that your neighbors like your stuff a little too much?  No matter what your motives, if you want to keep an eye on what’s happening around your home, the Vue Personal Video Network is one option that gives you access to streaming video feeds from around your house via a computer or even an iPhone. The Vue Personal Video Network comes packaged with everything you need to get started: two cameras and the base station to which they connect.  Extra cameras are $100 each (ouch).  Setup is simple.  Just connect the base station to your router (sorry, the cameras are wireless, but the base needs ethernet), and then plug in the power.  Then, just bring each camera within 10 or so inches of the base station and push the sync button.  That’s it.  Well, there’s some Internet registration, but it’s still pretty simple.  Even grandma could do this.  No geeks required. Now, you can place those two cameras pretty much anywhere you want.  I have a two story apartment, and I didn’t find any dead spots on the inside of my place.  Your range may vary, but I wouldn’t worry about range being an issue.  Now, where to put these guys?  Thankfully, the mounting bases are very nice.  They are half spheres of metal that can be attached to just about any flat surface with the included adhesive strip= or a screw.  Then, the camera holds on to this base with the power of magnets!  This allows you to move the camera around easily for optimal viewing angles.  It also allows you to easily move the cameras from one base to another.  There are four included, so they expect you to move these around. You have two choices of how to make use of your video feeds.  You can login via the VueZone site or my preferred method, the iPhone app .  While I feel the website gives better image quality (I’m guessing this is just perception), I still prefer the iPhone app.  This is because these are mainly security cameras, and you want to be able to access their video feeds easily, anywhere.  The iPhone gives you that ability.  You can literally check on your home from anywhere you have internet access, even the other side of the planet. The whole system works fairly well, meaning you can get your video feed with little effort.  The iPhone app is a little bare bones, but what more do you really need than to view the slightly-off-live video feed?  You save that feed as a video or take snapshots.  But I’m not trying to say the video quality is good, because it isn’t.  You can change the exposure on these to compensate for low to high levels of light, but you really want to be looking at something relatively well lit.  If you have enough light, the image quality is okay at best, but movement is sporadic, and streaming is never in real time, or even at an regular pace.  I think the video quality is low on this system for two reasons: first, to conserve batteries (which are pesky little camera batteries that are supposed to last about one year), and second, to allow the cameras to be small and light enough to place nearly everywhere.  It’s a tradeoff for sure.  Is it the tradeoff you’d make?  I’d have to say no.  While these are small, they aren’t small enough to be unnoticeable without skilled placement.  And the video quality is too low to really tell anything more than whether an intruder is present. This system could benefit from some sort of detection notifications.  Perhaps the system could text you anytime there is significant movement on one of the cameras, but this would likely kill the batteries as these cameras would have to be streaming video 24/7, which they aren’t.  They only stream when you ask them too.  You can’t even view more than one live feed at a time; not sure why this is the case. I think the next version of this product could really shine if it includes decent video quality, a lowered price, and extra features.  I love the easy setup process and that you can access this from your iPhone.  But at nearly $300 for only 2 cameras, it’s just too expensive to justify its usefulness given the video quality and lack of extra features.  Pus, extra cameras cost $100, a bit excessive.  I think this product would have a much better chance at a substantially lower price point. Appletell Rating: Buy Vue Personal Video Network Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell . | Comment on this Article »

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Section: Apple , Rumors , iPhone , iPhone , iPhone SDK & Apps , Mac + Computers , Laptops Chilli X , the creator of a couple iPhone applications, has blogged about some interesting abilities for software developers when given hardware such as the Apple tablet , which may be announced later this month. Basically, they’re saying that the extra screen real estate will allow for much more complex and useful applications. For instance, you can see below what they were able to mock up when adding PhotoFrame , DeskClock and PlaySafe —their iPhone applications—together onto one screen. While it clearly looks beautiful, it represents a lot of what the Apple Tablet could be used for. While these developers don’t believe the potential tablet will be running either Snow Leopard (far too complex for a touch based device) or the same iPhone OS (although they believe it will run usual iPhone apps in small windows), they do see a specific niche market of applications that could be made on it. “If you believe the rumours the new device will revolutionise the way we interact with our media. We’ll be reading the morning paper on it bed, watching TV programmes, reading digital comic and ebooks. Personally I want it to be my ultimate remote control as well,” reads their post. I think he has a point

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Section: iPod + iTunes , iPod Accessories , Headphones , iPhone , iPhone Accessories , Mac + Computers , Peripherals , Reviews Provides: High performance in-ear audio playback Developer: Monster Cable Products, Inc. Minimum Requirements: Any audio device with a 1/8” inch mini-jack Price: $179.95 Availability: Out now It’s not too hard for many of us to justify spending $180 on headphones. If you’re like me, you use them constantly. I’m lucky enough to have a job that’s conducive to listening to music for pretty much the whole day, but only if my tastes aren’t be forced upon my coworkers (especially the stuff in Japanese ). At home, my wife likes to wind down by watching people try to buy houses on TV. I like to play video games. Rather than spend the time in separate rooms, I just throw on a pair of headphones and pretend to hear her when she makes some comment about their house vs. ours (“We couldn’t afford it,” tends to always apply)

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Section: iPod + iTunes , iPod Accessories , Docks & Speakers , Headphones , iPhone , iPhone Accessories , iPhone , Mac + Computers , Peripherals CES is the time where all of our favorite brands and technologies show up. And when they do, they usually go with the motto, “Go big or go home.” Well Altec Lansing is certainly part of that crowd (as I write this listening to music through two sets of their speakers), and they’ve announced three new products they will be producing and releasing over the next couple of months. As I mentioned, I do own some Altec Lansing speakers and fine the sound quality to be rather good. Furthermore, the design of their products is usually pretty slick, even sitting next to my MacBook Pro. The first of these products, known as the inMotion Compact, will be a docking station for iPhone, iPod, or any MP3 player. It is the smallest product in this line, folding to about the size of a book for easy portability. According to the press release, we can expect to see this in February. Altec Lansing also announced the Octane Plus speakers system as the “newest member of Altec’s computer speaker line.” This system can either play music through your computer/laptop or can even connect to CD, DVD, or MP3 sources. Available in spring, this product is geared towards music, movies, and gaming—some of the most popular tasks on a computer. It comes complete with a subwoofer and two other speakers. Finally, the MUZX DNA stereo headphones—priced at just under $20—were announced, and offer comfortable and good quality headphones.

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Section: Mac + Computers , Wireless , Peripherals Sling Media wasn’t going to let CES 2010 pass by without letting the world know about their latest range of products aimed at giving you the ability to watch television wherever you are. Before I tell you about each individual item, there are two things that are common between them: the lack of wires, and high definition. These have played a big part in technology in general over the last decade, and they are also both areas in which I feel technology will advance in the coming decade. As we know, Apple is not far off when it comes to wireless computing; the iMac able to operate with a single power cable. But for the rest of your peripherals, wireless still has a little way to go. Sling Media, on the other hand, is embracing wireless with open arms. Slingbox 700U In theory, you should be able to hook up a new Slingbox 700U to your existing Internet-connected set-top box via a USB port to allow you to watch HDTV from anywhere in the world via the online SlingPlayer. The catch is that you need to have a set-top box that has Internet access and available USB ports. The EchoStar 722K is one of these, according to the Sling Media press release. Such a set-top box can then be SlingLoaded to allow the streaming to begin. Sling Receiver 300 The Sling Reciever 300 is to accompany your SlingLoaded™ box to stream your high definition content to any other television thats connected to your home network, thus limiting the need to run cables or buy a second set-top box for the additional TVs. Sling Monitor 150 If you were thinking that none of your current TVs have Internet access, the Sling Monitor 150 may be for you.

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Section: Software + Apps , Miscellaneous , Third-Party , iPod + iTunes , iPod touch , iPhone , iPhone , iPhone SDK & Apps , Mac + Computers , Software Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for January 6, 2010: Macintosh LaCie has announced the LaCie CooKey and LaCie WhizKey , designed by 5.5 Designers. The new USB flash keys are modeled after the award-winning LaCie iamaKey, which was recently issued a 2010 award by the internationally recognized Observeur du Design. Both Apple and Star Trek have very passionate fans. It turns out many of those passionate fans overlap, and love both Apple and Star Trek. The Digital Lifestyle is bringing them together in a weekly event called Star Trek Saturdays . Each Saturday, beginning January 16th, the site will post a full-length episode of Star Trek, starting with the first episode of the original series. Second Gear has announced the immediate availability of Today 2.0 , the latest version of its popular calendaring application. Today makes it easy to get a one day snapshot view of your upcoming events and tasks in a compact window. No iCal required. Version 2.0 adds “Tomorrow’s” events plus global event and task creation capabilities

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