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Aug

Martian Seeks Kickstarter Funding For Voice Command Smartwatch

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in News

Ever since the Pebble Smartwatch got millions in funding from Kickstarter, other companies have been coming out of the woodwork in hopes of getting a smartwatch on your wrist. The Martian smartwatch is a slightly different take on the concept, though. These devices would be based mostly on voice commands over Bluetooth.

The video is clearly using a lot of Siri commands, which Android devices won't support. Since this is essentially a fancy Bluetooth device, all the voice commands that work through a regular Bluetooth headset on your phone will be available with Martian. If you've got S Voice or Google Now you should have a fair number of functions, but it's not going to be consistent across devices.

Aug

[Review] Phiaton PS 210 BTNC Bluetooth Noise-Cancelling Earbuds

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Other Reviews

Last Updated: October 9th, 2012

It's no secret that most of us hate cables. We want wireless sync and charging. Wi-Fi. Bluetooth. NFC. The list goes on and on. Why then, would we settle for earbuds that remain physically tethered to our device? We wouldn't. Unfortunately, Bluetooth earbuds aren't nearly as commonplace as their wired counterparts, and they oftentimes costs thrice as much (or more). Still, if you just can't stand the thought of using a wired set of 'buds, it's really your best (and only) option.

Enter a new offering to the Bluetooth earbud arena (available for pre-order now, should be in stores early next week): the Phiaton PS 210 BTNC (MSRP $160).

Aug

[Deal Alert] Rocketfish SPX15 Portable Bluetooth Speaker Available For $40 ($60 Off) For One Day From Best Buy

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Deals, News

Yesterday, we featured a great deal on a stationary Bluetooth dock. Say you need something a bit more portable, though. What should you buy then? Heavens, can anyone save you from this crisis of audio need?! Well, yeah. And calm down. Here's a portable Bluetooth speaker from Best Buy. Today only, this Rocketfish SPX15 is available for $40, which is $60 off its normal MSRP and about $30 off its already-lower price on Amazon. Not bad.

According to reviews on Amazon and CNET, it's a decent little box. The built-in battery is rechargeable which is always a nice touch, and reports are that the sound quality is good.

Aug

[Deal Alert] Philips Fidelio AS140 Bluetooth Dock On Sale For $50 ($60 Off) In Target Stores

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Accessories, Deals

Android docks are thin on the ground, mostly because there's just too many phones and tablets for accessory makers to invest in developing them. Philips is the exception, and while their range of Fidelio docks have been well-received, they're also pretty expensive. On that note, you can pick up the Fidelio AS140/37, their mid-range Android speaker dock, for just $49.99 in Target stores. That's $60 off the suggested retail price, and more than $30 off of Amazon's price. The deal is not available on Target's website - trying to get it into your cart will only return an error. We called a local store to make sure the deal is active.

Aug

You Want This Homemade Android Arcade Cabinet - No, That's Not A Question

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in News

Arcade cabinet mods are certainly nothing new. Ever since the kids of the late 70s and early 80s grew up into the adults of the late 90s and early aughts, the internet has been filled with folks building wooden boxes around computers and joysticks. Today's example, though, uses an Android tablet and a Tatsunoko vs. Capcom fight stick for what might be one of the cheapest, easiest-to-replicate Arcade cabinets around.

Unfortunately, the creator of this particular mod hasn't included instructions on how to follow in his footsteps (yet), but the cabinet does appear to be fairly straightforward.

Aug

More Leaked Nexus 7 Accessories Surface, Including A Rotating Stand Case, Bluetooth Keyboard Case And More

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Accessories, News, Nexus 7

British gadget site Mobile Fun has some fantastic stuff for us to drool over today. After seeing some premium Nexus 7 accessories just a couple days ago, these new leaked photos show us even more Nexus 7 accessories including (brace yourself) a rotating stand case. In case those words don't make sense to your brain when placed together, here's how it works: it's a protective case that can turn into either a landscape or portrait stand. This is kind of awesome.

Is that not enough for you? Well, there's plenty more where that came from. If you prefer to use your Nexus 7 solely in landscape mode (we'll just assume you're not using the stock interface; to each his own), there will be a landscape-only case/stand along the same vein as one for the Xoom.

Jul

MEElectronics Air-Fi AF9 Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds Review: More Versatile Than Meets The Eye

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Other Reviews

Last Updated: July 30th, 2012

Like many technophiles, I have a soft spot for wireless audio gear. While cord-free is moving in the direction of Wi-Fi and mesh networks at home, the world of portable gear still belongs to Bluetooth. Earbuds, headphones, portable speakers - they're all different, and so far none I've tested are perfect. Once I find the perfect one in each category, I'll be sure to let you know.

A few months ago, I reviewed the MEElectronics Air-Fi AF32 - a full-size over-the-ear set of wireless headphones that ended up scoring surprisingly well while at the same time not breaking the bank. The other Bluetooth offering available from Meelec is the in-ear Air-Fi AF9, which is precisely what we're taking a look at today.

Jul

[Quick Review] BBP Mobiband Bluetooth Headphones: A Budget Product With A Mid-Range Price

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Accessories, Other Reviews

Bluetooth may be a mature technology, but it's far from perfect. It follows, then, that headphones that use the standard would share the same imperfections in addition to their own. Such is the case with the Mobiband Bluetooth Headphones made by BBP; while they're certainly not bad, they're not good, either. Unfortunately, the performance simply doesn't justify the $60 price tag of the headphones. In fact, mediocrity is the theme across the board, which is unfortunate if not entirely surprising.

Take a look at Amazon and it becomes immediately obvious that BBP is a company that has made its name selling generic accessories and is now trying to move into new markets.

Jun

Sensordrone Aims To Enable "The 6th Sense Of Your Smartphone" With 13 Different Sensors In One Keychain-Sized Accessory

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in News

Ready for a mind-blowing example of what Android is capable of? You'd better be - Sensorcon, hoping for funding from Kickstarter, has thrown together a demonstration of Sensordrone, an accessory for your Android device that will be small enough to fit on your keychain and yet powerful enough to pack 13 different sensors under its hood, paving the road for hundreds of potential new apps.

In a nutshell, Sensordrone is an entire suite of sensors, useful for projects ranging from gas oxidization to color intensity measurement. It will communicate the information it finds to your handset via Bluetooth, at which point a Sensordrone-enabled app will take over.

Jun

Nyko Introduces Gaming Controllers For Android Tablets To Be Released This Fall

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Games, News

Last Updated: June 5th, 2012

Nyko, best known for making the slightly less solid and slightly less expensive console controllers you buy to save money, is getting into the Android game. Literally. Working with mobile gaming force of nature, NVIDIA, the peripherals company aims to bring "physical and familiar controls" to tablet games that run on NVIDIA processors, including, but more importantly not limited to, the Tegra 3.

^{The PlayPad in a variety of colors (left), and the PlayPad Pro (right).}

Beginning in Fall 2012, the company will begin selling two different controllers. The PlayPad will be the smaller of the two and feature a collapsible tablet stand and carrying case, making your tablet every bit as portable of a gaming rig as a Virtual Boy.