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Feb

Official Pebble App Adds Music Player Selection, Should Work With Most Music Apps

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Applications, News

There was one black spot on our mostly favorable review of the Pebble smartwatch: the music control app just didn't work on some phones. As stated in the review, that's probably got more to do with the phone in question than Pebble's software, since it worked just fine on two separate Nexus devices. Even so, the people at Pebble have been listening, and the latest update to the official app includes a music player selection feature. It will scan your device for music apps and let you choose which one your watch will default to.

After trying out the update on my DROID RAZR M (which, again, would only display track information on the Pebble and not control it) the Music app on the Pebble works great.

Jan

Google Confirms Bluetooth A2DP Audio Streaming Fix For The 'Next Release' Of Android 4.2

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Google, Jelly Bean 4.2, News

While Android 4.2 may have brought a number of enhancements, it also brought its fair share of issues to the platform. Among those, there has been a real problem with Bluetooth – especially when it comes to A2DP streaming audio. Basically, audio lags and cuts out constantly, making a streaming experience far more frustrating than enjoyable.

Good news, though – Google has just confirmed that this issue will be fixed "in the next release," which should be Android 4.2.2. Here's to hoping this fix also has a positive effect on other Bluetooth devices – like game controllers and the like (most of which simply don't work on 4.2).

Aug

[Lightning Review] SuperTooth Melody Bluetooth Headphones: Wireless, Compact, And That's About It

Posted by David Ruddock in Accessories, Other Reviews

Wireless headphones are a rapidly emerging market, thanks to the continually growing proportion of the population that own Bluetooth-enabled smartphones and tablets. On-ear wireless headphones, in particular, are picking up. We've reviewed several of these style of headphones, and found performance and price to vary wildly. You can spend $30 on a bargain-bin set of wireless headphones, or upwards of $400-500 for some of the name brand audiophile products out there. And at those extremes, it's a little easier to weed out the "real deal" from the junk. But in the middle of the road, around the $80-150 mark, things get a little less clear.

Mar

[Review] Jawbone Icon HD + The NERD: A Pretty Good Bluetooth Headset, As Long As You Ignore The Price

Posted by David Ruddock in Other Reviews

I remember my first Bluetooth headset review. I was skeptical. I felt like a giant asshole when I wore it. And I'll say this much - my opinion on them hasn't changed much. Wearing one outside of a moving vehicle or a closed office just strikes me as rude. Is it any way, shape, or form harming me when people do it? No, but neither are Crocs, and I think many of us have "feelings" about them.

Before I go on with that potentially never-ending rant, let's talk about the Icon HD. If you've ever purchased a Jawbone product before, you know the drill - it's a premium Bluetooth headset (with a large variety of fit options) that's very well-styled.

Dec

Review: AKG K 830 BT Bluetooth Headphones Get High Marks For Controls And Comfort, But A2DP Is Still A Compromise On Sound

Posted by David Ruddock in Other Reviews

I've been on a bit of a headphone kick lately, and have tried out a number of sets from various manufacturers. The only on-ear headphones I've tried during this time, though, have been AKG's K 830 BT's, the company's only high fidelity Bluetooth headphones. Bluetooth headphones remain a relatively young technology, and have been growing steadily as more and more computers and smartphones adopt the A2DP Bluetooth audio transmission standard.

The 830 BT's are a very comfortable pair of headphones with some nicely designed (if plasticky) on-ear controls (track skip, volume, answer call, play/pause). But like all Bluetooth headphones, they suffer from diminished audio quality when compared to their corded counterparts, particularly at high volume and high frequencies.

Nov

Review: Samsung HM7000 Bluetooth Headset - You'll Still Look Like A... You Know. But It Works Great

Posted by David Ruddock in Other Reviews, Reviews, Samsung

People who constantly wear Bluetooth headsets annoy me. I'll admit it. Yep, it's probably pretentious, judgmental, and just kind of mean, but nonetheless, that's where I stand (see: this highly relevant video). I figure it's only fair warning for you, our readers, going into this review. So, when Samsung offered me a chance to spend some time with their latest high-end Bluetooth headset, the HM7000 (the product naming department was on vacation), I accepted with a good deal of hesitancy.

Overview

Samsung HM7000 Bluetooth Headset

Price: $100 (less on Amazon)
What is it? A Bluetooth headset - as you might have guessed.

Jun

[Accessory Review] Your Android Phone/Tablet + SuperTooth Disco = The Boombox, Evolved

Posted by David Ruddock in Other Reviews, Reviews

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

Did you used to have a boombox? Don't you miss the freedom it gave you to enjoy your music at high volumes, headphone-free and cordless any place, any time? Sure, earbuds and noise-cancelling headphones are a lot more portable (and polite to everyone around you), but when you weren't concerned with drowning out all ambient sound or disturbing others, the boombox really was just... better. And it had so many great uses: In the kitchen. Outside. During household chores. By the pool. At the beach. The boombox made ambient music an option everywhere you went.

Unfortunately, boomboxes (good ones, at least) were big, heavy, ate through expensive disposable batteries, and were limited to physical media playback.